Device for training welders

• US 4,931,018 A
• Filed: 12/21/1987
• Issued: 06/05/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NLC Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Lenco Corporation
• Inventors: Blair, Bruce A., Fay, Richard D., Herbst, Donald J., Frericks, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coven, Edward M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARRISON, JESSICA
• Application Number:
  US07/135,321
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 434/234, 434/219, 273/DIG. 28, 340/706, 340/707, 340/720
• US Class Current: 434/234
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/24 Use of tools

Abstract

A device for training, evaluating and providing practice for welders and particularly welders and welder students that use MIG, TIG and welding devices that employ movable consumable welding rods. The device includes a video monitor having a cathode ray tube, the face of which has visual displays thereon, including displays from which simulated welding parameters can be entered and displays which simulate different welding joints with a welding target to be followed by the operator while holding the selected welding tool. The present device uses a microprocessor and related electronic devices programmed to generate the displays and to control the various machine operations. The device also includes a unique way to produce the various control responses necessary to the operation including optical and electromagnetic responses.

Claims

1. A weld simulator comprising

a monitor having a screen on which video images can be produced,

means for generating a set up display on the monitor including set up legends representing different parameters to be simulated and associated sensitive areas, and a simulated welding display representing a simulated welding joint with a welding target to be moved and followed therealong,

a simulated welding tool having a handle portion and a welding tip portion for movement by an operator to positions adjacent to the displays, the tip portion including first and second distinct sensor means for reacting to selected sensitive areas on the set up display and to the target on the simulated welding display when the tip portion of the tool is moved adjacent thereto to produce changes in the displays and corresponding changes in the simulator functions.

2. The weld simulator of claim 1 wherein the set up display includes a plurality of legends on the screen to identify respective parameters to be established, the sensitive areas associated with the respective legends responding to the tip portion of the simulated welding tool being moved adjacent thereto to change the condition of the respective parameters, each legend representing a different parameter to be simulated.

3. The weld simulator of claim 1 wherein the target on the simulated welding display produces interaction between the screen and tip when the tip portion of the simulated welding tool is positioned adjacent thereto including interactions representative of the distance between the tip portion and the monitor screen and interactions representative of the angular orientation of the tip portion relative to the target in the display.

4. The weld simulator of claim 1 wherein the simulated welding tool is a simulated MIG welding gun.

5. The weld simulator of claim 1 wherein the simulated welding tool is a simulated TIG welding gun.

6. The weld simulator of claim 1 wherein the simulated welding tool is a simulated stick type welding gun.

7. The weld simulator of claim 1 wherein the sensitive areas adjacent to the set up legends on the set up display include areas of predetermined optical characteristics, one of the distinct sensor means on the tip portion of the simulated welding tool reacting to the characteristics of the sensitive areas for producing changes in the legend and the parameter associated therewith.

8. The weld simulator of claim 7 wherein the set up display includes a legend as to simulated arc length with an associated sensitive area, the one of the distinct sensor means on the tip portion of the simulated welding tool reacting with the sensitive area when positioned adjacent thereto, and circuit mean operatively connected to the one sensor means to establish a predetermined simulated arc length.

9. The weld simulator of claim 7 wherein the set up display includes a legend as to operation run time with an associated sensitive area, the one of the distinct sensor means on the tip portion of the simulated welding tool reacting with the sensitive area when positioned adjacent thereto, and circuit means operatively connected to the one sensor means to establish a desired operational run time.

10. The weld simulator of claim 7 wherein the set up display includes a legend as to welding rate with an associated sensitive area, the one of the distinct sensor means on the tip portion of the simulated welding tool reacting with the sensitive area when positioning adjacent thereto, and circuit means operatively connected to the one sensor means to establish a predetermined simulated welding rate.

11. The weld simulator of claim 7 wherein the set up display includes a legend as to the type of weld joint to be simulated with an associate sensitive area, the one distinct sensor means on the tip portion of the simulated welding tool reacting with the sensitive area when positioned adjacent thereto, and circuit means operatively connected to the one sensor means to establish a particular simulated weld joint on the monitor screen.

12. The weld simulator of claim 7 wherein the set up display includes a legend as to welding rate with an associated sensitive area, the one distinct sensor means on the tip portion of the simulated welding tool reacting with the sensitive area when positioned adjacent thereto, and circuit means operatively connected to the one sensor means to establish a desired simulated welding rate.

13. The weld simulator of claim 7 wherein the set up display includes a legend as to simulated rod burn rate and an associated sensitive area, the one distinct sensor means on the tip portion of the simulated welding tool reacting with the sensitive area when positioned adjacent thereto, and circuit means operatively connected to the one sensor means to establish a desired simulated rod burn rate.

14. The weld simulator of claim 7 wherein the set up display includes a legend as to the desired pattern of movement of the simulated target along the simulated weld joint and an associated sensitive area, the one distinct sensor means on the tip portion of the simulated welding tool reacting with the sensitive area when positioned adjacent thereto, and circuit means operatively connected to the one sensor means to establish a desired pattern of simulated target movement.

15. The weld simulator of claim 7 wherein the set up display includes a legend as to the generation of sound to simulate a welding condition and an associated sensitive area, the one distinct sensor means on the tip portion of the simulated welding tool reacting with the sensitive area when positioned adjacent thereto, and circuit means operatively connected to the one sensor means to establish whether the simulated welding sound will be audibly produced.

16. A device for simulating an arc welding operation comprising

a video monitor having a screen on which images can be displayed including images for use in establishing operating parameters for a simulated welding operation and images including a simulated joint to be welded and an associated target image located adjacent to and movable along the simulated joint,

a simulated welding tool having a handle portion and a tip portion with first sensor means thereon for positioning adjacent to the images on the screen to respond to selected parameter images appearing on the screen to produce changes in the corresponding operating parameters and second sensor means to respond to the target image appearing on the screen to produce corresponding target responses,

first circuit means operatively connected to the first sensor means and responsive to the responses produced when the first sensor means on the tip portion is positioned adjacent selected ones of the parameter images on the screen for establishing simulated operating parameters, second circuit means operatively connected to the second sensor means and to the target responses produced when the second sensor means is positioned adjacent the target image appearing on the screen,

said second circuit means producing responses when positioning the tip portion adjacent the target image during a simulated welding operation representative of arc length and tool orientation relative to target image.

17. An instrument for training, testing and/or evaluating persons who do welding comprising,

a video monitor having a cathode ray tube with a screen portion,

means for generating set up images on the monitor screen including images to represent selected parameters representative of parameters of an actual welding operation such as arc length and arc angular orientation and an image to represent a simulated joint to be welded with a target image movable therealong,

a tool representative of an actual welding tool having a handle portion, and a tip portion, said tool to be held and the tip portion manipulated adjacent to the screen by a person to be trained, tested and/or evaluated,

first and second sensor means on the tip portion of the tool sensitive to selected distinct images appearing on the screen, the first sensor means producing responses representative of arc length and arc orientation when the tool is held and the tip portion moved to a position adjacent to the target image, the second sensor means producing responses representative of set up images appearing on the screen when positioned adjacent selected parameter images.

18. The instrument of claim 17 wherein selected ones of the responses produced are electromagnetic responses.

19. The instrument of claim 17 wherein selected ones of the responses produced are optical responses.

20. The instrument of claim 17 wherein the tool is representative of an arc welding tool.

21. The instrument of claim 17 wherein the tool is representative of a TIG welding gun.

22. The instrument of claim 17 wherein the tool is representative of a MIG welding gun.

23. The instrument of claim 17 wherein the tool is representative of a stick type welding gun having a retractable simulated welding rod electrode.

24. The instrument of claim 17 wherein the video monitor includes a microprocessor and associated circuit means under control thereof for generating the set up images.

25. The instrument of claim 17 wherein the video monitor includes means for producing images to represent a joint to be welded and a target located on the joint and movable therealong.

26. The instrument of claim 17 including means on the tool for reacting with images on the screen during a simulated welding operation including means to recognize and count operator errors caused by breaks in the welding arc and errors caused by angular orientations of the tool beyond a predetermined angular orientation.

27. The instrument of claim 26 including means to produce a record of the welding and angular orientation errors.

28. Means for generating electromagnetic responses comprising a device having a cathode ray tube including a tube envelope with a screen face, a coating of a material having electric conductive characteristics applied on the inner surface of the screen face of the tube, means connecting the coating to a source of voltage, and a probe device having a sensor element mounted thereon for movement to a position adjacent to the screen face whereby an electromagnetic response is generated by the interaction of the voltage of said coating on the screen face and the sensor element.

29. The means of claim 28 wherein the coating on the tube face is an aluminum phosphor coating.

30. The means of claim 28 wherein the response generated between the coating and the sensor element has characteristics representative of the distance between the sensor element and the coating.

31. The means of claim 28 wherein the response generated between the coating and the sensor element has characteristics representative of the orientation of the probe relative to the screen face.

32. The means of claim 28 wherein the probe includes circuit means connected to the sensor element including amplifier circuit means for amplifying the electromagnetic responses produced when the sensor element is moved adjacent to the screen face.

33. A device for simulating an arc welding operation comprising

a video monitor including a cathode ray tube having means forming a tube anode on the inner surface thereof and having a screen on which images are generated including images for use in establishing operating parameters for a simulated welding operation and images including a simulated joint to be welded and an associated target image located adjacent to and movable along the simulated joint,

a simulated welding tool having a handle portion and a tip portion with means thereon for positioning adjacent to the images on the screen,

circuit means responsive to positioning of the tip portion adjacent selected images on the screen for establishing simulated operating parameters, and

other circuit means responsive to positioning the tip portion adjacent the target image during a simulated welding operation to produce responses representative of arc length and tool orientation relative to target image, the position of the tip portion of the simulated tool relative to the tube anode producing electromagnetic response signals representative of the spacing between the tip portion and the target image and representative of the orientation of the tool relative to the target image.

34. An instrument for training, testing and/or evaluating persons who do welding comprising,

a video monitor having a cathode ray tube with a screen portion,

means for generating set up images on the monitor screen including images to represent selected parameters representative of parameters of an actual welding operation,

a tool representative of an actual welding tool having a handle portion, and a tip portion, said tool to be held and manipulated by a person to be trained, tested and/or evaluated,

means on the tip portion of the tool sensitive to selected images appearing on the screen for producing responses representative of arc length and orientation when the tool is held and the tip portion moved to a position adjacent selected ones of the images, the cathode ray tube including a closed tube with a front wall having a layer of material including a conductive material formed on the inner surface thereof to form a tube anode.