Granted Patent B2

US 12,636,723 · App. 17/792,986 · Granted May 26, 2026

Inventor: Helmut Walter Leicht (Ebermannstadt, DE)

Assignee: Eva Maria Leicht

B23K1/015B23K3/04

Abstract

Claims (52)

1 . A device for heat treating a workpiece in a vapor phase zone, comprising:

(a) a first chamber open at the top and provided with a heater, which comprises the vapor phase zone,

(b) a second chamber comprising a bottom and side walls, which surrounds the first chamber and is provided with a mounting for the workpiece, and

(c) a lifting device for lifting and lowering the first chamber in the second chamber and immersing the workpiece in the vapor phase zone when lifting the first chamber,

further comprising:

means for discharging the vapor escaping the first chamber through the upper opening, and

means for returning the discharged vapor or vapor condensate to the first chamber,

wherein a fluid flow space is provided between one of the side walls of the second chamber and the first chamber when in the lifted position to facilitate the discharging of the vapor escaping the first chamber and the returning the discharged vapor to the first chamber.

2 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the second chamber comprises at least one first lock on one of the second chamber side walls for introducing the workpiece into the second chamber.

3 . The device according to claim 2 , wherein the mounting is positioned in the second chamber at the level of the first lock.

4 . The device according to claim 2 , comprising a second lock.

5 . The device according to claim 4 , wherein the second lock is positioned at the level of the first lock and/or the mounting.

6 . A system for heat treating a workpiece in a vapor phase zone, comprising two or more devices according to claim 1 ,

wherein the second device is arranged downstream of the first device, in the transport direction of the workpiece, and both devices are connected to one another via a lock,

wherein the first device is configured to preheat the workpiece, and

wherein the second device is configured to heat-treat the workpiece in the vapor phase zone.

7 . The system according to claim 6 , comprising a third device that is arranged downstream of the second device in the transport direction of the workpiece and is configured to remove unwanted gaseous material from the workpiece by generating a vacuum.

8 . A method for heat treating a workpiece in a vapor phase zone by means of a device according claim 1 , comprising the following steps:

a) introducing the workpiece in the second chamber,

b) positioning the workpiece on the mounting,

c) immersing the workpiece in the vapor phase zone,

d) holding the workpiece in the vapor phase zone,

e) removing the workpiece from the vapor phase zone,

f) removing the workpiece from the second chamber,

g) discharging the vapor displaced from the first chamber when the workpiece is immersed in the vapor phase zone, and

h) returning the discharged vapor and/or any vapor condensate formed therefrom to the first chamber.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the first chamber is vertically lifted relative to the mounting of the second chamber so as to immerse the workpiece in the vapor phase zone and wherein the first chamber is vertically lowered relative to the mounting of the second chamber so as to remove the workpiece from the vapor phase zone.

10 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the workpiece is removed from the second chamber through the first lock or the second lock of the second chamber.

11 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the workpiece is removed from the second chamber of the first device and is introduced in the second chamber of the second chamber through the lock between the first device and the second device.

12 . The method according to claim 8 , comprising the following steps:

i) introducing the workpiece in the third device, and

j) generating a vacuum in the third device so as to remove unwanted gaseous material from the workpiece.

13 . The device according to claim 4 , wherein the second lock is positioned at a side wall of the second chamber opposite the second chamber side wall comprising the first lock.

14 . The system according to claim 6 , wherein the first device is configured to preheat the workpiece in a temperature-controlled manner and/or the second device is configured to heat-treat the workpiece in the vapor phase zone in a temperature-controlled manner.

15 . The method for heat treating a workpiece in a vapor phase zone by means of a system according claim 6 , comprising the following steps:

a) introducing the workpiece in the second chamber,

b) positioning the workpiece on the mounting,

c) immersing the workpiece in the vapor phase zone,

d) holding the workpiece in the vapor phase zone,

e) removing the workpiece from the vapor phase zone,

f) removing the workpiece from the second chamber, and

g) discharging the vapor displaced from the first chamber when the workpiece is immersed in the vapor phase zone.

16 . The method for heat treating a workpiece in a vapor phase zone by means of a system according claim 7 , comprising the following steps:

a) introducing the workpiece in the second chamber,

b) positioning the workpiece on the mounting,

c) immersing the workpiece in the vapor phase zone,

d) holding the workpiece in the vapor phase zone,

e) removing the workpiece from the vapor phase zone,

f) removing the workpiece from the second chamber,

g) discharging the vapor displaced from the first chamber when the workpiece is immersed in the vapor phase zone, and

h) returning the discharged vapor and/or any vapor condensate formed therefrom to the first chamber.

17 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the method comprises soldering an item to be soldered.

Assignments (2)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (53)