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US 9,751,715 B2Granted
Wire guide module and system
AssigneeELCo Enterprises, Inc.
InventorEdward L. Cooper
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wire guide module for guiding and changing the direction of wire in a wire dispensing system. The wire guide module having an inner passageway with rollers. The rollers adjacent the inner passageway assist the wire in moving smoothly through the wire guide module as the shape of the inner passageway changing the direction of movement of the wire. A wire dispensing system having wire guide modules with rollers which change the direction of the wire while reducing damage to the wire.
Claims26
A wire guide module, which comprises:
- a housing having a first end and a second end with a first lateral side and a second lateral side extending from the first end to the second end, the first lateral side defining a first side surface and the second lateral side defining a second lateral side surface;
- an inner passageway defined by the housing and having a fixed shape and extending through the housing from the first end of the housing to the second end of the housing, the inner passageway having a longitudinal length extending from the first end of the housing to the second end of the housing, with openings in the first and second ends of the housing in communication with the inner passageway, wherein the first lateral side is on one lateral side of the passageway and the second lateral side is on the other lateral side of the passageway, such that the passageway is positioned laterally between the first and second lateral sides;
- and
- a plurality of first rollers mounted in the first lateral side of the housing, each first roller of the plurality of first rollers disposed at an individual location along the length of the inner passageway and positioned laterally between the first lateral side surface of the housing and the inner passageway;
- a plurality of second rollers mounted in the second lateral side of the housing, each second roller of the plurality of second rollers disposed at an individual location along the length of the inner passageway and positioned laterally between the second lateral side surface of the housing and the inner passageway;
- wherein the plurality of first rollers and the plurality of second rollers are located at discrete, fixed, and non-adjustable lateral and longitudinal positions relative to the housing;
- wherein the passageway is defined in part by an inner passageway wall that extends on one lateral side of the housing between adjacent first rollers and that extends on the other lateral side of the housing between adjacent second rollers;
- wherein each individual first roller of the plurality of first rollers are offset lengthwise relative to each individual second roller of the plurality of second rollers along the length of the inner passageway such that each individual first roller of the plurality of first rollers do not laterally overlap any of each individual second roller of the plurality of second rollers along the length of the inner passageway such that all of the first rollers mounted in the first lateral side of the housing are longitudinally staggered relative to all of the second rollers mounted in the second lateral side of the housing;
- wherein the plurality of first rollers are spaced apart longitudinally from each other, and there are no other rollers disposed longitudinally between each individual first roller of the plurality of first rollers on the first lateral side;
- wherein the plurality of second rollers are spaced apart longitudinally from each other, and there are no other rollers disposed longitudinally between each individual second roller of the plurality of second rollers on the second lateral side;
- wherein at each individual longitudinal position of each individual first roller of the plurality of first rollers disposed in the first lateral side of the housing, there is no second roller disposed at the same longitudinal position in the second lateral side of the housing such that there is only one roller of the plurality of first rollers and plurality of second rollers disposed laterally adjacent the inner passageway;
- wherein at each individual longitudinal position of each individual second roller of the plurality of second rollers disposed in the second lateral side of the housing, there is no first roller disposed at the same longitudinal position in the first lateral side of the housing such that there is only one roller of the plurality of first rollers and plurality of second rollers disposed laterally adjacent the inner passageway;
- wherein the housing is free from any rollers on the second lateral side in areas laterally opposite and across the passageway from the individual locations of the plurality of first rollers disposed in the first lateral side of the housing, and the housing is free from any rollers on the first lateral side in areas laterally opposite and across the passageway from the individual locations of the plurality of second rollers disposed in the second lateral side of the housing.
10 more elements
A wire guide module, which comprises:
- a) a housing having a first end and a second end with a first side and a second side extending longitudinally from the first end to the second end and a first surface and a second surface extending longitudinally from the first end to the second end, the first and second surface also extending laterally from the first side to the second side of the housing, the first end of the housing defining a first end face arranged transverse to both the first and second sides and also the first and second surfaces, the housing further having a first connector flange extending directly from the first surface and the first end face and longitudinally outward therefrom, the housing further having a second connector flange extending directly from the second surface and the first end face and longitudinally outward therefrom, wherein the first connector flange is spaced apart and parallel to the second connector flange, wherein the first and second connector flanges have a planar shape, wherein the first connector flange and second connector flange extend in the same longitudinal direction directly from the first end face;
- b) an inner passageway extending through the housing from the first end to the second end of the housing with openings in the first and second ends of the housing in communication with the inner passageway;
- and
- c) a plurality of rollers mounted in the housing adjacent the inner passageway.
1 more element
A method for guiding wire from a wire source to a weld station, which comprises the steps of:
- a) providing a container for the wire source;
- b) providing at least two wire guide modules each having a housing constructed of a rigid and non-flexible material and having a first end and a second end with a first side and a second side extending between the ends, an inner passageway extending through the housing between the ends and the sides of the housing having a length between the ends of the housing with a fixed arcuate shape along the length and having openings in the first and second ends of the housing in communication with the inner passageway, and a plurality of rollers mounted in the housing adjacent the inner passageway, wherein the rigid and non-flexible material extends from the first end of the housing to the second end of the housing to define the fixed arcuate shape along the length between the ends;
- c) providing a first end cap having a passageway and adapted to be mounted on the first end of the housing of one of the wire guide modules;
- d) providing a second end cap having a passageway and adapted to be mounted on the second end of the housing of the other of the wire guide modules;
- e) providing a conduit having opposed ends with a passageway extending therebetween;
- f) connecting the wire guide modules, end caps and conduit together in a correct configuration between the container and the weld station so that the wire guide modules are combined into a wire guide component that is formed by the two wire guide modules, and the wire guide component includes an extended inner passageway formed by the combination of the inner passageways of the wire guide modules, and the extended inner passageway is in communication with the passageways of the end caps and conduit, wherein each wire guide module has a fixed arcuate shape prior to connecting the end caps and wire guide modules together and maintains the same fixed arcuate shape after connecting the end caps and wire guide modules together;
- and
- g) feeding the wire from the wire source in the container through the passageways of the wire guide component, end caps and conduit to the weld station.
5 more elements
A method for guiding wire from a wire source to a weld station, which comprises the steps of:
- a) providing a container for the wire source;
- b) providing a wire guide module, which comprises:
- a housing having a first end and a second end with a first lateral side and a second lateral side extending from the first end to the second end, the first lateral side defining a first side surface and the second lateral side defining a second lateral side surface;
- an inner passageway extending through the housing from the first end of the housing to the second end of the housing, the inner passageway having a longitudinal length extending from the first end of the housing to the second end of the housing, with openings in the first and second ends of the housing in communication with the inner passageway, wherein the first lateral side is on one lateral side of the passageway and the second lateral side is on the other lateral side of the passageway, such that the passageway is positioned laterally between the first and second lateral sides;
- and
- a plurality of first rollers mounted in the first lateral side of the housing, each first roller of the plurality of first rollers disposed at an individual location along the length of the inner passageway and positioned laterally between the first lateral side surface of the housing and the inner passageway;
- a plurality of second rollers mounted in the second lateral side of the housing, each second roller of the plurality of second rollers disposed at an individual location along the length of the inner passageway and positioned laterally between the second lateral side surface of the housing and the inner passageway;
- wherein each individual first roller of the plurality of first rollers are offset lengthwise relative to each individual second roller of the plurality of second rollers along the length of the inner passageway such that each individual first roller of the plurality of first rollers do not laterally overlap any of each individual second roller of the plurality of second rollers along the length of the inner passageway such that all of the first rollers mounted in the first lateral side of the housing are longitudinally staggered relative to all of the second rollers mounted in the second lateral side of the housing;
- wherein the plurality of first rollers are spaced apart longitudinally from each other, and there are no other rollers disposed longitudinally between each individual first roller of the plurality of first rollers on the first lateral side;
- wherein the plurality of second rollers are spaced apart longitudinally from each other, and there are no other rollers disposed longitudinally between each individual second roller of the plurality of second rollers on the second lateral side;
- wherein at each individual longitudinal position of each individual first roller of the plurality of first rollers disposed in the first lateral side of the housing, there is no second roller disposed at the same longitudinal position in the second lateral side of the housing such that there is only one roller of the plurality of first rollers and plurality of second rollers disposed laterally adjacent the inner passageway;
- wherein at each individual longitudinal position of each individual second roller of the plurality of second rollers disposed in the second lateral side of the housing, there is no first roller disposed at the same longitudinal position in the first lateral side of the housing such that there is only one roller of the plurality of first rollers and plurality of second rollers disposed laterally adjacent the inner passageway;
- wherein the housing is free from any rollers on the second lateral side in areas laterally opposite and across the passageway from the individual locations of the plurality of first rollers disposed in the first lateral side of the housing, and the housing is free from any rollers on the first lateral side in areas laterally opposite and across the passageway from the individual locations of the plurality of second rollers disposed in the second lateral side of the housing;
- c) providing a first end cap having a passageway and adapted to be mounted on the first end of the housing of the wire guide module;
- d) providing a second end cap having a passageway and adapted to be mounted on the second end of the housing of the wire guide module;
- e) providing a conduit having opposed ends with a passageway extending therebetween;
- f) connecting the wire guide module, end caps and conduit together in a correct configuration between the container and the weld station so that the inner passageway of the wire guide module is in communication with the passageways of the end caps and conduit;
- and
- g) feeding the wire from the wire source in the container through the passageways of the wire guide module, end caps and conduit to the weld station.
16 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.