Welding diffuser insert

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9364915-B2
Application number	US-201313832212-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

A diffuser insert is provided for use with a welding diffuser and contact tip assembly comprising a diffuser with an interior chamber configured to receive a wire conduit that supplies electrode wire and a shielding gas used during a welding operation and a contact tip coupled to the diffuser and configured to receive electrode wire. The diffuser insert comprises a diffuser insert body configured to be disposed within the interior chamber of the diffuser, and further comprises an insert bore extending therethrough configured to receive electrode wire. An outer periphery of the diffuser insert has at least one surface feature configured to manipulate a flow of said shielding gas from within said interior chamber of the diffuser and out of exit passages to thereby direct said flow of shielding gas about a molten welding puddle formed during a welding operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A welding diffuser and contact tip assembly for use with a welding apparatus, the assembly comprising:
a diffuser comprising an interior chamber configured to receive a wire conduit that supplies electrode wire and a shielding gas used during a welding operation, and a plurality of openings defining exit passages for said shielding gas from the interior chamber to an exterior of the diffuser;
a contact tip coupled to the diffuser and configured to receive electrode wire, comprising a front portion, a rear portion, and a contact tip bore extending between the front portion and rear portion; and
a diffuser insert disposed within the interior chamber of the diffuser, comprising an insert bore extending therethrough configured to receive electrode wire, and an outer periphery with at least one surface feature configured to manipulate a flow of said shielding gas from within the interior chamber of the diffuser and out of said exit passages to thereby direct said flow of shielding gas about a molten welding puddle formed during a welding operation, wherein the diffuser insert and the at least one surface feature of the diffuser insert extend axially within the interior chamber of the diffuser along at least one of the exit passages, such that the diffuser insert is at least partially exposed at the at least one of the exit passages.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the diffuser insert is removably secured to the diffuser within the interior chamber.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the diffuser insert is provided together with the wire conduit as a monolithic element.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the diffuser insert is provided together with the diffuser as a monolithic element.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the contact tip bore is located substantially at a center of the contact tip, and the insert bore is located substantially at a center of the diffuser insert.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the diffuser insert bore is substantially coaxial with a longitudinal axis of the diffuser.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the outer periphery of the diffuser insert comprises a plurality of surface features configured to manipulate said flow of said shielding gas.

8. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of surface features are arranged symmetrically about the outer periphery of the diffuser insert.

9. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the diffuser insert comprises a first end and an opposite second end defining a length therebetween, and wherein said plurality of surface features extend along substantially the entire length of the diffuser insert.

10. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the plurality of surface features comprises an elongated channel extending along a longitudinal length of the outer periphery of the diffuser insert.

11. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the plurality of surface features comprises a tapered geometry arranged at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the diffuser.

12. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said at least one surface feature of the outer periphery of the diffuser insert is configured to manipulate said flow of said shielding gas to be asymmetrical about a molten welding puddle formed during a welding operation.

13. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of openings of the diffuser have an elongated geometry, and at least one of the plurality of openings has an end surface arranged at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the diffuser.

14. A welding diffuser and contact tip assembly for use with a welding apparatus, the assembly comprising:
a diffuser comprising an interior chamber configured to receive a wire conduit that supplies electrode wire and a shielding gas used during a welding operation, and a plurality of openings defining exit passages for said shielding gas from the interior chamber to an exterior of the diffuser;
a contact tip coupled to the diffuser and configured to receive electrode wire, comprising a front portion, a rear portion, and a contact tip bore extending between the front portion and rear portion; and
a diffuser insert disposed within the interior chamber of the diffuser and arranged in an abutting relation with the rear portion of the contact tip and an end of the wire conduit, comprising an insert bore configured to receive electrode wire, the insert bore being substantially coaxial with the contact tip bore, and an outer periphery with a plurality of surface features configured to manipulate a flow of said shielding gas from within the interior chamber of the diffuser and out of said exit passages, wherein the diffuser insert and the plurality of surface features of the diffuser insert extend axially within the interior chamber of the diffuser along the exit passages, such that the diffuser insert is at least partially exposed at the exit passages.

15. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the plurality of surface features comprises an elongated channel extending along a longitudinal length of the outer periphery of the diffuser insert.

16. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the plurality of surface features comprises a tapered geometry arranged at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the diffuser.

17. A diffuser and diffuser insert assembly, comprising:
a welding diffuser comprising an interior chamber configured to receive electrode wire and a shielding gas used during a welding operation, and a plurality of openings defining exit passages for said shielding gas from the interior chamber to an exterior of the diffuser, and a further opening for receiving a contact tip; and
a diffuser insert body disposed within the interior chamber of the diffuser, comprising an insert bore extending therethrough configured to receive the electrode wire, and an outer periphery with a plurality of surface features configured to manipulate a flow of said shielding gas from within said interior chamber of the diffuser and out of said exit passages to thereby direct said flow of shielding gas about a molten welding puddle formed during a welding operation, wherein the diffuser insert and the plurality of surface features of the diffuser insert extend axially within the interior chamber of the diffuser along the exit passages, such that the diffuser insert is at least partially exposed at the exit passages.

18. The diffuser and diffuser insert assembly of claim 17 , wherein at least one of the plurality of surface features comprises an elongated channel extending along a longitudinal length of the outer periphery of the diffuser insert.

19. The diffuser and diffuser insert assembly of claim 17 , wherein at least one of the plurality of surface features comprises a tapered geometry arranged at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the diffuser.

20. The diffuser and diffuser insert assembly of claim 17 , wherein the diffuser insert body comprises a first end and an opposite second end defining a length therebetween, and wherein said plurality of surface features extend along substantially the entire length of the diffuser insert.

21. The diffuser and diffuser insert assembly of claim 17 , wherein the insert bore is configured to be substantially coaxial with a longitudinal axis of said welding diffuser.

22. A welding diffuser and diffuser insert assembly for use with a welding apparatus, the assembly comprising:
a diffuser comprising an interior chamber configured to receive an electrode wir

Assignees

• Lincoln Global Inc

Inventors

• Meess Brian
• Kachline Jeff

Classifications

• B23K9/295 Primary

  using consumable wire electrodes · CPC title

• B23K9/26 Primary

  Accessories for electrodes, e.g. ignition tips · CPC title