# US 9,737,954 B2 · Automatically sensing consumable components in thermal processing systems

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- Number: US 9,737,954 B2
- Document ID: US9737954B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/056,437
- Filed: 2016-02-29
- Published: 2016-08-04
- Granted: 2017-08-22
- Earliest claimed: 2012-04-04
- Assignees: Hypertherm, Inc.
- Applicants: Hypertherm, Inc.
- Inventors: Michael Hoffa; Nicholas A. Sanders; E. Michael Shipulski
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9737954B2

## CPC

- B23K 10/006: {Control circuits therefor}
- B23K 10/02: Plasma welding
- B24C 1/045: {for cutting (energy dissipating devices therefor B26F3/008)}
- B26F 3/004: {by means of a fluid jet (methods for use of abrasive blasting for cutting B24C1/045; guns for abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; perforating by non-mechanical means, e.g. by fluid jet B26F1/26)}
- G05B 19/182: {characterised by the machine tool function, e.g. thread cutting, cam making, tool direction control (G05B19/21 - G05B19/40 take precedence)}
- H05H 1/34: Details, e.g. electrodes, nozzles
- H05H 1/38: Guiding or centering of electrodes
- B23K 2101/18: Sheet panels
- B26D 5/00: Arrangements for operating and controlling machines or devices for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting
- G05B 2219/45041: Laser cutting
- G05B 2219/49001: Machine tool problems
- H05H 1/3436: {Hollow cathodes with internal coolant flow}
- H05H 1/3457: {Nozzle protection devices}
- H05H 1/3473: {Safety means}
- H05H 1/3484: {Convergent-divergent nozzles}
- H05H 1/3494: {Means for controlling discharge parameters}
- B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- B24C: ABRASIVE OR RELATED BLASTING WITH PARTICULATE MATERIAL
- B26F: PERFORATING; PUNCHING; CUTTING-OUT; STAMPING-OUT; SEVERING BY MEANS OTHER THAN CUTTING (marking-out, perforating or making buttonholes A41H25/00; shoemaking A43D; surgery A61B; punching metal B21D; drilling metal B23B; cutting of metal by applying heat locally, e.g. flame cutting, B23K; cutting by abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; details common to machines for severing B26D; drilling wood B27C; drilling stone B28D; working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29; making boxes, cartons, envelopes or bags, of paper or similarly worked materials, e.g. metal foil, B31B; of glass C03B; of leather C14B; of textile materials D06H; for light guides G02B6/25; of tickets G07B)
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- H05H: PLASMA TECHNIQUE (apparatus or processes specially adapted for producing X-rays H05G2/00); PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OF NEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMIC BEAMS
- B26D: CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING (for growing crops or plants A01D, A01G; for fodder or straw A01F; for bulk butter A01J; for dough A21C; slaughtering A22B; for tobacco, cigars or cigarettes A24; marking-out, perforating or making buttonholes A41H25/00; manufacturing footwear A43D; brushmaking A46D; surgery A61B; disintegrating, mincing or shredding in general B02C; cutting wire, making pins or nails B21F, B21G; of the kind used formetal B23; cutting by abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; hand-held cutting tools B26B; perforating, cutting-out, stamping-out or punching, or severing by means other than cutting B26F; for wood B27; for stone B28D; working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29; making boxes, cartons, envelopes or bags, of paper or similarly worked materials, e.g. metal foil, B31B; article or web delivery apparatus incorporating cutting or line-perforating devices B65H35/00; for leather or upholstery B68, C14B; for glass C03B; making matches C06F; for peat C10F; for sugar C13B45/00; for textile materials D06H; civil engineering, building, mining, see Section E; for light guides G02B6/25; cutting processed photographic material G03D15/04)

## Abstract

A plasma arc torch is provided for use in a plasma cutting system. The plasma arc torch includes a torch body for conducting electrical current. The torch body includes a torch tip configured to pass the electrical current to at least one consumable component connected to the tip. The plasma arc torch also includes at least one antenna positioned relative to the torch tip. The antenna is used to wirelessly detect the presence of the at least one consumable component. The plasma arc torch further includes a detection circuit configured to permit passing of the electrical current from the torch tip to the at least one consumable component based on at least the wireless detection.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A plasma arc torch for use in a plasma cutting system, the plasma arc torch comprising:
a torch body for conducting electrical current, the torch body including a torch tip configured to pass the electrical current to at least one consumable component connected to the tip;
at least one antenna positioned relative to the torch tip, the antenna used to wirelessly detect a presence of the at least one consumable component; and
a detection circuit configured to permit passing of the electrical current from the torch tip to the at least one consumable component based on at least the wireless detection.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The plasma arc torch of claim 1, further comprising:
a signal-based identification device associated with the at least one consumable component,
wherein the at least one antenna includes a reader antenna configured to communicate with the identification device for detecting the presence of the at least one consumable component.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The plasma arc torch of claim 2, wherein the signal-based identification device comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The plasma arc torch of claim 3, wherein the reader antenna is configured to communicate with the RFID tag at a frequency of about 13.56 MHz.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The plasma arc torch of claim 3, wherein the reader antenna is adapted to read information stored in the RFID tag.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The plasma arc torch of claim 5, wherein the information identifies a type of the at least one consumable component.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The plasma arc torch of claim 2, wherein the at least one antenna further includes a proximity antenna used to detect the presence of the at least one consumable component by receiving a signal from a metal portion of the consumable component.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The plasma arc torch of claim 1, wherein the at least one antenna comprises a proximity antenna used to detect the presence of the at least one consumable component by receiving a signal from a metal portion of the consumable component.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The plasma arc torch of claim 1, wherein the at least one consumable component comprises a nozzle.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The plasma arc torch of claim 1, wherein the at least one consumable component comprises a cartridge.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The plasma arc torch of claim 1, further comprising:
a switch positioned relative to the torch tip, the switch configured to physically detect the presence of the at least one consumable component when the consumable component physically activates the switch,
wherein the detection circuit is configured to permit passing of the electrical current from the torch tip to the at least one consumable component based on at least one of the wireless detection using the antenna or the physical detection using the switch.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The plasma arc torch of claim 11, further comprising:
a trigger disposed in the body for initiating a cutting operation,
wherein the detection circuit is adapted to control activation of the trigger based on at least one of the wireless detection using the antenna or the physical detection using the switch.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The plasma arc torch of claim 1, wherein the plasma cutting system is an air-cooled cutting system.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The plasma arc torch of claim 1, wherein the plasma cutting system is a liquid-cooled cutting system.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The plasma arc torch of claim 1, wherein the antenna is used to detect the presence of the at least one consumable component by receiving at least one of (i) a signal transmitted by an identification device attached to the consumable component or (ii) a signal reflected by a metal portion of the consumable component.

### Claim 16

A method for detecting installation of at least one consumable component on a tip of a plasma arc torch, the method comprising:
generating a radio frequency signal by an antenna in the torch tip;
broadcasting the radio frequency signal by the antenna;
impinging the broadcasted radio frequency signal against at least a metal portion of the at least one consumable component;
generating a return signal based on the impingement, wherein the return signal is adapted to be altered from the broadcasted radio frequency signal;
scanning, by the antenna, an area proximate the torch tip for the return signal in response to the broadcasted radio frequency signal; and
analyzing the return signal to detect installation of the at least one consumable component on the torch tip.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising attaching the antenna to a surface of the torch tip.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising:
activating a radio frequency identifier by the broadcasted radio frequency signal, the radio-frequency identifier associated with the at least one consumable component; and
transmitting the return signal by the radio-frequency identifier.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the return signal includes information about the at least one consumable component.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one consumable component comprises a nozzle and the information comprises a type of the nozzle.

### Claim 21 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein analyzing the return signal comprise determining a difference between the broadcasted signal and the return signal to detect installation of the at least one consumable component.

### Claim 22 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising enabling operation of the plasma arc torch in response to detection of installation of the at least one consumable component based on the return signal.

### Claim 23 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising broadcasting the radio frequency signal by the antenna at about 13.56 MHz.

### Claim 24 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising permitting current flow to the plasma arc torch upon detection of the installation.

### Claim 25 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising:
contacting, by the at least one consumable component, a switch;
physically activating the switch based on the contacting; and
detecting installation of the at least one consumable component based on at least one of the return signal or the physical activation.

### Claim 26

A plasma arc torch for use in a plasma cutting system, the plasma arc torch comprising:
a torch body for conducting electrical current, the torch body including a torch tip configured to pass the electrical current to at least one consumable component connected to the tip;
an antenna positioned relative to the torch tip, the antenna configured to broadcast a radio frequency (RF) signal and scan an area proximate the torch tip for a return signal in response to the broadcasted RF signal;
a reader connected to the antenna, the reader comprises (i) a drive circuit configured to drive the antenna, (ii) an RF generator configured to generate the RF signal and supply the RF signal to the drive circuit, and (iii) a microcontroller configured to detect a presence of the at least one consumable component based on the return signal.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The plasma arc torch of claim 26, wherein the microcontroller detects the presence of the at least one consumable component by comparing at least one of a voltage or current across the antenna with a baseline value to determine at least one of a voltage change or current change.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The plasma arc torch of claim 27, wherein a proximity of at least one of (i) a metal portion of the consumable component or (ii) an RFID tag attached to the consumable component causes the at least one of a voltage change or current change.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The plasma arc torch of claim 28, wherein the return signal comprises impingement of the broadcasted RF signal against the metal portion or the RFID tag of the consumable component and the microcontroller is adapted to detect the presence of the at least one consumable component after receiving the return signal.

### Claim 30 (depends on 27)

The plasma arc torch of claim 27, wherein at least one of the drive circuit, the RF generator or the microcontroller is configured to measure the voltage or current across the antenna.

### Claim 31 (depends on 27)

The plasma arc torch of claim 27, wherein the baseline value corresponds to a current or voltage across the antenna in an absence of the consumable component.

### Claim 32 (depends on 26)

The plasma arc torch of claim 26, wherein the return signal is generated by an RFID tag associated with the consumable component in response to communication between the RFID tag and the antenna.

### Claim 33 (depends on 32)

The plasma arc torch of claim 32, wherein the microcontroller is adapted to extract data carried in the return signal to detect the presence of the consumable component.

### Claim 34 (depends on 26)

The plasma arc torch of claim 26, further comprising a trigger switch configured to send a signal to the plasma arc torch to permit passing of the electrical current from the torch tip to the consumable component.

### Claim 35 (depends on 34)

The plasma arc torch of claim 34, wherein the trigger switch is interlocked to a sense switch connected to the reader such that completion of the trigger switch depends on detection of the consumable component that completes the sense switch.