Electric heating – Metal heating – By arc
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-13
2003-08-12
Shaw, Clifford C. (Department: 1725)
Electric heating
Metal heating
By arc
C219S125100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06605800
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Applicants claim priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of Austrian Application No. A 1735/98, filed: Oct. 16, 1998. Applicants also claim priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 of PCT/AT99/00242, filed: Oct. 11, 1999. The international application under PCT article 21(2) was not published in English.
The invention relates to a welding device of the type outlined.
A method and a device for controlling a welding machine are known from EP 0 907 118 A2, in which the control device sends data across a bus system to an interface, this data being converted by the interface according to the connected components.
Also known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,814 A is a control device for a resistance welder, in which the process is controlled by analogue and the data is digitally processed internally, the analogue data picked up being converted by an analogue-to-digital converter in preparation for the internal processing. The internal data is re-converted for controlling the process by means of a digital-to-analogue converter.
A welding device is known from EP 0 463 489 A2, which runs a digital data exchange with external components by means of a field bus. However, it is not clear how the welding device controls and regulates the welding process.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,808,885 A discloses a welding control system, in which the individual components, in particular the power component (weld power module and welder), are again connected by individual digital and analogue lines.
Also known from EP 0 737 538 A1 is a terminal unit for a resistance welding process, in which the terminal unit is digitally connected to the machine. A machine code (machine ID) is detected by the terminal unit, after which the corresponding programmes can be loaded. However, individual components of the machine can only be exchanged if an identical component is used because the component is not recognised, which means any additional options of a different component can not be used.
Control systems for welding devices are already known, in which data is exchanged via a host, in particular a micro-controller, having control units connected by lines, such as a signal-processing unit referred hereinafter as SP unit, a pulse width modulator, hereinafter referred to as PWM, etc. The control units are also connected via lines to external components, such as a power component, and input and/or output device, etc. The individual desired values required for the welding process are determined or computed by means of an appropriate software programme, the desired values being converted into an analogue signal, in particular a voltage, by a digital-to-analogue converter, so that they can be processed by the control units. The individual control units adapt the actual values from the external components to generate the predetermined desired values. Furthermore, the actual values are converted into a digital signal by an analogue-to-digital converter and forwarded to the host so that the latter can apply an appropriate adjustment to the individual control signals and/or desired values. The disadvantage of this system is that the individual control units have to be adapted to the individual external components in order to exchange data, which means that whenever one of the external components is exchanged or replaced, the control unit needed for the control procedure also has to be replaced.
The underlying objective of the present invention is to provide a control system for a welding device and a method of controlling a welding device, in which the process regulation or control of the external components is operated on a purely digital basis.
This objective is achieved by the features outlined. The advantage of this system is that standard components can be used to build a welding device of this type, in particular the common assembly, thereby ensuring safe operation and enabling a compact structure to be achieved. Another advantage is that only simple software changes are needed in order to adapt to the most varied of operating conditions for special applications or adapt to upgraded components of the welding device, without having to make changes in the hardware. Also of advantage is the fact that, because the common unit is digitally controlled, existing welding devices which have a common assembly can be easily retrofitted and adapted to new upgraded components, the software merely having to be adapted in order to use the upgraded components.
Other advantageous embodiments are described. The resultant advantages can be found in the detailed description of the drawing.
The invention also relates to a method of controlling a welding device, as outlined.
Independently of the above, the objective of the invention is achieved by a method of controlling a welding device as a result of the features specified. The advantage is that because data is exchanged digitally between the individual components, the welding process can be controlled or regulated rapidly, which significantly improves the welding quality.
Other advantageous features are described. The resultant advantages can be found in the detailed description of the drawings.
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Brunner Michael
Burgstaller Andreas
Niedereder Franz
Schick Roland
Collard & Roe P.C.
Fronius Schweissmaschinen Produktion GmbH & Co. KG
Shaw Clifford C.
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