US 12,403,621 B2
Motorized systems and associated methods for controlling an adjustable dump orifice on a liquid jet cutting system
William Denney, Kent, WA (US); Erik Unangst, Kent, WA (US); Kevin Hay, Des Moines, WA (US); and Ryan Boehm, Seattle, WA (US)
Assigned to Hypertherm, Inc., Hanover, NH (US)
Filed by OMAX Corporation, Kent, WA (US)
Filed on Dec. 18, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/127,736.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/952,013, filed on Dec. 20, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0187778 A1, Jun. 24, 2021
Int. Cl. B26F 3/00 (2006.01); B24C 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC B26F 3/004 (2013.01) [B24C 1/00 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A liquid jet cutting system, comprising:
a high-pressure conduit;
a cutting head having a cutting head nozzle and a cutting head valve operable to control a flow of high-pressure liquid from the high-pressure conduit to the cutting head nozzle;
an adjustable dump orifice (ADO) including—
a motor; and
a coupling configured to operably couple the motor to a dump orifice valve, wherein the dump orifice valve is configured to cooperate with a dump orifice connected in fluid communication with the high-pressure conduit, and wherein the motor is operable to move the dump orifice valve in a first direction to increase a pressure of the high-pressure liquid flowing through the dump orifice and in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, to reduce the pressure of the high-pressure liquid flowing through the dump orifice; and
a controller operably connected to the ADO and the cutting head and configured to automatically adjust the flow of the high-pressure liquid through the cutting head and/or the dump orifice by—
causing the motor to set a position of the dump orifice valve in response to a change in at least one of a state or a condition of the dump orifice valve and/or the cutting head nozzle,
causing the cutting head valve to open and the dump orifice valve to close when the liquid jet system is cutting, and
causing the cutting head valve to close and the dump orifice valve to open when the liquid jet cutting system is not cutting.