Portable welding wire feed system and method

• US 8,476,555 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Diedrick, Michael G., Baeten, Gregory C.
• Primary Examiner(s): PELHAM, JOSEPH MOORE
• Application Number:
  US12/201,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20100051596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,768 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 219/137.2
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/1336 Driving means
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/32 Accessories earthing connections H01R
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/323 Combined coupling means, e.g. gas, electricity, water or the like electrical only H01R

Abstract

A welding system is provided that includes a wearable wire feeder having a wire drive motor that is responsive to a control signal received directly from a power unit. Another welding system is provided that includes a wearable wire feeder that is configured to couple to a constant voltage power unit and does not include a voltage sensor. Another welding system is provided that includes a power unit, a wearable wire feeder separate from the power unit, a cable extending directly from the power unit to the wearable wire feeder and a welding torch coupled to and separate from the wire feeder. A method is provided that includes receiving a control signal from a power unit at a wearable wire feeder and driving a welding wire from the wearable wire feeder to a welding torch in response to the control signal, wherein the wearable wire feeder is separate from the torch.

Claims

1. A welding system comprising:

a wearable wire feeder, comprising;

a user mount configured to enable a user to wear the wearable wire feeder;

a spool support configured to support a spool of welding wire; and

a wire feed drive motor configured to drive the spool in response to a control signal received from wire feed control circuitry in a power unit, wherein the wire feed control circuitry is configured to selectively control the wearable wire feeder and a second wire feeder separate from the wearable wire feeder.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the wearable wire feeder includes a user adjustable input configured to regulate a speed of advancement of the welding wire on the spool from the wearable wire feeder to a welding torch.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the wearable wire feeder includes a user adjustable input configured to regulate a welding power voltage supplied to a welding torch by the power unit.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the wearable wire feeder is configured to be worn by a user in a hands free manner during welding operations.

5. The system of claim 1, comprising the power unit, wherein the power unit is a constant voltage power unit having a control unit configured to output the control signal.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the constant voltage power unit is directly coupled to the wearable wire feeder via a cable.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the second wire feeder is integral with the constant voltage power unit.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the constant voltage power unit includes a switch configured to activate or deactivate the second wire feeder when the wearable wire feeder is coupled to the constant voltage power unit.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the constant voltage power unit is configured to sense that the wearable wire feeder is coupled to the constant voltage power unit and to effect switching of operation from the second wire feeder to the wearable wire feeder when the wearable wire feeder is coupled to the constant voltage power unit.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the spool support is configured to support the spool of welding wire with a diameter of approximately 4 inches.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the wearable wire feeder comprises a housing consisting essentially of a plastic, a composite, or a combination thereof.

12. The system of claim 1, comprising a welding torch configured to couple to the wearable wire feeder by a cable, wherein the welding torch is controllable to generate a signal for the wire feed control circuitry to cause the wire feed control circuitry to drive the wire feed drive motor and thereby to feed the welding wire from the spool to the welding torch for a welding operation.

13. A welding system, comprising:

a welding power supply including control circuitry configured to selectively control a plurality of wire feeders, wherein the control circuitry is configured to regulate a speed of advancement of a welding wire from each wire feeder;

a portable wire feeder configured to couple to the welding power supply via a first welding cable and configured to couple to a welding torch via a second welding cable, wherein the portable wire feeder comprises;

a spool support configured to support a spool of welding wire; and

a wire feed drive motor configured to drive the spool in response to a control signal received from the control circuitry in the welding power supply.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the portable wire feeder includes a user adjustable input configured to regulate the speed of advancement of the welding wire from the portable wire feeder to the welding torch.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the portable wire feeder includes a user adjustable input configured to regulate a welding power voltage supplied to the welding torch by the welding power supply.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the welding power supply comprises an integral wire feeder and a switch configured to switch application of control signals between the portable wire feeder and the integral wire feeder when the portable wire feeder is coupled to the welding power supply.

17. The system of claim 13, comprising a welding torch configured to couple to the portable wire feeder by a cable, wherein the welding torch is controllable to generate a signal for the control circuitry to cause the control circuitry to drive the wire feed drive motor and thereby to feed the welding wire from the portable wire feeder to the welding torch for a welding operation.

18. A welding system, comprising:

a welding power supply comprising wire feed control circuitry and an integral wire feeder;

a portable wire feeder configured to couple to the welding power supply via a welding cable, wherein the wire feed control circuitry is configured to control the integral wire feeder and the portable wire feeder to regulate at least a speed of welding wire advancement, the portable wire feeder comprises a spool support configured to support a spool of welding wire, and the portable wire feeder comprises a wire feed drive motor configured to drive the spool in response to a control signal received from the wire feed control circuitry; and

a welding torch configured to couple to the portable wire feeder by a cable, wherein the welding torch is controllable to generate a signal for the wire feed control circuitry to cause the wire feed control circuitry to drive the wire feed drive motor and thereby to feed the welding wire from the spool to the welding torch for a welding operation.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the portable wire feeder includes a user adjustable input configured to regulate the speed of welding wire advancement of the welding wire from the portable wire feeder to the welding torch.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the portable wire feeder includes a user adjustable input configured to regulate a welding power voltage supplied to the welding torch by the welding power supply.

21. The system of claim 18, comprising a switch configured to switch application of control signals between the integral wire feeder and the portable wire feeder when the portable wire feeder is coupled to the welding power supply.

22. A welding system, comprising:

a power unit comprising control circuitry configured to control a plurality of wire feeders;

a wearable wire feeder separate from the power unit, wherein the wearable wire feeder comprises a drive motor configured to supply a welding wire, and the wearable wire feeder excludes any user adjustable controls of the drive motor to adjust a wire feed rate of the welding wire;

a welding cable configured to extend from the power unit to the wearable wire feeder, wherein the welding cable is configured to supply a welding power and wire feed control signals from the power unit to the wearable wire feeder to control the drive motor;

a welding torch; and

a torch cable configured to couple to the wearable wire feeder and the welding torch, wherein the torch cable is configured to convey the welding power and the welding wire to the welding torch.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein at least one of the plurality of wire feeders is mounted to the power unit.

24. A method, comprising:

receiving a welding wire feed control signal from control circuitry in a power unit at a wearable wire feeder, wherein the control circuitry in the power unit is configured to control a plurality of wire feeders, the wearable wire feeder comprises a drive motor configured to supply a welding wire, and the wearable wire feeder excludes any user adjustable controls of the drive motor to adjust a wire feed rate of the welding wire; and

driving the welding wire with the drive motor in the wearable wire feeder to a welding torch coupled to the wearable wire feeder by a torch cable in response to the control signal.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein at least one of the plurality of wire feeders is mounted to the power unit.