System for assembling welding apparatus

• US 8,558,138 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2008
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Cigelske, James J. Jr., Achtner, Richard Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): JENNISON, BRIAN W
• Application Number:
  US12/048,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20080156787A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,041 Days
• Field of Search: 219/130.1, 219/130.51, 219/136, 219/137.2, 219/137.7, 174/50, 174/53, 174/61, 174/65.R
• US Class Current: 219/130.1
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/32 Accessories earthing connections H01R

Abstract

A welding apparatus having a system to facilitate its assembly. The apparatus is assembled by affixing a pair of molded end panels to a molded base and each of the end panels has a specially constructed receptacle area that is adapted to receive an end of the base. Each end of the base has a pair of snaps that extend outwardly and which engage with a correspondingly located pair of ramps formed in the receptacle area of each of the end panels. Thus the assembly is easily carried out by simply inserting the base ends into the receptacle areas where the snaps ride up the ramps and engage the vertical walls on the inner side of those ramps to securely affix the end panels to the base. Preferably the snaps are U-shaped in configuration with the distal end of the snaps being the closed ends of the U-shaped snaps.

Claims

1. A welding apparatus comprising an enclosure, an end panel having a receptacle area formed therein and a base having an end interfitted into the receptacle area of the end panel, the base having at least one snap having a distal end with an opening therein and extending outwardly from the end of the base, the end panel having at least one ramp formed thereon that is generally in alignment with the at least one snap and leads to a vertical rear wall that extends from an upper, inclined surface of the ramp to a lower surface of the end panel opposite the upper, inclined surface of the ramp, and the end panel having a recess formed proximate the rear wall, whereby the distal end of the at least one snap is engaged to the at least one ramp to retain the end panel to the base, wherein the receptacle area comprises angled internal lateral surfaces and the base includes angled external sides adapted to interfit in close proximity to the angled internal surfaces of the end panel to stabilize the affixation of the base and the end panel, and the base has an upper surface and the receptacle area includes a plurality of vertically oriented ribs adapted to fit over and contact the upper surface of the base to provide vertical stability to the base interfitted to the end panel.

2. The welding apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the end panel and base are comprised of molded plastic materials.

3. The welding apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one snap is a U-shaped configuration with the closed distal end extending outwardly from the molded end panel.

4. The welding apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one snap comprises a pair of snaps formed at the end of the base and the at least one ramp comprises a pair of ramps formed in the receptacle area of the end panel.

5. The welding apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the distal end of the at least one snap locks against the rear vertical wall of the at least one ramp.

6. The welding apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein the end panel has an access opening to allow access to the distal end of the snap to enable the vertical lifting of the distal end to detach the distal end from its locking engagement with the rear vertical wall of the at least one ramp to detach the base from the end panel.

7. A subassembly for a welding apparatus comprising a molded plastic base and a molded plastic end panel affixed together, the end panel having a receptacle area formed therein and the base having an end interfitted into the receptacle area of the end panel, the base having at least one snap having a distal end with an opening therein and extending outwardly from the end of the base, the end panel having at least one ramp formed thereon that is generally in alignment with the at least one snap leading to a vertical rear wall that extends from an upper, inclined surface of the ramp to a lower surface of the end panel opposite the upper, inclined surface of the ramp, and the end panel having a recess formed proximate the rear wall, whereby the distal end of the at least one snap is engaged to the at least one ramp to retain the end panel to the base, wherein the receptacle area comprises angled internal lateral surfaces and the base includes angled external sides adapted to interfit in close proximity to the angled internal surfaces of the end panel to stabilize the affixation of the base and the end panel, and the base has an upper surface and the receptacle area includes a plurality of vertically oriented ribs adapted to fit over and contact the upper surface of the base to provide vertical stability to the base interfitted to the end panel.

8. The subassembly as defined in claim 7 wherein the end panel has an access opening to allow a tool to reach the distal end of the at least one snap to move the distal end vertically.

9. The subassembly as defined in claim 7 wherein the at least one snap comprises a pair of snaps and the at least one ramp comprises a pair of ramps.

10. The subassembly as defined in claim 7 wherein the at least one snap comprises a U-shaped snap having a closed distal end.

11. The subassembly as defined in claim 7 wherein the at least one snap of the base is movable relative to the base to allow passage of the at least one ramp there along.

12. The subassembly as defined in claim 7 wherein the at least one ramp of the end panel is immovably connected thereto in response to the at least one snap moving thereacross.