Mounting receptacle for welding apparatus component

• US 20040084429A1
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Cigelske, James J. Jr., Achtner, Richard M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,870,131 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/130.1
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/1006 Power supply
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/323 Combined coupling means, e.g. gas, electricity, water or the like electrical only H01R
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0213 Venting apertures; Constructional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20181 Filters; Louvers

Abstract

A welding apparatus having a specially designed receptacle that is formed on the rear molded plastic panel that is affixed to an enclosure in assembling the welding apparatus. A gas valve having a hexagonal body fits snugly into a mating hexagonal shaped of the receptacle. A pair of fingers extend outwardly from the rear panel and have distal ends with barbs formed thereon. In the assembly of the welding apparatus, therefore, the gas valve is simply inserted into the complementary shaped receptacle formed in the rear panel and the barbs snap over the external surface of the gas valve to retain the gas in the desired position affixed to the rear panel while automatically aligning a gas inlet port of the gas valve with an opening in the rear panel to allow accessibility of the gas inlet to an external source of gas.

Claims

1. A welding apparatus comprising an enclosure and a molded end panel affixed to the enclosure to form an enclosed area within the enclosure for locating components used in the welding apparatus, the molded end panel having an internal surface facing inwardly toward the enclosed area and an opening formed therein, a receptacle formed on the internal surface surrounding the opening, the receptacle comprised of a plurality of sides extending outwardly from the internal surface forming a polygonal configuration, at least one flexible finger extending outwardly from the internal surface, the at least one flexible finger having a distal end formed into a barb, the receptacle adapted to receive a component having a body shaped in the same polygonal configuration of the receptacle wherein the at least one flexible finger is adapted to fit over the component to retain the component within the receptacle.

2. The welding apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the polygonal configuration is a hexagonal configuration.

3. The welding apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one flexible finger comprises a pair of flexible fingers oppositely disposed about the opening.

4. The welding apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the receptacle is adapted to receive a gas valve having an inlet port to align the inlet port with the opening formed in the end panel.

5. A welding apparatus comprising an enclosure and a molded end panel affixed to the enclosure to form an enclosed area within the enclosure for locating components used in the welding apparatus, the molded end panel having an internal surface facing inwardly toward the enclosed area and an opening formed therein, a receptacle formed on the internal surface surrounding the opening, the receptacle comprised of a plurality of sides extending outwardly from the internal surface forming a polygonal configuration, a pair of flexible fingers extending outwardly from the internal surface and having distal ends formed with barbs, a component having a polygon body adapted to interfit within the receptacle wherein the fingers fit over the component to retain the component within the receptacle.

6. The welding apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein the component is a gas valve.

7. The welding apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein the gas valve has an inlet port that is accessible external of the enclosed area through the opening.

8. The welding apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein the inlet port is a threaded opening.

9. The welding apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein the polygonal configuration of the receptacle and the polygon body of the gas valve are both hexagonal.

10. The welding apparatus as defined in claim 6 where the pair of fingers are located about 180 degrees apart about the opening.

11. A method of assembling a component to the surface of a molded plastic end panel, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a molded plastic panel having a surface having an opening therein and having a polygonal receptacle extending outwardly from the surface formed by a plurality of sides surrounding the opening, the plastic panel also having at least one finger extending outwardly from the surface and having a distal end formed into a barb,

providing a component to be affixed to the end panel having a polygonal body, inserting the component into the receptacle,

causing the barb at the distal end of the at least one finger to hook over the component to retain the component within the receptacle.

12. The method as defined in claim 11 wherein the step of providing a component to be affixed to the end panel comprises providing a gas valve having a gas inlet port.

13. The method as defined in claim 12 wherein the step of inserting the component into the receptacle comprises aligning the gas inlet port with the opening in the panel.

14. The method as defined in claim 11 wherein the step of providing a component to be affixed to the end panel comprises providing a component having a hexagonal body.

15. The method as defined in claim 11 wherein the step of providing a molded plastic panel comprises providing a molded plastic panel having a pair of fingers oppositely spaced about the opening.

16. An end panel adapted to be affixed to an enclosure in the construction of a welding apparatus, the end panel comprising a molded plastic body having a surface and an opening formed therein, a receptacle formed on the surface surrounding the opening, the receptacle comprised of a plurality of sides extending outwardly from the surface forming a polygonal configuration, at least one flexible finger extending outwardly from the surface and having a distal end formed with a barb, the receptacle adapted to receive a component having a body shaped in the same polygonal configuration of the receptacle wherein the at least one flexible finger is adapted to fit over the component to retain the component within the receptacle.

17. The end panel as defined in claim 16 wherein the polygonal configuration is a hexagonal configuration.

18. The end panel as defined in claim 16 wherein the at least one flexible finger comprises a pair of flexible fingers oppositely disposed about the opening.

19. The end panel as defined in claim 17 wherein the hexagonal configuration is formed by a combination of the plurality of sides and the at least one flexible finger.