Cartridge for a liquid-cooled plasma arc torch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11665807-B2
Application number	US-202016795752-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2020
Priority date	Aug 4, 2015
Publication date	May 30, 2023
Grant date	May 30, 2023

Abstract

A torch head for a liquid-cooled plasma arc torch is provided. The torch head includes a torch body and a torch insulator, coupled to the torch body, having a substantially non-conductive insulator body. The torch insulator includes (i) a first liquid coolant channel, disposed within the insulator body, configured to conduct a fluid flow from the torch head into a consumable cartridge along a first preexisting flow path, (ii) a first liquid return channel, disposed within the insulator body, configured to return at least a portion of the fluid flow from the cartridge to the torch head along the first preexisting flow path, and (iii) a gas channel, disposed within the insulator body, configured to conduct a first gas flow from the torch head to the cartridge along a second preexisting flow path. The first and second preexisting flow paths are fluidly isolated from each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A consumable cartridge frame for a liquid-cooled plasma arc torch, the consumable cartridge frame comprising:
a plastic insulator body configured to be a portion of a torch cartridge, a proximal region of the insulator body removably connectable to a torch head and a distal region of the insulator body connectable to a cartridge tip that includes a nozzle and a shield;
a cooling channel, disposed in and defined by the insulator body, configured to align with a flow region in at least one of the nozzle or shield of the cartridge tip to conduct a cooling fluid flow received from the torch head from the proximal region to the flow region of the at least one nozzle or shield of the cartridge tip connected to the insulator body; and
a return channel, disposed in and defined by the insulator body, configured to conduct the cooling fluid flow from the at least one nozzle or shield to the proximal region of the insulator body connected to the torch head;
wherein a longitudinal axis of each of the cooling channel and the return channel is radially offset in relation to a central longitudinal axis of the insulator body.

2. The consumable cartridge frame of claim 1 , further comprising a torch engagement feature configured to radially secure the cartridge tip to the torch head in a predetermined orientation.

3. The consumable cartridge frame of claim 2 , wherein the cooling channel is configured to substantially align with a corresponding cooling channel of the torch head when the cartridge tip is radially secured to the torch head via the torch engagement feature, the cooling channel of the torch head adapted to conduct a cooling liquid from the torch head into the cartridge tip.

4. The consumable cartridge frame of claim 3 , wherein the return channel is configured to substantially align with a corresponding return channel of the torch head when the cartridge tip is radially secured to the torch head via the torch engagement feature, the return channel of the torch head adapted to return the cooling liquid from the cartridge tip into the torch head.

5. The consumable cartridge frame of claim 1 , further comprising a central channel disposed in the insulator body and concentric with respect to the central longitudinal axis of the insulator body, the central channel configured to perform at least one of (i) conduct the cooling fluid flow from the torch head to an electrode or (ii) pass an electrical current from the torch head to the electrode.

6. The consumable cartridge frame of claim 1 , where the cooling fluid flow comprises a liquid coolant flow.

7. The consumable cartridge frame of claim 1 , further comprising at least one gas channel, disposed in the insulator body, configured to conduct a second fluid flow to the shield of the cartridge tip, wherein the at least one gas channel is offset from the central longitudinal axis of the insulator body.

8. The consumable cartridge of claim 7 , wherein the second fluid flow comprises a shield gas flow.

9. A consumable cartridge frame for a liquid-cooled plasma arc torch, the consumable cartridge frame comprising:
a plastic insulator body configured to be a portion of a torch cartridge, the insulator body comprising a proximal interface removably connectable to a torch head of the plasma arc torch and a distal region connectable to a cartridge tip that includes a nozzle and a shield;
a shield gas inlet opening at the proximal interface of the plastic insulator body, the shield gas inlet configured to maintain fluid communication with the shield to introduce a shield gas flow from the torch head to the shield; and
a coolant inlet opening and a coolant outlet opening at the proximal interface of the plastic insulator body, the coolant inlet and outlet openings configure to circulate a coolant flow between the torch head and at least one of the nozzle or the shield,
wherein centers of the shield gas inlet opening, the coolant inlet opening and the coolant outlet opening are radially offset from a central longitudinal axis of the insulator body.

10. The consumable cartridge frame of claim 9 , further comprising a radio-frequency identification (RFID) opening at the proximal interface with the torch head.

11. The consumable cartridge frame of claim 10 , wherein the RFID opening is associated with a cavity disposed in the insulator body of cartridge frame, the cavity being offset from the central longitudinal axis of the insulator body, the cavity configured to receive an RFID tag for communicating with a reader device of the torch head.

12. The consumable cartridge frame of claim 11 , wherein the shield gas inlet opening, the coolant inlet opening and the coolant outlet opening are adapted to align with corresponding openings in the torch head in the predetermined orientation to convey liquid and gas between the torch head and the cartridge tip.

13. A consumable cartridge for a liquid-cooled plasma arc torch, the consumable cartridge comprising:
an electrically insulating cartridge frame; and
a set of conductive consumable components defining, in part, a plasma plenum, the set of conductive components affixed to the cartridge frame; and
a set of liquid and gas channels disposed in the electrically insulating cartridge frame and in fluid communication with the set of conductive consumable components, a longitudinal axis of each of the liquid and gas channels being radially offset in relation to a central longitudinal axis of the cartridge frame,
wherein the consumable cartridge is composed of at least 50% electrically insulating material by volume.

14. The consumable cartridge of claim 13 , wherein the consumable cartridge is composed of about 60% to about 80% the electrically insulating material by volume.

15. The consumable cartridge of claim 13 , wherein the consumable cartridge is a single use cartridge.

16. The consumable cartridge of claim 13 , wherein the set of conductive consumable components after being affixed to the cartridge frame form a unitary component.

17. The consumable cartridge of claim 13 , wherein the set of conductive consumable components comprises a shield, a nozzle and an electrode.

18. The consumable cartridge of claim 13 , wherein the electrically insulating material comprises plastic.

Assignees

• Hypertherm Inc

Inventors

• Sanders Nicholas A
• Shipulski E Michael
• Hoffa Michael

Classifications

• B23K9/285

  Cooled electrode holders · CPC title

• H05H1/3405 Primary

  Arrangements for stabilising or constricting the arc, e.g. by an additional gas flow · CPC title

• H05H1/3468

  Vortex generators · CPC title

• H05H1/3423

  Connecting means, e.g. electrical connecting means or fluid connections · CPC title

• H05H1/3457

  Nozzle protection devices · CPC title