JPH10156577A - Treatment room - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To safely store the material easy to be affected by the air and perform the work by providing an inlet of helium gas and an outlet to replace the air with the helium gas from an upper part in a space as the helium gas flows in and discharge the air from a lower part in the closed space, and providing a treatment space of the helium gas atmosphere in the space. SOLUTION: A treatment chamber in which the treatment space is a structure comprises side walls in the periphery and a ceiling in a closed manner, the helium flowing in from an inlet 2 is stored in an upper part of the treatment chamber as a helium layer HE while the air is pressed downward to form an air layer A. When helium gas successively flows in, the helium layer HE is increased in thickness and the air forming the air layer A is discharged out of the treatment chamber from an outlet 1. Finally, the air layer A is completely replaced with the helium layer HE, and helium is filled in the treatment chamber. Thus, the working efficiency of the work in which a large volume of dust is generated or the work which is not suitable in performing under the presence of dust, can be improved.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a processing chamber for performing processes such as welding, soldering, casting, and filling concrete.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There are various operations and processes that are routinely performed in which the presence of air is undesirable.
Conventionally, when performing such an operation, a state in which no air is present, that is, a vacuum operation space is created, and the operation is performed therein.

[0003]

However, in order to create a vacuum space, equipment such as a vacuum pump is required, and costs for equipment investment are required. Also, it is difficult to completely eliminate the presence of air, and the cost involved is not as high as that of the above facilities. In the case of further vacuum, it is necessary to support atmospheric pressure from outside the space,
The processing chambers that make up the processing space must be robust. Further, it is necessary to predict and design a processing chamber having a size suitable for the processing target in advance, and it has been difficult to easily use the processing chamber when the target is large. On the other hand, when performing operations that require dust removal, such as when a large amount of dust is generated or when the operation must be performed in an atmosphere without dust, the dust floats in the air and takes time to drop. Therefore, removal is difficult, and some removal means must be provided, and there is a problem in cost.

[0004]

In order to solve such a problem, the present inventor has found that the presence of such air can advantageously perform undesired work processing by setting the processing space to a helium gas atmosphere. The first aspect of the present invention is a processing chamber provided with a processing space in a helium gas atmosphere.

[0005] Since there is no air in the processing space, there is no problem in operations that are not preferably performed in the presence of the air. In addition, since it is not a vacuum, it is not only less necessary to strengthen the work room in consideration of the pressure from atmospheric pressure, but also air enters the work room when raw materials and workers enter and leave. Since there is little fear, it is easy to replenish the raw materials in the processing chamber.
Further, since helium is lighter than air, it accumulates upward in a closed space and pushes down air downward, so replacement in the space can be simplified.

There is no problem even if helium in the processing space is pressurized. That is, in the case of a processing space constituted by a covering sheet described later, it is preferable to use a pressurized helium atmosphere because a working space can be secured. The invention according to claim 2 is
The processing chamber has a processing space in a pressurized helium gas atmosphere.

In order to fill the space with helium gas and form a helium atmosphere, it is convenient to focus on the molecular weight of helium and to replace it with air. That is, when a helium inflow port is provided in the space and helium flows in from the inflow port, the helium is light and thus accumulates above the space, and the air is pushed down the space. Therefore, if an outlet for discharging air is provided below the space, the air is discharged from the outlet, and the space is filled with helium. Further, when helium is discharged from the discharge port, it is considered that the space is filled with helium, so that the inflow of helium may be stopped. According to the third aspect of the present invention, an inflow port for flowing helium gas into a closed space, and the air can be replaced from above in the space with the inflow of helium gas and the air can be discharged below. 3. The processing chamber according to claim 1, further comprising an exhaust port, and a processing space having a helium gas atmosphere in the space. 4.

Since helium gas is lighter than air, it is filled from above in a closed space. Therefore,
It is also possible to arrange such that a work chamber for work in which the presence of air is not preferred is located above, and a work in which the loss of air is not particularly problematic is carried out in a lower work chamber. The invention according to claim 4 is
The processing chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a processing space in a helium gas atmosphere is provided above, and a non-processing space in an air atmosphere is provided below.

[0009] The processing space filled with helium gas needs to have at least the upper end and side walls hermetically sealed, but such a processing space can be constituted by a structure. According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the processing chamber according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the processing space is constituted by a structure.

Further, since the gas is present in the space filled with the helium gas, the gas is not compressed by the outside atmospheric pressure. Also, helium is lighter than air and is filled from above. Therefore, if the upper end and the side wall are sealed, the space does not need to be a particularly strong structure. For example, by providing a coating sheet that does not allow gas to pass, helium flows into the interior surrounded by the sheet, and it is possible to easily create a processing space in the helium atmosphere. According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the processing chamber according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the processing space is formed of a covering sheet.

The effect of providing the working space with a helium atmosphere is based on the following properties of helium. That is, it has been found that helium is a rare gas having an atomic weight of 4, and is significantly lighter than air having an average molecular weight of 28.8. In addition, it does not burn, is chemically stable, and has a property of sufficiently exerting its effect as an inert gas. The inventor paid attention to this chemical property, and found that a remarkable effect was exhibited when a processing chamber having a processing space in a helium atmosphere was used for the following purpose.

The invention according to claim 7 is the processing chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the processing space is a welding space. In the welding process, the presence of air is undesirable because it causes a modification of the target metal. For example, iron and the like are easily oxidized and often cause modification of a welded portion. The present invention focuses on the fact that helium is chemically stable and can hardly make compounds. In addition, fire may be a problem in the welding process because it is an operation using fire, but in a helium atmosphere,
Everything does not burn and such problems are eliminated.

The invention according to claim 8 is the processing chamber according to claim 7, wherein the processing space is a welding space between titanium. In welding titanium to titanium, the presence of nitrogen in the air poses a problem. That is, in welding titanium, there has been a problem that the welded portion is easily modified by nitrogen and loses strength and the like. This problem is solved by performing the operation in a helium atmosphere.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the processing chamber according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the processing space is a processing space for soldering. Performing soldering in the presence of air is not preferable because the object causes oxidation. That is, since soldering can be considered as a kind of welding, problems that may occur in a welding operation largely overlap.

The invention according to claim 10 is the processing chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the processing space is a space for performing a casting process. According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the processing space is a space in which a casting is rolled.
A processing chamber according to any one of the above. Performing such a casting process and a rolling process in the presence of air has a problem that an object is denatured. As described above, helium can hardly form a compound, and therefore, pays attention to the characteristic that a substance in a high energy state is not denatured even when it comes into contact with helium. Accordingly, it is possible to produce cast iron or the like with high purity without subjecting the object to modification.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the processing chamber according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the processing space includes a processing space for filling concrete into the formwork. Performing such an operation in the presence of air can replace helium gas with air in concrete, so that deaeration of a building and deterioration of concrete after the building can be prevented.

The invention according to claim 13 is the processing chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the processing space is a space for performing a painting step or a drying step. When performing general painting work in the presence of oxygen, oxidation of the object to be coated may be a problem,
There is a problem that the coating film easily peels off. In addition, a large amount of paint mist is generated when spraying paint, but the mist generated in the air floats in the air, but falls quickly to the ground surface in helium, preventing contamination other than objects to be coated It is. In addition, a baking step may be performed by drying after coating. In this case, oxidation of the coating film or the surface of the object to be coated is prevented, and the adhesive strength is improved.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the processing chamber according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the processing space forms a storage. The use of a processing chamber filled with helium gas as a storage is characterized by preventing denaturation of foods and the like and improving storage capacity. That is, in the absence of oxygen filled with an inert gas, foods and the like are not oxidized, and it is known to be effective in preserving foods, but all of these are those in which a container is filled with an inert gas. Yes, it was only a transaction in a market transaction. The present inventor has found a method of easily filling the processing chamber with helium gas, and has come to an invention in which the method is used as a storage. In addition, such storages are remarkably susceptible to the effects of oxygen but are also excellent in storage. For example, even if a substance such as yellow phosphorus spontaneously ignites depending on the temperature and cannot be stored in a normal storage, it can be safely stored because it does not burn in a helium atmosphere.

When a packaging operation is normally performed in a helium atmosphere, the container is naturally filled with helium gas, which has the same effect as the conventional inert gas filling and packaging processing. That is, the inert gas can be charged without requiring any equipment, and equipment investment can be reduced. The invention according to claim 15 is the processing chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the processing space constitutes a space for packaging processing.

According to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the processing chamber according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the processing space constitutes a space for polishing the blade. In the blade polishing process, the cutting edge burns due to the action of oxygen in the air,
There was a problem of becoming brittle. By performing such an operation in a helium atmosphere, burning can be prevented, and the production of a blade having excellent sharpness becomes easy.

According to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the processing chamber according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the processing space forms a space for the explosive charging process. When manufacturing explosives, it is necessary to fill the tube with explosives, but mishandling in such a process often causes an explosion and is dangerous. Since an explosion is considered to be a rapid combustion of explosives and oxygen in the air, it is clear that the risk of explosion is significantly reduced in an oxygen-free atmosphere.

The invention according to claim 18 is the processing chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the processing space forms a space for vapor deposition processing. This is effective because high-quality vapor deposition can be performed without vapor deposition in a vacuum.

According to a nineteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the processing chamber according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the processing space constitutes a space for food processing. As described above, food deteriorates in the presence of oxygen, and it is difficult to store the food for a long time. However, such a problem also occurs in the production process. That is, in the process of producing food, by performing the treatment in a treatment space in a helium atmosphere, oxidation of the food is prevented, and long-term storage is enabled. The food includes not only food but also drinks.

Manufacturing plastics in air, molding,
Performing metal refining, forming operations, glass production, and melt forming operations in the presence of air is not preferable because the respective objects tend to be denatured. Also, depending on the operation, a fire may be caused because a fire is used. By performing such work in a processing space in a helium atmosphere,
Denaturation can be prevented, and the problem of fire can be prevented.

The invention according to claim 23 is the processing chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the processing space constitutes a clean room. Since helium is lighter than air, airborne substances such as dust fall quickly to the ground surface in a helium atmosphere. Therefore, it is preferable to use the processing space as a clean room that does not like the presence of dust and the like. In addition, there are many bacterial species that can survive only in the presence of oxygen, and under a helium atmosphere, the growth of such bacterial species can be prevented.

The invention according to claim 24 is the processing chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the processing space is a kneading space for cement. In the kneading operation of cement, there is a problem that cement powder floats in the air and is not only unfavorable for hygiene, but also causes contamination due to adhesion to other nearby substances. Performing such a kneading operation in a working space in a helium atmosphere can solve such a problem because the suspended cement powder quickly falls to the ground surface.

[0027] It is preferable from the viewpoint of removing dust that the operation of manufacturing and assembling a semiconductor or the like is performed in a processing space in a helium atmosphere. That is, since it is necessary to completely remove impurities from a semiconductor or the like, the operation in a clean room is preferable, and equipment for this is required. By performing such work in a helium atmosphere, airborne substances such as dust can be quickly dropped on the ground,
Good results can be achieved in semiconductor manufacturing and assembly operations. The invention according to claim 25 is the processing chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the processing space constitutes a space for assembling semiconductors. The invention according to claim 26 is the processing chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the processing space forms a space for a semiconductor manufacturing process.

The invention according to claim 27 is the processing chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the processing space forms a space for fire extinguishing work. When a fire occurs in a space with an air atmosphere, helium gas flows into the processing chamber, and helium accumulates in a layer above, so the fire does not spread above the helium layer and is easily extinguished. Is performed.

[0029]

FIG. 1 is a view showing the concept of a processing chamber according to the present invention. The processing chamber according to the present invention has four side walls and a closed ceiling, and requires at least an exhaust port 1 for exhausting air and an inflow port 2 for helium inflow. A carry-in port for sending materials into the processing chamber and a doorway for humans to enter and exit are provided. The exhaust port 1 needs to be provided below the processing chamber, but the location of the inflow port 2 is not particularly limited. However, in order to effectively make the air layer exist below the helium layer, it is preferable to provide the inflow port 2 above the processing chamber.

Since there is no oxygen in the processing chamber according to the present invention, it is necessary to take some kind of treatment when a person enters the work, and a widely known treatment can be used for this treatment. For example, a gas mask or a whole body hermetically sealed and provided with a supply / exhaust device for oxygen or the like can be given.

In such a processing chamber, the treatments considered to be effective are not limited to those described above, but include the storage and production of materials that do not preferably come into contact with air, work that generates a large amount of dust, and removal of dust. And the use of such materials is widely and safely available for these operations.

It is also possible to form the processing chamber in two layers, one above the helium atmosphere and one below the air atmosphere. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a processing room having a processing space having a helium gas atmosphere on the upper floor and a processing space having an air atmosphere on the lower floor. Reference numeral 3 in the drawing indicates a threshold for partitioning both layers. Further, it is preferable that the outlet 1 is provided to some extent above in order to surely maintain the air layer downstairs.
That is, since it is unlikely that helium accumulates below the position of the outlet 1, air can be reliably maintained below the outlet 1.

When the processing space in the helium atmosphere is constituted by the covering sheet, the sheet may be covered on the work and the helium gas may be introduced from the bottom. Helium and air are replaced in the sheet, and finally, the sheet is filled with helium. This processing space is effective outdoors, for example, when filling and painting concrete in the building construction process. By changing the size of the sheet, it can be used to process helium atmosphere regardless of the size of the target object. This is preferable because a space can be created.

Hereinafter, the mechanism for filling the processing chamber with helium will be described in more detail. In FIGS. 1 and 2 in which the processing space shows a processing chamber as a structure, helium introduced from the inflow port 2 accumulates upward in the processing chamber and pushes air downward. HE in the figure indicates a helium layer, and A indicates an air layer. As the helium inflow continues,
The helium layer HE increases in thickness, and the air constituting the air layer A is discharged from the discharge port 1 to the outside of the processing chamber. Therefore, the air layer that has finally been present in the processing chamber is completely replaced by the helium layer, and the processing chamber is filled with helium. When helium is contained in the gas discharged from the exhaust port 1 at a constant concentration, it can be considered that the gas in the processing chamber is filled with helium. The specific concentration of the exhaust gas may be freely set according to the anaerobic degree of the treatment, and is not particularly limited.

In FIG. 2, it is necessary to provide a helium layer on the upper floor and an air layer on the lower floor, so it is necessary to provide a discharge port below the threshold 3. Further, it is not preferable to provide the air space at the lowermost portion to secure the air space. In addition, to allow sufficient ventilation between the upper floor and the lower floor,
It is necessary to provide a gap, and the size of the gap may be determined according to the helium inflow speed or the like.

[0036]

According to the processing chamber of the present invention, it is possible to easily and safely store susceptible materials or all operations in the presence of air. Further, since the dust is unlikely to float in the gas and immediately falls to the ground, it is possible to improve the operation efficiency of the operation of generating a large amount of dust and the operation not preferably performed in the presence of the dust.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an entire processing chamber according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a processing space having a helium gas atmosphere on the upper floor,
FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a processing room in which a downstairs is configured with a processing space having an air atmosphere.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Outlet 2 Inflow 3 Threshold HE Helium layer A Air layer

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI B24B 1/00 B24B 1/00 Z // E04H 5/02 E04H 5/02 B

Claims (27)

[Claims] 1. A processing chamber having a processing space in a helium gas atmosphere. 2. A processing chamber having a processing space in an atmosphere of pressurized helium gas. 3. An inflow port for injecting helium gas into a closed space, and an exhaust port capable of displacing air from above in the space with the inflow of helium gas and discharging the air below. The processing chamber according to claim 1, further comprising: a processing space having a helium gas atmosphere in the space. 4. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein a processing space in a helium gas atmosphere is provided above and a non-processing space in an air atmosphere is provided below. 5. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein the processing space is constituted by a structure. 6. A processing space comprising a covering sheet.
A processing chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 4. 7. The processing space is a welding space.
The processing chamber according to any one of the above. 8. The processing chamber according to claim 7, wherein the processing space is a welding space between titanium. 9. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein the processing space is a processing space for soldering. 10. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein the processing space is a space for performing a casting process. 11. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein the processing space is a space in which a casting is rolled. 12. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein the processing space includes a processing space for filling concrete into the formwork. 13. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein the processing space is a space for performing a painting step or a drying step. 14. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein the processing space forms a storage. 15. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein the processing space forms a space for packaging processing. 16. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein the processing space forms a space for a polishing process. 17. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein the processing space forms a space for an explosive charging process. 18. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein the processing space forms a space for a vapor deposition process. 19. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein the processing space constitutes a space for food processing. 20. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein the processing space forms a space for a plastic manufacturing process. 21. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein the processing space forms a space for a metal manufacturing process. 22. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein the processing space forms a space for glass manufacturing processing. 23. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein the processing space forms a clean room. 24. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein the processing space is a kneading space for cement. 25. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein the processing space forms a space for a semiconductor assembling process. 26. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein the processing space forms a space for a semiconductor manufacturing process. 27. The processing chamber according to claim 1, wherein the processing space constitutes a fire extinguishing work space.