Welding contact tip and methods of manufacturing a welding contact tip

Abstract

A welding contact tip is disclosed, comprising: a contact tip shell defining a conductive passage, the conductive passage being sized to receive a welding wire and to transmit an electric current to the welding wire; and an electrically conductive element arranged in the contact tip shell extending toward the conductive passage. A method of manufacturing a welding contact tip is also disclosed.

Description

WELDING CONTACT TIP AND METHODS OFMANUFACTURING A WELDING CONTACT TIPCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to Untied States Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 650,941 , filed on May 23, 2024, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to welding contact tips, and in particular to a welding contact tip having an extended life.BACKGROUND

[0003] Welding contact tips are used during welding to transfer electric current to a welding wire for producing an arc. For example, welding contact tips are used in welding applications where a hot or cold wire is fed to form a weld pool or bead, such as in MIG / MAG welding. However, a limitation of existing welding contact tips is that they must be changed frequently as the contact surface deteriorates due to microarcing and friction between the wire and a conductive passage of the contact tip.

[0004] The material of the contact tip is typically a copper alloy, and the material of the wire is most commonly a steel or aluminum alloy. The difference in hardness of these materials is a major cause of surface degradation. As the conductive passage enlarges in size and the clearance between the welding wire and the conductive passage increases, the amount of current transfer decreases, necessitating replacement of the contact tip.

[0005] Accordingly, an additional, alternative, and / or improved welding contact tip remains highly desirable.SUMMARY

[0006] In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a welding contact tip is disclosed, comprising: a contact tip shell defining a conductive passage, the conductive passage being sized to receive a welding wire and to transmit anelectric current to the welding wire; and an electrically conductive element arranged in the contact tip shell extending toward the conductive passage.

[0007] In some aspects, the electrically conductive element extends radially through the contact tip shell toward the conductive passage at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the conductive passage.

[0008] In some aspects, the electrically conductive element extends in a radial direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the conductive passage.

[0009] In some aspects, the welding contact tip comprises a plurality of electrically conductive elements arranged radially around the conductive passage.

[0010] In some aspects, the plurality of electrically conductive elements comprise two or more electrically conductive elements arranged in a plane perpendicular to the conductive passage.

[0011] In some aspects, the two or more electrically conductive elements in the plane are spaced equally apart radially around the conductive passage.

[0012] In some aspects, the plurality of electrically conductive elements comprise two or more electrically conductive elements spaced apart longitudinally along the conductive passage.

[0013] In some aspects, the two or more electrically conductive elements are radially offset.

[0014] In some aspects, the plurality of electrically conductive elements comprise a first pair of electrically conductive elements arranged in a first plane perpendicular to the conductive passage on opposite sides of the conductive passage, and a second pair of electrically conductive elements arranged in a second plane perpendicular to the conductive passage on opposite sides of the conductive passage, the first plane and the second plane being spaced apart longitudinally along the conductive passage.

[0015] In some aspects, the electrically conductive element is made of a material that is harder than the contact tip shell.

[0016] In some aspects, the electrically conductive element is made of a Tungsten alloy, Beryllium Bronze, Titanium Copper, Copper alloy, or a material with higher wear resistance than the contact tip shell.

[0017] In some aspects, an end of the electrically conductive element extending into the conductive passage is shaped to maximize a surface area of contact with the welding wire.

[0018] In some aspects, the electrically conductive element is threaded into the contact tip shell.

[0019] In some aspects, the electrically conductive element is pressed into the contact tip shell.

[0020] In some aspects, the contact tip shell comprises an alignment feature for indexing a location to insert the electrically conductive element during manufacturing.

[0021] In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of manufacturing a welding contact tip is disclosed, comprising: obtaining a contact tip shell defining a conductive passage, the conductive passage being sized to receive a welding wire and to transmit an electric current to the welding wire; and arranging an electrically conductive element in the contact tip shell extending radially toward the conductive passage.

[0022] In some aspects, the contact tip shell comprises an alignment feature for indexing a location to insert the electrically conductive element, and the electrically conductive element is arranged in the contact tip shell based on the alignment feature.

[0023] In some aspects, arranging the electrically conductive element in the contact tip shell comprises arranging a plurality of electrically conductive elements radially around the contact tip shell.

[0024] In some aspects, arranging the electrically conductive element comprises threading the electrically conductive element into the contact tip shell.

[0025] In some aspects, arranging the electrically conductive element comprises pressing the electrically conductive element into the contact tip shell.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Further features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in combination with the appended drawings, in which:

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a representation of a welding contact tip in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0028] FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the welding contact tip of FIG. 1 ;

[0029] FIG. 3 shows a computer-aided design representation of the welding contact tip;

[0030] FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the welding contact tip; and

[0031] FIG. 5 shows a method of manufacturing a welding contact tip.

[0032] It will be noted that throughout the appended drawings, like features are identified by like reference numerals.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] A welding contact tip having an extended working life is disclosed herein. The welding contact tip comprises electrically conductive element(s) arranged in the contact tip shell and extending toward the conductive passage through which the welding wire passes through. The electrically conductive element(s) thus interface with the welding wire and advantageously create a secondary current path to extend the working life of the welding contact tip. In particular, when the resistance between the contact tip and welding wire starts to increase due to enlargement of the conductive passage (i.e. the primary current path), the electrically conductive element(s) form a new secondary current path which becomes more predominant as the conductive passage continues to degrade.

[0034] Further, the electrically conductive element(s) are preferably made from a material that is harder than the contact tip shell, and that has a higher abrasion resistance than the contact tip shell. For example, the electrically conductive element may be made from a Tungsten alloy, Beryllium Bronze, Titanium Copper, Copper alloys, or other materials with higher wear resistance than the contact tip shell. By arranging the electrically conductive element of a harder material in a specific manner in the contact tip, the abrasion resistance and electrical conductivity of the wire and contact tip interface is improved.

[0035] Accordingly, the welding contact tip in accordance with the present disclosure has an extended service life expectancy that is significantly longer than typical welding contact tips, and thus requires less frequent replacement.

[0036] Embodiments are described below, by way of example only, with reference to Figures. 1-5.

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a representation of a welding contact tip 100 in accordance with the present disclosure. FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the welding contact tip of FIG. 1. The welding contact tip 100 comprises a contact tip shell 102 that defines a conductive passage 104 extending along a central axis through the contact tip shell 102. The conductive passage 104 is sized to receive a welding wire there-through, and transmits an electric current to the welding wire during a welding operation.

[0038] In accordance with the present disclosure, the welding contact tip comprises an electrically conductive element 106 arranged in the contact tip shell, which extends toward the conductive passage. The electrically conductive element extends radially through the contact tip shell toward the conductive passage. Extending radially may comprise extending in the radial direction R (i.e. perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L of the conductive passage 104 I contact tip shell 102), or more generally, extending radially may comprise extending toward the conductive passage at some angle relative to the longitudinal axis L (i.e. at an angle between the radial axis R and the longitudinal axis L).

[0039] The welding contact tip 100 in accordance with the present disclosure preferably comprises a plurality of electrically conductive elements 106 (e.g. as seen in FIG. 2) positioned radially around the conductive passage 104 of the contact tip shell 102 (i.e., radially around the longitudinal axis L of the conductive passage 104). As described further below, the plurality of electrically conductive elements 106 may be positioned radially around the conductive passage 104 in a single plane perpendicular to the conductive passage 104, and / or they may be positioned radially around the conductive passage 104 along a length of the conductive passage 104.

[0040] In particular, it is desirable for the electrically conductive elements 106 to contact all surfaces around the diameter of the welding wire. By contacting surfaces around the diameter of the welding wire, the electrically conductive elements 106 can remain in contact with the wire even if the wire undergoes some movement within the conductive passage (and can also help the welding wire straighten out as appropriate). In some embodiments, the plurality of electrically conductive elements 106 may for example comprise two electrically conductive elements arranged on opposite sides of the conductive passage 104. In still further embodiments, the plurality of electrically conductive elements 106 may comprise four electrically conductive elements spaced radially around the conductive passage 104. Of course, other numbers of electrically conductive elements 106 may also be used (e.g. three electrically conductive elements spaced 120 degrees apart, or more than four electrically conductive elements, etc.). To enhance contact between the electrically conductive elements 106 and the welding wire (even in a case where only a single electrically conductive element is used), one or more of the electrically conductive elements may be shaped to maximize a surface area of contact with the welding wire, such as by having a rounded I circular end that extends into the conductive passage to contact the welding wire for example.

[0041] In some embodiments, two or more electrically conductive elements 106 may be arranged in a plane perpendicular to the conductive passage. Where multiple electrically conductive elements 106 are arranged in a same plane, they may be spaced equally apart radially. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, two electrically conductive elements 106 are arranged in a respective plane perpendicular to theconductive passage, and are positioned on opposite sides of the conductive passage (i.e. 180 degrees from each other).

[0042] Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments two or more electrically conductive elements 106 may be spaced apart longitudinally along the conductive passage. The two or more electrically conductive elements 106 spaced apart (i.e. in different planes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the conductive passage) may be radially offset. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, another two electrically conductive elements 106 are arranged in another plane that is spaced apart longitudinally along the conductive passage from the other electrically conductive elements, and are radially offset.

[0043] In the embodiment depicted in FIGs. 1 and 2, four electrically conductive elements 106 are shown. A first pair of electrically conductive elements 106 are arranged in a first plane perpendicular to the conductive passage 104, and a second pair of electrically conductive elements 106 are arranged in a second plane perpendicular to the conductive passage 104, with the first and second planes being spaced apart longitudinally along the conductive passage 104. The electrically conductive elements in the respective first and second pairs are spaced apart by 180 degrees on opposite sides of the conductive passage 104. Further, the first pair of electrically conductive elements is radially offset by 90 degrees with respect to the second pair of electrically conductive elements. Thus, in this example representation of a welding contact tip 100 in accordance with the present disclosure, there are four electrically conductive elements 106, each radially offset by 90 degrees, and a first pair of the electrically conductive elements 106 being spaced apart longitudinally from a second pair of the electrically conductive elements 106.

[0044] The electrically conductive element(s) 106 may be made of a material that is harder than the contact tip shell 102. The contact tip shell 102 is typically a copper alloy. The electrically conductive element 106 may for example be a T ungsten alloy Beryllium Bronze, Titanium Copper, Copper alloy, and / or other materials with higher wear resistance than the contact tip shell.

[0045] The electrically conductive element(s) 106 provide several advantages to the contact tip 100. One particular advantage is that the electrically conductive element creates a secondary current path to extend the working life of the contact tip. Another advantage is that the electrically conductive element provides improved abrasion resistance, thus providing improved resistance to surface deterioration at the welding wire I contact tip interface. While a single electrically conductive element 106 provides advantageous effects, the advantageous effects are enhanced with two or more electrically conductive elements 106 to provide more contact with the welding wire as described above.

[0046] The electrically conductive elements 106 may be threaded or tightly pressed into the contact tip shell 102. The welding contact tip 100 may also comprise alignment features 108, which may be flat portions, at the front or along the contact tip shell 102 to facilitate element assembly during manufacturing or replacement of the welding contact tip 100 during service. In particular, the contact tip shell 102 comprising an alignment feature 108 enables indexing a location of the electrically conductive element to facilitate automated manufacturing. The alignment feature, which is a flat portion, may also facilitate clamping of the contact tip 100. However, it will be appreciated that other methods of manufacturing the welding contact tip without relying on an alignment feature may also be possible.

[0047] FIG. 3 shows a computer-aided design representation of the welding contact tip. The welding contact tip 100’ shown in FIG. 3 generally corresponds to the welding contact tip 100 shown in FIG. 1 , and comprises a contact tip shell 102’ defining a conductive passage 104’, and an electrically conductive element 106’ arranged in the contact tip shell 102’ (in this case, a plurality of electrically conductive elements 106’ positioned radially around the contact tip shell 102’), as described with reference to FIGs. 1 and 2. The welding contact tip 100’ shown in FIG. 3 is shown as translucent to better show the different elements of the welding contact tip, including the conductive passage 104’ extending through the contact tip shell 102’ and the electrically conductive elements 106’ arranged in the contact tip shell 102’. FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the welding contact tip 100’, taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

[0048] FIG. 5 shows a method 500 of manufacturing a welding contact tip. The method 500 may be implemented as an automated method using appropriate manufacturing equipment to manufacture the welding contact tip 100.

[0049] The method 500 comprises obtaining a contact tip shell (502). That is, the contact tip shell may be obtained from an upstream equipment in the manufacturing process. The contact tip shell defines a conductive passage sized to receive a welding wire and to transmit an electric current to the welding wire.

[0050] An electrically conductive element is arranged in the contact tip shell and extends radially toward the conductive passage (506). As described above, a plurality of electrically conductive elements may be arranged radially around the contact tip shell. Arranging the electrically conductive element may comprise threading or pressing the electrically conductive element into the contact tip shell.

[0051] In some embodiments, the contact tip shell comprises an alignment feature for indexing a location to insert the electrically conductive element. Accordingly, the method 500 may comprise identifying the alignment feature(s) (504), so that the electrically conductive element(s) are arranged in the contact tip shell based on the alignment feature(s).

[0052] It would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that the system and components shown in the figures may include components not shown in the drawings. For simplicity and clarity of the illustration, elements in the figures are not necessarily to scale and are only schematic. It will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that a number of variations and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as described herein.

[0053] It is contemplated that any part of any aspect or embodiment discussed in this specification can be implemented or combined with any part of any other aspect or embodiment discussed in this specification.

[0054] It should be recognized that features and aspects of the various examples provided above can be combined into further examples that also fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0055] When used in this specification and claims, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" and variations thereof mean that the specified features, steps or integers are included. The terms are not to be interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps or components.

[0056] The invention may also broadly consist in the parts, elements, steps, examples and / or features referred to or indicated in the specification individually or collectively in any and all combinations of two or more said parts, elements, steps, examples and / or features. In particular, one or more features in any of the embodiments described herein may be combined with one or more features from any other embodiment(s) described herein.

Claims

CLAIMS:1 . A welding contact tip, comprising: a contact tip shell defining a conductive passage, the conductive passage being sized to receive a welding wire and to transmit an electric current to the welding wire; and an electrically conductive element arranged in the contact tip shell extending toward the conductive passage.

2. The welding contact tip of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive element extends radially through the contact tip shell toward the conductive passage at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the conductive passage.

3. The welding contact tip of claim 2, wherein the electrically conductive element extends in a radial direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the conductive passage.

4. The welding contact tip of any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a plurality of electrically conductive elements arranged radially around the conductive passage.

5. The welding contact tip of claim 4, wherein the plurality of electrically conductive elements comprise two or more electrically conductive elements arranged in a plane perpendicular to the conductive passage.

6. The welding contact tip of claim 5, wherein the two or more electrically conductive elements in the plane are spaced equally apart radially around the conductive passage.

7. The welding contact tip of any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the plurality of electrically conductive elements comprise two or more electrically conductive elements spaced apart longitudinally along the conductive passage.

8. The welding contact tip of claim 7, wherein the two or more electrically conductive elements are radially offset.

9. The welding contact tip of claim 4, wherein the plurality of electrically conductive elements comprise a first pair of electrically conductive elements arranged in a first plane perpendicular to the conductive passage on opposite sides of the conductive passage, and a second pair of electrically conductive elements arranged in a second plane perpendicular to the conductive passage on opposite sides of the conductive passage, the first plane and the second plane being spaced apart longitudinally along the conductive passage.

10. The welding contact tip of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the electrically conductive element is made of a material that is harder than the contact tip shell.

11. The welding contact tip of claim 10, wherein the electrically conductive element is made of a Tungsten alloy, Beryllium Bronze, Titanium Copper, Copper alloy, or a material with higher wear resistance than the contact tip shell.

12. The welding contact tip of any one of claims 1 to 11 , wherein an end of the electrically conductive element extending into the conductive passage is shaped to maximize a surface area of contact with the welding wire.

13. The welding contact tip of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the electrically conductive element is threaded into the contact tip shell.

14. The welding contact tip of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the electrically conductive element is pressed into the contact tip shell.

15. The welding contact tip of any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the contact tip shell comprises an alignment feature for indexing a location to insert the electrically conductive element during manufacturing.

16. A method of manufacturing a welding contact tip, comprising:obtaining a contact tip shell defining a conductive passage, the conductive passage being sized to receive a welding wire and to transmit an electric current to the welding wire; and arranging an electrically conductive element in the contact tip shell extending radially toward the conductive passage.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the contact tip shell comprises an alignment feature for indexing a location to insert the electrically conductive element, and wherein the electrically conductive element is arranged in the contact tip shell based on the alignment feature.

18. The method of claim 16 or claim 17, wherein arranging the electrically conductive element in the contact tip shell comprises arranging a plurality of electrically conductive elements radially around the contact tip shell.

19. The method of any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein arranging the electrically conductive element comprises threading the electrically conductive element into the contact tip shell.

20. The method of any one of claims 16 to 19, wherein arranging the electrically conductive element comprises pressing the electrically conductive element into the contact tip shell.

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