Thermally isolated fume exhausting attachment for soldering irons

In combination with a soldering iron having a handle, an elongated heated barrel extending from the handle and a soldering tip axially projecting from the end of said barrel, a fume exhausting device comprising:

• a collar constructed of compressible thermal insulating material surrounding a forward end section of the barrel;
• a shell constructed of heat conductive material having a first end section encasing said collar and thermally insulated by the collar from the barrel and a second end section projecting over a portion of the axially extending tip to provide a chamber about the tip, said second section being provided with a hole extending therethrough to said chamber;
• a tube constructed of heat conductive material secured to the second section of the shell about said hole and extending angularly away from said second section and then extending in spaced, parallel relation to said barrel, said tube terminating at a position alongside the barrel and spaced from said handle;
• said shell having at least one longitudinal slot extending along said first section of the shell;
• means applying a clamping force to said first section for collapsing said first section about the collar and compressing said thermal insulating collar against the forward end section of the barrel;
• and
• a flexible tube of non-heat conductive material connected to the end of said heat conductive tube adapted to apply vacuum through said tube to said chamber whereby heated fumes are withdrawn from the chambers and passed through said tube at temperatures so that the tube is not heated to such an extent to cause heat injuries to a using operator.

In combination with a soldering iron having a handle, an elongated heated barrel extending from the handle and a soldering tip axially projecting from the end of said barrel, a fume exhausting device comprising:

• a cylindrical shell of heat conducting metal having a forward hood section connected through a shoulder to a rearward clamping section having at least one longitudinally extending slot;
• a sleeve formed of compressible heat insulating material and positioned within said clamping section to abut said shoulder of said shell, said sleeve having an outer diameter approximating the inner diameter of the clamping section of the shell and an inner diameter approximating the outer diameter of the heated barrel on which the sleeve is mounted, said sleeve acting to thermally insulate said shell from the heated barrel;
• a clamp including a band surrounding the clamping section of the shell and means for drawing the band about the shell clamping section to compress the clamping section against the compressible sleeve, said sleeve being fitted and compressed about a forward section of the barrel of the soldering iron with the shoulder of the shell overlaying the end of the barrel to position the hood section about the axially projecting soldering tip;
• said hood of the sleeve being provided with a hole positioned over the soldering tip when the shell is clamped to a soldering iron;
• a heat conducting metal tube connected about said hole and running parallel to the barrel of the soldering iron and terminating before reaching the handle;
• and
• a heat insulating tube constructed of transparent plastic coupled at one end to said metal tube and connected to the other end to a source of vacuum that is effective to apply vacuum to the hood to withdraw heated fumes without withdrawing solder from a soldering site engaged by the soldering tip whereby the fumes are drawn through said tube adjacent to said handle at temperatures that will not inflict a burning injury to a using operator.