JP2023177832A - Wire feeding system and feeding assist device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a wire feeding system which enables reduction of feeding resistance of a welding wire, and to provide a feeding assist device.SOLUTION: In the invention, a looseness formation mechanism 8 includes: a penetration groove 81 which is formed at a center member 322, penetrating through the center member 322 and extends linearly in a direction intersecting with a virtual straight line L connecting a wire inlet 32a with a wire outlet 32b; a sensor roller 82 having a sensor roller set 821 which sandwiches a welding wire 60 and a slide support member 822 which is slidably inserted into the penetration groove 81; and a position sensor 83 which is provided at a housing 32 and detects a position of the sensor roller 82. The sensor roller 82 curves the welding wire 60 between a feeding roller set 30 and the wire outlet 32b to form looseness at the welding wire 60 and slides in an extension direction of the penetration groove 81 according to a degree of the looseness of the welding wire 60.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a wire feeding system and a feeding assist device used in arc welding.

Arc welding uses a wire feeding system that feeds a welding wire as a welding material to a welding torch. The wire feeding system is installed, for example, near the welding torch, and uses the force of an electric motor to pull out the welding wire from a wire pack containing the welding wire and supplies it to the welding torch. Further, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-181480 discloses a wire feeding system including a wire buffer that accommodates a part of welding wire between two wire feeding sections. Since a part of the welding wire is accommodated in the wire buffer as a buffer, the welding wire can be smoothly moved forward and backward during wire feeding.

JP2019-181480A

However, the wire feeding system described above is provided with a wire guide and a support section in order to detect the amount of buffer within the wire buffer. According to this configuration, there is a risk that the wire buffer itself becomes a resistance to the feeding of the welding wire, and this configuration requires improvements from the viewpoint of reducing the feeding resistance of the welding wire and from the viewpoint of making it easier to adjust the resistance. There's room. When the feeding resistance is reduced, it becomes possible to feed the wire to the welding torch with high accuracy using less force. This leads to a reduction in welding defects.
An object of the present invention is to provide a wire feeding system and a feeding assist device that can reduce feeding resistance of welding wire.

The wire feeding system of the present invention includes a first feeding device that is operated by a first electric motor to feed the welding wire to the welding torch, and a second feeding device that is operated by the second electric motor to feed the welding wire to the welding torch. a second feeding device that feeds the wire from the housed wire pack to the first feeding device; and a second feeding device configured to be flexibly curved and arranged to connect the first feeding device and the second feeding device. A wire feeding system comprising: a hose-shaped guide member through which the welding wire is movably inserted in a feeding direction and a radial direction; and a control device that controls the first electric motor and the second electric motor. The second feeding device includes a housing, a feeding roller set provided in the housing and including a first roller and a second roller that sandwich the welding wire, and provided in the housing, the second electric motor that rotates the first roller; and a slack forming mechanism provided in the housing and configured to create slack in the welding wire, wherein the housing is configured to rotate the wire pack. a first plate member provided with a wire inlet corresponding to the guide member, a second plate member provided with a wire outlet corresponding to the guide member, and the wire inlet and the wire outlet are located on one side. a plate-shaped central member connected to the first plate-shaped member in a T-shape or L-shape, and connected to the second plate-shaped member in a T-shape or L-shape; The axial direction of the wire inlet and the axial direction of the wire outlet are configured so that they are not parallel to each other, and the first roller and the second roller are arranged so that the welding wire is moved from the wire inlet along the axial direction of the wire inlet. The slack forming mechanism is installed on one side of the central member so that the rotation axis thereof is perpendicular to the central member so as to extend linearly to the feeding roller set. a sensor roller set including a through groove formed through the wire and extending linearly in a direction intersecting an imaginary straight line connecting the wire inlet and the wire outlet, and two rollers that sandwich the welding wire; A sensor roller including a slide support member that supports the sensor roller set in a state where it is slidably inserted into a groove, and a position sensor that is provided in the housing and detects the position of the sensor roller, The sensor roller curves the welding wire between the feeding roller set and the wire outlet to create slack in the welding wire, and curves the welding wire in the extending direction of the through groove depending on the degree of slackness of the welding wire. The control device is configured to slide, and the control device controls at least one of the first electric motor and the second electric motor based on a detection result of the position sensor. Further, the feeding assist device of the present invention has the same configuration as the second feeding device.

According to the wire feeding system of the present invention, the sensor roller slides within the through groove in accordance with changes in the degree of loosening of the welding wire. For example, even when the degree of loosening of the welding wire increases, since the sensor roller slides along the through groove, changes in the degree of curvature of the welding wire are suppressed. In other words, by changing the holding position of the welding wire with respect to the central member by the sensor roller, a change in the degree of bending of the welding wire is suppressed. By suppressing changes in the degree of bending, an increase in feeding resistance when the degree of loosening of the welding wire changes is suppressed. The ease with which the sensor roller slides with respect to the linear through-groove can be easily set, for example, by selecting the material of the portion of the slide support member that comes into contact with the through-groove. Further, according to the present invention, since the control device controls at least one of the first electric motor and the second electric motor based on the detection result of the position sensor, it is possible to appropriately adjust the degree of loosening of the welding wire. Feeding resistance can be reduced. As described above, according to the present invention, the feeding resistance of the welding wire can be reduced.
Furthermore, the feeding assist device of the present invention functions as a feeding unit with a slackening mechanism that can be retrofitted to an existing wire feeding device. This also provides the same effects as described above, and allows the existing wire feeding device to be used more effectively.

It is a block diagram of the wire feeding system of this embodiment. It is a perspective view seen from one side of the 2nd feeding device (feeding assist device) of this embodiment. It is a perspective view seen from the other side of the 2nd feeding device (feeding assist device) of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of the sensor roller of the present embodiment viewed from above. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a loosening mechanism in an initial state of the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a state where the welding wire is greatly loosened (solid line) and a state where it is stretched (dotted line) in the slack forming mechanism of the present embodiment. It is a conceptual diagram for explaining the relationship between the guide member and the welding wire of this embodiment. It is a figure showing the work result by the wire feeding system of this embodiment, and the work result by the wire feeding system without a slack formation mechanism.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, as a mode for carrying out the present invention, a wire feeding system 1 which is an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition to the following embodiments, the present invention can be implemented in various forms with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. The wire feeding system 1 of this embodiment is a system used, for example, in gas shielded arc welding. Further, the wire feeding system 1 is used, for example, in consumable electrode type arc welding.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the wire feeding system 1 of this embodiment includes a first feeding device 2, a second feeding device 3, a guide member 4, and a control device 5. , is equipped with. The first feeding device 2 is a device that is operated by the first electric motor 21 and feeds the welding wire 60 to the welding torch 9. The first feeding device 2 is provided near the welding torch 9. The first feeding device 2 is provided relatively closer to the welding torch 9 than the second feeding device 3.

The first feeding device 2 includes a feeding roller 22 rotated by a first electric motor 21, and a pressure roller 23 that holds the welding wire 60 together with the feeding roller 22. As the first electric motor 21 is driven, the feeding roller 22 and the pressure roller 23 are rotated to feed the welding wire 60 to the welding torch 9 . It can be said that the first feeding device 2 pulls the welding wire 60 from the wire pack 6 and sends it to the welding torch 9. Note that three or more rollers may be provided to sandwich the welding wire 60. Since the first feeding device 2 can be a well-known device, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. Welding torch 9 is operated, for example, by a worker or a robot hand.

The second feeding device 3 is a device that is operated by the second electric motor 31 and feeds the welding wire 60 from the wire pack 6 in which the welding wire 60 is accommodated to the first feeding device 2. Wire pack 6 is a container in which welding wire 60 is accommodated. The second feeding device 3 of this embodiment is a unit that can be retrofitted to the wire feeding system, and can also be said to be a feeding assist device. Details of the second feeding device 3 will be described later.

The guide member 4 is configured to be flexible and bendable, and is arranged in a curved manner to connect the first feeding device 2 and the second feeding device 3, so that the welding wire 60 can move in the feeding direction and the radial direction. It is a hose-like member that is inserted into the The guide member 4 is arranged between the first feeding device 2 and the first feeding device 2 so as to be flexibly curved (deformed) as appropriate depending on the arrangement of the devices and the like. The guide member 4 is, for example, a member called a hose, a tube, a coiled tube, a flexible conduit, or the like. The term "hose shape" means a cylindrical shape as a whole, and is a concept that includes a tube shape and a coil shape. The inner diameter of the guide member 4 is larger than the outer diameter of the welding wire 60. For example, if the guide member 4 is a coiled tube, the welding wire 60 is placed inside the coil of the coiled flexible member.

The control device 5 is a device that controls the first electric motor 21 and the second electric motor 31. The control device 5 is, for example, an ECU (electronic control unit) or a microcomputer that includes a CPU, memory, and the like. The control device 5 controls the rotation speed of the first electric motor 21 and the rotation speed of the second electric motor 31 based on, for example, a predetermined program. The control device 5 can synchronize the operation of the first electric motor 21 and the second electric motor 31. Note that the control device 5 includes two devices (corresponding to an "assist control device"), a device that controls the first electric motor 21 and a device that controls the second electric motor 31 (corresponding to an "assist control device") that are communicably connected to each other. For example, it may be composed of two ECUs. The control details of the control device 5 will be described later.

(Detailed configuration of second feeding device)
The second feeding device 3 includes a housing 32, a feeding roller (corresponding to the “first roller”) 33, a pressure roller (corresponding to the “second roller”) 34, and a second electric motor 31. and a slack forming mechanism 8. The housing 32 is a member that accommodates a portion of the welding wire 60 and various components. The housing 32 includes a lower surface member 321 (corresponding to a "first plate member"), a central member 322, and an upper surface member 323 (corresponding to a "second plate member").

The lower surface member 321 is a plate-like member provided with a wire inlet 32a corresponding to the wire pack 6. The wire entrance 32a is a cylindrical passage forming member that forms a linear passage for introducing the welding wire 60 coming out of the wire pack 6 into the housing 32, and penetrates the lower surface member 321. The lower surface member 321 of this embodiment is a plate-shaped metal member that constitutes the lower surface of the housing 32. In this embodiment, the lower surface member 321 is arranged above the wire pack 6. For example, the wire inlet 32a is connected to the outlet member of the wire pack 6.

The central member 322 is a plate-like member connected to the lower surface member 321 so as to stand upright. The central member 322 of this embodiment is a plate-shaped metal member that is perpendicular to the lower surface member 321 like the side surface of the housing 32.

The upper surface member 323 is a plate-like member connected to the upper end of the central member 322 and provided with a wire outlet 32b corresponding to the guide member 4. The wire outlet 32b is a cylindrical passage-forming member that forms a linear passage through which the welding wire 60 inside the housing 32 is directed toward the guide member 4, and passes through the upper surface member 323. In this embodiment, one end opening of the guide member 4 is connected to the wire outlet 32b. The housing 32 is configured such that a wire inlet 32a and a wire outlet 32b, through which the welding wire 60 is inserted, are located on one side 322A of the central member 322.

In this way, the central member 322 is connected to the lower surface member 321 in a T-shape or an L-shape (T-shape in this embodiment) such that the wire inlet 32a and the wire outlet 32b are located on one side 322A. , and is connected to the upper surface member 323 in a T-shape or an L-shape (T-shape in this embodiment). Note that the intersection angle between the plate members in the T-shape or L-shape does not have to be 90 degrees.

Further, the housing 32 is configured such that the axial direction of the wire inlet 32a and the axial direction of the wire outlet 32b are not parallel to each other. In other words, the housing 32 is configured such that the axial direction of the wire outlet 32b is inclined with respect to the axial direction of the wire inlet 32a. The upper surface member 323 of this embodiment includes an inclined portion 323a that is not parallel to the lower surface member 321. The inclined portion 323a is inclined with respect to a virtual plane (a horizontal plane in this embodiment) including the lower surface member 321. The wire inlet 32a is provided perpendicularly to the lower surface member 321, and the wire outlet 32b is provided perpendicularly to the inclined portion 323a.

The feeding roller 33 is a roller member installed on one surface 322A of the central member 322 so that its rotation axis 33a is orthogonal to the central member 322. The feeding roller 33 is rotatably supported by a pedestal 33b fixed to one side 322A of the central member 322.

The pressure roller 34 is a roller member installed on one surface 322A of the central member 322 so that its rotation axis 34a is orthogonal to the central member 322. The pressure roller 34 is rotatably supported by a pressure type pedestal 34b fixed to one side 322A of the central member 322. The pressure roller 34 and the feed roller 33 are arranged so as to sandwich the welding wire 60 therebetween. The pressure roller 34 is configured to press (pressurize) the welding wire 60 toward the feeding roller 33 using a pedestal 34b. The feed roller 33 and the pressure roller 34 are arranged so that their roller surfaces (outer peripheral surfaces) face each other with the welding wire 60 in between.

The feed roller set 30 is composed of the feed roller 33 and the pressure roller 34. The feed roller 33 and the pressure roller 34 are arranged so that the welding wire 60 extends linearly from the wire inlet 32a to the feed roller set 30 along the axial direction of the wire inlet 32a. In other words, the gap (sandwiching position) between the feeding roller 33 and the pressure roller 34 is located on the axis (above) of the wire entrance 32a.

The second electric motor 31 is installed in the housing 32 and rotates the feed roller 33. The second electric motor 31 is fixed to the other surface 322B of the central member 322. The output shaft of the second electric motor 31 is configured to interlock with the rotating shaft 33a of the feed roller 33. The feed roller 33 is rotated by the driving force of the second electric motor 31, and the pressure roller 34 is rotated together with the rotation of the feed roller 33 and the upward movement of the welding wire 60. The welding wire 60 is sent upward by the rotation of the feed roller 33 and the pressure roller 34. Note that a speed reduction mechanism may be provided between the output shaft of the second electric motor 31 and the rotating shaft 33a.

The housing 32 of this embodiment further includes side members 324 and 325 provided on the left and right sides of the central member 322. The central member 322 of this embodiment is configured to be openable and closable relative to the side members 324 and 325, for example, by a hinge. Further, the housing 32 may include a lid member (not shown) provided on the side members 324 and 325 so as to cover the parts on the one side 322A of the central member 322. Similarly, the housing 32 may include lid members (not shown) provided on the side members 324 and 325 so as to cover components on the other side 322B of the central member 322. These lid members may be configured to be openable and closable, for example, by a hinge or the like.

(looseness formation mechanism)
The slack forming mechanism 8 is a mechanism (device) configured to create slack in the welding wire 60. More specifically, the slackening mechanism 8 includes a through groove 81, a sensor roller 82, and a position sensor 83. The through groove 81 is a penetrating groove formed in the central member 322 so as to penetrate the central member 322, and extends linearly in a direction intersecting the virtual straight line L connecting the wire inlet 32a and the wire outlet 32b (see FIG. 5). ). The through groove 81 of this embodiment is formed above the wire entrance 32a so as to be perpendicular to the axial direction of the wire entrance 32a. In this embodiment, the through groove 81 is formed such that the central portion of the through groove 81 in the extending direction is located above the wire entrance 32a. In this embodiment, in the installed state of the wire feeding system 1, the axial direction of the wire inlet 32a is the vertical direction, and the extending direction of the through groove 81 is the horizontal direction.

(Sensor roller of slack forming mechanism)
As shown in FIG. 4, the sensor roller 82 includes a sensor roller set 821 and a slide support member 822. The sensor roller set 821 includes two rollers 821a that sandwich the welding wire 60. The two rollers 821a are rotatably supported by a portion of the slide support member 822 (base portion 822a to be described later). The two rollers 821a are arranged side by side along the through groove 81. The two rollers 821a rotate according to the feeding (movement) of the welding wire 60.

The sensor roller set 821 is configured such that the welding wire 60 is connected to the feed roller set 30 and the sensor roller set in an initial state in which the welding wire 60 is provided with an appropriate amount of slack between the sensor roller set 821 and the wire outlet 32b. They are arranged so as to extend in a straight line between them. In this embodiment, the sensor roller set 821 is located at the center of the through groove 81 in an initial state.

The slide support member 822 is a member that supports the sensor roller set 821 while being slidably inserted into the through groove 81 . The slide support member 822 includes a base portion 822a, an insertion portion 822b, and a connection portion 822c. The pedestal portion 822a is located on one side 322A of the central member 322, and is a portion that rotatably supports the two rollers 821a of the sensor roller set 821. For example, the pedestal portion 822a includes two plate members 801 that rotatably sandwich the sensor roller set 821.

The insertion portion 822b is a portion connected to the pedestal portion 822a and inserted into the through groove 81. More specifically, the insertion portion 822b includes two rod-shaped members 802 extending from the pedestal portion 822a toward the central member 322, and an annular portion provided at a position corresponding to (a contacting position) the through groove 81 of each rod-shaped member 802. A member 803 (that is, two annular members 803).

Each rod-shaped member 802 is a cylindrical member having one end connected to the pedestal portion 822a on the one surface 322A side of the central member 322, and the other end connected to the connecting portion 822c on the other surface 322B side of the central member 322. That is, each rod-shaped member 802 is inserted into the through groove 81. Each rod-shaped member 802 extends in a direction (horizontal direction here) perpendicular to the central member 322 when the wire feeding system 1 is installed. The rod-shaped member 802 of this embodiment is arranged at a position corresponding to the rotation axis of the roller 821a. Note that the number and shape of the rod-shaped members 802 are not limited to those described above, and can be changed as appropriate.

Each annular member 803 is an annular covering member and is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the corresponding rod-shaped member 802. Each annular member 803 is made of, for example, resin so as to reduce sliding resistance with respect to the through groove 81 (center member 322). The annular member 803 can also be called a resistance adjustment member. In this way, the insertion portion 822b of the slide support member 822 is provided with the rod-shaped member 802 inserted into the through-groove 81 and the portion of the rod-shaped member 802 that faces the through-groove 81, and is made of resin that abuts the central member 322. An annular member 803.

The connecting portion 822c is a member that connects the insertion portion 822b and the position sensor 83. More specifically, the connecting portion 822c is a plate-like member provided at the other end of the insertion portion 822b on the other surface 322B side of the central member 322. The connecting portion 822c is fixed to the other end of each rod-shaped member 802. A part of the position sensor 83 is fixed to a part (here, the upper part) of the connecting part 822c.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the sensor roller 82 curves the welding wire 60 between the feeding roller set 30 and the wire outlet 32b to create slack in the welding wire 60, and It is configured to slide in the extending direction of the through groove 81 depending on the degree (also referred to as the degree of tension). The welding wire 60 is curved in one arc shape (that is, a bulge in one direction at one location) between the feeding roller set 30 and the wire outlet 32b. The second feeding device 3 of this embodiment is configured such that, at the initial position of the sensor roller 82, one arc is formed between the wire inlet 32a and the wire outlet 32b.

(Looseness forming mechanism position sensor)
The position sensor 83 is a sensor provided in the housing 32 and detects the position of the sensor roller 82. The position sensor 83 is, for example, a linear variable differential transformer (LVDT), and is a device that detects the position of the target based on the detected voltage value. The position sensor 83 constantly monitors the position of the sensor roller 82. The position sensor 83 includes a sensor body 831, a core member 832, and a connection member 833.

The sensor body 831 is a cylindrical member and includes a solenoid coil inside. The core member 832 is a rod-shaped member inserted into the sensor main body portion 831. The axial direction of the sensor body 831 and the axial direction of the core member 832 are parallel to the extending direction of the through groove 81 and parallel to the sliding direction of the sensor roller 82.

The connecting member 833 is a member that connects the core member 832 and the sensor roller 82. The connecting member 833 allows the core member 832 and the sensor roller 82 to move together. In this embodiment, the connecting member 833 is a metal member formed in an L-shape, one end of which is fixed to one end of the core member 832, and the other end fixed to the connecting part 822c of the sensor roller 82. There is. The position sensor 83 is configured to output a voltage corresponding to the position of the core member 832 or position information based on the voltage to the control device 5. In this way, the position sensor 83 is installed on the other surface 322B side of the central member 322 and connected to the slide support member 822, and is configured so that the output voltage changes according to the movement of the slide support member 822. Note that the configuration of a position sensor such as an LVDT is well known, and detailed explanation will be omitted.

(Control device)
The control device 5 controls at least one of the first electric motor 21 and the second electric motor 31 based on the detection result of the position sensor 83. When the detected value of the position sensor 83 is outside the predetermined range, the control device 5 controls the first electric motor 21 and the second electric motor 31 so that the detected value of the position sensor 83 falls within the predetermined range. Control at least one of them.

As shown in FIG. 6, for example, if the welding wire 60 in the housing 32 is looser than the initial value, the sensor roller 82 moves to the left with respect to the position shown in FIG. 5, and the position sensor 83 detects this movement. do. When the detected value of the position sensor 83 is larger than a loosening threshold that is a threshold on the loosening side (when it is outside a predetermined range on the loosening side), the control device 5 controls the first electric motor 21 so that the welding wire 60 is stretched. The number of revolutions on the sending side is made relatively larger than the number of revolutions on the sending side of the second electric motor 31.

Further, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 6, for example, if the welding wire 60 in the housing 32 is tensioned more than the initial value, the sensor roller 82 moves to the right with respect to the position shown in FIG. Detect its movement. If the detected value of the position sensor 83 is larger than a tension threshold that is a threshold on the tension side (outside a predetermined range on the tension side), the control device 5 controls the feed of the first electric motor 21 so that the welding wire 60 is loosened. The number of rotations on the feed side of the second electric motor 31 is made relatively smaller than the number of rotations on the feed side of the second electric motor 31. Thereby, the degree of loosening can be controlled within a certain range.

In this manner, the control device 5 can adjust the degree of loosening of the welding wire 60 within the housing 32 by relatively decreasing or increasing the rotation speed of one electric motor. Further, the control device 5 may change the rotation direction of the electric motor. The control device 5 can perform synchronous control (push-pull control) on the first electric motor 21 and the second electric motor 31.

(Summary of configuration)
The wire feeding system 1 of this embodiment includes a first feeding device 2 that is operated by a first electric motor 21 to feed a welding wire 60 to a welding torch 9, and a first feeding device 2 that is operated by a second electric motor 31 to feed a welding wire 60 to a welding torch 9. A second feeding device 3 feeds the welding wire 60 from the wire pack 6 containing the welding wire 60 to the first feeding device 2. A hose-shaped guide member 4 arranged to connect with the feeding device 3 and through which a welding wire 60 is movably inserted in the feeding direction and radial direction, and controls the first electric motor 21 and the second electric motor 31. It is equipped with a control device. The second feeding device 3 includes a housing 32, a feeding roller set 30 provided in the housing 32, and including a feeding roller 33 and a pressure roller 34 that sandwich the welding wire 60, and a feeding roller set 30 provided in the housing 32, The welding wire 60 includes a second electric motor 31 that rotates the feed roller 33, and a slack forming mechanism 8 that is provided in the housing 32 and configured to create slack in the welding wire 60. The casing 32 includes a lower surface member 321 provided with a wire inlet 32a corresponding to the wire pack 6, an upper surface member 323 provided with a wire outlet 32b corresponding to the guide member 4, and a wire inlet 32a and a wire outlet 32b connected together. It includes a plate-shaped central member 322 connected to the lower surface member 321 in a T-shape or L-shape and connected to the top surface member 323 in a T-shape or L-shape so as to be located on the direction 322A side. I'm here. The housing 32 is configured so that the axial direction of the wire inlet 32a and the axial direction of the wire outlet 32b are not parallel to each other. The feed roller 33 and the pressure roller 34 each have their rotating shafts connected to the central member 322 so that the welding wire 60 extends linearly from the wire inlet 32a to the feed roller set 30 along the axial direction of the wire inlet 32a. They are installed on one side of the central member 322 so as to be perpendicular to each other.

The slack forming mechanism 8 includes a through groove 81 that is formed in the central member 322 by penetrating the central member 322 and extends linearly in a direction intersecting an imaginary straight line connecting the wire inlet 32a and the wire outlet 32b, and the welding wire 60. A sensor roller set 821 that includes two sandwiched rollers 821a, a sensor roller 82 that includes a slide support member 822 that supports the sensor roller set 821 while being slidably inserted into the through groove 81, and a sensor roller 82 that is provided in the housing 32. and a position sensor 83 that detects the position of the sensor roller 82. The sensor roller 82 curves the welding wire 60 between the feeding roller set 30 and the wire outlet 32b to create slack in the welding wire 60, and also bends the welding wire 60 in the extending direction of the through groove 81 according to the degree of loosening of the welding wire 60. It is configured to slide into the The control device 5 controls at least one of the first electric motor 21 and the second electric motor 31 based on the detection result of the position sensor 83.

The feeding assist device of this embodiment is applied to a wire feeding system including a first feeding device 2 (feeding device), a wire pack 6, a guide member 4, and a control device 5. This device is disposed between the welding wire 60 and the feeding device 2, and feeds the welding wire 60 to the first feeding device 2 via the guide member 4, and has the same configuration as the second feeding device 3. The second electric motor 31 can be said to be an assist electric motor.

(Effects of this embodiment)
According to the wire feeding system 1 of the present embodiment, the sensor roller 82 slides within the through groove 81 according to a change in the degree of loosening of the welding wire 60. For example, even when the degree of loosening of the welding wire 60 increases, since the sensor roller 82 slides along the through groove 81, changes in the degree of curvature of the welding wire 60 are suppressed. That is, by changing the holding position of the welding wire 60 with respect to the central member 322 by the sensor roller 82, a change in the degree of bending of the welding wire 60 is suppressed. By suppressing changes in the degree of bending, an increase in feeding resistance when the degree of loosening of welding wire 60 changes is suppressed. The ease with which the sensor roller 82 slides with respect to the linear through groove 81 can be easily set, for example, by selecting the material of the portion of the slide support member 822 that comes into contact with the through groove 81.

Further, according to the present embodiment, since the control device 5 controls at least one of the first electric motor 21 and the second electric motor 31 based on the detection result of the position sensor 83, the degree of loosening of the welding wire 60 is appropriately controlled. can be adjusted and feeding resistance can be reduced. As shown in FIG. 7, when the welding wire 60 is in a tensioned state, the welding wire 60 and the inner circumferential surface of the guide member 4 (particularly the curved portion of the guide member 4) tend to come into contact with each other. Feeding resistance tends to increase in some parts. On the other hand, when the welding wire 60 is in a moderately relaxed state, contact between the welding wire 60 and the inner circumferential surface of the guide member 4 is suppressed, and feeding resistance can be alleviated. In this way, according to this embodiment, the feeding resistance of the welding wire 60 can be reduced.

For example, in a situation such as a factory where there are restrictions on the arrangement position of the device, the guide member 4 is likely to be in a curved state. In addition, due to the installation conditions of the equipment, the distance between the wire pack 6 and the welding torch 9 may become large, or the wire pack 6 may have to be placed in a location that is disadvantageous for feeding. There are cases where the shape (shape) becomes complex. The configuration of this embodiment is particularly effective in situations where the feeding resistance increases. In other words, when the guide member 4 has a plurality of curved portions (a portion where the inner welding wire 60 is also curved) in a state where the first feeding device 2 and the second feeding device 3 are installed. , the configuration of this embodiment is particularly effective.

Further, the second feeding device 3 (feeding assist device) of this embodiment functions as a unit with a slackening mechanism that can be retrofitted to an existing wire feeding device. This also provides the same effects as described above, and allows the existing wire feeding device to be used more effectively. In the second feeding device 3, the wire inlet 32a is configured to be connectable to the outlet of the wire pack 6, and the wire outlet 32b is configured to be connectable to the guide member 4. The second feeding device 3 can also be manufactured by, for example, providing the slack forming mechanism 8 in an existing retrofit type (that is, retrofittable) feeding device. The second feeding device 3 is unitized as a feeding assist device.

Here, with respect to the wire feeding system 1 including the second feeding device 3 of this embodiment having the slack forming mechanism 8 and the wire feeding system including the second feeding device without the slack forming mechanism 8, FIG. 8 shows the results of comparing the elongation of welding under the same operating conditions (control amount of the first electric motor 21 and the second electric motor 31, etc.). According to this, with respect to weld elongation (e.g. bead length and volume) for the same operating time, the results obtained by the system with the slack-forming mechanism 8 (left side in FIG. 8) are better than those of the system without the slack-forming mechanism 8. The results were better than the results obtained by (right side of FIG. 8).

In other words, even under the same operating conditions, the system equipped with the slack forming mechanism 8 has a relatively larger length and volume of welded material and a relatively higher feeding speed of the welding wire 60. Ta. This is considered to be because the feeding resistance was reduced by the slack forming mechanism 8. According to the wire feeding system 1 of this embodiment, it can be said that the increase in feeding resistance due to the complexity of the wire route is suppressed, and the original performance (feeding speed) is achieved. Further, by controlling the control device 5 to maintain an appropriate degree of loosening of the welding wire 60 (maintaining the position of the sensor roller 82 within a predetermined range), it is possible to continuously suppress feeding resistance. According to this embodiment, the shape of the welding wire 60 within the housing 32 is maintained in a predetermined (within a certain range) arc shape.

In addition, since the slack forming mechanism 8 is configured to form one arc shape (a bulge in one direction at one place) in the initial state, a complicated force is not applied to the welding wire 60, and the slack is formed. The presence of the mechanism 8 itself suppresses an increase in feeding resistance. As shown in FIG. 6, the slack forming mechanism 8 allows the welding wire 60 to have a single arcuate curved shape (loose state) between the sensor roller 82 and the wire outlet 32b according to the movement of the sensor roller 82. and a linear shape (tensioned state). As a result, as described above, no complicated force is applied to the welding wire 60, and an increase in feeding resistance due to the presence of the slack forming mechanism 8 itself is suppressed.

Further, since the upper surface member 323 includes the inclined portion 323a, the welding wire 60 can be easily curved within the housing 32. Further, since the sensor roller 82 includes the annular member 803, the sliding resistance (sliding resistance) of the sensor roller 82 can be easily adjusted by changing the material of the annular member 803.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the through groove 81 extends horizontally, the sliding direction of the sensor roller 82 is also horizontal (the deviation in the installation error range is included in the horizontal direction). Therefore, the influence of gravity on the ease of sliding is suppressed.

(others)
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, the wire inlet 32a and the wire outlet 32b may be provided in members or positions other than those described above. Further, the position sensor 83 is not limited to the above configuration, and may be, for example, another potential meter or a laser type position sensor. Further, the materials of the various members can be changed as appropriate; for example, the annular member 803 may be made of metal.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Wire feeding system, 2... First feeding device, 21... First electric motor, 3... Second feeding device (feeding assist device), 31... Second electric motor (assist electric motor), 32... Housing, 321... Bottom member (first plate member), 322... Central member, 323... Top member (second plate member), 4... Guide member, 5... Control device, 60... Welding wire, 6... Wire Pack, 8... Looseness forming mechanism, 81... Penetration groove, 82... Sensor roller, 83... Position sensor.

The wire feeding system of the present invention includes a first feeding device that is operated by a first electric motor to feed the welding wire to the welding torch, and a second feeding device that is operated by the second electric motor to feed the welding wire to the welding torch. a second feeding device that feeds the wire from the housed wire pack to the first feeding device; and a second feeding device configured to be flexibly curved and arranged to connect the first feeding device and the second feeding device. A wire feeding system comprising: a hose-shaped guide member through which the welding wire is movably inserted in a feeding direction and a radial direction; and a control device that controls the first electric motor and the second electric motor. The second feeding device includes a housing, a feeding roller set provided in the housing and including a first roller and a second roller that sandwich the welding wire, and provided in the housing, the second electric motor that rotates the first roller; and a slack forming mechanism provided in the housing and configured to create slack in the welding wire, wherein the housing is configured to rotate the wire pack. a first plate member provided with a wire inlet corresponding to the guide member, a second plate member provided with a wire outlet corresponding to the guide member, and the wire inlet and the wire outlet are located on one side. a plate-shaped central member connected to the first plate-shaped member in a T-shape or L-shape, and connected to the second plate-shaped member in a T-shape or L-shape; The axial direction of the wire inlet and the axial direction of the wire outlet are configured so that they are not parallel to each other, and the first roller and the second roller are arranged so that the welding wire is moved from the wire inlet along the axial direction of the wire inlet. The slack forming mechanism is installed on one side of the central member so that the rotation axis thereof is perpendicular to the central member so as to extend linearly to the feeding roller set. a sensor roller set including a through groove formed through the wire and extending linearly in a direction intersecting an imaginary straight line connecting the wire inlet and the wire outlet, and two rollers that sandwich the welding wire; A sensor roller including a slide support member that supports the sensor roller set in a state where it is slidably inserted into a groove, and a position sensor that is provided in the housing and detects the position of the sensor roller, The sensor roller curves the welding wire between the feeding roller set and the wire outlet to create slack in the welding wire, and curves the welding wire in the extending direction of the through groove depending on the degree of slackness of the welding wire. The control device is configured to slide, and the control device controls at least one of the first electric motor and the second electric motor based on a detection result of the position sensor , and the wire inlet is connected to the outlet of the wire pack. is connected to the member . Alternatively, the lower surface member that is the first plate member is connected to the wire pack above the wire pack. Further, the feeding assist device of the present invention has the same configuration as the second feeding device.

Claims (10)

a first feeding device operated by a first electric motor to feed welding wire to a welding torch;
a second feeding device operated by a second electric motor to feed the welding wire from a wire pack containing the welding wire to the first feeding device;
A hose configured to be flexibly curved, arranged in a curved manner to connect the first feeding device and the second feeding device, and into which the welding wire is inserted so as to be movable in the feeding direction and the radial direction. a guide member shaped like;
a control device that controls the first electric motor and the second electric motor;
A wire feeding system comprising:
The second feeding device includes:
A casing and
a feeding roller set that is provided in the housing and includes a first roller and a second roller that sandwich the welding wire;
the second electric motor provided in the housing and rotating the first roller;
a slack forming mechanism provided in the housing and configured to create slack in the welding wire;
Equipped with
The casing is
a first plate member provided with a wire inlet corresponding to the wire pack;
a second plate member provided with a wire outlet corresponding to the guide member;
connected to the first plate-shaped member in a T-shape or L-shape such that the wire inlet and the wire exit are located on one side, and connected to the second plate-shaped member in a T-shape or L-shape a plate-shaped central member connected to the
configured such that the axial direction of the wire inlet and the axial direction of the wire outlet are not parallel,
The first roller and the second roller each have a rotating shaft connected to the central member so that the welding wire extends linearly from the wire inlet to the feeding roller set along the axial direction of the wire inlet. installed on one side of the central member so as to be orthogonal to each other,
The slack forming mechanism is
a through groove formed in the central member to penetrate the central member and extending linearly in a direction intersecting a virtual straight line connecting the wire inlet and the wire outlet;
a sensor roller set including two rollers that sandwich the welding wire; and a sensor roller including a slide support member that supports the sensor roller set while being slidably inserted into the through groove.
a position sensor provided in the housing and detecting the position of the sensor roller;
Equipped with
The sensor roller curves the welding wire between the feeding roller set and the wire outlet to create slack in the welding wire, and adjusts the direction in which the through groove extends depending on the degree of slack in the welding wire. configured to slide into the
The control device controls at least one of the first electric motor and the second electric motor based on the detection result of the position sensor.
wire feeding system. The slack forming mechanism is configured such that an arc shape is formed between the wire entrance and the wire exit at the initial position of the sensor roller.
A wire feeding system according to claim 1. The slack forming mechanism is configured such that, between the sensor roller and the wire outlet, the shape of the welding wire changes between an arcuate curved shape and a linear shape according to movement of the sensor roller. It is configured,
A wire feeding system according to claim 1. The control device includes:
If the detected value of the position sensor is larger than a loosening threshold, which is a loosening threshold, the number of rotations on the feed side of the first electric motor is changed to the rotation speed on the feed side of the second electric motor so that the welding wire is tightened. Make it relatively larger than the number,
If the detected value of the position sensor is larger than a tension threshold, which is a tension side threshold, the number of rotations on the feed side of the first electric motor is changed to the number of rotations on the feed side of the second electric motor so that the welding wire becomes loose. be relatively smaller than
A wire feeding system according to claim 1. The guide member has a plurality of curved portions when the first feeding device and the second feeding device are installed.
A wire feeding system according to claim 1. The first plate member constitutes a lower surface of the casing,
The second plate-like member constitutes the upper surface of the casing,
The extending direction of the through groove is a horizontal direction.
A wire feeding system according to claim 1. The wire entrance is provided perpendicularly to the first plate member,
The second plate member includes an inclined portion that is not parallel to the first plate member,
The wire outlet is provided perpendicularly to the inclined part,
A wire feeding system according to claim 6. The position sensor is installed on the other side of the central member and connected to the slide support member, and is configured to change the output voltage according to the movement of the slide support member.
A wire feeding system according to claim 1. The slide support member is
a rod-shaped member inserted into the through groove;
a resin annular member provided in a portion of the rod-shaped member facing the through groove and abutting the central member;
Equipped with
A wire feeding system according to any one of claims 1 to 8. a feeding device operated by an electric motor to feed welding wire to a welding torch;
a wire pack that accommodates the welding wire;
a hose-shaped guide member configured to be flexibly curved, arranged in a curved manner between the feeding device and the wire pack, and through which the welding wire is movably inserted in the feeding direction and the radial direction;
a control device that controls the electric motor;
A feeding assist device that is applied to a wire feeding system comprising: a feeding assist device configured to be retrofittable between the wire pack and the feeding device, and feeding the welding wire to the feeding device via the guide member. And,
A casing and
a feeding roller set that is provided in the housing and includes a first roller and a second roller that sandwich the welding wire;
an assist electric motor provided in the housing and rotating the first roller;
a slack forming mechanism provided in the housing and configured to create slack in the welding wire;
an assist control device configured to be able to communicate with the control device and control the assist electric motor;
Equipped with
The casing is
a first plate member provided with a wire inlet corresponding to the wire pack;
a second plate member provided with a wire outlet corresponding to the guide member;
connected to the first plate-shaped member in a T-shape or L-shape such that the wire inlet and the wire exit are located on one side, and connected to the second plate-shaped member in a T-shape or L-shape a plate-shaped central member connected to the
configured such that the axial direction of the wire inlet and the axial direction of the wire outlet are not parallel,
The first roller and the second roller each have a rotating shaft connected to the central member so that the welding wire extends linearly from the wire inlet to the feeding roller set along the axial direction of the wire inlet. installed on one side of the central member so as to be orthogonal to each other,
The slack forming mechanism is
a through groove formed in the central member to penetrate the central member and extending linearly in a direction intersecting a virtual straight line connecting the wire inlet and the wire outlet;
a sensor roller set including two rollers that sandwich the welding wire; and a sensor roller including a slide support member that supports the sensor roller set while being slidably inserted into the through groove.
a position sensor provided in the housing and detecting the position of the sensor roller;
Equipped with
The sensor roller curves the welding wire between the feeding roller set and the wire outlet to create slack in the welding wire, and adjusts the direction in which the through groove extends depending on the degree of slack in the welding wire. configured to slide into the
At least one of the control device and the assist control device controls at least one of the electric motor and the assist electric motor based on a detection result of the position sensor.
Feeding assist device.

Images