Wire management for a welding system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11413697-B2
Application number	US-201916583393-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2019
Priority date	Nov 2, 2018
Publication date	Aug 16, 2022
Grant date	Aug 16, 2022

Abstract

A welding system can manage wire feeders such that unused wire feeders are conveniently stowed. The welding system include two or more wire feeders individually attachable to a welding torch. The welding system includes one or more mount points to secure unused wire feeders and enable convenient swapping of an active wire feeder.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A welding system, comprising:
a welder unit coupled to at least one of a guide track or a mobile chassis;
a weld head unit operatively coupled to the welder unit, the weld head unit supporting a welding torch;
a first wire feeder mounted on the welder unit and having a first wire liner terminated with a first connector;
a second wire feeder mounted on the welder unit and having a second wire liner terminated with a second connector;
a first mount configured to receive the first connector terminating the first wire liner of the first wire feeder; and
a second mount configured to receive the second connector terminating the second wire liner of the second wire feeder,
wherein the first mount is positioned on the welding torch and the second mount is unattached from the welding torch.

2. The welding system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second mounts have a same functional shape.

3. The welding system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second connectors are quick disconnects.

4. The welding system of claim 1 , wherein wire associated with the second wire feeder is not electrically charged and wherein wire associated with the first wire feeder is electrically charged while the first connector is connected to the welding torch.

5. The welding system of claim 1 , wherein the second mount is attached to the welder unit.

6. The welding system of claim 1 , wherein a number of mounts in the welding system unattached from the welding torch is one less than a number of wire feeders in the welding system.

7. The welding system of claim 1 , wherein a number of mounts in the welding system unattached from the welding torch is the same as a number of wire feeders in the welding system.

8. The welding system of claim 1 , wherein the welder unit is an orbital welder.

9. The welding system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second wire feeders include a respective first and second wire spools for storing wire, wherein the first wire feeder feeds wire from the first wire spool through the first wire liner to the welding torch.

10. The welding system of claim 1 , wherein the welding system includes a second welding torch and at least three feeders mounted on the welder unit, wherein the at least three feeders include the first wire feeder, the second wire feeder, and a third wire feeder having third wire liner terminated with a third connector.

11. The welding system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second connectors are female connectors, and the first and second mounts provide male connection points for the first and second connectors.

12. The welding system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second connectors are male connectors, and the first and second mounts provide female connection points for the first and second connectors.

13. A method for a welding system, the welding system including a welder unit coupled to at least one of a guide track or a mobile chassis, a weld head unit operatively coupled to the welder unit, the weld head unit supporting a welding torch, and first and second wire feeders mounted on the welder unit, wherein the first and second wire feeders include respective first and second wire liners terminated with respective first and second connectors, comprising:
attaching the first wire feeder to a first mount associated with the welding torch via the first connector; and
attaching the second wire feeder a second mount via the second connector, wherein the second mount is unattached from the welding torch.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the first and second mounts have a same functional shape.

15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the first and second connectors are quick disconnects.

16. The method according to claim 13 , wherein wire associated the second wire feeder is not electrically charged and wherein wire associated with the first wire feeder is electrically charged while the first connector is connected to the welding torch and power is supplied to the welding torch.

17. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the second mount is attached to the welder unit.

18. The method according to claim 13 , wherein a number of mounts in the welding system unattached from the welding torch is one less than a number of wire feeders in the welding system.

19. The method according to claim 13 , wherein a number of mounts in the welding system unattached from the welding system is the same as a number of wire feeders in the welding system.

20. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the welder unit is an orbital welder.

Assignees

• Lincoln Global Inc

Inventors

• Cole Stephen R
• Traver Richard Dean

Classifications

• B23K9/125

  Feeding of electrodes (for stabilising arc B23K9/073) · CPC title

• B23K9/282

  Electrode holders not supplying shielding means to the electrode · CPC title

• B23K9/121

  Devices for the automatic supply of at least two electrodes one after the other · CPC title

• B23K9/124 Primary

  Circuits or methods for feeding welding wire · CPC title

• B23K9/0286 Primary

  with an electrode moving around the fixed tube during the welding operation · CPC title