CN118682227A - Systems and methods for using a wearable wire feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

Systems and methods for using a wearable wire feeder are provided. An example welding system may include a wire feeder device configured to operate in conjunction with a welding power supply unit and a welding torch, wherein the wire feeder device is a physically separate component from both the welding power supply unit and the welding torch, and wherein the wire feeder device includes at least: a welding wire source configured to provide an electrode wire; and a wire feeding mechanism configured to feed the electrode wire from the welding wire source. The wire feeder device may be powered by the welding power supply unit, and the wire feeder device may be configured to feed the electrode wire to the welding torch.

Description

Systems and methods for using a wearable wire feeder

Priority claim

This patent application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63/454,524, filed on March 24, 2023. The above-identified applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

Background Art

Welding has become increasingly common. Welding can be performed automatically or manually (e.g., by a person). Equipment or components used during a welding operation can be driven using an engine. For example, an engine can be used to drive a generator, a power source, etc., such as those used during a welding operation.

However, conventional welding-type arrangements and/or systems may have some limitations and/or disadvantages. For example, some welding-type arrangements and/or systems may limit the lead distance between the main drive component and the location where the welding operation is performed.

Further limitations and disadvantages of such conventional methods will become apparent to those skilled in the art by comparing certain aspects of the present systems and methods as described in the remainder of this disclosure with reference to the accompanying figures.

Summary of the invention

Various aspects of the present disclosure relate to welding solutions. More particularly, various embodiments according to the present disclosure relate to systems and methods for using a wearable wire feeder, substantially as shown by or described in conjunction with at least one of the accompanying drawings, and as more fully set forth in the claims.

These and other advantages, aspects and novel features of the present disclosure, as well as details of illustrated embodiments of the disclosure, will be more fully understood from the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A illustrates an example welding-type setup that may be used for welding-type operations.

FIG. 1B illustrates an example metal inert gas (MIG) welding-based setup that may be used for MIG-based welding-type operations.

Figure 1C shows an alternative example arrangement for incorporating a wearable wire feeder.

Figure 2 shows an example wearable wire feeder and its use in an example welding-type setup.

FIG3 illustrates an example wearable wire feeder and its use in an example welding-type setup.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example wearable wire feeder during an example use thereof.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example engagement for engaging the wearable wire feeder during use of the wearable wire feeder.

Figure 6 shows an example use of the wearable wire feeder, demonstrating the repositioning capability of the wearable wire feeder.

FIG. 7 shows an example use of a wearable wire feeder, demonstrating the limitation on the reduced bending radius of the welding torch connector when moving the wearable wire feeder.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As used herein, the terms "circuit" and "circuitry" refer to physical electronic components (e.g., hardware) and any software and/or firmware (code) that can configure the hardware, be executed by the hardware, and/or be otherwise associated with the hardware. As used herein, for example, a specific processor and memory (e.g., volatile or non-volatile memory device, general computer readable medium, etc.) can constitute a first "circuit" when executing a first set of one or more lines of code, and a second "circuit" when executing a second set of one or more lines of code. Additionally, the circuit may include an analog circuit system and/or a digital circuit system. Such a circuit system may, for example, operate on analog signals and/or digital signals. It should be understood that the circuit may be in a single device or chip, on a single motherboard, in a single housing, in multiple housings at a single geographical location, in multiple housings distributed in multiple geographical locations, etc. Similarly, the term "module" may, for example, refer to physical electronic components (e.g., hardware) and any software and/or firmware (code) that can configure the hardware, be executed by the hardware, and/or be otherwise associated with the hardware.

As used herein, a circuit system or module is “operable” to perform a function whenever it includes the necessary hardware and code (if necessary) to perform that function, regardless of whether performance of that function is disabled (e.g., by user-configurable settings, factory adjustments, etc.).

As used herein, "and/or" refers to any one or more of the multiple items connected by "and/or" in a list. As an example, "x and/or y" refers to any element in a three-element set {(x), (y), (x, y)}. In other words, "x and/or y" refers to "one or both of x and y". As another example, "x, y and/or z" refers to any element in a seven-element set {(x), (y), (z), (x, y), (x, z), (y, z), (x, y, z)}. In other words, "x, y and/or z" refers to "one or more of x, y and z". As used herein, the term "exemplary" refers to being used as a non-limiting example, instance or display. As used herein, the terms "for example" and "e.g." lead to a list of one or more non-limiting examples, instances, or displays.

As used herein, welding-type power refers to power suitable for welding, plasma cutting, induction heating, CAC-A (carbon arc cutting/air), and/or hot wire welding/preheating (including laser welding and laser cladding). As used herein, a welding-type power supply refers to a power supply that can provide welding-type power. A welding-type power supply may include a power generation component (e.g., an engine, a generator, etc.) and/or a power conversion circuit system for converting primary power (e.g., engine-driven power generation, main power, etc.) to welding-type power.

As used herein, welding-type operations include operations according to any known welding technique, including flame welding techniques (such as oxy-fuel welding), electric welding techniques (such as shielded metal arc welding (e.g., stick welding)), metal inert gas (MIG) welding, tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding, resistance welding, as well as gouging (e.g., carbon arc gouging), cutting (e.g., plasma cutting), brazing, induction heating, soft soldering, etc.

As used herein, a welding-type setup refers to any setup that includes welding-related devices or equipment (e.g., a welding power source, a welding torch, welding equipment (such as a headgear, etc.), auxiliary devices or systems, etc.) used to facilitate and/or be combined with a welding-type operation.

FIG. 1 shows an example welding type setup that can be used for a welding type operation. Referring to FIG. 1 , an example welding type setup 10 is shown, wherein an operator (user) 18 wears a welding headgear 20 and uses a welding torch 30 to weld a workpiece 24, and equipment 12 delivers power to the welding torch via a conduit 14, wherein a welding monitoring device 28 can be used to monitor the welding operation. The equipment 12 may include a power source, optionally a shielding gas source, and a wire feeder in which welding wire/filler material is automatically provided. Further, in some cases, an engine 32 may be used to drive equipment or components used during the welding operation. The engine 32 may include a gas engine or a liquefied petroleum (LP) engine. The engine 32 may drive a generator, a power source, etc. used during the welding operation.

The welding type arrangement 10 of FIG. 1 can be configured to form a weld joint by any known welding type technology. For example, optionally in any embodiment, the welding equipment 12 can be an arc welding equipment that provides direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC) to a consumable electrode or a non-consumable electrode of a welding torch 30. The electrode delivers the current to the welding point on the workpiece 24. In the welding type arrangement 10, the operator 18 controls the position and operation of the electrode by manipulating the welding torch 30 and triggering the start and stop of the current flow. In other embodiments, a robot or an automatic fixture can control the position of the electrode and/or can send operating parameters or trigger commands to the welding system. When the current is flowing, an arc 26 is generated between the electrode and the workpiece 24. The conduit 14 and the electrode thus deliver a current and voltage sufficient to generate the arc 26 between the electrode and the workpiece. The arc 26 locally melts the workpiece 24 and the welding wire or electrode (the electrode in the case of a consumable electrode, or a separate welding wire or electrode in the case of a non-consumable electrode) supplied to the weld joint at the weld point between the electrode and the workpiece 24, thereby forming the weld joint when the metal cools.

Optionally, in any embodiment, welding monitoring equipment 28 can be used to monitor the welding operation. The welding monitoring equipment 28 can be used to monitor various aspects of the welding operation, particularly in real time (i.e., while welding is occurring). For example, the welding monitoring equipment 28 can be operable to monitor arc characteristics, such as length, current, voltage, frequency, variation, and instability. The data obtained from welding monitoring can be used (e.g., by the operator 18 and/or an automatic quality control system) to ensure proper welding.

As shown, the equipment 12 and the headgear 20 can communicate via a link 25, via which the headgear 20 can control the settings of the equipment 12 and/or the equipment 12 can provide information about its settings to the headgear 20. Although a wireless link is shown, the link can be wireless, wired, or optical.

Optionally, in any embodiment, equipment or components used during the welding operation can be driven using an engine. For example, the engine 32 can drive a generator, power supply, etc. used during the welding operation. In some cases, it may be desirable to obtain information related to the engine used. For example, data related to the engines (and their operation) used during the welding operation can be collected and used (e.g., based on analysis thereof) to monitor and optimize the operation of these engines. The collection and use of such data can be performed in a telematic manner - that is, the data can be collected locally, at least some processing (e.g., formatting, etc.) can be performed locally, and then can be transmitted to a remote management entity (e.g., a centralized management location, an engine provider, etc.) using wireless technology (e.g., cellular, satellite, etc.).

Optionally, in any embodiment, a dedicated controller (e.g., as shown in element 34 in FIG. 1 ) can be used to control, centralize and/or optimize data processing operations. The controller 34 may include suitable circuitry, hardware, software, or any combination thereof for performing various aspects of data processing operations related to the engine. For example, the controller 34 may be operable to interact with the engine 32 to obtain data related thereto. The controller 34 may track or obtain welding-related data (e.g., from welding monitoring equipment 28, from equipment 12, etc.). The controller 34 may then transmit data (e.g., both engine-related data and welding-related data) by wireless communication, such as to facilitate remote monitoring and/or management. For example, this may be accomplished using cellular and/or satellite telematics hardware.

In some example embodiments, a welding-type system or setup, such as the welding-type setup 10, may be configured to collect and report data related to a welding-type operation and/or functions or components used during a welding-type operation. For example, data from a welding process, a power source in a welding setup, welding-related accessories, etc. may be collected. In this regard, the collected data may include, for example, current, voltage, wire feed speed, welding status, and many other power source parameters and settings.

The collected data may then be sent to a remote entity (e.g., a remote server 31, which may be an Internet-based cloud server controlled by the manufacturer) and/or to a local system or device (e.g., a local PC, tablet, smartphone, etc.). The collected data may be used to improve welding-related systems and/or operations. For example, the manufacturer may utilize the collected data to identify problems (and correct them) and/or plan modifications or improvements to various components. Further, users may also generate reports on the collected data to measure, record, and improve their processes.

FIG. 1B shows an example metal inert gas (MIG) welding-based setup that can be used for MIG-based welding-type operations. Referring to FIG. 1B , an example welding-type setup 100 is shown. In this regard, the welding-type setup 100 represents an example metal inert gas (MIG) welding-based implementation of the welding-type setup 10 of FIG. 1 . In particular, in the simplified implementation depicted in FIG. 1B , the MIG-based welding-type setup 100 includes a gas supply unit 110, a power supply unit 120, and a welding torch (welding gun) 160. As shown, the power supply unit 120 includes a welding power source 130, a wire feeder unit 140, and a welding wire source (e.g., a welding wire spool) 150. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this arrangement, and as such, some of the components of the power supply unit 120 as shown in FIG. 1B (i.e., the wire feeder unit 140 and/or the welding wire source 150) may be separate physical components.

In operation, the welding-type arrangement 100 can be used, for example, to apply a MIG-based weld to a workpiece 170. In this regard, in MIG-based welding, when the power supply unit 120 supplies current to both the welding torch 160 and the workpiece 170 (where the welding power source 130 provides this power as well as providing power to other components of the power supply unit 120 (such as providing power to the wire feeder unit 140 to facilitate wire feeding therefrom)), when an arc is formed between the consumable electrode wire and the workpiece 170, the consumable electrode wire is fed from the wire source 150 through the welding torch 160 via the wire feeder unit 140. The arc heats the workpiece metal and the consumable electrode wire, causing them to melt and join, thereby forming a weld. Further, along with the wire electrode, a shielding gas is fed from the gas supply unit 110 through the welding torch 160 to protect the weld (e.g., from atmospheric contamination). 1B , a single connector between the power supply unit 120 and the welding torch (welding gun) 160 may be used to provide the electrode wire, shielding gas, and power from the power supply unit 120 to the welding torch (welding gun) 160. Nevertheless, the present disclosure is not limited to such a design, and thus in some embodiments, a separate dedicated connector may be used to provide one or more of the electrode wire, shielding gas, and power.

However, using MIG-based welding may present some challenges and/or may have some limitations. In this regard, one of the main limitations when using MIG-based welding is the distance between the power source (e.g., the combination of the gas supply unit 110, the wire feeder unit 140, the power supply unit 120, and the welding wire source 150) and the work site (i.e., where the weld is applied, such as the location of the workpiece 170). In particular, one of the limitations and/or challenges when using a MIG welding gun is the maximum distance (or lead) from the work site to the power source that a user can move without repositioning the power source. A typical lead in the industry for a single drive system is about 10 feet (ft). However, in many cases, a user may desire a longer lead on the welding gun; however, providing such a longer lead may not be feasible in a conventional setting.

For example, the challenge of providing a longer welding gun lead is the limitation of the wire diameter that can be pushed by the longer lead, which may increase the friction between the liner and the wire. This increased friction may force the user to increase the tension on the drive roller. However, the increased tension may lead to some problems. For example, the increased tension may deform the cross-section of the wire. Moreover, as the friction and tension increase, the wire may collapse and begin to accumulate in the drive chamber. In addition, the wire material may affect the lead distance and may therefore be another limiting factor. For example, due to the limited breaking strength of aluminum, it may be particularly challenging to achieve a longer lead in the case of aluminum-based welding wire. In this regard, the breaking strength of aluminum may limit how much the aluminum welding wire can be pushed, for example, only allowing a shorter lead distance before problems may occur (such as the aluminum welding wire entangled with the liner internally).

Some solutions have been developed to address this problem. One such solution is a spool welding gun that includes a source of welding wire (e.g., a 4-inch spool) and a wire feeding mechanism that is directly attached to the welding gun. Another solution that has been used is a push-pull welding gun that pulls the welding wire from the power source and pushes it through the welding gun. However, both methods and designs may have challenges and/or limitations. For example, spool welding guns may generally be very large and bulky, and may have wire feeding issues, such as using specific welding wire materials (e.g., aluminum) may cause the welding wire to become tangled in the liner, so there are maintenance concerns when operating them. Moreover, since using such a spool welding gun may cause stress to the user (e.g., causing stress on the user's wrist), using a spool welding gun may be challenging and undesirable. In addition, the size and shape of the spool welding gun may also limit the user's access to small spaces. While push-pull welding guns may be lighter and smaller in size, such welding guns may be expensive and may impose strict operating requirements, for example, the wire feeding mechanisms/components (e.g., motors) in the two devices (push-pull welding gun and supply unit) must be synchronized and must operate in coordination to ensure proper wire feeding because the push-pull welding gun needs to pull the welding wire from the power supply unit and then push it in a synchronized manner (e.g., multiple motors must operate at the same rate to prevent jamming).

Solutions based on the present disclosure allow for longer leads while overcoming the limitations of many existing conventional solutions. In particular, solutions based on the present disclosure may include the use of shorter models of MIG welding guns, wherein the wire drive system (i.e., the combination of the wire spool and the wire feeding mechanism) is configured to enable wire feeding using a larger lead. This may be achieved by separating the wire drive system from the power supply and placing the wire drive system closer to the work site. Thus, in the welding-type arrangement 100, for example, the combination of the wire spool 150 and the wire feeding unit 140 in the welding-type arrangement 100 may be separated from the remainder of the power supply (i.e., the power supply unit 120) and the gas supply unit 110 in the welding-type arrangement 100 and placed closer to the work site.

In various example embodiments based on the present disclosure, a wire feeder (also referred to as a "wearable wire feeder" even when the user is not wearing it) can be provided as a separate physical device that can include a wire drive system and can be configured for a suitable welding type setting to provide a longer lead. In this regard, such a wire feeder can be configured to be connected to a power supply via a first connector at one end and to a welding torch (e.g., a MIG welding gun) via a second connector at one end, thereby allowing a greater distance between the welding torch and the power supply than is possible in a conventional setting. The wire feeder can also be configured to be wearable by a user. The proposed wearable wire feeder/wire drive system can also solve various problems associated with any of the existing solutions described herein.

In some example embodiments, a MIG welding gun may be used with the proposed wearable wire feeder, which may be a separate/independent wire feeder/wire drive system containing a wire spool (e.g., a 4-inch spool) that may be located at the nozzle of the MIG welding gun and thus allow some separation from the nozzle (e.g., about 4 feet to 6 feet). In this regard, the liner may only be required for the portion/connection between the wire feeder/wire drive system and the MIG welding gun. The wire feeder/wire drive system is then connected to the power supply system, such as using a spool gun cable, which may be very long (e.g., about 20 feet or more).

In some example embodiments, the proposed wire feeder/wire drive system can be designed so as to allow it to be worn or otherwise attached to the user, such as using a holster or strapping system. Such a holster or strapping system can be configured to engage an existing tool belt or work with an existing tool belt. Nevertheless, the present disclosure is not limited to this method (that is, it must be wearable, attached to the user, or holstered by the user), and so, in some embodiments, the wire feeder/wire drive system can be alternatively configured to be placed away from the user's body, for example, fixed or holstered to something else near the work site, such as a fixed structure or object (e.g., a dedicated bracket or any available structure or object, such as a table or railing). In such an embodiment, a simple hook-shaped attachment arrangement can be used. In the case where the wire feeder/wire drive system is configured to allow it to be attached to the user or holstered by the user, the wire feeder/wire drive system can be configured so that it will allow the user to easily remove the system.

The attachment mechanism can also be configured to optimize or improve operation. For example, the belt sleeve or strapping system can be configured so that the wire feeder system can be rotatable and repositionable. The belt sleeve or strapping system can also be configured or designed to facilitate (for example, in combination with a wearable wire feeder) maintaining the bending radius, or at least limiting any reduction in the bending radius. In this regard, limiting the reduction in the bending radius may be desirable because a tighter bending radius may make it difficult to feed the welding wire to the nozzle of the welding torch/welding gun. For example, the proposed wearable wire feeder/wire drive system can solve the problem of wire shaking that may occur, especially in a spool welding gun. In this regard, since the nozzle is very close to the spool in the spool welding gun, the welding wire may shake when it comes out of the nozzle. The shaking is caused by the spiral of the welding wire coming out of the spool, because the nozzle is too close to the spool, and the welding wire does not have time to straighten. The additional distance allowed when using the proposed wearable wire feeder/wire drive system can provide enough margin to compensate for the shaking problem. In this way, allowing the movement of the attachment mechanism can allow the bending radius to be maintained, or at least limit any reduction in the bending radius. This is demonstrated in Figures 4 and 7.

Accordingly, solutions based on the present disclosure and systems associated therewith may have various advantages over conventional solutions (if any) and/or may solve various problems associated with any such conventional solutions, as described herein. In particular, the proposed solution and systems associated therewith incorporating a separate wire feeder/wire drive system as described herein allow for extended lead lengths while reducing concerns about pushing finer gauges and alternative materials (such as aluminum). Further, the proposed solution and systems associated therewith allow for the use of a conventional welding torch (MIG welding gun), which in turn allows and ensures a light weight on the wrist, which is advantageous for the user. In addition, the shorter lead used between the welding torch (MIG welding gun) and the separate wire feeder/wire drive system allows for straightening the wire to prevent the wire from shaking when the electrode is extended. Therefore, the use of a solution incorporating a separate wire feeder/wire drive system as described herein allows for increased flexibility, and/or allows welding in smaller areas and/or limited spaces.

The proposed solution also has the advantage of allowing (re)use of common consumables of MIG welding guns. The belt cover system (or feature) that can be used in combination with the separate wire feeder/wire drive system described herein can also provide additional advantages, such as allowing the user to easily remove the wire feeder/wire drive system (if necessary). These belt cover systems (or features) can also allow the drive system to rotate into place to allow a larger bending radius. In some cases, where the belt cover system (or feature) can be a hook-based design, these belt cover systems (or features) can be further developed to allow the wire feeder/wire drive system to be kept away from the user's body, such as when the user may not want or cannot wear the wire feeder/wire drive system (for example, when welding in a limited space). The proposed solution and the system associated therewith can also be backward compatible with existing welding-related systems.

It should be readily appreciated that operating the proposed wearable wire feeder/wire drive system does not require the stringent and complex operating requirements of using a push-pull welding gun, e.g., synchronization with a power supply unit is not required. Further, the proposed wearable wire feeder/wire drive system can address wire wobble issues such as may occur in a spool welding gun. In this regard, since the nozzle is very close to the spool in a spool welding gun, the wire may wobble as it comes out of the nozzle. The wobble is caused by the spiraling of the wire coming out of the spool, and since the nozzle is too close to the spool, the wire does not have time to straighten. The additional distance allowed between the nozzle and the wire source (e.g., the spool) when using the proposed wearable wire feeder/wire drive system can provide sufficient margin to compensate for such wobble issues.

Further, the use of the proposed wearable wire feeder/wire drive system may be particularly desirable for certain wire materials, such as aluminum. In this regard, as described above, the use of aluminum wire may present certain challenges because, on the one hand, the breaking strength of aluminum limits how much the aluminum wire can be pushed, for example, only a short distance can be pushed before problems may occur (such as the aluminum wire tangling internally with the liner). The use of a separate wire feeder/wire drive system based on the present disclosure can address some of these issues by allowing the use of a short welding gun (e.g., about 3 feet to 4 feet), so that aluminum wire can be used and pushed through the MIG welding gun while still providing a longer lead in the overall setup.

In some example embodiments, an alternative design can be used, wherein the wire source (e.g., a wire spool) is separated from the wire feeder/wire drive system in the proposed wire feeder and is outside the wire feeder. For example, the wire spool can be kept in the power supply and wired to the wire feeder/wire drive system. Alternatively, a separate (dedicated) wire spool can be used, which is configured to be connected to a wire feeder/wire drive system that only includes a wire feeder. These various alternative arrangements are shown and described with reference to Figure 1C. Moving the wire source out of the wire feeder itself can be implemented to allow the user to weld longer without changing the wire, because a larger spool can be used at the power supply and/or in an external (dedicated) wire source than a spool that can be used in a wire feeder that may need to be kept light (especially when worn by a user or attached to a user).

In some embodiments, when using such an external welding wire source, the welding wire source can be configured so that it can also be attachable or installable (e.g., attachable/installable to a user, to a fixed structure near a work site, etc.), such as by including suitable attachment components similar to the attachment components described in conjunction with the wire feeder/wire drive system herein. Therefore, the user can carry (e.g., wear) each of the wire feeder/wire drive system and the welding wire source separately. Alternatively, one of the two components (e.g., the welding wire source) can be placed on the floor, or mounted to a nearby structure or object, while the other component (e.g., the wire feeder itself) is worn or otherwise attached to the user. In order to facilitate the use of such an external (dedicated) welding wire source, the wire feeder/wire drive system can include a suitable device for connecting to an external (dedicated) welding wire source. In some embodiments, the wire feeder/wire drive system can be configured for a fully distributed arrangement, such as by supporting the use of separate welding wire, power supply, and gas supply source.

In some example embodiments, alternative designs with configurable wire feeder/wire drive systems may be used, such as to allow selection between different options when it comes to the source of the welding wire. This may be implemented to allow the user to select a spool that is integrated with the wire feeder/wire drive system or held in the power supply.

In some example embodiments, alternative designs of the belt system can be used, in particular by using designs in which the wire feeder/wire drive system or at least a portion thereof can be rotated or moved in multiple directions, axes and/or planes. For example, instead of the clip/disc-based designs described herein, ball-joint-based designs, pivot-point-based designs, multi-joint-based designs, universal-joint-based designs, etc. can be used, as long as they can allow movement or rotation of the wire feeder/wire drive system or at least a portion thereof, in particular to allow maintaining an optimal bend (and therefore a maximized radius) in the welding torch (connector).

In some example embodiments, an alternative design may be used in which the power required to operate the wire feeder/wire drive system (e.g., to run the motor used therein) is obtained by tapping the welding conductors rather than the control lines. Such a design may require the use of additional components, such as a power connector/receiver in the wire feeder/wire drive system and a separate power control circuit (e.g., for the motor), but will allow the system to be independent of the power supply required thereby, thereby addressing backward compatibility concerns.

Example implementations based on the present disclosure and additional details related thereto are described in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6 .

Nevertheless, while various embodiments based on the present disclosure are shown and/or described in conjunction with the use of a MIG welding gun and aluminum welding wire, the present disclosure is not limited to such an arrangement, and solutions based on the present disclosure may also be used with other types of welding wires and/or welding torches. In this regard, a great benefit of a wearable wire feeder based on the present disclosure is the ability to feed welding wire made of soft materials (such as aluminum welding wire) to a welding workpiece, and the ability to use a smaller MIG welding gun, wherein the problem of feeding aluminum through a typical 10-foot (or longer) MIG welding gun is alleviated, and similar wearable wire feeders can be used to support the use of other welding wire types (e.g., mild steel and stainless steel) in conjunction with the MIG process, thereby allowing similar benefits in terms of being able to move the welder away from the main welding equipment (e.g., power supply) and/or welding in a more remote manner. Similarly, a wearable wire feeder based on the present disclosure may be implemented and/or configured for use with other types of welding processes, such as flux-cored welding (FCAW). In this regard, for FCAW-based processes, a shielding atmosphere is established when the welding arc burns a tubular filler metal wire having a shielding agent in its core. In this way, the process eliminates the need for an external shielding gas supply. FCAW is also more beneficial in some outdoor applications where the welding arc may be exposed to wind and have the shielding gas blown away. The welding wire used in FCAW may even be more suitable for solutions based on the present disclosure because the shielding agent is generated in the welding arc itself.

1C illustrates an alternative example arrangement for incorporating a wearable wire feeder. Referring to FIG1C , example welding-type setups 180 , 182 , and 184 are shown, each of which represents a modified arrangement of the welding-type setup 100 shown in FIG1B to incorporate the use of a wearable wire feeder implemented in accordance with the present disclosure, as described herein.

In this regard, setting 180 illustrates the use of a wearable wire feeder with an integrated wire source (that is, where the wire source (e.g., a wire spool) is integrated into the wearable wire feeder itself), where the power supply unit only provides power (and optionally, shielding gas).

Setting 182 demonstrates the use of a wearable wire feeder in conjunction with a separate (external) welding wire source (e.g., a welding wire spool) (that is, where the welding wire source is (physically) separated from and external to the wearable wire feeder itself), wherein the power supply unit only provides power (and optionally, shielding gas).

Arrangement 184 illustrates the use of a wearable wire feeder in which the power supply unit has an integrated wire source (that is, where the wire source (e.g., a wire spool) is integrated into the power supply unit itself), wherein the power supply unit provides the welding wire and power (and optionally shielding gas). In this arrangement, the power supply unit may lack a dedicated (integrated) wire feeder unit.

An example wearable wire feeder and its use in an example welding-type setup is illustrated in Figure 2. Referring to Figure 2, an example wearable wire feeder 200 incorporated into a MIG-based welding-type setup is shown.

The wearable wire feeder 200 can be configured to provide wire feeding during welding-type operations, particularly MIG-based welding, and do so in accordance with the present disclosure such that it can allow for longer leads while overcoming the limitations of any existing conventional solutions. In this regard, as shown in FIG. 2 , the wearable wire feeder 200 can be implemented as a separate physical device that includes a wire feeding system (e.g., components similar and/or equivalent to the combination of the wire spool 150 and the wire feeding unit 140 in the welding-type setup 100), and can be configured to support connection to a power supply unit 210 (e.g., including components similar and/or equivalent to the combination of the power supply unit 120 and (optionally) the gas supply unit 110 in the welding-type setup 100) at one end, such as via one or more first side connectors (e.g., a power connector 212), and to a welding torch (e.g., a MIG welding gun) 220 at another end, such as via one or more second side connectors (e.g., a welding torch connector 222 and a welding torch side control connector 224), thereby allowing a distance between the welding torch and the power supply to be greater than is possible in conventional setups, as described herein. To this end, the wearable wire feeder 200 may include one or more first side ports or outlets configured to receive or otherwise engage one or more first side connectors, and one or more second side ports or outlets configured to receive or otherwise engage one or more second side connectors.

FIG3 illustrates an example wearable wire feeder and its use in an example welding-type setting. Referring to FIG3 , a wearable wire feeder 200 described with respect to FIG2 is shown. In this regard, some features and/or components of a wearable wire feeder according to an example embodiment of the wearable wire feeder 200 are illustrated in FIG3 .

In particular, the wearable wire feeder 200 may include a removable cover 310, which is shown in FIG. 3 as being removed, thereby exposing the interior of the wearable wire feeder 200, thereby showing a wire spool 320 and a wire feeding mechanism 330 that feeds the wire from the wire spool 320 to the welding torch 220 (not shown) via the welding torch connector 222. However, as noted, in some embodiments, the wire spool may not be directly included in the wire feeder/wire drive system (inside), and so in these embodiments, the wire spool will be external to the wire feeder/wire drive system, placed at the power supply unit instead, or simply connected to the wire feeder/wire drive system. FIG. 3 also shows a torch-side control connector 224, which, when inserted into the wearable wire feeder 200, allows user input at the welding torch 220 to be transmitted to the wearable wire feeder 200, for example, to enable control of the wire feeding mechanism 330.

Figure 4 illustrates an example wearable wire feeder during an example use thereof. Referring to Figure 4, there is shown a wearable wire feeder 200 as described herein, particularly during an example use thereof.

In particular, as shown in the example use scenario shown in FIG. 4 , the wearable wire feeder 200 can be connected to a welding torch (MIG welding gun) 220, wherein the welding torch connector 222 is inserted into or otherwise coupled to a corresponding suitable receiver in the wearable wire feeder 200. Further, the welding torch side control connector 224 can be similarly inserted into or otherwise coupled to a corresponding suitable receiver in the wearable wire feeder 200, as shown in FIG. 3 . In this regard, as noted, the welding torch side control connector 224 can transmit user input or commands (or corresponding data) from the welding torch 220 to the wearable wire feeder 200, such as in response to a user providing a command or input at the welding torch 220 (e.g., via a trigger mechanism, button, etc.). Such transmission can enable the communication of information related to setting or adjusting the wire feeding operation (such as the wire feeding speed).

Although not shown in FIG4 , the wearable wire feeder 200 is also connected to the power supply unit 210 at the other end, wherein the power connector 212 is inserted into or otherwise coupled to a corresponding suitable receiver in the wearable wire feeder 200. In addition, although not shown, in some cases, a separate power-side control connector may be used to connect the wearable wire feeder 200 to the power supply unit 210 in the same manner as the torch-side control connector 224, so that control messages or data, particularly those related to or otherwise affecting wire feeding-related functions, can be transmitted between the wearable wire feeder 200 and the power supply unit 210.

Once connected to both the welding torch 220 and the power supply unit 210, the welding operation can begin. In this regard, in some cases, from the perspective of the power supply unit 210, the wearable wire feeder 200 can effectively operate as if it were a spool welding gun, and so the above-mentioned power-side control connector can be configured to interact with the power supply unit 210 in the same manner as a spool welding gun can do. As noted in some cases, the wearable wire feeder 200 can be worn by a user. To this end, as noted, an additional system (e.g., a belt system) can be used, such as in combination with features or components of the wearable wire feeder 200 itself. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a belt can be worn by a user, the belt comprising a belt 410 (e.g., any suitable tool belt), optionally with a shoulder strap, to which a buckle (or similar component) including a clip 420 can be integrated or otherwise engaged. The wearable wire feeder 200 can then be attached to the clip 420. To this end, as shown in the figure, the wearable wire feeder 200 can include an attachment element 430. In this regard, the attachment element 430 can be configured to engage the belt system and facilitate attachment to the belt system. For example, the attachment element 430 can have a double disc structure, wherein the inner disc has a diameter that fits within the clip 420, and the outer disc has a larger diameter than the clip 420 to ensure that the attachment element 430 remains within the clip 420. This is shown in more detail in FIG. 5. In this way, the double disc structure can ensure that the attachment element 430 (and therefore the wearable wire feeder 200 as a whole) remains engaged with the clip 420, but moves freely relative to the clip. In this regard, the characteristics (e.g., size and shape) of the attachment element 430 can be set to allow the attachment element 430 (and therefore the wearable wire feeder 200 as a whole) to move freely within the clip 420. This is desirable for allowing a larger bending radius to be maintained as described above.

In some embodiments, the wearable wire feeder can be configured to provide welding wire based on a control input. For example, the wearable wire feeder can receive a motor speed control. In this regard, during the welding process, depending on, for example, a specific welding process (welding process), workpiece thickness, etc., the delivery of filler metal (e.g., welding wire) may need to be performed in a controlled manner. This control can be, for example, in the form of wire feed speed. An example of such a control input is a wire feed speed (WFS). In this regard, WFS is a function of the wire feed motor speed, which depends on the voltage supplied to the motor armature.

For example, a wearable wire feeder (e.g., wearable wire feeder 200) can be configured to receive a motor control voltage from a WFS control circuit in a welding power supply (e.g., welding power supply 210). The motor control voltage can be delivered using an existing or dedicated connector or cable in a welding-type system or setting. For example, the voltage can be delivered through two of the four control wires, which are connected to the welding power supply via a 4-pin connector and coaxially embedded back into the power cable (e.g., power connector 212) of the welding power supply. The other two wires can be used for other control inputs, such as a welding gun trigger. In this regard, the other two wires in this 4-wire arrangement can be used as welding gun trigger signal leads, which carry a signal for enabling/disabling the welding machine power output. The trigger signal from the welding gun trigger can be transmitted to the welding power supply through these leads. The welding gun trigger is connected to a 4-pin torch side connector, as shown in Figures 2 to 4. With this control scheme, the WFS control is set at the welder and transmitted to the motor armature in the wire feeder.

However, the present disclosure is not limited to this implementation of the motor control scheme, and any other suitable implementation may be used. For example, in an alternative implementation of the motor control scheme, motor control circuitry may be added, such as in the wire feeder itself, so that the WFS may be remotely controlled. However, such an implementation would require the addition of control circuitry and a WFS knob on the wire feeder. The motor control would be set to a maximum value at the power source, and the control in the wire feeder would attenuate that maximum value to a desired level.

In another alternative embodiment, full motor control functionality may be included and/or built into the wire feeder, powered by, for example, the welding arc. Such an approach would provide full remote control of the WFS, independent of the setup of the WFS at the welder. Such an approach would also enable the wire feeder to be used on welders that do not have typical spool-type welding gun controls (e.g., via a 4-pin connector as described above). Such an approach may be particularly useful for welding-type systems or arrangements that use batteries (or similar power storage devices) for driving, and/or welding-type systems or arrangements that may not have internal wire feed speed controls.

In some cases, a locking mechanism may optionally also be used to ensure that the wearable wire feeder 200 remains locked and secured after the clip 420 is engaged.

Further, in some cases, the combination of the double-disc-based attachment element 430 and the clip 420 can be used to attach or mount the wearable wire feeder 200 to a fixed structure or object rather than a user. For example, the clip 420 can be attached to a fixed structure or object alone or in combination with the strap 410 (or using a different strap system), wherein the wearable wire feeder 200 uses the attachment element 430 to engage the clip 420 in the same manner as described herein. When mounted to a fixed structure or object, the wearable wire feeder 200 can similarly be able to move freely.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the clip/disc based designs described herein that may allow rotation in only one plane, and other suitable designs may be used. For example, as noted, in some example embodiments, a ball joint based design or other suitable design may be used instead, which may have the added benefit of allowing movement (e.g., rotation) in multiple directions, axes, and/or planes.

Further, although the wearable wire feeder 200 is shown to have a spool of welding wire integrated therein (within the housing of the wearable wire feeder 200), the present disclosure is not limited to such an arrangement. For example, as described above, in some embodiments, the welding wire source can be provided as a separate physical component, which can be implemented to allow the use of a longer spool than a spool that is otherwise assembled in the housing. In such an embodiment, the welding wire source can be configured so that it can also be attachable or mountable, for example, attachable or mountable to a user, a fixed structure near a work site, etc. For example, the welding wire source can similarly include a suitable attachment component that can be configured to attach or mount the welding wire source to a belt system used by a user in a manner similar to that described herein, or can simply include a separate carrying or attachment component (e.g., a strap, etc.). For example, the welding wire source can be configured to be worn in a manner similar to a backpack. In this regard, because the welding wire source may be heavy, it may be more desirable to carry it on the back. Alternatively, the wire source may simply be configured for attachment or mounting to a structure or object, or simply placed on the floor nearby, with only the wearable wire feeder 200 (including only the wire feeding mechanism and other components) being carried by or attached to the user.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example engagement for engaging a wearable wire feeder during use of the wearable wire feeder. Referring to FIG. 5 , a wearable wire feeder 200 as described herein is shown when engaged to a band 410 as described with respect to FIG. 4 . In particular, FIG. 5 illustrates details of the engagement between a clip 420 and an attachment element 430 . In this regard, as can be readily seen from FIG. 5 , the attachment element 430 engages the clip 420 so that it (and the wearable wire feeder 200 as a whole) can rotate freely within the clip 420 , thereby allowing the bend radius to be maintained, or at least limiting any reduction in the bend radius, as described herein. Another advantage of an arrangement such as that shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 is that it can accommodate right-handed and left-handed users, because the wearable wire feeder 200 can be simply flipped when used by a left-handed user, wherein once the clip 420 is placed on the left side, the circular attachment element 430 can engage the clip in a manner substantially similar to that shown in FIG. 5 .

FIG6 shows an example use of a wearable wire feeder, demonstrating the repositioning capability of the wearable wire feeder. Referring to FIG6 , a wearable wire feeder 200 as described herein is shown. In particular, as shown in FIG6 , the wearable wire feeder 200 is coupled to a harness system (e.g., a strap 410 as described with respect to FIG4 , with shoulder straps).

As shown in Figure 6, the combination of the wearable wire feeder 200 and the strap system can allow the wearable wire feeder 200 to be repositioned, such as repositioning the wearable wire feeder 200 from the side (600) to the back (610), wherein the characteristics of the arrangement (e.g., the rotation ability of the attached wearable wire feeder 200, the length and flexibility of the welding torch connector, etc.) allow the welding torch to be used regardless of whether the wearable wire feeder 200 is on the side or on the back.

FIG. 7 shows an example use of a wearable wire feeder, demonstrating the limitation of the reduction of the bending radius of the welding torch connector when the wearable wire feeder is moved. Referring to FIG. 7 , a wearable wire feeder 200 as described herein is shown. In particular, as shown in FIG. 7 , the wearable wire feeder 200 is coupled to a harness system (e.g., a strap 410 as described with respect to FIG. 4 , with a shoulder strap). In particular, the wearable wire feeder 200 can be coupled to the harness system using a clip-based attachment as described with respect to FIG. 4 to FIG. 5 .

As shown in FIG7 , the combination of the wearable wire feeder 200 and the harness system can allow the wearable wire feeder 200 to move in one or more directions (e.g., rotate along a plane corresponding to the clip 420). Such movement (such as the ability of the wearable wire feeder 200 to rotate when the user moves his/her arm from a downward position (700) to an upward position (710), as shown in FIG7 ) can allow the radius of the bend of the welding torch connector to be maintained, or at least limit any reduction in the bend radius. Such maintenance of the bend radius (or at least limiting any reduction in it) can be helpful in ensuring that the welding wire is not bound or otherwise affected when it is fed from the wearable wire feeder 200 to the tip of the welding torch.

According to other embodiments of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable medium and/or storage medium, and/or a non-transitory machine-readable medium and/or storage medium may be provided, on which a machine code and/or a computer program having at least one code segment is stored, and the at least one code segment can be executed by a machine and/or a computer, so that the machine and/or the computer performs the process described herein.

Therefore, various embodiments according to the present disclosure can be implemented in hardware, software or a combination of hardware and software. The present disclosure can be implemented in a centralized manner in at least one computing system, or in a distributed manner with different elements spread over several interconnected computing systems. Any type of computing system or other device adapted to perform the method described herein is suitable. A typical combination of hardware and software can be a general-purpose computing system with a program or other code, which controls the computing system when loaded and executed so that the computing system performs the method described herein. Another typical implementation can include a specific application integrated circuit or chip.

Various embodiments according to the present disclosure may also be embedded in a computer program product comprising all the features enabling the implementation of the methods described herein and capable of carrying out these methods when loaded into a computer system. A computer program in this context refers to any expression in any language, code or symbol of a set of instructions intended to cause a system with information processing capabilities to perform specific functions, either directly or after either or both of the following processes: a) converted into another language, code or symbol; b) reproduced in a different material form.

Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to certain embodiments, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes may be made and may be replaced with equivalents without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the frames and/or components of the disclosed examples may be combined, divided, rearranged and/or otherwise modified. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt specific circumstances or materials to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, but the present disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (20)

1. A welding-type system, comprising:

A wire feeder device configured for operation in conjunction with a welding-type power supply unit and a welding-type welding torch;

wherein the wire feeder device is a component physically separate from both the welding-type power supply unit and the welding-type welding torch;

Wherein the wire feeder device comprises at least:

a welding wire source configured to provide a wire electrode;

A wire feed mechanism configured to feed the wire electrode from the wire source;

Wherein the wire feeder device is powered by the welding type power supply unit; and

Wherein the wire feeder device is configured to feed the wire electrode to the welding torch.

2. The welding-type system of claim 1 wherein the wire feeder device is configured to control the wire feeder based on control inputs received from the welding-type welding torch.

3. The welding system of claim 1, wherein the wire feeder device comprises a housing enclosing the wire feed mechanism, and wherein a source of welding wire is integrated or inserted within the housing.

4. The welding-type system of claim 1 wherein the wire feeder device comprises a housing enclosing the wire feeder mechanism, and wherein the source of welding wire is external to the housing.

5. The welding system of claim 4, wherein the wire feeder device comprises a coupling mechanism and/or connector for engaging the welding wire source.

6. The welding system of claim 1, wherein the welding wire source comprises a welding wire spool inserted within or coupled to the wire feeder device.

7. The welding-type system of claim 1 wherein the wire feeder device is configured for attachment or installation to a user of the welding-type system or to a stationary object or structure.

8. The welding-type system of claim 7 wherein the wire feeder device comprises an attachment element configured to enable or support attachment or installation of the wire feeder device.

9. The welding-type system of claim 7 wherein the attachment or installation of the welding-type system comprises use of a holster or strapping system, and wherein the wire feeder device is configured to engage the holster or strapping system.

10. The welding-type system of claim 9, wherein the strap or binding system comprises a strap or tie comprising or engaging a clip, and wherein the wire feeder device comprises an attachment element configured to engage the clip.

11. The welding-type system of claim 7 wherein the wire feeder device is configured to enable the attachment or mounting to be rotatable in one or more directions, axes, and/or planes.

12. The welding-type system of claim 11 wherein the wire feeder device is configured to enable the attachment or mounting to be rotated to prevent or limit a decrease in a bend radius of a connector used to feed the wire electrode to the welding-type welding torch.

13. The welding-type system of claim 7 wherein the wire feeder device is configured to enable repositioning of the attachment or installation.

14. The welding-type system of claim 7 wherein the welding wire source is a separate physical component, and wherein the welding wire source is configured for separate attachment or mounting to the user of the welding-type system, or to the same or another stationary object or structure.

15. The welding-type system of claim 1 wherein the welding-type system comprises a Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding-based system.

16. The welding-type system of claim 15 wherein the welding-type welding torch comprises a MIG gun.

17. A welding-type system, comprising:

A wire feeder device configured for operation in conjunction with a welding-type power supply unit and a welding-type welding torch;

Wherein the wire feeder device is a component physically separate from both the welding-type power supply unit and the welding-type welding torch;

Wherein the wire feeder device comprises at least:

a welding wire source configured to provide an aluminum electrode wire;

A wire feed mechanism configured to feed the aluminum electrode wire from the welding wire source;

wherein the wire feeder device is powered by the welding type power supply unit;

wherein the wire feeder device is configured to feed the aluminum electrode wire to the welding torch; and

Wherein the wire source is arranged such that a distance between the wire source and a nozzle of the welding torch is at least a predetermined minimum distance to reduce wire wobble that occurs during operation.

18. The welding-type system of claim 17 wherein the predetermined minimum distance is at least 3 feet for the aluminum electrode wire when the welding wire source comprises a welding wire spool.

19. The welding-type system of claim 17 wherein the welding-type system comprises a Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding-based system.

20. The welding-type system of claim 19 wherein the welding-type welding torch comprises a MIG gun.