Portable welding-type apparatus with interchangeable energy storage device

• US 7,183,517 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2003
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Vogel, Bernard J., Albrecht, Bruce, Reynolds, Jon
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw; Clifford C.
• Application Number:
  US10/707,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20050109748A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 219/130.1, 219/130.31, 219/130.32, 219/130.33, 219/130.4, 219/130.5
• US Class Current: 219/130.4
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/1056 by using digital means B23K9/1068 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/1081 Arc welding by means of accumulated energy
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/007 Plural converter units in cascade push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1582 Buck-boost converters H02M3/1584 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a portable welding-type power source including a removable energy storage device configured to provide a first voltage output and a boost circuit connected to the energy storage device and configured to boost the first voltage output to a second voltage output to supply power to the welding-type power source according to a selected welding-type process.

Claims

1. A portable welding-type power source comprising:

a rechargeable energy storage device configured to provide a first voltage output;

a boost circuit connected to the energy storage device and configured to boost the first voltage output to a second voltage output to supply power to the welding-type power source according to a selected welding-type process; and

a chopper circuit configured to receive the second voltage output and convert the second voltage output to a power output matched to the selected welding-type process.

2. The welding-type power source of claim 1 wherein the boost circuit comprises a boost converter.

3. The welding-type power source of claim 1 wherein the chopper circuit comprises a buck converter.

4. The welding-type power source of claim 1 further comprising at least one control module to control the boost circuit and the chopper circuit according to the selected welding-type process.

5. The welding-type power source of claim 4 wherein the control module further comprises a first control circuit to control operation of the boost circuit and a second control circuit to control operation of the chopper circuit.

6. The welding-type power source of claim 5 wherein the first and the second control circuits are controlled by a common clock signal such that a required mutual capacitance between the boost circuit and the chopper circuit is reduced.

7. The welding-type power source of claim 1 wherein the power output includes a required output voltage and current range that varies according to the selected welding-type process and wherein the second circuit is controlled to regulate the second voltage output according to the selected welding-type process.

8. The welding-type power source of claim 1 wherein the energy storage device is readily interchangeable with replacement energy storage devices.

9. The welding-type power source of claim 1 wherein the selected welding-type process is one of a shielded metal arc welding-type process, gas metal arc welding process, gas tungsten arc welding process, plasma cutting process, and a heating apparatus.

10. The welding-type power source of claim 1 wherein the energy storage device is a battery pack that is interchangeable with other battery packs.

11. The welding-type power source of claim 1 further comprising a charger configured to receive power from an external source.

12. The welding-type power source of claim 11 wherein the charger is configured to be removable.

13. The welding-type power source of claim 11 wherein the charger further comprising a charging circuit and wherein the energy storage device may be recharged via the charging circuit.

14. The welding-type power source of claim 13 wherein the charging circuit is configured to receive power from an external power source to provide the energy storage device with recharging power.

15. The welding-type power source of claim 14 wherein the external power source is one of a transmission power receptacle, a portable generator, a generator and turbine, a fuel cell, a vehicle, and a scissors lift.

16. The welding-type power source of claim 13 wherein the charging circuit is configured to supplement the second voltage output during the selected welding-type process when the charging circuit is provided with power from an external power source.

17. A method of performing a welding-type process comprising:

receiving an input voltage from a rechargeable energy storage device that is below a desired output voltage;

increasing the input voltage at least to the desired output voltage of the welding-type process;

regulating the increased voltage to supply the desired output voltage and current of the welding-type process at an output of a welding-type apparatus; and

receiving a charging voltage from an external power supply and providing the charging voltage to the energy storage device to recharge the energy storage device.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising supplementing the input voltage with the charging voltage.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the welding-type process is one of shielded metal arc welding, gas metal arc welding, gas tungsten arc welding, plasma cutting, and a heating apparatus.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising adjusting the desired output voltage and current according to the welding-type process.

21. A portable welding-type apparatus comprising:

an interchangeable energy storage device configured to provide an output voltage less than a required voltage range for a welding-type process;

a first converter connected to the energy storage device and configured to increase the output voltage of the energy storage device;

a second converter to receive the increased output voltage from the first converter and regulate the increased output voltage to within the required voltage and current range for the welding-type process; and

a charger configured to supply a charging voltage to the interchangeable energy storage device.

22. The portable welding-type apparatus of claim 21 wherein the second converter is configured to regulate the increased output voltage to within a required voltage and current range for a plurality of welding-type process with a plurality of required voltage and current ranges.

23. The portable welding-type apparatus of claim 21 further comprising a control module including at least one control circuit to control the first converter and the second converter.

24. The portable welding-type apparatus of claim 21 further comprising an interchangeable control module configured to control operation of welding-type apparatus to operate according to one of a plurality of welding-type processes.

25. The portable welding-type apparatus of claim 24 further comprising a user input control configured to receive user selection of one of the plurality of welding-type processes and wherein upon receipt of the user selection the user input control determines whether the interchangeable control module corresponds to the user-selected welding-type process.

26. The portable welding-type apparatus of claim 25 wherein the first converter is further configured to increase the output voltage of the energy storage device and the second converter is further configured to regulate the increased output voltage to within the required voltage and current range for the user-selected welding-type process upon confirmation from the user input control that the interchangeable control module corresponds to the particular welding-type process.

27. The portable welding-type apparatus of claim 25 wherein user input control is further configured to preclude the welding-type apparatus from operating according to the user-selected welding-type process if the interchangeable control module does not corresponds to the user-selected welding-type process.

28. The portable welding-type apparatus of claim 24 wherein the interchangeable control module further comprises a first control circuit to control the operation of the first converter and a second control circuit to control the operation of the second converter.

29. The portable welding-type apparatus of claim 24 wherein the plurality of welding-type processes at least includes a GMAW type process and a SMAW type process.

30. The portable welding-type apparatus of claim 21 wherein the first converter and the second converter comprise at least one of a boost circuit, a buck converter, forward converter, a resonant converter, a Cuk converter, a full-bridge converter, a voltage multiplier, and a half-bridge converter.

31. The portable welding-type apparatus of claim 21 wherein an output of the welding-type apparatus may be one of a constant current output and a constant voltage output as derived from the increased output voltage.

32. An apparatus comprising:

an interchangeable rechargeable energy storage device configured to provide a first voltage output;

a boost circuit connected to the energy storage device and configured to boost the first voltage output to a second voltage output; and

a buck converter to receive the second voltage output from the boost circuit and regulate the second voltage output to be within a voltage and current range required by the apparatus.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 further comprising a charger configured to recharge the interchangeable energy storage device from an external power source.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein charger is integrated with the external power source.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the charger and external power source comprise one of a vehicle, a turbine, a fuel cell, and a generator.

36. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the apparatus comprises one of a vehicle, a turbine, a fuel cell, and a generator.