Welding Tip Leaf Spring Structure for Stable Current Feed

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing welding tips experience wear particle deposition, which reduces the pressing force on the welding wire, leading to fluctuations in current flow and a shorter service life due to the wear of the contact tip.

Innovation Solution

The welding tip design includes a configuration that allows wear particles to be discharged externally, featuring an insulator between the pressing part and the tip body to prevent wear and a feeding member that can be replaced, ensuring stable arc generation and extended service life.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a leaf spring is used to press the welding wire onto the contact tip, then reliable current feed is achieved, but wear particles are generated and deposited around the leaf spring, inhibiting its movement and reducing service life

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecurrent feed stabilityVSAvoidcontact tip service life
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the harmful wear particles from the system by providing a discharge path (aperture) that leads wear particles away from the leaf spring movement area. This allows the leaf spring to maintain reliable pressing function while preventing wear particle accumulation that would otherwise inhibit its movement and reduce service life.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the harmful effect of wear particle generation into a beneficial discharge mechanism. By providing a dedicated aperture for wear particle discharge, the system acknowledges the inevitability of wear and channels it away from critical components, thereby maintaining leaf spring functionality and extending contact tip service life.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

2Ease of operation

If the wire insertion bore is made large to accommodate wound welding wire, then wire insertion is facilitated, but the welding wire is not properly positioned and contact area varies, reducing current feed efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewire insertion easeVSAvoidcurrent feed efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating a tapered section within the wire insertion bore that provides a narrowing at the contact tip end. This localized geometric feature ensures proper wire positioning and consistent contact area where it is most needed, while the overall bore remains sufficiently large to accommodate wound wire insertion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Force

If the leaf spring width is made equal to the aperture width to ensure wire contact, then pressing force is maximized, but wear particles deposit on the leaf spring and inhibit its movement

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepressing force on welding wireVSAvoidleaf spring movement smoothness
Core Design Contradiction:
ForceVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts wear particles from the confined space around the leaf spring by providing a discharge path through the aperture. This allows the leaf spring to maintain its full width for maximizing pressing force while preventing wear particle accumulation that would otherwise inhibit its movement and reduce operational smoothness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This configuration maintains a consistent pressing force on the welding wire, enhances current stability, and extends the service life of the welding tip by preventing wear particle deposition and allowing for easy replacement of wear-prone components.

Implementation Method 1

a leaf spring (4) serving as a pressing part, the other end of the leaf spring (4) being disposed on a distal end side of the tip body (1a), wherein a first aperture (11a) accommodating the leaf spring (4) is provided in an outer circumferential surface of the tip body (1a)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

In arc welding using a consumable electrode, a wire feeder feeds a welding wire to a welding torch, and a welding current is supplied to the welding wire from a welding machine via a contact tip

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectric arc: Electric Arc

Data Source

PatentEP3750658B1Welding tip
Publication Date: 2023.08.30 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD
  • EP3750658B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP3750658B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP3750658B1 patent drawingFigure 1C

AI summary

A welding tip 1 includes a tip body 1a having a wire insertion bore 10 along a central axis and a leaf spring 4 configured to press a welding wire 6 onto a feeding point 7 disposed on an inner surface of the wire insertion bore 10. The tip body 1a has an aperture 11 on an outer circumferential surface on the distal end side. The leaf spring 4 has a first end that is a free end disposed on the distal end side of the tip body 1a and a second end fixed to the tip body 1a. The aperture 11 includes a first aperture 11a accommodating the leaf spring 4 and second apertures 11b disposed in communication with the first aperture 11a and configured to discharge wear particles created during welding to the outside.