Pliers for cleaning a nozzle of a welding gun

{
  "publication_number": "US11000914B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Pliers for cleaning a nozzle of a welding gun",
  "abstract": "Pliers for cleaning a welding gun nozzle include a right and left handle. The right handle is configured to operate a top left gripping end and a bottom right nozzle cleaner. The left handle is configured to operate a top right gripping end and a bottom left nozzle cleaner. The right handle are hingedly fixed together about a connection point. When the left handle and the right handle are closed, the top left gripping end and the top right gripping end are configured to squeeze together and the bottom right nozzle cleaner and the bottom left nozzle cleaner are configured to spread apart. And, when the left handle and the right handle are opened, the top left gripping end and the top right gripping end are configured to spread apart and the bottom right nozzle cleaner and the bottom left nozzle cleaner are configured to come together.",
  "claims": [
    "1. Pliers for cleaning a welding gun nozzle comprising: a right handle including a bottom right nozzle cleaner of a bottom nozzle cleaner mechanism, a notch cut out, and a right handle aperture; a left handle including a top right gripping end of a top pliers portion, a bottom left nozzle cleaner of the bottom nozzle cleaner mechanism, and a left handle aperture; a top tab plate including a top left gripping end of the top pliers portion, a protrusion, and a top tab plate aperture; the right handle aperture of the right handle, the left handle aperture of the left handle, and the top tab plate aperture of the top tab plate are connected together via a pivot; the notch cut out of the right handle receives the protrusion from the top tab plate, wherein, when the right handle is rotated about the pivot, the top left gripping end is rotated; the right handle and the left handle are hingedly fixed together about the pivot, wherein: when the left handle and the right handle are closed together, the top left gripping end and the top right gripping end are configured to squeeze together as the top pliers portion and the bottom right nozzle cleaner and the bottom left nozzle cleaner are configured to spread apart; and when the left handle and the right handle are opened from one another, the top left gripping end and the top right gripping end are configured to spread apart as the top pliers portion and the bottom right nozzle cleaner and the bottom left nozzle cleaner are configured to come together.",
    "2. The pliers for cleaning the welding gun nozzle of claim 1, wherein the pliers are configured for cleaning the welding gun nozzle via the bottom nozzle cleaner mechanism with the bottom right nozzle cleaner and the bottom left nozzle cleaner.",
    "3. The pliers for cleaning the welding gun nozzle of claim 2, wherein: when the left handle and the right handle are closed together, the bottom right nozzle cleaner and the bottom left nozzle cleaner are configured to spread apart for cleaning an inside wall of an outer casing of the welding gun nozzle; and when the left handle and the right handle are opened from one another, the bottom right nozzle cleaner and the bottom left nozzle cleaner are configured to come together for cleaning an outside of a tip of the welding gun nozzle.",
    "4. The pliers for cleaning the welding gun nozzle of claim 1, wherein: the bottom left nozzle cleaner includes a left pin oriented perpendicular from a bottom surface of the pliers; and the bottom right nozzle cleaner includes a right pin oriented perpendicular from the bottom surface of the pliers.",
    "5. The pliers for cleaning the welding gun nozzle of claim 4, wherein: the left pin includes a first threaded portion for removably attaching the left pin to a first threaded hole in the bottom left nozzle cleaner; and the right pin includes a second threaded portion for removably attaching the right pin to a second threaded hole in the bottom right nozzle cleaner.",
    "6. The pliers for cleaning the welding gun nozzle of claim 5, wherein the first threaded portion of the left pin and the second threaded portion of the right pin are left-handed threads configured to be inserted into the first threaded hole and the second threaded hole, respectively, via counter clockwise rotation to prevent backing out of the left pin and the right pin during a use of the bottom nozzle cleaning mechanism.",
    "7. The pliers for cleaning the welding gun nozzle of claim 5, wherein: the left pin includes a hexagonal-shaped bottom left portion configured for being gripped for inserting and removing the left pin; and the right pin includes a hexagonal-shaped bottom right portion configured for being gripped for inserting and removing the right pin.",
    "8. The pliers for cleaning the welding gun nozzle of claim 4, wherein: the left pin includes a cylindrical top left portion with a length configured for cleaning the welding gun nozzle; and the right pin includes a cylindrical top right portion with the length configured for cleaning the welding gun nozzle.",
    "9. The pliers for cleaning the welding gun nozzle of claim 1, wherein the pivot is a steel pin through the top tab plate aperture, the right handle aperture and the left handle aperture.",
    "10. The pliers for cleaning the welding gun nozzle of claim 1, wherein: the top left gripping end is a left needle nose pliers end; and the top right gripping end is a right needle nose pliers end; wherein, the top left gripping end and the top right gripping end are operable as needle nose pliers via the left handle and the right handle.",
    "11. The pliers for cleaning the welding gun nozzle of claim 1, the pliers are configured as multi-function pliers for welders, where the pliers comprise: needle nose pliers via the top left gripping end and the top right gripping end, a wire snipper via the left handle and the right handle, a welding gun nozzle cleaner via the bottom right nozzle cleaner and the bottom left nozzle cleaner configured to clean the welding gun nozzle without damaging it, and a nozzle remover configured for removing the welding gun nozzle and the tip from a welding gun.",
    "12. The pliers for cleaning the welding gun nozzle of claim 11, wherein the wire snipper is between the left handle and the right handle, wherein the left handle and the right handle include corresponding indentions configured for cutting wire between the left handle and the right handle.",
    "13. The pliers for cleaning the welding gun nozzle of claim 11, wherein the nozzle remover is an opening portion configured for gripping the welding gun nozzle between the left handle and the right handle, wherein the left handle and the right handle include corresponding concave sections configured for nozzle removal and installation.",
    "14. Pliers for cleaning a welding gun nozzle comprising: a right handle and a left handle pivotably connected at a pivot, a pair of bottom nozzle cleaners extending perpendicular from a bottom surface of the pliers; said pair of bottom nozzle cleaners are configured to spread apart when the pliers are closed; said pair of bottom nozzle cleaners are configured to come together when the pliers are opened; wherein said pair of bottom nozzle cleaners are operable as a nozzle cleaner mechanism configured for cleaning the welding gun nozzle, wherein, the bottom nozzle cleaners include a left pin oriented perpendicular from the bottom surface of the pliers, and a right pin oriented perpendicular from the bottom surface of the pliers; wherein: the left pin includes a first threaded portion for removably attaching the left pin to a first threaded hole in the bottom nozzle cleaners; and the right pin includes a second threaded portion for removably attaching the right pin to a second threaded hole in the bottom nozzle cleaner; wherein the first threaded portion of the left pin and the second threaded portion of the right pin are left-handed threads configured to be inserted into the first threaded hole and the second threaded hole, respectively, via counter clockwise rotation to prevent backing out of the left pin and the right pin during a use of the bottom nozzle cleaning mechanism.",
    "15. The pliers for cleaning the welding gun nozzle of claim 14, further comprising: a pair of top gripping ends on a top of the pair of bottom nozzle cleaners; said pair of top gripping ends are configured to squeeze together when the pliers are closed; said pair of top gripping ends are configured to spread apart when the pliers are opened; wherein, said pair of top gripping ends are operable as a pliers portion.",
    "16. The pliers for cleaning a welding gun nozzle of claim 15, wherein the pair of top gripping ends are a pair of needle nose pliers ends.",
    "17. Pliers for cleaning a welding gun nozzle comprising: a right handle and a left handle pivotably connected at a pivot, a pair of bottom nozzle cleaners extending perpendicular from a bottom surface of the pliers; said pair of bottom nozzle cleaners are configured to spread apart when the pliers are closed; said pair of bottom nozzle cleaners are configured to come together when the pliers are opened; wherein said pair of bottom nozzle cleaners are operable as a nozzle cleaner mechanism configured for cleaning the welding gun nozzle; wherein, the bottom nozzle cleaners include a left pin oriented perpendicular from the bottom surface of the pliers, and a right pin oriented perpendicular from the bottom surface of the pliers; wherein: the left pin includes a first threaded portion for removably attaching the left pin to a first threaded hole in the bottom nozzle cleaners; and the right pin includes a second threaded portion for removably attaching the right pin to a second threaded hole in the bottom nozzle cleaner; wherein: the left pin includes a hexagonal-shaped bottom left portion configured for being gripped for inserting and removing the left pin; and the right pin includes a hexagonal-shaped bottom right portion configured for being gripped for inserting and removing the right pin."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present disclosure is directed to pliers. More specifically, the present disclosure is directed toward pliers for cleaning a nozzle of a welding gun, like for cleaning, removing, installing and handling the nozzle of a gas metal arc welding gun (GMAW) or a metal insert gas (MIG) welding gun, or a metal active gas (MGA) welding gun, or generally a welding gun nozzle.\n\nGenerally speaking, gas metal arc welding (GMAW), sometimes referred to by its subtypes metal inert gas (MIG) welding or metal active gas (MAG) welding, is a welding process in which an electric arc forms between a consumable wire electrode and the workpiece metal or metals, which heats the workpiece metals, causing them to melt and join. Along with the wire electrode, a shielding gas feeds through the welding gun, which shields the process from contaminants in the air. Originally developed in the 1940s for welding aluminum and other non-ferrous materials, GMAW was soon applied to steels because it provided faster welding time compared to other welding processes. The cost of inert gas limited its use in steels until several years later, when the use of semi-inert gases such as carbon dioxide became common. Further developments during the 1950s and 1960s gave the process more versatility and as a result, it became a highly used industrial process. Today, GMAW is the most common industrial welding process, preferred for its versatility, speed and the relative ease of adapting the process to robotic automation.",
  "cpc": [
    "B23K 9/328",
    "B08B 9/0436",
    "B23K 9/293",
    "B23K 9/295",
    "B25B 7/02",
    "B25B 7/08",
    "B25B 7/22"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B08B 9/043",
    "B23K 9/29",
    "B23K 9/32",
    "B25B 7/02",
    "B25B 7/08",
    "B25B 7/22"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Brandon Lee CATOE"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2019-01-09",
  "publication_date": "2021-05-11",
  "grant_date": "2021-05-11",
  "priority_date": "2018-01-09",
  "application_number": "US-201916244045-A",
  "family_id": "67139302",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
  "citations": [
    "US6257105B1",
    "US20080264216A1",
    "US10376982B2"
  ]
}