Cost Effective Cartridge for a Plasma Arc Torch

• US 20160165712A1
• Filed: 02/12/2016
• Published: 06/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hypertherm Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hypertherm Incorporated
• Inventors: Zhang, Yu, Duan, Zheng, Esmaili, Mahyar, Kornprobst, Mike, Hansen, Brett, Quillia, Garrett
• Granted Patent: US 10,462,891 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 10/02 Plasma welding
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/3489 Means for contact starting

Abstract

A crown for a plasma arc torch is provided. The crown includes a body defining a proximal and a distal end. The body includes an electrically conductive material. The crown also includes at least one raised feature at the proximal end of the body. The raised feature is adapted to activate a consumable sensor inside of the plasma arc torch. The crown further includes a biasing surface at the proximal end of the body for physically contacting a resilient element.

Claims

1. A crown for a plasma arc torch, the crown comprising:

a body defining a proximal and a distal end, the body including an electrically conductive material;

at least one raised feature at the proximal end of the body, the raised feature adapted to activate a consumable sensor inside of the plasma arc torch; and

a biasing surface at the proximal end of the body for physically contacting a resilient element.

2. The crown of claim 1, wherein the crown further comprises:

a contact surface at the distal end of the body for physically contacting, during a transferred arc mode of the plasma arc torch, a corresponding surface of an electrode,

wherein the at least one raised feature is configured to activate the consumable sensor by pressing against the consumable sensor upon installation of the crown into the plasma arc torch, thereby permitting a flow of electrical current through one of (i) the biasing surface to the resilient element during a pilot arc mode of the plasma arc torch or (ii) the contact surface to the electrode during the transferred arc mode.

3. The crown of claim 1, wherein the body of the crown is substantially hollow and configured to retain the resilient element between the biasing surface and the electrode.

4. The crown of claim 1, wherein the body of the crown has a substantially uniform thickness.

5. The crown of claim 1, wherein the body of the crown defines a cavity configured to receive at least a portion of a cathode of the plasma arc torch.

6. The crown of claim 5, wherein the contact surface is located in an interior surface of the crown body defining the cavity.

7. An inner cartridge consumable of a multi-piece cartridge consumable for a plasma arc torch, the inner cartridge consumable comprising:

a crown including (i) a recess about a central axis shaped to receive at least a portion of a cathode of the plasma arc torch and (ii) a protrusion region surrounding the recess about the central axis shaped to house a spring component;

a swirl ring defining a distal end and a proximal end, the swirl ring fixedly connected to the crown at the proximal end of the swirl ring;

a nozzle fixedly connected to the swirl ring at the distal end of the swirl ring; and

an electrode disposed in a chamber defined within the fixed connection of the crown, the swirl ring and the nozzle.

8. The inner cartridge consumable of claim 7, wherein the the crown physically contacts the cathode and is disposed between the cathode and the electrode.

9. The inner cartridge consumable of claim 7, wherein the crown defines an opening to allow at least a portion of the cathode to pass therethrough to physically contact the electrode in a transferred arc mode of operating the plasma arc torch.

10. The inner cartridge consumable of claim 7, wherein the recess of the crown is configured to permit the cathode to extend within the inner cartridge consumable.

11. The inner cartridge consumable of claim 7, wherein the inner cartridge consumable is substantially conductive.

12. The inner cartridge consumable of claim 7, wherein the protrusion region is adapted to activate a consumable sensor inside of the plasma arc torch.

13. The inner cartridge consumable of claim 7, wherein a portion of the swirl ring is adapted to extend through an opening in the crown to activate a consumable sensor inside of the plasma arc torch.

14. The inner cartridge consumable of claim 7, wherein the spring component is adapted to extend longitudinally and substantially parallel to the cathode upon installation of the multi-piece cartridge consumable in the plasma arc torch.

15. The inner cartridge consumable of claim 7, further comprising a retention feature disposed on a surface of the inner cartridge consumable for rotationally engaging and axially securing an outer cartridge consumable of the multi-piece cartridge consumable.

16. The inner cartridge consumable of claim 15, wherein the retention feature is disposed on a surface of at least one of the nozzle or the swirl ring.

17. A method of installing a cartridge into a plasma arc torch, the method comprising:

assembling an inner component of the cartridge including;

disposing an electrode inside of a hollow body of a swirl ring that includes a distal end and a proximal end;

capturing the electrode within the swirl ring by fixedly securing a nozzle at the distal end of the swirl ring; and

fixedly securing a crown to the proximal end of the swirl ring;

securing a torch head to the cartridge that includes the inner component and an outer component;

depressing, by at least one raised feature, a consumable sensor inside of a torch head of the plasma arc torch; and

establishing an electrical current flow path from a source of power through the torch head and to the cartridge based on the depressing.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

positioning the crown between a cathode of the torch head and the electrode; and

radially and longitudinally aligning the cathode, the crown and the electrode.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising enabling physical mating between the cathode and a recess of the crown.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising enabling physical contact between the cathode and the electrode via an opening of the crown during a transferred mode operation of the plasma arc torch.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

physically contacting, by a biasing surface at the proximal end of the crown, a resilient element; and

physically contacting, by a contact surface at the distal end of the crown, a corresponding surface of the electrode during a transferred arc mode of the plasma arc torch.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising permitting a flow of electrical current in the electrical current flow path through one of (i) the biasing surface to the resilient element during a pilot arc mode of the plasma arc torch or (ii) the contact surface to the electrode during the transferred arc mode.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

disposing the inner component within a hollow body of the outer component; and

axially restraining the inner component relative to the outer component while permitting independent rotation of the inner and outer components relative to each other.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising substantially suspending and radially orienting, by the axial restraining, a rear portion of the inner component within the hollow body of the outer component.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising radially aligning the inner component with respect to the outer component by one or more fins disposed on a surface of at least one of the inner or outer component.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein the raise feature is disposed on the crown or the swirl ring.