Electrode connection assembly and welding gun containing the same

Abstract

The present invention discloses an electrode connection assembly and a welding gun including the same, comprising a cathode conductor, an insulating sleeve partially sleeved on the exterior of the cathode conductor, and an outer sleeve threadedly engaged with the rear end of the insulating sleeve. A metal protective sleeve is further sleeved on the exterior of the cathode conductor to prevent contact between the cathode conductor and the insulating sleeve. The rear end of the metal protective sleeve is located behind the insulating sleeve, and the front end of the metal protective sleeve is located in front of the cathode conductor and behind the insulating sleeve. The thickness d of the metal protective sleeve is less than 0.2 mm. In the present invention, a metal protective sleeve is disposed between the cathode conductor and the insulating sleeve. After being heated and melted, the insulating sleeve only adheres to the exterior of the metal protective sleeve. The metal protective sleeve and the insulating sleeve can be removed together without affecting the normal use of the cathode conductor. Furthermore, the metal protective sleeve is relatively thin, so the inner wall of the insulating sleeve only needs to be slightly thinned to accommodate the metal protective sleeve, minimizing the impact on the insulating effect and strength of the insulating sleeve.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of welding gun design, and in particular to an electrode connection assembly and a welding gun comprising the same. Background Art

[0002] In traditional welding guns, an insulating sleeve is placed directly over the front of the cathode conductor. This sleeve must meet certain strength and insulation requirements, so it must be made of insulating materials and must be of a minimum thickness. Since the welding gun head reaches extremely high temperatures during operation, typically reaching around 300°C, and the sleeve is located close to the gun tip, a standard PP sleeve could melt and adhere to the cathode conductor, making it difficult to remove. Once the sleeve adheres to the cathode conductor, both the cathode conductor and the outer casing securing it must be replaced, resulting in extremely high repair costs.

[0003] In order to increase the service life of the welding gun, the only way currently is to improve the material specifications of the insulating sleeve, such as using plastic materials produced by DuPont in the United States or ceramic materials. This will increase the cost of the insulating sleeve by 6-7 times, and there is no guarantee that the insulating sleeve will not stick to the cathode conductor after long-term use.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to design an electrode connection assembly that can increase the service life of the cathode conductor, reduce costs, and not reduce the insulation effect and the strength of the insulation sleeve. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to solve the technical problem in the prior art that in the welding and cutting gun, the insulating sleeve is directly put on the cathode conductor, and the insulating sleeve is easily melted and adhered to the cathode conductor, resulting in the cathode conductor and the shell fixed thereto needing to be replaced as a whole, resulting in extremely high maintenance costs, the present invention provides an electrode connection assembly and a welding and cutting gun including the same to solve the above problem.

[0006] The present invention proposes an electrode connection assembly, comprising a cathode conductor, an insulating sleeve partially sleeved on the outside of the cathode conductor, and an outer sleeve threadedly engaged with the rear end of the insulating sleeve; the cathode conductor is further sleeved with a metal protective sleeve to prevent the cathode conductor from contacting the insulating sleeve, the rear end of the metal protective sleeve being located behind the insulating sleeve, the front end of the metal protective sleeve being located in front of the cathode conductor and behind the insulating sleeve, and the thickness d of the metal protective sleeve being less than 0.2 mm.

[0007] Furthermore, the axial distance difference a between the front end surface of the metal protective sleeve and the front end surface of the cathode conductor is 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm.

[0008] Furthermore, the cathode conductor includes a front insulating connecting section sleeved with the insulating sleeve and a rear insulating connecting section sleeved with the outer sleeve, and the diameter of the front insulating connecting section is smaller than that of the rear insulating connecting section.

[0009] The metal protective sleeve is sleeved outside the front insulating connecting section, and the rear end of the metal protective sleeve has a flange, which abuts against the connecting end surfaces of the rear insulating connecting section and the front insulating connecting section.

[0010] Furthermore, the diameter of the flange is smaller than the inner diameter of the outer sleeve.

[0011] Furthermore, an annular insulating pad is provided between the contact surfaces of the insulating sleeve and the outer sleeve, the inner diameter of the annular insulating pad is smaller than the outer diameter of the flange, the outer diameter of the annular insulating pad is larger than the outer diameter of the flange, and the rear end face of the annular insulating pad is an inclined surface that gradually tilts forward from the inner surface to the outer surface.

[0012] Furthermore, the inner circumferential surface of the insulating sleeve has an annular step surface, and the front end of the metal protective sleeve abuts against the annular step surface.

[0013] Furthermore, the metal protective sleeve is made of brass.

[0014] The present invention also provides a welding gun, comprising the electrode connection assembly described above.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0016] (1) The electrode connection assembly and the welding gun containing the same described in the present invention are provided with a metal protective sleeve between the cathode conductor and the insulating sleeve. The metal protective sleeve is movably connected to the cathode conductor. After the insulating sleeve is heated and melted, it will only adhere to the outside of the metal protective sleeve. The metal protective sleeve and the insulating sleeve can be taken out together without affecting the normal use of the cathode conductor. At the same time, the thickness of the metal protective sleeve is relatively thin. When the size of the cathode conductor remains unchanged, the inner wall of the insulating sleeve only needs to be thinned a little to accommodate the metal protective sleeve, thereby minimizing the impact on the insulation effect and strength of the insulating sleeve.

[0017] (2) In the electrode connection assembly and the welding gun including the same described in the present invention, the metal protective sleeve isolates the cathode conductor and the insulating sleeve, and the size of the metal protective sleeve exceeding the cathode conductor is controlled within a specified range to avoid the metal protective sleeve affecting the insulating effect of the insulating sleeve. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples.

[0019] Figure 1 is an exploded schematic diagram of a specific embodiment of the electrode connection assembly of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2is a connection diagram of a specific embodiment of the electrode connection assembly of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Enlarged view of point b in the middle;

[0022] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 Enlarged view of point e in the middle.

[0023] In the figure, 1, cathode conductor, 101, front insulating connecting section, 102, rear insulating connecting section, 2, insulating sleeve, 201, annular step surface, 3, outer sleeve, 4, metal protective sleeve, 401, flange, 5, annular insulating gasket, 501, inclined surface, 6, shoulder. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The following describes embodiments of the present invention in detail. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended only to explain the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0025] Example 1

[0026] like Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, an electrode connection assembly includes a cathode conductor 1, an insulating sleeve 2 partially sleeved around the exterior of the cathode conductor 1, and an outer sleeve 3 threadedly engaged with the rear end of the insulating sleeve 2. The insulating sleeve 2 and outer sleeve 3 encase the cathode conductor 1, providing insulation and protection. A metal protective sleeve 4 is also provided over the cathode conductor 1 to prevent contact between the cathode conductor 1 and the insulating sleeve 2. The metallic properties of the metal protective sleeve 4 result in a higher melting point than the insulating sleeve 2, which is made of an insulating material, preventing melting. For example, the metal protective sleeve 4 can be made of brass, which is inexpensive, has a high melting point, and exhibits excellent resistance to thermal deformation. The rear end of the metal protective sleeve 4 is located behind the insulating sleeve 2, while the front end of the metal protective sleeve 4 is located in front of the cathode conductor 1 and behind the insulating sleeve 2. The rear end of the insulating sleeve 2 is located in the middle of the cathode conductor 1, while the front end is located in front of the cathode conductor 1. When the insulating sleeve 2 melts due to heat, the melted rear end of the insulating sleeve 2 adheres to the metal protective sleeve 4 behind it and does not flow backward onto the cathode conductor 1. At the front end of the cathode conductor 1 , since the metal protective cover 4 extends forward to cover the cathode conductor 1 , the insulating cover 2 will not stick to the front end of the cathode conductor 1 .

[0027] To prevent the added metal protective sleeve 4 from affecting the insulation performance and compressive strength of the insulating sleeve 2, the structural dimensions of the metal protective sleeve 4 must be strictly controlled. First, the metal protective sleeve 4 must be as thin as possible. If the dimensions of the cathode conductor 1 remain unchanged, the insulating sleeve 2 only needs to be slightly thinned to install the metal protective sleeve 4. The impact on the insulation performance and compressive strength of the insulating sleeve 2 can be negligible. Testing has shown that a thickness d of the metal protective sleeve 4 less than 0.2 mm meets the requirements. Second, the welding gun electrode is located in front of the cathode conductor 1. The greater the distance between the electrode and the metal component, the better the insulation performance. Adding the metal protective sleeve 4 reduces the distance between the metal component and the electrode. Therefore, the front end of the metal protective sleeve 4 cannot extend too far beyond the cathode conductor 1. The front end of the metal protective sleeve 4 must be located within the insulating sleeve 2. Preferably, the axial distance difference a between the front end face of the metal protective sleeve 4 and the front end face of the cathode conductor 1 is 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm.

[0028] The cathode conductor 1 generally includes a front insulating connecting section 101 connected to the insulating sleeve 2 and a rear insulating connecting section 102 connected to the outer sleeve 3. The diameter of the front insulating connecting section 101 is smaller than that of the rear insulating connecting section 102. Thus, a convex shoulder 6 is formed on the connection surface of the front insulating connecting section 101 and the rear insulating connecting section 102. In the prior art, the rear end of the insulating sleeve 2 abuts against the convex shoulder 6. In a specific embodiment of the present invention, the metal protective sleeve 4 is sleeved outside the front insulating connecting section 101, and the rear end of the metal protective sleeve 4 has a flange 401. The flange 401 abuts against the connection end surface of the rear insulating connecting section 102 and the front insulating connecting section 101, that is, the flange 401 is located between the rear end surface of the insulating sleeve 2 and the convex shoulder 6 (as shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown), avoid contact between the insulating sleeve 2 and the shoulder 6.

[0029] Since the outer sleeve 3 is connected to the rear end of the insulating sleeve 2 , if the flange 401 contacts the outer sleeve 3 , the insulation effect will be reduced. Therefore, preferably, the diameter of the flange 401 is smaller than the inner diameter of the outer sleeve 3 .

[0030] Example 2

[0031] On the basis of embodiment one, an annular insulating gasket 5 is provided between the contact surfaces of the insulating sleeve 2 and the outer sleeve 3. The inner diameter of the annular insulating gasket 5 is smaller than the outer diameter of the flange 401, the outer diameter of the annular insulating gasket 5 is larger than the outer diameter of the flange 401, and the rear end face of the annular insulating gasket 5 is a slope 501 that gradually tilts forward from the inner surface to the outer surface. The annular insulating gasket 5 can be fixed as a whole with the insulating sleeve 2. The slope 501 of the annular insulating gasket 5 is designed to flow along the slope 501 to the surface of the flange 401 after it is hot-melted, so as to prevent the molten fluid from flowing over the flange 401 and reaching the surface of the cathode conductor 1. Preferably, a slope 501 can be provided at both ends of the annular insulating gasket 5, which has a fool-proof effect and prevents the annular insulating gasket 5 from being installed upside down.

[0032] Example 3

[0033] In order to further reduce the influence of the metal protective sleeve 4 on the insulation performance and pressure resistance of the insulating sleeve 2, the inner peripheral surface of the insulating sleeve 2 of this embodiment has an annular step surface 201, and the front end of the metal protective sleeve 4 abuts against the annular step surface 201. Figure 4 As shown, the inner diameter of the insulating sleeve 2 behind the annular step surface 201 is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the insulating sleeve 2 in front of the annular step surface 201. After adding the metal protective sleeve 4, it is only necessary to thin the inner wall of the rear part of the traditional insulating sleeve 2, and the size of the front part of the insulating sleeve 2 remains unchanged. This can not only limit the position of the metal protective sleeve 4, but also ensure the structural strength of the insulating sleeve 2.

[0034] To demonstrate the cost advantage of the electrode connection assembly of the present invention over conventional electrode connection assemblies, the costs of the two structures are specifically calculated below (since the difference between the two structures lies only in the insulating sleeve 2 and the metal protective sleeve 4, the costs of the cathode conductor 1 and the outer sleeve 3 are not included):

[0035] The electrode connection assembly of the present invention:

[0036] With the structure of the present invention, the insulating sleeve 2 can be made of ordinary PP material. Usually, the price of an insulating sleeve 2 made of PP with a diameter of 10 mm and a length of 30 mm is about 15 yuan / piece. The metal protective sleeve 4 is made of brass. The metal protective sleeve 4 is made according to the size of the insulating sleeve 2. The single price is only 5 yuan / piece, and the total price after conversion is 20 yuan / piece.

[0037] Traditional electrode connection assembly: In order to achieve performance equivalent to that of the electrode connection assembly of the present invention, the traditional electrode connection assembly needs to use high-quality insulating sleeve 2 material. Taking the plastic material produced by DuPont of the United States as an example, the price of an insulating sleeve 2 with a diameter of 10mm and a length of 30mm is about 100 yuan / piece.

[0038] The price difference between the two is 100-20=80 yuan. Although the improved structure adds a metal protective cover 4, it not only avoids the loss of the cathode conductor 1, but also reduces the overall cost. The cost is reduced by 80%, which has great market prospects.

[0039] Example 4

[0040] A welding gun comprises the electrode connection assembly described above.

[0041] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "front", "rear", "inside", "outside", "axial", etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0042] In this specification, the schematic representations of the terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments.

[0043] With the above-described preferred embodiments of the present invention as a guide, and with reference to the above description, relevant personnel are fully capable of making various changes and modifications without departing from the technical scope of this invention. The technical scope of this invention is not limited to the contents of the specification and must be determined according to the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An electrode connection assembly, characterized in that: It comprises a cathode conductor (1), an insulating sleeve (2) partially sleeved on the outside of the cathode conductor (1), and an outer sleeve (3) threadedly engaged with the rear end of the insulating sleeve (2); The cathode conductor (1) is further covered with a metal protective sleeve (4) to prevent the cathode conductor (1) from contacting the insulating sleeve (2); the rear end of the metal protective sleeve (4) is located behind the insulating sleeve (2); the front end of the metal protective sleeve (4) is located in front of the cathode conductor (1) and behind the insulating sleeve (2); and the thickness d of the metal protective sleeve (4) is less than 0.2 mm; The cathode conductor (1) comprises a front insulating connecting section (101) sleeved with the insulating sleeve (2) and a rear insulating connecting section (102) sleeved with the outer sleeve (3), wherein the diameter of the front insulating connecting section (101) is smaller than that of the rear insulating connecting section (102); The metal protective sleeve (4) is sleeved outside the front insulating connecting section (101), and the rear end of the metal protective sleeve (4) has a flange (401), and the flange (401) abuts against the connecting end surfaces of the rear insulating connecting section (102) and the front insulating connecting section (101); An annular insulating gasket (5) is provided between the contact surfaces of the insulating sleeve (2) and the outer sleeve (3), wherein the inner diameter of the annular insulating gasket (5) is smaller than the outer diameter of the flange (401), the outer diameter of the annular insulating gasket (5) is larger than the outer diameter of the flange (401), and the rear end surface of the annular insulating gasket (5) is an inclined surface (501) that gradually tilts forward from the inner surface to the outer surface.

2. The electrode connection assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The axial distance difference a between the front end surface of the metal protective sleeve (4) and the front end surface of the cathode conductor (1) is 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm.

3. The electrode connection assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The diameter of the flange (401) is smaller than the inner diameter of the outer sleeve (3).

4. The electrode connection assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner circumferential surface of the insulating sleeve (2) has an annular step surface (201), and the front end of the metal protective sleeve (4) abuts against the annular step surface (201).

5. The electrode connection assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The metal protective sleeve (4) is made of brass.

6. A welding gun, characterized by: The electrode connection assembly comprises the electrode connection assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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