Patent ID: 7626140

Claim:
A soldering iron, comprising: a heated soldering tip that melts solder at a distal end; a body of the iron to which said soldering tip is fixed, said body including an outer case having an inner surface; at least one first connecting end provided at a base end of said soldering tip; at least one second connecting end near a distal end of said body engaging with said first connecting end to detachably fix the soldering tip to the body; a grip having heat insulating properties provided around an outer periphery of said soldering tip to cover a base end region of said soldering tip; a storage portion near the distal end of said body constructed to store substantially the entire grip when the first and second connecting ends engage; a slide block assembly mounted on said body for movement in a longitudinal direction therealong between a distal position and a near position, such that in said distal position a distal portion of said slide block assembly presses a portion of said grip so as to release engagement between said first and second connecting ends, and wherein in said near position the distal portion does not press said grip; a metal band electrically coupled to a ground lead and extending in the longitudinal direction between the inner surface of the outer case and the grip; and biasing means provided separately from the first and second connecting ends, that biases said grip towards said inner surface of said outer case, so as to inhibit relative motion between said grip and said outer case, where the biasing means operates to slide along, and remain in electrical contact with, the metal band as the grip slides in response to the slide block assembly.