A gas diffuser for a welding gun in which atmospheric air in the interior of
the
liner is substantially prevented from entering the contact tip hole. The gas diffuser
includes a cradle having a hole and a section of a concave surface disposed around
a periphery of the hole, and an outer peripheral body having a first axial bore
on one side of the cradle and a second axial bore on the other side of the cradle.
The outer peripheral body includes one or more generally axial slots, each slot
having one end that opens into the first axial bore and another end that opens
into the second axial bore. Each slot is open to the exterior of the diffuser along
its length and is disposed radially outward of the cradle. The first and second
axial bores communicate via the hole in the cradle and via the slots.
