WELDING PROCESS WIRE FEEDER ADAPTER INSULATOR

• US 20170151622A1
• Filed: 11/30/2015
• Published: 06/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Dessart, Nicholas James, Bellile, Brian Randall, Stein, Alan Edward
• Granted Patent: US 12,076,825 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/124 Circuits or methods for feeding welding wire
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/1336 Driving means
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/323 Combined coupling means, e.g. gas, electricity, water or the like electrical only H01R

Abstract

An adapter assembly includes a coupling portion that couples to a gas metal arc welding (GMAW) wire drive assembly and receives electrical current flow from the GMAW wire drive assembly. Additionally, the adapter assembly includes a receiving portion that couples with a connector of a welding cable of a non-GMAW torch to provide the electrical current flow to the non-GMAW torch from the GMAW wire drive assembly. Further, the adapter assembly includes an insulating component that affixes around the receiving portion.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an adapter configured to couple to a wire feeder configured to receive power from a welding power supply and to provide wire, gas flow, and electrical current flow for a gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process, wherein the adapter is configured to provide the electrical current flow for an alternative welding process; and

an insulating shell configured to electrically insulate a portion of the adapter that is exposed when the adapter is coupled to the wire feeder, wherein the insulating shell comprises upper and lower halves.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the upper and lower halves of the insulating shell are substantially similar.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the upper and lower halves of the insulating shell are interchangeable.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the adapter comprises anti-rotation grooves configured to prevent rotation of the insulating shell about the adapter.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the upper and lower halves of the insulating shell each comprise at least one fastening device mechanism configured to interact with the anti-rotation grooves of the adapter to prevent rotation of the insulating shell about the adapter.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the upper half of the insulating shell fastens to the lower half of the insulating shell using the at least one fastening device mechanism.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one fastening device comprises screws that are removable from the upper and lower halves of the insulating shell.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the adapter is configured to supply sufficient power to perform at least one of a GTAW process, an SMAW process, and a plasma welding process as the alternative welding process.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the adapter comprises a conductive material, and the insulating shell comprises in insulative material.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the insulating shell extends away from the wire feeder by at least 0.125 inches when the adapter is coupled to the wire feeder.

11. An adapter assembly, comprising:

a coupling portion configured to couple to a gas metal arc welding (GMAW) wire drive assembly and to receive electrical current flow from the GMAW wire drive assembly;

a receiving portion configured to couple with a connector of a welding cable of a non-GMAW torch to provide the electrical current flow to the non-GMAW torch from the GMAW wire drive assembly; and

an insulating component configured to be affixed around the receiving portion.

12. The adapter assembly of claim 11, wherein the insulating component is permanently affixed around the receiving portion.

13. The adapter assembly of claim 11, wherein the insulating component is configured to be removably affixed around the receiving portion.

14. The adapter assembly of claim 11, wherein the insulating component comprises at least one friction groove.

15. The adapter assembly of claim 11, wherein the receiving portion comprises an anti-rotation mechanism, wherein the insulating component interacts with the anti-rotation mechanism to prevent rotation of the insulating component about the receiving portion.

16. The adapter assembly of claim 11, wherein the insulating component comprises a tapered section surrounding a receiving aperture of the receiving portion, and wherein the tapered section is configured to facilitate coupling a welding cable to the receiving portion.

17. The adapter assembly of claim 11, wherein the coupling portion is configured to receive gas flow from the GMAW wire drive assembly, and the receiving portion is configured to provide the gas flow to the non-GMAW torch.

18. An insulating shell, comprising:

interchangeable upper and lower halves configured to provide electrical insulation for a welding process adapter; and

at least one fastening device configured to couple the upper and lower halves together;

wherein the upper and lower halves each comprise at least one fastening device mechanism configured to couple the upper and lower halves together, and wherein the at least one fastening device mechanism is configured to fit within at least one anti-rotation groove of the welding process adapter.

19. The insulating shell of claim 18, wherein the upper and lower halves each comprise at least one friction groove configured to facilitate removal of the welding process adapter from a wire feeder.

20. The insulating shell of claim 18, wherein the upper and lower halves each comprise a mating ridge configured to interact with a mating groove of the welding process adapter to at least partially secure the upper and lower halves about a receiving portion of the welding process adapter.

21. The insulating shell of claim 18, wherein the at least one fastening mechanism comprises a screw, a rivet, a snap feature, an ultra-sonic weld, or an epoxy bond.

22. The insulating shell of claim 18, wherein the upper and lower halves each comprise a tapered section configured to facilitate securement of a welding cable to the welding process adapter.