The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 18, 1984
Filed:
Apr. 01, 1983
Herman A Nied, Ballston Lake, NY (US);
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Abstract
An instrumented spot welding electrode significantly improves the weld quality available from production resistance spot welding machines by providing real time measurements of key multivariable resistance welding parameters. The real time data provided may be used as inputs to adaptively control welding machines and dynamically adjust welding system operation responsive to the sensed variables. A number of sensors are positioned within a cavity specially formed into a water cooled electrode tip to obtain the desired measurements while being protected against physical damage. The sensors are advantageously placed in good thermal and electrical contact with a plug element which bears directly on the workpieces being welded to enhance the accuracy of the sensed variables. This specially configured and instrumented sensor cavity is ideally suited for use with all end types of electrodes including spherical, truncated, offset, flat and the like.