Systems and methods to monitor the life of a welding torch
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorsRyan Lizotte, Tiejun Ma, Romeo Cossette
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An example wire feeder includes: a frame; a receptacle configured to transfer welding-type current to a welding torch via a torch connector, and to position the torch connector to receive a wire electrode; one or more drive rolls configured to drive the wire electrode to the welding torch, the one or more drive rolls being electrically insulated from the frame, and wherein the wire electrode is electrically insulated from the frame; and a sensor configured to determine at least one of a voltage or an impedance between a first point electrically coupled to the wire electrode and a reference point.
Claims15
A welding system comprising:
- a welding torch comprising a contact tip configured to conduct welding-type current to a wire electrode;
- a conductive path to deliver welding power from a welding-type power supply to the contact tip;
- a wire feeder comprising a receptacle configured to transfer the welding-type current to the welding torch via a torch connector, and to position the torch connector to receive the wire electrode;
- an electrically insulated path to deliver the wire electrode from a wire electrode source to the contact tip;
- and
- control circuitry configured to determine or obtain a first voltage or first impedance between a retaining head of the welding torch or the contact tip and the receptacle or a frame enclosing the wire feeder, a second voltage or second impedance between the retaining head of the welding torch or the contact tip and a front end of a cable of the welding torch, and a third voltage or third impedance between the retaining head of the welding torch or the contact tip and a gooseneck of the welding torch.
A welding system comprising:
- a welding torch comprising a contact tip configured to conduct welding-type current to a wire electrode;
- a conductive path to deliver welding power from a welding-type power supply to the contact tip;
- a wire feeder comprising a receptacle configured to transfer the welding-type current to the welding torch via a torch connector, and to position the torch connector to receive the wire electrode;
- an electrically insulated path to deliver the wire electrode from a wire electrode source to the contact tip;
- and
- control circuitry configured to determine or obtain a first voltage or first impedance between the receptacle or a frame enclosing the wire feeder and a retaining head or the contact tip of the welding torch, a second voltage or second impedance between the receptacle or the frame enclosing the wire feeder and a front end of a cable of the welding torch, and a third voltage or third impedance between the receptacle or the frame enclosing the wire feeder and a gooseneck of the welding torch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.