CN118682228A - System and method using in-line wire feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for using an in-line wire feeder. A welding-type system may include an in-line wire feeder device configured to feed wire electrodes from a welding wire source. The in-line wire feeder device may include an in-line wire feeder mechanism, may be a physically separate component from both the second wire feeder device and the welding torch, and may be connected in series with the second wire feeder device. An in-line wire feeder apparatus may control the feeding of wire electrode from a wire source, the control comprising: the second wire feeder device is caused to feed wire from the wire source until the wire reaches the in-line wire feeder, after which at least the wire feeding function of the second wire feeder device is deactivated and the in-line wire feeder is caused to take over the feeding of wire from the wire source.

Description

System and method using in-line wire feeder

Priority claim

This patent application claims priority and benefit from U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 63/45454518, filed at 24, 3, 2023. The above-identified applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Background

Welding has become increasingly popular. Welding may be performed in an automated manner or manually (e.g., by a person). Equipment or components used during welding operations may be driven using an engine. For example, the engine may be used to drive a generator, a power source, etc., such as used during a welding operation.

However, conventional welding-type arrangements and/or systems may have some limitations and/or disadvantages. For example, some welding-type arrangements and/or systems may limit the lead distance between the primary drive member and the location where the welding operation is performed.

Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such approaches with some aspects of the present systems and methods as set forth in the remainder of the present disclosure with reference to the drawings.

Disclosure of Invention

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to welding solutions. More particularly, various embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure relate to systems and methods using an in-line wire feeder, substantially as shown in or described in connection with at least one of the figures, and as set forth more completely in the claims.

These and other advantages, aspects and novel features of the present disclosure, as well as details of illustrated embodiments of the present disclosure, will be more fully understood from the following description and drawings.

Drawings

FIG. 1A illustrates an example welding-type arrangement that may be used for a welding-type operation.

Fig. 1B illustrates an example Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding-based arrangement that may be used for MIG-based welding-type operations.

FIG. 1C illustrates an alternative example arrangement for incorporating an in-line wire feeder.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example in-line wire feeder and its use in an example welding-type arrangement.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example in-line wire feeder and features associated therewith.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example in-line wire feeder and features associated therewith, particularly using a switching mechanism to enable direct user input to the in-line wire feeder.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example welding set-up with an in-line wire feeder having a switch for controlling operation of the wire feeder in the in-line wire feeder and the external wire feeder in the power unit.

Detailed Description

As used herein, the terms "circuitry" and "circuitry" refer to physical electronic components (e.g., hardware) as well as any software and/or firmware (code) that may configure, be executed by, and/or otherwise be associated with hardware. As used herein, for example, a particular processor and memory (e.g., volatile or non-volatile memory devices, general purpose computer-readable media, etc.) may constitute a first "circuit" when executing a first set of one or more lines of code and a second "circuit" when executing a second set of one or more lines of code. Additionally, the circuitry may include analog circuitry and/or digital circuitry. Such circuitry may operate on analog signals and/or digital signals, for example. It should be appreciated that the circuitry may be in a single device or chip, on a single motherboard, in a single chassis, in multiple enclosures at a single geographic location, in multiple enclosures distributed over multiple geographic locations, and so forth. Similarly, the term "module" may refer, for example, to physical electronic components (e.g., hardware) as well as any software and/or firmware (code) that may configure, be executed by, and/or otherwise be associated with hardware.

As used herein, a circuit system or module is "operable" when it includes the necessary hardware and code (if necessary) to perform a function, regardless of whether the performance of the function is disabled (e.g., by user-configurable settings, factory adjustments, etc.).

As used herein, "and/or" refers to any one or more of a plurality of items in a list that are connected by "and/or". By way of example, "x and/or y" refers to any element in the triplet set { (x), (y), (x, y) }. In other words, "x and/or y" refers to "one or both of x and y". As another example, "x, y, and/or z" refers to any element in a seven-element set { (x), (y), (z), (x, y), (x, z), (y, z), (x, y, z) }. In other words, "x, y, and/or z" refers to "one or more of x, y, and z". As used herein, the term "exemplary" refers to serving as a non-limiting example, instance, or illustration. As used herein, the terms "for example" and "for example (e.g.)" refer to one or more non-limiting examples, instances, or manifests.

As used herein, welding-type power refers to power suitable for welding, plasmA cutting, induction heating, CAC-A (carbon arc cutting/air) and/or hot wire welding/preheating (including laser welding and laser cladding). As used herein, a welding-type power supply refers to a power supply that can provide welding-type power. The welding-type power supply may include power generation components (e.g., an engine, a generator, etc.) and/or power conversion circuitry for converting primary power (e.g., engine-driven power generation, primary power, etc.) to welding-type power.

As used herein, welding-type operations include operations according to any known welding technique, including flame welding techniques (such as oxy-fuel welding), electric welding techniques (such as shielded metal arc welding (e.g., rod welding)), metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding, tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding, resistance welding, and gouging (e.g., carbon arc gouging), cutting (e.g., plasma cutting), brazing, induction heating, soldering, and the like.

As used herein, a welding-type arrangement refers to any arrangement that includes welding-related devices or equipment (e.g., welding power source, welding torch, welding equipment (such as headgear, etc.), auxiliary devices or systems, etc.) for facilitating and/or in connection with a welding-type operation.

FIG. 1A illustrates an example welding-type arrangement that may be used for a welding-type operation. Referring to fig. 1A, an example welding-type arrangement 10 is shown in which an operator (user) 18 wears a welding headset 20 and welds a workpiece 24 using a torch 30 to which equipment 12 delivers power via a conduit 14, wherein a welding monitoring equipment 28 may be used to monitor a welding operation. The apparatus 12 may include a power source, optionally a shielding gas source, and a wire feeder in which the wire/filler material is automatically provided. Further, in some cases, the engine 32 may be used to drive equipment or components used during welding operations. The engine 32 may include a gas engine or a Liquefied Petroleum (LP) engine. The engine 32 may drive a generator, power supply, etc. that is used during the welding operation.

The welding-type arrangement 10 of fig. 1A may be configured to form a weld joint by any known welding-type technique. For example, in any embodiment, the welding equipment 12 may alternatively be arc welding equipment that provides Direct Current (DC) or Alternating Current (AC) to consumable electrodes or non-consumable electrodes of the welding torch 30. The electrodes deliver current to the weld on the workpiece 24. In the welding-type arrangement 10, the operator 18 controls the position and operation of the electrodes by manipulating the welding torch 30 and triggering the start and stop of current flow. In other embodiments, the robot or automated fixture may control the position of the electrode and/or may send operating parameters or trigger commands to the welding system. When an electric current is flowing, an arc 26 is generated between the electrode and the workpiece 24. The conduit 14 and electrode thus deliver a current and voltage sufficient to generate an arc 26 between the electrode and the workpiece. The arc 26 locally melts the workpiece 24 and the wire or electrode (either the electrode in the case of consumable electrodes or a separate wire or electrode in the case of non-consumable electrodes) supplied to the weld joint at the weld point between the electrode and the workpiece 24, thereby forming the weld joint as the metal cools.

Alternatively, in any embodiment, the weld monitoring equipment 28 may be used to monitor the welding operation. The weld monitoring equipment 28 may be used to monitor various aspects of the welding operation, particularly in real-time (i.e., as the weld occurs). For example, the weld monitoring equipment 28 may be operable to monitor arc characteristics such as length, current, voltage, frequency, variation, and instability. Data obtained from weld monitoring may be used (e.g., by the operator 18 and/or an automatic quality control system) to ensure a correct weld.

As shown, the equipment 12 and the headgear 20 may communicate via a link 25 via which the headgear 20 may control the settings of the equipment 12 and/or the equipment 12 may provide information about the settings thereof to the headgear 20. Although a wireless link is shown, the link may be wireless, wired, or optical.

Alternatively, in any embodiment, equipment or components used during the welding operation may be driven using an engine. For example, the engine 32 may drive a generator, power supply, etc. that is used during a welding operation. In some cases, it may be desirable to obtain information about the engine used. For example, data relating to engines (and their operation) used during welding operations may be collected and used to monitor and optimize the operation of these engines (e.g., based on their analysis). The collection and use of such data may be performed in a telematics manner-that is, the data may be collected locally, at least some of the processing (e.g., formatting, etc.) may be performed locally, and then transmitted to a remote management entity (e.g., centralized management location, engine provider, etc.) using wireless technology (e.g., cellular, satellite, etc.).

Alternatively, in any embodiment, a dedicated controller (e.g., as shown by element 34 in FIG. 1A) may be used to control, focus, and/or optimize data processing operations. The controller 34 may include suitable circuitry, hardware, software, or any combination thereof for performing various aspects of data processing operations related to the engine. For example, controller 34 may be operable to interact with engine 32 to obtain data related thereto. The controller 34 may track or obtain welding-related data (e.g., from the welding monitoring equipment 28, from the equipment 12, etc.). The controller 34 may then transmit data (e.g., both engine-related data and weld-related data) via wireless communication, such as to facilitate remote monitoring and/or management. This may be accomplished using cellular and/or satellite telematics hardware, for example.

In some example embodiments, a welding-type system or setting (such as welding-type setting 10) may be configured to collect and report data related to welding-type operations and/or functions or components used during welding-type operations. For example, data from a welding process, a power source in a welding setup, welding-related accessories, and the like may be collected. In this regard, the collected data may include, for example, current, voltage, wire feed speed, welding status, and many other power supply parameters and settings.

The collected data may then be sent to a remote entity (e.g., remote server 31, which may be a manufacturer-controlled, internet-based cloud server) and/or a local system or device (e.g., local PC, tablet, smartphone, etc.). The collected data may be used to enhance welding-related systems and/or operations. For example, the manufacturer may utilize the collected data to identify problems (and correct them) and/or to plan modifications or improvements to the various components. Further, users may also generate reports on the collected data to measure, record, and improve their flows.

Fig. 1B illustrates an example Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding-based arrangement that may be used for MIG-based welding-type operations. Referring to FIG. 1B, an example welding-type arrangement 100 is shown. In this regard, the welding-type arrangement 100 represents an example of the welding-type arrangement 10 of fig. 1A based on an embodiment of Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding. In particular, in the simplified embodiment depicted in fig. 1B, MIG-based welding setup 100 includes a gas supply unit 110, a power supply unit 120, and a welding torch (gun) 160. As shown, the power supply unit 120 includes a welding power source 130, a wire feeder unit 140, and a wire source (e.g., wire spool) 150. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this arrangement, and as such, some of the components of the power supply unit 120 (i.e., the wire feeder unit 140 and/or the wire source 150) as shown in fig. 1B may be separate physical components.

In operation, the welding-type arrangement 100 may be used, for example, to apply MIG-based welding to a workpiece (e.g., the workpiece 170 shown in fig. 1B). In this regard, in MIG-based welding, when the power supply unit 120 supplies current to both the welding torch 160 and the workpiece 170, where the welding power source 130 provides that power and other components of the power supply unit 120, such as to the wire feeder unit 140 to facilitate wire feeding therefrom, the consumable wire is fed from the welding wire source 150 through the welding torch 160 via the wire feeder unit 140 as an arc is formed between the consumable wire and the workpiece 170. The arc heats the workpiece metal and consumable electrode wire, causing them to melt and join, thereby forming a weld. Further, along with the wire electrode, shielding gas is fed from the gas supply unit 110 through the welding torch 160 to protect the weld (e.g., from atmospheric contamination). In this regard, as shown in fig. 1B, a single connector between the power supply unit 120 and the welding torch (gun) 160 may be used to provide the wire electrode, shielding gas, and power from the power supply unit 120 to the welding torch (gun) 160. Nevertheless, the present disclosure is not limited to such designs, and as such, in some embodiments, a separate dedicated connector may be used to provide one or more of wire electrode, shielding gas, and electrical power.

However, the use of MIG-based welding may present challenges and/or may have limitations. In this regard, one of the main limitations in using MIG-based welding is the distance between the power source (e.g., the combination of the gas supply unit 110, the wire feeder unit 140, the power supply unit 120, and the wire source 150) and the work site (i.e., where the welding is applied, such as the location of the workpiece 170). In particular, one of the main limitations and/or challenges when using MIG guns is that the user can move without repositioning the maximum distance (or lead) of the power source from the work site to the power source. Typical leads for an industry single drive system are about 10 feet. However, in many cases, a user may wish to have longer leads on the welding gun; however, providing such longer leads may not be feasible in conventional arrangements.

For example, a challenge in providing a longer welding gun lead is the limitation of the wire diameter that can be pushed through the longer lead, which may increase friction between the liner and the wire. This increased friction may force the user to increase the tension on the drive roller. However, increased tension may in turn lead to problems. For example, increased tension may deform the wire cross section. Moreover, as friction and tension increase, the wire may collapse and begin to accumulate in the drive chamber. Furthermore, the wire material may affect the wire distance and thus may be another limiting factor. For example, achieving longer leads in the case of aluminum-based welding wires can be particularly challenging due to the limited breaking strength of aluminum. In this regard, the breaking strength of the aluminum may limit how much the aluminum wire may be pushed, for example, allowing only a short wire lead distance before problems may occur (such as the aluminum wire intertwining inside with the liner).

Several solutions have been developed to address this problem. One such solution is a spool gun that contains a wire source (e.g., a 4 inch spool) and a wire feed mechanism that are directly attached to the gun. Another solution that has been used is a push-pull welding gun that pulls the welding wire from the power source and pushes it through the welding gun. However, both methods and designs have challenges. For example, spool welding guns are typically very large and heavy, and may have wire feeding problems, such as the use of certain wire materials (e.g., aluminum) may cause the wire to become tangled in the liner, thus presenting maintenance concerns in handling them. Moreover, using a spool gun can be challenging and undesirable because the use of a spool gun can put stress on the user (e.g., cause stress on the user's wrist). In addition, the size and shape of the spool gun also limits the user's access to small spaces. While a push-pull welding gun may be lighter and smaller in size, it is very expensive and it places stringent operating requirements, for example, wire feed mechanisms/components (e.g., motors) in the two devices (push-pull welding gun and supply unit) must be synchronized and must operate in concert to ensure proper wire feed, because the push-pull welding gun needs to pull welding wire from the power supply unit and then push it in a synchronized manner (e.g., multiple motors must operate at the same rate to prevent clogging).

The solution based on the present disclosure solves some of the challenges of existing welding systems, particularly with respect to short leads, while overcoming the limitations of any existing conventional solutions. In particular, solutions based on the present disclosure may allow for the addition of wire leads during welding operations, particularly through the use of separate wire feeders (referred to as "in-line wire feeders") configured to optimize performance. In this regard, an in-line wire feeder based on the present disclosure may enable solving problems or limitations on the distance between the work site and the power supply, particularly by separating the wire feeder from the power source to enable the wire feeder to move closer to the work site, thereby extending the overall distance between the work site and the power supply.

In various example embodiments consistent with the present disclosure, an in-line wire feeder may be provided as a separate physical device that may contain a wire feeder and additional components and/or features that may be required to support its operation, wherein such an in-line wire feeder is configured for use as a separate device in a suitable welding-type arrangement to provide longer leads. In particular, the in-line wire feeder may be configured to connect to gas, welding wire, and power source at one end, such as via a first side connector, and to a welding torch (e.g., MIG gun) at the other end, such as via a second side connector, allowing a greater distance between the welding torch and the power supply than is possible in conventional settings. For example, the in-line wire feeder may be placed a first distance (e.g., up to about 20 feet) away from the power supply unit, and the user may then add another second distance (e.g., up to about 10 feet to 12 feet) from the welding torch (e.g., MIG gun) to the in-line wire feeder, thereby extending the overall range while still pulling the wire electrode from the power supply unit (or wire source).

Accordingly, the in-line wire feeder may be used as an accessory device that may work with and be plugged into existing power supply equipment. The wire electrode may then be routed through a wire feeder at the power supply equipment, with a wire feed mechanism in the in-line wire feeder responsible for feeding the welding wire to the welding torch. In this regard, the in-line wire feeder may be configured to operate in conjunction with a wire feeder (referred to as a "second wire feeder device" or "second wire feeder") that provides wire feeding functionality in conventional designs (e.g., a wire feeder integrated into the power supply unit, or a separate wire feeder used with the power supply unit). An example arrangement is shown and described with respect to fig. 1C. When a welding torch (MIG gun) is inserted into the inline wire feeder, the wire feed motor inside the power supply may be disconnected or deactivated, with the trigger of the MIG gun and the wire feed mechanism in the inline wire feeder being used instead to continue wire feed. Alternatively, the use of an in-line wire feeder as described herein may allow for the elimination of a wire feeder drive component in the power supply equipment. For example, referring to welding-type arrangement 100 of fig. 1B, an in-line wire feeder may be connected between welding torch 160 and power supply unit 120, or (alternatively) wire feeder unit 140 may be separate from the remainder of the power supply in welding-type arrangement 100 (i.e., wire source 150, power supply unit 120, and gas supply unit 110) and be moved closer to the work site.

In some example embodiments, the in-line wire feeder may be designed or configured such that it is carried by or otherwise attached to a user (or a piece of equipment or clothing used by the user). For example, the in-line wire feeder may include a holster (holstering) or strapping component (e.g., shoulder strap, etc.), or may be configured (e.g., by including suitable attachment features) so that it may be attached to a separate holster or strapping system and/or engage an existing holster or strapping system (e.g., tool strap) that the user may already be using. Carrying or jacketed in-line wire feeders may be accomplished in combination with the use of shorter torches, which may allow a user to push on alternate materials (such as aluminum) or smaller diameter wire. Nevertheless, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to such a method, and as such, in some embodiments, the in-line wire feeders may alternatively be configured to be placed away from the user's body, for example simply on the ground/floor, or may be configured such that they may be attached or secured to other things near the work site, such as a fixed structure or object (e.g., a special stand or any available structure or object, such as a table or railing).

In some example embodiments, the in-line wire feeder may include features or components that allow it to be mounted or otherwise attached to existing structures (e.g., using a magnetic mechanism, such as to a table, railing, etc.). For example, the in-line wire feeder may include a strap mount or hook portion that enables a user to mount the in-line wire feeder away from the floor. The in-line wire feeder, when configured to be attached or jacketed, may be configured such that it will allow a user to easily detach the in-line wire feeder. The attachment mechanism may also be configured to optimize or enhance operation. For example, the strapping or strapping system may be configured such that it may be rotatable and repositionable. The strap or strapping system can also be configured or designed to limit the reduction in the bend radius. Such a bend radius may be desirable because a tighter bend radius may cause wire feeding difficulties.

In some example embodiments, separate connectors may be used for the power, gas, and welding wire, such as to enable use of separate welding wire sources that may be directly connected via dedicated connectors, with the power supply unit providing only power (and optionally gas) and thus omitting the wire feeder therefrom.

In some example embodiments, the in-line wire feeder may include controls (e.g., suitable input devices) that allow a user to control wire feeding. The in-line wire feeder may also include a transparent section to allow a user to see the welding wire as it appears in the in-line wire feeder. In an example embodiment, the in-line wire feeder may include an input device configured to receive user input. The input device may provide a control input for controlling, at least in part, one or both of the feeding of the welding wire and the wire feed mechanism in the in-line wire feeder based on the user input. The input device may be configured to provide control inputs for adjusting wire feed speed related parameters based on user input. In an example embodiment, the input device may be a switch (e.g., a momentary switch) that controls one or both of the second wire feeder device and the in-line wire feeder, wherein controlling includes disabling the in-line wire feeder and activating the wire feed function of the external (second) wire feeder device when the switch is pressed or otherwise activated.

In some example embodiments, the in-line wire feeder may include a speed adjustment component that may be configured to adjust a wire feed speed related parameter of the in-line wire feed mechanism. This may be accomplished, for example, by adjusting the gear ratio of the wire feed mechanism in the in-line wire feeder. The use of such speed adjustment components, and the functions performed thereby, may be advantageous in ensuring that the in-line wire feeder may simulate operation of a welding torch (e.g., a spool welding torch), that is, to ensure that the wire feed speed applied at the in-line wire feeder matches the wire feed speed when using an existing welding torch.

In some example embodiments, alternative designs with configurable in-line wire feeders may be used. This may be done to allow a user to select a wire source (e.g., a wire spool) that may be integrated with a wire drive/feed mechanism in an in-line wire feeder, attach the wire source as a separate element in the system, or hold the wire source inside a power source.

Accordingly, a solution based on the present disclosure and the systems associated therewith may have various advantages over conventional solutions (if any). In particular, the proposed solution including a separate in-line wire feeder and the system associated therewith as described herein allows for an extension of the lead length while reducing the concern of pushing finer gauge wire or softer materials. Further, the proposed solution and the system associated therewith allow the use of an existing welding torch (MIG gun), which in turn allows and ensures a light weight on the wrist, which is advantageous for the user. The proposed solution and the system associated therewith also have the advantage of allowing (re) use of the usual consumables of existing MIG guns. The proposed solution and the system associated therewith may also allow improved operation, allowing welding in a narrower area and/or in a limited space, due to the light weight and flexibility of use of the system. The proposed solution and the system associated therewith may provide a housing with optimal characteristics, e.g., the shape and/or material for the housing may allow the wire drive system to be maneuvered in a manner that may be preferred by a user, as the wire drive system may be placed on a floor, easily towed, rolled, and/or oriented to minimize cable bending to improve wire feeding. The proposed solution and the system associated therewith may also be backward compatible with existing welding-related systems.

Another advantage that the proposed solution and the system associated therewith may provide is that it is easy to set up the system for operation. In this regard, in conventional systems, such as those employing MIG guns, the machine (e.g., the power supply unit) may be configured (e.g., by operating in a mode) to feed a length of welding wire (e.g., about 10 feet) and then the machine stopped until welding begins. This requires keeping the wire straight to prevent entanglement on the wire. Once welding begins, the wire feeder in the machine operates to continuously feed wire, and for a spool gun-based setup, the motor of the wire feeder in the machine must operate in a synchronized manner with the motor of the spool gun. However, in the proposed solution and the system associated therewith, the inline wire feeder activates (e.g., in response to user input at the inline wire feeder) wire feed from the machine (or whichever wire source is used) to feed wire all the way to the inline wire feeder, and then after attaching the welding gun (welding torch) to the inline wire feeder, wire can be fed from the inline wire feeder into the welding gun as needed, with the inline wire feeder controlling wire feed from the wire source, while the wire feeder in the machine remains deactivated. Thus, handover occurs when using the proposed in-line wire feeder. This will be explained in more detail below.

In various embodiments, the physical properties of the in-line wire feeder may be selected or adjusted to optimize or enhance the operation and/or use of the in-line wire feeder. One such physical attribute is the shape of the in-line wire feeder. For example, as demonstrated in the various example embodiments depicted herein, the in-line wire feeder may have a smooth football (oval) shape. Such a shape may provide various benefits and/or advantages. For example, one advantage of this shape is that there is only a single point of contact with the floor, which allows for easy dragging of the in-line wire feeder. Another advantage is that the smooth shape also allows for the passage over other obstacles (e.g. ropes etc.) that may be placed on the floor. Nevertheless, it should be assumed that the present disclosure is not limited to the shapes illustrated in the figures, and that one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that any suitable shape (or size) may be used.

Example embodiments based on the present disclosure and additional details related thereto are described in more detail below with respect to fig. 2-4.

FIG. 1C illustrates an alternative example arrangement for incorporating an in-line wire feeder. Referring to fig. 1C, example welding-type settings 180 and 182 are shown that represent a modified arrangement of welding-type settings 100 to incorporate use of an in-line wire feeder implemented based on the present disclosure, as described herein. In this regard, arrangement 180 illustrates the use of an in-line wire feeder in combination with an integrated second wire feeder (that is, wherein the second (external) wire feeder (and wire source, e.g., wire spool) are integrated within the power supply unit). The arrangement 182 illustrates the use of an in-line wire feeder in combination with a separate (external) second wire feeder (that is, wherein the second (external) wire feeder (and wire source, e.g., wire spool) is separate from and external to the power supply unit for providing power and/or shielding gas to the in-line wire feeder).

FIG. 2 illustrates an example in-line wire feeder and its use in an example welding-type arrangement. Referring to fig. 2, an example in-line wire feeder 200 incorporated into a MIG-based welding-type arrangement is shown.

The in-line wire feeder 200 may be configured to provide wire feeding during welding-type operations, particularly MIG-based welding, and do so in accordance with the present disclosure, such that it may allow for longer wire leads while overcoming the limitations of any existing conventional solutions. In this regard, as shown in fig. 2, the in-line wire feeder 200 may be implemented as a separate physical device that includes a wire feeding system (e.g., similar and/or equivalent components to the wire feeder unit 140 in the welding-type arrangement 100) and may be configured to support connection to the power supply unit 210 (e.g., including similar and/or equivalent components to the combination of the power supply unit 120 and (optionally) the gas supply unit 110 in the welding-type arrangement 100) at one end, such as via one or more first side connectors (e.g., the power connector 230), and to the welding torch (not shown, such as the MIG torch) at the other end, such as via one or more second side connectors (e.g., the torch connector 220), allowing a greater distance between the welding torch and the power supply than is possible in a conventional arrangement, as described herein.

To this end, the in-line wire feeder 200 may include one or more first side ports or outlets configured to receive or otherwise engage one or more first side connectors, and one or more second side ports or outlets configured to receive or otherwise engage one or more second side connectors. In this regard, the power connector 230 may be used to feed wire electrode and power and gas from the power supply unit 210 to the in-line wire feeder 200, and the torch connector 220 may enable wire electrode and (optionally) power and gas to be fed from the in-line wire feeder 200 into the torch. In this regard, any suitable connector may be used. For example, the power connector 230 may be a conventional spool gun connector (thus allowing for backward compatibility with existing power supply units) because the in-line wire feeder 200 may generally operate in a manner similar to that in which a spool gun may operate (although control of wire feeding may be adjusted, as described herein) and as such may be connected to and manipulated by the power supply unit 210 as if it were a spool gun.

In some example embodiments, alternative designs may be used in which welding wire is fed from a separate and/or auxiliary welding wire source (e.g., a welding wire spool) that is used, which may be fed via a separate and/or auxiliary wire feeder, and as such, the in-line wire feeder 200 may contain devices that are capable of directly connecting such auxiliary wire feeder/welding wire source, such as via a separate connector. Such a design may require the use of additional components such as suitable connectors/receivers in the in-line wire feeder and (optionally) separate control circuitry to manage interaction with such a wire source, but would allow the system to be independent of the wire source thus required.

Further, in some embodiments, alternative designs may be used in which the power required to operate the proposed in-line wire feeder (e.g., to run the motor used therein) is obtained from a separate and/or auxiliary power source. In this regard, while in some embodiments shown and described with respect to fig. 2 (and other figures), the proposed in-line wire feeder is powered by a power supply unit (e.g., via power connector 230), the present disclosure is not limited to such designs, and as such in some embodiments, the in-line wire feeder may be separately powered, such as via a power connector to an outlet or other suitable power source in the area. Such a design may require the use of additional components (such as power connectors/receivers and separate power control circuitry in an in-line wire feeder), but would allow the system to be independent of the power supply thus required, thus solving the backward compatibility problem.

In some embodiments, the in-line wire feeder may be configured to provide welding wire based on a control input. For example, an in-line wire feeder may receive motor speed control. In this regard, during welding, the delivery of filler metal (e.g., wire) may need to be performed in a controlled manner, depending on, for example, the particular welding process, the thickness of the workpiece, etc. Such control may be in the form of, for example, wire feed speed. One example of such a control input is Wire Feed Speed (WFS). In this regard, WFS is a function of the wire feed motor speed, which is dependent on the voltage supplied to the motor armature.

For example, an inline wire feeder (e.g., inline wire feeder 200) may be configured to receive a motor control voltage from WFS control circuitry in a welding power supply (e.g., welding power supply 210). The motor control voltage may be delivered using existing or dedicated connectors or cables in a welded-type system or arrangement. For example, the voltage may be delivered through two of four control lines connected to the welding power supply via a 4-pin connector and coaxially embedded back into the power cable (e.g., power connector 230) of the welding power supply. The other two wires may be used for other control inputs such as gun triggers. In this regard, the other two wires in this 4-wire arrangement may be used as welding gun trigger signal leads that carry signals for enabling/disabling the welding machine power output. Trigger signals from the gun trigger may be transmitted to the welding power supply through these leads. The gun trigger was connected to a 4-pin torch side connector as shown in fig. 2-4. With this control scheme, WFS control is provided at the welder and transmitted to the motor armature in the wire feeder.

However, the present disclosure is not limited to such an embodiment of a motor control scheme, and any other suitable embodiment may be used. For example, in alternative embodiments of the motor control scheme, motor control circuitry may be added, such as in the wire feeder itself, so that the WFS may be remotely controlled. However, such an embodiment would require the addition of control circuitry and WFS knobs on the wire feeder. The motor control will be set to a maximum value at the power supply, and the control in the wire feeder will attenuate this maximum value to the desired level.

In another alternative embodiment, a full motor control function may be incorporated and/or built into the wire feeder, the full motor control function being powered by, for example, a welding arc. This approach will provide full remote control of the WFS without relying on the setup of the WFS at the welder. This approach would also enable the wire feeder to be used on a welder without typical spool gun type controls (e.g., via a 4-pin connector as described above). Such an approach may be particularly suitable for welding-type systems or arrangements that use battery (or similar power storage device) drive, and/or welding-type systems or arrangements that may not have internal wire feed speed control.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example in-line wire feeder and features associated therewith. Referring to FIG. 3, an in-line wire feeder 200 described with respect to FIG. 2 is shown. In this regard, some features and/or components of an in-line wire feeder according to an example embodiment of an in-line wire feeder 200 are illustrated in fig. 3.

In particular, the in-line wire feeder 200 may include a transparent cover (window) 310 that exposes the interior of the in-line wire feeder 200, thereby illustrating the wire feed mechanism 300 fed into a welding torch (not shown) via the welding torch connector 220. This may be advantageous because it allows a user to detect problems (e.g., pile up) that may occur within the in-line wire feeder. Further, although not shown in fig. 3, the side of the in-line wire feeder containing the window (or the other side) may contain a removable cover to enable access to the interior of the in-line wire feeder, particularly the wire feeder 300 (e.g., to address issues such as clogging). Also shown in fig. 3 are a torch connector 220 and a power connector 230, which connect the in-line wire feeder 200 to a welding torch (not shown) and a power supply unit 210, respectively.

In addition, other connectors may be used. For example, as shown in fig. 3, a torch side control connector 320 may be used that is plugged into or otherwise coupled to the in-line wire feeder 200, such as may exchange control messages and/or data with the welding torch, such as to enable control of the wire feeder 300 (e.g., based on user input at the welding torch, which may be communicated to the in-line wire feeder 200 via the torch side control connector 320). Similarly, a power side control connector 330 may be used that is plugged into or otherwise coupled to the in-line wire feeder 200, such as may exchange control messages and/or data with the power supply unit 210 to enable control of the wire feeder 300.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example in-line wire feeder and features associated therewith, particularly using a switching mechanism to enable direct user input to the in-line wire feeder. Referring to fig. 4, an in-line wire feeder 200 described with respect to fig. 2-3 is shown. Additional features and/or components of an in-line wire feeder, particularly a switch 400 that may be incorporated therein, according to an example embodiment of an in-line wire feeder 200 are illustrated in fig. 4. In this regard, the switch 400 may be used to activate the wire feed mechanism 300 of the in-line wire feeder 200, such as after a connector (e.g., the torch connector 210, the power connector 230, etc.) is inserted, for example, in response to a user pressing the switch, to begin feeding wire electrodes from the power supply unit 210 into the in-line wire feeder 200 and then to the welding torch.

In an example use scenario, the in-line wire feeder 200 may be connected to a welding torch (MIG gun), with the torch connector 220 plugged into or otherwise coupled to a corresponding suitable receiver in the in-line wire feeder 200, and similarly, the torch side control connector 320 may be plugged into or otherwise coupled to a corresponding suitable receiver in the in-line wire feeder 200. In this regard, as noted, the torch side control connector 320 may communicate user input or commands (or corresponding data) from the welding torch to the in-line wire feeder 200, such as in response to a user providing the commands or inputs at the welding torch (e.g., via a trigger mechanism, buttons, etc.). Such a transmission may enable communication of information related to setting or adjusting wire feeding operations, such as wire feeding speed. For example, the torch side control connector 320 may enable operation of the welding torch as if it were a spool gun.

The in-line wire feeder 200 is also connected at the other end to a power supply unit 210, with a power connector 230 plugged into or otherwise coupled to a corresponding suitable receiver in the in-line wire feeder 200, and similarly, a power side control connector 330 may be plugged into or otherwise coupled to a corresponding suitable receiver in the in-line wire feeder 200. In this regard, the power side control connector 330 may enable the in-line wire feeder 200 to be connected to the power supply unit 210 to enable control messages or data, particularly control messages and/or data related to or otherwise affecting wire-related functions, to be communicated between the in-line wire feeder 200 and the power supply unit 210.

Once connected to both the welding torch and the power supply unit 210, the welding operation may begin. In this regard, as noted, in some cases, the in-line wire feeder 200 may be carried or worn by a user. To this end, as noted, additional systems (e.g., a jacketed system) may be used, such as in combination with features or components of the in-line wire feeder 200 itself. Alternatively, the in-line wire feeder 200 may be secured to a fixed structure or object (e.g., a railing, etc.), or may simply be placed on a floor, as shown in fig. 2.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example welding set-up with an in-line wire feeder having a switch for controlling operation of the wire feeder and an external wire feeder in the in-line wire feeder. Referring to fig. 5, a welding-type (e.g., MIG-based) arrangement 500 is shown that includes an in-line wire feeder 200, a power supply unit 210, a welding torch 160, and a workpiece 170, as described herein.

In this regard, fig. 5 illustrates the control of the wire feed function in the welding-type apparatus 500 when the in-line wire feeder 200 is used, and particularly in conjunction with the use of the switch 400. In particular, as shown in fig. 5, a welding-type arrangement 500 corresponds to an example embodiment based on the use of momentary switches. The control communication in the welding-type arrangement 500, as far as operation of the in-line wire feeder is concerned, may be accomplished simply based on the flow (or non-flow) of current in the control lines between the various components as shown in fig. 5. However, as noted above, the present disclosure is not limited to such a design, and as such, in some cases, control communication (e.g., between the in-line wire feeder and the machine) may be accomplished in other ways (such as based on voltage, using digital signals, etc.).

As shown, only one control trigger is used to control the in-line wire feeder and the external wire feeder (e.g., an internal motor or spool machine). The control may be based on a detection of whether current is flowing in the welding gun during normal operation of the in-line wire feeder. During initial setup of the system, the switch may be depressed, which will cause the switch to open the wire feed mechanism in the in-line wire feeder, thereby simulating a "no gun present" condition, while the internal wire motor in the machine is maintained active, thereby causing it to feed wire, and will continue to feed wire as long as the switch is depressed, but will cease to advance wire once it reaches the in-line wire feeder (and in particular the internal wire feed mechanism therein) due to the "no gun present" condition. Once the switch is released, the internal wire motor is deactivated and the in-line wire feeder takes over control of the wire feed. When a trigger on the welding gun is depressed (applied), current will flow through the control line and the in-line wire feeder will detect activation of the trigger and the internal wire feeder in the in-line wire feeder will be activated and feed wire to the welding gun, pulling the welding wire from the remote welding wire source.

Other embodiments according to the present disclosure may provide a non-transitory computer readable medium and/or storage medium, and/or a non-transitory machine readable medium and/or storage medium having stored thereon machine code and/or a computer program having at least one code segment executable by a machine and/or a computer to cause the machine and/or computer to perform a process described herein.

Thus, various embodiments according to the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. The disclosure may be implemented in a centralized fashion in at least one computing system or in a distributed fashion where different elements are spread across several interconnected computing systems. Any kind of computing system or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methods described herein is suited. A typical combination of hardware and software could be a general purpose computing system with a program or other code that, when being loaded and executed, controls the computing system such that it carries out the methods described herein. Another exemplary embodiment may include an application specific integrated circuit or chip.

Various embodiments according to the present disclosure may also be embedded in a computer program product, which comprises all the features enabling the implementation of the methods described herein, and which, when loaded in a computer system, is able to carry out these methods. Computer program in this context means any expression, in any language, code or notation, of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following: a) Conversion to another language, code or notation; b) Are replicated in different material forms.

While the disclosure has been described with reference to certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the disclosure. For example, blocks and/or components of the disclosed examples may be combined, divided, rearranged, and/or otherwise modified. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from the scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but that the disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (20)

1. A welding-type system, comprising:

An in-line wire feeder device configured for operation in conjunction with a welding torch and a second wire feeder device configured to feed wire from a welding wire source;

Wherein the in-line wire feeder device is a component that is physically separate from both the second wire feeder device and the welding torch;

Wherein the in-line wire feeder apparatus comprises at least an in-line wire feeder mechanism configured to feed the wire electrode to the welding torch;

Wherein the in-line wire feeder device is connected in series with the second wire feeder device; and

Wherein the in-line wire feeder apparatus controls the feeding of the wire electrode from the wire source, the controlling comprising at least:

Causing the second wire feeder device to feed the wire electrode from the wire source until the wire electrode reaches the in-line wire feeder; and

After the wire reaches the in-line wire feeder:

deactivating at least the wire feeding function of the second wire feeder device, and

Causing the in-line wire feeder to take over the feeding of the wire electrode from the wire source.

2. The welding-type system of claim 1 wherein the inline wire feeder device comprises an input device configured to receive user input.

3. The welding-type system of claim 2 wherein the input device is configured to provide control input for controlling one or both of the feeding of the wire electrode and the in-line wire feeder at least in part based on the user input.

4. The welding-type system of claim 3 wherein the input device comprises a switch that controls one or both of the second wire feeder device and the in-line wire feeder mechanism.

5. The welding-type system of claim 4 wherein the controlling comprises disabling the in-line wire feeder and activating a wire feed function of the second wire feeder device when the switch is pressed or otherwise activated.

6. A welding-type system according to claim 3 wherein the input device is configured to provide a control input for adjusting a feed speed related parameter based on the user input.

7. The welding-type system of claim 1 wherein the inline wire feeder further comprises a speed adjustment component configured to adjust a wire feed speed related parameter of the inline wire feed mechanism.

8. The welding-type system of claim 1 wherein the in-line wire feeder is configured to control the feeding of the wire electrode from the wire source based on a control input received from the welding-type welding torch.

9. The welding-type system of claim 1 wherein the in-line wire feeder is deactivated when the second wire feeder device is feeding the wire electrode until the wire electrode reaches the in-line wire feeder.

10. The welding type system of claim 1, wherein the inline wire feeder device is powered by an external power source proximate the inline wire feeder device.

11. The welding-type system of claim 10 wherein the external power source comprises a welding-type power supply unit.

12. The welding-type system of claim 11 wherein the welding-type power supply unit comprises one or both of the second wire feeder device and the welding wire source.

13. The welding-type system of claim 1 wherein the in-line wire feeder device is configured for attachment or mounting to a user of the welding-type system or to a fixed structure or object.

14. The welding-type system of claim 13 wherein the inline wire feeder device comprises an attachment member configured to facilitate attachment or installation of the inline wire feeder device.

15. The welding-type system of claim 14 wherein the inline wire feeder device comprises a holster or strapping system configured to enable carrying of the inline wire feeder device.

16. The welding-type system of claim 1 wherein the in-line wire feeder device comprises a transparent section configured to enable viewing of at least a portion of the in-line wire feeder.

17. The welding-type system of claim 1 wherein the welding-type system comprises a Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding-based system.

18. The welding-type system of claim 1 wherein the welding-type welding torch comprises a MIG gun.

19. The welding-type system of claim 1 wherein the in-line wire feeder device is connected to the second wire feeder device via a gun-based connector.

20. The welding-type system of claim 1, wherein the inline wire feeder device further comprises one or more ports configured to engage one or more connectors for connecting the inline wire feeder device to at least one of the second wire feeder device, the welding-type welding torch, and an auxiliary device or source.