Welding torch and retaining ring

Abstract

To provide a welding torch which can regulate rotation of an outer cylindrical body provided on a torch barrel part around the torch barrel part with simple configuration, and a retaining ring.SOLUTION: A welding torch comprises: a torch barrel part to a tip side of which a tip member is attached; a cylindrical fitting body which is inserted through the torch barrel part, and of which axial movement to a tip side is regulated by a regulation part provided on the torch barrel part; an outer cylindrical body which is fastened to the fitting body on an axial tip side with respect to the regulation part, whereby axial movement of which is regulated in a state of being externally packaged in the torch barrel part; and a retaining ring is inserted through the torch barrel part so as to regulate rotation of the outer cylindrical body with respect to the torch barrel part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a welding torch and a retaining ring used in the welding torch to prevent an outer cylinder from rotating relative to a torch barrel. [Background technology]

[0002] A welding torch used in arc welding typically consists of a torch body, tip body, jacket, insulating sleeve, orifice, power supply tip, and nozzle. Among these components, the nozzle is attached to the tip of the welding torch to spray shielding gas, such as inert gas or carbon dioxide, onto the welding site. Because of its mounting position, the nozzle tip is very close to the welding site, causing spatter generated during arc welding to adhere to the nozzle tip. When this spatter adheres to the nozzle tip, it clogs the shielding gas outlet, resulting in poor shielding. One conventional solution to this problem is to periodically replace the nozzle, either automatically or manually.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a welding torch that has a nut member that restricts the movement of the torch body toward the axial tip at a predetermined position, and a nozzle that is detachably attached to the tip side of the nut member, thereby allowing a nozzle to be attached without providing a male thread portion on the outer peripheral surface of the tip of the torch body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-172566 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the welding torch described in Patent Document 1, the nozzle rotates around the axis of the torch body together with the nut member, which poses a problem of time and effort required for workers to disassemble the components of the welding torch when automatically or manually removing the nozzle or performing maintenance on the welding torch. In particular, when automating the attachment or detachment of the nozzle, if the nozzle rotates around the axis of the torch body together with the nut member, there is a risk that the attachment or detachment operation will fail, which could take longer than manual nozzle removal.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a welding torch and a retaining ring that can, with a simple configuration, prevent the outer cylinder that supports the nozzle provided in the torch barrel from rotating around the torch barrel as an axis. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The above object of the present invention can be achieved by the following configuration. (1) a torch barrel portion to which a tip member is attached at the tip end; a cylindrical mounting body that is inserted into the torch barrel and whose axial movement toward the tip side is restricted by a restricting portion provided on the torch barrel; an outer cylinder body that is fastened to the mounting body at a position on the axial tip side of the restricting portion, thereby restricting axial movement while attached to the torch barrel; a stop ring inserted through the torch barrel portion to restrict rotation of the outer cylinder body relative to the torch barrel portion; Equipped with Welding torch. (2) The inner peripheral surface of the retaining ring is formed with a restricting surface that abuts against the notched surface formed on the outer peripheral surface of the torch barrel, The outer circumferential surface of the retaining ring is formed with a locking portion that locks with a locked portion formed on the outer cylindrical body. The welding torch according to (1). (3) The locked portion is a recess formed by cutting out a part of the base end portion of the outer cylindrical body in the circumferential direction, The locking portion is a protrusion disposed within the recess. (2) The welding torch described in (2). (4) A tube body made of an insulating material is detachably fitted to the torch barrel portion to insulate the torch barrel portion from the outer cylinder body, the pipe body has supply holes and recovery holes drilled in the radial direction and arranged at different positions in the axial and circumferential directions, a circulation path is formed between the outer surface side of the pipe body and the inner surface side of the outer cylinder body, for guiding the cooling water supplied from the supply hole to the recovery hole; The torch barrel portion includes a barrel outer cylinder and a barrel inner cylinder that is housed in the barrel outer cylinder and extends further axially toward the tip end than the barrel outer cylinder, The outer peripheral surface of the barrel inner cylinder is formed with a supply passage that supplies cooling water between the barrel inner cylinder and the barrel outer cylinder, a supply-side opening that extends axially from the supply passage and opens beyond a position facing the supply hole, further towards the axial tip of the barrel outer cylinder, a recovery passage that recovers cooling water between the barrel inner cylinder and the barrel outer cylinder, and a recovery-side opening that extends axially from the recovery passage and opens beyond a position facing the recovery hole, further towards the axial tip of the barrel outer cylinder, the supply path and the supply-side opening, and the recovery path and the recovery-side opening are formed at different positions in the circumferential direction, The stop ring has another locking portion formed thereon that locks with another locked portion formed on the tubular body, thereby restricting rotation of the tubular body relative to the torch barrel. The welding torch according to (1). (5) The supply path and the supply-side opening, and the recovery path and the recovery-side opening are provided by two flat surfaces formed on the outer circumferential surface of the barrel inner cylinder at different phases in the circumferential direction. (4) The welding torch described in (4). (6) The other locking portion of the retaining ring is formed by protruding an axial side surface of the retaining ring in the axial direction. (4) The welding torch described in (4). (7) A torch is formed into a ring shape that is attached to the barrel. a restricting surface is formed on the inner peripheral surface thereof, the restricting surface being in contact with the notched surface formed on the outer peripheral surface of the torch barrel; a protrusion disposed in a recess formed at an axial end of an outer cylinder fitted to the torch barrel is formed on the outer circumferential surface; The outer cylinder is restricted from rotating around the torch barrel. Retaining ring. (8) The convex portion protruding in the axial direction is disposed in a recess formed at the axial end of a tube made of an insulating material that is wrapped around the torch barrel so as to insulate the torch barrel from the outer cylinder, thereby restricting the tube from rotating around the torch barrel. (7) A retaining ring as described in (7). [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, by providing a simple stop ring on the torch barrel, it is possible to prevent the outer cylinder supporting the nozzle from rotating relative to the torch barrel. This makes it easier to remove the nozzle, and allows the operator to smoothly and easily attach and detach the outer cylinder to and from the torch barrel, improving the maintainability of the welding torch. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic side view of a welding robot in which a welding torch to which the present invention is applied is used. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view showing a welding torch to which the present invention is applied. [Figure 3] 1 is a side view showing a welding torch to which the present invention is applied. [Figure 4] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a welding torch to which the present invention is applied. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a bottom view showing the torch barrel. [Figure 6] FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing an insulating sleeve, and FIG. 1B is a central cross-sectional view showing the insulating sleeve. [Figure 7]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a welding torch showing a cooling water circulation path. [Figure 8] 1A to 1C are a perspective view, a front view, and a side view showing the retaining ring. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a main part showing a manner in which a retaining ring is attached. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The configuration of a welding torch to which the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that each drawing is created for the purpose of explaining the present invention, and the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the contents of the drawings.

[0011] First, in order to understand the overall picture of a welding torch to which the present invention is applied, a welding robot using the welding torch will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of a welding robot using a welding torch according to an embodiment.

[0012] As shown in Fig. 1, welding robot 1 includes a wire pack 2, a torch cable 3, a wire feeder 4, a welding power source 5, a manipulator 6, and a welding torch 10. Note that reference symbol A in Fig. 1 denotes a base material to be welded.

[0013] 1, the wire pack 2 is a supply source of the welding wire W and stores a predetermined amount of the welding wire W. The welding wire W may be, for example, a copper-plated wire or a non-copper-plated wire.

[0014] Torch cable 3 supplies welding current supplied from welding power source 5, welding wire W stored in wire pack 2, and shielding gas supplied from a shielding gas storage device (not shown) to welding torch 10. One end of torch cable 3 is connected to wire feeder 4, and the other end is connected to welding torch 10.

[0015] Wire feeder 4 feeds welding wire W to welding torch 10 via torch cable 3 by using a roller or the like. By providing this wire feeder 4, welding wire W is automatically supplied to welding torch 10.

[0016] The welding power source 5 is a source of welding current, and supplies the welding current to the welding torch 10 via the wire feeder 4 and the torch cable 3 .

[0017] The manipulator 6 is an articulated robot with a welding torch 10 attached to the tip thereof, and its operation is controlled by a robot control device (not shown).

[0018] In the following embodiments, the extension direction of the welding torch 10 is referred to as the axial direction. The direction in which the welding wire W is paid out relative to the axial direction of the welding torch 10 is referred to as the front or tip side. The direction opposite to the payout direction of the welding wire W relative to the axial direction of the welding torch 10 is referred to as the rear or base side.

[0019] Next, the configuration of a welding torch 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 7. Figures 2 and 3 are perspective and side views of a welding torch to which the present invention is applied, Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of a welding torch to which the present invention is applied, Figure 5 is a bottom view of a torch barrel, Figure 6(A) is a perspective view of an insulating sleeve, Figure 6(B) is a central cross-sectional view of the insulating sleeve, and Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the welding torch showing the cooling water circulation path.

[0020] Welding torch 10 automatically feeds welding wire W into a cylinder and performs arc welding using welding wire W. As shown in FIG. 2 , welding torch 10 is equipped with current-carrying fitting 11 and cooling water supply unit 12. The current-carrying fitting 11 is for passing a weak current through the nozzle to detect contact between the nozzle 16 and the base material A. The cooling water supply unit 12 is for circulating and supplying cooling water to the welding torch 10.

[0021] (welding torch 10) As shown in FIG. 4, the welding torch 10 includes a torch barrel 20, a tip body 13, an orifice 14, a contact tip 15, a nozzle 16, an insulating sleeve 17, a nozzle mounting mechanism 30, and a retaining ring 40. The nozzle attachment mechanism 30 has a nut member 31 , an outer cylinder 32 , and a restricting member 33 , and detachably attaches the nozzle 16 to the tip side of the torch barrel 20 . The stop ring 40 restricts the outer cylinder 32 supporting the nozzle 16 and the insulating sleeve 17 from rotating relative to the torch barrel 20 .

[0022] (Torch barrel part 20) The torch barrel 20 has a cylindrical barrel inner cylinder 21 and a barrel outer cylinder 22 into which the barrel inner cylinder 21 is inserted. The barrel inner cylinder 21 and the barrel outer cylinder 22 are integrated with each other, with the outer surface of the barrel inner cylinder 21 fitting into the inner surface of the barrel outer cylinder 22. The barrel inner cylinder 21 is longer than the barrel outer cylinder 22, so that it protrudes axially from both the front and rear ends of the barrel outer cylinder 22.

[0023] A conduit tube (not shown) that guides the welding wire W supplied from the torch cable 3 is inserted into the barrel inner cylinder 21. The rear side of the barrel inner cylinder 21 is supported by a torch clamp (not shown), and the nozzle 16 and the tip body 13 are attached to extend from the axial tip side.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 5, a pair of notches are formed along the longitudinal direction on the outer peripheral surface of the inner barrel section 21 between the inner barrel section 21 and the outer barrel section 22 and insulating sleeve 17, thereby forming a supply path 23 for supplying cooling water and a recovery path 24 for recovering cooling water.

[0025] The supply path 23 and the recovery path 24 are formed to protrude in the longitudinal direction beyond the front and rear ends of the barrel outer cylinder portion 22. A supply-side connection part 23b and a recovery-side connection part 24b are formed on the axial base end sides of the supply path 23 and the recovery path 24, and are connected to the cooling water supply part 12. The cooling water is supplied to the supply path 23 and recovered from the recovery path 24 by the cooling water supply part 12 connected to the supply-side connection part 23b and the recovery-side connection part 24b. On the other hand, the tip ends of the supply path 23 and the recovery path 24 are formed so that one side is longer in the tip direction than the other side. In the example shown in the figure, the recovery path 24 is formed longer in the tip direction than the supply path 23.

[0026] (Chip body 13) The tip body 13 has a cylindrical shape and includes a mechanism for supporting the orifice 14 and the contact tip 15. The tip body 13 is made of an electrically conductive material such as metal.

[0027] The tip body 13 has a female screw portion (not shown) formed on the inner surface at the tip end thereof to which the contact tip 15 is fastened. A male thread (not shown) is formed on the outer surface of the rear end of tip body 13, which fastens to a female thread formed on the front end of barrel inner tube 21. Also, the inner diameter of tip body 13 is formed larger than the outer diameter of the conduit tube, so that a certain space is formed between the inner surface of tip body 13 and the outer surface of the conduit tube.

[0028] A cylindrical orifice 14 is inserted into the tip body 13 from the tip end. A flange portion 13a is formed on the outer periphery of the tip body 13 to restrict the sliding of the inserted orifice 14 by abutting it at a predetermined position. In addition, a plurality of through holes 13b through which a shielding gas flows are formed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction in the part of the tip body 13 where the orifice 14 is attached.

[0029] (Orifice 14) The orifice 14 has a mechanism for rectifying the flow of the shielding gas. When orifice 14 is attached to tip body 13, multiple through holes 14a through which shielding gas flows are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction at a position closer to the tip end than the through holes formed in tip body 13. As a result, orifice 14 smoothly guides the shielding gas that has flowed into the inner peripheral side to through holes 14a, preventing the shielding gas from causing turbulence.

[0030] (Contact Tip 15) The contact tip 15 has a mechanism for supplying a welding current to the welding wire W and guiding the welding wire W to the base material A to be welded. The contact tip 15 is made of an electrically conductive material such as a metal.

[0031] The contact tip 15 has an elongated guide hole 15a whose inner diameter is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the welding wire W, and serves to guide the welding wire W. The guide hole 15a is formed so that the welding wire W fed from the tip body 13 side through a conduit tube can slide in the internal space while contacting the inner peripheral surface thereof.

[0032] (Nozzle 16) The nozzle 16 has a mechanism for injecting a shielding gas such as argon or carbon dioxide gas supplied from a gas supply device (not shown) onto the base material A to be welded. The nozzle 16 is formed in a cylindrical shape that can accommodate the tip body 13, the orifice 14, and the contact tip 15 in an integrally assembled state.

[0033] (Nozzle attachment mechanism 30) The nozzle attachment mechanism 30 comprises a nut member 31 that is slidably mounted along the axis of the barrel outer tubular portion 22, an outer tubular body 32 that is interposed between the nut member 31 and the nozzle 16, and a restricting member 33 that is attached to the tip side of the barrel outer tubular portion 22.

[0034] The nut member 31 is a cap nut that is inserted into the barrel outer tubular portion 22 and is provided so that it can slide freely along the barrel outer tubular portion 22. As a result, the nut member 31 functions as an attachment body for attaching the outer tubular body 32, on which the nozzle 16 is provided, to the barrel outer tubular portion 22.

[0035] The nut member 31 has a cylindrical shape with a bottom that is open at the front. A through-hole (not shown) is formed in the bottom 31b of the nut member 31 so that the barrel outer cylinder 22 can be inserted through it. A female thread 31a that fastens the outer cylinder 32 is formed on the front inner surface of the nut member 31.

[0036] The restricting member 33 is a ring-shaped member made of resin, and is attached and fixed to a predetermined position on the tip side of the barrel outer cylinder 22 by being inserted through the torch barrel 20 from the tip side. The restricting member 33 has a positioning member 34 made of an O-ring that fits into a groove (not shown) on the outer surface of the tip of the barrel 22. The restricting member 33 that is inserted into the barrel 22 may be configured so that its axial position is determined by a predetermined position where it abuts against the positioning member 34. This configuration can be seen in Figure 5.

[0037] The outer cylinder 32 has a cylindrical shape. A male screw portion 32a is formed on the outer surface of the front end of the outer cylinder 32, and serves as a mechanism for supporting the nozzle 16. A male screw portion 32b is formed on the outer surface of the rear end of the outer cylinder 32, and a female screw portion 31a formed on the nut member 31 is fastened to the male screw portion 32a.

[0038] With this nozzle attachment mechanism 30, the front surface of the bottom 31b of the nut member 31 abuts against the rear surface of the restricting member 33, thereby restricting the nut member 31, which slides along the barrel outer cylinder 22, from sliding forward beyond the restricting member 33. Meanwhile, fastening the rear portion of the outer cylinder 32 to the front portion of the nut member 31 restricts the nut member 31 from sliding rearward beyond the restricting member 33. That is, the nozzle attachment mechanism 30 can fix the axial positions of the outer cylinder 32 and the nut member 31 relative to the torch barrel 20. Therefore, the nozzle 16 fastened to the outer cylinder 32 can be provided so as to extend toward the axial tip of the torch barrel 20.

[0039] In the above example, the nozzle 16 is configured to be detachable from the outer cylindrical body 32, but the outer cylindrical body 32 and the nozzle 16 may be integrally molded. In this case, the nozzle 16 is directly and detachably attached to the nut member 31. Furthermore, the restricting member 33 is not limited to the above configuration, as long as it is capable of positioning the nut member 31 and the outer cylinder body 32 at a predetermined position on the tip side of the barrel outer cylinder 22. For example, rather than being a separate member from the barrel outer cylinder 22, the restricting member 33 may be configured such that a step for positioning the nut member 31 is integrally molded on the outer surface of the barrel outer cylinder 22.

[0040] (insulating sleeve 17) The insulating sleeve 17 has the function of preventing electricity applied to the torch barrel 20 from flowing to the nozzle 16. The insulating sleeve 17 is made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin. Note that the insulating sleeve 17 is just one example, and any tubular body made of an insulating material will do.

[0041] The insulating sleeve 17 is a cylindrical tube. The inner diameter of the insulating sleeve 17 is larger than the outer diameter of the barrel inner cylinder 21, and smaller than the inner diameters of the nozzle 16 and the outer cylinder 32. The insulating sleeve 17 is fitted and housed in the outer cylinder 32, and also fits and houses the front portion of the barrel inner cylinder 21 that is exposed in front of the barrel outer cylinder 22.

[0042] Insulating sleeve 17 has supply holes 17a and recovery holes 17b drilled in the radial direction and arranged side by side at different positions in the axial and circumferential directions. As shown in Figures 6(A) and 6(B), supply holes 17a are arranged on the base end side of insulating sleeve 17 in the axial direction, and recovery holes 17b are arranged on the tip end side of insulating sleeve 17 in the axial direction. Also, a circumferential groove 17c that reduces the radial dimension is recessed in the middle of insulating sleeve 17 in the axial direction, and recovery holes 17b are formed to open above groove 17c.

[0043] The tip of supply path 23 and the tip of recovery path 24 are formed between the inner surface of insulating sleeve 17 and a pair of notched surfaces formed on the outer surface of barrel inner tubular portion 21. Specifically, the axial tip of supply path 23 forms supply-side opening 23a that opens beyond a position facing supply hole 17a, and the axial tip of recovery path 24 forms recovery-side opening 24a that opens beyond a position facing recovery hole 17b. In other words, the cutout surface of the inner barrel portion 21 extends beyond the outer barrel portion 22 to a position facing the inner surface of the insulating sleeve 17, thereby forming a supply-side opening 23a that communicates with the supply hole 17a and a recovery-side opening 24a that communicates with the recovery hole 17b. This configuration can be seen in FIGS.

[0044] The insulating sleeve 17 has its axial rotation position fixed at a predetermined position relative to the barrel inner cylindrical section 21 by a stop ring 40. As a result, the supply hole 17a is positioned opposite the supply passage 23 of the barrel inner cylindrical section 21, and the recovery hole 17b is positioned opposite the recovery passage 24 of the barrel inner cylindrical section 21.

[0045] A circulation path 25, which is an annular space, is formed between the outer surface of the insulating sleeve 17 and the inner surface of the outer cylinder body 32. The circulation path 25 can return the cooling water supplied from the supply side opening 23a via the supply hole 17a to the recovery side opening 24a via the recovery hole 17b.

[0046] According to this configuration, the supply holes 17a and the recovery holes 17b are arranged side by side at different positions in the axial and circumferential directions, so that the cooling water flowing in the circulation path 25 can flow not only in the circumferential direction around the outer surface of the barrel inner cylindrical portion 21 but also in the axial direction, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the welding torch 10 by the cooling water.

[0047] According to the above-described welding torch 10, the welding wire W supplied from the torch cable 3 can be supplied to the guide hole 15a at the tip of the contact tip 15 via a conduit tube inserted into the tip body 13. Furthermore, the welding torch 10 can supply the welding current supplied from the welding power source 5 to the welding wire W via the torch barrel 20, the tip body 13, and the contact tip 15. Furthermore, the welding torch 10 can supply the shielding gas supplied to the space formed between the inner surface of the tip body 13 and the outer surface of the conduit tube from the tip of the nozzle 16 toward the base material A via the through hole 13b of the tip body 13 and the orifice 14.

[0048] Next, the retaining ring 40 will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 9. Figures 8(A) to 8(C) are a perspective view, a front view, and a side view showing the retaining ring, and Figure 9 is a perspective view of the main part showing how the retaining ring is attached.

[0049] The retaining ring 40 is an annular member that is inserted into the torch barrel 20 and is provided at the tip of the barrel outer tubular portion 22. The retaining ring 40 has a pair of parallel flat restriction surfaces 41, 41 formed by cutting out part of the annular inner surface. The retaining ring 40 is also provided with a locking portion 42 that is a convex portion that protrudes radially outward. This configuration can be seen in Figures 8(A) to 8(C).

[0050] The restricting surface 41 has the function of supporting the stop ring 40 on the tip side of the barrel outer cylinder 22 while restricting rotation around the torch barrel 20 as an axis. The restricting surface 41 abuts against a pair of notched surfaces 43, 43 formed at a predetermined position on the front outer surface of the barrel 22, thereby fitting and fixing the inner surface of the retaining ring 40 at a predetermined position on the front outer surface of the barrel 22. This configuration can be seen in Figure 9.

[0051] The locking portion 42 has the function of restricting the axial rotation of the outer cylindrical body 32 and the insulating sleeve 17 relative to the retaining ring 40 by being locked to the locking portions 44A and 44B, which are recesses formed on the base end side of the outer cylindrical body 32 and the base end side of the insulating sleeve 17. The locking portion 42 has a first locking portion 42a that protrudes radially outward from the retaining ring 40, and a second locking portion 42b that protrudes axially forward from the axial side surface of the retaining ring 40. In the example shown, a single protrusion that protrudes radially outward and forward serves as both the first locking portion 42a and the second locking portion 42b. Note that the first locking portion 42a and the second locking portion 42b may be separate protrusions.

[0052] The first locking portion 42a is disposed within the first locked portion 44A, which is a recess formed by cutting out the outer cylinder body 32 from the base end side toward the front, thereby restricting the rotation of the outer cylinder body 32 around the torch barrel 20. In other words, the rotation of the nozzle 16 attached to the outer cylinder body 32 around the torch barrel 20 can also be restricted.

[0053] The second locking portion 42b is disposed within a second locked portion 44B, which is a recess formed by cutting forward from the base end side of the insulating sleeve 17. This allows the retaining ring 40 to restrict rotation of the insulating sleeve 17 around the torch barrel 20 as an axis.

[0054] By providing the above-described retaining ring 40 on the welding torch 10, the axial rotation of the outer cylinder 32 relative to the torch barrel 20 is restricted. Therefore, when removing the nozzle 16 from the welding torch 10, the outer cylinder 32 does not rotate along with the nozzle 16, and only the nozzle 16 can be easily turned, so that the nozzle 16 can be removed from the welding torch 10 smoothly and easily. Similarly, when removing the nozzle 16 from the welding torch 10, the outer cylinder 32 does not rotate along with it, and only the nut member 31 can be easily turned, so that the outer cylinder 32 to which the nozzle 16 is fastened can be smoothly and easily removed from the nut member 31.

[0055] Furthermore, by providing the retaining ring 40 to the welding torch 10, the insulating sleeve 17 is restricted from rotating about the torch barrel 20, so that the supply hole 17a and the recovery hole 17b can be reliably positioned opposite the supply-side opening 23a and the recovery-side opening 24a, respectively. In other words, the supply hole 17a and the supply-side opening 23a, and the recovery hole 17b and the recovery-side opening 24a can be offset in the axial direction and positioned at different phases in the circumferential direction.

[0056] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the present invention also contemplates the mutual combination of the various components of the embodiments, as well as modifications and applications by those skilled in the art based on the description in the specification and well-known techniques, and these modifications and applications are included in the scope of protection sought.

[0057] As described above, the present specification discloses the following: (1) a torch barrel portion to which a tip member is attached at the tip end; a cylindrical mounting body that is inserted into the torch barrel and whose axial movement toward the tip side is restricted by a restricting portion provided on the torch barrel; an outer cylinder body that is fastened to the mounting body at a position on the axial tip side of the restricting portion, thereby restricting axial movement while attached to the torch barrel; a stop ring inserted through the torch barrel portion to restrict rotation of the outer cylinder body relative to the torch barrel portion; Equipped with Welding torch. According to this configuration, the provision of a retaining ring prevents the outer cylinder that supports the nozzle from rotating together with the torch barrel, facilitating the removal of the nozzle. Furthermore, the worker can smoothly and easily perform the installation operation of rotating the mounting body around its axis to fasten the outer cylinder, and the removal operation of releasing the fastening, using a tool such as a wrench, thereby improving the maintainability of the welding torch.

[0058] (2) The inner peripheral surface of the retaining ring is formed with a restricting surface that abuts against the notched surface formed on the outer peripheral surface of the torch barrel, The outer circumferential surface of the retaining ring is formed with a locking portion that locks with a locked portion formed on the outer cylindrical body. The welding torch according to (1). According to this configuration, the mounting body and the outer cylinder body can be prevented from rotating together with the torch barrel portion about its axis, with a simple configuration that keeps the number of parts and manufacturing costs low.

[0059] (3) The locked portion is a recess formed by cutting out a part of the base end portion of the outer cylindrical body in the circumferential direction, The locking portion is a protrusion disposed within the recess. (2) The welding torch described in (2). According to this configuration, the amount of processing required for the outer cylinder can be minimized, thereby further reducing costs.

[0060] (4) A tube body made of an insulating material is provided which is detachably fitted to the torch barrel portion to insulate the torch barrel portion from the outer cylinder body, the pipe body has supply holes and recovery holes drilled in the radial direction and arranged at different positions in the axial and circumferential directions, a circulation path is formed between the outer surface side of the pipe body and the inner surface side of the outer cylinder body, for guiding the cooling water supplied from the supply hole to the recovery hole; The torch barrel portion includes a barrel outer cylinder and a barrel inner cylinder that is housed in the barrel outer cylinder and extends further axially toward the tip end than the barrel outer cylinder, The outer peripheral surface of the barrel inner cylinder is formed with a supply passage that supplies cooling water between the barrel inner cylinder and the barrel outer cylinder, a supply-side opening that extends axially from the supply passage and opens beyond a position facing the supply hole, further towards the axial tip of the barrel outer cylinder, a recovery passage that recovers cooling water between the barrel inner cylinder and the barrel outer cylinder, and a recovery-side opening that extends axially from the recovery passage and opens beyond a position facing the recovery hole, further towards the axial tip of the barrel outer cylinder, the supply path and the supply-side opening, and the recovery path and the recovery-side opening are formed at different positions in the circumferential direction, The stop ring has another locking portion formed thereon that locks with another locked portion formed on the tubular body, thereby restricting rotation of the tubular body relative to the torch barrel. A welding torch according to any one of (1) to (3). According to this configuration, the supply holes and recovery holes that make up the circulation path are positioned at different positions in the axial and circumferential directions, allowing the cooling water to flow efficiently, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the torch barrel.

[0061] (5) The supply path and the supply-side opening, and the recovery path and the recovery-side opening are provided by two flat surfaces formed on the outer circumferential surface of the barrel inner cylinder at different phases in the circumferential direction. (4) The welding torch described in (4). According to this configuration, the supply side opening and the recovery side opening can be easily formed, which further reduces costs.

[0062] (6) The other locking portion of the retaining ring is formed by protruding an axial side surface of the retaining ring in the axial direction. (4) The welding torch described in (4). According to this configuration, the insulating sleeve can be locked without forming a plurality of protrusions, and therefore the configuration is simplified.

[0063] (7) A torch is formed into a ring shape that is attached to the barrel. a restricting surface is formed on the inner peripheral surface thereof, the restricting surface being in contact with the notched surface formed on the outer peripheral surface of the torch barrel; a protrusion disposed in a recess formed at an axial end of an outer cylinder fitted to the torch barrel is formed on the outer circumferential surface; The outer cylinder is restricted from rotating around the torch barrel. Retaining ring. According to this configuration, the relative rotation of the outer cylinder body with respect to the torch barrel can be restricted by a single stop ring with a simple shape, thereby reducing costs and labor.

[0064] (8) The convex portion protruding in the axial direction is disposed in a recess formed at the axial end of a tube made of an insulating material that is wrapped around the torch barrel so as to insulate the torch barrel from the outer cylinder, thereby restricting the tube from rotating around the torch barrel. (7) A retaining ring as described in (7). According to this configuration, the single stop ring can restrict the relative rotation of the outer cylinder body and the tube body with respect to the torch barrel. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 1. Welding robot 2 wire packs 3 Torch Cable 4 Wire feeder 5 Welding power source 6 Manipulator 10. Welding torch 11 Electrical fittings 12 Cooling water supply section 13 Tip body 13a Flange 13b Through hole 14 Orifice 14a Through hole 15 Contact Tip 15a Guide hole 16 nozzles 17 Insulating sleeve (tube body) 17a Supply hole 17b Recovery hole 17c Groove 20 Torch barrel 21 Gun barrel inner tube (gun barrel inner tube) 22 Gun barrel outer tube (gun barrel outer tube) 23 Supply route 23a Supply side opening 23b Supply side connection 24 Recovery Route 24a Collection side opening 24b Recovery side connection 25 Circulation path 30 Nozzle attachment mechanism 31 Nut member (mounting body) 31a Female thread 31b bottom 32 Outer cylinder 32a male thread 32b Male thread part 33 Regulating member (regulating part) 40 Retaining ring 41 Regulatory aspects 42 Locking portion (protrusion) 42a 1st locking part 42b Second locking part 43 Notched surface 44 Locked portion (recess) 44A 1st locked part 44B 2nd locked part A Base material W welding wire

Claims

1. a torch barrel portion to which a tip member is attached at a tip side; a cylindrical mounting body that is inserted into the torch barrel and whose axial movement toward the tip side is restricted by a restricting portion provided on the torch barrel; an outer cylinder body that is fastened to the mounting body at a position on the axial tip side of the restricting portion, thereby restricting axial movement while attached to the torch barrel; a stop ring inserted through the torch barrel portion to restrict rotation of the outer cylinder body relative to the torch barrel portion; Equipped with Welding torch.

2. The inner peripheral surface of the retaining ring is formed with a restricting surface that abuts against a notched surface formed on the outer peripheral surface of the torch barrel, An engaging portion that engages with an engaged portion formed on the outer cylindrical body is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the retaining ring. The welding torch of claim 1 .

3. the locked portion is a recess formed by cutting out a portion of the base end of the outer cylindrical body in the circumferential direction, The locking portion is a protrusion disposed within the recess. The welding torch of claim 2.

4. a tube body made of an insulating material that is detachably fitted to the torch barrel portion to insulate the torch barrel portion from the outer cylinder body; The pipe has supply holes and recovery holes drilled in the radial direction at different positions in the axial and circumferential directions. are arranged side by side, a circulation path is formed between the outer surface side of the pipe body and the inner surface side of the outer cylinder body, for guiding the cooling water supplied from the supply hole to the recovery hole; The torch barrel portion includes a barrel outer cylinder and a barrel inner cylinder that is housed in the barrel outer cylinder and extends further axially toward the tip end than the barrel outer cylinder, The outer peripheral surface of the barrel inner cylinder is formed with a supply passage that supplies cooling water between the barrel inner cylinder and the barrel outer cylinder, a supply-side opening that extends axially from the supply passage and opens beyond a position facing the supply hole, further towards the axial tip of the barrel outer cylinder, a recovery passage that recovers cooling water between the barrel inner cylinder and the barrel outer cylinder, and a recovery-side opening that extends axially from the recovery passage and opens beyond a position facing the recovery hole, further towards the axial tip of the barrel outer cylinder, the supply path and the supply-side opening, and the recovery path and the recovery-side opening are formed at different positions in the circumferential direction, The stop ring has another locking portion formed thereon that locks with another locked portion formed on the tubular body, thereby restricting rotation of the tubular body relative to the torch barrel. The welding torch of claim 1 .

5. The supply path and the supply-side opening, and the recovery path and the recovery-side opening are provided by two flat surfaces formed on the outer peripheral surface of the barrel inner cylinder at different phases in the circumferential direction. The welding torch of claim 4.

6. The other locking portion of the retaining ring is formed by protruding an axial side surface of the retaining ring in the axial direction. The welding torch of claim 4.

7. It is formed in a ring shape that is attached to the exterior of the torch barrel, a restricting surface is formed on the inner peripheral surface thereof, the restricting surface being in contact with the notched surface formed on the outer peripheral surface of the torch barrel; a protrusion disposed in a recess formed at an axial end of an outer cylinder fitted to the torch barrel is formed on the outer circumferential surface; The outer cylinder is restricted from rotating around the torch barrel. Retaining ring.

8. The convex portion protruding in the axial direction is disposed in a concave portion formed at the axial end of a tube made of an insulating material that is wrapped around the torch barrel so as to insulate the torch barrel from the outer cylinder, thereby restricting the tube from rotating around the torch barrel as an axis.

8. The retaining ring of claim 7.

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