Patent ID: 8113411

Claim:
An apparatus for removing a component attached to a printed circuit board (PCB) from said PCB, comprising: a heating element including a heating element body including a vacuum port in operative communication with a vacuum source; a plurality of contact plates each comprising a platform extending from a respective one of said plurality of contact plates, wherein said platform of each of said plurality of contact plates comprises a different profile corresponding to different components to be removed from said PCB; a contact plate selected from said plurality of contact plates in thermal communication with said heating element, wherein said platform of said contact plate has a substantially identical profile as said component; and a vacuum retention port extending through said contact plate and operative to selectively communicate with said vacuum source, wherein said vacuum port and said vacuum retention port are offset and a channel defined in said contact plate establishes fluid communication between said vacuum port and said vacuum retention port, and wherein said vacuum retention port of each of said plurality of contact plates is in a unique offset location with respect to said vacuum retention ports of others of said plurality of contact plates; wherein when said platform is in contact with said component attached to said PCB said heating element heats said component and said vacuum retention port is covered by said component and the PCB is not contacted by said contact plate.