JP2019195841A - Welding torch and torch body holding system of welding torch - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a welding torch which enables easy attachment/detachment of a torch body and is suitable for improving maintainability.SOLUTION: A welding torch 2 of the invention has: a torch body 22; a gas supply port for supplying a compressed gas; and a pressing mechanism 25 which has a biasing member 29 for applying biasing force to the torch body 22, presses and holds the torch body 22 with the biasing force of the biasing member 29, and releases pressing to the torch body 22 with pressure of the compressed gas supplied from the gas supply port against the biasing force of the biasing member 29.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a welding torch used for performing, for example, consumable electrode type gas shielded arc welding, and a torch body holding system including the welding torch.

  In consumable electrode type gas shielded arc welding, automatic welding using a welding robot or a traveling carriage and semi-automatic welding operated by an operator are employed. During welding operations such as automatic welding, a welding wire is sent out toward the welding torch by the wire feeding device, and electric power and shielding gas are supplied to the welding torch.

  In a welding apparatus for performing automatic welding provided with a manipulator such as an articulated robot, a welding torch is provided on a wrist portion of the manipulator. The welding torch includes a torch body in which an internal housing space for passing a welding wire is formed. The welding wire is inserted through, for example, a cylindrical wire guide, and proceeds inside the torch body while being guided by the wire guide. And it sends out to the exterior from the opening of the welding torch tip through the power feed tip arranged at the tip of the torch body (welding torch). The technique regarding the welding robot provided with the welding torch is described in the following patent document 1, for example.

  In the welding torch provided at the tip of the welding robot, the torch body is detachably attached. For example, the torch body is inserted into a block member having a split-shaped cylindrical inner surface, and is clamped and held by the block member by tightening both ends of the split shape with screws to reduce the diameter of the cylindrical inner surface. In such a configuration, when attaching or detaching the torch body for maintenance or the like, it is necessary to use a tool to turn the screw. In addition, there may be a case where the tip of the welding torch is welded to the workpiece (workpiece) and the torch body is removed, but even in this case, there is a disadvantage that the above attachment method using a tool cannot be removed quickly. It was.

JP 2004-306072 A

  The present invention has been conceived under such circumstances, and it is a main object of the present invention to provide a welding torch capable of easily attaching and detaching the torch body and improving the maintainability. .

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following technical means.

  The welding torch provided by the first aspect of the present invention has a torch body, a gas supply port for supplying compressed gas, and a biasing member for applying a biasing force to the torch body. The torch body is pressed and held by the biasing force of the biasing member, and the pressure of the compressed gas supplied from the gas supply port is pressed against the biasing force of the biasing member. And a pressing mechanism for releasing.

  In a preferred embodiment, the pressing mechanism includes a first drive unit that is moved by receiving an urging force from the urging member while the urging member is in contact, and the first driving unit is moved from the urging member. A second drive unit that increases the force received and presses the outer peripheral surface of the torch body.

  In a preferred embodiment, a contact portion of the first driving unit with the second driving unit is formed in a wedge shape, and the second driving unit is configured to perform the first driving by the urging force of the urging member. As the unit moves, the first drive unit moves in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the first drive unit moves.

  In a preferred embodiment, the pressing mechanism has an accommodating space that can accommodate a gas, and the first driving unit includes the accommodating space, the first accommodating portion that accommodates the biasing member, and the gas supply. A piston that is partitioned into a second housing portion that communicates with the mouth and that is movable while maintaining a gas seal state between the first housing portion and the second housing portion is provided.

  In a preferred embodiment, an additional biasing member is provided that applies a biasing force in a direction away from the torch body to the second drive unit.

  A torch body holding system for a welding torch provided by the second aspect of the present invention includes a welding torch according to the first aspect of the present invention, a compressed gas supply source for supplying compressed gas to the welding torch, Gas supply switching that can be switched between a first state in which supply of the compressed gas from the compressed gas supply source to the welding torch is stopped and a second state in which the compressed gas is supplied from the compressed gas supply source to the welding torch. Means and a control unit for controlling the operation of the gas supply switching means.

  According to the present invention, the pressing mechanism has a biasing member for applying a biasing force to the torch body, and presses and holds the torch body by the biasing force of the biasing member. On the other hand, the pressing mechanism releases the pressing to the torch body against the urging force of the urging member by the pressure of the compressed gas supplied from the gas supply port. According to such a configuration, for example, when maintaining the torch body (welding torch), the torch body can be attached and detached simply by switching between the state in which the supply of compressed gas is stopped and the state in which the compressed gas is supplied. It is. Therefore, the torch body can be attached and detached easily and quickly without using a tool or the like, and the maintainability of the torch body (welding torch) can be improved.

  Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description given below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

It is the schematic which shows the welding robot with which the welding torch based on this invention was attached. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a torch body holding system for a welding torch configured with a welding torch according to the present invention. It is a perspective view showing an example of a welding torch concerning the present invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3 and represents a state in which the torch body is pressed and held. It is sectional drawing which follows the VV line of FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the VI-VI line of FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 4, showing a state in which the pressure on the torch body is released. It is sectional drawing similar to FIG. 5 showing the state which releases the press to a torch body.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows an example in which a welding torch according to the present invention is attached to a welding robot, and is a schematic view of the welding robot. A welding robot B1 shown in the figure is, for example, an articulated robot having a plurality of arms 1, and a welding torch 2 is attached to the tip. A welding wire is supplied to the welding torch 2 by a wire feeding device (not shown). The welding wire is fed, for example, toward the power supply tip provided inside the front end side of the welding torch 2 via the power cable 3 and is sent out from the opening at the front end of the welding torch 2. The welding torch 2 is supplied with electric power and shielding gas. Electric power is supplied from the power supply device via the power cable, and this electric power is supplied to the welding wire via a power feed tip inside the welding torch 2. The shield gas is supplied from the gas cylinder, flows through the welding torch 2, and is ejected to the outside from the opening at the tip of the welding torch 2.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a torch body holding system of a welding torch configured with the welding torch 2. The torch body holding system A1 of this embodiment includes a welding torch 2, a compressed gas supply source 4, a switching valve 5, gas flow paths 61 and 62, and a control unit 7.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the welding torch 2 includes a support block 21, a torch body 22, a gas supply port 23, and a pressing mechanism 25. The support block 21 is a member to which the torch body 22 is attached, and is fixed to the tip of the arm 1 of the welding robot B1 (see FIG. 1). The support block 21 has a mounting hole 211 into which the torch body 22 can be inserted.

  The torch body 22 has a cylindrical shape. For example, a plurality of cylindrical members are joined by appropriate means such as brazing, press-fitting, or screwing. A base end portion of the torch body 22 is inserted into the attachment hole 211. In a state where the base end portion of the torch body 22 is inserted into the mounting hole 211, the key member 213 mounted so as to straddle the key grooves 212 and 221 formed in the support block 21 and the torch body 22 respectively, The relative rotation of the torch body 22 with respect to the support block 21 is prevented.

  The gas supply port 23 is an opening for introducing compressed gas, and is provided in the support block 21. Details of the gas supply port 23 and the compressed gas will be described later.

  The pressing mechanism 25 shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 and the like is for detachably attaching the torch body 22 to the support block 21. In the present embodiment, the pressing mechanism 25 includes a first driving unit 26, a second driving unit 27, an accommodation space 28, and an urging member 29. The pressing mechanism 25 presses and holds the torch body 22 by the biasing force of the biasing member 29, and releases the pressure on the torch body 22 against the biasing force of the biasing member 29 by the pressure of the compressed gas. It can be switched between and.

  The first drive unit 26 includes a shaft 261, a piston 262 provided at the base end of the shaft 261, and a tip member 263 provided at the tip of the shaft 261, and the biasing force or compressed gas of the biasing member 29 is provided. It is moved by the pressure.

  The piston 262 is disposed in the accommodation space 28. The accommodation space 28 is a space formed inside the support block 21, and is partitioned by the piston 262 into a first accommodation portion 281 and a second accommodation portion 282 in a gas sealed state. The piston 262 can move in the axial direction of the shaft 261 (the vertical direction in FIGS. 4 and 5, the direction X) while maintaining the gas seal state between the first housing portion 281 and the second housing portion 282. .

  A biasing member 29 is accommodated in the first accommodating portion 281. The biasing member 29 is in contact with the piston 262 and applies a biasing force to the piston 262 (first drive unit 26). The biasing member 29 is, for example, a compression coil spring. The second housing part 282 communicates with the gas supply port 23. With such a configuration, in a state where the supply of compressed gas through the gas supply port 23 is stopped, the piston 262 (first driving unit 26) has a volume of the first accommodating unit 281 due to the urging force of the urging member 29. It moves in the increasing direction (downward in FIGS. 4 and 5, one direction X). On the other hand, when compressed gas is supplied into the support block 21 through the gas supply port 23, the piston 262 (first drive unit 26) resists the urging force of the urging member 29 due to the pressure of the compressed gas. Thus, the second storage portion 282 moves in the direction in which the volume increases (see FIGS. 7 and 8, the upper direction X in the figure).

  The tip member 263 shown in FIG. 4 is a member that contacts the second drive unit 27. In the present embodiment, the tip member 263 has a wedge shape. A portion of the tip member 263 that is in direct contact with the second drive unit 27 is an inclined surface 264 that is inclined with respect to the direction X in which the first drive unit 26 moves. The inclination angle α of the inclined surface 264 with respect to the direction X is, for example, about 1 to 10 °, and preferably about 3 to 7 °.

  The second drive unit 27 presses the outer peripheral surface of the torch body 22 as the first drive unit 26 moves. The second drive unit 27 is inserted into an accommodation space formed inside the support block 21 and is slidable in the direction Y (left-right direction in the figure) in FIG. The direction Y in which the second drive unit 27 moves is substantially perpendicular to the direction X in which the first drive unit 26 moves. As shown in FIG. 6, the portion 271 that contacts the outer peripheral surface of the torch body 22 in the second drive unit 27 has a substantially semi-cylindrical inner surface, and is in surface contact with the outer peripheral surface of the torch body 22.

  As understood from FIGS. 4 to 6, the second drive unit 27 includes a columnar part 272 extending in the direction Y in which the second drive unit 27 moves and a pair of protrusions protruding from the side surface of the columnar part 272. Parts 273 and 273. As shown in FIG. 4, the portion of the second drive unit 27 that directly contacts the tip member 263 (inclined surface 264) of the first drive unit 26 is an inclined surface 274. The inclination angle of the inclined surface 274 with respect to the direction X is substantially the same as the inclination angle α of the inclined surface 264 of the first drive unit 26 described above. Thereby, the inclined surface 274 of the second drive unit 27 and the inclined surface 264 of the first drive unit 26 are in surface contact.

  As shown in FIG. 6, in the present embodiment, biasing members 291 and 291 are interposed between the support block 21 and the protruding portions 273 and 273 of the second drive unit 27. The biasing member 291 applies a biasing force in the direction away from the torch body 22 (rightward in FIG. 6) to the second drive unit 27, and is, for example, a compression coil spring. The biasing member 291 having such a configuration corresponds to an “additional biasing member” in the present invention.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the compressed gas supply source 4 is a gas source for supplying compressed gas to the welding torch 2. Although the kind of gas supplied from the compressed gas supply source 4 is not specifically limited, For example, inert gas, such as nitrogen and argon, or air etc. are mentioned. In terms of cost, the compressed gas is preferably compressed air. The compressed air can be easily supplied from an air compressor provided in a facility where the welding robot B1 is installed, for example.

  The gas flow paths 61 and 62 connect the switching valve 5 to the compressed gas supply source 4 and the gas supply port 23. Specifically, the gas flow path 61 has one end connected to the compressed gas supply source 4 and the other end connected to the switching valve 5. One end of the gas flow path 62 is connected to the gas supply port 23 of the welding torch 2, and the other end is connected to the switching valve 5. The gas flow path 62 is a flow path for supplying compressed gas to the welding torch 2.

  The switching valve 5 is in a state where the supply of compressed gas from the compressed gas supply source 4 to the welding torch 2 is stopped (first state), and in a state where compressed gas is supplied from the compressed gas supply source 4 to the welding torch 2 (second state). State). Although detailed illustration explanation is omitted, the switching valve 5 opens the valve so as to communicate the gas flow path 61 and the gas flow path 62 when supplying the compressed gas to the welding torch 2, and the compressed gas to the welding torch 2. When the supply of gas is stopped, the valve is closed so that the gas passage 61 and the gas passage 62 are shut off, and the residual pressure in the gas passage 62 is discharged. A pressure adjusting valve or the like may be provided in the gas flow path 62 so that the pressure of the compressed gas supplied to the welding torch 2 can be adjusted as appropriate.

  The control unit 7 controls switching between a state in which the supply of compressed gas to the first to the welding torch 2 is stopped (first state) and a state in which the compressed gas is supplied to the welding torch 2 (second state). It is. For example, the control unit 7 controls the switching operation of the switching valve 5 by an operator's input operation.

  In this embodiment, when welding work is performed using the welding robot B1 (welding torch 2), the switching valve 5 is closed in the welding torch 2 and the supply of compressed gas to the welding torch 2 is stopped. The At this time, the piston 262 (first drive unit 26) is moved in the direction in which the volume of the first storage unit 281 increases (downward in FIG. 4, one side in the direction X) by the biasing force of the biasing member 29. As the first drive unit 26 moves, the second drive unit 27 moves to the left in FIG. 4 and presses the outer peripheral surface of the torch body 22. In the torch body 22, the pressing part by the second drive unit 27 across the axis and the opposite side across the axis are backed up by the support block 21. Thereby, the torch body 22 is pressed and held by the support block 21 and the second drive unit 27. In the state where the switching valve 5 is closed, the residual pressure in the gas flow path 62 is discharged as described above. Then, the residual pressure of the second housing portion 282 that communicates with the gas flow path 62 through the gas supply port 23 does not remain, and the piston 262 is disposed in the first housing portion 281 on the opposite side of the second housing portion 282. The urging force of the urging member 29 acts appropriately on the piston 262 (first drive unit 26).

  In the present embodiment, the tip member 263 that contacts the second drive unit 27 of the first drive unit 26 has a wedge shape. For this reason, in the 2nd drive part 27, the force which the 1st drive part 26 receives from the biasing member 29 is increased, and the outer peripheral surface of the torch body 22 is pressed. In addition, the force which presses the outer peripheral surface of the torch body 22 by the 2nd drive part 27 is about 3-6KN (kilonewton), for example.

  On the other hand, when removing the torch body 22 at the time of maintenance or the like, the switching valve 5 is opened so that the compressed gas can be supplied to the second accommodating portion 282 in the welding torch 2 via the gas flow path 62 and the gas supply port 23. State. Here, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, in the welding torch 2, the piston 262 (first drive unit 26) is second accommodated against the urging force of the urging member 29 due to the pressure of the compressed gas. It moves in the direction in which the volume of the portion 282 increases (upward in the figure, the other direction X). If it does so, the press to the torch body 22 outer peripheral surface by the press mechanism 25 (the 1st drive part 26 and the 2nd drive part 27) will be released, and it will become possible to remove the torch body 22.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

  The welding torch 2 of this embodiment includes a torch body 22, a gas supply port 23, and a pressing mechanism 25. The pressing mechanism 25 has an urging member 29 for applying an urging force to the torch body 22, and presses and holds the torch body 22 by the urging force of the urging member 29. On the other hand, the pressing mechanism 25 releases the pressing to the torch body 22 against the urging force of the urging member 29 by the pressure of the compressed gas supplied from the gas supply port 23. According to such a configuration, for example, when maintaining the torch body 22 (welding torch 2), the torch body 22 can be attached and detached simply by switching the opening and closing of the switching valve 5. Therefore, the torch body 22 can be attached and detached easily and quickly without using a tool or the like, and the maintainability of the torch body 22 (welding torch 2) can be improved.

  The pressing mechanism 25 includes a first drive unit 26 and a second drive unit 27. The first drive unit 26 is moved by receiving a biasing force from the biasing member 29. In the second drive unit 27, the force received by the first drive unit 26 from the biasing member 29 is increased to press the outer peripheral surface of the torch body 22. Thereby, the reliability of the holding state of the torch body 22 can be improved.

  The tip member 263 that contacts the second drive unit 27 in the first drive unit 26 has a wedge shape, and the second drive unit 27 is substantially perpendicular to the direction X in which the first drive unit 26 moves. Move to Y. According to such a configuration, the force that the first driving unit 26 receives from the biasing member 29 is appropriately increased by the slope effect of the tip member 263 (contact portion), and the second driving unit 27 causes the torch body 22 to Press the outer peripheral surface. Therefore, when the torch body 22 is attached, the torch body 22 is more accurately held by the force constantly received from the urging member 29.

  The pressing mechanism 25 has an accommodation space 28, and the first drive unit 26 has a piston 262 disposed in the accommodation space 28. The piston 262 divides the housing space 28 into a first housing portion 281 that houses the biasing member 29 and a second housing portion 282 that communicates with the gas supply port 23. The piston 262 is movable while maintaining a gas seal state between the first housing portion 281 and the second housing portion 282. According to such a configuration, since the urging force of the urging member 29 and the pressure of the compressed gas act on both sides of the reciprocating piston 262, the structure of the pressing mechanism 25 can be prevented from becoming complicated, The pressing mechanism 25 can be downsized.

  The welding torch of this embodiment includes urging members 291 and 291 shown in FIG. Each biasing member 291 applies a biasing force in a direction away from the torch body 22 to the second driving unit 27. According to such a configuration, when the state of pressing and holding the torch body 22 is switched to the state of releasing the pressure on the torch body 22, the second drive unit 27 is accurately separated from the torch body 22. Thereby, workability | operativity improvement at the time of removing the torch body 22 can be aimed at.

  In the torch body holding system A1 of this embodiment, the compressed gas supplied to the welding torch 2 is supplied from the compressed gas supply source 4. The compressed gas supplied from the compressed gas supply source 4 can be switched between a state in which the supply of the compressed gas to the welding torch 2 is stopped and a state in which the compressed gas is supplied to the welding torch 2 by the switching valve 5. The operation of the switching valve 5 is controlled by the control unit 7. According to such a configuration, the pressing mechanism 25 can function properly while avoiding the overall configuration of the torch body holding system A1 from becoming complicated.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and all modifications within the scope of the matters described in the claims are all within the scope of the present invention. Is included.

A1 Torch body holding system B1 Welding robot X direction Y direction 1 Arm 2 Welding torch 21 Support block 211 Mounting hole 212 Key groove 213 Key member 22 Torch body 221 Key groove 23 Gas supply port 25 Press mechanism 26 First drive unit 261 Shaft 262 Piston 263 Tip member (contact part)
264 Inclined surface 27 Second drive portion 271 Part 272 in contact with outer peripheral surface of torch body Cylindrical portion 273 Projecting portion 274 Inclined surface 28 Accommodating space 281 First accommodating portion 282 Second accommodating portion 29 Additional biasing member)
3 Power cable 4 Compressed gas supply source 5 Switching valve 61 Gas flow path 62 Gas flow path 7 Control unit

Claims (6)

Torch body,
A gas supply port for supplying compressed gas;
A pressure member that applies a biasing force to the torch body, presses and holds the torch body by the biasing force of the biasing member, and is supplied from the gas supply port; And a pressing mechanism for releasing the pressing to the torch body against the biasing force of the biasing member.   The pressing mechanism includes a first drive unit that is moved by receiving a biasing force from the biasing member while the biasing member is in contact, and a force that the first driving unit receives from the biasing member is increased. The welding torch according to claim 1, further comprising: a second drive unit that presses the outer peripheral surface of the torch body. The contact portion of the first drive unit with the second drive unit is wedge-shaped,
The second drive unit moves in a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction in which the first drive unit moves as the first drive unit moves due to the biasing force of the biasing member. The welding torch as described. The pressing mechanism has a storage space capable of storing gas,
The first drive section divides the housing space into a first housing section that houses the biasing member and a second housing section that communicates with the gas supply port, and the first housing section and the second housing section. The welding torch according to claim 2, further comprising a piston that is movable while maintaining a gas seal state between the parts.   The welding torch according to any one of claims 2 to 4, further comprising an additional biasing member that applies a biasing force in a direction away from the torch body to the second drive unit. A welding torch according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A compressed gas supply source for supplying compressed gas to the welding torch;
Gas supply switching that can be switched between a first state in which supply of the compressed gas from the compressed gas supply source to the welding torch is stopped and a second state in which the compressed gas is supplied from the compressed gas supply source to the welding torch. Means,
A torch body holding system for a welding torch, comprising: a control unit that controls the operation of the gas supply switching means.

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