Wave soldering nozzle system and method of wave soldering
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorGregory Leo Hueste
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A wave soldering machine includes a housing and a conveyor coupled to the housing. The conveyor is configured to deliver a printed circuit board through the housing. The wave soldering machine further includes a wave soldering station coupled to the housing. The wave soldering station includes a reservoir of solder material, and a wave solder nozzle system adapted to create a solder wave. The wave solder nozzle system has a nozzle frame, and a nozzle plate secured to the nozzle frame. The nozzle plate includes a first zone of openings positioned adjacent a leading edge of the nozzle plate, a second zone of openings positioned proximate a middle of the nozzle plate, and a third zone having no openings positioned adjacent a trailing edge of the nozzle plate.
Claims20
A wave soldering machine to perform a wave soldering operation on a printed circuit board, the wave soldering machine comprising:
- a housing;
- a conveyor coupled to the housing, the conveyor being configured to deliver a printed circuit board through the housing;
- a wave soldering station coupled to the housing, the wave soldering station including a reservoir of solder material, and
- a wave solder nozzle system adapted to create a solder wave, the wave solder nozzle system having
- a nozzle frame, and
- a nozzle plate secured to the nozzle frame, the nozzle plate including a first zone of openings positioned adjacent a leading edge of the nozzle plate, a second zone of openings positioned proximate a middle of the nozzle plate, and a third zone having no openings positioned adjacent a trailing edge of the nozzle plate.
A wave solder nozzle system adapted to deliver solder material to perform a wave soldering operation on a printed circuit board, the wave solder nozzle system comprising:
- a nozzle frame;
- and
- a nozzle plate secured to the nozzle frame, the nozzle plate including a first zone of openings positioned adjacent a leading edge of the nozzle plate, a second zone of openings positioned proximate a middle of the nozzle plate, and a third zone having no openings positioned adjacent a trailing edge of the nozzle plate.
A method of improving the flow of solder material out of a wave solder nozzle system of a wave soldering machine in an inert atmosphere, the method comprising:
- delivering solder material to a wave solder nozzle system;
- performing a wave soldering operation on a printed circuit board;
- and
- improving the flow of solder material over the wave solder nozzle system by providing a nozzle plate through which solder travels, the nozzle plate including a first zone of openings positioned adjacent a leading edge of the nozzle plate, a second zone of openings positioned proximate a middle of the nozzle plate, and a third zone having no openings positioned adjacent a trailing edge of the nozzle plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.