US 12,447,548 B2Granted

Jacket for a cartridge of a liquid-cooled plasma arc torch

AssigneeHypertherm, Inc.

InventorsStephen M. Dunbar, Christopher Pillsbury, Micah Roberts, David L. Bouthillier

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Abstract

A jacketed consumable cartridge is provided for a liquid cooled plasma arc torch. The jacketed consumable cartridge comprises an electrode, a swirl ring securely affixed to and disposed circumferentially about a distal end of the electrode, and a nozzle securely affixed to the swirl ring, the nozzle disposed circumferentially about the distal end of the electrode with a portion of the swirl ring located therebetween. The cartridge also comprises a cartridge jacket securely affixed to and disposed circumferentially about a distal end of the nozzle and a shield securely affixed to and disposed circumferentially about a distal end of the cartridge jacket. A proximal end of the cartridge jacket is adapted to extend (i) axially past a proximal end of the shield and (ii) radially beyond a radial extent of the shield.

Claims38

Dependent claims

A jacketed consumable cartridge for a liquid cooled plasma arc torch, the jacketed consumable cartridge comprising:

an electrode;
a swirl ring securely affixed to and disposed circumferentially about a distal end of the electrode;
a nozzle securely affixed to the swirl ring, the nozzle disposed circumferentially about the distal end of the electrode with a portion of the swirl ring located therebetween;
a cartridge jacket securely affixed to and disposed circumferentially about a distal end of the nozzle;
and
a shield securely affixed to and disposed circumferentially about a distal end of the cartridge jacket, wherein a proximal end of the cartridge jacket is adapted to extend (i) axially past a proximal end of the shield and (ii) radially beyond a radial extent of the shield, and
wherein the electrode, the swirl ring, the nozzle, the cartridge jacket and the shield are securely affixed to each other to form a unitary component and each of the electrode, the swirl ring, the nozzle cartridge jacket and the shield is not individually serviceable or disposable once the unitary component is formed.

4 more elements

A jacket for a consumable cartridge of a liquid cooled plasma arc torch, the consumable cartridge, which includes an electrode, a nozzle and a shield, configured to removably attach to a torch body of the plasma arc torch, the jacket comprising:

an electrically insulating hollow body defining a longitudinal axis extending therethrough;
a distal end of the hollow body disposed along the longitudinal axis, the distal end configured to (i) matingly engage the nozzle at an interior surface of the hollow body, and (ii) extend into a proximal end of the shield to matingly engage the shield at an exterior surface of the hollow body;
a proximal end of the hollow body disposed along the longitudinal axis opposite of the distal end, the proximal end extending axially past the proximal end of the shield and radially beyond a radial extent of the shield, the proximal end configured to matingly engage the torch body;
and
a plurality of axial channels disposed into the interior surface of the hollow body and interspersed circumferentially around the hollow body, the plurality of axial channels configured to complement an external profile of the nozzle to define respective liquid coolant passages between the nozzle and the jacket.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/370,485Filed 8 Jul 2021 · us provisional application
Priority: 8 Jul 2020
Published: US 2022/0009019 A113 Jan 2022
Granted: 21 Oct 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

B23K 9/29
Supporting devices for electrodes: supporting devices adapted for making use of shielding means
H05H 1/38
Details, e.g. electrodes, nozzles: guiding or centering of electrodes
B23K 9/14
Arc welding or cutting: making use of insulated electrodes
B23K 9/285
Supporting devices for electrodes: cooled electrode holders