Solder pot

A solder pot which comprises:

• a hollow base having a bottom wall and a continuous side wall extending upwardly from said bottom wall;
• a hollow housing member attaching to the upper periphery of said side wall of said base, said housing member extending from said side wall of said base upward to an upper terminus, said upper terminus including an opening located therein;
• an electrical socket means located on the inside of said bottom wall of said base within said hollow interior of said base;
• an electrical control means located on said base, said electrical control means electrically connected to said electrical socket means for controlling power supplied to said electrical socket means;
• means for supplying electrical power to said electrical socket means and said electrical control means, said latter means electrically connected to said socket means and said control means whereby electrical power is supplied to said electrical socket means;
• an elongated heating means for generating heat, said heating means including an outer tube having first and second ends, a socket connector means located at said first end of said tube;
• said heating means further including an elongated metallic thermal conducting member having a cavity end and a connecting end, said thermal conducting member of a shorter elongated dimension than said tube, said thermal conducting member located in said tube with said connecting end positioned at said second end of said tube and said cavity end located between said first and said second ends of said tube, said thermal conducting member including a container connector located at said connecting end and positioned so as to extend out of and be exposed out of the second end of said tube, said thermal conducting member including a cavity means, said cavity means having an opening at least a part of which is located at said cavity end of said thermal conducting member;
• said heating mean further including a monolithic burnt ceramic element having an electrical resistance means integrally formed within the interior of said ceramic element and first and second electrical connectors leading from said resistance means to the exterior of said ceramic element, said ceramic element sized and shaped so as at least a part of said ceramic element fits within said cavity within said thermal conducting member in an intimate relationship with said thermal conducting member so as to allow heat to transfer from said ceramic element to said thermal conducting member, said first and said second electrical connectors electrically connected to said socket connector means;
• said socket connector means on said heating means mating with said electrical socket means on said base to physically and electrically connect said heating means to said electrical socket means;
• a solder container having an upwardly extending opening, said solder container attaching to said heating means container connector so as to physically hold said solder container on said heating means and to thermally connect said thermal conducting member to said heating means so as to allow heat transfer from said thermal conducting member to said solder container;
• said base includes a plurality of passageways formed in said base connecting the interior of said base to the ambient environment;
• said opening in said top of said housing is sized and shaped so as to be oversized with respect to either said solder container or said heating element forming an air gap between said housing member and said solder container and said heating element whereby air can pass through said passageways in said base through the interior of said solder pot and exit through said gap so as to ventilate and cool the interior of said solder pot.