Cleaning a hot soldering iron tip using dry melamine sponge

• US 20060243777A1
• Filed: 04/29/2005
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sukhvinder Singh Dhanjal
• Original Assignee: Sukhvinder Singh Dhanjal
• Inventors: Dhanjal, Sukhvinder Singh
• Granted Patent: US 7,870,990 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 228/101
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 3/08 Auxiliary devices therefor cleaning pipes or tubes or systems of pipes or tubes, e.g. before soldering, B08B9/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24273 including aperture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249978 Voids specified as micro

Abstract

In one aspect the invention provides a method of cleaning molten solder from the hot tip of a soldering iron that does not require a water-laden sponge. The hot tip of the iron is wiped against a block of dry open-celled melamine foam. The block is formed with an inclined through-hole that leads to the bottom of a receptacle holding the block. The hot tip is wiped against the foam surrounding an upper end of the through-hole, and the molten solder removed from the tip accumulates in the receptacle below.

Claims

1. Apparatus for cleaning molten solder from the hot tip of a soldering iron without using water, the apparatus comprising:

a block of open-celled melamine foam, the block of foam comprising an top surface, a bottom surface, a forward face, a rear face, and a through-hole extending between the forward and rear faces, the through-hole inclined relative to each of the top and bottom surfaces such that molten solder travels toward a lower end of the through-hole when the tip is wiped against the foam near an upper end of the through-hole; and

,

a receptacle shaped to receive a lower portion of the block of foam and to accumulate any solder escaping from the lower end of the through-hole.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the through-hole is circular.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the through-hole comprises a forward frustoconical portion and a rear frustoconical portion, the forward frustoconical portion expands progressively toward the forward face, and the forward frustoconical portion expands progressively toward the rear face.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which:

the forward face comprises an upper surface inclined at an acute angle relative to the top surface; and

,

the rear face comprises a lower surface inclined at an acute angle relative to the bottom surface and defining a space within the receptacle for receiving molten solder;

the through-hole extends through the upper and lower surfaces.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 in which:

the receptacle has a rectangular cross-section;

the top and bottom surfaces of the block are flat and horizontal;

the forward face comprises a lower surface which is flat and vertical; and

,

the rear face comprises an upper surface which is flat and vertical;

whereby the block of foam can be removed from the receptacle, rotated 180 degrees about a horizontal axis, and then reinstalled in the receptacle.

6. A method of cleaning molten solder from the hot tip of a soldering iron without using water, comprising:

providing dry open-celled melamine foam; and

,

wiping the hot tip of the soldering iron against the foam.

7. The method of claim 6 in which:

the method comprises the preliminary step of forming the foam into a block with a through-hole inclined relative to vertical in the block; and

,

the wiping comprises locating the hot tip at an upper end of the through-hole and then contacting the hot tip against the foam surrounding the through-hole.

8. The method of claim 6 comprising the preliminary steps of:

shaping the foam into a block with an inclined forward surface in an upper portion of the block, an inclined rear surface in an lower portion of the block parallel to the forward surface, and a through-hole extending between the forward and rear surfaces; and

,

placing the block in a receptacle that cooperates with the rear surface to define a cavity for receiving molten solder.