Patent ID: 7528345
Filing Date: 2009-05-05
Classification: B23K

Abstract:
1. A power supply apparatus for use with a touch-start welder in which an arc between an electrode and a workpiece is generated by bringing said electrode and workpiece into contact with each other and, thereafter, separating said electrode and workpiece from each other, comprising: an inverter for converting a DC voltage applied thereto through an input terminal thereof to a high-frequency voltage; a transformer for voltage-transforming said high-frequency voltage to provide a voltage-transformed high-frequency voltage; output means for converting said voltage-transformed high-frequency voltage to an output voltage of a predetermined form and outputting said output voltage via output terminals to which said electrode and workpiece are adapted to be connected; judging means for judging whether a request for generating an arc has been made; and inverter control means for controlling said inverter in accordance with the result of judgment made by said judging means; said inverter control means, when said result of judgment indicates that a request for generating an arc has been made, controlling said inverter in such a manner that said output voltage can assume a first value necessary for generating the arc, said inverter control means, when said result of judgment indicates that a request for generating an arc has not been made yet, controlling said inverter in such a manner that said output voltage can assume a second value smaller than said first value, wherein said first value is provided by continuously driving said inverter, and said second value is provided by driving said inverter intermittently.