Resistance welding device comprising a power source arranged on a welding gun

• US 10,112,253 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2012
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fronius International GmbH (G&K Privatstiftung)
• Original Assignee: Fronius International GmbH (G&K Privatstiftung)
• Inventors: Artelsmair, Bernhard, Schultschik, Christoph, Neuboeck, Johannes, Wolfsgruber, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ross, Dana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dang, Ket D
• Application Number:
  US14/354,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20140305913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,190 Days
• Field of Search: 219108, 219110, 2191171, 219 8625, 219 8633, 219116, 336 82, 336192, 336212, 336178, 336180, 336182, 336196, 336229, 901 42, 324 7675, 324119, 324126, 324127
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 11/241 Electric supplies B23K11/248 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 11/314 Spot welding guns, e.g. mounted on robots
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2027/408 Association with diode or rectifier
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/40 Structural association with built-in electric component, e.g. fuse
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/10 Greenhouse gas [GHG] capture, material saving, heat recovery or other energy efficient measures, e.g. motor control, characterised by manufacturing processes, e.g. for rolling metal or metal working

Abstract

A resistance welding device includes a power source in order to provide a welding current for welding workpieces, a welding gun with two gun arms having one electrode each in order to impress the welding current into the workpieces. The power source includes a heavy-current transformer with at least one primary winding and at least one secondary winding with center tapping, a synchronous rectifier connected with the secondary winding and including circuit elements, and a circuit for actuating the circuit elements of the synchronous rectifier. For reduction of losses and improvement of efficiency, the power source is arranged at the welding gun and the power source includes at least four contacts forming a multi-point contacting, wherein two first contacts of one polarity are connected to one gun arm and two additional contacts of opposite polarity are connected to the other gun arm.

Claims

1. A resistance welding device comprising:

a cube or ashlar-shaped power source in order to provide a welding current for welding workpieces,

a welding gun with a first gun arm and a second gun arm, each of the first gun arm and the second gun arm comprising a respective electrode in order to impress the welding current into the workpieces,

wherein the power source comprises a heavy-current transformer with at least one primary winding and at least one secondary winding with center tapping, a synchronous rectifier connected with the at least one secondary winding of the heavy-current transformer and comprising circuit elements, and an actuation circuit for actuating the circuit elements of the synchronous rectifier,

wherein the power source is arranged at the welding gun and the power source comprises a first contact, a second contact, a third contact and a fourth contact forming a multi-point contacting at an output of the synchronous rectifier, whereby the welding current is at least halved and thus the transition losses are reduced,

wherein the first contact and the second contact are of one polarity and are connected to the first gun arm and the third contact and the fourth contact are of opposite polarity and are connected to the second gun arm,

wherein the first contact and the second contact of the one polarity and the third contact and the fourth contact of opposite polarity are each arranged opposite each other,

wherein the third contact and the fourth contact are arranged offset to each other by 90°

compared to the first contact and the second contact, such that the first contact, the second contact, the third contact and the fourth contact form the cube or ashlar-shaped power source,

wherein the first gun arm is fastened without lines to the first contact and the second contact,

wherein the heavy-current transformer comprises an I-beam of electrically conductive material, the I-beam having a plurality of outer surfaces and a plurality of recesses in which recesses at least one respective ring core is arranged,

wherein one respective connection of the at least one secondary winding is directly contacted with one inner surface of the I-beam,

wherein the outer surfaces of the I-beam form the first contact and the second contact of the power source, and

wherein the center tapping of the at least one secondary winding of the heavy-current transformer is connected with the I-beam without lines.

2. The resistance welding device according to claim 1, wherein the synchronous rectifier and the actuation circuit are integrated in the heavy-current transformer.

3. The resistance welding device according to claim 1, wherein the circuit elements are connected in parallel and wherein the circuit elements are connected without lines to the at least one secondary winding of the heavy-current transformer.

4. The resistance welding device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one primary winding comprises a plurality of primary windings connected in series, and the at least one secondary winding comprises a plurality of secondary windings with the center tapping connected in parallel.

5. The resistance welding device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one primary winding of the heavy-current transformer is arranged to run through the at least one respective ring core.

6. The resistance welding device according to claim 1, wherein contact plates each having a plurality of outer surfaces, are located above the recesses of the I-beam, said contact plates being of electrically conductive material and connected with the respectively other connections of the at least one secondary winding via the synchronous rectifier and the actuation circuit, wherein the outer surfaces of the contact plates form the third contact and the fourth contact of the power source.

7. The resistance welding device according to claim 6, wherein the I-beam and the contact plates of the heavy-current transformer form a cube or ashlar-shaped unit, wherein an electrical insulation is arranged between the I-beam and the contact plates, wherein cover plates are arranged at front faces of the I-beam, and wherein the cover plates are formed of electrically conductive material and are adapted to be screwed to the contact plates, so that the contact plates are connected electrically.

8. The resistance welding device according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of cooling channels for feeding a cooling fluid are arranged in the I-beam and in the contact plates, wherein two inlets for feeding the cooling fluid and one outlet for discharging the cooling fluid are arranged at an outer surface of the I-beam, wherein the cooling channels are arranged to extend from each inlet to the contact plates and via the I-beam to the outlet.

9. The resistance welding device according to claim 6, wherein the actuation circuit and the synchronous rectifier are arranged on at least one circuit board which is arranged on an inner surface of at least one contact plate, and wherein each circuit board of the synchronous rectifier and of the actuation circuit comprises openings above which the circuit elements are arranged, and wherein the inner surface of the contact plates, at locations corresponding to the openings in the circuit board of the synchronous rectifier, comprises protrusions, so that the circuit elements are contacted without lines via the protrusions protruding into the openings on the circuit board on the inner surface of the contact plates.

10. The resistance welding device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one secondary winding with the center tapping is formed by two metal sheets having respective exterior surfaces, the two metal sheets being insulated from each other and being of electrically conductive material and having an S-shaped mirror-inverted course around a cross-section of a ring core and through the ring core, wherein the exterior surfaces of the metal sheets form the first contact, the second contact, the third contact and the fourth contact for the connection with the circuit elements of the synchronous rectifier or the respective electrode.

11. The resistance welding device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the I-beam, a plurality of contact plates, a plurality of cover plates and a plurality of metal sheets for forming the at least one secondary winding of the heavy-current transformer are formed of copper or a copper alloy.

12. The resistance welding device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the I-beam and a plurality of contact plates are formed at least partially by the first gun arm and the second gun arm.

13. The resistance welding device according to claim 1, wherein a current transducer is arranged at a connection of the at least one secondary winding for measuring a current through the at least one secondary winding, said current transducer being connected with the actuation circuit.

14. The resistance welding device according to claim 13, wherein the current transducer is arranged to be oriented 90°

to a direction of the welding current.

15. The resistance welding device according to claim 13, wherein the actuation circuit is designed to activate the circuit elements of the synchronous rectifier at a preset point in time prior to achieving zero crossing of the current in the at least one secondary winding.