Patent Application
20140209589
This disclosure relates generally to automatic component extraction systems, such as those used for welding, cutting, metal working, and similar applications.
Metal working operations range from cutting, welding, soldering, assembly, and other processes that may generate smoke and airborne components. In smaller shops it may be convenient to open ambient air passages or to use suction or discharge air from fans to maintain air spaces relatively clear. In other applications, cart-type extraction systems are used. In industrial settings, more complex fixed systems may be employed for extracting smoke and airborne components from specific work cells, metal working locations, and so forth.
In general, such systems often include an intake component (e.g., nozzle, hood, aperture, etc.) coupled to a conduit that draws the smoke and airborne components from the worksite to various filters, blowers, air recirculation and exhaust components. The extraction system uses suction air to draw the smoke and airborne components from the immediate vicinity of the metal working operation. Further improvements are needed, however, in extraction systems. For example, it would be desirable for an extraction system to automatically adjust its location in order to improve the efficiency with which the extraction system removes smoke and airborne components from the metal working application.
There is a need, therefore, for improved component extraction systems for welding and similar metal working applications.
The present disclosure provides novel approaches to smoke and airborne component extraction designed to respond to such needs. The systems are particularly adapted for welding, cutting, and similar metal working operations that can generate airborne components (e.g., smoke, gases, and so forth), but also particulate matter. In accordance with certain aspects of the disclosure, a component extraction system includes an air handling system for drawing the components from a metal working application. An air conduit is coupled to the air handling system and conveys the components from the metal working application to the air handling system. Further, a nozzle is coupled to the air conduit. The nozzle is configured to be disposed adjacent to the metal working application and to draw the components into the air conduit. A guide rail is also configured to be disposed adjacent to the metal working application and accommodates a carriage movable along the guide rail. The carriage is coupled to position the nozzle with respect to the metal working application.
In accordance with certain aspects, the disclosure offers a component evacuation system that further includes a positioning system. The positioning system is configured to automatically move the carriage to desired locations along the guide rail during a metal working operation.
In accordance with a further aspect, the disclosure provides a component extraction method including powering an air handling system to draw airborne components from a metal working application and positioning a nozzle adjacent to the metal working application. Further, during a metal working operation, the method includes moving the nozzle along a guide rail to desired positions to extract the airborne components.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:
Turning now to the drawings, and referring first to
The carriage system 20 also includes a carriage 24 having a nozzle 26 to draw in the workspace air 12. The carriage 24 moves along the guide rail 22 to ensure the nozzle 26 is close to the metal working application 14, such that a majority of any smoke, particulates, and airborne components may be extracted. In this way, the nozzle 26 provides a source capture feature to maximize airborne component extraction. Extracting the highest possible percentage of the metal working components ensures a clean work environment for the operator, improves overall air quality, and reduces the possibility of further pollution/contamination beyond the metal working application 14. Further, the carriage 24 connects the nozzle 26 to the air conduit 18, which conveys the removed workspace air 12 to the base unit 16. As the base unit 16 is activated, it extracts the workspace air 12 (and any contaminates it contains), directing the extracted air to the base unit 16 for processing.
In the depicted embodiment, the base unit 14 includes a compressor 28 that induces a vacuum for drawing smoke and airborne components in through the nozzle 26. Further, the base unit 16 may include the conduit 18 disposed on a spool 30, such that the length of the conduit 18 can adjust with the location of the carriage 24. However, it should be noted that while described with respect to the stand-alone base unit 16 in certain embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to this embodiment, and may be used in conjunction with a cart type unit, a fixed installation, or a different physical configuration. More generally, innovations provided by and described in the present disclosure may be implemented into fixed or semi-fixed installations, such as those used in industrial settings. That is, certain components of the base unit 16 described herein may serve multiple workspaces, work cells, weld cells, and so forth, by common conduits 18 that draw air away from multiple metal working applications 14.
To provide further detail of the workings of the carriage 24 and its additional components, a perspective view of the carriage system 20 is depicted in
As detailed below, within the carriage 24, the sensors 42 may communicate with a controller 44 and a motor 46. The controller 44 may receive and interpret data from the sensors 42 and then use the data to control the operation of the motor 46. In certain embodiments, the motor 46 may power a roller system 48, which adjusts the location of the carriage 24 along the guide rail 22. Adjusting the location of the carriage 24 (and the associated nozzle 26) with respect to the metal working application 14 may enable the component extraction system 10 having the positioning system 40 to create a high entry coefficient (e.g., high percentage of component removal). Accordingly, improved component extraction may improve the air quality of the welding environment for the operator.
To provide a better understanding of how the roller system 48 interacts with the guide rail 22 to adjust the position of the carriage 24,
To prevent the drive roller 62 from causing the carriage 24 to rotate about the guide rail 22, the guide rail 22 may include an anti-rotation feature 64. The anti-rotation feature 64 may be a rectangular portion 66 that extends from the bottom of a cylindrical portion 68 of the guide rail 22. Concave portions 70 of the rollers 60 and the drive roller 62 may interface with the cylindrical portion 68 of the guide rail 22. Further, flat portions 72 of the rollers 60 and drive roller 62 may interface with the rectangular portion 66 of the guide rail 22 to prevent rotation of the carriage 24 about the guide rail 22. In this way, the guide rail 22 may be configured in any 2D or 3D arrangement about the metal working application 14 without the carriage 24 dissociating from the guide rail 22.
To enable simple manual placement of the carriage 24 along the guide rail 22, a lever 74 may be coupled to the drive roller 62. The lever 74 may release the drive roller 62 from the guide rail 22 such that the carriage 24 may be moveable along the guide rail 22 when the lever 74 is activated. For example, when an operator is arranging the metal working application 14 prior to commencing the metal working operation, he may depress the lever 74 to position the carriage 24 at an optimal starting position along the guide rail 22.
To add further stability to the guide rail 22 and the carriage 24, the guide rail 22 may include attachment devices 76 to secure the guide rail 22 near the metal working application 14. Such attachment devices 76 may utilize magnets, an adhesive, clamps, or a different attachment method to securely affix and arrange the guide rail 22 around the metal working application 14. The guide rail 22 may include multiple attachment devices 76 along its length, such that the guide rail 22 is securely affixed to the metal working application 14.
A method 110 of operation of the component extraction system 10 is depicted via flow diagram in
While only certain features of the disclosure have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the disclosure.
