Flexible TIG welding torch

Abstract

Disclosed is a flexible TIG welding torch having a torch body for performing an angle adjustment of a torch head with respect to a torch handle, wherein the torch body includes: a multi-array spiral wires having both ends connected to the torch head and the torch handle; a first protective sleeve supported in contact with outer sides of the wires and organized as a mesh structure; a second protective sleeve laminated as a mesh structure on an outer side of the first protective sleeve, and bonded onto an inner surface of a clad body of the torch body; and an adhesive layer impregnated into the mesh structures of the first and second protective sleeves to fix the first and second protective sleeves to each other, and support compressive and tensile stresses formed in the first and second protective sleeves.

Claims

1. A flexible TIG welding torch comprising a torch body for performing an angle adjustment of a torch head with respect to a torch handle, wherein the torch body comprises: a multi-array complexed spiral wires having both ends connected to the torch head and the torch handle; a first protective sleeve supported in contact with outer sides of the wires and organized as a mesh structure; a second protective sleeve laminated as a mesh structure on an outer side of the first protective sleeve, and bonded onto an inner surface of a clad body of the torch body; and an adhesive layer impregnated into the mesh structures of the first and second protective sleeves to fix the first and second protective sleeves to each other and support compressive and tensile stresses formed in the first and second protective sleeves.

2. The flexible TIG welding torch of claim 1, wherein the first protective sleeve includes a fiberglass crimp net.

3. The flexible TIG welding torch of claim 1, wherein the second protective sleeve includes a fiberglass crimp net.

4. The flexible TIG welding torch of claim 1, further comprising: an auxiliary support wire installed at an inner side of a guide hole formed inside the multi-array complexed spiral wires, wherein the auxiliary support wire supports an arrangement of the multi-array complexed spiral wires.

5. The flexible TIG welding torch of claim 4, further comprising: an auxiliary pipe provided between the inside of the wire and the auxiliary support wire.

6. The flexible TIG welding torch of claim 4, wherein the auxiliary support wire is formed at both ends thereof with hook portions, and the hook portions are hooked by fixing pins, respectively.

7. The flexible TIG welding torch of claim 2, wherein the second protective sleeve includes a fiberglass crimp net.

8. The flexible TIG welding torch of claim 2, further comprising: an auxiliary support wire installed at an inner side of a guide hole formed inside the multi-array complexed spiral wires, wherein the auxiliary support wire supports an arrangement of the multi-array complexed spiral wires.

9. The flexible TIG welding torch of claim 8, further comprising: an auxiliary pipe provided between the inside of the wire and the auxiliary support wire.

10. The flexible TIG welding torch of claim 8, wherein the auxiliary support wire is formed at both ends thereof with hook portions, and the hook portions are hooked by fixing pins, respectively.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a conventional flexible TIG welding torch.

(3) FIG. 2 is a view showing a using state of the conventional flexible TIG welding torch.

(4) FIG. 3 is a partial cut-out lateral sectional view of the flexible TIG welding torch according to one embodiment of the present invention.

(5) FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing a main part of the flexible TIG welding torch shown in FIG. 3.

(6) FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line A-A′ of FIG. 3.

(7) FIG. 6 is a partial enlarged view showing a mesh structure of first and second protective sleeves according to the embodiment of the present invention.

(8) FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view showing an external force distribution by the first and second protective sleeves and a supporting action for a complexed spiral wire according to the embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

(9) Advantages and features of the present invention, and methods for achieving the advantages and features will be apparent with reference to the embodiments described below in detail with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described as below and it may be implemented in various different forms. The embodiments are provided to complete the disclosure of the present invention and clearly teach the scope of the invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art of the present invention, therefore, the present invention will be defined only by the scope of claims. The same reference numeral indicates the same element throughout the specification.

(10) In the following description of the embodiments of the present invention, the detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it possibly makes the subject matter of the present invention unclear unnecessarily. In addition, the terms described later are terms defined by taking into consideration of functions in the embodiments of the present invention, and may vary according to a user's or operator's intention or practice. Therefore, the definition shall be made based on the contents throughout the specification herein.

(11) FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a conventional flexible TIG welding torch. FIG. 2 is a view showing a using state of the conventional flexible TIG welding torch. FIG. 3 is a partial cut-out lateral sectional view of the flexible TIG welding torch according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing a main part of the flexible TIG welding torch shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line A-A′ of FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a partial enlarged view showing a mesh structure of first and second protective sleeves according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view showing an external force distribution by the first and second protective sleeves and a supporting action for a complexed spiral wire according to the embodiment of the present invention.

(12) Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the present invention according to one embodiment is applied to a flexible TIG welding torch having a torch body 40 for performing an angle adjustment of a torch head 10 with respect to a torch handle 20.

(13) The torch body 40 includes an approximately cylindrical clad body 47, and the clad body 47 is formed of elastic silicone or rubber molding.

(14) More specifically, the torch body 40 includes multi-array complexed spiral wires 43 and having both ends connected to the torch head 10 and the torch handle 20.

(15) The complexed spiral wires 43 may be composed of two rows of complexed spiral wires concentrically adjacent to each other. According to various embodiments, various stiffness and electrical conductivities suitable for working conditions may be applied by modifying the complexed spiral wire so as to be formed of three or more rows of wound wires to correspond to a current and a voltage previously designed in consideration of arc heat to a welding base material.

(16) The operational principle is the same as in the related art in which the above-described complexed spiral wire 43 is typically applied as a negative electrode during the TIG welding work and the workpiece is applied as a positive electrode to generate an arc between the tungsten welding rod and a workpiece, therefore, the detailed description will be omitted.

(17) FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing a main part of the flexible TIG welding torch shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line A-A′ of FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a partial enlarged view showing a mesh structure of first and second protective sleeves according to the embodiment of the present invention.

(18) Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, a torch body 40 according to one embodiment includes a first protective sleeve 51 supported in contact with outsides of the inner wires 43 and organized as a mesh structure.

(19) In addition, the torch body 40 includes a second protective sleeve 52 laminated as a mesh structure on an outer side of the first protective sleeve 51, and bonded onto an inner surface of the clad body 47 of the torch body 40.

(20) As shown in FIG. 6, the first protective sleeve 51 has a mesh structure for distributing and supporting a stress generated by an external force when an angle of the torch head is adjusted.

(21) Likewise, the second protective sleeve 52 has a mesh structure for distributing and supporting the stress generated by the external force when the angle of the torch head is adjusted.

(22) Preferably, the first protective sleeve 51 may be formed of a fiberglass crimp net having a mesh structure, and mesh factors of the fiberglass crimp net may be constrained or fixed by an adhesive layer 53 to disperse and support the external force.

(23) More preferably, the second protective sleeve 52 may be formed of a glass fiber crimping net having a mesh structure, and mesh factors of the fiberglass crimp net may be constrained or fixed by the adhesive layer 53 to disperse and support the external force, and maintain the inner surface flatness of the clad body 47 with respect to local compressive stress and tensile stress.

(24) Referring to FIG. 7, when the angle of the torch head in a horizontal state is required to be adjusted to have an arc shape with respect to the torch handle at a work site, the worker applies an external force in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction when viewed form the drawing. In this process, the clad body 47 in a horizontal state is bent in a predetermined arc shape and subjected to compression and tension, and the complexed spiral wires 43 (43a and 43b) are bent.

(25) The first protective sleeve 51 having the mesh structure supports a defamation generated when the complexed spiral wire 43 (43a and 43b) is bent. Simultaneously, the second protective sleeve 52 laminated on the first protective sleeve 52 having the mesh structure absorbs and disperses a bending deformation, that is, compressive stress and tensile stress occurring on the inner surface of the clad body 47.

(26) Even when the first and second sleeves 51 and 52 are bent in an arc shape, the inner surface of the clad body 47 maintains a good surface flatness corresponding to the arc shape by the sleeve contact structure, and as a result, the inside of the clad body 47 is protected without penetrating or digging into a gap G formed between the complexed spiral wires 43 (43a and 43b).

(27) More specifically, even when the complexed wires 43 bent in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction are spaced apart from each other or form the gap G in the process of adjusting the angle of the torch head, the inside of the clad body 47 maintains the flatness by the first and second protective sleeves 51 and 52 without generating a local deformation portion, thereby preventing a fatigue failure of the clad body 47.

(28) According to one embodiment, the torch body 40 includes an adhesive layer 53 impregnated into the mesh structure of each of the first and second protective sleeves 51 and 52 to fix the first and second protective sleeves 51 and 52 to each other, and the adhesive layer 53 supports compressive and tensile stresses formed in the first and second protective sleeves 51 and 52.

(29) Meanwhile, an auxiliary support wire 44 is configured at an inner side of a guide hole formed inside the multiple-row spiral wires 43, and the auxiliary support wire 44 elastically supports the arrangement of the wires 43.

(30) More preferably, the auxiliary support wire 44 has hook portions 44a and 44b at both ends thereof, and the hook portions 44a and 44b are hooked and fixed by fixing pins 45a and 45b, respectively.

(31) The auxiliary support wire 44 provides an elastic support force inside the wires 43 in a radial direction to prevent the complexed wires from being misarranged in the process of adjusting the angle of the torch head.

(32) For example, when the wires 43 are curved or bent in an arc shape by the external force in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction in the drawing during adjusting the angle of the torch head, the elastic force of the auxiliary support wire 44 acts in the radial direction R from the inside of the wires 43, and the wires 43 maintain an arc-shaped complexed wire arrangement without partial separation, derailment, or protrusion.

(33) Meanwhile, according to one embodiment of the disclosed invention, an auxiliary pipe 46 may be interposed between the inside of the multi-array spiral wires 43 and the auxiliary support wire 44, and the stiffness of the auxiliary pipe 46 may be added to the elastic force of the auxiliary support wire 44, so that the wires 43 act as a supporting force for blocking the separation of the complexed wire arrangements.

(34) According to another embodiment, when thee clad body 47 is compressed and molded, the auxiliary pipe 46 may be configured to prevent a molding member, such as silicon or rubber, from penetrating into a space inside the complexed spiral wire 43.

(35) As described above, when the external force is applied to manipulate the angle of the torch head for work efficiency and safety in the welding process, the compressive or tensile force formed in the clad body and the complexed spiral wire inside the clad body is supported by the multi-layered first and second protective sleeves, so that the local deformation fatigue failure may be prevented without the local deformation.

(36) In addition, complexed supporting forces are structurally generated from the outside and inside of the wires by the first and second protective sleeves and the auxiliary support wire, thereby blocking the local protrusion or separation of the spiral wires, so that the complexed wire arrangement may be stably maintained.

(37) Although the exemplary embodiments of the present invention has been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, the embodiments described herein and the configurations shown in the drawings are merely preferred embodiments according to the present invention, and do not represent all of the technical ideas of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that various equivalents and modifications may be substituted therefor at the time of filing of the present application. Therefore, the above described embodiments should be understood in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention is indicated by the following claims rather than the above detailed descriptions, and all deformations or modifications derived from the idea and scope of the claims and their equivalents should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention.