1. A vapor phase reflow system comprising:
at least one soldering zone and a process zone;
a primary liquid reservoir containing a primary liquid;
a heating means for converting the primary liquid into the vapor phase;
a soldering-zone heating module in fluid communication with the soldering zone;
a process-zone heating module in fluid communication with the process zone; and
a primary-liquid fluid line to introduce at least one of the primary liquid and the vapor thereof into the soldering-zone heating module and into the process-zone heating module; wherein
the heating capacity of the soldering-zone heating module and that of the process-zone heating module are adjustable independently of each other to thereby produce zone-specifically superheated vapor.
2. The vapor phase reflow system according to claim 1, wherein the primary-liquid fluid line comprises respectively controllable valve elements so that the amount of primary liquid or the vapor thereof or both can be introduced, each in a controllable manner, into the soldering-zone heating module and the process-zone heating module.
3. The vapor phase reflow system according to claim 1, wherein the vapor-phase reflow system comprises a respective fluid connection for discharging primary liquid, so that the discharged primary liquid can be returned from the process zone and the soldering zone into the primary liquid reservoir andor the heating element.
4. The vapor phase reflow system according to claim 1, wherein the heating means for evaporating primary liquid comprises partial heating elements, and at least one partial heating element is provided in the soldering-zone heating module.
5. The vapor phase reflow system according to claim 4, wherein a further partial heating element is provided in the process-zone heating module.
6. The vapor phase reflow system according to claim 1, further comprising:
at least one second process zone, the process zone serving as a preheating zone and the second process zone serving as a cooling zone, and
a second process-zone heating module in fluid communication with the second process zone into which primary liquid or vapor or both can be introduced via the primary-liquid fluid line.
7. A method of operating a vapor phase reflow system, the method comprising:
evaporating a primary liquid by means of a heating element; and
introducing vapor of the primary liquid into a process zone and a soldering zone of the vapor phase reflow system in an adjustably superheated manner.
8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:
adjusting the temperature in the process zone and the soldering zone by controlling at least one of the amount of the introduced superheated vapor and the temperature of the superheated vapor.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A protective collar comprising:
a single band of elastic material having opposing ends;
a connecting means; and
the first end engaged next to the second end and secured in place using the connecting means such that the single band of material circularly extends therearound to which the opposing ends are abutted and fused by a strip of material placed transversely across abutment forming an apparently seamless tube.
2. The protective collar of claim 1 further comprising:
a bottom portion of the single band of elastic material stretchable for contouring over a lip of an elongated neck.
3. The protective collar of claim 2 further comprising:
a middle portion of the single band of elastic material stretchable for contactingly engaging contours of the elongated neck.
4. The protective collar of claim 3 further comprising:
a top portion of the single band of elastic material stretchable for contactingly engaging contours of a top portion of the elongated neck.
5. The protective collar of claim 3 wherein the protective collar, when disposed around an elongated neck is operative to collect any fluid emanating from the lip.
6. The protective collar of claim 3 further comprising:
a top portion of the single band of elastic material stretchable for contactingly engaging the lip of the elongated neck.
7. The protective collar of claim 3, the middle portion including an exposure area for the disposition of a display.
8. The protective collar of claim 1, when the protective collar is disposed on an elongated neck, the elastic material providing a cushion for an impact between the elongated neck and a glassware rim.
9. A protective collar for a bottle having an elongated neck, the protective collar comprising:
a single band of elastic material having opposing ends, a bottom portion, a middle portion and a top portion;
a connecting means such that the first end engaged next to the second end and secured in place using the connecting means such that the single band of material circularly extends therearound to which the opposing ends are abutted and fused by a strip of material placed transversely across abutment forming an apparently seamless tube;
the bottom portion of the single band of elastic material stretchable for contouring over a lip of the elongated neck;
the middle portion of the single band of elastic material stretchable for contactingly engaging contours of the elongated neck;
the top portion of the single band of elastic material stretchable for contactingly engaging contours of a top portion of the elongated neck;
and the top, middle, and bottom portions of a single band of elastic material stretchable for contactingly engaging varying sizes of a vessel’s upper portions.
10. The protective collar of claim 9 wherein the protective collar, when disposed around the elongated neck is operative to collect any fluid prior to forming a drip and or any drips emanating from the lip.
11. The protective collar of claim 9 further comprising:
the top portion of the single band of elastic material stretchable for contactingly engaging the lip of the elongated neck trapping fluid prior to forming a drip.
12. The protective collar of claim 9, the middle portion including an exposure area for the disposition of a display.
13. The protective collar of claim 12 wherein the display is at least one of: a monogram, a design, a logo, a trademark and a descriptive phrase.
14. The protective collar of claim 9, the elastic material providing a cushion for an impact between the elongated neck and a glassware rim.
15. A protective collar made by the process comprising:
feeding elastic material from a rotating pipe through a hinged guide plate to a stop;
running a cutting device the length of the hinged guide;
forming the elastic material around a mandrel with opposing ends of the material abutting to form a tube;
feeding a connecting strip over the opposing ends;
securing the connecting strip to form an adhesion;
scoring the elastic material strip with a blade that is held flush to the hinged guide to form the protective collar.
16. The protective collar of claim 15 wherein the cutting device is a rotary knife.
17. The protective collar of claim 15 wherein the length of elastic material fed from the rotating pipe indicates substantially the circumference of the protect collar.
18. The protective collar of claim 15 wherein the connecting strip Is fed from a reel.
19. The protective collar of claim 15 wherein the connecting strip is a heat-seal backing tape.
20. The protective collar of claim 19 made by the process further comprising: applying an iron over the heat-seal backing tape.