Enclosed Welder Recess Panel for Component Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Welders with small internal combustion engines are prone to damage due to exposure to harsh welding environments, including extreme heat and weld splatter, as their components are typically left unenclosed in open frame models.
Innovation Solution
An enclosed welder design featuring a recessed rear panel that houses the engine air filter, blower housing, and recoil start, allowing for efficient air flow to cool the engine and protect components, enabling easy maintenance and manual restart without disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the welder uses an open frame design with unenclosed engine components, then the cost is reduced and portability is improved, but the components are exposed to harsh welding environments causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies nesting by placing the engine and other components inside an enclosed housing structure. The rear panel with recesses allows certain components to be partially accessible while still being protected within the enclosure, creating a nested arrangement that balances protection with accessibility.
2Reliability
If the welder encloses the engine and components in a housing, then component protection from environmental damage is improved, but accessibility for maintenance and restarting becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The rear panel is segmented with specific recesses that provide access to the air filter, blower housing, and recoil start. This segmentation allows these components to be accessed and maintained without opening the entire enclosure or disassembling major parts of the welder.
Solution Approach 2:
The recesses are pre-designed into the rear panel structure during manufacturing, allowing easy access to maintenance components without requiring any additional disassembly or preliminary actions by the user during operation or maintenance.
3Ease of repair
If the air filter, blower housing, and recoil start are positioned externally, then maintenance and restarting are easier, but the components are exposed to heat and environmental damage
Solution Approach 1:
The air filter, blower housing, and recoil start are nested within recesses in the rear panel, placing them partially inside the enclosure structure. This nesting provides thermal protection from the engine heat while maintaining accessibility for maintenance and operation.
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
The enclosed design protects internal components from environmental damage, maintains component accessibility for maintenance, and facilitates efficient cooling and restarting of the engine, enhancing durability and operational reliability in harsh welding conditions.
Implementation Method 1
A first air source may be configured to enter the welder via the air filter located in the recess
Implementation Method 2
A second air source may be configured to enter the welder via the blower housing located in the recess and cool the engine
Implementation Method 3
a small internal combustion engines are often used in applications such as small scale maintenance and repair work
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of an enclosed welder that includes a recess disposed at a depth in a rear panel of the enclosure are provided. The recess may include at least one of an engine air filter, a blower housing, and a recoil start. The depth at which the recess is set back from the rear panel may be such that the engine air filter, the blower housing, and the recoil start each do not extend outward beyond the rear panel. A first air source may be configured to enter the enclosed welder via the air filter and combust fuel within an engine. A second air source may further be configured to enter the welder via the blower housing and cool the engine.