Patent ID: 8267137

Claim:
A hot plate welding system for melt connecting a component to a contact surface of a workpiece having an access opening spaced therefrom, the system including: a component mounting assembly comprising a carriage, a component holding unit and workpiece melting unit, each of the component holding unit and workpiece mounting unit being secured to said carriage for movement therewith, the workpiece melting unit including: a heating device, a hooked heater-holding arm, and a heater-holding arm support, the hooked heater-holding arm curving in a first plane from a proximal end portion to a distal end portion and being sized for sliding insertion through said access opening, the heating device being secured towards the distal end portion of the heater-holding arm and being sized for insertion through said access opening the heating device being activatable to partially melt or soften the contact surface of the workpiece, the distal end portion of the heater-holding arm being selectively movable in said first plane along an associated generally radially extending path between a melt start position, where said distal end of the heater-holding arm is positioned adjacent to said access opening, and an extended pre-melt position, where said heater-holding arm is moved through said access opening to a position with said heating device in general alignment with said contact surface, the component-holding unit including a component holding device, a hooked component-holding arm and a component holding-arm support, the component-holding arm curving in said first plane from a proximal end portion to a distal end portion and being sized for sliding insertion through said access opening, the component-holding device being secured towards the distal end portion of the component-holding arm and sized for insertion through said access opening, the distal end portion of the component-holding arm being selectively movable in said first plane along an associated generally radially extending path between a component-feed position, where said distal end of the component-holding arm is positioned adjacent said access opening, and an extended pre-mount position, where said component-holding arm is moved through said access opening to a position with said component-holding device in general alignment with the contact surface.