Welding head assemblies for electric welding equipment, especially soldering irons, welding devices, and welding systems.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ERSA GMBH
- Filing Date
- 2021-11-09
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-30
Smart Images
Figure CN116507440B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a welding head assembly for an electric welding apparatus, particularly for a soldering iron, wherein the welding head assembly is designed to be releasably disposed on the handle of a welding apparatus having a heating element, wherein the welding head assembly has a sleeve having a welding head disposed at the distal end of the sleeve, wherein the sleeve has an opening at the proximal end for introducing the heating element, and wherein a retaining element is provided at least partially annularly surrounding the sleeve, and a spring element disposed between the retaining element and the sleeve, the spring element pushing the retaining element in the distal direction. Background Technology
[0002] For example, such soldering head assemblies are known from the applicant's high-performance soldering iron i-TOOL HIGH POWER (model: 0240CDJ).
[0003] Specifically, the welding device can be held and guided by a person at the handle. The welding head is heated to melt the solder by a heating element. Welding heads of different geometries are provided depending on the welding task. Therefore, the welding head is releasably arranged on the handle. In particular, threaded connections, bayonet connections, and locking systems are known.
[0004] Such welding apparatus is known from WO 2017 / 194261 A1, DE 20 2012 008 255 U1 or DE 10 2018 102 792 B3.
[0005] EP 2 653 255 A1 discloses a releasable welding head assembly for a heating element, the assembly having a sleeve with a welding head disposed at the distal end of the sleeve. At the proximal end, the sleeve has an opening for introducing the heating element. Summary of the Invention
[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a welding head assembly, a welding apparatus and a welding system that provide high-temperature resistant welding heads that can be interchanged in a simple manner.
[0007] This objective is achieved by a welding apparatus having the features of the claimed content. Therefore, the sleeve has at least one stop tool arranged distal to the spring element, which secures the retaining element against the welding head assembly in the distal direction, or secures the sleeve against the retaining element in the proximal direction. Thus, the sleeve can be controlled to be positioned on the retaining element, although it is still able to displace proximally against the force of the spring element. The welding head can be formed as a separate component, or as a part and / or integral with the sleeve. "Distal" means away from the operator, while "proximal" means towards the operator.
[0008] Specifically, when the welding head assembly is not arranged on the shank, the components arranged to be movable relative to each other are arranged in a controlled manner relative to each other. Two, or three or more, opposing stop tools may be provided, particularly equidistant from each other. The sleeve may have a recess to prevent overheating of the sleeve and the retaining element disposed thereon, thereby saving material and weight. At least one stop tool may be provided in or adjacent to such a recess. The retaining element itself may have a tapered outer contour, for example, parallel knurling may be provided on this outer contour.
[0009] It is advantageous if at least one stop tool protrudes radially beyond the sleeve. The portion protruding beyond the sleeve can then act on the retaining element for loss protection.
[0010] At least one stop tool is preferably integrally formed with the sleeve and is made as a hook-out tongue. Such a hook-out tongue may be located in a recess of the sleeve, wherein the bending point is then provided on the tongue foot, and wherein the free end of the hook-out tongue, which protrudes in the proximal direction, faces and acts on the retaining element for loss protection.
[0011] Furthermore, it is advantageous to keep the components molded as a single piece. This results in a compact and durable design.
[0012] Furthermore, the retaining element can have a distal end face that serves to stop the stop tool and thus acts as the stop limit for the sleeve. This eliminates the need for an additional stop tool. The end face can provide a radially inwardly pointing shoulder that interacts with the stop tool.
[0013] Furthermore, it is conceivable that the retaining element has a distal end face with a proximal inner surface, on which one end of the spring element is supported. This can also result in a compact design, especially when the end face serves two functions: on the one hand, it can act as a stop limit for the sleeve, and on the other hand, it serves to support the spring element.
[0014] Another advantageous embodiment is that, in the uninstalled state of the welding head assembly, the opening of the sleeve is located in the same plane as the proximal side of the retaining element, or the opening of the sleeve protrudes beyond that plane in the proximal direction. The advantage is that when the heating element is introduced into the opening of the sleeve, it is less likely to come into contact with the retaining element. When the heating element is introduced into the welding head assembly, it may exceed 100°C, which could cause damage if it is made of plastic material, especially when it comes into contact with the retaining element.
[0015] Preferably, the spring element itself is designed as a helical spring surrounding the sleeve. The sleeve preferably has a flange portion at its proximal end, which surrounds the opening and protrudes in the radial direction, and one end of the spring element acts on this flange portion.
[0016] The retaining element may have a contact portion opposite the flange portion, and the other end of the spring element acts on the contact portion. When the welding head assembly is not mounted on the shank, the retaining element is thus pushed against at least one stop tool in the distal direction and is thus controlled to be fastened to the welding head assembly.
[0017] To axially guide the retaining element on the sleeve and to rotatably connect the retaining element to the sleeve, the sleeve may have a guide profile, and the retaining element may have a complementary, opposite profile. Specifically, the guide profile may be designed as a bead extending in the axial direction and protruding in the radial direction. The sleeve may be provided with recesses designed to be complementary to the bead. Preferably, a plurality of such guide profiles are provided, arranged parallel to each other.
[0018] For functional safety, the welding head assembly is positioned on the shank, with a recess on its proximal side, specifically extending at least partially in the axial direction. Rear clamping portions are disposed between these recesses, providing contact portions on their distal sides for abutting against the opposite portions disposed on the shank. This results in a bayonet-like fastening of the welding head assembly to the shank. First, the heating element is introduced into the welding head in the axial direction. During this introduction movement, the welding head, together with the sleeve, moves in the distal direction against the force of the spring element via the heating element. The opposite portion travels in the distal direction past the rear clamping portions. When the spring element reaches sufficient compression, the shank and heating element can rotate together about the longitudinal axis by a rotation angle, such that the proximal side of the opposite portion interacts with the contact portion of the rear clamping portion. In the installed position, the spring element then presses the free end of the heating element against the welding head and the opposite portion against the contact portion of the rear clamping portion.
[0019] Furthermore, it is advantageous to provide a code on the retaining element that can be read, specifically by means of an optical reading device, for the identification of the solder joint. In particular, the code is a two-dimensional code, for example, a two-dimensional code in the form of a barcode or QR code. This code can also be designed as a radio frequency identification (RFID) code. For example, the code can be provided on a radially recessed surface of the retaining element, and exemplaryly, it can be printed by pad printing. Two-dimensional coding is particularly advantageous when the retaining element is made of plastic material, because the plastic material does not discolor even at high temperatures. Specifically, pad printing can be white to optimize contrast with the plastic material used, preferably black or dark gray.
[0020] The advantage of setting up such an encoding is that it allows tracking of the welding head being used. For example, it's conceivable that the reading device is positioned on a storage platform where welding heads can be stored. After receiving a welding head, it can be guided through the reading device so that the welding head in use can be stored. Furthermore, it's conceivable that after selecting a suitable welding head, it can be checked whether the selected welding head is actually the expected welding head. However, the reading device can also be configured as a separate unit or positioned on the welding platform that provides power to the welding device.
[0021] By coded into recesses on the radially recessed surface, the coding is permanently protected against wear and further environmental impacts. Overall, this ensures the permanent readability of the coding. Each type of weld head assembly is assigned a unique code, making the identification of the weld head assembly clear. The information detected by the reading device can be further processed by software. The read data can be structured and displayed in a user-readable format. It is also conceivable to process the data using database software or a manufacturing execution system (MES), particularly for process monitoring. Therefore, specific weld heads can be assigned to specific welding tasks, allowing users to understand and monitor the process.
[0022] The above-mentioned objective is also achieved by a welding apparatus comprising a welding head assembly according to the invention, and including a handle having a rod-shaped heating element at its distal end and a hand-held portion at its proximal end, such that the distal end of the heating element can be inserted into an opening in a sleeve. As described above, the welding head assembly according to the invention can advantageously be secured to the handle in a functionally safe manner.
[0023] Specifically, the handle may have a rib-shaped opposing portion between the heating element and the handheld portion, which interacts with the rear clamping portion such that, in the installed state, the spring element causes the retaining element to strike the opposing portion, and the free end of the heating element acts on the stop portion of the welding head. The proximal end of the welding head may be formed as a blind hole, with the contact portion then formed from the bottom of the blind hole.
[0024] The above objective is further achieved by a welding system comprising a welding apparatus according to the invention, the welding apparatus having a welding head assembly according to the invention and a storage table for storing and removing the welding head assembly. A reading device for reading a code optionally disposed on a retaining element may be disposed in or on the storage table.
[0025] Further details and advantageous embodiments of the invention can be found in the following description, on which exemplary embodiments of the invention are described and explained in more detail. Attached Figure Description
[0026] In the attached diagram:
[0027] Figure 1 A welding apparatus is shown, on which a handle and a welding head assembly are mounted;
[0028] Figure 2 The basis for release from the handle is shown. Figure 1 Welding head assembly;
[0029] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of cut III in the middle;
[0030] Figure 4 The view is shown from a rearward tilt. Figure 2 Welding head assembly;
[0031] Figure 5 It shows the penetration according to Figure 4 The longitudinal section of the welded head assembly;
[0032] Figure 6 A view of the retaining element of the weld head assembly tilted from the rear;
[0033] Figure 7 A view of the retaining element of the weld head assembly tilted from the front;
[0034] Figure 8 A cross-section of the welding head assembly arranged through the handle is shown;
[0035] Figure 9 A storage platform for welding head assemblies is shown; and
[0036] Figure 10It shows the penetration according to Figure 9 The cross-section of a storage platform with welding head assemblies. Detailed Implementation
[0037] Figure 1 A soldering device 10 in the form of a soldering iron is shown, comprising a handle 12 and a soldering head assembly 14. At the proximal end of the handle 12, the handle 12 includes a handheld portion 16 that can be gripped by a user. Figure 2 As can be clearly seen, the handle 12 also includes a rod-shaped heating element 18, which has a free end 19 at its distal end, wherein the replaceable welding head assembly 14 is ultimately heated by the heating element 18. Figure 1 As can be clearly seen, a connecting cable 20 is provided on the surface of the handheld part 16 that is away from the heating element 18, through which current can be supplied to the welding device 10.
[0038] from Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 As can be clearly seen, the welding head assembly 14 has a sleeve 22, to which the welding head 24 is fastened. The sleeve 22 may have a window-shaped recess 21. In the embodiment shown in the figure, the welding head 24 is designed as a component formed separately from the sleeve 22, but it is also conceivable that the welding head 24 is integrally formed and / or integrally formed with the sleeve 22.
[0039] The welding head assembly 14 is further provided with a retaining element 26, which is arranged around the longitudinal axis 23 and surrounds the sleeve 22 in a circumferential manner, and is designed to taper gradually towards the welding head 24. The retaining element 26 has parallel knurling formed by knurling protrusions 27 on its surface. The retaining element 26 is used to place the welding head assembly 14 on the handle 12 or to release it from the handle 12. Although the welding head 24 and the sleeve 22 are made of metal, the retaining element 26 is preferably made of a suitable plastic material.
[0040] from Figure 3 As can be clearly seen in the magnified cut, the handle 12 has rib-shaped opposing portions 28 in the region between the heating element 18 and the handheld portion 16. A total of four opposing portions 28 are provided, which are arranged opposite to each other. Each opposing portion 28 has a locking lug 30 extending in the axial direction on its proximal side.
[0041] from Figure 4 and Figure 5 It can be clearly seen from the middle, Figure 4 and 5A welding head assembly 14 is shown, having a welding head 24 deflected in a distal direction. A retaining element 26 has four recesses 32 on its proximal side, into which an opposing portion 28 can be introduced in the axial direction. A rear clamping portion 34 projecting inward in the radial direction is provided between every two recesses 32. On its distal side, the rear clamping portion 34 has a contact portion 36 for receiving the opposing portion 28 or its locking lug 30. The contact portion 36 is designed to complement the locking lug 30, allowing them to remain in a defined and secure manner.
[0042] from Figure 5 As can be clearly seen in the cross-section, the welding head assembly 14 also has a spring element 38 adjacent to the welding head 24, sleeve 22, and retaining element 26. The spring element 38 is arranged between the sleeve 22 and the retaining element 26 such that it pushes the retaining element 26 away from the handheld portion 16 in the distal direction. The spring element 38 is designed as a helical spring and surrounds the sleeve 22. At the proximal end of the sleeve 22, the sleeve has an opening 60 and a flange portion 40 that protrudes radially, and the spring element 38 acts on the flange portion 40. Opposite to the flange portion 40, the retaining element 26 has a proximal inner surface 42 that faces the flange portion 40 and surrounds the sleeve 22, and the spring element 38 also acts on this proximal inner surface 42. The spring element 38 is arranged and pre-tensioned such that it pushes the retaining element 26 on the sleeve 22 in the distal direction, as previously described.
[0043] In order to controllably arrange the retaining element 26, particularly the retaining element 26 integrally molded and particularly made of plastic material, on the sleeve 22, the sleeve has a stop tool 44 that prevents the possibility of the sleeve 22, including the weld head 24, being removed from the retaining element 26 in the proximal direction. Specifically from Figure 4 and Figure 5 As can be clearly seen, two opposing stop tools 44 are provided, protruding radially beyond the sleeve 22. The stop tools 44 are integrally formed with the sleeve and are designed as hook-out tongues. For this purpose, a bending point 46 is provided at the corresponding tongue foot, along which the stop tools 44 bend radially outward. The free end 48 of the stop tools 44 faces the retaining element 26.
[0044] Figure 6 and Figure 7The welding head assembly 14 is shown, in which the free end 48 of the stop tool 44 abuts against the distal end face 50 of the retaining element 26 due to spring force. The end face 50 of the retaining element 26 is provided with a radially inwardly projecting shoulder 52, the free end 54 of which serves to axially guide the sleeve. The free end 48 of the stop tool 44 rests on the distal upper surface of the shoulder 52; thus, the end face 50 or the shoulder 52 forms a stop limit. Figure 7 It can also be clearly seen that the sleeve 22 has a guide profile extending in the axial direction in the form of a bead 56, which is particularly evident in... Figure 5 and Figure 7 As can be seen in the image. Complementing the bead body 56, a radially extending recess 58 is provided at the free end 54 of the shoulder 52.
[0045] Its advantages are: it prevents component 26 from rotating relative to sleeve 22, and thus prevents welding head 24 from rotating. This is important, especially for welding tasks where the welding head must be held at a certain angle. Another advantage is that the free end 48 of the stop tool 44 is reliably supported on shoulder 52.
[0046] Especially from Figure 5 and Figure 6 As can be clearly seen, in the neutral state where the weld head assembly 14 is not installed, the flange portion 40 and the opening 60 rest in the same plane as the proximal side 61 of the retaining element 26. The advantage is that the retaining element 26 is largely protected when the free end of the heating element 18 is introduced. It is also conceivable that the opening 60 and the flange portion 40 protrude beyond the retaining element 26 in the proximal direction.
[0047] Figure 8 The welding head assembly 14 is shown mounted on the handle 12. In order to secure the welding head assembly 14 to the handle, the rear clamping portion 34 strikes the opposite portion 28 having the locking lug 30 in the distal direction by the spring force of the spring element 38.
[0048] The welding head assembly is mounted on the handle 12 as follows:
[0049] First, the free end 19 of the heating element 18 is introduced into the opening 60 of the sleeve 22. The heating element 18 is then introduced into the sleeve 22 and then into the welding head 24 until the free end 19 of the heating element 18 acts on the stop portion 62 provided in the welding head 24. Figure 5 and Figure 8As can be clearly seen, the welding head 24 is formed as a blind hole and has a stop portion 62 at its bottom. Because the free end 19 of the heating element 18 acts on the stop portion 62, the welding head 24 is pushed in the distal direction against the force of the spring element 38 as the heating element 18 moves further in the distal direction. Therefore, the retaining element 26 moves relative to the welding head 24 or relative to the heating element 18 along the longitudinal axis 23 against the spring action. At the same time, the opposite portion 28 enters the recess 32 on the retaining element 26. Thereafter, the retaining element 26 rotates relative to the heating element 24 about the longitudinal axis 23, such that the opposite portion 28 or its lug 30 abuts against the rear clamping portion 34. In the installed position, due to the spring force of the spring element 38, the locking lug 30 is then pressed against the contact portion 36. Therefore, the spring element 38 has the effect that the free end 19 of the heating element is pushed to achieve reliable heat conduction, and under appropriate conditions, it also abuts against the stop portion 62 of the welding head 24 for temperature measurement, and the opposite portion 28 with the locking lug 30 is firmly held in the contact portion 36 of the retaining element 26.
[0050] from Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 As can be clearly seen, a code 64 in the form of a QR code is provided on the retaining element 26. The code 64 allows it to be read by a reading device and can identify the welding head 24 or welding head assembly 14 used in each case. The retaining element 26 has a radially recessed surface 66 on its radial circumference, on which the code 64 is disposed. Therefore, the code 64 is reliably protected, particularly against damage or wear. The code can be, in particular, a barcode or QR code printed using pad printing. It is also conceivable to provide an RFID chip or tag as the code.
[0051] Figure 9 and Figure 10 A storage table 80 is shown for storing the welding apparatus 10 and various welding head assemblies 14. The storage table is designed to be placed on a flat surface, particularly a table. The storage table 80 shown has a total of four funnel-shaped change holders 82, 84, 86, and 88 on its upper surface, with the welding head assemblies 14 disposed in the change holders 82. In addition, a welding apparatus receiver 90 is provided in the central region 89, in which the welding apparatus 10 can be stored. The change holders 82, 84, 86, and 88 are arranged laterally beside the welding apparatus receiver 90. The storage table 80 also includes receiving compartments 92 for accommodating small parts and accessories, and racks 93 for welding heads on its operator-facing side.
[0052] Especially from Figure 10 As can be clearly seen, each of the alteration retainers 82, 84, 82, 88 is designed to taper tapering in a conical shape around the introduction axis 94 in the distal direction. The cone of the alteration retainers 82, 84, 82, 88 is designed to be at least partially complementary to the cone of the retaining element 26, such that the associated weld head assembly 14 is securely held in the alteration retainers 82, 84, 86, 88 via its retaining portion 26. The alteration retainers 82, 84, 86, 88 have an introduction opening 96 on their proximal upper surface and a bottom opening 98 on their distal bottom surface. The introduction opening 96 is elongated or elliptical, and the bottom opening 98 is circular, allowing pivoting between the introduction layer and the removal layer. Overall, the diameter of the introduction opening 96 is larger than the diameter of the bottom opening 98, thus forming a conical design.
[0053] Especially from Figure 10 As can be clearly seen in the cross-section, the anti-rotation element 100 in the form of a rib is provided on the inner surface of the change retainers 82, 84, 86, 88, and lies in a plane extending through the introduction axis 94. It is conceivable that one or more ribs are provided in each case. The anti-rotation element 100 is formed to project radially toward the introduction axis 94. The anti-rotation elements 100 are also designed such that they interact with parallel knurling provided on the associated retainer 26, or engage between two knurled protrusions 27 to secure the retainer 26 and prevent rotation. However, it is also conceivable to arrange the anti-rotation elements orthogonally relative to the axis 94, for example, on the surface of the introduction stop 106.
[0054] Therefore, the weld head assembly 14, introduced into the change retainers 82, 84, 86, and 88, is held in the storage table 80 and thus does not rotate. This is achieved by setting as follows... Figure 9 The four alteration retainers 82, 84, 86 and 88 shown represent a total of four different weld head assemblies 14 that can therefore be retained in the alteration retainers 82, 84, 86 and 88 shown here.
[0055] from Figure 10As can be clearly seen in the cross-section, a retaining element 102 is provided in the region of the relevant inlet opening 96. This retaining element is used to retain the welding head assembly 14, which is introduced into the corresponding change retainers 82, 84, 86, 88 and pivots to the removal position during proximal removal of the handle 12. The relevant retaining element 102 engages behind the annular shoulder 104 provided on the retaining element 26 in the removal position, such that when the handle is removed in the proximal direction, the retaining element 26 and therefore the welding head assembly 14 are securely held in the storage table 80. The retaining element 102 is designed as a protrusion formed to project radially toward the inlet axis 94. In order to enable the welding head assembly 14 to move together with the annular shoulder 104 below the retaining element 102, the change retainers 82, 84, 86, 88 are formed in an elliptical shape on the inlet opening. Therefore, the welding head assembly can pivot or tilt from the inlet axis 94 toward the removal axis 107. It is also conceivable that the retaining element 102 has a conditional elastic recovery capability. The retaining element 102 allows the welding head assembly 14 to be safely removed from the shank with the heating element, particularly where the welding head 24 may adhere to the heating element 18. However, if the welding head assembly 14, secured to the shank 12, needs to be removed from the associated change retainers 82 to 88, this can be done along axis 94 without damaging retaining elements 26 and / or 102.
[0056] from Figure 10 As can be further clearly seen in the cross-section, the guide stop 106 is disposed in the area of the bottom opening 98. The guide stop 106 allows the distal side of the associated retaining element 26 to abut against the proximal upper surface of the associated guide stop 106. This ensures that the retaining element 26 does not get stuck in the change retainer.
[0057] The guide stop 106 is formed as a protrusion that projects radially toward the guide axis 94. This design also allows the retaining element 26 to pivot or tilt on the surface of the guide stop 106 between the two axes 94 and 107. Here, the guide stop 106 is designed such that when the retaining element 26 tilts between axes 94 and 107, the anti-rotation element 100 engages with the parallel knurling 27 at all times, and thus prevents the retaining element from rotating throughout the tilting motion.
[0058] The two change retainers 82 and 86 are designed to have openings at the edges and to have lateral openings 108 for laterally introducing or removing the weld head assembly 14. Therefore, the weld head assembly 14, having a weld head and a size larger than the diameter of the bottom opening 98, can also be introduced into the change retainers 82 and 86.
[0059] By providing Figure 9 and Figure 10 The alteration retainers 82 to 88 shown allow for easy replacement of the welding head assembly 14. The welding head assembly 14, disposed on the shank 12, is introduced along axis 94 into the alteration retainers 82, 84, 86, or 88 until the distal side of the retaining element 26 abuts against the proximal upper surface of the introduction stop 106. Furthermore, at least one anti-rotation element 100 engages in parallel knurling 27 disposed on the retaining element 26, such that the retaining element 26 is rotatably fixed in the associated alteration retainer 82. Then, if the shank 12 is further actuated in the distal direction against the spring force of the spring element 34, the opposite portion 28 or its locking lug 30 disengages from the contact portion 36. To release the bayonet-type fastening of the welding head assembly 14 on the shank 12, the shank 12 is rotated relative to the welding head assembly 14 until the opposite portion 28 on the shank side enters the recess 32 on the retaining element side, and the shank 12 and the heating element 18 can be removed together from the welding head assembly 14 in the proximal direction. Then, if the heating element 18 is to be adhered to the welding head 24, the handle 12 can be pivoted or tilted from axis 94 about pivot point 99 toward axis 107 until the retaining element 102 engages behind the retaining element 26 or its annular shoulder 104, as shown. Figure 10 As shown. Therefore, the associated retaining element 102 securely holds the weld head assembly 14 in the associated change retainers 82 to 88 and prevents it from being undesirably removed from the associated change retainers 82 to 88.
[0060] If different welding head assemblies 14 are to be fastened to the handle 12, the heating element 18 can be introduced into the opening 60 of the sleeve 22 of the welding head assembly, which is stored on the storage table 80. The introduction must be made in such a way that the opposite portion 28 provided on the handle 12 engages in the recess 32 provided on the retaining element 26. After overcoming the spring force of the spring element 38, the handle 12 rotates relative to the associated retaining element 26, such that the locking lug 30 of the opposite portion 28 engages with the contact portion 36 of the rear clamping portion 34, thereby fastening the welding head assembly 14 to the handle 12 in a bayonet-like manner.
[0061] After the locking lug 30 has abutted against the contact portion 36, the handle 12, together with the selected welding head assembly 14, can be guided out in the proximal direction by the associated change retainers 82 to 88. It is then guided out along axis 94.
[0062] The advantage of the described modification to the welding head assembly 14 is that the modification can be made without manual contact with the retaining element 26, and therefore there is no risk of combustion on the retaining element 26. The operator only has the handle 12 of the welding device 100 in hand; the welding head assembly 14 can be securely housed in the corresponding modified retainers 82 to 88.
[0063] Furthermore, a reading device for reading the code 66 set on the relevant welding head 14 can be arranged in or on the storage table 80. After the welding head assembly 14 has been changed, the associated holding element 26 with code 64 can be guided through the reading device so that the relevant welding head assembly 14 or associated welding head 24 can be identified. In an alternative embodiment, a reading device for an RFID chip or tag is installed in the storage table to provide information about the welding head to be used directly when the welding head assembly 14 is received or changed.
Claims
1. A welding head assembly (14) for an electric welding apparatus (10), said welding head assembly (14) being designed to be releasably disposed on the handle (12) of the welding apparatus (10) having a heating element (18), The welding head assembly (14) has a sleeve (22) extending around a longitudinal axis and a welding head (24) disposed at the distal end of the sleeve (22). The sleeve (22) has an opening (60) at its proximal end for introducing the heating element (18), and The welding head assembly (14) has a retaining element (26) and a spring element (38), the retaining element (26) being at least partially surrounding the sleeve (22) in an annular manner, and the spring element (38) being disposed between the retaining element (26) and the sleeve (22) and pushing the retaining element (26) in a distal direction, characterized in that... The sleeve (22) has at least one stop tool (44) arranged distal to the spring element (38), which holds the retaining element (26) against the welding head assembly (14) in the distal direction.
2. The welding head assembly (14) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The at least one stop tool (44) protrudes beyond the sleeve (22) in the radial direction.
3. The welding head assembly (14) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The at least one stop tool (44) is designed as a hook tongue integrally formed with the sleeve (22).
4. The welding head assembly (14) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The retaining element (26) is integrally formed.
5. The welding head assembly (14) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The retaining element (26) has a distal end face (50) for stopping the stop tool (44) and thus serves as the stop limit of the sleeve (22).
6. The welding head assembly (14) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The retaining element (26) has a distal end face (50) and a proximal inner surface (42), one end of the spring element (38) is supported on the proximal inner surface (42).
7. The welding head assembly (14) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The opening (60) of the sleeve (22) is in the same plane as the proximal side of the retaining element (26), or the opening (60) of the sleeve (22) protrudes beyond the plane in the proximal direction.
8. The welding head assembly (14) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spring element (38) is designed as a helical spring surrounding the sleeve (22), wherein the sleeve (22) has a flange portion (40) that protrudes radially at a proximal end, and one end of the spring element (38) acts on the flange portion (40).
9. The welding head assembly (14) according to claim 1, characterized in that, In order to guide the retaining element (26) axially, the sleeve (22) has at least one guide profile, and wherein the retaining element (26) has at least one opposite profile designed to be complementary to the at least one guide profile.
10. The welding head assembly (14) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The welding head assembly is fastened to the handle by a bayonet fastener, allowing the handle to rotate relative to the welding head assembly and to be removed in a proximal direction to release the welding head assembly.
11. The welding head assembly (14) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The retaining element (26) has a recess (32) on its proximal side and a rear clamping portion (34) between the recesses (32), the rear clamping portion (34) having a contact portion (36) on its distal side for abutting against the opposite portion (28) provided on the handle (12).
12. The welding head assembly (14) according to claim 1, characterized in that, A code (64) that can be read by a reading device is set on the holding element (26) for identifying the welding head assembly (14).
13. The welding head assembly (14) according to claim 12, characterized in that, The retaining element (26) has a radially recessed surface (66), and the code (64) is disposed on the surface (66).
14. An electric welding apparatus (10) comprising a welding head assembly (14) according to any of the preceding claims, and comprising a handle (12) having a rod-shaped heating element (18) at its distal end and a hand-held portion (16) at its proximal end, such that the distal end of the heating element (18) can be inserted into the opening (60) of the sleeve (22).
15. The welding apparatus (10) according to claim 14, characterized in that, The retaining element (26) has a rear clamping portion (34), and the handle (12) between the heating element (18) and the hand-held portion (16) has an opposite portion (28) that interacts with the rear clamping portion (34), such that in the installed state, the spring element (38) causes the retaining element (26) to strike the opposite portion (28), such that the free end (19) of the heating element (18) is pushed against the stop portion (62) of the welding head (24).
16. A welding system comprising a welding apparatus (10) according to claim 14 or 15, and a storage platform (80) for storing and removing the welding head assembly (14) from the handle (12).
17. The welding system according to claim 16, characterized in that, The storage platform (80) has at least one changeable retainer (82, 84, 86, 88) which is designed to be at least partially complementary to the retaining element (26) such that a welding head assembly (14) disposed on the handle (12) can be introduced into the changeable retainer (82, 84, 86, 88) along the axis (94), and the changeable retainer (82, 84, 86, 88) has an anti-rotation element (100) that interacts with the retaining element (26).