The invention relates generally to welding systems and, more particularly, to a shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) system with integrated welding electrode storage.
Welding is a process that has increasingly become ubiquitous in various industries and applications. While such processes may be automated in certain contexts, a large number of applications continue to exist for manual welding operations. Welding systems generally include an electrode configured to pass an arc between a torch and a work piece, thereby heating the work piece to create a weld. In shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), or stick welding, the electrode is a consumable rod that melts into the weld to provide a filler material into the weld. In other words, a single rod serves both as an electrode and as the filler material. The electrode is held by a clamp, and a power supply provides welding power to the clamp and the electrode to produce the arc. When nearly all of an electrode is consumed to form the weld, the remainder of the electrode is discarded, a new electrode is inserted into the clamp, and the welding process is continued. Thus, several electrodes are often consumed during a welding session. Unfortunately, existing systems for storing and transporting these electrodes to and from the worksite have several disadvantages. For example, the original packaging that the electrodes come in is generally not air tight, allowing undesirable moisture to accumulate within the electrodes. In addition, it can be difficult to transport the many electrodes along with the other welding equipment needed for the welding process.
In an embodiment, a welding system includes a welder configured to output power to form an arc between a stick electrode and a workpiece. The welder includes an interior compartment configured to receive and store one or more additional stick electrodes.
In another embodiment, a welding power supply includes circuitry configured to produce power for a welding operation. The welding power supply also includes a compartment configured to hold one or more welding electrodes. In addition, the welding power supply includes a covering configured to be removably disposed in an opening of the compartment to allow access to the welding electrodes in the compartment.
In a further embodiment, a method includes receiving one or more electrodes via a compartment of a SMAW power supply. The method also includes sealing the welding electrodes in the compartment via a covering configured to be removably disposed in an opening of the compartment.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention 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:
Traditional electrode storage containers for shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) systems are generally provided separately from the components of the welding system. For example, an operator generally carries the welding electrodes in a separate container, in addition to a welding power supply and other equipment. It may be desirable and more efficient to provide SMAW systems with storage compartments that are integrated into preexisting components of the welding system. Thus, presently disclosed embodiments are directed to storing welding electrodes integrally with a power supply of the welding system. The power supply may include a compartment built into its body, or a handle, where the compartment is configured to receive and hold one or more welding electrodes. In some embodiments, the power supply may include a compartment that is attachable and detachable to and from an external portion of the power supply, so that the compartment may be carried with the power supply from one site to another, and removed from the power supply as desired. The power supply may include a cap that can be removably placed in an opening of the compartment, providing an air tight seal when the electrodes are stored therein. The disclosed embodiments allow an operator to carry all needed electrodes to a worksite and back, without handling excess equipment or exposing the electrodes to air. Because the electrodes are stored integrally with the other welding equipment, they are available for use wherever the equipment is located.
Turning now to the drawings,
A welding process (AC or DC) may be used to produce the desired weld, and the power supply 20 converts input power from a power source 28 to the desired power output. The power source 28 may represent the power grid, although other sources of power may also be used, such as power generated by an engine-driven generator, batteries, fuel cells, or other alternative sources. The power supply 20 includes circuitry 30, which may include power conversion circuitry, control circuitry, operator interface circuitry, and so forth. This circuitry 30 is configured to produce power that is suitable for welding.
Present embodiments of the power supply 20 are configured to receive and hold additional electrodes 16 for use in the welding process. The electrodes 16 may be located, for example, in an interior compartment 32 formed within the power supply 20, as shown. Upon depositing an entire electrode 16 onto the workpiece 14, an operator may select another electrode 16 from the compartment 32, insert it into the clamp 18, and continue welding. The electrodes 16 stored in the illustrated power supply 20 are available for use wherever the power supply 20 is located, and no additional carrying case is required.
The compartment 32, as shown, may be located in a body 50 or chassis of the power supply 20. The power supply 20 may be designed so that the compartment 32 for storing electrodes 16 does not interfere with the circuitry 30 configured to produce the welding power output. In the illustrated embodiment, the compartment 32 includes a cylindrical tube extending into the body 50 of the power supply 20, but other shapes and arrangements may be possible as well. In addition, the power supply 20 may include a removable cap 52 that forms one end of the compartment 32. This cap 52 acts as a covering that can be removably disposed in an opening 54 of the compartment 32 to allow access to the electrodes 16. The cap 52 may be secured within the opening 54 to secure the electrodes 16 within the compartment 32, and the cap 52 may be removed to facilitate loading and unloading of the electrodes 16.
It may be desirable for the integrated compartment 32 to be hermetically sealed (or air tight) in order to preserve the electrodes 16 stored therein. In some instances, unnecessary exposure of the electrodes 16 to air and moisture can negatively affect weld performance, particularly due to degradation of the flux coating. For example, the electrodes 16 may absorb moisture when exposed to the atmosphere, and such moisture in the electrodes can lead to undesired porosity within the weld. To reduce such exposure of the electrodes 16 stored in the compartment 32, the power supply 20 may include a specially designed cap 52 for maintaining an air tight seal between the compartment 32 and an outside atmosphere. The cap 52 may be configured to maintain a press-fit, threaded, snap tight, or other type of connection with the opening 54. In the illustrated embodiment, the cap 52 includes a protrusion 56 extending outward from the cap 52 to provide a gripping feature for a welding operator. Other mechanisms may be used to provide access to the cap 52 for insertion and/or removal of the cap 52 from the opening 54 of the compartment 32. In certain embodiments, the cap 52 may be loosened or tightened to provide an air tight seal of the compartment 32 via a quarter turn of the cap 52, once placed in the opening 54. This may provide a relatively easy way for a welding operator to access or protectively seal the stored electrodes 16. However, for a threaded connection, any number of turns may be possible for providing the desired seal of the compartment 32. In some embodiments, the opening 54 may include a notch 58 or stop against which the cap 52 is brought to rest when the opening 54 is fully sealed. This may serve as an indicator that an effective seal is provided to the compartment 32. Other embodiments of coverings that can be removably placed in the opening 54 may be used to provide an air tight enclosure for the electrodes 16.
As another example, the compartment 32 may be inclined to maintain the electrodes 16 within the compartment 32. This is shown clearly in the illustrated embodiment, where a longitudinal axis 72 of the compartment 32 is inclined downward relative to a horizontal axis 74 of the power supply 20. The longitudinal axis 72 may be inclined downward from the end of the compartment with the opening 54 to the opposite end of the compartment 32. This may keep the electrodes 16 from falling out through the opening 54 of the compartment 32 when the cap 52 is removed. An incline angle 76 between the axes 72 and 74 may be large enough to maintain the electrodes 16 inside the compartment 32, yet small enough to facilitate relatively easy retrieval of the electrodes 16. For example, in certain embodiments, the incline angle 76 may be equal to approximately 5, 10, or 20 degrees, or within a range of approximately 0-30 degrees. In other embodiments, the incline angle 76 may be larger, for example up to approximately 90 degrees in some larger machines. In addition, the incline angle 76 may accommodate a desired spatial arrangement of other components (e.g., the circuitry 30) internal to the body 50 of the power supply 20.
As described above, the compartment 32 may be hermetically sealed using the cap 52 or other covering configured to close the opening 54 of the compartment 32. One example of this air tight seal is provided in
It should be noted that additional features may be included in the cap 52 and the enclosure 70. For example, the enclosure may include threads on the inner surface as well, while the cap 52 may include mating threads along the inner protrusion 94. In some embodiments, additional overlapping surfaces may be present. In other embodiments, fewer overlapping surfaces may be used. The enclosure 70 may not include the abutment surface 96, or the cap 52 may not include the o-ring 98. In still other embodiments, the cap 52 and the enclosure 70 may not include threads at all, but may rely on overlapping sections that are press-fit or snapped into place. The cap 52 may ultimately provide an air tight seal of the compartment 32 used to hold the electrodes 16, so that the electrodes 16 are not affected by exposure to air and moisture.
Although the cap 52 may provide a reliable seal to keep air from entering the compartment 32 once the cap 52 is closed over the opening 54, air may still enter the compartment 32 whenever the cap 52 is removed. The cap 52 may be removed relatively often, so that the electrodes 16 can be loaded into the compartment 32, or a new electrode 16 can be selected from the compartment 32 for use in a welding process. Because air can enter the compartment 32 during these times, moisture may accumulate in the compartment 32. As discussed above, moisture can negatively affect the electrodes 16, so it may be desirable to remove excess moisture from the compartment 32 once the compartment 32 is sealed. As an example,
The cap 52 is removable from the opening 54 of the compartment 32, but it generally remains closed over the opening 54 when access to the electrodes 16 is not needed. This keeps air, moisture, and contaminants away from the electrodes 16, and maintains the electrodes 16 in the accessible compartment 32 of the power supply 20. Therefore, it may be desirable to include a mechanism for maintaining the cap 52 near the power supply 20 so that an operator does not lose the cap 52. For example, as shown in
The embodiments illustrated in
In embodiments where the compartment 32 is attached to an external portion of the power supply 20, the compartment 32 may be detached from the power supply 20. This may provide an operator with both an ease of access to the electrodes 16 and an ease of transportation of the entire welding system 10. Specifically, the operator can transport the electrodes 16 in the compartment 32 attached to the power supply 20 from one worksite to another. Once at a new worksite, the operator may position the body 50 of the power supply 20 as desired, detach the compartment 32 of the power supply 20, and carry the compartment 32 closer to a weld area so that the electrodes 16 are even more accessible. When it is time to transport the welding system 10 to a new location, the compartment 32 may be attached to the external portion of the power supply 20 again. The techniques disclosed above with reference to the compartment 32 and the cap 52 of
While only certain features of the invention 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 invention.
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