Welding system with lockout mechanism

• US 9,676,050 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2010
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Albrecht, Bruce Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Angwin, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): CALVETTI, FREDERICK F
• Application Number:
  US12/906,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20110114616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,430 Days
• Field of Search: 219745, 219147, 2191377, 21913771, 2191372, 219137 PS, 2191301, 2191302, 21913031, 21913034, 2191305, 21913051, 219132
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/095 Monitoring or automatic control of welding parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/10 Other electric circuits therefor; Protective circuits; Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/133 Means for feeding electrodes, e.g. drums, rolls, motors
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/32 Accessories earthing connections H01R

Abstract

Embodiments of a welding system including a controller adapted to implement a lockout mechanism are provided. The controller may be adapted to selectively activate a learn mode and a use mode of a component of the welding system. When the learn mode is activated, the controller receives an allowable data set and stores the allowable data set to memory. When the use mode is activated, the controller receives an operational data set, references the allowable data set to check if the operational data set is allowable, logs the operational data set and enables the component of the welding system to operate when the operational data set is allowable, and disables the component of the welding system when the operational data set is not allowable.

Claims

1. A welding system, comprising:

a housing;

a control panel disposed on the housing;

a switch disposed on the control panel and comprising a learning mode position and a use mode position, wherein when the switch is positioned in the learning mode position, the welding system is placed in a learning mode during which the welding system is allowed to learn an allowable parameter set and disallowed to receive a desired parameter set, and when the switch is positioned in the use mode position, the welding system is placed in a use mode during which the welding system is allowed to receive the desired parameter set and disallowed to learn the allowable parameter set; and

control circuitry disposed in the housing and configured to selectively enable the learning mode when the switch is positioned in the learning mode position and the use mode when the switch is positioned in the use mode position.

2. The welding system of claim 1, wherein the welding system comprises a wire feeder, and the control circuitry enables the wire feeder to feed wire from a wire spool when the desired parameter set is contained within the allowable parameter set and locks the wire feeder to prevent wire feed from the wire spool when the desired parameter set is not contained within the allowable parameter set.

3. The welding system of claim 1, further comprising a monitoring device disposed in or on the housing and configured to receive data encoding the allowable parameter set.

4. The welding system of claim 3, wherein the monitoring device comprises a reader configured to receive and store a signal from a wireless tag disposed on an allowable device during the enabled learning mode.

5. The welding system of claim 1, comprising a universal serial bus (USB) port disposed in a surface of the housing.

6. The welding system of claim 5, wherein the USB port is coupled to data input circuitry configured to receive and store a signal encoding one or more allowable parameters during the enabled learning mode.

7. The welding system of claim 1, wherein the allowable parameter set comprises at least one of a certified operator, a compatible wire spool, a weld procedure and a compatible gas.

8. The welding system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to notify an operator of an error via at least one of a handheld device, a personal computer, a systems message light, a display in the welding system, and a heads-up display located in a welding helmet when the desired parameter set is outside the allowable parameter set.

9. The welding system of claim 1, wherein the allowable parameter set is received by the control circuitry from a main job information system.

10. A method of controlling a welding device, comprising:

selectively enabling a learning mode, during which the welding device is allowed to learn an allowable parameter set and disallowed to receive a desired parameter set, and a use mode, during which the welding system is allowed to receive the desired parameter set and disallowed to receive the allowable parameter set;

receiving, when the learning mode is enabled, the allowable set of parameters;

receiving, when the use mode is enabled, the desired set of parameters;

comparing the desired set of parameters to the allowable set of parameters;

locking out the welding device to prevent operation when the desired set of parameters is not within the allowable set of parameters; and

allowing operation of the welding device when the desired set of parameters is within the allowable set of parameters.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the allowable set of parameters comprises receiving a wireless signal from a wireless tag disposed on an allowable device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the allowable set of parameters comprises at least one of a wire spool, an operator, and a gas cylinder.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the allowable set of parameters comprises receiving a signal from a device coupled to a universal serial bus (USB) port of the wire feeder.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the welding device comprises a wire feeder and the operation of the welding device comprises feeding wire from a wire feeder.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the learning mode is selectively enabled when a user indicates that the learning mode is desired and the user enters a code that unlocks the learning mode.

16. A method of control for a wire feeder comprising:

selectively activating a learning mode, during which the wire feeder is allowed to learn an allowable data set and disallowed to receive an operational data set, when a user indicates that the learning mode is desired and the user enters a code that unlocks the learning mode;

disallowing learning when the learning mode is not selectively enabled;

selectively activating a use mode, during which the wire feeder is allowed to receive the operational data set and disallowed to receive the allowable data set, of the wire feeder when the user indicates that the use mode is desired;

receiving the allowable data set and storing the allowable data set to memory when the learning mode is activated; and

receiving the operational data set when the use mode is activated, referencing the allowable data set to check if the operational data set is allowable, logging the operational data set and enabling the wire feeder to operate when the operational data set is allowable, and disabling the wire feeder when the operational data set is not allowable.

17. The method of control of claim 16, comprising notifying a user of an error state via at least one of a handheld device, a personal computer, a systems message light, a display in the welding system, and a heads-up display located in a welding helmet when the operational data set is not allowable in use mode.

18. The method of control of claim 16, comprising receiving the allowable data set via a wireless connection between the wire feeder and an information source.

19. The method of control of claim 16, comprising receiving the allowable data set from one or more wireless identification tags positioned on one or more allowable devices and/or operators.

20. The method of control of claim 17, comprising receiving the allowable data set from a main job information system.

21. The method of control of claim 16, comprising receiving the allowable data set from a keypad of a computer or wireless device via a universal serial bus (USB) port disposed on the wire feeder.