Arc welding apparatus with a gas diffuser ; method using such arc welding apparatus

The present disclosure of the invention relates generally to welding devices, and more particularly to an arc welding apparatus (see claim 1), e.g. welding guns for inert gas welding (MIG) or metal arc welding (GMAW) comprising consumables for producing arc welding and scattering of shielding gas.

[0002] The present disclosure of the invention generally also relates to a method of operating such an arc welding apparatus (see claim 12).

BACKGROUND The descriptions in this chapter provide only basic information about the present disclosure and can not be prior art.

[0004] In an arc welding apparatus, for example a welding gun for welding in an inert gas (MIG) or metal arc welding (GMAW), a welding wire is fed through a welding gun to form a molten weld pool to connect a metalwork to each other. items. The shielding gas is directed through the forward (distal) end of the welding gun to provide a surrounding shielding gas layer or sheath to protect the pool of molten metal from atmospheric pollutants. The shielding gas is usually a combination of various gases, e.g. argon or helium, among others.

[0005] A prior art MIG or GMAW welding gun typically includes a contact tip and a gas diffuser connected to the contact tip. The contact tip has a central hole for guiding the welding wire to the workpieces. The contact tip carries electric current to the welding wire. The gas diffuser is screwed to the contact tip and has gas passages to direct the shielding gas to form a shield gas envelope around the molten metal pool. The contact tip and gas diffuser are constantly subjected to high temperatures and are susceptible to wear due to the high temperature.

[0006] US3 24973, which is considered to represent the most relevant prior art, describes an arc welding apparatus with a conduit tube having at least one orifice closed towards the distal end of the conduit tube, a contact tip screwed to the distal end of the conduit tube, and nozzle.

SUMMARY [0007] The present invention defines an arc welding apparatus according to claim 1, and comprises a body contacting contact tip having an inner cavity extending from the proximal end portion to a distal end portion and an exit opening extending through the distal end portion of the body. The body further forms a contact surface located around the proximal end portion, where the contacting surface forms a profile adapted to adhere to the corresponding profile on the conduit tube. The arc welding device further comprises a conduit tube forming an internal passage, at least one aperture, and a contact surface disposed around the distal end. The contact surface forms a profile adapted to adhere to the corresponding profile at the contact tip.

[0008] According to the present invention, the mode of operation of such an arc welding apparatus is defined in claim 12.

The method provides operation by directing shield gas flow through at least one hole in the distal end portion of the conduit tube. The method further discloses guiding a welding wire through an exit aperture in the contact tip, where at least one aperture dissipates the shielding gas and provides cooling to the tip, and the output hole provides contact for the welding wire.

[0009] Further application areas will become apparent from the description provided in this document. It should be noted that the description and specific examples are intended for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

DRAWING [0010] The drawing described in this document is for illustration purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

Fig. 1 is a side view of an arc welding machine comprising a contact tip-diffuser assembly;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view in cross-section of a consumable assembly connected to a conduit tube and having a contact tip-diffuser assembly;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view with partial disassembly of the tube elements of the conduit and the consumable assembly;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a tube with a partial distribution of the conduit and consumable assembly;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the contact tip-diffuser assembly;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the variant form of the contact tip of the tipperfusor device;

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the contact-diffuser assembly;

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the contact-diffuser assembly;

Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view of another embodiment of the contact tip-diffuser assembly;

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the contact-diffuser assembly;

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the contact-diffuser assembly;

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the contact-diffuser assembly;

Fig. 13A is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the contact tip-diffuser assembly. Fig. 13B is a cross-sectional view of the contact-diffuser assembly, and 13C is a curve representing the relationship between the tip opening length and the tip inner diameter;

Fig. 14 is a perspective view in cross-section of the inner nozzle body;

Fig. 15 is a cross sectional view of the consumable assembly and the tube of the arc welding apparatus;

Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the consumable assembly and the tube of the arc welding apparatus;

Fig. 17 is a partially exploded view of the components of the consumable assembly and the tube of the arc welding apparatus, and Fig. 18 is a cross sectional view of the consumable assembly and the tube of the arc welding apparatus;

Fig. 19 is a profile view and a cross sectional view of the tube of the arc welding apparatus;

Fig. 20 is a profile partially disassembled into elements and a cross-section of an arc welding apparatus, and a detailed view of the leveling device; Fig. 21 is a profile with partial disassembly of the elements and a cross section of the conduit tube and the splice sleeve of the arc welding apparatus;

Fig. 22 is a perspective view of the assembly of the contact tip-diffuser of the consumable assembly;

Fig. 23 is a cross-sectional view of the consumable assembly and the conduit tube;

Fig. 24 is a cross-sectional view of the consumable assembly and the conduit tube;

Fig. 25 is an enlarged view of Fig. 24 showing the interface between the contact tip-diffuser assembly and the conduit tube;

Fig. 26 is a perspective view of the consumable assembly and the conduit tube;

Fig. 27 is a cross-sectional view and perspective view with partial disassembly of the components of the consumable assembly and the conduit tube;

Fig. 28 is a perspective view with partial disassembly of the elements and a cross-sectional view with partial disassembly of the components of the consumable assembly and the conduit tube;

Fig. 29 is a perspective view with partial disassembly of the components of the consumable assembly and the conduit tube;

Fig. 30 is a cross-sectional view of the consumable assembly and the conduit tube

Fig. 31A is a detailed view of the conduit tube and sleeve, and Fig. 31B is a detailed view of a conduit tube and a sleeve depicting an alternative conduit tube and its associated sleeve;

Fig. 32 is a perspective view and perspective view partially disassembled for the wear and tubing means of the conduit and Fig. 33A is a detailed view of the alignment device and Figures 33B and 33C are detailed views of equalizing devices showing related alternative conduit configurations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0011] The following description is by nature exemplary and is in no way intended to limit the present disclosure of the invention or its use or use. It should be taken into consideration that throughout the description and in the figures, the reference numerals refer to the same or appropriate elements and features. Although the term "MIG" or "GMAW" is used throughout this specification, it should be understood that the principles of the present disclosure apply to each type of welding gun. [0012] Referring to Figure 1, an arc welding apparatus, such as a MIG or GMAW welding gun, is shown and generally indicated by a reference numeral 10. The MIG welding gun 10 includes a handle 12, a conduit pipe 14 attached to the handle 12, and a consumable assembly 16 attached to the conduit tube 14. The handle 12 is connected to a welding cable 18, which carries the welding current, shielding gas, and welding wire 20 from a power source (which is not shown), a gas source (which is not shown), and a wire feeder (which is not shown) to the welding gun 10 .

[0013] The consumable assembly 16 includes a plurality of consumable elements and generally comprises a nozzle 22 and a contact tip-diffuser assembly 24 within the nozzle 22 in accordance with the first embodiment of the present disclosure. The design and operation of the arc welding apparatus are disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,491,321 and 5,338,917, which are simply in the possession of the assignee of the present application and whose contents are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0014] Referring to figures 2 to 4, the consumable assembly 16 is connected to the distal end portion 26 of the conduit tube 14. The nozzle 22 is substantially cylindrical and houses the distal end portion 26 of the conduit tube 14. Assembly 24 of the contact tip-diffuser is positioned coaxially within the nozzle 22 and has a portion inserted into the distal end portion 26 of the conduit tube 14. The tube pipe 14 includes a cylindrical conductor body 28 forming an inner passage 30, and a liner 32 located in the inner passage 30. The liner 32 has a guide channel 34 for guiding the welding wire 20 from the welding cable 18 and the handle 12 into the contactor-diffuser assembly 24.

[0015] The nozzle 22 includes an outer body 90, an insulator 92 and an inner body 94 that are integrally formed as a single integral unit. Isolator 92 is located between the outer body 90 and the inner body 94 to isolate the inner body 94 from the outer body 90. The nozzle 22 is positioned around the integrated tip-diffuser assembly 24 and attached to the distal end portion 26 of the conduit tube. The distal end portion 26 of the conduit tube 14 has an inner conical surface 66, an outer recess 80, and an outer contact surface 82 near the outer stop.

[0016] The contact tip-diffuser assembly 24 has an integrated structure and functions both as a contact tip for transferring electric current and a gas diffuser for shielding gas. The contact tip-diffusor assembly 24 includes a hollow cylindrical body 36 forming an inner cavity 38 and an opening 40 open to and aligned with the inner cavity 38. The inner cavity 38 and the exit opening 40 extend together over the entire length of the contact tip-diffuser assembly 24. The inner cavity 38 of the assembly 24 contact tip-diffuser is aligned with the inner passage 30 of the conduit tube 14 in such a way that the liner 32 of the conduit tube 14 extends into the inner cavity 38 of the contact tip-diffuser assembly. In one example, the cylindrical body 36 of the contact tip-diffuser assembly 24 is made of a copper alloy.

[0017] As shown clearly in Fig. 5, the contact tip-diffusor assembly 24 includes a cylindrical body 36 defining a proximal end portion 44 near the conduit tube 14 and a distal end portion 46 near the workpieces. The inner cavity 38 extends from the proximal end portion 44 to the distal end portion 46 and is substantially cylindrical. The cylindrical body 36 further comprises an outer wall 50, an outer step 52 disposed in the proximal end portion 44 and an inner step 53 located near the distal end portion 46 of the cylindrical body 36. The inner step 53 is also located at the distal end 47 of the inner cavity 38 and provides a stop for the liner. 32 conduit tube 14.

[0018] Through the outer wall 50 of the cylindrical body 36, a plurality of openings 54 extend into the inner cavity 38 that are positioned between the proximal end portion 44 and the distal end portion 46. In the present embodiment, the four holes 54 (only three shown) extend normally ( perpendicular, for example) through the outer wall 50 of the cylindrical body 36 and are spaced 90 °. It is understood that any number of openings may be formed through the outer wall 50 of the contact tip-diffuser assembly 24 without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. During operation, the shielding gas is directed from the inner passage of the tube 14 of the duct to the inner cavity 38 of the assembly 24 of the contact tip-diffuser. The shielding gas is then directed outside the assembly 24 of the contact tip-diffuser through a plurality of holes 54,

[0019] By guiding the shielding gas from the inside of the tip-to-diffuser assembly 24 from outside the contact tip-diffuser assembly 24 and bringing the shielding gas into contact with the contact tip-diffuser assembly, the contact tip-diffuser assembly 24 can be more effectively cooled by the shielding gas. Heat transfer from unit 24 contact tip-shield gas diffuser is achieved by thermal conductivity and convection, as opposed to thermal radiation or convection in arc welding devices in the state of the art, where the shielding gas does not flow through the contact tip. Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, the shielding gas provides cooling both inside and outside the contact tip-diffuser assembly 24, and thus can remove heat faster from the contact tip-diffuser assembly 24.

[0020] The outlet 40 extends through the distal end portion 46 of the cylindrical body 36 and has a length L1 which is approximately four times the size (e.g., diameter D1) of the opening 40. In this example, the outlet 40 is centered along the line The outlet 40 has a rounded inlet 60. The rounded inlet 60 reduces the scraping and scraping of the welding wire 20 as the welding wire 20 passes through the exit opening 40. The length L1 of the outlet opening 40 is smaller than the length of the outlet opening of the contact tip of prior art to provide a controlled contact between the welding wire 20 and the contactor-diffuser assembly 24 for improved arc stability and a lower probability of clogging the exit aperture. Also,

[0021] The outer contact surface 64 is positioned around the proximal end portion 44 of the cylindrical body 36 and defines a cone adapted to adhere to the corresponding internal conical surface 66 (shown in figures 2 and 4) of the conduit tube 14, which will be described in more detail later. The outer contact face 64 is tapered outwardly from the proximal end portion 44 towards the distal end portion 46.

[0022] Figures 6 to 13 relate to various examples of a terminal-like diffuser assembly similar to that of Fig. 3. Referring to Figures 6 and 7, another embodiment of the contact tip-diffuser assembly 68 is similar to that of Fig. 3 except the orientation of the holes. In the example of FIG. 6, the contact tip-diffuser assembly 68 includes a plurality of holes 70 extending at an angle through the outer wall 50 of the cylindrical body 36. In the example of FIG. 7, the contact tip-diffuser assembly 69 has a plurality of apertures 71, each it has an inlet 73, an axial channel 75, and an outlet 77. The axial channel 75 extends along the longitudinal direction of the contact tip-diffuser assembly and connects an inlet open to an inner cavity 38 with an outlet 77 formed on the outer part 79 of the outer wall 50.

[0023] Referring to Fig. 8, another embodiment of the contact tip-diffuser assembly 72 is similar to that of Fig. 3, except for the configuration of the outlet aperture. The contact tip-diffusor assembly 72 includes an exit aperture 74 that is offset from the center line C of the cylindrical body 36. The exit aperture 74 generally forms a waveform, forming a plurality of contact points 76. The waveform may be mostly sinusoidal or may have increasing or decreasing wavelengths along the length of the channel extending towards the exit aperture. As the welding wire 20 travels through the exit opening 74, the welding wire 20 contacts a plurality of contact points 76, which improves the contact between the welding wire 20 and the contactor-diffuser assembly 24,

[0024] Referring to figures 9 to 12, other variations of bands 84a to 84d contact tip-diffuser are similar to those of fig. 3 with the exception of a plurality of holes 54 that define the various embodiments and orientations of multiple slots 84e to 84h. As used in this document, the term gap is to be understood as an opening or opening that forms a shape having a length greater than or equal to the width in a substantially rectangular form.

In the example of FIG. 9, the contact tip-diffuser assembly 84a includes a plurality of slots 84e having length and width, wherein the length is greater than the width across the axis of the symmetrical slot 84e. In addition, the length of each of the plurality of slots 84e extends at right angles to the longitudinal axis 84i of the cylindrical body 36. Multiple slots 84e may be formed as a plurality of polygonal openings 84j of a largely quadratic shape that promote a more even flow of shielding gas and a sheath. In the example of FIG. 10, the tip-to-end diffuser assembly 84b has a plurality of slots 84f, wherein the length of each slot extends parallel to the longitudinal axis 84i. Each slot can have a distinctly rounded profile 84k around the two ends. Also, in this example, the slots are formed at an angle relative to the outer wall 50 of the cylindrical body 36, causing rotational guiding of the shielding gas in the nozzle 22. The angle relative to the outer wall 50 is shown as having an acute angle side extending axially; however, the side of the acute angle may extend longitudinally or in an intermediate position between the radial and longitudinal axis.

[0026] Referring now to Figure 11, end-piece diffuser assembly 84c is shown having a plurality of slots 84g, each having a length extending parallel to the longitudinal axis 84i, and showing that each slot has a rounded inner transitional wall 84I. The inner transition wall 84I of each slot may also include bevels, rims or other variations and combinations thereof to optimize shield gas flow. In Fig. 12 another embodiment of the array 84d of the tip-to-contact diffuser has a plurality of slots 84h, each extending at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis 84i.

In the example of FIG. 13A, the contact tip-diffuser assembly 86a includes a plurality of slots 86b and a plurality of holes 86c extending through the outer wall 50 of the cylindrical body 36. In this example, the plurality of slots 86b are evenly spaced radially with respect to the longitudinal axis 84i and creates a row of slots 86d. In addition, a plurality of openings 86c are evenly distributed radially around the longitudinal axis and form a row of openings 86e. Each opening 86d and each slot 86c also alternates around the outer wall 50 of the cylindrical body 36. This example of the contact tip-diffuser assembly more specifically illustrates various embodiments of the plurality of holes 54 inserted in all of the previous figures.

[0028] Referring to Figures 13B and 13C, Fig. 13B shows a cross-section of the terminal diffuser contact assembly, and Fig. 13C shows a curve showing the relationship between the hole length 88a and the inside diameter 88b (ID) of the contact tip-diffuser assembly 84a. The opening length 88a represents the length of the contact tip-diffuser assembly 84a that contacts the welding wire extending from the distal end portion 46 to the rounded inlet 60. The tip inner diameter 88b represents the diameter of the cylindrical exit aperture 40. The curve 88c shows the ratio of the hole length 88a and diameter the inner end 88b of the outlet opening 40 for the contact tip-diffuser assembly 84a and the other contact tip-diffuser assembly contemplated in this disclosure.

[0029] Curve 88c shows that for smaller welding wires and internal diameters 88b of the tip, the ratio 88d of the length of the openings can be larger. For example, when the tip inner diameter 88b is 7/64 inches, the hole length ratio is between 3 and 4, but when the tip inner diameter 88b is 0.045, the 88d aperture ratio is between 6 and 7. Generally, the 88d hole length ratio may be between 2 and 9 for contact tips having an inner diameter of the tip between 1/8 inch and 0.035 inch, respectively. Fig. 13C illustrates guidelines for implementing the disclosed contact tip-diffuser assemblies and should not be considered as limiting the scope of this disclosure. The curve 88c shows that the ratio 88d of the length of the holes increases,

[0030] The shown embodiments of contact tips are only exemplary and should not be taken as limiting this disclosure. Other examples may include multiple rows comprising multiple slots, multiple openings, or any combination thereof, further comprising a plurality of gas outlet channels from the cavity 38. The gas outlet channels may be formed symmetrically or asymmetrically with respect to each other and the individual position of each outlet channel around the body. The gas outlet channels may be formed in any pattern extending around the circumference of the body and may also comprise rows extending at angles radially around the body relative to the longitudinal axis 84i.

[0031] In yet another embodiment, the row of apertures and the row of apertures may overlap, or multiple apertures may include individual slits, each extending along the length at different angles relative to the longitudinal axis. Finally, the gas outlet channels may have a variety of shapes including, but not limited to, ellipses and polygons having a series of bevelled or rounded edges or edges. Each of the preceding examples illustrates the implementation of gas outlet passages that direct the shielding gas to the nozzle 22 and provide improved cooling of the contact tip-diffuser assembly 24 while maintaining shielding gas coverage for an improved lifetime of the contact tip for implementation according to this disclosure.

[0032] Referring to Fig. 14, the inner nozzle body 22 is adapted to act as a terminal holder and attach the integrated end-diffuser assembly therein. The inner body 94 includes a generally cylindrical hollow body 76 and includes a proximal end 100 and a distal end 102. The inner body 94 has an inner distal flange 96 on the distal end portion 102 and an intermediate flange 104 between the proximal end portion 100 and the distal end portion 102. The inner distal collar 96 defines a peripheral inclined surface 106 for contacting an external fault 52 of the contact tip-diffuser assembly. The intermediate flange 104 has an inner circumferential contact surface 108.

[0033] Referring to Fig. 15, when the conduit tube 14 and the tip contactor assembly 24 are inserted in the nozzle 22, the inner peripheral contact surface 108 of the inner body 94 contacts the outer contact surface 82 of the conduit tube 14, and the outer stop 80 of the conduit 14 The tilted surface 106 of the inner distal flange 96 of the inner body 94 contacts the outer shoulder 52 of the tip-to-diffuser assembly 24 and prevents the distal assembly of the tip-to-diffusor assembly 24 from pointing as indicated by the arrow X. The contact tip-diffuser is prevented from being moved proximally, as indicated by the arrow Y, through the inner conical surface 66 of the conduit tube 14.The outer contact surface 64 of the assembly 24 contact tip-diffuser is adapted to fit the inner conical surface 66 of the conduit tube 14 so that when the proximal end portion 44 of the assembly 24 contact tip-diffuser is attached to the distal end portion 26 of the conduit tube, outer the contact surface 64 of the assembly 24 contact tip-diffuser is in close contact with the inner conical surface 66 of the conduit tube 14.the outer contact surface 64 of the assembly 24 contact tip-diffuser is in close contact with the inner conical surface 66 of the conduit tube 14.the outer contact surface 64 of the assembly 24 contact tip-diffuser is in close contact with the inner conical surface 66 of the conduit tube 14.

[0034] Between the outer contact surface 64 of the tip-diffuser assembly and the inner conical surface 66 of the conduit tube 14, sufficient physical contact is provided such that the electric current can be reliably transmitted from the conduit tube 14 to the contact tip-diffuser assembly and heat it can be efficiently transferred from the assembly 24 contact tip-diffuser to the conduit tube 14. In addition to shielding gas, the contact tip-diffuser assembly 24 may be further cooled due to the increased contact surface between the contact tip-diffuser assembly 24 and the conduit tube 14. The increased contact surface enables efficient heat transfer from the assembly 24 contact tip-diffuser to the tube 14 of the conductor,

Referring again to figures 3 and 4 to assemble the MIG welding gun, the outer body 90, the insulator 92 and the inner body 94 are pre-assembled to form the integrated nozzle 22, and the contact tip-diffuser assembly 24 is inserted into the nozzle 22 from the proximal nozzle 22 the end of the nozzle 22 until the outer step 52 of the spigot-diffuser contact touches the inclined surface 106 of the distal flange 96 of the inner body 94. The inner distal flange 96 prevents further distal movement of the contact tip-diffuser assembly 24.

[0036] Next, the distal end portion 26 of the conduit tube 14 is inserted into the proximal end of the nozzle 22 until the distal end 26 of the conduit tube 14 is inserted into the space between the outer contact surface 64 of the contact tip-diffuser assembly 64 and the inner peripheral contact surface 108 94. A tool is not needed to connect the tubing tube 14 to the consumable assembly 16, which includes the nozzle 22 and the contact tip-diffuser assembly 24. No thread connection is needed for a reliable connection. The tip assembly 24, the nozzle 22 and the conduit pipe 14 can be assembled simply by pushing these elements together. Accordingly, the manufacturing costs can be reduced. [0037] Although not shown in the drawing,

[0038] Referring to Fig. 15, during operation, the shielding gas is directed from the inner passage 30 of the conduit tube 14 and enters the interior cavity 38 of the contact tip-diffuser assembly. The shielding gas is then directed outside the assembly 24 of the contact tip-diffuser through a plurality of holes 54. The holes 54 disperse the shielding gas and provide cooling to the integrated tip-diffuser assembly 24.

[0039] The welding wire 20 is directed from the conduit tube 14, through the inner cavity 38 of the assembly 24 contact tip-diffuser to the output opening 40 of the contact tip-diffuser unit. The electric current is transferred from the conduit tube 14, through the contact tip-diffuser assembly 24, to the welding wire 20. The rounded inlet 60 of the outlet 40 reduces scratches and planing of the welding wire. The outlet hole 40 provides contact for the welding wire 20. The nozzle 22, which is disposed around the contact tip-diffuser assembly 24, protects the tip contactor assembly 22 from contacting the workpiece, which is grounded and also directs the shielding gas to the weld pool.

[0040] The contact tip-diffuser assembly 24 with an integrated structure can be sufficiently cooled due to the increased contact surfaces between the contact tip-diffuser assembly and the conduit tube 14 and due to thermal conductivity from the contactor-shield diffuser assembly 24. Also, the shielding gas provides cooling both inside and outside of the tip-to-perfume nozzle assembly 24. With sufficient cooling, the contact tip-diffusor assembly 24 can be made as a hollow construction using a smaller amount of copper alloy to reduce manufacturing costs and can be used to operate in high load applications (e.g., high current load).

[0041] Furthermore, the contact tip-diffuser assembly 24 with a hollow and integrated structure is relatively easy to manufacture. The contact tip-diffuser assembly 24 can be made in the form of a forming process, including, but not limited to, forging, forming, cold forming, extrusion, metal injection molding (MIM), casting, and machining. The integrated contact tip-diffusor assembly 24, which acts both as a contact tip for transferring electric current and a diffuser for shielding the shielding gas, reduces the total manufacturing cost by eliminating a separate component for the gas diffuser.

[0042] Referring to Fig. 16, a consumable assembly 120 and a conduit tube 126 for use in an arc welding apparatus 10 constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the present disclosure are shown. The consumable assembly 120 includes a contact tip 122 and a nozzle 124. The contact tip 120 in the present example has a structure similar to the design of the contact tip-diffuser assembly of fig. 15 except that the contact tip 120 of fig. 16 has no aperture extending through the outer wall 50 of the contact tip 120 to dissipate the gas. Instead, shielding holes for shielding gas are formed in the tube tube 126.

[0043] Similarly, the contact tip 120 includes an inner cavity 38 and an exit opening 40. A rounded inlet 60 is formed at the distal end 47 of the inner cavity 38. The inner cavity 38 is aligned with the inner passage 128 of the tubing duct 126 for receiving the liner 32 of the duct (shown in FIG. Fig. 2). The design of the contact tip 120 is similar to the design of the contact tip assembly device 24 of Fig. 15 and to avoid redundancy it is to be considered similar in the description.

[0044] The tube 126 includes a distal end portion 130 having an inner conical surface 132 for contacting the outer contact surface 134 of the contact tip 122. The inner conical surface 132 and the outer contact surface 134 improve the electric current transfer and heat transfer between the conduit tube 126 and the tip 122. The connection between the contact tip 122, the conduit tube 128 and the nozzle 124 is similar to the connection between the contact tip-diffuser assembly 24, the conduit tube 14 and the nozzle 12 in Fig. 15, and therefore to avoid redundancy its detailed description should be be considered similar.

[0045] The distal end portion 130 of the conduit tube 126 defines a plurality of apertures 136 extending through the cylindrical wall 138 of the distal end portion 130. Although a plurality of apertures 136 oriented in the radial direction of the conduit tube 126 are shown, the apertures 136 may be oriented at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tube 126 or may have a portion parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tubing pipe 126. A plurality of openings 136 are in fluid communication with the internal passage 128 of the tubing pipe 126. A plurality of apertures 136 are positioned proximal to the proximal end portion 44 of the contact tip 122.

[0046] Contact tip 122, nozzle 124 and conduit tubing 126 are suitable for applications with low loads (approximately 250 A and less) by forming apertures 136 in conduit tubing 126. When the shielding gas is directed from the gas source, through the welding cable 18 (shown in Fig. 1), and to the distal end portion 130 of the conduit tube 126, the shielding gas can be directed further out of the conduit tube 126 and into the first gas chamber 140 between the nozzle. 124 and the distal end portion 130 of the conduit tube 126. The first gas chamber 140 is in fluid communication with the second gas chamber 142 between the contact tip 122 and the nozzle 124.

[0047] A plurality of holes 136 may be formed near the contact between the conduit tube 126 and the contact tip 122. Thus, the shielding gas flowing through the apertures 136 may provide sufficient cooling of the contact tip 122 that is subjected to high temperature during operation.

[0048] The contact tip 122, such as the contact tip-diffuser assembly 24 of the first example, is directly attached to the distal end portion 130 of the tubing pipe 126 without any intermediate element. In addition to the transfer of gas and electric current to the contact tip 122, the conduit tube 126 also acts as a shielding gas diffuse to form a sheath gas coating around the contact tip 122. No separate gas diffuser is required. Accordingly, the arc welding apparatus 10 comprising the consumable assembly 120 and the conduit tubing 126 constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure has fewer components and thus the manufacturing costs are reduced.

[0049] Although not shown in the drawings, it will be understood that the openings can be made both in the conduit tube 126 and in the contact tip 122 such that both the conduit tube 126 and the contact tip 122 can dissipate the shielding gas. When the openings are formed in both the conduit tube 126 and the contact tip 122, the consumable unit and the conduit tube are suitable for heavy duty applications.

[0050] Referring to Figures 17 and 18, a consumable assembly 202 and a conduit pipe 204 for use in an arc welding apparatus 10 constructed in accordance with the third embodiment of the present disclosure are shown. The consumable assembly 202 includes a contact tip 206 and nozzle 207 surrounding the contact tip 206. As in the second example shown in Figure 16, ports 130 for shielding gas guidance are formed in the conduit tube 204.

[0051] As shown clearly in Figure 18, the contact tip 206 is a residual tip and has a distal end portion 214 having an elongated exit hole 216 and a proximal end portion 218 having an inner cavity 220. The elongated exit hole 216 has a length close to the length of the inner cavity 220, in contrast to the contact tip-diffuser assembly and the contact tip in the first and second example, where the longitudinal outlet opening is much shorter than the inner cavity. Similar to bands 24, 68, 69, 72, the contact tip-diffuser according to the first embodiment and the contact tip 122 according to the second embodiment, contact tip 206 according to the present example has an outer step 240 and a conical contact surface 219 on the proximal end portion 218.

The nozzle 207 includes an inner body 208, an outer body 210 surrounding the inner body 208, and an insulator 212 therebetween. The inner nozzle body 208 includes an enlarged proximal portion 222 and a narrowed distal portion 214. Isolator 212 is positioned between the outer body 210 and an enlarged proximal portion 222 of the inner body 208. The tapered distal portion 214 includes an inner distal flange 244 for connection to an outer stop 240 of the contact tip 206 and a plurality of apertures 226 for shielding gas. Although two holes 226 are shown in Figures 17 and 18, any number (including the number one) of openings 226 can be made in the inner body 224.

The conduit pipe 204 includes a distal portion 230 and a connection portion 232 disposed near the distal portion 230. Distal portion 230 includes a plurality of openings 234 in fluid communication with the openings 226 of the inner body 208. The distal portion 230 further has an internal conical surface 235 for contacting with the outer conical surface 219 of the contact tip 206. The connecting portion 232 may include a plurality of cam lock interconnecting means 236 for securing the conduit tube 204 to the nozzle 202. For example, three cam lock connection portions spaced 120 ° may be disposed along the perimeter of the connection portion 232. Each of the cam lock connecting portions 236 has opposite ends 250, 252 along the circumference of the conduit tube 204. One end 250 has a first thickness greater than the second thickness of the second end 252 in such a way,

[0054] Although not shown in the drawing, it will be understood that the connection portion 232 can be provided with threads for screw connection to the inner body 208 of the threaded connector of the nozzle 208, as illustrated in other examples.

[0055] As the conduit pipe 204 is inserted into the nozzle 207, the cam lock engagement portions 236 engage the surface 238 of the proximal proximal portion 222 of the inner body 208. In addition, the distal portion 230 of the conduit tube 204 connects to the interior surface 240 of the constricted distal portion 224. When the conduit tube 204 is positioned in place, the conduit tube openings 230 are aligned radially with the internal body openings 226 and the outer conical surface 219 is in intimate contact with the internal conical contact surface 235 of the conduit tube 204. The inner and outer conical contact surfaces 219 and 235 improve the heat transfer from the contact tip 206 to the conduit tube 204, thereby providing a more efficient cooling of the contact tip 206. By making holes in the conduit tube 204,

[0056] Referring to Figures 19A and 19B, the conduit tube 204 shown in Figures 17 and 18 in various embodiments is still in accordance with the third embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 19A shows an example of a variant of a conduit tube 260. In this variant, a plurality of openings 234 are formed as multiple slots 262. In yet another example, Figure 19B shows a conduit tube 264 having multiple slots 266 and a plurality of openings 268. Tubes 260 and 264 of the conduit shown in Figures 19A and 19B may have other variations. similar to those shown in Figures 9 to 13 similar to the contact tips of diffusers to change the dispersion and to improve the shielding gas coverage.

[0057] Figures 20A and 20B refer back to consumable assembly 202 and conduit tubes 204 constructed in accordance with the third embodiment of the present disclosure, and further disclose an equalizer device 270. The equalizer serves as a guide for centering the liner of the conduit (not shown) similar to the liner 32 of the wire inserted in figures 2 to 4 for the inner passage 128 within the conduit tube 204 and along the longitudinal axis 272. The leveling device 270 positions the wire liner and wire, respectively, such that the portion extending into the inner cavity 220 of the contact tip 206 is aligned with the longitudinal an opening 216 along the longitudinal axis 272. Adding the alignment device 270 to the third example causes the liner to stretch into the inner cavity 220 from the inner passage 274.The inner channel has an inner conical surface 276 located centrally in the alignment device 270. The alignment device 270 smoothly feeds the welding wire fed through the liner of the conduit into a rounded inlet 60 and feed outward through the exit aperture 216. The alignment device improves the operation of the arc welding apparatus 10 by reducing the incompatibility when feeding the welding wire through the contact tip 206.The alignment device improves the operation of the arc welding apparatus 10 by reducing the incompatibility when feeding the welding wire through the contact tip 206.The alignment device improves the operation of the arc welding apparatus 10 by reducing the incompatibility when feeding the welding wire through the contact tip 206.

[0058] The leveling device 270 further comprises a press-fit surface 278 pressed into the distal end portion 130 of the conduit tube 204 in an interference fit cavity 280. An interference fit surface 274 is shown having a slant 282 positioned around the proximal end 284 for ease of injection molding the distal end portion 130 of the conduit tube 204, and adjacent to the interference fit cavity 276. Referring to Figures 21A and 21B, the inner body 204 shown in Figures 17 and 18 is shown in another variation similar to the third embodiment of the present disclosure. A connector sleeve 286 having an inner cavity 288 including cam lock members 290 connects to the conduit pipe 204 of the third example. The connecting sleeve 206 further includes a plurality of holes 292 extending from the outer surface 294 to the inner cavity 288 and a plurality of threads 296 disposed around the outer surface to attach to the nozzle assembly (not shown) similar to the nozzles 207 disclosed in the third example. In a direct example, the inner body 208 of the nozzle 207 connects to the plurality of threads 296 and includes an inner distal flange (not shown) for attaching the contact tip 206 in accordance with the teachings of this disclosure.

[0060] Referring to Fig. 22, a consumable assembly 302 and a conduit tube 304 for use in the arc welding apparatus of Figure 1 and constructed in accordance with the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure are shown. The consumable assembly 302 includes a nozzle 306 and a 308 contact tip-diffuser assembly. The liner 310 of the wire extends longitudinally through the conduit tube 304. The contact tip-diffusor assembly 308 includes apertures 312 for shielding the shielding gas from within the assembly 308 of the contactor-nozzle tip outside of the contactor-diffuser assembly 308, and thus functions as both a contact tip and a gas diffuser in the present embodiment. The contact tip-diffuser assembly 308 is structurally similar to the contact tip assembly device 24 of Fig. 5 except that

[0061] As shown clearly in Fig. 23, the contact tip-diffuser assembly 308 includes a proximal end portion 314 forming an inner cavity 38 and a distal end portion 46 forming an elongated exit hole 40. The proximal end portion 314 includes an outer step 52 and a spherical contact surface 316 Similarly, the contact tip-diffuser assembly 308 has a plurality of holes 54 extending radially through the proximal end portion 314 to dissipate the shielding gas. Thus, the consumable assembly 302 is suitable for welding work under high load (e.g., high current load).

[0062] The nozzle 306 has a structure similar to the design of the nozzle in Figure 15. The same reference numerals are used for the same elements, and therefore to avoid redundancy their description should be considered similar hereinafter.

The pipe tube 304 of the present invention is structurally similar to the conduit tube of fig. 15, except that the conduit tube 304 defines a spherical contact surface 324 corresponding to the spherical contact surface 316 of the contact tip-diffuser assembly 308. Spherical contact surfaces 316 and 324 of the assembly 308 of the contact tip-diffuser and the conduit tube 304 improve the connection between the tip / diffuser 308 and the conduit tube 304.

[0064] Referring to figures 23 to 25, a consumable assembly 402 and a conduit tube 404 for use in the arc welding apparatus of Figure 1 are shown constructed in accordance with a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure. Consumable assembly 402 includes a contact tip-diffusor assembly 404 and a nozzle 406. A contact tip-diffuser assembly 404 is similar to the contact tip-diffuser assembly 308 of figures 15 to 16 except that the contact tip-diffuser assembly 308 has a ring groove 408 formed in the spherical contact surface 316. The same reference numerals are used for the same elements, as such elements may operate in a similar manner to that previously described in this application.

[0065] Similarly, the contact tip-diffuser assembly 308 of the present disclosure has a proximal end portion 314 and a distal end portion 46. The proximal end portion 314 has an outer step 52 and a spherical contact surface 316. The annular groove 418 is formed along the spherical circumference of the contact surface 316 .

[0066] As shown in Fig. 25, when the contact tip-diffuser assembly 304 and the conduit tube 404 are attached within the nozzle 406, the contact sphere 316 of the assembly 404 the contact tip-diffuser is in close contact with the spherical contact surface 324 of the conduit tube 404. The annular groove 408 prevents the contact strip-diffuser assembly 404 from blocking into the conduit tube 404 possibly due to the thermal expansion of the spherical contact surfaces 316 and 324.

[0067] Referring to figures 26 and 27, a consumable assembly 402 and a conduit tube 404 for use in the arc welding apparatus of Figure 1 are shown constructed in accordance with the sixth embodiment of the present disclosure. The consumable assembly 402 includes a contact tip 406 and a nozzle assembly 408. The contact tip 406 is similar to the contact tip 122 in Figure 16 and includes an outer contact surface 407 that is tapered outwardly from the proximal end portion to the distal end portion.

[0068] The nozzle assembly 408 includes a nozzle housing 410 and a nozzle hub 412 mounted around the distal end 413 of the nozzle housing 410. The nozzle cup 412 can be mounted to the nozzle housing 410 via a threaded connection, or quick disconnectable connectors, among other types of connections. The nozzle housing 410 includes an outer body 414, an inner body 416, and an insulator 418 located between the outer body 414 and the inner body 416. The inner body 414 functions as a terminal holder for attaching the contact tip 122.

The conduit tube 404 includes a distal end portion 420 having an inner contact surface 422 and an outer connection surface 423. The distal end portion 420 may be formed separately and be applied to the main body of the conduit tube 404. Alternatively, the distal end portion 420 may be an integral part of the conduit tube 404. The inner contact surface 422 is tapered to match the outer contact surface 407 of the contact tip 406. The outer connection surface 423 may have threads for threaded connection to the inner body 416 of the nozzle assembly 408. Multiple holes 424 extend through the inner contact surface 422. When the tube 404 the cable connects to the contact tip 406,

[0070] Figures 28 to 30 refer to a consumable assembly 450 and a conduit tube 452 for use in the arc welding apparatus of Fig. 1 constructed in accordance with the seventh example of the present disclosure. Referring to Fig. 28, the consumable assembly 450 is similar to the consumable assembly 16 of the first example and, as such, these elements can operate in a manner similar to that previously described in this application. The nozzle assembly 452 connects to a conduit 454 through an intermediate connection in the form of a sleeve 456 and a connecting portion 458 that includes a plurality of threads 460. The direct embodiments additionally include an alignment device 462 disposed in the conduit tube 454 to align the liner with the assembly 464 contact tip-diffuser . This example provides an alternative means for connecting a disposable assembly 450 to a conduit tube 454,

[0071] The sleeve 456 connects to the distal end 466 of the conduit tube 454. The profile 468 of the inner surface of the sleeve 456 is adapted to slide over the outer surface of the profile 470 of the conduit tube 454. The sleeve 456 is further held in position by the locking ring 472 disposed in the annular groove 474. The connecting portion 458 of the sleeve 456 includes a plurality of threads 460 that engage the inner body 476 of the nozzle assembly 452 also including a plurality of threads 478.

[0072] Still referring to Fig. 28, alignment device 462 serves to center the liner (not shown) similar to liner 310 of the conduit introduced in Fig. 20 at the inner passage 480 within the conduit tube 454 along the longitudinal axis 482. Alignment device 462 positions the liner so that the part extending into the inner cavity 484 of the assembly 464 contact tip-diffuser is aligned with the exit opening 486 along the longitudinal axis 482. Adding the alignment device 462 to this example causes the liner to stretch into the inner cavity 484, thus ensures smooth input of the welding wire being fed through the liner of the wire into a rounded inlet 488 and output through the outlet opening 486.

Another feature of the leveling device 462 disclosed in the seventh embodiment is a plurality of ports 490 bordering the inner duct 492. The liner liner is disposed in the inner duct 492 to align the liner of the duct with the inner cavity 484 of the end-to-end diffuser assembly 464 and the multiple ports 490. it will provide an increased cross-sectional area inside the conduit tube 454. The increased cross-sectional area ensures that the leveling device 462 does not limit shield gas flow through the conduit tube 454.

Referring now to Fig. 29, the alignment device 462 includes a press-fit surface 502 that is forced into the distal end 466 of the conduit tube 454 into the press-fit recess 504. The distal end 466 of the conduit tube 454 hereinafter defines the outer profile 506 a surface that is largely circular and has a radial alignment mechanism, e.g. flattening, an ear, a wedge-shaped slot, or a groove. In this example, for radial alignment, the flattening 508 is placed on two opposite sides. The inner profile 468 of the sleeve 456 is adapted to slidably engage an outer surface profile 508 in such a manner that the sleeve 456 can slide along the longitudinal axis 482 but can not rotate around the tube 454 of the conduit. Finally, to limit movement along the longitudinal axis, the locking ring 472 is arranged in the annular groove 474. When the locking ring 472 is in place, the sleeve 456 is sufficiently limited. The contact tip-diffusor assembly 464 connects to the distal end 466 of the conduit tube 454, and the internal body 476 of the nozzle assembly 452 connects to the engagement portion 458 of the sleeve 456 through mating surfaces of each of the plurality of threads 460 and 478.

[0075] The assembly according to a direct example of the welding device is more precisely detailed in cross-section, in the assembled condition shown in fig. 30, for the brightness shown only with the internal body 476 of the nozzle assembly 452. To maintain the position of the assembly the contact tip-diffuser, the inner body 476 it further has an inner distal flange 520 that adheres to the internal fault 522 of the assembly 464 of the contact tip-diffuser and maintains the position of the contact tip-diffuser assembly 464. It is clearly shown that the connecting part 458 of the sleeve 456, formed as a plurality of threads 460, is coupledIt is shown that the interference fit cavity 504 of the conduit tube has an interference fit surface 502 of the leveling device 462 assembled in accordance with a direct example.

[0076] Still in accordance with a seventh example of the disclosure, Figure 31A shows the connection of the sleeve 456 and the conduit tube 454. The profile 506 of the outer surface at the distal end 466 of the conduit tube 454 includes flattening 508 on two opposite sides. The profile 468 of the inner surface of the sleeve 456 is adapted to slidably engage the outer surface of the profile 506 such that the sleeve 456 can slide along the longitudinal axis 482, but it is not possible to rotate around the conduit tube 454. For providing a further detail, the connecting portion 458 and the plurality of threads 460 are also shown in Fig. 31A.

[0077] Similar to the seventh embodiment of the disclosure, and referring again to the previously described examples, Fig. 31B shows another variant of the sleeve 550 and the conduit tube 552. In this example, the profile 554 of the outer surface of the conduit tube is formed as having a groove groove 556 and wedge 558 for engaging the profile 560 of the inner surface of the sleeve 550. In a direct example, the sleeve 550 connects to the distal end 562 of the conduit tube 552 and can not rotate around. a conduit tube 552, thanks to a wedge 558 disposed in the key groove 556 and in the profile 560 of the inner surface of the sleeve 550. The conduit tube 552 may similarly be adapted to engage the inner sleeve surface profile by a spline connection. Furthermore, the connection portion 564 of the sleeve 550 is formed as cam lock members 566.

[0078] In yet another embodiment of the seventh embodiment of the disclosure, and referring again to the previously described examples in Fig. 32, another variation of the carrier tube 568 and the sleeve 570 is shown. This variation is similar to the variant disclosed in Figure 31A, but as for securing the sleeve 570 to the conduit tube 568, it has a set screw 572. The set screw 572 is received in the opening 574 in the sleeve 570 and the threaded hole 576 in the conduit tube 568 to secure the sleeve 570 to the conduit tube 568. This embodiment may further include a sleeve 570 having a longitudinal surface 578 that, when assembled, extends at least to the distal end 466 of the conduit tube 568. The direct implementation uses a sleeve 570 to secure the distal end 466 of the conduit tube 568 against wear and to protect the distal end 466 from impact.

[0079] Referring again to the seventh example introduced in Fig. 28, Fig. 33A shows the leveling device 462. Many ports 490 are clearly shown as evenly spaced around the inner duct 492 and adjacent thereto. The even spacing of the plurality of ports allows smooth passage of the shielding gas through the leveling device 462. Further, a press-fit surface 502 is shown having a slant 602 positioned at proximal end 604 for ease of molding into the distal end 466 of the conduit tube 454 and adjacent to the press-fit recess. 504.

[0080] Referring now to Figures 33B and 33C, different variations of the leveling device 462 similar to the seventh example are shown, providing variant examples that can be used with the previous indicia of the present disclosure. The alignment device 606 shown in FIG. 33B has a plurality of ports 608 disposed in the wall 610 of the alignment device 606. In addition, instead of using the interference fit surface 502 as disclosed in the seventh example, the direct example has an outer surface 612 comprising a plurality of threads 614 adapted to be threaded together. surface placed in the tube of the duct.

[0081] The alignment device 616 shown in Figure 33B has a plurality of ports 618 such that when the alignment device 616 is disposed in a conduit tube (which is not shown), a plurality of ports 618 borders the interior surface 619 (shown as a dotted line) of the conduit tube. Furthermore, the outer surface 620 is disposed around the alignment device 616 and comprises cam stop means 622. In this example, the inner surface of the conduit tube further defines a connecting portion adapted to engage the cam lock members 622 and to hold the alignment device 616. Previous examples are not proposed to limit other embodiments, but are provided to approximate possible examples of the present disclosure.

[0082] The present disclosure is by nature only exemplary, and therefore the variations are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure. Such variations can not be regarded as a departure from the scope contemplated in this disclosure.