Desolderer and heater assembly for use therewith

A heater assembly for a desolderer having a tubular tip adapted for contacting a termination to be desoldered, a solder collection chamber and sealing means for vacuum sealing the forward end of said solder collection chamber, said heat assembly comprising

• a heating element for heating said tip to a solder melting temperature;
• a tubular solder transfer means adapted for receiving said tip to transfer solder from the tip to said solder collection chamber, said heating element heating said solder transfer means to said solder melting temperature along the entire length thereof so that said solder is ejected from said solder transfer means into the solder collection chamber in a molten state, the thermal characteristics of said solder transfer means being such that the rear portion thereof disposed adjacent said solder collection chamber is (a) maintained at a temperature less than that of said tip and (b) heated to said solder melting temperature after said tip reaches the solder melting temperature;
• a tubular sleeve within which is mounted said heating element and said tubular solder transfer means;
• a tubular seal mounting means providing a sealing surface for said sealing means for the forward end of the solder collection chamber, said sealing surface being removed from said solder transfer means and the thermal characteristics of said seal mounting means being such that the sealing means can be maintained at a temperature less than that of the solder transfer means to thereby promote seal longetivity and yet the solder can be maintained in a molten state as it is ejected into the solder collection chamber;
• and
• said solder transfer means including (a) a tubular core and (b) a solder transfer tube connected at a first surface to the rear portion of said tubular core, said tubular seal mounting means being connected to the rear portion of said tubular core at a second surface removed from said first surface.

A heater assembly for a desolderer having a tubular tip adapted for contacting a termination to be desoldered, a solder collection chamber and sealing means for vacuum sealing the forward end of said solder collection chamber, said heater assembly comprising

• a heating element for heating said tip to a solder melting temperature;
• a tubular solder transfer means adapted for receiving said tip to transfer solder from the tip to said solder collection chamber;
• a tubular sleeve within which is mounted said heating element and said tubular solder transfer means;
• a tubular sealing mounting means providing a sealing surface for said sealing means for the forward end of the solder collection chamber, said sealing surface being removed from said solder transfer means;
• and
• said solder transfer means including (a) a tubular core and (b) a solder transfer tube connected at a first surface to the rear portion of said tubular core, said tubular seal mounting means being connected to the rear portion of said tubular core at a second surface removed from said first surface.

A desolderer comprising

• a tubular tip adapted for contacting a termination to be soldered;
• a heating element for heating said tip to a solder melting temperature;
• a solder collection chamber;
• a tubular solder transfer means adapted for receiving said tip for transferring solder from said tip to said solder collection chamber;
• a tubular sleeve within which is mounted said heating element and said tubular solder transfer means;
• said solder collection chamber being adapted for connection to a vacuum source so that vacuum applied to said solder collection chamber causes molten solder to be drawn through said tip and said solder transfer means into said solder collection chamber;
• sealing means for sealing the forward end of said solder collection chamber to ensure the application of said vacuum to said solder transfer tube from said vacuum source through said solder collection chamber;
• tubular seal mounting means providing a sealing surface for said sealing means for the forward end of the solder collection chamber, said sealing surface being removed from said solder transfer means;
• and
• said tubular solder transfer means including (a) a tubular core, said tip being disposed at least within the forward portion of said tubular core, and (b) a solder transfer tube connected at a first surface to the rear portion of said tubular core, said tubular seal mounting means being connected to the rear portion of said tubular core at a second surface removed from said first surface.