Arc welding torch

Abstract

In the case of an arc welding torch device with a consumable electrode, the electrode in the arc welding torch device is guided in a replaceable wire core, the guide element surrounds the wire core and is designed as a replaceable wear part. In order to reduce the risk of kinking of the welding wire in the arc welding torch device that melts during the welding process, a kink protection device protruding from the arc welding torch device passes through the outer end cap of the arc welding torch device and is arranged between the outer end cap of the arc welding torch device and a wire feed device for the welding wire, which is provided to guide the welding wire therein.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an arc welding torch device with a consumable electrode, which electrode is provided with a movement direction starting from the rear end of the arc welding torch device so as to be fed in the front end direction of the arc welding torch device. In the area where the electrode melts during the arc welding process, the electrode in the arc welding torch device is guided in a replaceable wire core, and the wire core is arranged in the area of ​​the rear end of the arc welding torch device at least in a guide element surrounding the wire core and designed as a replaceable wearing part, and the guide element of the wire core is provided for replacement together with the wire core due to wear. Background Art

[0002] There are a number of different welding processes. The present invention is particularly relevant to arc welding. This is based on the heat generated by the electric arc between the welding electrode and the workpiece to be welded. Due to the heat generated, one or more materials to be welded can be melted locally. In almost all arc welding processes, a shielding gas is supplied to the arc region, on the one hand in order to form an ionized atmosphere between the welding electrode and the workpiece that reduces the electrical resistance, and on the other hand in order to prevent oxidation of the welding electrode and the workpiece. Instead of the inert gas provided here as shielding gas, reactive gases or mixed forms for the reaction can also be provided. Likewise, electrodes can be provided that do not require an external gas supply, since the substances required for this are integrated in the electrode and are released when the electrode melts.

[0003] Arc welding torches are typically designed so that a user or robot can direct a metal welding wire (also referred to as a metal filler material) to a designated joint on a target metal piece. The welding wire is delivered through the welding torch and ultimately through an opening in a contact nozzle at the process side end of the welding torch to the target metal piece.

[0004] When voltage is applied to the inner tube of the welding torch and when the welding wire is in contact with the target metal piece, a high current flows from the inner tube of the welding torch via the so-called nozzle holder, then through the contact nozzle, through the welding wire and possibly the arc to the target metal piece, and then to the ground. The high current and the arc cause the welding wire to melt in the shielding gas atmosphere, which causes the formation of welding wire droplets and the generation of an arc.

[0005] The arc melts the metal of the target metal piece and subsequently the welding wire. Due to the shedding of droplets of the welding wire during the short circuit or the transfer of droplets to the liquefied point of the target metal piece, they connect to each other. Due to the small distance of the contact nozzle and the gas nozzle to the arc or the heated target metal piece, these components are heated intensively. Due to the high thermal load, the contact nozzle is particularly subject to severe wear.

[0006] Conventional welding torch systems, in their front end part on the welding process side, usually consist mainly of a contact nozzle, a nozzle assembly and an external gas nozzle. These components are usually detachably mounted on the torch neck (outer tube, inner tube) and are thermally or electrically coupled to each other, or to other components of the torch neck, or are also insulated via contact surfaces, threads. However, the outer tube must be electrically separated from other live parts, because for safety reasons, no voltage can be applied there. The thermal coupling of the components attempts to dissipate the energy introduced into the contact nozzle or gas nozzle in the form of heat via the outer tube or inner tube as effectively as possible, thereby reducing the maximum temperature of the contact nozzle in order to minimize wear.

[0007] In the case of an arc torch device of a general type, a welding wire used as a consumable electrode and a shielding gas are usually supplied to the device in the rear end region of the arc torch device, provided that the corresponding welding process provides such a gas. The welding wire advances from its rear end through the interior of the arc torch device to the outlet at the front end, the process side end, according to the consumption. For this purpose, a known wire feeding device is arranged in the area of ​​the rear end, which feeds the welding wire, for example, through a pair of driven wheels and moves the welding wire through the interior of the arc torch device. In order to protect the arc torch device itself from wear due to the feeding movement of the welding wire, the welding wire is usually arranged in a so-called wire core. Therefore, the wear caused by the feeding movement of the welding wire mainly occurs in the wire core, and not on the parts of the housing of the arc torch device. The wire core is therefore worn, rather than the arc torch device itself. As a result, the wire core needs to be replaced from time to time.

[0008] Conventionally, for the wear-related replacement of the wire core, the welding torch must be dismantled, in particular and most importantly, the other rear end of the arc welding torch facing away from the end on the welding process side, which is located opposite the wire feeding device. This involves a lot of time for disassembling and assembling the arc welding torch device. Therefore, a solution is known from EP1658155B1, in which the replacement of the wire core is carried out from the end of the arc welding torch on the welding process side. In order to dismantle and remove the wire core, only the front end of the arc welding torch needs to be dismantled, the connection of the guide device for the wire core with the other parts of the arc welding torch must be loosened, and the guide device must be removed together with the wire core. The new wire core is then reinserted into the welding torch from the front together with the guide device, pushed into the rear end of the welding torch and the guide device is removably fixed in the arc welding torch.

[0009] Whether the wire core is changed from the front end or the rear end of the arc welding torch device, both solutions will cause the following problems: when the arc welding torch device is working, the welding wire may be kinked in the area directly between the welding wire feeding device (which is usually designed as a pair of rotating rollers) and the rear end of the arc welding torch assembly opposite to the welding wire feeding device. The welding wire pushed through the welding wire feeding device enters the latter through a narrow hole in the end cap of the arc welding torch device. If there is resistance, for example due to friction in the hole, this can cause the welding wire to deflect and kink outside the end cap. In order to solve this problem, the end face of the end cap is usually designed to be conical, so that the end cap can be slightly pushed into the funnel-shaped area between the two driving rollers. The slightly shortened area between the contact point of the driving roller with the welding wire and the entry point of the welding wire into the end cap (where the welding wire has not yet entered the wire core of the arc welding torch or the shielding wire) reduces the problem of kinking to a certain extent, but only slightly. The risk of kinking still exists, especially for very fine and soft welding wires involved in practice. Summary of the invention

[0010] The invention is therefore based on the object of proposing measures by which the risk of kinking of a molten welding wire, in particular an automatically fed welding wire, of an arc welding torch device during a welding process can be further reduced.

[0011] In an arc welding torch device of the type mentioned at the outset, this object is achieved according to the invention by an anti-kink device for the welding wire, which is guided in the device, which protrudes from the arc welding torch device and is arranged between an outer end cap of the housing of the arc welding torch device and a welding wire feeder. The kink protection device is to be passed through the end cap arranged at the rear end of the feeder wire.

[0012] The invention is therefore based on the idea of ​​associating the arc welding torch device with a further component or element, in addition to the component which closes its housing at the end, in particular the end cap, through which the welding wire passes in the rear end region of the arc welding torch device. This further component should preferably extend from the end cap in the direction of the wire feeder. Furthermore, this kink protection device, which is designed as an additional component or element, should have an outer radial extent which is as small as possible with respect to the longitudinal axis of the welding wire, in particular a significantly smaller radial extent in a plane perpendicular to the axes of rotation of the preferably two rollers of the wire feeder. Thus, the kink protection device can be arranged as close as possible to the contact point and the point of action of the wire feeder, which is usually designed as two counter-rotating rollers, with the welding wire, whereby the distance over which the welding wire is pushed and thus the distance over which it runs freely and unguided can be kept as short as possible. As a result, the tendency of the welding wire to kink in its unguided section due to the feeding movement can be significantly reduced.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, it can be provided that the kink protection device is detachably arranged in the arc welding torch device and passes through the end cap, and a part of the kink protection device protrudes from a recess in the end cap of the arc welding torch in the direction of the welding wire feeder. This allows a particularly simple arrangement, positioning and, if necessary, simple replacement of the kink protection device, the guide element and the wire core, provided that they are designed as a universal component as a whole. The recess in the end cap and / or the interior of the arc welding torch can be arranged to achieve a position-accurate and position-reliable arrangement of the kink protection, in particular by a shape fit between the kink protection device and, in particular, the housing of the arc welding torch device. In addition, the kink protection device in the arc welding torch device can be arranged as a single piece, removable and disassembled from the process side end, and a part of the kink protection device protrudes from a recess in the end cap of the arc welding torch device in the direction of the welding wire feeder.

[0014] In another preferred embodiment of the invention, in order to avoid kinking - especially with very thin and flexible wires - the outer side of the end cap on the arc welding torch device can also extend in a conical shape, so that the end cap can be arranged as close as possible to the roller of the wire feeding device. As an additional measure to reduce the risk of kinking of the welding wire, the recess in the kink protection device for feeding the welding wire through it and introducing the welding wire into the arc welding torch device can be provided with a bevel on the front side of its boundary wall. This helps to quickly and easily introduce the welding wire into the kink protection device in automatic and manual threading and also reduces the risk of kinking of the welding wire when feeding the welding wire during operation of the arc welding torch device. In addition, the cylindrical recess (together with the corresponding wire core) for the kink protection of the conveying welding wire can be matched to the respective wire diameter, which also has a good effect on preventing the welding wire from kinking. The matching should preferably at least be such that the diameter of the penetration recess is only slightly larger than the diameter of the welding wire. Similarly, the material of the kink protection device can be matched to the material of the welding wire, so that neither the welding wire is damaged nor excessive wear of the kink protection device occurs through appropriate material selection.

[0015] It can also be preferred that, for an arc welding torch device according to the invention, a plurality of kink protection devices of different structures can be used alternately and alternatively in the arc welding torch device. This makes it possible to react to different wire diameters and / or different wire materials without difficulty. Since welding wires and wire cores of this type usually have to be replaced anyway, this replacement can also be used to replace the kink protection device. Therefore, the kink protection device can be adjusted without the need for additional assembly or disassembly work. By such an adjustment, it can be considered that, for example, the diameter of the through-recess of the welding wire in the kink protection device (except for possible running-in bevels) should be only slightly larger than the diameter of the welding wire. It can also be considered that, for example, the material hardness of the material used for the kink protection device should be greater than the hardness of the welding wire material, so that the kink protection device has sufficient resistance to excessive wear. The hardness of the kink protection material should also not be too large to avoid being damaged by the axially moving welding wire. For those skilled in the art, possible and particularly suitable material pairs for welding wire and kink protection devices are known.

[0016] The replacement of the wire core and the receptacle formed on the guide element for arranging one end of the wire core can be combined particularly advantageously with the adaptation of the kink protection device to a specific welding wire, since the guide element and the kink protection device are designed as a universal component. This universal component is preferably formed together with the wire core as a component that can be replaced simultaneously as a whole or together as a single piece. This also opens up the possibility of introducing the universal component of the guide element and the anti-kink device into the housing together with the new wire core each time the wire core is replaced, which anti-kink device is more advantageous in terms of construction and is more suitable for the corresponding welding wire.

[0017] As already mentioned, it is further preferred in conjunction with the present invention that the kink protection device is an integral part of a component in which the wire core is arranged in the region of the end cap inside the arc welding torch device. In this way, a very precise matching of the wire guidance in the kink protection device and inside the arc welding torch device can be achieved in a particularly simple manner. Firstly, this solution offers the possibility of a transition-free and stepless design of at least one guiding surface for the welding wire, which extends from the kink protection device to the beginning or rear end of the wire core in the arc welding torch. Avoiding transitions in this at least one guiding surface also contributes to improving the kink protection in order to keep the resistance as low as possible when feeding the welding wire, thereby preventing the welding wire from kinking due to the forward movement. Finally, the one-piece design also results in a small number of required components that need to be assembled and stored as spare parts.

[0018] The kink protection device is preferably designed as a wearing part and can preferably be replaced together with the wear-related wire core replacement, preferably as a jointly replaceable component. It is particularly preferred that the kink protection device is designed as an integral component together with a guide element with a receptacle for the wire core end. The kink protection function can be further optimized in that the through-cut recess in the kink protection device for the welding wire is matched to the wire diameter. The material of the kink protection device can also be matched to the material of the welding wire. The preferably conical widening / bevel of the through-hole of the kink protection device on the end on the wire feed side also helps to avoid kinks. However, this widening / bevel also significantly improves the cleanliness and the most resistance-free entry of the welding wire during automatic threading.

[0019] In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, by means of which the kink protector can be mounted particularly quickly and can also be replaced, for example in the event of wear or damage, provision can be made for the kink protector to be arranged without being connected to the arc welding torch device. For example, a connectionless arrangement has the advantage that it can be assembled and replaced without tools. Despite the preferred connectionless arrangement of the kink protector on the arc welding torch, in order to achieve a positionally accurate and reliable arrangement of the kink protector on the arc welding torch device, provision can be made for the kink protector to be arranged in a predetermined position in the arc welding torch device due to the positive arrangement of the kink protector in the axial direction in the arc welding torch device.

[0020] In another particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, it can be provided that the kink protector is designed integrally with a receptacle for a wire core arranged in an arc welding torch device. This preferred design of the kink protector can be achieved, for example, in that a conical section is attached to a first cylindrical section of the kink protector with a smaller, preferably constant outer diameter, and then transitions to a third diameter with an outer diameter that is larger than the outer diameter of the first and second sections, but is also at least substantially constant. A recess opening at the end can be arranged in this third section, the inner diameter of which is large enough to accommodate the end region of the wire core and the welding wire guided therein. The welding wire preferably enters this one-piece component through an opening in the end face of the kink protector, which also realizes a recess with a constant diameter, which substantially corresponds to the diameter of the corresponding welding wire. This through-recess can preferably lead to a receptacle for the wire core. The welding wire is thus guided in the through-recess of the kink protector and directly enters the wire core from there.

[0021] In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the inner diameter of the through recess for the welding wire provided in the kink protector can be matched to the diameter of the welding wire, in which the welding wire is guided. The kink protector can be all or part of the same component as the recess of the guide element for the wire core. The material of the kink protector can also be adjusted to the material of the welding wire. The same or different materials can be provided, which causes as little damage to the welding wire as possible and as little wear of the kink protector as possible.

[0022] In conjunction with the present invention, the advantages of the present invention are particularly significant when a hollow shaft robot, such as one of the "Motoman" type, is used as a welding robot provided by the manufacturer Yaskawa Europe GmbH, 65760 Eschborn, Germany. In such a hollow shaft robot, the welding medium, such as welding wire, shielding gas and current, is realized substantially or at least approximately concentrically with the axis of rotation of a hollow shaft through a receiving portion, which is designed as a rotating driven hollow shaft to connect the arc welding torch to the robot. Disassembly of the arc welding torch itself and the robot holder is particularly laborious here. Such a hollow shaft robot and a particularly advantageous solution for an arc welding torch interacting with this hollow shaft robot are described, for example, in EP1689550B1. Their disclosure content is fully incorporated herein by reference.

[0023] A preferred arc welding torch of an arc welding torch device, intended to be arranged on a welding robot with a robot arm, can therefore have: a connection device, which is rotatable relative to the robot arm and has a fastening device for attaching the welding torch device to the welding robot; a receiving device for holding the welding torch and transmitting a driven rotational movement to the welding torch; an electrical connection for a welding current cable, by which the robot side of the welding torch device can be electrically connected to a welding power source; and a power transmission device, by which the welding current cable can be electrically connected to the torch side of the welding torch device. The current transmission device can have a stator, which is provided for a non-rotatable arrangement relative to the robot arm, but is rotatable relative to the connection device on the welding robot side. Furthermore, a through-channel of the stator is provided, through which at least one of the consumables required for the welding process can be carried in the direction of the receiving device, the receiving device and the fastening device being designed as a rotor, whereby they can rotate relative to the stator, and the receiving device and / or the fastening device can be connected to the stator in an electrically conductive manner via electrical contact devices, the fastening device of the rotor being designed for attachment to a connecting device of a robot, and due to the attachment to the connecting device of the robot, the rotation axis of the rotor is at least substantially aligned with the rotation axis of the connecting device of the robot, and the rotor can rotate around the rotation axis and the stator.

[0024] Furthermore, it can be preferred that, in the arc welding torch device according to the invention, a recess is provided which extends along the axis of rotation of the rotor and extends centrally (aligned) relative to the axis of rotation through the fastening device and through the receiving device, the inlet opening of the recess in the stator and the outlet opening of the recess in the rotor also being arranged centrally and therefore aligned relative to the axis of rotation. In this particularly preferred solution for a hollow shaft robot, the inlet in the arc welding torch for the welding medium from the welding cable is therefore positioned along the axis of rotation of the arc welding torch. The outlet opening for the welding medium from the rotor to leave and pass through the torch neck is also aligned with the axis of rotation of the rotor. Therefore, the entire recess preferably extends along the axis of rotation of the rotor and therefore also along the axis of the robot-side connection device, by which the rotational movement of the rotor around the stator is generated and transmitted from the robot to the rotor.

[0025] In such a preferred embodiment of the invention, the welding wire can thus be inserted into the arc welding torch device at the end of the wire feed side and pass through the wire core to the end of the arc welding torch on the process side. When the arc welding torch device is used, the welding wire is pushed in because the wire tip melts in the process area. The welding wire is thereby moved longitudinally through the entire arc welding torch device and in the case of a hollow shaft robot also through the connecting flange of the hollow shaft robot for the arc welding torch and through its stator. In order to replace the wire core and its components, the arc welding torch is preferably only slightly disassembled in the process side end area thereof, so that there is access to the process side end of the wire core, and then the wire core can be completely pulled out of the arc welding torch and its process end by hand. The arc welding torch device remains unchanged on the connecting flange of the hollow shaft robot and the worn and new wire cores and the associated components (preferably including the position signaling device and / or preferably including the kink protection device) move inside the arc welding and thus through the connecting flange. Therefore, even in the case of a hollow shaft robot, the wire core can be replaced very quickly and reliably.

[0026] In connection with the preferred one-piece construction of the component comprising the guide element for receiving one end of the wire core and the section where the welding wire enters the arc welding torch device on the wire feed side, particular advantages can be generated when the arc welding torch device is used on a hollow shaft robot. The wire core and the arc welding torch device components where the welding wire exiting the wire feed device first enters the arc welding torch device are usually wearing parts due to the relative movement of the welding wire in these components and therefore have to be replaced from time to time. Since in the solution according to the invention the wire core and the guide element receiving one end of the wire core are to be replaced together due to wear, it is very advantageous if the guide element and the kink protection device provided with the wire inlet and the wire run-through recess are formed in one piece and thus pulled out of the arc welding torch device together at the process-side end for replacement. In the case of a multi-component design of the component in question, this prevents the arc welding torch device from also having to be disassembled at the end on the wire feed side in order to replace the component due to wear, which receives the welding wire when the welding wire enters the arc welding torch device. This component can preferably be a kink protection device, which is advantageously formed as one piece with the receptacle for the wire core end.

[0027] Therefore, the kink protection device according to the invention has a particular advantage in connection with an automated welding process and a hollow shaft robot used therein, because this welding device results in a particularly narrow welding torch and an automatic welding torch machine, which has almost no interfering contour and therefore has good accessibility to the workpiece in which there is only a small space for the movement of the automatic welding machine. In the case of a hollow shaft robot, both the welding torch and the hose package for the welding torch are not offset in parallel and are arranged at a distance from the axis of rotation of the receiving flange of the robot of the arc welding torch. In the case of a hollow shaft robot, the arc welding torch is aligned with the axis of rotation of its stator relative to the stator and rotor concentric with the axis of rotation of the robot connecting flange, and the relative movement between the stator and the rotor of the arc welding torch can be generated by the robot. When welding aluminum workpieces, these conditions related to the accessibility of the components usually prevail. In order to be able to weld aluminum workpieces in an arc welding process, aluminum welding wires are usually also used, but these welding wires are relatively soft and may be easily kinked. Thus, with the invention in question, in particular in the case of workpieces made of relatively soft materials, such as in particular aluminum workpieces, the possible uses and functional reliability of an automatic arc welding system with unlimited rotation possibility of the welding torch in connection with a hollow-shaft robot can be further increased.

[0028] Further preferred embodiments of the invention are apparent from the claims, the description and the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The invention is explained in more detail with reference to an embodiment which is only schematically shown in the drawing, which shows:

[0030] Figure 1It is a preferred embodiment of an arc welding torch device together with a welding wire feeding device according to the present invention.

[0031] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the rear end area of ​​an arc welding torch device.

[0032] Figure 3 Is from Figure 2 Detailed breakdown of the diagram;

[0033] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a rear end of another embodiment of an arc welding torch device according to the present invention;

[0034] Figure 5 Is from Figure 4 Detailed breakdown of the diagram;

[0035] Figure 6 is a highly schematic diagram of an articulated arm robot considered as a welding robot;

[0036] Figure 7 is a highly schematic base cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a welding torch of an electric arc welding torch apparatus;

[0037] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 A more detailed view of the welding torch assembly;

[0038] Fig. 9 It is a cross-sectional view Figure 8 A stator of a welding torch device together with a sliding contact device;

[0039] Fig.10 yes Fig. 9 A side view of an assembly of

[0040] Fig.11 is an embodiment of a suitable articulated arm robot;

[0041] Fig.12 Is from Fig.11 Enlarged detail of midline A;

[0042] Fig.13 Is from Fig.10 Cross-sectional view of a sliding contact device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] Figure 1A preferred embodiment of an arc welding torch device 1 according to the invention is shown. The arc welding torch device 1 is intended for use in an automatic welding machine, such as a welding robot not shown in detail. The arc welding torch device 1 is arranged on an end manipulator of a robot not shown in detail, which end manipulator can move in different spatial directions, preferably in all spatial directions on any desired feed path. Thereby, the end manipulator can transport the arc welding torch 1 along its feed path and the arc welding torch 1 can produce a weld on a workpiece. The arc welding torch can in principle be designed in the same way as the arc welding torch disclosed and described in WO2005 / 049259A1, whereby there is a similarity with the arc welding torch 1. Figure 1 of the end region of the arc welding torch, which will be discussed below. Due to a non-absolutely necessary but particularly preferred embodiment of the arc welding torch 1, according to which it has an outer stator part and an inner rotor part and feeds and supplies the welding medium to the welding point at least essentially along and coaxially with the longitudinal axis of rotation 3 of the arc welding torch device and the end effector, the welding torch can be rotated continuously and twisting of the welding cable during the rotational movement can be avoided. It is explicitly pointed out that the arc welding torch shown and discussed herein is given only as an example of the present invention and that the present invention can in principle also be used with other types of arc welding torches, in particular with arc welding torch devices, whose specific structure differs from the structure of the arc welding torch device discussed below.

[0044] The arc welding torch device 1 shown merely as an example of the present invention is a welding torch 1 that operates according to a metal / shielding gas welding process. In this case, due to the consumption of the welding wire 7, the welding wire 7 that melts during the welding process is fed to the intended welding point and is continuously followed during the welding process. The welding wire 7 is usually conveyed through the interior of the welding torch 1, mainly through the sleeve 2, together with its wire core 8a and preferably an insulating layer surrounding the welding wire. In addition, a shielding gas is supplied to the welding point, usually also through the sleeve 2. In the present embodiment, the shielding gas is an inert gas; in other embodiments according to the present invention, an active gas or a mixture of the two can also be supplied as a shielding gas. In a preferred embodiment, the current is also introduced into the arc welding torch device 1 in the area of ​​the rear free end 6 of the arc welding torch device and reaches the welding or process point through the arc welding torch device, which is used to ignite the arc at the welding point of the arc welding torch device or in the area of ​​the welding process side end 5 and maintain it for the welding process. Therefore, the arc welding torch device 1 is connected to or provided with a welding power source (not shown) and a wire feeding device 12 when it is used. In a preferred embodiment, the welding wire and the shielding gas as well as the current can be fed to the arc welding torch at its power connection point via a welding cable known per se, in particular a coaxial welding cable. At the gas connection point of the arc welding torch device 1, the shielding gas is introduced into a pipe 9 inside the welding torch 1 for feeding the shielding gas from the connection point to the free end of the welding point. The current is also conducted from the welding cable through the welding torch 1 to the welding or process point. The current is also conducted inside the welding torch to the process point in a current-free manner outside the arc welding torch device 1.

[0045] Thus, the arc welding torch device 1 has a torch neck 4 connected to a hose package 2. The hose package 2 extends approximately from the rear end 6 of the arc welding torch device 1 to the torch at the front end 5 on the welding process side. Figure 2 ), several replaceable wear parts are arranged inside the arc welding torch 1, which will be discussed in more detail below.

[0046] exist Figure 2 In the cross-sectional view in FIG. 1 , the rear end 6 of the arc welding torch device 1 facing away from the welding process point and the related front open end 5 of the arc welding torch device 1 are shown together with two drive rollers 10, 11 of the wire feeding device 12. In this illustration, the welding wire 7 is shown between the two drive rollers 10, 11 whose peripheral surfaces are opposite to each other. The drive rollers 10, 11 are located directly opposite the rear end 6 of the arc welding torch device 1 facing away from the process point of the arc welding torch 1. The front end 6 of the approximately tubular sleeve ends in an end cap 14, which has a through hole 16 ( Figure 3), which is open towards the front outer end of the end cap 14. The end cap 14 is open towards the process-side end of the arc welding torch device and from there is provided with a stepped central recess 17 in the direction of the open through hole 16. The latter initially has a constant larger diameter 18, which merges into a constant diameter 19 of the recess which is smaller than it. The latter area in turn merges into the through hole 16. The inner circumferential surface of the smaller diameter portion 19 has an internal thread 19a. Similarly, the inner circumferential surface of the larger diameter area 18 also has an internal thread 18a. The latter extends all the way to the smaller diameter 19 until the transition.

[0047] The outer surface or sleeve surface of the end cap 14 has a section 14a, which widens conically from the end in the direction of the process point and merges into a section 14b of the sleeve surface with a constant diameter. With its end face 20 facing the process point, the end cap 14 abuts against an outer shoulder 21 of the sleeve 2 of the arc welding torch 1. The sleeve 2 extends into the region of the larger inner diameter 18 of the end cap 14 until the transition to the smaller diameter 19. The inner diameter 23 of the through recess of the sleeve 2 in the region of its front end corresponds to the smaller diameter 19 of the recess 17 of the end cap 14, so that the sleeve-shaped inlet body 25 and its outer sleeve surface can be accommodated in the jacket tube 2 at least substantially in a positive fit. In order to ensure the position of the sleeve-shaped inlet body 25 in the axial direction, the through recess 24 of the sleeve 2 has a shoulder 26 with a smaller inner diameter, which is provided as a stop for the inlet body 25.

[0048] In the region of the sleeve 2, a recess 28 or a radial circumferential groove is formed on the outer surface or outer jacket surface of the sleeve-shaped inlet body 25, which is intended to receive a sealing element 29 or a sealant, in particular an O-ring. The section of the outer surface of the inlet body 25 (which is located opposite the smaller diameter 19 of the recess of the end cap 14) has an external thread 30, which can be screwed into the internal thread 19a of the cylindrical circumferential surface of the section with the smaller diameter 19 of the recess 17 of the end cap 14.

[0049] The sleeve-shaped inlet body 25 is formed with a through recess 25a whose inner diameter is always constant. Only in the area where the guide element 32 (preferably not connected to the inlet body) is located in the through recess 25a of the inlet body 25, the recess 25a has an insertion portion 25b or a groove for arranging a sealing element 33 or a sealing device such as, in particular, an O-ring. Therefore, the sealing element arranged in the groove 25b of the inlet body 25 contacts the outer jacket surface of the guide body 32.

[0050] The inlet body 25 has a jacket surface with different sections that differ from one another primarily in the size of the outer diameter. In the embodiment shown, a first section of the jacket surface close to the rear end of the arc welding torch has an outer thread 30, by means of which the inlet body 25 is screwed into the inner thread 19a of the end cap 14 and is thereby releasably connected to the end cap 14. Towards the process-side end 5 of the arc welding torch device 1, the outer thread 30 is followed by an insert 35, followed by an unthreaded section 36 of the jacket surface, which has the same outer diameter as the threaded section 30. The unthreaded section 36 has a circumferential groove 28, in which, in the case of the embodiment shown, a further sealing element 29 (O-ring) can be accommodated.

[0051] In the direction of the process-side end 5, there follows another last section 37 of the jacket surface of the inlet body 25, which also has a constant but smaller outer diameter than the preceding sections. The shoulder 38 formed by the change in diameter between the last section 37 of the jacket surface and the section 36 preceding it causes a restriction of the insertion or rotation of the sleeve 2 on the inlet body.

[0052] The sleeve 2 in turn has an external thread 39 in its front end region on its outer sleeve surface, onto which the end cap 14 is screwed with its internal thread 18a. The screwing movement is limited by the end face 20 of the end cap 14 pushing against the shoulder 21 of the sleeve. Reaching this position can be a visual check solution for whether the end cap is correctly installed and tightened.

[0053] exist Figure 3 , the wire feed side or rear end 6 of the arc welding torch device 1 is shown in an exploded view and state, which is also produced when the wire core 8a is replaced. As can be seen here, the inlet body 25 is screwed into the end cap 14 during operation of the arc welding torch device 1. Likewise, all seals are inserted into their grooves and remain there even when the wire core is replaced. Figure 3In the illustration of , the sleeve 2 is not shown, which is connected to the end cap 14 unchanged by its common threaded connection and remains connected even during the replacement of the wire core 8a. In order to replace the wire core 8a, the arc welding torch of the processing side end 5 is first disassembled so that the wire core 8a and the guide element 32 can be pulled out of the processing side end 5 together. In the applicant's current arc welding torch, into which the invention described here will be integrated in the future, for example, the gas nozzle, the current contact nozzle and possible nozzle assembly can be removed from the arc welding torch and removed from the welding wire. Then, the wire core 8a can be pulled out of the arc welding torch from the process side end 5. Here, the guide body 32 located on the wire core 8a and connected to the wire core by a press fit is pulled out of the arc welding torch device 1 together with the wire core. The guide element (which is located in the recess of the end cap and the recess of the inlet body in this embodiment and is essentially not connected to these two components) can therefore be pulled out of the two components and the arc welding torch 1 together with the wire core 8a without additional effort (in particular without great effort). When the assembly is pulled out, only the relatively small retaining force acting via the O-ring on the sleeve surface of the guide element has to be overcome.

[0054] Then, a new wire core 8a can be arranged on the welding wire 7 with one of its two ends and inserted into the guide body 32 and arranged. Then, the guide body 32 can be pushed into the welding torch together with the wire core 8a and in a single operation on the welding wire 7, and thus also into the arc welding torch device 1. This insertion movement in the direction of the end cap 14 continues until the guide body 32, whose end 32a is on the end cap and serves as a position indicator, is completely guided through the open through-recess 16 of the end cap 14 and the end 32a of the guide element 32 protrudes outwardly outside the end cap 14. The ends of the guide element 32, which are arranged outside the arc welding torch device 1 and one of whose ends 32a is optically recognizable, provide a means of checking whether the guide body 32 and the wire core 8a are arranged in their predetermined target positions within the arc welding torch device 1 without additional technical effort. Because the guide body 32 is only sealed to prevent leakage of the shielding gas flowing in the arc welding torch device at its target position, the end 32a of the component of the guide body 32 visible outside the end cap 14 also provides an inspection method for determining whether the newly introduced wire core 8a and its guide body 32 are arranged so that the arc welding torch 1 is sealed to prevent leakage of the shielding gas from the end 6 of the arc welding torch 1 on the end cap.

[0055] The component of the guide body 32 has a cylindrical end region section 32a which, in its position of use on the arc welding torch 1, faces the wire feed device and, in this embodiment, is elongated and has a constant outer diameter. The end region section 32a merges into a section 32b which expands conically toward the end 5 on the processing side and in turn adjoins a cylindrical section 32c with a larger (preferably constant) outer diameter. Figure 2 and3 In the embodiment of the present invention, the section 32c has a shoulder with a slightly reduced outer diameter. When it is inserted into the arc welding torch device 1, the guide body 32 is first inserted into the inlet body 25 with its end region 32a. Since the front outer diameter of the section 32c in the insertion direction corresponds approximately to the inner diameter of the through-recess 25a of the inlet body 25, the guide body is guided within the inlet body during its feeding movement. As a result, the end region portion 32a is also aligned in the correct position and is therefore arranged concentrically around the longitudinal axis 3 and can be inserted into the through-recess 16 of the end cap 14. Since the end region portion 32a has a constant outer diameter that is only slightly smaller than the diameter of the through-recess 16, the end region portion 32a can be completely inserted into the through-recess and a portion of the end region portion 32a can be led out of the through-recess 16 of the end cap. Thus, this part of the end region section, which may be referred to as position indicator, is recognizable from the outside in its end position in the welding torch 1 and is located relatively close to the point of application of the wire feeder, where the feeding movement is applied to the welding wire 7. This position indicator can be used for signaling that the guide body and the wire core 8a are correctly positioned inside the arc welding torch, which is visually perceptible from the outside.

[0056] The one-piece component of the guide body 32 is provided with a through-recess 34 which in the region of the end region section 32a has a preferably constant diameter which is only slightly larger than the diameter of the welding wire used in this case. In the region of the section 32c with the larger outer diameter, the through-recess 34 has a larger but also constant diameter, whereby the rear end of the wire core 8a can be arranged in this region of the through hole. The inner diameter of the recess 34 in this region corresponds approximately to the outer diameter of the wire core. Due to the change in the diameter of the through-recess 34, the wire core 8a rests with its front end against the shoulder 34a. The one-piece nature of the guide body 32 provides good guiding properties for the welding wire 7 in the guide body 32, with a minimum risk of the welding wire 7 getting stuck and thus kinking during its movement.

[0057] Chamfering the opening of the through-recess 34 in the region of the end face of the end region 32a of the guide body can help prevent the welding wire 7 from getting stuck on or in the guide body 25 during the feeding movement and help facilitate the introduction of the welding wire end into the guide body 25.

[0058] It is also possible to provide different guide elements 32, wherein different diameters of through-cutouts 34 are provided for different welding wires. Such a system can have, in particular, identical guide bodies in terms of their geometry, but which differ in the diameter of the respective through-cutouts 34 and possibly in the material used for the guide elements, whereby an adaptation to the respective material of the welding wire can be carried out in an advantageous manner.

[0059] The end 32a of the part of the guide element 32, in which the welding wire 7 is guided, protrudes from the end cap 14, also shortening the free and unguided length of the welding wire between the wire feeding device and the arc welding torch device 1. Due to the smaller outer diameter of the end of the part of the guide 32 compared to the front end of the end cap, the guide part protruding from the arc welding torch device can be arranged closer to the contact point of the welding wire with the two feeding rollers of the welding wire feeding device. As a result, the welding wire is received earlier by the part of the guide element and guided by it, which reduces the risk of kinking of the welding wire. The section of the part of the guide element with the smaller outer diameter, which is guided through the end cap 14 and protrudes from the end cap 14, can be called a kink protector.

[0060] The invention is also advantageous in that, unlike before, the end cap 14 neither guides nor contacts the welding wire 7 or the wire core 8a, and therefore the usually complex end cap 14 is no longer a wearing part.

[0061] exist Figure 4 and Figure 5 In the diagram of FIG. , another preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. This is largely similar to Figures 1 to 3 The preferred embodiments of the invention are the same, which is why only the differences will be discussed below to avoid repetition. Figures 1 to 3 The above description is also incorporated by reference into Figure 4 and Figure 5 In the embodiment of .

[0062] According to Figure 1-Figure 3 The main difference of the embodiment of the arc welding torch device of the invention is that the guide element 32 has (only) one section 32c with a larger diameter, which continues after its conical section 32b in the direction of the process-side end of the welding torch with a constant diameter. In this preferred embodiment, the diameter of the guide element after the conical section on the sleeve surface does not increase - and viewed in the direction of the process-side end - which can be used for form-fitting and / or force-fitting retention of the guide element. Furthermore, in this preferred embodiment, there is no sealing element (such as from Figure 2 and Figure 3 A sealing element 33 of another embodiment of the present invention rests against the outer circumference of the section 32 c having a constant diameter. Therefore, there is also no sealing element between the inlet body 25 and the guide element 32, which sealing element could exert a retaining force on the guide element 32 on the guide element 32. This is advantageous in particular when replacing the wire core 8a, since due to the lack of retaining force on the guide element 32, the wire core and the guide element can be removed from the arc welding torch device towards the process side end more easily (i.e. with less effort). However, since the arc welding torch device according to the invention has a signaling device by means of which the correct position can be checked, an additional retaining force is not absolutely necessary, preferably during the entire use of the arc welding torch with the specific wire core.

[0063] exist Figure 6-Figure 13 In particular, an articulated arm robot 101 is shown, since it has been used in many ways. The articulated arm robot 101 is designed as a so-called hollow axis robot, which is particularly suitable for use in combination with the present invention. Such a suitable robot can be, for example, a robot of the AR or MA series, which is provided by Yaskawa Europe GmbH, 65760 Eschborn. The robot has a frame part 102 and an arm 103 arranged thereon and having a plurality of joints 104. The free end 105 of the arm of the articulated arm robot 101 can therefore travel along any three-dimensional motion path.

[0064] At the free end 105 of the arm 103, the robot is provided with a connection flange 106 of a connection device for receiving a welding torch 107 ( Figure 6 ). The connecting flange 106 can perform a motor-driven rotational movement about the rotation axis 108 and relative to the last link of the arm 103. Figure 6 In FIG. 1 , a spacer block is drawn in front of the burner, which serves as an extension of the connecting flange 106 of the robot and can be provided as an option but not a necessity.

[0065] Figures 7 to 10 The arc welding torch 107 shown in more detail in FIG. 1 has a fastening device 109 and a receiving device 110 ( Figure 7 ). A fastening device 109 is provided to connect the welding torch 107 to the connecting flange 106 of the robot arm 103 in a detachable but non-rotatable manner. In contrast, the receiving device 110 is used together with the contact device to receive the welding torch neck 111 of the welding torch 107 and to transmit the welding current to the welding torch neck 111, which will be explained in more detail below. Since the receiving device 110 can be non-rotatably connected to the connecting flange 106 of the robot via the fastening device 109 in a manner that will be explained in more detail below, the robot performs a rotational movement, the receiving device 110 and the fastening device 109 are also collectively referred to as part of the rotor, which can perform such a rotational movement around the rotation axis 108 by a driven movement of the connecting flange. For this purpose, the rotor is non-rotatably connected to the connecting flange, in particular detachably connected.

[0066] With respect to the last link of the robot arm 103, to which the connecting flange 106 is attached, the rotor can rotate about the axis 108. The robot shown in the figure has a total of six driven axes, this number being only an example of a possible use of an arc welding torch. In connection with the arc welding torch according to the invention, articulated arm robots with a different number of driven motion axes can also be used.

[0067] The last link of the fixed stator and robot arm 103, located on the inner side opposite the rotor, has a tubular through-channel 114, which is arranged centrally in the welding torch device and has a cylindrical recess 115. The longitudinal axis 116 of the recess 115 is aligned with the rotation axis 108 of the connecting flange 106. The through-channel 114 extends approximately over the entire length of the fastening device and the receiving device. An external thread 117 is provided at the upper end of the through-channel 114 on the robot side as an electrical connection, and a coaxial cable 118 ( Figure 6 and Figure 7 ) can be detachably attached by screwing onto the thread. In addition to the thread 117 through the passage, a cone 119 ( Figure 8 ), as a conductive contact between the welding current cable 118a of the coaxial cable 118 and the through-channel 114. In the case of such a coaxial cable 118, the welding current cable 118a having an outer insulating portion 118b is coaxially arranged around the central passage 118c. The central passage 118c can be used to feed the welding wire 7 to the welding torch by a feeding motion and allow the shielding gas to flow to the front end of the welding torch 107.

[0068] In the end region on the torch side (lower region in the illustration), the through-channel 114 is surrounded by a bell-shaped segment 123 ( Figure 8 and Fig. 9 ), which has a circular cross section and is electrically conductively connected to the through-channel 114. In this embodiment, the bell-shaped segment 123 is connected to the through-channel 114 as a single piece. A contact device 124, which has a slip ring 125 arranged in the bell-shaped segment, is arranged substantially inside the bell-shaped segment 123 on the through-channel 114. The contact device 124 has a sliding surface 126, which is formed on an end face on the slip ring 125. On the one hand, the sliding surface 126 is loaded with force by a compression spring 127, which acts parallel to the longitudinal axis 116 of the through-channel 114. The compression spring 127 is supported on the inner side of the bell-shaped segment 123 of the stator and presses the sliding surface 126 against the likewise substantially annular surface of the connecting bell 135. The annular surface of the connecting bell 135 and the sliding surface 126 are both parts of the contact device 124 and are each arranged concentrically around the longitudinal axis 108 , 116 and are traversed by the continuation of the recess 115 .

[0069] Between the slip ring 125 and the interior of the bell-shaped section 123 there is a contact lamellae 145 which establishes the electrical contact between the slip ring 125 and the bell-shaped section 123. The spring action of the contact lamellae 145 has the effect of establishing the electrical contact between the slip ring 125 and the inner surface 133 of the bell-shaped section 123. The material of the slip ring 125 is a good electrical conductor, for example copper or a copper alloy. The contact lamellae 145 can preferably be silver-plated accordingly to ensure particularly good current transmission. The side of the slip ring 125 facing away from the compression spring 127 and its sliding surface 126 ( Fig. 9 ) is designed as a stationary component and as part of the stator and serves as an electrical transition to the rotor, which is rotatable about the longitudinal axis 108 and to which the connecting bell 135 belongs.

[0070] Therefore, the bell-shaped member 135 ( Figure 8 ) adjoins the slip ring 125 in the direction of the longitudinal axis 116 of the through-channel 114 and in the direction of the torch side end, which is also electrically conductive due to the preferably silver-plated surface. The through-channel 114, the slip ring 125 and the connecting bell 135 have aligned central holes, which are generally part of a central recess 115 extending along the longitudinal axis 108.

[0071] Thus, the compression spring 127 presses on the slip ring 125, which in turn presses via its sliding surface 126 on the connecting bell 135, and the latter is therefore always in contact, in particular in electrically conductive contact, with the sliding surface 126. The connecting bell 135 is additionally fixed with respect to its axial position on the through-channel by means of a ring 148. Furthermore, the connecting bell 135 is matched and axially centered via a conical silver-plated inner surface with a conical outer surface of a "brass flange with bushing" 149. Furthermore, in the groove 150 of the slip ring 125, a seal 136 is located between the bell element 123 of the stator and the slip ring 125, whereby the gas-tightness of the bell element 123 on the slip ring 125 as part of the stator can be ensured.

[0072] A "bushed brass flange" 149, which mates via a cone with a preferably silver-plated connection bell 135, is screwed via a plastic insulating sleeve 151 to a fastening element 152, which is part of the fastening device and serves as a counterpart to the welding torch connection.

[0073] In this embodiment, the housing 141, the end cap 142 adjacent to one end of the housing 141, and the cover 154 adjacent to the other end of the housing 141 in the direction of the welding torch neck 111 are designed as plastic parts. In this embodiment, the housing 141 also includes a fastening device 109 for fastening the connecting flange 106 to the hollow shaft robot together with the cover 154 and the closing cover 142, and electrically closing and isolating the internal structure. The receiving device 110 of the welding torch is made of a metallic conductive material, but it is also separated from the current-carrying parts via a plastic sleeve 151 with a flange as an insulator. The receiving device 110 of the welding torch passes through the plastic housing 141 and the cover 154 accordingly.

[0074] The fastening device 109, which is implemented as part of the plastic housing 141, is non-rotatably but detachably connected to the connecting flange of the robot 106. The receiving device 110 of the welding torch, to whose fastening element 152 the welding torch can be releasably connected in a rotationally fixed manner, is also non-rotatably connected to the plastic housing 141. In principle, the housing 141 located outside the welding torch is a component of the rotor of the arc welding torch. This rotor is arranged concentrically with the internal stator of the arc welding torch relative to the rotation axis 108 and can rotate about the rotation axis due to the motor-driven rotational movement of the connecting flange 106 of the robot relative to the internal stator. In contrast, when the rotor moves with the robot-side connecting flange 106, the stator is stationary and does not rotate with it. In this embodiment, this fixed arrangement relative to the connecting flange 106, the fastening device 109 and the rotor can be realized as a whole, for example, the welding cable is fastened to the thread 117 of the through-channel 114 and fixed in its rotational position due to the torsional rigidity of the welding cable. In other embodiments of the invention, an additional rotational locking of the stator on the robot can also be provided.

[0075] This makes it possible to transmit the rotary drive movement of the connecting flange 106 of the robot to the welding torch via the plastic housing 141 with the aid of a fastening ring 153 and a fastening element 152 arranged in the housing 141. However, the stator does not perform this rotary movement, since it is rotationally fixed to the robot arm via a coaxial cable 118 (and possibly via other fastening means). However, the resistance to torsion presented by such a cable 118 is already sufficient to fix the stator, but a small part of the torque of the drive movement may not be transmitted to the stator via the bearing 143 due to friction torques that cannot be completely excluded. In the illustrated embodiment, the stator has at least the components, the through-channel 114 and the slip ring 125 and the compression spring 127. The rotor is mounted on the stator via a bearing 143, in this embodiment a ball bearing.

[0076] The plastic housing 141 is closed toward the welding torch with a cover 154 covering the fastening ring 153. The housing 141 is covered toward the welding torch cable with a closing cover 142. If it appears necessary, the stator can also be additionally fixed to a rotationally fixed part of the robot, for example via the closing cover 142.

[0077] The current required for the welding process flows from the welding current cable 118a, which is connected to the through-channel 114 of the stator via a threaded connection on the external thread 117 and continues in the stator to the bell section 123. There is a contact lamella 145, via which the current is transmitted to the slip ring 125, which also belongs to the stator. The current is transmitted to the silver-plated connecting bell 135 via the sliding contact between the sliding surface 126 and the connecting bell 135. The connecting bell 135 is part of the rotor and rotates with the housing 141 around the axis of rotation 108 with the driven rotational movement of the connecting flange 106. The connecting bell 135 has a conical, likewise silver-plated surface 137 on one inner surface, which matches the counter-cone of the brass flange 149 with the bushing and thus has a tight press fit and thus has good power transmission properties. In the brass bushing 149 there is another electrically conductive contact foil 155X6, by means of which the welding current is transmitted to the welding torch via the inserted inner tube. The welding torch is fastened via a fastening element 152 insulated from the inner tube.

[0078] The shielding gas can flow to the torch neck 111 via the coaxial cable 118 through the recess 115 of the through-channel 114. The welding wire 7 can also be fed to the torch neck 111 in the same way and pushed each time. If desired, a data cable (not shown) can be integrated into the coaxial cable 118.

[0079] List of reference numerals

[0080] 1 Arc welding torch 25b Insert / slot

[0081] 2 Sleeve 26 Shoulder

[0082] 3 Longitudinal axis 28 Insert / slot

[0083] 4 Torch neck 29 Sealing element

[0084] 5 Welding process side end 30 (25) external thread

[0085] 6 Rear end 32 Guide element

[0086] 7 Welding wire 32a End / end region

[0087] 8a Wire core 32b Conical section

[0088] 9 Pipe 32c section

[0089] 10 Drive roller 33 Sealing element

[0090] 11 Driving roller 34 penetrates the recessed portion

[0091] 12 Wire feeding device 34a Shoulder

[0092] 13 housing 35 insert

[0093] 14 End cap 36 Unthreaded section

[0094] 14a Conical section 37 Small diameter section

[0095] 14 Cylindrical section

[0096] 16 Open hole 38 Shoulder

[0097] 17 Stepped central recess 39 (2) External thread

[0098] 101 Articulated Robot

[0099] 18 Larger diameter 102 frame

[0100] 18a Internal thread 103 Arm

[0101] 19 Small diameter 104 joints

[0102] 19a Internal thread 105 Free end

[0103] 20 face 106 connection flange

[0104] 21 Outer shoulder 107 Welding torch

[0105] 23 2 Inner diameter 108 Rotation axis

[0106] 24 2 through recessed portion 109 fastening device

[0107] 25 Sleeve-shaped inlet body 110 Receiving device

[0108] 25a through the recessed portion 111 welding torch neck

[0109] 114 through passage 136 seal

[0110] 114a Longitudinal groove 137 Flange surface

[0111] 115 recessed portion 141 plastic housing

[0112] 116 longitudinal axis 142 closing cover

[0113] 117 External thread 142a hole

[0114] 118 Coaxial cable 143 Bearing

[0115] 118a Welding current cable 145 Contact sheet

[0116] 118b External insulation 148 Ring

[0117] 118c Passage 149 Brass flange with bushing

[0118] 119 cone 150 (126) groove

[0119] 123 bell section 151 plastic sleeve

[0120] 124 contact device 152 fixing element

[0121] 125 Slip ring 153 Fastening ring

[0122] 126 Slip surface 154 Cover

[0123] 127 Compression spring 155 Contact sheet

[0124] 129 Depression

[0125] 130 Compression spring

[0126] 133 Inner surface

[0127] 134 Slippery Surface

[0128] 135 Connecting bell (silver plated)

Claims

1. An arc welding torch device with a consumable electrode, wherein the electrode is provided with a movement direction advancing from the rear end of the arc welding torch device to the front end of the arc welding torch device, wherein in the area where the electrode melts during the arc welding process, the electrode in the arc welding torch device is guided in a replaceable wire core, and the wire core is arranged at least in a guide element in the area of ​​the rear end of the arc welding torch device, the guide element surrounds the wire core and is designed as a replaceable wear part, the guide element of the wire core is provided for replacement together with the replacement related to the wear of the wire core, the arc welding torch device is characterized by a kink protection device for the welding wire, wherein the welding wire is guided in the kink protection device, wherein the kink protection device protrudes from the arc welding torch device, is guided through the front-mounted outer end cap of the arc welding torch device and is arranged between the outer end cap of the arc welding torch device and a wire feeding device guiding the welding wire.

2. The arc welding torch device according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The kink protector is detachably arranged in the arc welding torch device and sections of the kink protector protrude from recesses in the end cap of the arc welding torch device.

3. The arc welding torch device according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The kink protection device is formed as an integral piece with a receiving portion of a wire core arranged in the arc welding torch device.

4. The arc welding torch device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized in that The kink protection device is arranged without the need for connection on the arc welding torch device.

5. The arc welding torch device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized in that Due to the positive arrangement of the kink protection device in the axial direction of the arc welding torch device, the kink protection device is arranged at a predetermined position in the arc welding torch device.

6. The arc welding torch device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized in that At least one section of the kink protector is sleeve-shaped.

7. The arc welding torch device according to claim 6, It is characterized in that The at least one section of the kink protector is a section of the kink protector that is within the end cap and protrudes from the end cap.

8. The arc welding torch device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized in that The maximum outer diameter of the kink protector protruding from the through hole is smaller than the diameter of the through hole of the end cap.

9. The arc welding torch device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized in that The kink protection device, the guide element and the wire core are designed as a component that can be replaced together through the front end of the arc welding torch device.

10. The arc welding torch device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is provided for being arranged on a welding robot having a robot arm, wherein a connection device rotatable relative to the robot arm is provided on the robot arm, and the arc welding torch device include: a fastening device for attaching the welding torch device to the welding robot; a receiving device for holding a welding torch and transmitting a driven rotational motion to said welding torch; an electrical connection for a welding current cable, by which the robot side of the welding torch device can be electrically connected to a welding current source; a current transmission device, via which the welding current cable can be electrically connected to the welding torch side of the welding torch device, the current transmission device having a stator, which is arranged opposite to the robot arm for a non-rotatable arrangement but is relatively rotatable relative to the welding robot-side connection device; a channel of the stator, through which at least one of the consumables required for the welding process can be passed in the direction of the receiving device; The receiving device and the fastening device are designed as a rotor, so that the receiving device and the fastening device are rotatable relative to the stator, and the receiving device and / or the fastening device can be connected to the stator in an electrically conductive manner via electrical contact devices, the fastening device of the rotor is designed for attachment to the connecting device of the robot, and due to the attachment to the connecting device of the robot, the rotation axis of the rotor is at least substantially aligned with the rotation axis of the connecting device of the robot and the rotor can rotate around the rotation axis and the stator.

11. The arc welding torch device according to claim 10, It is characterized in that A recessed portion extending along the rotation axis of the rotor, the recessed portion extending through the fastening device (109) and the receiving device (110) and centered relative to the rotation axis, the inlet opening of the recessed portion in the stator and the outlet opening of the recessed portion in the rotor also being arranged centered relative to the rotation axis.

12. The arc welding torch device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized in that Due to the sealing element (33) designed as an O-ring seal, a retaining force acts on the guide element, which retaining force must be overcome when disassembling the guide element and the kink protector.

13. The arc welding torch device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized in that The inlet body (25) is provided with a recess (25b) or a groove on the inner side surface, a sealing element (33) is arranged in the recess or the groove, and the sealing element (33) is also in contact with the outer side surface of the guide element (32).

Images