Welding torch and all-position welding device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11292073-B2
Application number	US-201716469736-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2017
Priority date	Dec 14, 2016
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

A welding torch includes a gas lens of a lattice structure that straightens a shielding gas. The welding torch includes a non-consumable electrode, an electrode holder into which the non-consumable electrode is inserted, and a torch body including a sleeve that holds the electrode holder, a flow path forming portion that forms a shielding gas flow path around the sleeve, and a nozzle that forms a shielding gas guiding space around a distal end of the non-consumable electrode, the distal end extending from the electrode holder, in which the gas lens is provided so as to separate the shielding gas flow path from the shielding gas guiding space.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A welding torch comprising:
a non-consumable electrode; and
a gas lens of a lattice structure that straightens a shielding gas so as to flow in a laminar flow parallel to an axial direction of the non-consumable electrode, wherein:
the gas lens has a three-dimensional mesh lattice structure in which at least a plurality of beams are joined together, the plurality of beams including first beams and second beams,
the first beams are joined in a planar manner so as to constitute a first mesh sheet and a second mesh sheet, the first mesh sheet and the second mesh sheet are stacked in the axial direction, and
each of the second beams joins a lattice point of the first mesh sheet and a lattice point of the second mesh sheet.

2. The welding torch according to claim 1 , wherein the welding torch further includes
an electrode holder that holds the non-consumable electrode; and
a torch body including a sleeve into which the electrode holder is inserted, a shielding gas flow path around the sleeve, and a nozzle that forms a shielding gas guiding space around a distal end of the non-consumable electrode, the distal end extending from the electrode holder,
wherein the gas lens is provided so as to separate the shielding gas flow path of the torch body from the shielding gas guiding space.

3. The welding torch according to claim 2 ,
wherein an inner peripheral portion of the gas lens is connected to an outer peripheral surface of the sleeve, and an outer peripheral portion of the gas lens is connected to an inner peripheral surface of the nozzle.

4. The welding torch according to claim 2 ,
wherein the gas lens is integrally formed with the sleeve and the nozzle.

5. The welding torch according to claim 2 ,
wherein the shielding gas flow path includes an inner peripheral flow path formed around the sleeve and facing the gas lens, and an outer peripheral flow path formed around the inner peripheral flow path and separated from the inner peripheral flow path by a partition, and
wherein the partition is provided with a communication port for allowing inflow of a shielding gas from the outer peripheral flow path to the inner peripheral flow path.

6. The welding torch according to claim 5 ,
wherein when the outer peripheral flow path is divided in a circumferential direction into two portions consisting of a first portion including an inflow portion of the shielding gas and an remaining second portion, an opening ratio of the partition of the second portion is larger than an opening ratio of the partition of the first portion.

7. The welding torch according to claim 5 ,
wherein a guide portion is formed on a wall forming the inner peripheral flow path, the guide portion deflecting a flow of the shielding gas flowing from the outer peripheral flow path into the inner peripheral flow path toward the gas lens.

8. The welding torch according to claim 2 ,
wherein the non-consumable electrode includes an electrode shaft portion and an electrode tapered portion whose diameter gradually decreases from the electrode shaft portion toward a distal end of the electrode tapered portion,
wherein the electrode holder includes a holder cylinder portion without a slot, a first threaded portion formed on an outer peripheral wall of the holder cylinder portion, and a holder head for closing one of end openings of the holder cylinder portion,
wherein the sleeve includes a sleeve inlet into which the non-consumable electrode and the holder cylinder portion are inserted, a second threaded portion screwed with the first threaded portion to allow movement of the electrode holder in an insertion/removal direction, and a sleeve outlet having an inner diameter larger than a minimum diameter and smaller than a maximum diameter of the electrode tapered portion, and
wherein the holder cylinder portion is inserted into the sleeve, the electrode shaft portion is inserted into the holder cylinder portion, the electrode tapered portion comes into contact with an opening edge of the sleeve outlet, and the electrode shaft portion comes into contact with the holder head.

9. An all-position welding device that performs butt welding of tubes, the all-position welding device comprising:
the welding torch according to any one of claim 1 ; and
a rotation mechanism for rotating the welding torch around the tubes.

Assignees

• Kawasaki Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Akamatsu Masahiko
• Yonemoto Shingo
• Kozuki Takanori
• Hibino Shinya
• Ikezawa Yukio
• Niimi Kenichiro
• Arao Akitsugu

Classifications

• B23K2101/06

  Tubes · CPC title

• B23K9/0288

  for welding of tubes to tube plates · CPC title

• B23K9/296

  using non-consumable electrodes · CPC title

• B23K9/291 Primary

  the shielding means being a gas · CPC title

• B23K9/164 Primary

  making use of a moving fluid · CPC title