Patent ID: 8338753

Claim:
A welding contact tip and diffuser assembly for use with a welding apparatus, the assembly comprising: a contact tip including: a front portion, a back portion located opposite the front portion along a longitudinal axis of the contact tip, where the back portion includes a first threaded section and a first non-threaded section, where the first threaded section is located at a distal end of the back portion and the first non-threaded section is located between the first threaded section and the front portion, and where the length of the first non-threaded section along the longitudinal axis is at least a fifth of the length of the first threaded section along the longitudinal axis, and a shoulder disposed between the front portion and the non-threaded section of the back portion; and a diffuser mated with the contact tip, the diffuser including: a first interior surface defining a first chamber, where the first interior surface includes a second non-threaded section, and where the first interior surface includes a second threaded section mated with the first threaded section, a second interior surface defining a second chamber, and a contact surface disposed at a distal end of the diffuser away from the second threaded section and adjacent to the second non-threaded section, where the shoulder of the contact tip is in contact with the contact surface of the diffuser, and where the first non-threaded section of the contact tip elongates along the longitudinal axis as the first threaded section of the contact tip is screwed into the second threaded section of the diffuser past a point where the shoulder of the contact tip and the contact surface of the diffuser have established contact.