WELDING SYSTEM WITH LOCKOUT MECHANISM

• US 20110114616A1
• Filed: 10/18/2010
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Albrecht, Bruce Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 9,676,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/137.R
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/095 Monitoring or automatic control of welding parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/10 Other electric circuits therefor; Protective circuits; Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/133 Means for feeding electrodes, e.g. drums, rolls, motors
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/32 Accessories earthing connections H01R

Abstract

Embodiments of a welding system including a controller adapted to implement a lockout mechanism are provided. The controller may be adapted to selectively activate a learn mode and a use mode of a component of the welding system. When the learn mode is activated, the controller receives an allowable data set and stores the allowable data set to memory. When the use mode is activated, the controller receives an operational data set, references the allowable data set to check if the operational data set is allowable, logs the operational data set and enables the component of the welding system to operate when the operational data set is allowable, and disables the component of the welding system when the operational data set is not allowable.

Claims

1. A welding system, comprising:

a housing;

control circuitry disposed in the housing and configured to selectively enable a learning mode and a use mode; and

wherein during the enabled learning mode, the control circuitry learns an allowable parameter set, and during the enabled use mode the control circuitry receives a desired parameter set, compares the desired parameter set to the allowable parameter set, enables a component of the welding system to operate when the desired parameter set is contained within the allowable parameter set, and locks the component of the welding system to prevent operation when the desired parameter set is not contained within the allowable parameter set.

2. The welding system of claim 1, wherein the component comprises a wire feeder, and the control circuitry enables the wire feeder to feed wire from a wire spool when the desired parameter set is contained within the allowable parameter set and locks the wire feeder to prevent wire feed from the wire spool when the desired parameter set is not contained within the allowable parameter set.

3. The welding system of claim 1, further comprising a monitoring device disposed in or on the housing and configured to receive data encoding the allowable parameter set.

4. The welding system of claim 3, wherein the monitoring device comprises a reader configured to receive and store a signal from a wireless tag disposed on an allowable device during the enabled learning mode.

5. The welding system of claim 1, comprising a universal serial bus (USB) port disposed in a surface of the housing.

6. The welding system of claim 5, wherein the USB port is coupled to data input circuitry configured to receive and store a signal encoding one or more allowable parameters during the enabled learning mode.

7. The welding system of claim 1, wherein the allowable parameter set comprises at least one of a certified operator, a compatible wire spool, a weld procedure and a compatible gas.

8. The welding system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to notify an operator of an error via at least one of a handheld device, a personal computer, a systems message light, a display in the welding system, and a heads-up display located in a welding helmet when the component of the welding system is locked.

9. The welding system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to disallow learning of an allowable parameter set when learning mode is not enabled.

10. The welding system of claim 1, wherein the allowable parameter set is received by the control circuitry from a main job information system.

11. A method of controlling a welding device, comprising:

receiving a desired set of parameters;

comparing the desired set of parameters to an allowable set of parameters;

locking out the welding device to prevent operation when the desired set of parameters is not within the allowable set of parameters; and

allowing operation of the welding device when the desired set of parameters is within the allowable set of parameters.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving an allowable set of parameters comprises receiving a wireless signal from a wireless tag disposed on an allowable device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the allowable device is at least one of a wire spool, an operator, and a gas cylinder.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving an allowable set of parameters comprises receiving a signal from a device coupled to a universal serial bus (USB) port of the wire feeder.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the welding device comprises a wire feeder and the operation of the welding device comprises feeding wire from a wire feeder.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising enabling a learn mode to teach the welding device the allowable set of parameters.

17. A controller for a wire feeder configured to:

selectively activate a learn mode and a use mode of the wire feeder;

receive an allowable data set and store the allowable data set to memory when the learn mode is activated; and

receive an operational data set when the use mode is activated, reference the allowable data set to check if the operational data set is allowable, log the operational data set and enable the wire feeder to operate when the operational data set is allowable, and disable the wire feeder when the operational data set is not allowable.

18. The controller of claim 17, wherein the controller is further configured to notify a user of an error state via at least one of a handheld device, a personal computer, a systems message light, a display in the welding system, and a heads-up display located in a welding helmet when the operational data set is not allowable in use mode.

19. The controller of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to receive the allowable data set via a wireless connection between the wire feeder and an information source.

20. The controller of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to receive the allowable data set from one or more wireless identification tags positioned on one or more allowable devices and/or operators.

21. The controller of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to receive the allowable data set from a main job information system.

22. The controller of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to receive the allowable data set from a keypad of a computer or wireless device via a universal serial bus (USB) port disposed on the wire feeder.