Patent Application
20080149611
The invention relates generally to the field of wire feeders and/or welding systems. More specifically, the invention relates to a welding wire feeder.
In certain applications, a welding wire feeder may be used to feed a welding wire through a torch to a molten weld location in front of the tip of the torch. In many applications, it may be desirable to move the wire feeder to a remote location or simply to a different location in a work area. Otherwise, the wire feeder may be required to drive the wire over an unnecessarily long run of conduit to the particular location. As a result, the wire feeder may require a more robust and expensive drive mechanism.
Unfortunately, conventional wire feeders are designed as stationary devices intended to remain within a particular work area. However, some suitcase wire feeders are currently available, and are specifically designed to enable a user to carry the wire feeders to the desired location (i.e., hands-on carrying). Unfortunately, the suitcase wire feeders can be difficult or impossible to carry in areas requiring one or both hands of the user. For example, if the user attempts to move along stairs, ladders, or scaffolding, then the user will generally need to hold a rail or other structure for support and safety.
Embodiments of the present invention enable hands-free transport of a wire feeder enclosed in a carrying case. In certain embodiments, the hands-free carrying case or backpack may include a hip mount, a shoulder mount, or a combination thereof. The system may further include a controller configured to exchange data with a welding power supply remotely located from the hands-free carrying case. The system may include a user control device or a control panel disposed on the hands-free carrying case and coupled to the controller. The user control device may also be a wireless communication device and may include a body mount. For example, a wrist mount, a belt mount, a shirt mount, a collar mount, a neck mount, or a combination thereof. Additionally, the backpack may include a welding torch receptacle. The system may further include a moisture remover disposed in the backpack and/or a heater to facilitate the welding operation in certain environments.
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:
As discussed in further detail below, various embodiments of a hands-free carrying case with a wire feeder and/or welding component are provided that enable a user to transport the wire feeder and/or welding component to a remote location that may be hundreds of feet away (e.g., away from a power supply). In general, hands free may be defined as both left and right hands being free from the carrying case during transport. Hands-free transport enables a user to safely transport the wire feeder up and down stairs, ladders, and/or scaffolding. In some embodiments, the wire feeder and/or welding components may be entirely or partially disposed within a backpack, a fanny pack or belt mounted luggage, a wrist mounted luggage, a shoulder mounted luggage, or a combination thereof. In other embodiments, one of these luggage types (e.g., backpack) may include another type of welding component with or without the wire feeder, for example, a power supply, a welding gun, a welding controller, a remote control, a welding feedback and monitoring system, and so forth. By further example, the backpack may include a pair of left and right shoulder straps and a hip mount enabling the hands-free transport. The backpack may be back mountable, chest mountable, or both. The backpack may have a soft synthetic shell, a hard synthetic shell, or a combination thereof. The backpack also may have various receptacles, pockets, or holsters for various components, such as a torch, remote control, welding consumables, gauges, and so forth.
The backpack or other hands-free carrying case also may include a moisture remover and/or a heater element facilitating the welding process in cold environments (e.g., −50 Degree Centigrade), humid environments, or both. The system may further include a controller that is coupled to the hands-free case or backpack. The controller may be configured to communicate with the power supply thereby enabling a user to select a welding process or exchange data with the power supply. This may eliminate the need for the user to move back and forth between the weld location and the power supply to adjust a weld setting. The controller may be coupled to a user control device that is independent from the backpack and configured with a body mount to enable quick access to the controller. These features introduced above are now discussed in further detail below with reference to the figures.
The hands-free carrying case 10 further includes an output panel 28 that enables the user to connect the welding torch 15 to the hands-free carrying case 10. The hands-free carrying case 10 includes an electrode wire spool 29 disposed inside the case 10. The spool 29 contains electrode wire 30 and is positioned on a spool support 31 located inside the carrying case 10. The illustrated embodiment includes one spool 29, however, more than one spool may be included enabling the user to select from more than one wire 30 size, type, and so forth. The wire 30 feeds into a wire feeder 32 that drives the weld wire out through the output panel 28 and into the welding torch 15. The wire feeder 32 includes a drive motor or drive 33, a drive roll 34, and a support roll 35. Embodiments of the present invention enclose the wire feeder 32, wire spool 29, and electrode wire 30 in a sealed cavity protecting these welding components from the environment.
Additionally, a moisture removal system may be included in the carrying case 10. The moisture removal system may include a heater 36 or other moisture removal or exclusion techniques. The heater 36 also may be configured to raise the temperature of the wire for a particular application. This may be particularly beneficial for cold environments and/or for high humidity environments. In some embodiments, the case 10 may include temperature and/or humidity sensors coupled to the controller 25, thereby facilitating feedback control of the heater 36. For example, it may be desirable to maintain a particular temperature or humidity level within the case 10, and the feedback sensors may trigger the heater 36 to engage or disengage to maintain a particular environmental state within the case 10. In some embodiments, the case 10 may be airtight, watertight, or both, thereby creating a closed environment within the case 10. A hermetically sealed configuration of the case 10 may facilitate the environmental control within the case 10, while also keeping out moisture, dirt, or other pollutants from corrupting or damaging the wire feeder 32 and other internal components.
Finally, the carrying case 10 may also be used to protect other welding components from the environment in place of, or in addition, to the wire feeder 32 and electrode wire 30. For example, an additional wire feeder, multiple wire spools, welding supplies, welding inspection tools, and portable power supplies are a few welding components that may be disposed in the carrying case 10. Additionally, it should be noted that there are a number of possible locations and orientations of the panel 24, 26, 28 shown in
Additionally, the shoulder mount 60 and hip mount 62 may include controls and meters similar to those disposed on the control panel 26. For example, the voltmeter 46 and the wire speed/amperage meter 48 may be included on the shoulder mount 60 providing a readily visible display in the situation where the user is wearing the backpack 58. Similarly, the hip mount 62 may include the wire speed control 50 and the voltage control 52 positioned so that these controls are also readily accessible to the user for the same situation discussed above. Other controls may also be included on these or other areas of the backpack 58, thereby enabling the user to quickly access these controls. All of these controls may be coupled to the controller 25 directly via a wired connection or a wireless connection. Moreover, the present embodiment includes a wireless communication device or remote control 70 that enables user control independent of the backpack 58. The communication device 70 may include a user mount that may include a wrist mount, a belt mount, a shirt mount, a collar mount, a neck mount, or a combination thereof. The wireless communication device 70 may communicate with the controller 25, the power welding power supply 12, or a combination thereof. Again, this enables the user access to the controller and enables for immediate adjustment of the weld parameters.
The backpack 58 may also include a set of wheels 80 and a retractable handle 82. The wheels and the retractable handle allow the user to transport the welding system in situations where it is more convenient to roll the system. The distance between the wheels is referred to as the wheel base. One particularly useful aspect of the present embodiment shown is that the wheel base is at least 60% of the width of the backpack. This wide wheel base may prevent the backpack 58 from tipping over during transport by distributing the load to the outer edges of the backpack 58. Retractable handle 82 includes telescope segments that enable the handle to collapse down into a handle housing located in the backpack 58. A button 84 is included on the handle 82 to disengage a locking feature of the handle 82, enabling the user to retract the handle 82. When retracted, the handle 82 reduces the profile of the hands-free carrying case (e.g., backpack 58), thereby reducing the amount of room required for storage or transport. In addition to the retractable handle 82, the backpack 58 may further include a fixed handle 86 or handles (i.e., fixed to the backpack) that may be positioned on opposites sides of the backpack 58. The handles 86 allow the user to lift and transport the welding system in situations where carrying it with hands (i.e., hands-on) is most convenient. Additionally, an across the chest shoulder strap (not illustrated in the figure) may be attached to the backpack 58 to further facilitate transport.
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.
