US 4,912,857 AGranted

Cooling and exhaust unit for solder reflow system

AssigneeElectrovert Ltd.

InventorsFrancois Parent, Carlos Deambrosio, John Gileta

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Abstract

A cooling and exhaust unit for an IR reflow soldering machine is arranged to be mounted on the soldering machine after the last heating zone. The unit has fans which direct cold air downwardly on to the conveyor and this cooling air divides into two streams, one moving with the conveyor and one counter to the movement of the conveyor. An exhaust inlet is provided near the front and the rear of the machine, the exhaust inlets being connected through an exhaust chamber to an exhaust outlet. To minimize the amount of hot process air sucked out of the soldering machine into the nearer exhaust inlet an additional cold air inlet is provided, this being located intermediate the rear end of the unit (i.e., the end abutting the soldering machine) and the nearer exhaust inlet.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A combined cooling and exhaust apparatus for use with a soldering machine having a process section operating at high temperature and a conveyor for carrying products to be soldered through the process section where soldering takes place, the cooling and exhaust apparatus being mountable on the soldering machine above the conveyor at a location where the conveyor exits the process section and comprising within a housing first means for directing cooling air downwardly on to the conveyor at a location between a forward end and a rear end of the apparatus, means for exhausting air and fumes from the apparatus and including a first exhaust inlet proximate the forward end and a second exhaust inlet proximate the rear end, and second means for directing cooling air downwardly to the conveyor at a location between the first exhaust inlet and the exist end of the process section, whereby suction of process air from the process section into the cooling and exhausting apparatus is reduced by said second means.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.