Patent ID: 8704132

Claim:
A welding wire storage device for a welding system comprising: (a) a housing having a free space, a first end region and a second end region opposite the first end region; (b) a wire core surrounding a welding wire and arcuately arranged in the housing to form a wire core radius in the housing and to lie freely in the free space of the housing, said wire core having a first end fixed in the first end region of the housing; (c) a measuring device for detecting deflection of the wire core, the measuring device being disposed within the housing and being able to detect the deflection of the wire core by measuring a change in the wire core radius; (d) a guide element on the second end region displaceably mounting the wire core; (e) a wire guide hose for the wire core, the wire guide hose comprising a first wire guide hose section and a second wire guide hose section; and (f) first and second coupling mechanisms arranged on the housing for connection with the wire guide hose; wherein the housing is arranged within the wire guide hose in that: the first coupling mechanism is arranged at the first end region of the housing and connects the housing with the first wire guide hose section; and the second coupling mechanism is arranged at the second end region of the housing and connects the housing with the second wire guide hose section.