US 12,186,823 B2
Controlling the flow of coolant to resistance welding electrodes
Mark Nicewonger, Mountain View, CA (US)
Assigned to Proteus Industries, Inc., Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed by Proteus Industries Inc., Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed on Jul. 19, 2018, as Appl. No. 16/040,441.
Application 16/040,441 is a continuation of application No. 14/849,247, filed on Sep. 9, 2015, granted, now 10,307,857.
Application 16/040,441 is a continuation of application No. 14/849,307, filed on Sep. 9, 2015, granted, now 10,022,815.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/048,168, filed on Sep. 9, 2014.
Prior Publication US 2018/0333799 A1, Nov. 22, 2018
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B23K 11/30 (2006.01); B23K 11/11 (2006.01); F04B 43/02 (2006.01); F04B 53/14 (2006.01); F15B 3/00 (2006.01); F16K 7/12 (2006.01); F16K 23/00 (2006.01); F16K 31/16 (2006.01); F16K 37/00 (2006.01); F17D 3/01 (2006.01); H05K 7/20 (2006.01)
CPC B23K 11/3054 (2013.01) [B23K 11/115 (2013.01); B23K 11/3018 (2013.01); B23K 11/3072 (2013.01); F04B 43/02 (2013.01); F04B 53/14 (2013.01); F15B 3/00 (2013.01); F16K 7/12 (2013.01); F16K 23/00 (2013.01); F16K 31/16 (2013.01); F16K 37/005 (2013.01); F17D 3/01 (2013.01); H05K 7/20 (2013.01); H05K 7/20218 (2013.01); H05K 7/20272 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for controlling a flow of a liquid coolant to resistance welding electrodes on a welding apparatus, the system comprising:
a supply path;
a return path;
a plurality of electrode coolant paths disposed between the supply path and the return path, the plurality of electrode coolant paths being coupled to the supply path by a first Y-connector and being coupled to the return path by a second Y-connector, each electrode coolant path of the plurality of electrode coolant paths being configured to support the flow of the liquid coolant to and from one or more of the resistance welding electrodes on the welding apparatus to cool the one or more of the resistance welding electrodes;
one or more flow control valves disposed in each electrode coolant path of the plurality of electrode coolant paths and configured to control a rate of the flow of the liquid coolant in the respective electrode coolant path of the plurality of electrode coolant paths to or from the one or more of the resistance welding electrodes;
one or more drawback apparatuses disposed in a particular electrode coolant path of the plurality of electrode coolant paths between the first Y-connector and the second Y-connector and configured to draw back the liquid coolant adjacent a particular resistance welding electrode of the resistance welding electrodes within the particular electrode coolant path of the plurality of electrode coolant paths;
one or more coolant sensors, each coolant sensor configured to measure a first temperature condition or flow rate condition of the liquid coolant in at least one electrode coolant path of the plurality of electrode coolant paths; and
a controller configured to evaluate the first temperature condition or flow rate condition against one or more threshold values to determine a state of the system, and to control the one or more flow control valves and the one or more drawback apparatuses based on the determined state of the system.