Patent Application
20230076981
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a welding and induction heating system is provided that includes a welding device configured to output a welding current at at least one welding frequency. The system can further include a switching device in communication with the welding device and capable of increasing the at least one welding frequency to output an induction heating current at at least one induction heating frequency.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a welding and induction heating system is provided including a welding device having at least one output terminal. The system can further include an induction heating enabling device in communication with at least one output of the welder to provide an induction heating current.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided that includes at least the steps of creating a welding current having a frequency and increasing the frequency of the welding current to enable the device to be utilized for induction heating.
These and other objects of this invention will be evident when viewed in light of the drawings, detailed description and appended claims.
The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangements of parts, a preferred embodiment of which will be described in detail in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and wherein:
Embodiments of the invention relate to methods and systems that relate to welding and induction heating using a welding device in combination with a switching device or using a welder in combination with a induction heating enabling device to provide induction heating current.
“Welding” or “weld” as used herein including any other formatives of these words will refer to depositing of molten material through the operation of an electric arc including but not limited to submerged arc welding, gas tungsten arc welding, gas metal arc welding, metal active welding, metal inert gas welding, tungsten inert gas welding, any high energy heat source (e.g., a laser, an electron beam, among others), or any electric arc used with a welding system.
While the embodiments discussed herein have been related to the systems and methods discussed above, these embodiments are intended to be exemplary and are not intended to limit the applicability of these embodiments to only those discussions set forth herein. The systems and methodologies discussed herein are equally applicable to, and can be utilized in, systems and methods related to induction annealing, induction bonding, induction brazing, carbide tip brazing, induction casting, induction end forming, induction crystal growing, induction coating and curing, induction forging and hot forming, induction hardening, induction shrink fitting, induction melting of metal, induction preheating and post heating, induction soldering, heat-staking, induction susceptor heating, identifying a metal type based on the heating characteristics of the material and induction wire heating, without departing from the spirit or scope of the above discussed inventions. The embodiments and discussions herein can be readily incorporated into any of these systems and methodologies by those of skill in the art. By way of example and not limitation, a welding device as used herein can be a device that performs welding, arc welding, laser welding, brazing, soldering, plasma cutting, 5t laser cutting, among others. Thus, one of sound engineering and judgment can choose devices other than a welding device without departing from the intended scope of coverage of the embodiments of the subject invention.
The welding device utilized in the present invention is configured to output a welding current and have the topography necessary to alter the output frequency. The welding device has an induction coil to permit performance of the tasks to be carried out by an induction heater. The induction coil is used to generate an electromagnetic field through the workpiece, generating heat through eddy currents, effectively and accurately heating the material to a desired temperature and depth. The application of the present invention would allow the welding device to be modified to accommodate both the welding and induction heating capabilities utilizing much of the same electrical components in existing welding machines at the time of this writing or include a switching device in communication with the welding device capable of increasing at least one welding frequency to output an induction heating current at at least one induction heating frequency.
The best mode for carrying out the invention will now be described for the purposes of illustrating the best mode known to the applicant at the time of the filing of this patent application. The examples and figures are illustrative only and not meant to limit the invention, which is measured by the scope and spirit of the claims. Referring now to the drawings, wherein the showings are for the purpose of illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the invention only and not for the purpose of limiting same,
Turning to
Turning to
The induction heating enabling device 206 as shown in
Turning to
Turning to
An exemplary, non-limiting embodiment of a method of induction heating using a welder comprises the steps of modifying a switching device of the welder to creating an output current having a frequency for induction heating and modifying a control panel of the welder to allow control of the frequency of the output current making the welder suitable for both welding and induction heating. The modifying of the switching device may comprise replacing at least one original switching element to a new switching element capable of increasing the frequency of the output current suitable to at least one induction heating frequency and/or software changes, which may include additions, subtractions, or modifications, of the switching device that allow for at least one induction heating frequency. The new switching device may be one or more of the following: a zero voltage switching driver, a half bridge inverter, or a full bridge inverter. The induction heating frequency is variable and in the range of 750 Hz to 800 kHz.
The above examples are merely illustrative of several possible embodiments of various aspects of the present invention, wherein equivalent alterations and/or modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon reading and understanding this specification and the annexed drawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described components (assemblies, devices, systems, circuits, and the like), the terms (including a reference to a “means”) used to describe such components are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any component, such as hardware, software, or combinations thereof, which performs the specified function of the described component (e.g., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the illustrated implementations of the invention. In addition, although a particular feature of the invention may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other implementations as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application. Also, to the extent that the terms “including”, “includes”, “having”, “has”, “with”, or variants thereof are used in the detailed description and/or in the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising.”
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that are not different from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.
The best mode for carrying out the invention has been described for purposes of illustrating the best mode known to the applicant at the time. The examples are illustrative only and not meant to limit the invention, as measured by the scope and merit of the claims. The invention has been described with reference to preferred and alternate embodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon the reading and understanding of the specification. It is intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.
