Apparatus, systems, and methods for increasing the lifespan of welding cable covers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11146050-B2
Application number	US-201916388253-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2019
Priority date	Apr 18, 2019
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

Apparatus, systems, and methods for increasing the lifespan of welding cable covers are described. In some examples, a cable cover is wrapped around a welding cable to protect the welding cable from hazards of the welding environment. Complementary fasteners attached to the cable cover are fastened together to hold the cable cover in place around the welding cable. The fasteners are arranged and the cable cover is wrapped such that a protective region of the cable cover overlaps with the fasteners, shielding vulnerable stitching used to attach the fasteners to the cable cover. This added protection may prolong the time that fasteners remain attached to a cable cover, thereby prolonging the usable life of the cable cover, and/or prolonging the life of the welding cable(s) protected by the cable cover.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A protective cover for a welding cable, comprising:
a flexible material configured to wrap around the welding cable;
a first fastener coupled to an exterior side of the flexible material at a first fastening region; and
a second fastener coupled to the exterior side of the flexible material at a second fastening region, the second fastener being complementary to the first fastener to enable fastening together of the first and second fasteners,
wherein the flexible material is configured to be wrapped around the welding cable such that an interior side of the flexible material, opposite the exterior side, faces the welding cable when the first and second fasteners are fastened together around the welding cable, resulting in an overlapping region of the flexible material overlapping and protecting the second fastening region when the first and second fasteners are fastened together around the welding cable, the overlapping region being adjacent the second fastening region, and the overlapping region not including any fastener.

2. The protective cover of claim 1 , wherein the interior side of the flexible material at the second fastening region faces the interior side of the flexible material at the overlapping region when the first and second fasteners are fastened together around the welding cable.

3. The protective cover of claim 1 , wherein the first fastener or second fastener comprise a hook fastener, a loop fastener, a snap stud, a snap socket, a tongue, a groove, or a zipper half.

4. The protective cover of claim 1 , wherein a first stitching couples the first fastener to the flexible material and a second stitching couples the second fastener to the flexible material.

5. The protective cover of claim 4 , wherein the overlapping region shields the second stitching from hazards when the first and second fasteners are fastened together around the welding cable.

6. The protective cover of claim 4 , wherein the first stitching or second stitching comprises a synthetic poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide fiber, or the flexible material comprises a leather or chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSPE) synthetic rubber material.

7. The protective cover of claim 4 , wherein the overlapping region does not include any stitching.

8. A welding system, comprising:
a welding cable connecting together welding components of the welding system; and
a protective cover wrapped around the welding cable to shield the welding cable during welding operations, the protective cover comprising:
a first fastener coupled to an exterior side of the flexible material at a first fastening region; and
a second fastener coupled to the exterior side of the flexible material at a second fastening region, the second fastener being complementary to the first fastener to enable fastening together of the first and second fasteners,
wherein the flexible material wraps around the welding cable to fasten the first fastener to the second fastener such that an interior side of the flexible material, opposite the exterior side, faces the welding cable, resulting in an overlapping region of the flexible material overlapping and protecting the second fastening region, the overlapping region being adjacent the second fastening region, and the overlapping region not including any fastener.

9. The welding system of claim 8 , wherein the interior side of the flexible material at the second fastening region faces the interior side of the flexible material at the overlapping region when the first and second fasteners are fastened together around the welding cable.

10. The welding system of claim 8 , wherein the first fastener or second fastener comprise a hook fastener, a loop fastener, a snap stud, a snap socket, a tongue, a groove, or a zipper half.

11. The welding system of claim 8 , wherein a first stitching couples the first fastener to the flexible material and a second stitching couples the second fastener to the flexible material.

12. The welding system of claim 11 , wherein the overlapping region shields the second stitching from abrasion when the first and second fasteners are fastened together around the welding cable.

13. The welding system of claim 11 , wherein the first stitching or second stitching comprises a synthetic poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide fiber, or the flexible material comprises a leather or chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSPE) synthetic rubber material.

14. The welding system of claim 11 , wherein the overlapping region does not include any stitching.

15. A method, comprising:
providing a welding cable connecting together welding components of a welding system;
providing a flexible material having a first fastener coupled to an exterior side of the flexible material at a first fastening region and a second fastener coupled to the exterior side of the flexible material at a second fastening region;
wrapping the protective cover around the welding cable such that an overlapping region of the flexible material, adjacent the second fastening region, overlaps and protects the second fastening region, the overlapping region not including any fastener; and
fastening the second fastener to the first fastener to secure the protective cover around the welding cable.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the interior side of the flexible material at the second fastening region faces the interior side of the flexible material at the overlapping region when the first and second fasteners are fastened together around the welding cable.

17. The welding system of claim 15 , wherein the first fastener or second fastener comprise a hook fastener, a loop fastener, a snap stud, a snap socket, a tongue, a groove, or a zipper half.

18. The welding system of claim 15 , wherein a first stitching couples the first fastener to the flexible material and a second stitching couples the second fastener to the flexible material.

19. The welding system of claim 18 , wherein the overlapping region shields the second stitching from abrasion when the first and second fasteners are fastened together around the welding cable.

20. The welding system of claim 19 , wherein the overlapping region does not include any stitching.

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Dunahoo Jason

Classifications

• H02G3/0462 Primary

  Tubings, i.e. having a closed section · CPC title

• H02G15/007

  Devices for relieving mechanical stress · CPC title

• H01B9/001

  Power supply cables for the electrodes of electric-welding apparatus or electric-arc furnaces · CPC title

• H02G3/0406

  Details thereof (installation or suspension of conduit channels and other supports H02G3/263) · CPC title

• B23K37/00 Primary

  Auxiliary devices or processes, not specially adapted for a procedure covered by only one of the other main groups of this subclass · CPC title