Torch Flow Regulation Using Nozzle Features

• US 20120012560A1
• Filed: 12/29/2010
• Published: 01/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hypertherm Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hypertherm Incorporated
• Inventors: Roberts, Jesse, Twarog, Peter, Duan, Zheng, Kim, Sung Je
• Granted Patent: US 8,884,179 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/74
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/34 Details, e.g. electrodes, nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/3457 Nozzle protection devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/3468 Vortex generators

Abstract

A nozzle for a plasma arc torch includes a body having a first end and a second end. The nozzle also includes a plasma exit orifice located at the first end of the body. A flange is located at the second end of the body. The flange is adapted to mate with a corresponding consumable. The flange is configured to selectively block at least one gas passage in the corresponding consumable to establish a gas flow relative to the nozzle body.

Claims

1. A nozzle for a plasma arc torch comprising:

a body having a first end and a second end;

a plasma exit orifice at the first end of the body; and

a flange at the second end of the body adapted to mate with a corresponding consumable, the flange configured to selectively block at least one gas passage in the corresponding consumable to establish a gas flow relative to the nozzle body.

2. The nozzle of claim 1 wherein the flange comprises at least one of a contoured, tapered or castellated surface adapted to mate with a mating surface of the corresponding consumable.

3. The nozzle of claim 1 wherein the flange is disposed relative to an exterior surface of the nozzle and is radially disposed relative to a longitudinal axis extending through the nozzle body.

4. The nozzle of claim 1 wherein the flange is selectively contoured to regulate at least one of a shield gas flow about an exterior surface of the nozzle body or a plasma gas flow about an interior surface of the nozzle body.

5. The nozzle of claim 1 wherein the flange forms a step disposed relative to an exterior surface of the nozzle and radially disposed relative to a longitudinal axis extending through the nozzle body, wherein the step regulates a shield gas flow about an exterior surface of the nozzle body.

6. The nozzle of claim 1 wherein the flange is an extension axially disposed relative to a longitudinal axis extending through the nozzle body, wherein the extension regulates a plasma gas flow about an interior surface of the nozzle body.

7. The nozzle of claim 6 further comprising a step disposed relative to an exterior surface of the nozzle and radially disposed relative to a longitudinal axis extending through the nozzle body wherein the step regulates a shield gas flow about an exterior surface of the nozzle body.

8. The nozzle of claim 1 wherein the corresponding consumable is one of a swirl ring or a retaining cap.

9. A nozzle retaining cap for a plasma arc torch comprising:

a hollow body having a first end and a second end;

a protrusion located at the first end of the hollow body;

a first hole pattern formed in the protrusion; and

a second hole pattern formed in the protrusion, wherein holes within at least one of the first or second hole patterns are sized to control at least one of a nozzle cooling gas flow or a plasma gas flow.

10. The nozzle retaining cap of claim 9 wherein the first hole pattern and the second hole pattern are concentric circles.

11. The nozzle retaining cap of claim 9 wherein the first hole pattern has a first diameter relative to a central longitudinal axis extending through the body and the second hole pattern has a second diameter relative to the central longitudinal axis extending through the body.

12. The nozzle retaining cap of claim 9 wherein a surface of the protrusion is configured to receive a flange disposed on a body of a nozzle, the flange sized to block the gas from flowing through one of the first or second hole patterns.

13. The nozzle retaining cap of claim 9 wherein a surface of the protrusion is configured to receive a flange disposed on a body of a nozzle, the flange sized to allow the gas to flow through at least the second hole pattern to cool the nozzle.

14. The nozzle retaining cap of claim 9 wherein a surface of the protrusion is configured to receive a flange disposed on a body of a nozzle, the flange sized to allow the gas to flow through the first and second hole patterns to cool the nozzle.

15. The nozzle retaining cap of claim 9 wherein a surface of the protrusion is configured to receive a flange disposed on a body of a nozzle, the flange sized to operate the plasma arc torch at a corresponding cutting parameter.

16. The nozzle retaining cap of claim 9 wherein the first hole pattern has the same number of gas passages as the second hole pattern.

17. The nozzle retaining cap of claim 9 wherein the first hole pattern has a different number of gas passages as the second hole pattern.

18. The nozzle retaining cap of claim 9 wherein the first hole pattern differs from the second hole pattern in at least one of a size of the holes, a shape of the holes, a number of holes, or a tangential angle of the holes.

19. A torch tip for a plasma arc torch, the torch tip comprising:

a nozzle mounted in a torch body of the plasma arc torch, the nozzle comprising a nozzle body, a plasma exit orifice at a first end of the nozzle body, and a flange at a second end of the nozzle body; and

a consumable adapted to mate with the flange of the nozzle, the consumable having a surface at one end, the surface having a first hole pattern and a second hole pattern, wherein holes within at least one of the first or second hole patterns are sized to control at least one of a nozzle cooling gas flow or a plasma gas flow.

20. The torch tip of claim 19 wherein the flange forms a step disposed relative to an exterior surface of the nozzle and radially disposed relative to a longitudinal axis extending through the nozzle body, wherein the step regulates a shield gas flow about an exterior surface of the nozzle body.

21. The torch tip of claim 19 wherein the flange forms an extension axially disposed relative to a longitudinal axis extending through the nozzle body, wherein the extension regulates a plasma gas flow about an interior surface of the nozzle body.

22. The torch tip of claim 19 wherein the consumable is one of a swirl ring or a retaining cap.

23. A swirl ring for a plasma arc torch comprising:

a hollow body having a wall, a first end and a second end;

an opening formed in the second end of the hollow body for mating with a nozzle within the plasma arc torch;

a first hole pattern formed in the wall of the body, wherein the first hole pattern is positioned and sized to provide a first gas flow characteristic about a surface of the nozzle; and

a second hole pattern formed in the wall of the body, wherein the second hole pattern is positioned and sized to provide a second gas flow characteristic about the surface of the nozzle.

24. The swirl ring of claim 23 wherein the first hole pattern is positioned and sized to provide the first gas flow when the plasma arc torch is operating at a first cutting parameter and the second hole pattern is positioned and sized to provide the second gas flow when the plasma arc torch is operating at a second cutting parameter.

25. The swirl ring of claim 23 wherein the first hole pattern differs from the second hole pattern in at least one of a size of the holes, a shape of the holes, a number of holes, or a tangential angle of the holes.

26. The swirl ring of claim 23 wherein the first hole pattern has a different number of gas passages as the second hole pattern.

27. The swirl ring of claim 23 wherein a flange disposed on a body of the nozzle is sized to block a gas flow through the second hole pattern.

28. The swirl ring of claim 23 wherein a flange disposed on a body of the nozzle is sized to allow a gas to flow through at least the second hole pattern.

29. The swirl ring of claim 28 wherein the flange is sized to allow the gas to flow through the first and second hole patterns.

30. The swirl ring of claim 23 wherein the opening is configured to receive a first nozzle having a first flange or a second nozzle having a second flange, wherein the first flange of the first nozzle is dimensioned to correspond to the first hole pattern and the second flange of the second nozzle is dimensioned to correspond to the first and second hole patterns.

31. The swirl ring of claim 23 further comprising a third hole pattern formed in the wall of the body, wherein the third hole pattern is positioned and sized to provide a third gas flow characteristic about the surface of the nozzle.

32. A method of establishing a shield gas flow in a plasma arc torch, the torch including a retaining cap having a plurality of gas passages extending therethrough for providing the shield gas flow, the method comprising:

providing a nozzle with an outer surface, a plasma exit orifice at a forward end and a radial flange at a rearward end; and

aligning the radial flange of the nozzle relative to the plurality of gas passages disposed in the retaining cap, such that the radial flange of the nozzle selectively blocks at least one gas passage disposed in the retaining cap to establish the shield gas flow along the outer surface of the nozzle.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the plurality of gas passages of the retaining cap comprise a first hole pattern and a second hole pattern.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the flange of the nozzle selectively blocks the first hole pattern or the second hole pattern.

35. The method of claim 32 further comprising

removing the nozzle from the plasma arc torch;

providing a second nozzle with an outer surface, a plasma exit orifice at a forward end and a radial flange at a rearward end such that the radial flange of the second nozzle is different than the radial flange of the nozzle; and

aligning the radial flange of the second nozzle relative to the plurality of gas passages disposed in the retaining cap, such that the radial flange of the second nozzle blocks at least two gas passages disposed in the retaining cap to establish a second shield gas flow along the outer surface of the second nozzle such that the second shield gas flow is different than the shield gas flow.

36. A method of establishing a gas flow in a plasma arc torch, the method comprising:

providing a nozzle having a body with an inner and an outer surface, a plasma exit orifice at a forward end of the body and a flange at a rearward end of the body;

aligning the flange of the nozzle relative to a plurality of gas passages of a consumable, such that the flange selectively blocks at least one gas passage to thereby establish a gas flow along at least one of the inner or the outer surface of the nozzle body.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the flange is a radial flange, the consumable is a retaining cap and the gas flow is a shield gas flow.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein the flange is an axial flange, the consumable is a swirl ring and the gas flow is a plasma gas flow.