Cleaning a hot soldering iron tip using dry melamine sponge

• US 7,870,990 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2005
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sukhvinder Singh Dhanjal
• Original Assignee: Sukhvinder Singh Dhanjal
• Inventors: Dhanjal, Sukhvinder Singh
• Primary Examiner(s): Ward; Jessica L
• Assistant Examiner(s): D'Aniello; Nicholas P
• Application Number:
  US11/117,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20060243777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,090 Days
• Field of Search: 228/51
• US Class Current: 228/51
• 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. An apparatus for cleaning a molten solder from a hot top of a soldering iron without using water, the apparatus comprising:

a dry open-celled melamine foam, the foam defining a hole extending from a surface of the dry open-celled melamine foam and configured to engage a soldering iron tip and direct molten solder from the soldering iron tip toward a lower end of the hole when the soldering iron tip engages the dry open-celled melamine foam near an upper end of the hole;

wherein the hole comprises a through-hole;

top and bottom surfaces of the foam are flat and parallel;

a forward face of the foam comprises a lower surface which is flat and vertical and an upper portion which is inwardly inclined from vertical; and

a rear face of the foam comprises an upper surface which is flat and vertical and a lower portion which is inwardly inclined from vertical;

wherein the foam is configured to be rotated 180 degrees about a horizontal axis, and usable to engage a soldering tip;

wherein the through-hole extends from the upper portion of the forward face to lower portion of the rear face of the foam.

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

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a receptacle shaped to receive a lower portion of the foam and to accumulate any solder escaping from a lower end of the through-hole.