Patent ID: 8070049

Claim:
A device for wave soldering workpieces, comprising a solder zone; means for moving a workpiece which is to be soldered along a path through the solder zone; a solder reservoir disposed in the solder zone including at least one solder wave generated from the solder reservoir; a first gas atmosphere having a first composition provided to the solder reservoir to largely exclude oxygen from the at least one solder wave; first means for introducing the first gas atmosphere to the solder reservoir; an enclosure for the solder reservoir and the first gas atmosphere disposed below the path of the workpiece and having at least one recess therein through which a solder wave peak is provided, the enclosure enclosing the first gas atmosphere and at least a portion of the solder zone such that the solder wave peak contacts the workpiece through the at least one recess of the enclosure; at least one further zone in addition to the solder zone in which the workpiece is located before or after the wave soldering; a housing surrounding the enclosure and the at least one further zone; and second means for introducing a second gas atmosphere having a second composition different from the first composition into the housing for providing a buffer between any of the first gas atmosphere having escaped through the at least one recess and ambient atmosphere in the housing; wherein the second gas atmosphere surrounds the enclosure, and the housing surrounds the enclosure and the second gas atmosphere.