Wire guide tube system for handheld laser welding gun

Abstract

A laser welding gun is provided that includes a coke tube, a nozzle extending from the coke tube, and a mount adjustably positionable along a length of the coke tube. A guidewire tube assembly extends from the wire feeder and is attached to the coke tube through a mounting bracket. The guidewire tube assembly includes a removable tip holder secured to the mount. The mount provides adjustment of the angle between the guidewire tube assembly and the coke tube, and the orientation of the mount is rotatably adjustable about the circumference of the coke tube.

Description

Cross-reference to related applications

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63 / 706,130, filed October 11, 2024 (the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference) and U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 19 / 245,605, filed June 23, 2025 (the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference). Background Technology

[0002] This invention relates to a handheld laser welding torch, and more particularly to a handheld laser welding torch or torch that feeds filler wire. Some handheld laser welding torches use a wire feeder that feeds filler wire toward the end of the laser welding torch. Such a torch may include a support that supports a section of the wire guide through which the filler wire is fed. The support holds this section of the wire guide in an orientation that guides the filler wire toward the end of the welding torch. However, such supports lack adjustability to compensate for the natural curvature of the filler wire (e.g., the wire may naturally bend away from the end of the welding torch) and cannot adjust the desired wire placement along the length of the welding torch. Conventional laser welding torches also lack a way to quickly or easily switch between single-wire and dual-wire operation. It is desirable to address these deficiencies present in laser welding torches that utilize one or more filler wires. Invention Overview

[0003] The following overview presents a simplified summary to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the devices, systems, and / or methods discussed herein. This overview is not a comprehensive review of the devices, systems, and / or methods discussed herein. It is not intended to identify key components or define the scope of such devices, systems, and / or methods. The sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as an introduction to the more detailed explanations that follow.

[0004] According to one aspect of the invention, a laser welding torch is provided. The laser welding torch includes a coke tube, a nozzle extending from the coke tube, and a mounting bracket adjustable along the length of the coke tube. A wire guide assembly extends from a wire feeder and is attached to the coke tube via the mounting bracket. The wire guide assembly includes a removable end holder fixed to the mounting bracket. The mounting bracket provides adjustment of the angle between the wire guide assembly and the coke tube, and the orientation of the mounting bracket is rotatably adjustable about the circumference of the coke tube.

[0005] According to another aspect of the invention, a laser welding torch is provided. The laser welding torch includes a coke tube, a nozzle extending from the coke tube, and a mounting bracket adjustable along the length of the coke tube. A wire guide assembly extends from a wire feeder and is attached to the coke tube via the mounting bracket. The wire guide assembly includes a removable end holder and an end holder reception. The removable end holder and the end holder reception are attached to the mounting bracket. The mounting bracket provides adjustment of the angle between the wire guide assembly and the coke tube, and the orientation of the mounting bracket is rotatably adjustable about the circumference of the coke tube.

[0006] According to another aspect of the invention, a laser welding torch is provided. The laser welding torch includes a coke tube, a nozzle extending from the coke tube, and a mounting bracket capable of adjustable positioning along the length of the coke tube. A wire guide assembly extends from a wire feeder and is attached to the coke tube via the mounting bracket. The wire guide assembly includes a removable end holder attached to the mounting bracket, a contact end attached to the removable end holder, and an end holder receiver attached to the mounting bracket and having a central opening. When the removable end holder is attached to the mounting bracket, a portion of the removable end holder extends into the central opening of the end holder receiver, and the removable end holder is rotatably adjustable within the mounting bracket and the end holder receiver. The mounting bracket provides two adjustments: adjustment of the mounting position of the wire guide assembly along the length of the coke tube, and rotational adjustment of the orientation of the mounting bracket about the circumference of the coke tube. Attached Figure Description

[0007] The above and other aspects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0008] Figure 1 A handheld laser welding gun with a wire guide assembly attached is shown;

[0009] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the guide wire assembly;

[0010] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the guidewire assembly;

[0011] Figure 4 The guide wire assembly is shown;

[0012] Figure 5 The mounting bracket for the guide wire assembly is shown; and

[0013] Figure 6 A portion of a handheld laser welding gun is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0014] This invention relates to a handheld laser welding torch, and more particularly to a handheld laser welding torch or torch that feeds filler wire. The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference numerals are used throughout to refer to similar elements. It will be understood that these different drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale with each other, nor within the given drawings, and in particular, the dimensions of the parts are drawn arbitrarily for ease of understanding of the drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth for purposes of explanation in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it may be apparent that the invention can be practiced without these specific details. Furthermore, other embodiments of the invention are possible and the invention can be practiced and implemented in ways other than those described. The terminology and phrases used in describing the invention are used for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the invention and should not be considered limiting.

[0015] As used herein, “at least one,” “one or more,” and “and / or” are open-ended expressions that are both conjunction and disjunctive in operation. For example, each of the expressions “at least one of A, B, and C,” “at least one of A, B, or C,” “one or more of A, B, and C,” “one or more of A, B, or C,” and “A, B, and / or C” refers to A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B, and C together. Any disjunctive words or phrases that give two or more alternative terms, whether in the description of embodiments, claims, or drawings, should be understood to cover the possibility of one, any, or all of these terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” should be understood to include the possibility of “A”, or “B,” or “A and B.”

[0016] While the embodiments of the invention described herein are discussed in the context of laser welding, other embodiments of the invention are not limited thereto. For example, embodiments of the invention can be used in metal deposition operations similar to welding, such as weld overlay and cladding. As used herein, the term "welding" is intended to encompass all these techniques, as they all involve the deposition of material to join or construct workpieces.

[0017] Conventional handheld laser welding torches using feed-type filler wire lack a way to quickly switch between single-wire and multi-wire operations (e.g., dual-wire operation) and cannot be adjusted to compensate for the natural curvature of the filler wire. The system disclosed herein uses interchangeable parts to allow users to switch between single-wire and dual-wire processes. Multiple rotary nozzles are provided to accommodate different numbers and sizes of filler wire. A removable end holder for the contact tip can be easily replaced to accommodate different contact tips suitable for different numbers and sizes of wire. The nozzles, removable end holder, and contact tip constitute the interchangeable parts, enabling users to quickly switch between single-wire and dual-wire processes. The system also allows users to adjust the linear mounting position of the wire guide assembly on the torch's spool, the mounting angle of the wire guide assembly, and the rotation position of the wire to compensate for their natural curvature and pitch. This adjustability allows for fine-tuning of the torch settings for each welding process.

[0018] The wire guide tube or wire guide tube assembly discussed herein may use industry-standard wire feeder connectors, liners, and contact tips. The liner is surrounded by a flexible tube that terminates at the welding torch end of the wire guide tube assembly as a sub-assembly comprising both an adjustable bracket and a removable end holder that holds the desired contact tip. The contact tip is not energized or conductive to the filler wire unless the system is configured for “hot wire” welding operations. The contact tip facilitates the guidance of the filler wire into a slot on the laser nozzle, which then guides the filler wire to intersect the laser beam. As is known in the art, the nozzle directs shielding gas to the weld pool, and the slot of the nozzle is used to guide the filler wire to the laser beam. An industry-standard wire feeder connector may be present at the upstream wire feeder end of the wire guide tube assembly.

[0019] Figure 1 A wire guide system or wire guide assembly 101 and a nozzle 100 are shown mounted on a laser welding torch 102 of a laser welding system. The nozzle 100 is attached to and extends from a coke tube 104. For example, the nozzle 100 is screwed into the end of the coke tube 104 located at the distal end of the welding torch 102. A mounting bracket 106 of the wire guide assembly 101 slides on the coke tube 104. The mounting bracket 106 is adjustablely positioned along the length of the coke tube 104 and can move forward or backward along the coke tube as needed. Both the angle formed between the wire guide assembly 101 and the coke tube 104 and the linear position of the mounting bracket 106 on the coke tube 104 can be adjusted by the mounting bracket. Figure 1As can be seen, the angle formed between the wire guide assembly 101 and the coke tube 104 is an acute angle. This angle can be adjusted as needed, for example, from approximately parallel or 0 degrees to a suitable acute angle that guides one or more filler wires into the slot of the nozzle 100. The angle formed between the wire guide assembly 101 and the coke tube 104, as well as the linear position of the mounting bracket on the coke tube, can be adjusted by loosening the screws 110 on the mounting bracket 106. Furthermore, the orientation of the mounting bracket 106 can be adjusted circumferentially about the coke tube 104, for example, to accommodate the natural bend / pitch of the filler wire leaving the contact end 108 of the wire guide assembly 101 and to guide the filler wire into the slot of the nozzle 100. After determining the desired wire feed angle (the angle between the wire guide assembly 101 and the coke tube 104), the rotation angle of the bracket about the coke tube, and the linear position of the bracket 106 along the coke tube, they can be locked in place by tightening the screws 110 on the bracket. The welding torch 102 may include a clamp 112 located at the bottom of the welding torch handle, through which the flexible tube of the wire guide assembly 101 will pass.

[0020] Figure 2 A perspective view of the guidewire assembly 101 is shown, and Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the guidewire assembly. The guidewire assembly 101 includes a flexible tubing 114, such as rubber or a rubber-like (elastomer) tubing. The guidewire assembly 101 is... Figure 2 and Figure 3 The figure is not drawn to scale, and the flexible tube 114 is actually longer than shown in the figure. The flexible tube 114 extends from the laser welding torch to the upstream wire feeder 117, which drives one or more filler wires through the wire guide assembly 101 to the laser beam emitted by the welding torch. The length of the flexible tube 114 can be varied according to user requirements, system settings, etc.

[0021] A barbed connector 116 is provided at the wire feeder 117 end of the wire guide assembly 101. The barbed connector 116 is inserted into the end of the flexible tube 114 and held in place by a clamping element 118 (such as a pinch clamp). The barbed connector 116 connects the flexible tube 114 to a standard wire feeder connector 120, which is screwed into the barbed connector. A liner (not shown) for filling the welding wire can be inserted into the wire guide assembly 101 from the end of the wire feeder connector 120. The bushing 122 of the liner is inserted into the wire feeder connector 120 and is flush-fitted to the end face of the wire feeder connector. The bushing 122 of the liner is held in place by a locating screw on the wire feeder connector 120.

[0022] Flexible tubing 114 is attached to end retainer receiver 124 at the end of bracket 106. End retainer receiver 124 may have a barbed connector that inserts into the end of flexible tubing 114 and is attached to the tubing via another clamp 118. End retainer receiver 124 has a center hole or center opening, and a removable end retainer 126 is inserted into end retainer receiver 124. Specifically, when removable end retainer 126 and end retainer receiver 124 are attached, the rear portion of the removable end retainer extends into the center opening of the end retainer receiver. Removable end retainer 126 and end retainer receiver 124 are secured to bracket 106 by attachment screws (e.g., locating screws 128). The end holder receiver 124 and mounting bracket 106, when assembled, have corresponding aligned and threaded radial holes for receiving locating screws 128. The locating screws 128 extend through radial holes 129 in the end holder receiver 124 to hold the removable end holder 126 in place within the mounting bracket 106. The locating screws 128 can be loosened to allow the removable end holder 126 to be removed and replaced from the wire guide assembly 101 without removing the end holder receiver 124 from the mounting bracket 106. The removable end holder 126 can be replaced as needed to accommodate various types of contact ends 108. For example, contact ends for single-wire applications typically have multiple threads, requiring multiple turns to attach the contact end. In single-wire applications, the contact tip is mounted on the end of the filler wire (e.g., the filler wire is pushed through the center hole of the contact tip), and the contact tip rotates about the filler wire as it is screwed into the removable end holder 126. For example, for a single-wire welding process, the removable end holder 126 may have a female thread for receiving the male threaded end of the contact tip 108. However, such a threaded connection is not suitable for dual-wire applications because the filler wires would twist together during contact tip installation. For dual-wire welding processes, the contact tip may have one or more cams instead of a male thread, which allow the contact tip to be mounted in the removable end holder 126 with less than 360 degrees of rotation. Therefore, for dual-wire or other multi-wire applications, the contact tip 108 can be attached to the removable end holder 126 by rotating the contact tip less than 360 degrees (e.g., a quarter turn) so that the filler wire does not twist during contact tip installation. Loosening the positioning screw 128 allows the suitable removable end holder 126 to be attached to the wire guide assembly 101 for the desired welding application (e.g., single or multiple wires) without removing the end holder reception 124.Loosening the locating screw 128 also allows the user to rotate the front end of the wire guide assembly 101 (e.g., rotate the removable end holder 126 and its attached contact end 108) to accommodate the natural curvature and pitch of the filler wire, thereby guiding the filler wire toward the slot located at the tip of the nozzle. Thus, the removable end holder 126, along with its attached contact end 108, is rotatably adjustable within the mounting bracket 106 and the end holder receiver 124. Further loosening of the locating screw allows removal of the end holder receiver 124 from the mounting bracket 106.

[0023] Figure 4 The wire guide assembly 101 is shown, wherein the end retainer receiver 124 and the removable end retainer 126 are detached from the mounting bracket 106. A top screw 110 on the mounting bracket 106 allows adjustment of the bracket's angle, the bracket's rotation angle around the coke tube, and the bracket's linear position along the coke tube. The top screw 110 can be a shoulder screw, a fully threaded screw with a washer, or any other suitable fastener. A positioning screw 128 makes the removable end retainer 126 interchangeable and allows the front end of the wire guide assembly 101 to rotate for better placement of one or more filler wires in the nozzle's guide slot. The total adjustability provided by the wire guide assembly 101 is considerable. The user can adjust the filler wire feed angle, adjust the linear position of the wire guide assembly 101 along the coke tube to accommodate different coke tube lengths, and adjust the filler wire's rotational position, all via the mounting bracket 106. The end holder receiver 124, mounting bracket 106, interchangeable contact end holder 126, contact end 108 and nozzle work together to enable single-wire or multi-wire (e.g. dual-wire) laser welding with various filler wire sizes in different configurations.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of mounting bracket 106. The mounting bracket includes a first ring 130 (upper ring) that receives the coke tube on the welding torch. The first ring 130 slides along the coke tube to a desired position. The first ring 130 also allows for adjustment of the bracket's rotation around the coke tube as needed. Mounting bracket 106 also has a second ring 132 (lower ring) that receives an end holder receiver. It also receives a locating screw 128 (…). Figure 4 A threaded radial hole 134 is located on the second ring 132 of the mounting bracket 106. The angle between the first ring 130 and the second ring 132 is adjustable to adjust the angle between the guide tube assembly and the coke tube. The angle between the first ring 130 and the second ring 132, and the mounting position of the bracket 106 along the coke tube, is set by tightening the screw 110. In some embodiments, the first ring 130 may include a notch 136 that allows the first ring to bend or flex when the screw 110 is tightened to facilitate clamping of the mounting bracket 106 along the coke tube.

[0025] Figure 6 A portion of a handheld laser welding torch 102 is shown. Various nozzles 100 can be attached to the end of the coke tube 104 of the welding torch 102. The welding torch 102 can be used with various nozzles having slots of different sizes to guide different quantities and sizes of filler wires to intersect with the laser beam emitted by the welding torch.

[0026] In some embodiments, the wire guide assembly may include a clamp and a clamp nut for securing a removable end retainer in place. This embodiment is disclosed in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63 / 706,130, filed October 11, 2024, which is incorporated herein by reference. In some embodiments, the wire guide assembly may be configured for “hot wire” welding, wherein the filler wire is heated to near-molten. In these embodiments, the contact end can conduct heating current to the filler wire, and this heating current may be provided by a wire feeder via a wire feeder connector.

[0027] The filler wire discussed herein can be a solid wire, or a wire such as a metal-cored wire or a flux-cored wire. The filler wire can have a circular cross-sectional shape, or other non-circular cross-sectional shapes, such as flat or strip shapes. Strip filler wires can be used for surfacing and / or cladding operations to increase the deposition rate. In some embodiments, the contact tip and / or wire guide assembly of the laser welding torch can be configured to handle or guide strip filler wires with non-circular cross-sectional shapes toward the nozzle on the welding torch.

[0028] It should be understood that this disclosure is by way of example, and various changes can be made by adding, modifying, or removing details without departing from the reasonable scope of the teaching contained herein. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific details of this disclosure unless so required by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A laser welding torch, comprising: Coke tube; A nozzle that extends from the coke tube; Mounting bracket, which can be adjusted to be positioned along the length of the coke tube; as well as A wire guide assembly extending from the wire feeder and attached to the coke tube via the mounting bracket, wherein the wire guide assembly includes a removable end holder secured to the mounting bracket, and The mounting bracket provides adjustment of the angle between the guide tube assembly and the coke tube, and the orientation of the mounting bracket can be adjusted rotatably around the circumference of the coke tube.

2. The laser welding gun of claim 1, wherein, The guide wire assembly further includes a contact end attached to the removable end holder, wherein the contact end can be attached to the removable end holder by rotating the contact end through less than 360 degrees.

3. The laser welding gun of claim 1, wherein, The guide tube assembly further includes a flexible tube and an end retainer receiver attached to the flexible tube, wherein, when the removable end retainer is secured to the mounting bracket, a portion of the removable end retainer extends into a central opening in the end retainer receiver.

4. The laser welding gun of claim 3, wherein, The guide wire assembly further includes a contact end attached to the removable end holder, wherein the removable end holder is rotatably adjustable within the mounting bracket and the end holder receiver.

5. The laser welding gun of claim 3, wherein, The end retainer receiver and the mounting bracket have radial holes for receiving corresponding alignment of the attachment screws.

6. The laser welding gun of claim 3, wherein, The mounting bracket includes a first ring for receiving the coke tube and a second ring for receiving the end retainer receiver.

7. The laser welding gun as described in claim 6, wherein, The angle between the first ring and the second ring is adjustable to provide adjustment of the angle between the guide wire assembly and the coke tube.

8. A laser welding torch, comprising: Coke tube; A nozzle that extends from the coke tube; Mounting bracket, which can be adjusted to be positioned along the length of the coke tube; as well as A wire guide assembly extending from the wire feeder and attached to the coke tube via the mounting bracket, wherein the wire guide assembly includes: Removable end holder; and An end retainer receiver, wherein the removable end retainer and the end retainer receiver are attached to the mounting bracket. The mounting bracket provides adjustment of the angle between the guide tube assembly and the coke tube, and the orientation of the mounting bracket can be adjusted rotatably around the circumference of the coke tube.

9. The laser welding gun as described in claim 8, wherein, The guide wire assembly further includes a contact end attached to the removable end holder, wherein the contact end can be attached to the removable end holder by rotating the contact end through less than 360 degrees.

10. The laser welding gun as described in claim 8, wherein, A portion of the removable end retainer extends into the central opening of the end retainer receiver.

11. The laser welding gun as described in claim 10, wherein, The guide wire assembly further includes a contact end attached to the removable end holder, wherein the removable end holder is rotatably adjustable within the mounting bracket and the end holder receiver.

12. The laser welding gun as described in claim 10, wherein, The end retainer receiver and the mounting bracket have radial holes for receiving corresponding alignment of the attachment screws.

13. The laser welding gun as described in claim 10, wherein, The mounting bracket includes a first ring for receiving the coke tube and a second ring for receiving the end retainer receiver.

14. The laser welding gun as described in claim 13, wherein, The angle between the first ring and the second ring is adjustable to provide adjustment of the angle between the guide wire assembly and the coke tube.

15. A laser welding torch, comprising: Coke tube; A nozzle that extends from the coke tube; Mounting bracket, which can be adjusted to be positioned along the length of the coke tube; as well as A wire guide assembly extending from the wire feeder and attached to the coke tube via the mounting bracket, wherein the wire guide assembly includes: A removable end holder is attached to the mounting bracket; Contact end, the contact end being attached to the removable end holder; and An end retainer receiver is attached to the mounting bracket and has a central opening, wherein, when the removable end retainer is attached to the mounting bracket, a portion of the removable end retainer extends into the central opening of the end retainer receiver, and the removable end retainer is rotatably adjustable within the mounting bracket and the end retainer receiver. The mounting bracket provides two adjustments: adjustment of the mounting position of the guide wire assembly along the length of the coke tube, and rotational adjustment of the orientation of the mounting bracket around the circumference of the coke tube.

16. The laser welding gun as described in claim 15, wherein, The guide wire assembly further includes a contact end attached to the removable end holder, wherein the contact end can be attached to the removable end holder by rotating the contact end through less than 360 degrees.

17. The laser welding gun as described in claim 15, wherein, The end retainer receiver and the mounting bracket have radial holes for receiving corresponding alignment of the attachment screws.

18. The laser welding gun as claimed in claim 15, wherein, The mounting bracket includes a first ring for receiving the coke tube and a second ring for receiving the end retainer receiver.

19. The laser welding gun as claimed in claim 18, wherein, The angle between the first ring and the second ring is adjustable.

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