Welding stand for a welding system

• US 9,751,149 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2014
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Becker, William J., Marcusen, David P., Peterson, Nicholas Jon, Payne, Mark S.
• Primary Examiner(s): PAIK, SANG YEOP
• Application Number:
  US14/149,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20150190876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,337 Days
• Field of Search: 21912431-12434, 219157-161
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 37/0461 Welding tables
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 37/047 moving work to adjust its position between soldering, welding or cutting steps B23K37/053 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/0956 using sensing means, e.g. optical
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/1087 Arc welding using remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/003 Repetitive work cycles; Sequence of movements
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/24 Use of tools

Abstract

A welding system includes a motion tracking system comprising a camera having a lens. The welding system also includes a cover disposed over the lens of the camera. The cover is configured to enable infrared light to pass therethrough and to block environmental elements from contacting the lens of the camera. The cover is disposed over the lens of the camera at an angle relative to a face of the camera, and the angle is between approximately 10 and 60 degrees.

Claims

1. A welding system comprising:

a welding stand comprising;

a support structure configured to support a motion tracking system;

a first rotatable arm coupled to the support structure and configured to rotate to a first position of a first plurality of positions to facilitate vertical welding, overhead welding, horizontal welding, or some combination thereof; and

a linking assembly coupled to the motion tracking system and to the first rotatable arm, wherein the linking assembly is configured to rotate the motion tracking system relative to the support structure based at least in part on the first position of the plurality of positions of the first rotatable arm, the motion tracking system is configured to track a welding surface coupled to the first rotatable arm, and the first rotatable arm is mechanically linked to the motion tracking system.

2. The welding system of claim 1, wherein the welding stand comprises a second rotatable arm coupled to the support structure, wherein the second rotatable arm is configured to rotate to a second position of a second plurality of positions to facilitate vertical welding, overhead welding, horizontal welding, or some combination thereof.

3. The welding system of claim 2, wherein the first and second rotatable arms are configured to rotate separately.

4. The welding system of claim 2, wherein the first and second rotatable arms are configured to rotate together.

5. The welding system of claim 2, wherein the linking assembly is mechanically coupled to the first rotatable arm, to the second rotatable arm, and to the motion tracking system.

6. The welding system of claim 1, wherein the welding system comprises a brake to lock the first rotatable arm in a selected position of the first plurality of positions.

7. The welding system of claim 1, wherein the first rotatable arm comprises a welding plate, a clamp, or some combination thereof.

8. The welding system of claim 7, wherein the first rotatable arm comprises three first markers on a first surface of the first rotatable arm, and a second marker on second surface of the first rotatable arm, wherein the first surface is in a different plane than the second surface.

9. The welding system of claim 1, wherein the welding stand comprises a motor and the motion tracking system comprises a sensing device coupled to the motor, wherein the motor is configured to rotate the sensing device based at least in part on the first position of the first rotatable arm.

10. The welding system of claim 9, wherein the first rotatable arm comprises markers configured to be detected by the sensing device, and the motor is configured to rotate the sensing device based at least in part on the markers of the first rotatable arm detected by the sensing device.

11. The welding system of claim 1, wherein the welding stand comprises a horizontal welding surface, the support structure extends vertically from the horizontal welding surface, and the motion tracking system is configured to track the horizontal welding surface when the first rotatable arm is in a second position of a second plurality of positions configured to facilitate welding on the horizontal welding surface.

12. The welding system of claim 1, wherein the welding stand comprises a display coupled to the support structure, and the display is configured to display welding data related to a welding operation on the welding surface.

13. A welding system comprising:

a welding stand comprising;

a support structure configured to support a motion tracking system;

an arm coupled to the support structure and configured to rotate to a position of a plurality of positions to facilitate vertical welding, overhead welding, horizontal welding, or some combination thereof;

a linking assembly coupled to the arm and the motion tracking system; and

a plate, a clamp, or some combination thereof coupled to the arm, wherein the vertical welding, the overhead welding, the horizontal welding, or some combination thereof is configured to be performed on a workpiece coupled to the plate, the clamp, or some combination thereof, wherein the plate, the clamp, or some combination thereof comprises a plurality of markers configured to be detected by the motion tracking system at the position of the plurality of positions, and the linking assembly is configured to rotate the motion tracking system relative to the support structure based at least in part on the plurality of markers detected by the motion tracking system.

14. The welding system of claim 13, comprising the motion tracking system, wherein the motion tracking system is configured to track the position of the arm using the plurality of markers to compensate for movement of the plate, the clamp, or some combination thereof that occurs before a welding operation, during the welding operation, or some combination thereof.

15. The welding system of claim 13, wherein the welding stand is a welding training stand.

16. The welding system of claim 13, wherein the welding stand comprises a motor and the motion tracking system comprises a sensing device coupled to the motor, wherein the motor is configured to rotate the sensing device based at least in part on a position of the arm.

17. A welding system comprising:

a welding stand comprising;

a support structure configured to support a motion tracking system;

the motion tracking system rotatably coupled to the support structure, wherein the motion tracking system is configured to track a welding surface;

a first rotatable arm coupled to the support structure and to the welding surface, wherein the first rotatable arm is configured to rotate the welding surface to a first position of a first plurality of positions to facilitate vertical welding, overhead welding, horizontal welding, or some combination thereof; and

a linking assembly coupled to the motion tracking system and to the first rotatable arm, wherein the linking assembly is configured to rotate the motion tracking system relative to the support structure based at least in part on the first position of the plurality of positions of the first rotatable arm.

18. The welding system of claim 17, wherein the welding stand comprises a motor and the motion tracking system comprises a sensing device coupled to the motor, wherein the motor is configured to rotate the sensing device based at least in part on the first position of the first rotatable arm.

19. The welding system of claim 18, wherein the first rotatable arm comprises markers configured to be detected by the sensing device, and the motor is configured to rotate the sensing device based at least in part on the markers of the first rotatable arm detected by the sensing device.

20. The welding system of claim 17, wherein the welding stand comprises a second rotatable arm coupled to the support structure and to the linking assembly, wherein the second rotatable arm is configured to rotate to a second position of a second plurality of positions to facilitate vertical welding, overhead welding, horizontal welding, or some combination thereof.