JP7572183B2 - Wire Straightener - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a wire straightener that corrects the curl of welding wire.

In a consumable electrode welding system, the wire feeder feeds the welding wire, for example wound on a wire reel, to the welding torch. If the welding wire is left curled, it is likely to come into contact with the inner wall of a conduit cable that guides the welding wire from the wire feeder to the welding torch, increasing the feeding resistance of the welding wire. In addition, the tip of the welding wire W that protrudes from the tip of the welding torch will bend, making the arc unstable. To prevent these problems, a wire straightener that straightens the curl of the welding wire is placed on the entrance side of the wire feeder. Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a wire straightener.

The wire straightener straightens the welding wire by passing it between two rotatably supported fixed straightening rolls and a movable straightening roll that is rotatably and vertically movable and positioned below the two fixed straightening rolls. To properly straighten the welding wire, it is necessary to adjust the pressure applied to the welding wire by the two fixed straightening rolls and the movable straightening roll depending on the material and diameter of the welding wire. The operator adjusts the pressure applied to the welding wire by turning the pressure adjustment handle to move the movable straightening roll to a position that corresponds to the material and diameter of the welding wire.

JP 2017-87290 A

Each time the worker changes the welding wire, he or she must manually turn the pressure adjustment handle to move the movable straightening roll to a position that corresponds to the material and diameter of the welding wire. The position of the movable straightening roll is adjusted by looking at the scale, so depending on where wire straightener B is installed, it may not be easy to work with when changing the welding wire.

The present invention was conceived in light of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a wire straightener that automatically adjusts to properly straighten the welding wire.

To solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

The wire straightener of the present invention includes two first straightening rolls, a second straightening roll, a motor, a movement mechanism that moves one of the first straightening rolls and the second straightening roll in a direction toward the other, a sensor that detects the torque of the motor, and a control unit that controls the movement mechanism to move the first straightening roll and the second straightening roll toward each other until the detection value by the sensor reaches a threshold value corresponding to the material and diameter of the welding wire passing between the two first straightening rolls and the second straightening roll.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the movement mechanism includes the motor, a pressure adjustment screw, a movement unit that supports the second straightening roll, is screwed into the pressure adjustment screw, and moves in response to the rotation of the pressure adjustment screw, and a gear that converts the rotational force of the motor into the required torque and transmits it to the pressure adjustment screw, and the motor is driven to rotate in response to a command from the control unit.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the device further includes a position sensor that detects that the moving part is in a predetermined initial position, and the moving mechanism moves the second straightening roll away from the two first straightening rolls by reverse rotation of the motor, and when an opening command is input, the control unit reverses rotation of the motor until the position sensor detects that the moving part is in the initial position.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the welding wire further includes a second moving mechanism having two third straightening rolls, a fourth straightening roll, and a second motor, which moves one of the two third straightening rolls and the fourth straightening roll in a direction approaching the other, a second sensor which detects the torque of the second motor, and a second control unit which controls the second moving mechanism to move the two rolls closer to each other until the detection value by the second sensor reaches the threshold value, and the welding wire passes between the two third straightening rolls and the fourth straightening roll, and the angle between the direction of movement of the moving mechanism and the direction of movement of the second moving mechanism is 90 degrees.

According to the present invention, the control unit moves the two first and second straightening rolls closer together until the detection value by the sensor reaches a threshold value corresponding to the material and diameter of the welding wire. By setting a threshold value corresponding to the torque of the motor when the two first and second straightening rolls can apply pressure that can properly straighten the welding wire, the control unit can automatically adjust the pressure to a level that can properly straighten the welding wire, and therefore the operator does not need to manually adjust the pressure.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a wire straightener according to a first embodiment, and is an overall configuration diagram showing a welding system including the wire straightener. 1A is a front view showing a wire straightener according to a first embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a bottom view showing the wire straightener according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram showing a configuration for motor control of the wire straightener according to the first embodiment. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a motor drive control process performed by a motor control unit. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a wire straightener according to a second embodiment, and is an overall configuration diagram showing a welding system including the wire straightener.

The following describes the embodiment of the present invention in detail with reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment
Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 are diagrams for explaining a wire straightener B1 according to a first embodiment. Fig. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing a welding system including the wire straightener B1. Fig. 2(a) is a front view showing the wire straightener B1. Fig. 2(b) is a bottom view showing the wire straightener B1. Fig. 3 is a functional configuration diagram showing a configuration for motor control of the wire straightener B1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the consumable electrode welding system includes a wire feeder A1, a wire straightener B1, a wire reel 4, and a welding torch 5. In reality, the welding system also includes a welding power supply that supplies power to the welding torch 5, a gas tank that supplies shielding gas to the welding torch 5, and other components, but these are not shown in FIG. 1. In the following description, the wire reel 4 side is referred to as the upstream side (left side in FIG. 1) and the welding torch 5 side (right side in FIG. 1) as the downstream side, in accordance with the direction in which the welding wire W advances.

The wire feeder A1 feeds the welding wire W wound on the wire reel 4 arranged on the upstream side to the welding torch 5 arranged on the downstream side. As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the wire feeder A1 is a four-roll type wire feeder, and includes feed rolls 21 and 23, pressure rolls 22 and 24, a center guide 32, and an outlet guide 31. Note that the wire feeder A1 is not limited to a four-roll type, and may be, for example, a two-roll type wire feeder.

The feed rolls 21 and 23 are rotated by the torque of a drive motor (not shown) transmitted by gears (not shown). The pressure roll 22 (24) is positioned vertically above the feed roll 21 (23) and applies pressure to the welding wire W so as to sandwich it between the feed roll 21 (23). The welding wire W is sandwiched between the feed roll 21 and the pressure roll 22, and also between the feed roll 23 and the pressure roll 24, and is fed by the rotation of the feed rolls 21 and 23.

The center guide 32 and the outlet guide 31 are each cylindrical in shape and are members that guide the welding wire W. The center guide 32 guides the welding wire W fed by the feed roll 21 to the feed roll 23. The outlet guide 31 guides the welding wire W fed by the feed roll 23 to the outside of the wire feeder A1. A conduit cable 52 connected to an adapter (not shown) is attached to the tip of the outlet guide 31, and the conduit cable 52 guides the welding wire W to the welding torch 5.

The welding torch 5 receives the welding wire W from the wire feeder A1, causing the tip of the welding wire W to protrude from the tip. Inside the welding torch 5, the welding wire W comes into contact with a power feed tip 51 connected to a welding power supply device (not shown) and receives power. The welding power supply device applies a voltage between the tip of the welding wire W and the base material to generate an arc. The welding torch 5 welds the base material with the heat of the arc.

The wire straightener B1 is a device that straightens out the curl of the welding wire W supplied to the wire feeder A1, and is disposed upstream of the wire feeder A1. In this embodiment, the wire straightener B1 is attached to the inlet of the wire feeder A1 instead of an inlet guide, and guides the welding wire W wound around the wire reel 4 to the feed roll 21 of the wire feeder A1 while straightening the curl. The wire straightener B1 may be disposed away from the wire feeder A1 instead of being attached to the wire feeder A1.

As shown in FIG. 2, the wire straightener B1 includes a main body 11, an inlet guide 111, an outlet guide 112, fixed straightening rolls 121 and 122, a movable straightening roll 13, a pressure adjustment handle 14, a pressure adjustment screw 151, a moving unit 152, a motor 16, a motor control unit 17, gears 181 and 182, a current sensor 191, and a microswitch 192.

The main body 11 is the main body of the wire straightener B1, and has the fixed straightening rolls 121, 122 and the movable straightening roll 13 arranged therein. The inlet guide 111 is attached to the main body 11 and is a guide member that guides the welding wire W wound on the wire reel 4 to the fixed straightening roll 121. The outlet guide 112 is attached to the main body 11 and is a guide member that guides the welding wire W from the fixed straightening roll 122 to the feed roll 21 inside the wire feeder A1. The welding wire W is inserted from the upstream opening of the inlet guide 111, passes between the fixed straightening rolls 121, 122 and the movable straightening roll 13, and is fed from the downstream opening of the outlet guide 112.

The fixed straightening rolls 121, 122 and the movable straightening roll 13 apply pressure to the welding wire W passing between the fixed straightening rolls 121, 122 and the movable straightening roll 13 to straighten the curl of the welding wire W. The fixed straightening rolls 121 and 122 are arranged parallel to the direction in which the welding wire W is fed, and are each rotatably supported by the main body 11. The fixed straightening roll 121 is arranged upstream of the fixed straightening roll 122. In the following, when the fixed straightening rolls 121 and 122 are not distinguished from each other, they may be referred to as the fixed straightening roll 12. The movable straightening roll 13 is arranged on the opposite side of the fixed straightening rolls 121 and 122 with respect to the welding wire W, so as to be movable and rotatable in the direction approaching the fixed straightening rolls 121 and 122 (see the arrow in FIG. 2(a)). In this embodiment, the wire straightener B1 is arranged so that the welding wire W advances horizontally. In this state, the fixed straightening rolls 121 and 122 are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction, and the movable straightening roll 13 is arranged vertically below the fixed straightening rolls 121 and 122 so as to be movable up and down. The arrangement of the fixed straightening rolls 121, 122 and the movable straightening roll 13 with respect to the welding wire W may be reversed. In this embodiment, the fixed straightening rolls 121, 122 correspond to the "first straightening roll" of the present invention, and the movable straightening roll 13 corresponds to the "second straightening roll" of the present invention.

The pressure adjustment screw 151 is arranged on the main body 11 so as to be rotatable around the axial direction (the vertical direction in FIG. 2(a)). The moving part 152 is screwed into the pressure adjustment screw 151 and moves in the axial direction of the pressure adjustment screw 151 in response to the rotation of the pressure adjustment screw 151. The movable correction roll 13 is rotatably supported by the moving part 152 and moves together with the moving part 152. Therefore, the movable correction roll 13 moves in the axial direction of the pressure adjustment screw 151 in response to the rotation of the pressure adjustment screw 151.

The pressure adjustment handle 14 is fixed to one end of the pressure adjustment screw 151 and is operated by the operator. The operator rotates the pressure adjustment handle 14 to rotate the pressure adjustment screw 151 and move the movable straightening roll 13 to adjust the pressure on the welding wire W. In order to properly straighten the welding wire W, it is necessary to adjust the pressure on the welding wire W depending on the material and diameter of the welding wire W. The operator rotates the pressure adjustment handle 14 to move the movable straightening roll 13 to the scale position corresponding to the material and diameter of the welding wire W. The wire straightener B1 is equipped with a mechanism that automatically adjusts the pressure on the welding wire W so that the operator does not need to operate the pressure adjustment handle 14.

The motor 16 is, for example, a geared motor, and is rotated in response to a command from the motor control unit 17. The rotational force of the motor 16 is transmitted to the pressure adjustment screw 151 while being decelerated by the gears 181 and 182 to a speed at which the torque required for pressurization is generated. As a result, the pressure adjustment screw 151 rotates in response to the rotational drive of the motor 16, and the movable correction roll 13 moves with the movement of the moving part 152. The motor 16 can rotate in both directions, and moves the movable correction roll 13 closer to the fixed correction rolls 121 and 122 by rotating in a first direction (hereinafter referred to as "forward rotation"), and moves the movable correction roll 13 away from the fixed correction rolls 121 and 122 by rotating in a second direction opposite to the first direction (hereinafter referred to as "reverse rotation"). The pressure adjustment screw 151, the moving part 152, and the motor 16 correspond to the "moving mechanism" of the present invention. The moving mechanism for moving the movable correction roll 13 is not limited. For example, the pressure adjustment screw 151 may be threaded in response to the rotational drive of the motor 16, and the tip of the pressure adjustment screw 151 (or a link member abutting against it) may come into contact with the moving part 152, thereby moving the moving part 152.

The current sensor 191 is a sensor that detects the load current flowing through the motor 16. Since the torque of the motor 16 is proportional to the load current flowing through the motor 16, in this embodiment, the torque of the motor 16 is detected by detecting the load current flowing through the motor 16 with the current sensor 191. In this embodiment, the current sensor 191 detects the load current flowing through the motor 16 by detecting the voltage between the terminals of a shunt resistor connected in series to the motor 16. Note that the method of detecting the current by the current sensor 191 is not limited. For example, the current sensor 191 may detect the current using a Hall element, a current transformer, or the like. The current sensor 191 outputs a signal corresponding to the detected load current to the motor control unit 17.

The microswitch 192 is a position sensor for detecting that the moving part 152 (the movable straightening roll 13 supported by it) is in a predetermined initial position. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2(a), the microswitch 192 is disposed upstream of the moving part 152, and outputs a detection signal to the motor control unit 17 when the protruding part 152a protruding upstream from the moving part 152 presses the actuator of the microswitch 192 to turn on the contact. The position of the microswitch 192 is not limited, and it is sufficient if it can detect that the moving part 152 has moved to the initial position. The wire straightener B1 may also be provided with another position sensor (such as a photo sensor or a magnetic sensor) instead of the microswitch 192.

The operation unit 193 includes an operation button for inputting an operation signal to the motor control unit 17. The operation unit 193 may be disposed in the main body 11 of the wire straightener B1, or may be disposed in the wire feeder A1, the welding torch 5, the welding power supply, or the remote control. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which an operation unit provided in a welding power supply is used as the operation unit 193. The operation unit 193 inputs an operation signal to the motor control unit 17 in response to the operation of the operation button by the operator. The operation button includes a selection button for selecting whether to pressurize or release the welding wire W, and for selecting the material and diameter of the welding wire W when pressurizing, and a start button for driving the motor 16. In this embodiment, a condition number corresponding to the material and diameter of the welding wire W is set, and the operator selects the condition number. Note that the operator may select the material of the welding wire W and select (or input) the diameter, so that the corresponding condition number is automatically selected. In this embodiment, the inching button also serves as the start button. Therefore, when the inching button is pressed, feeding of the welding wire W starts, and driving of the motor 16 starts. Note that the start button may be a button other than the inching button.

As shown in FIG. 3, the motor control unit 17 controls the driving of the motor 16 based on an operation signal input from the operation unit 193, a signal input from the current sensor 191, and a signal input from the microswitch 192. When an operation signal selecting a condition number is input from the operation unit 193 and an operation signal of the start button (inching button) is input, the motor control unit 17 rotates the motor 16 forward. On the other hand, when an operation signal (release command) selecting the release of the welding wire W is input and an operation signal of the start button (inching button) is input, the motor control unit 17 rotates the motor 16 reversely. The motor control unit 17 controls the direction of rotation of the motor 16 depending on the direction of the current flowing through the motor 16.

When the motor control unit 17 rotates the motor 16 in the forward direction, it stops the motor 16 based on the signal input from the current sensor 191. The motor 16 rotates in the forward direction to bring the movable straightening roll 13 closer to the fixed straightening rolls 121 and 122. The closer the movable straightening roll 13 is to the fixed straightening rolls 121 and 122, the more pressure is applied to the welding wire W between the fixed straightening rolls 121 and 122 and the movable straightening roll 13, and the torque of the motor 16 increases. The magnitude of the torque is proportional to the load current flowing through the motor 16. In other words, the greater the pressure applied to the welding wire W, the greater the load current. The magnitude of the pressure to properly straighten the welding wire W differs depending on the material and diameter of the welding wire W. The motor control unit 17 measures in advance the current value of the load current when pressure is applied so that the welding wire W can be properly straightened for each condition number corresponding to the material and diameter of the welding wire W, and stores the current value in memory in correspondence with the threshold value. The motor control unit 17 reads out the corresponding threshold value from the memory based on the condition number input from the operation unit 193, and stops driving the motor 16 when the current value according to the signal input from the current sensor 191 becomes the threshold value corresponding to the condition number. As a result, the movable correction roll 13 moves to a position where the welding wire W can be appropriately pressurized. In this embodiment, as described above, the inching button also serves as the start button, and the driving of the motor 16 and the feeding of the welding wire W are started simultaneously, so that the current sensor 191 detects the load current when the welding wire W is being fed. Therefore, the current value of the load current detected by applying pressure while the welding wire W is being fed is stored in the memory.

On the other hand, when the motor 16 is rotated in the reverse direction, the motor control unit 17 stops the drive of the motor 16 based on the signal input from the microswitch 192. By rotating in the reverse direction, the motor 16 moves the movable straightening roll 13 away from the fixed straightening rolls 121 and 122. When the detection signal is input from the microswitch 192, the motor control unit 17 stops the drive of the motor 16. As a result, the movable straightening roll 13 stops when it moves to the initial position. The motor control unit 17 may be realized as a digital circuit, for example, by a microcomputer, or may be realized as an analog circuit using an operational amplifier. The motor control unit 17 may be disposed inside the main body 11, or may be disposed outside the main body 11 as a control device.

Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the drive control process of the motor 16 performed by the motor control unit 17. This drive control process is executed when setting up the welding wire W in the wire feeder A1 before the start of welding.

First, it is determined whether or not the operator has selected "open" (S1). Specifically, the motor control unit 17 determines whether or not an operation signal selecting "open" has been input from the operation unit 193. The operator selects "open" when the movable straightening roll 13 is not in the initial position when setting the welding wire W, or when the movable straightening roll 13 is moved to the initial position to replace the welding wire W. If "open" has not been selected (S1: NO), it is determined whether or not a condition number has been input by the operator (S2). Specifically, the motor control unit 17 determines whether or not an operation signal selecting a condition number has been input from the operation unit 193. If a condition number has not been input (S2: NO), the process returns to step S1, and the determinations of steps S1 and S2 are repeated.

If release is selected in step S1 (S1: YES), it is determined whether or not a start has been instructed by the operator (S9). Specifically, the motor control unit 17 determines whether or not an operation signal for the start button (inching button) has been input from the operation unit 193. If a start has not been instructed (S9: NO), the process returns to step S9 and the determination in step S9 is repeated. In other words, the process waits until a start is instructed. If a start has been instructed (S9: YES), the motor 16 is started to be driven in reverse (S10). Specifically, the motor control unit 17 outputs a drive signal for reverse rotation to the motor 16, thereby rotating the motor 16 in reverse.

Next, it is determined whether the microswitch 192 is ON (S11). Specifically, the motor control unit 17 determines whether a detection signal is input from the microswitch 192. If the microswitch 192 is not ON (S11: NO), the process returns to step S11 and the determination of step S11 is repeated. In other words, the process waits until the microswitch 192 is ON. During this time, the motor 16 continues to rotate, so the movable straightening roll 13 moves away from the fixed straightening rolls 121 and 122. If the microswitch 192 is ON (S11: YES), the movable straightening roll 13 is considered to have moved to the initial position, and the drive of the motor 16 is stopped (S8), and the process returns to step S1. As a result, the movable straightening roll 13 automatically moves to the initial position.

In step S2, if a condition number is input (S2: YES), it is determined whether or not a start has been instructed by the operator (S3). Specifically, the motor control unit 17 determines whether or not an operation signal of the start button (inching button) has been input from the operation unit 193. If a start has not been instructed (S3: NO), the process returns to step S3 and the determination of step S3 is repeated. In other words, the process waits until a start is instructed. If a start has been instructed (S3: YES), the threshold value associated with the condition number is read from the memory (S4), and the driving of the motor 16 in the forward rotation is started (S5). Specifically, the motor control unit 17 outputs a drive signal for the forward rotation to the motor 16, thereby rotating the motor 16 in the forward direction. The operation signal of the start button (inching button) from the operation unit 193 is also input to the wire feeder A1, and the wire feeder A1 starts feeding the welding wire W.

Next, the load current of the motor 16 is detected (S6). Specifically, the motor control unit 17 acquires the current value of the load current according to the signal input from the current sensor 191. Next, it is determined whether the current value of the load current is equal to or greater than the threshold value (S7). Specifically, the motor control unit 17 compares the acquired current value of the load current with the read threshold value to determine whether the current value of the load current is equal to or greater than the threshold value. If the current value of the load current is less than the threshold value (S7: NO), the process returns to step S6, and the processes of steps S6 and S7 are repeated. In other words, the process waits until the current value of the load current is equal to or greater than the threshold value. During this time, the motor 16 continues to rotate, so the movable straightening roll 13 moves closer to the fixed straightening rolls 121 and 122. If the current value of the load current is equal to or greater than the threshold value (S7: YES), the welding wire W is pressed appropriately, and the driving of the motor 16 is stopped (S8), and the process returns to step S1. As a result, the movable straightening roll 13 automatically moves to a position where it can pressurize the welding wire W appropriately.

When the setup of the welding wire W is completed, the drive control process is terminated. Note that the process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4 is an example, and the drive control process performed by the motor control unit 17 is not limited to the above.

Before starting welding, the worker sets up the welding wire W in the wire feeder A1. First, if the movable straightening roll 13 is not in the initial position, the worker selects open and operates the start button to move the movable straightening roll 13 to the initial position. Next, the worker inserts the tip of the welding wire W wound around the wire reel 4 from the inlet guide 111 of the wire straightener B1, and passes it between the fixed straightening rolls 121 and 122 and the movable straightening roll 13, through the outlet guide 112, and through the wire feeder A1. Next, the worker selects a condition No. corresponding to the material and diameter of the welding wire W and operates the start button (inching button). As a result, the wire feeder A1 starts feeding the welding wire W, and the motor 16 of the wire straightener B1 starts rotating forward. Then, when the load current of the motor 16 becomes equal to or greater than the threshold value corresponding to the condition No., the motor 16 is stopped, and the movable straightening roll 13 automatically moves to a position where it can apply appropriate pressure to the welding wire W. When the welding wire W protrudes from the tip of the welding torch 5, the operator operates the inching button to stop the feeding of the welding wire W.

Next, we will explain the effects of the wire straightener B1 according to this embodiment.

According to this embodiment, when a condition number is selected, the motor control unit 17 rotates the motor 16 in the forward direction to move the movable straightening roll 13 closer to the fixed straightening rolls 121 and 122. Then, the motor control unit 17 stops driving the motor 16 when the load current of the motor 16 becomes equal to or greater than the threshold value corresponding to the condition number. The threshold value is stored in association with the current value of the load current when the movable straightening roll 13 and the fixed straightening rolls 121 and 122 apply pressure so that the welding wire W can be properly straightened, for each condition number corresponding to the material and diameter of the welding wire W. This allows the motor control unit 17 to automatically move the movable straightening roll 13 to a position where the welding wire W can be properly pressed. Therefore, the operator does not need to manually adjust the pressure.

In addition, according to this embodiment, when open is selected, the motor control unit 17 rotates the motor 16 in the reverse direction to move the movable straightening roll 13 away from the fixed straightening rolls 121, 122. The microswitch 192 outputs a detection signal when the movable straightening roll 13 moves to the initial position. When the detection signal is input from the microswitch 192, the motor control unit 17 stops driving the motor 16. As a result, the movable straightening roll 13 automatically stops when it moves to the initial position. Therefore, the operator can automatically move the movable straightening roll 13 to the initial position without manually operating the pressure adjustment handle 14 when replacing the welding wire W, for example.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the inching button also serves as the start button. Therefore, the number of buttons arranged on the operation unit 193 is reduced. Furthermore, compared to the case where the start button is operated separately from the inching button, the operation by the operator can be simplified. Furthermore, since the load current is detected while the welding wire W is being fed, it is possible to detect the load current in a state similar to that during actual welding. Therefore, the pressure can be adjusted more appropriately compared to the case where the load current is detected while the welding wire W is stopped.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the pressure adjustment screw 151 rotates by the torque of the motor 16, which is decelerated and transmitted via gears 181 and 182 to a speed at which the torque required for pressure is generated. The moving part 152 supporting the movable correction roll 13 moves in the axial direction of the pressure adjustment screw 151 in response to the rotation of the pressure adjustment screw 151. As a result, the motor control part 17 can drive the motor 16 to move the movable correction roll 13 closer to or farther away from the fixed correction rolls 121 and 122.

In addition, in this embodiment, the wire straightener B1 is attached to the inlet of the wire feeder A1 instead of the inlet guide. This allows the wire straightener B1 to guide the welding wire W to the feed roll 21 of the wire feeder A1 while correcting the curl of the welding wire W.

In this embodiment, the motor control unit 17 stops driving the motor 16 based on the load current detected by the current sensor 191, but this is not limited to the above. The wire straightener B1 may detect the torque of the motor 16 using other methods, and the motor control unit 17 may stop driving the motor 16 based on the detected torque.

In addition, in this embodiment, the wire straightener B1 is described as having two fixed straightening rolls 12 and one movable straightening roll 13, but the number of fixed straightening rolls 12 and movable straightening rolls 13 is not limited. For example, the wire straightener B1 may further include a movable straightening roll 13, or may further include a fixed straightening roll 12. The wire straightener B1 may further include one fixed straightening roll 12 and two movable straightening rolls 13. In this case, the fixed straightening roll 12 corresponds to the "second straightening roll" of the present invention, and the movable straightening roll 13 corresponds to the "first straightening roll" of the present invention.

In addition, in this embodiment, the welding system uses the welding wire W wound on the wire reel 4, but this is not limited to the above. The welding wire W may be supplied from another wire supply source, such as a pail pack.

Second Embodiment
Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining a wire straightener B2 according to a second embodiment. This figure is an overall configuration diagram showing a welding system including the wire straightener B2, and corresponds to Fig. 1. In Fig. 5, elements that are the same as or similar to those in the welding system according to the first embodiment (see Fig. 1) are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations are omitted. Note that Fig. 5 omits illustration of most of the wire feeder A1 and the welding torch 5. The wire straightener B2 according to this embodiment has a different configuration from the wire straightener B1 according to the first embodiment.

The welding system according to this embodiment is equipped with a pail pack 45 instead of a wire reel 4 as a wire supply source. The pail pack 45 contains the welding wire W wound in a coil shape with the coil surface facing vertically, and the welding wire W is discharged from above the pail pack 45. Therefore, the welding wire W in the pail pack 45 is supplied with an inconsistent winding direction.

The wire straightener B2 is a combination of the wire straightener B1 according to the first embodiment and a wire straightener B1' similar to the wire straightener B1. The wire straightener B1 is attached to the inlet of the wire feeder A1 instead of the inlet guide of the wire feeder A1. The wire straightener B1' is disposed upstream of the wire straightener B1, and the inlet guide 111 of the wire straightener B1 is attached to the outlet instead of the outlet guide 112. The wire straightener B1' is in a position in which the wire straightener B1 is rotated 90 degrees around the feed axis of the welding wire W (the axis extending in the direction in which the welding wire W is fed). Therefore, the angle between the direction in which the movable straightening roll 13 of the wire straightener B1 moves and the direction in which the movable straightening roll 13 of the wire straightener B1' moves is 90 degrees.

The operation unit 193 inputs an operation signal to the motor control unit 17 of the wire straightener B1 and the motor control unit 17 of the wire straightener B1'.

In this embodiment, the wire straightener B2 also automatically adjusts to properly straighten the welding wire W. The wire straightener B1 of the wire straightener B2 straightens the curl in a first direction (up-down direction (vertical direction) in FIG. 5) perpendicular to the feeding direction of the welding wire W (left-right direction (horizontal direction) in FIG. 5), and the wire straightener B1' straightens the curl in a second direction (front-back direction (horizontal direction) on the paper surface in FIG. 5) perpendicular to the feeding direction of the welding wire W. Therefore, the wire straightener B2 can properly straighten the welding wire W supplied from the pail pack 45 with the curl direction not being constant. Also, in this embodiment, the wire straightener B2 can automatically move each movable straightening roll 13 to its initial position when, for example, replacing the welding wire W.

The wire straightener according to the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. The specific configuration of each part of the wire straightener according to the present invention can be freely designed in various ways.

A1: Wire feeder, B1, B1', B2: Wire straightener, 121, 122: Fixed straightening roll, 13: Movable straightening roll, 151: Pressure adjustment screw, 152: Moving part 16: Motor, 17: Motor control part, 181, 182: Gear, 191: Current sensor, 192: Microswitch

Claims (4)

Two first straightening rolls;
A second straightening roll;
a moving mechanism having a motor and moving one of the first straightening roll and the second straightening roll in a direction approaching the other;
A sensor for detecting a torque of the motor;
a control unit that causes the distance between the two first straightening rolls and the two second straightening rolls to decrease by the moving mechanism , and stops the moving mechanism when a detection value by the sensor becomes equal to or greater than a threshold value corresponding to a material and a diameter of a welding wire passing between the two first straightening rolls and the two second straightening rolls;
Equipped with a wire straightener. The moving mechanism includes:
The motor;
Pressure adjustment screw,
a moving part that supports the second straightening roll, is screwed into the pressure adjustment screw, and moves in response to rotation of the pressure adjustment screw;
a gear that converts the rotational force of the motor into a required torque and transmits it to the pressure adjustment screw;
Equipped with
The motor is driven to rotate in response to a command from the control unit.
2. The wire straightener of claim 1. a position sensor for detecting that the moving unit is in a predetermined initial position;
The moving mechanism moves the second straightening roll away from the two first straightening rolls by reverse rotation of the motor,
When an opening command is input, the control unit rotates the motor in a reverse direction until the position sensor detects that the moving unit is at the initial position.
3. The wire straightener of claim 2. Two third straightening rolls;
A fourth straightening roll;
a second moving mechanism having a second motor and moving one of the third straightening roll and the fourth straightening roll in a direction approaching the other;
a second sensor that detects the torque of the second motor;
a second control unit that controls the second movement mechanism to bring the two closer together until a detection value by the second sensor reaches the threshold value;
Further equipped with
The welding wire passes between the two third straightening rolls and the fourth straightening roll,
The angle between the direction in which the moving mechanism moves and the direction in which the second moving mechanism moves is 90 degrees.
4. A wire straightener according to claim 1.

Images