GB2145646A

GB2145646A - A soldering iron cleaning device

Info

Publication number: GB2145646A
Application number: GB08421931A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Seiichi Ohtsuka
Original assignee: Silver Seiko Ltd
Current assignee: Silver Seiko Ltd
Priority date: 1983-09-02
Filing date: 1984-08-30
Publication date: 1985-04-03
Also published as: JPH0114395Y2; AU572884B2; GB8421931D0; AU3258084A; JPS6042461U; GB2145646B

Abstract

A soldering iron cleaning device suitable for use with a soldering machine or an industrial robot with a soldering function includes means for producing vacuum or negative pressure to suck and collect molten solder 3 blown from a soldering iron 1 by air injected from a first air nozzle or nozzles 5. Such means includes a tube 4, and a second air nozzle 7 for blowing air obliquely into an inner bore of the tube. Solder removed from the soldering iron is sucked into the inner bore 13 of the tube 4 and is caught by and collected in a porous material 10 contained in a metal net 8 removably mounted on the tube 4. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to a soldering iron cleaning device This invention relates to a soldering iron cleaning device for removing surplus molton solder or refuse sticking to a soldering iron.

Conventional devices for cleaning a soldering iron employ either compressed air for blowing surplus solder on a soldering iron onto a receiving dish, or vacuum or negative pressure for sucking air together with such surplus solder from a soldering iron.

However, soldering iron cleaning devices of the former type have a defect that solder blown off a soldering iron may scatter outside a receiving dish while those of the latter type have another defect that a filter of a vacuum pump may be filled up with solder sucked therein.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and efficient soldering iron cleaning device which reduces and eliminates such defects of conventional devices as described above.

According to this invention there is provided an apparatus for cleaning a soldering iron, said apparatus comprising first air nozzle means adjacent which a soldering iron to be cleaned may be located so that air from the first air nozzle means may blow molten solder sticking to the soldering iron off the soldering iron, a member having an inner bore formed therein located with one open end of the bore adjacent the first air nozzle means to receive air from the first air nozzle means, there being a second air nozzle means communicating with the said inner bore and arranged so that when air is injected through the second air nozzle means a flow of air is created within said inner bore flowing from said one end thereof towards the other end thereof, thus serving to suck solder blown off said soldering iron into said inner bore, there being means located adjacent the other end of said inner bore for catching solder carried by the air flow flowing through the inner bore.

Preferably said first air nozzle means comprise two air nozzles directed obliquely towards the opening at said one end of said inner bore, and conveniently the second air nozzle means constitutes at least one downwardly inclined nozzle for injecting air obliquely into said inner bore to create said flow of air flowing towards the said other end of the inner bore.

Said second air nozzle means may communicate with the inner bore by means of an opening in the wall of the inner bore intermediate the ends thereof.

In one embodiment said inner bore is formed within a tube which extends in a vertical direction, said one end of the inner bore being at the upper end of the tube, said solder catching means being located at the lower end of the tube, said second air nozzle acting to create a downward of air within the inner bore of the tube.

Preferably said means for catching solder comprise a perforate member retaining a porous or filter substance in position adjacent the said other end of the inner bore. Said perforate member may be a net member, and the porous or filter substance may be a mass of metal fibre or glass fibre.

A most significant advantage of the invention is that, while solder is sucked into the inner bore by vacuum or negative pressure created adjacent the upper open end of the bore, and is collected by means at the lower end of the bore, no component is filled up with solder to renderthe device inoperable since solder drops or particles are not sucked toward, but carried away from, a vacuum producing means.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and so that further features thereof may be appreciated, the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a vertical cross sectional view showing, partly in section, a soldering iron cleaning device embodying the present invention.

Referring to the figure, a soldering iron 1 is shown which may be mounted on a soldering unit (not shown) which may in turn be mounted on a suitable installation such as a soldering machine or an industrial robot such as a horizontal multiarticulation assembly robot. Solder in the form of a wire may be automatically supplied to the soldering iron 1 by suitable means not shown.

A device for cleaning the soldering iron 1 may be located at a suitable position within the installation and includes a work table 2 which extends over a predetermined area of the installation. In the region of a cleaning station 11 adjacent the soldering iron 1 the table 2 has a hole 12 formed therein. The upper end of a suction member 4 in the form of a tube made of a metal material is securely fitted in the hole 12 of the work table 2. The suction member or tube 4 extends vertically downwardly. The suction tube 4 has an inner bore 13 formed to extend in a vertical direction therein.

Located above an opening 14 of the inner bore 13 of the suction tube 4 are a pair of air nozzles 5 which are mounted in symmetrical opposing relationship in left and right positions on a pair of support brackets 6 mounted on the work table 2. The nozzles 5 are directed obliquely downwards towards the opening 14. The air nozzles 5 are connected to a compressed air source or air tank each by means of a hose 5a via a valve (not shown), such as a solenoid valve, so that compressed air may be directed through the nozzles obliquely downwardly generally toward the opening 14 at the top of the suction tube 4.

Another air nozzle 7 is connected in a downwardly inclined relationship to a mid portion of the suction tube 4. The nozzle 7 has a downwardly inclined terminal bore portion 15 which communicates with the inner bore 13 of the suction tube 4 through a terminal opening 16. The air nozzle 7 may also be connected to the common compressed air source by means of a hose 7a so that compressed air may be injected into the nozzle 7, and may thus flow into the suction tube 4, thus establishing a downflowwithin the bore 13, creating a partial vacuum at the opening 14.

A tubular metal net 8 with a closed bottom portion is removably mounted adjacent the opening 17 at the lower end of the inner bore 13 of the suction tube 4 by means of an annular holder 9 screwed onto the lower end of the suction tube 4. A porous filter or mass 10 of catching substance such as metal fiber, glass fiber or the like is contained in the metal net 8.

When surplus molten solder 3 which may stick to the soldering iron 1 is to be removed from the latter, that is, when the soldering iron 3 is to be cleaned, the soldering iron 3 may move to a position in which it is adjacent and opposed to the opening 14 at the top end of the inner bore 13 of the suction tube 4.

Thus, in utilising the described embodiment of the invention, the soldering iron 1 to which surplus solder 3 may stick is first moved, probably after a predetermined soldering operation, to a position in which an end portion of the soldering iron 1 is positioned just above the opening 14 at the upper end of the suction tube 4 and below and between the opposing ends of the nozzles 5. During or after the movement of the soldering iron 3, the soldering iron 3 may be heated by energization to melt any solder 3 sticking thereto. Then, compressed air is directed from the nozzles 5 to blow the solder 3 off into the suction tube 4. Simultaneously, compressed air is injected into the nozzle 7.Consequently, a flow of air is created within the bore 13 which is directed obliquely downwardly, and consequently air located within the inner bore 13 of the suction tube 4 above the opening 16 of the nozzle 7 is drawn downwardly by the air flow as well known in the art, resulting in another air flow which is directed downwardly in the upper part of the suction tube 4. This latter air flow acts to suck in airfrom around the top opening 14 of the suction tube 4 together with any molten drops of solder blown off and dispersed from the soldering iron 1 by air from the nozzles 5. Such molten solder drops are then moved downwardly within the suction tube 4 by the air flow or flows, and as the air flow or flows pass out of the suction tube 4 and then outwardly through the metal net 8, such molten solder drops will be caught by and hence accumulate in the filter or catching substance 10 within the metal net 8.

If the filter or catching substance 10 is filled up with solder and does not catch solder so well, it may be replaced by another filter or a fresh portion of the catching substance 10. This can be easily done after removing the metal net 8 from the suction tube 4.

Claims

1. An apparatus for cleaning a soldering iron, said apparatus comprising first air nozzle means adjacent which a soldering iron to be cleaned may be located so that air from the first air nozzle means may blow molten solder sticking to the soldering iron off the soldering iron, a member having an inner bore formed therein located with one open end of the bore adjacent the first air nozzle means to receive air from the first air nozzle means, there being a second air nozzle means communicating with the said inner bore and arranged so that when air is injected through the second air nozzle means a flow of air is created within said inner bore flowing from said one end thereof towards the other end thereof, thus serving to suck solder blown off said soldering iron into said inner bore, there being means located adjacent the other end of said inner bore for catching solder carried by the air flow flowing through the inner bore.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first air nozzle means comprise two air nozzles directed obliquely towards the opening at said one end of said inner bore.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the second air nozzle means constitutes at least one downwardly inclined nozzle for injecting air obliquely into said inner bore to create said flow of air flowing towards the said other end of the inner bore.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said second air nozzle means communicates with the inner bore by means of an opening in the wall of the inner bore intermediate the ends thereof.

5. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said inner bore is formed within a tube which extends in a vertical direction, said one end of the inner bore being at the upper end of the tube, said solder catching means being located atthe lower end of the tube, said second air nozzle acting to create a downward of air within the inner bore of the tube.

6. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said means for catching solder comprise a perforate member retaining a porous or filter substance in position adjacent the said other end of the inner bore.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said perforate member is a net member.

8. An apparatus according to claim 6 or 7 wherein the porous or filter substance is a mass of metal fibre or glass fibre.

9. An apparatus for cleaning a soldering iron substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

10. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.