PORTABLE WELDING WIRE FEED SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20100051596A1
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Baeten, Gregory C., Diedrick, Michael G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,476,555 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/137.200
• 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 portable wire feeder, comprising a support for a spool of welding wire, a wire feed drive motor for driving the spool in response to a control signal received from wire feed control circuitry in a power unit; and

a welding torch coupled to the wire feeder by a cable, the torch being controllable to generate a signal for the control circuitry to cause the control circuitry to drive the motor and thereby to feed welding wire to the torch for a welding operation.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the wire feeder includes a user adjustable input for regulating a speed of advancement of the welding wire from the wire feeder to the torch.

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

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable 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 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 wire feeder via a cable.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the constant voltage power unit comprises an integral wire feeder.

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

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

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the spool support is configured to receive a standard 4 inch diameter welding wire spool.

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. A welding system, comprising:

a welding power supply including control circuitry for regulating a speed of advance of a welding wire from a wire feeder;

a portable wire feeder coupled to the power supply via a welding cable and comprising a support for a spool of welding wire, a wire feed drive motor for driving the spool in response to a control signal received from wire feed control circuitry in a power unit; and

a welding torch coupled to the wire feeder by a cable, the torch being controllable to generate a signal for the control circuitry to cause the control circuitry to drive the motor and thereby to feed welding wire to the torch for a welding operation.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the wire feeder includes a user adjustable input for regulating a speed of advancement of the welding wire from the wire feeder to the torch.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the wire feeder includes a user adjustable input for regulating welding power voltage supplied to the torch by the power unit.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the welding power supply comprises a second wire feeder and a switch configured to switch application of control signals between the portable wire feeder and the second wire feeder when the portable wire feeder is coupled to the power supply.

16. A welding system, comprising:

a welding power supply;

an integral wire feeder in the power supply for providing welding wire to a welding torch;

a portable wire feeder coupled to the power supply via a welding cable and comprising a support for a spool of welding wire, a wire feed drive motor for driving the spool in response to a control signal received from wire feed control circuitry in a power unit;

a welding torch coupled to the wire feeder by a cable, the torch being controllable to generate a signal for the control circuitry to cause the control circuitry to drive the motor and thereby to feed welding wire to the torch for a welding operation; and

control circuitry in the power supply for regulating a speed of advance of a welding wire from either the integral wire feeder of the portable wire feeder.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the portable wire feeder includes a user adjustable input for regulating a speed of advancement of the welding wire from the wire feeder to the torch.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the portable wire feeder includes a user adjustable input for regulating welding power voltage supplied to the torch by the power unit.

19. The system of claim 16, comprising a switch configured to switch application of control signals between the integral and the portable wire feeders when the portable wire feeder is coupled to the power supply.

20. A welding system, comprising:

a power unit;

a wearable wire feeder separate from the power unit;

a welding cable extending from the power unit to the wearable wire feeder for supplying welding power and wire feed control signals to the wire feeder;

a welding torch; and

a torch cable coupled between the wire feeder and the torch for conveying welding power and welding wire to the torch.

21. A method, comprising:

receiving a welding wire feed control signal from control circuitry in a power unit at a wearable wire feeder; and

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