Cleaning Pad Assembly for Oxidation-Free Solder Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for cleaning heating tools, such as soldering irons, often promote oxidation, shortening tool life and complicate the removal and recycling of solder from brass strips or brushes, leading to material wastage.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning pad with a base and upwardly extending projections of various configurations, allowing for efficient solder removal and collection within a housing that prevents splashing and facilitates easy access, with the projections being resilient to avoid imposing heavy loads on the tool and designed for easy recycling of solder.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a sponge containing water is used to clean the heating tool, then the cleaning process is simple and effective, but it promotes oxidation of the heating tool and shortens its life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cleaning pad as an intermediary substance between the heating tool and the cleaning agent. The pad is impregnated with cleaning solution and contains a desoxidizing agent that prevents oxidation. This mediator allows effective cleaning while protecting the tool surface from oxidative damage, resolving the contradiction between cleaning effectiveness and tool preservation.
2Productivity
If brass strip or brass brush is used to clean the tool, then the cleaning effectiveness is good, but removing solder from the brass strip or brush is difficult and material recycling is complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning pad is designed as a disposable segmented element that separates the cleaning function from the tool. Instead of trying to recover solder from a reusable brass strip, the pad is designed to be discarded after use, simplifying the overall system. The solder remains on the pad and can be easily removed by shaking or tapping, enabling simple material recovery without complex recycling processes.
3Ease of operation
If traditional cleaning methods are used, then the cleaning process is straightforward, but solder removal and recycling is difficult leading to material wastage
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning pad is designed to be self-contained with the cleaning solution and desoxidizing agent already impregnated into the pad structure. The pad automatically performs multiple functions: cleaning, desoxidizing, and solder containment. The solder is trapped on the pad surface where it can be easily shaken off for recycling, eliminating the need for additional steps and preventing material loss through simple, integrated design.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention details the designs of cleaning pad assemblies for use with heating tools including for example soldering cartridges and soldering irons. The cleaning pads of the assembly are designed to effectively remove and clean the solder from heating tools during and at the end of soldering operations, and allow the collection of the removed solder.