Optical apparatus and method for shrinking heat shrink tubing, fusing wires and solder and unsolder packaged electronic components

摘要

Optical heat-generating apparatus and methods that rapidly, controllably deliver energy (heat) to heat shrink tubing disposed over wires or other components and that may be used to fuse insulated wires together, and solder and unsolder packaged IC chips. In general, the apparatus comprises a housing having one or more reflective cavities that each comprise a linear elliptical reflective surface having first and second focal lines, and into which the heatable component is inserted and disposed along the first focal line. One or more optical heat-generating elements are disposed along the second focal line of each respective linear elliptical reflective surface that emit energy that is focused by the one or more linear elliptical reflective surfaces onto the heatable component disposed along the first focal line. A number of different embodiments of the apparatus have been developed. Lengths of heat shrink tubing may be readily shrunk using various embodiments of the present invention in less than one second.