Abstract: A surface mount device desoldering and removal tool includes a flexible carrier plate and a plurality of heated legs attached to the flexible carrier plate for contacting the leads of an electrical component. The flexible carrier plate is sufficiently flexible so that the flexing of the carrier plate allows the plurality of legs to deflect outward to accommodate electrical components of varying sizes. The plurality of legs are heated by electrical resistance heating elements to melt the solder which connects an electrical component to a circuit board. The legs provide a grip on the leads of the electrical component which allows the removal tool to lift the electrical component from the circuit board when all the solder connections have been melted. The flexible carrier plate is advantageously provided with shoulders which allow the electrical component to be easily removed from the removal tool.

Abstract: An electric soldering iron has a barrel connected to a handle a one end and provided with an electric heating element for heating a tip at its other end. A detachable temperature sensor unit is located within the barrel and includes a tubular housing having a temperature sensor projecting from one end and positioned within a hollow bore in the tip to monitor the temperature thereof and electrical contacts on its other end readily detachably connected to electrical contacts of a heating control unit located within the handle. Either the temperature sensor or the housing is spring biased to urge the temperature sensor into close proximity with the tip.

Abstract: A soldering tip is provided with a sensor to sense soldering tip temperature during a soldering cycle. The sensor is embedded in the soldering tip and positioned immediately adjacent to the tip's working surface. The sensor location provides rapid response to changing conditions at the tip's working surface. A microprocessor, responsive to the sensor, is provided to process the tip temperature data to control the power delivered to the heater which provides heat to the soldering tip. A visual and/or audio display also can be coupled to the processor. The microprocessor can be coupled to a further processor having long-term memory so that the collected data may be subsequently retrieve and displayed.

Abstract: A fiber cutting tool is disclosed which comprises a heated element cartridge and a body. The heated element cartridge comprises (a) a blade formed from a fast heating resistance heating element encased in a thermal shock resistant and electrical resistant material, such blade having a distal end and a proximate end; (b) an element cover having a distal end and a proximate end which encloses the proximate end of the blade; and (c) a cartridge housing that encloses a portion of the proximate end of the element cover. In preferred embodiments, the blade is formed from a tungsten resistance heating element encased in a silicon nitride composite material.

Abstract: A soldering tip is provided with a sensor to sense soldering tip temperature during a soldering cycle. The sensor is embedded in the soldering tip and positioned immediately adjacent to the tip's working surface. The sensor location provides rapid response to changing conditions at the tip's working surface. A microprocessor, responsive to the sensor, is provided to process the tip temperature data to control the power delivered to the heater which provides heat to the soldering tip. A visual and/or audio display also can be coupled to the processor. The microprocessor can be coupled to a further processor having long-term memory so that the collected data may be subsequently retrieved and displayed.

Abstract: A surface mount soldering/de-soldering tip holder includes a base having recesses or pockets formed therein that include at least one wall configured and sized to cooperate to a side surface of the tip. A cover plate having apertures formed therethrough is positioned on the base such that the apertures are aligned with the recesses in the base. Each aperture includes a convex portion for seating the shank of a soldering/de-soldering tip, while the portion of the cover plate adjacent to the convex portion extends over a portion of the respective recess to form a shelf. The shelf cooperates with the shoulder of a soldering/de-soldering tip once the tip is properly positioned in the recess. To remove a tip that is frictionally secured within a soldering iron adapter, the tip is inserted into one of the recesses formed in the base and positioned so that its shank is seated against the portion of the cover plate that forms the boundary for the convex portion of a respective aperture.

Abstract: A soldering system includes M soldering tools, where M is .gtoreq.1 and is an integer and N soldering tips where N is .gtoreq.1 and is an integer with one of the N tips attached to one of the M soldering tools. The soldering system also includes a control circuit connected to the one tool having the one tip attached to it. The control circuit maintains the one tip at a desired temperature. The control circuit has a device for inputting the desired temperature at which the control circuit maintains the temperature of the one tip. In a preferred embodiment, each of the N tips have an identity and each of the M tools have an identity. The control circuit maintains the one tip attached to the one tool at a desired temperature which is inputted into the control circuit through the input device. The control circuit identifies which of the N tips is attached to the tool by the identity of the one tip attached to the one tool being inputted into the control circuit through the input.

Abstract: A soldering or de-soldering tool with self-locking, removeable soldering or de-soldering tapered tips which interlock with a similar taper in a tip-receiving bore of the tool. The invention also is directed to a replaceable soldering or de-soldering tip using only a self-locking taper to provide attachment, sealing and heat transfer. The tips may be made of conventional materials, such as copper, or can be carbon-based. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the tips are carbon-based, and the attachment portion of the tip which fits within the tip-receiving bore of the tool is unplated.