Self-Cleaning Welding Nozzle
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsJay Hampton, Alexander D. Khakhalev
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A self-cleaning GMAW nozzle characterized by the inner surface thereof having a laminate group, preferably composed of sequentially alternating layers of metal and bonding material. Over a period of time of welding, welding spatter begins to accumulate upon an outermost metal layer of the laminate group. As the heat of welding proceeds over this same time, the adhesion of the adjoining bonding layer releases, whereby the outermost metal layer detaches, exposing a clean, new outermost metal layer. The process sequentially repeats until all metal layers have detached.
Claims10
A nozzle, comprising:
- a generally cylindrical shield housing having an internal shield surface and an open end, said shield housing having a recessed internal shield surface adjoining said open end;
- and
- a laminate group adhered to said recessed internal shield surface of said shield housing, said laminate group adjoining said open end and extending a predetermined axial length therefrom;
- wherein said laminate group comprises sequentially alternating, concentrically disposed, layers of a first material and a heat sensitive bonding material.
A self-cleaning nozzle for a gas metal arc welding apparatus, comprising:
- a generally cylindrical shield housing having an internal shield surface and an open end, said shield housing having a recessed internal shield surface adjoining said open end;
- and
- a laminate group adhered to said recessed internal shield surface of said shield housing, said laminate group adjoining said open end and extending a predetermined axial length therefrom;
- wherein said laminate group comprises sequentially alternating layers of a first material and a heat sensitive bonding material in mutually concentric disposition;
- and
- wherein the heat sensitivity of said bonding material is selected such that during welding by the welding apparatus, heat of the welding is transmitted through an outermost first material layer such that the heat causes adhesive release of an adjoining bonding material layer, wherein the outermost first material layer detaches from said laminate group exposing a new outermost first material layer.
A method of self-cleaning of a gas metal arc welding nozzle of a gas metal arc welding apparatus, comprising the steps of:
- sequentially layering, in mutually concentric relation, a plurality of heat sensitive bonding material layers and metal layers onto a generally cylindrical internal surface of a shield housing of a welding nozzle, the sequential layering providing a laminate group adhered to the internal surface, an outermost metal surface being an outermost surface of the laminate group;
- welding utilizing the welding nozzle and the gas metal welding apparatus;
- transferring heat of the welding through the outermost metal layer to an adjoining outermost bonding material layer;
- releasing the adhesion of the outermost bonding material layer with respect to an adjoining next-to-outermost metal layer responsive to said step of transferring;
- and
- detaching and discarding the outermost metal layer with respect to the welding nozzle responsive to said step of releasing;
- wherein the next-to-outermost metal layer becomes a new outermost metal layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.