CN115143765A

CN115143765A - Continuous heating furnace

Info

Publication number: CN115143765A
Application number: CN202210328127.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 铃木崇也; 山田一郎; 小野田和洋; 大竹英明
Original assignee: Noritake Co Ltd
Current assignee: Noritake Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-03-30
Filing date: 2022-03-30
Publication date: 2022-10-04
Also published as: KR20220136131A; JP2022154856A; JP7053923B1; TW202303062A

Abstract

A continuous heating furnace is provided. The heat treatment efficiency of the object to be treated is improved. The continuous heating furnace has at least one furnace body forming a continuous conveying space for conveying the heating container. The transfer space has a1 st heating chamber, a layer number changing chamber, and a2 nd heating chamber. The 1 st heating chamber and the 2 nd heating chamber are configured to convey the heating containers in different numbers of layers. The number-of-layers changing chamber includes a number-of-layers changing means disposed between the 1 st heating chamber and the 2 nd heating chamber along the conveying direction for changing the number of layers of the heating containers to be conveyed.

Description

Continuous heating furnace

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a continuous heating furnace.

Background

In the heat treatment facility disclosed in japanese patent application laid-open publication No. 2017-48981, the conveyance trays containing the objects to be treated are fed in a state of being stacked in a plurality of stages to the decompression processing section, and the objects to be treated contained in the conveyance trays are decompressed in the decompression processing section. The depressurized transport trays are supplied to a transport tray separation unit. Then, a part of the conveyance trays is separated from the multi-layer conveyance trays thus fed to the conveyance tray separation section and is sequentially conveyed to the heat treatment section. During this time, the conveyance tray containing the object to be processed is again fed to the decompression processing unit in a state where a plurality of layers are stacked. While the plurality of layers of conveyance trays input to the conveyance tray separation unit are sequentially conveyed to the heat treatment unit and the objects to be treated stored in the conveyance trays are sequentially heat-treated in the heat treatment unit, the decompression treatment unit can perform the decompression treatment in a long time. The conveyance tray separating unit disclosed in this publication is provided with four rotary actuators on the top wall with a sealing material interposed therebetween, and the four rotary actuators are spaced apart from each other at a desired interval in the feeding direction of the conveyance tray and in the width direction orthogonal to the feeding direction. The rotating rods are introduced from the respective rotating actuators into the conveying tray separating portion through the top wall of the conveying tray separating portion. A holding member is provided at the tip of each rotating lever so as to protrude in the horizontal direction. With the rotation of each rotating rod, each holding member rotates in the horizontal direction. Thus, the holding member is configured to be operable to hold the conveyance tray and to be in a state of not being in contact with the conveyance tray.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent application laid-open publication 2017-48981

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

In addition, when the object to be processed is heat-treated, there are cases where it is efficient to collectively treat the transport trays in a state of being stacked in multiple layers, and where it is appropriate to divide the transport trays and treat one or a small number of layers at a time. However, when the number of layers is changed during the heating process, the object to be processed needs to be cooled down temporarily in accordance with the operation of changing the number of layers, and the processing time becomes long.

Means for solving the problems

The continuous heating furnace of one aspect disclosed herein is a continuous heating furnace having at least one furnace body forming a continuous conveying space for conveying a heating container. The transfer space includes a1 st heating chamber, a layer number changing chamber, and a2 nd heating chamber. The 1 st heating chamber and the 2 nd heating chamber are configured to convey the heating containers in different numbers of layers. The number-of-layers changing chamber includes a number-of-layers changing member that is disposed between the 1 st heating chamber and the 2 nd heating chamber along the conveying direction and changes the number of layers of the heating containers to be conveyed.

According to the continuous heating furnace, the objects can be laminated or layered while maintaining the temperature of the objects, and the objects can be efficiently heated.

The layer number changing chamber may include a heater.

The continuous heating furnace may further include a replacement chamber at least one of between the 1 st heating chamber and the layer number changing chamber and between the layer number changing chamber and the 2 nd heating chamber.

Alternatively, the 1 st heating chamber and the 2 nd heating chamber may include independent transfer mechanisms, respectively.

The layer number changing chamber may include a furnace wall, and the layer number changing member may include: an elevator that lifts and lowers the heating container; and a holding mechanism that holds the heating container lifted by the lifter. The holding mechanism may include: a hollow shaft penetrating the furnace body; a holder attached to the shaft; a sealing member mounted on a portion of the shaft penetrating the furnace body; and a refrigerant supply device connected to the shaft and supplying the refrigerant to the hollow portion of the shaft.

The furnace wall may have a pair of side walls on both sides in the width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction, and the shaft may be rotatably mounted on the pair of side walls. The holder may include: an arm portion extending from the shaft; and a claw portion bent from a lower end of the arm portion.

The holding mechanism may include a plurality of holding members, and the plurality of holding members may be arranged on the shaft at intervals.

The elevator may raise the heating container to a predetermined height, and the holding mechanism may be configured to hold the heating containers having a predetermined number of layers or more from below among the heating containers raised by the elevator.

The holder may also be made of a nickel-chromium-iron alloy or a nickel-based alloy.

The 1 st heating chamber and the 2 nd heating chamber may include a plurality of conveying rollers arranged along the conveying direction.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view schematically showing a continuous firing furnace 10.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the layer number changing chamber 10b of the continuous burning furnace 10.

Fig. 3A is a side view showing the position of the elevator main body 21 in the state of the 1 st elevation position L1.

Fig. 3B is a side view showing the position of the elevator main body 21 in the 2 nd ascent and descent position L2.

Fig. 3C is a side view showing the position of the elevator main body 21 in the 3 rd elevation position L3.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the firing container a.

Description of the reference numerals

10. A continuous firing furnace (continuous heating furnace); 10a, a1 st heating chamber; 10b, a layer number changing chamber; 10c, the 2 nd heating chamber; 10d, 10e, displacement chamber; 12. a furnace body; 12a, a conveying space; 12b, side walls (furnace walls); 12c, roof (furnace wall); 12d, bottom wall (furnace wall); 12e, a through hole; 12f, a gas supply pipe; 12g, a gas discharge pipe; 12h, a separator; 14. a heater; 16. a conveying roller; 16a, 16b, a support plate; 17. a sprocket; 18. a substrate; 20. an elevator; 21. an elevator main body; 21a, 1 st plate; 21b, 2 nd plate; 21c, a connecting part; 21d, an operating lever; 21e, a connecting rod; 24. a lifting device; 25. a guide; 25a, a linear bushing; 30. a holding mechanism; 31. a shaft; 32. a holder; 32a, a base; 32b, an arm portion; 32c, a claw portion; 33. a sealing member; 34. a housing; 35. a bearing; 36. an operating arm; 37. a drive device; 38. a support piece; 39. a connector; 40. a refrigerant supply device; 50. a stopper; 51. a stopper body; 52. a shaft; 53. a lifting device; 60. a control device; 70. a width adjustment mechanism; 71. a width adjustment plate; 72. a shaft; 73. a drive device; A. a firing vessel (heating vessel); a1, a wall; a2, sinking; h1, closed state; h2, open state; L1-L3, and a lifting position.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, one of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following drawings, members and portions having the same functions are described with the same reference numerals. In addition, the dimensional relationships (length, width, thickness, etc.) in the drawings do not reflect actual dimensional relationships.

Hereinafter, a continuous firing furnace will be described as an example of the continuous heating furnace, but the present invention is not intended to be limited to the description of the embodiment. In the present specification, the "continuous heating furnace" refers to a heating furnace that continuously performs a heating process on a target object. In the present specification, the "continuous firing furnace" refers to a heating furnace for continuously firing a treatment object at a high temperature. In the present specification, the heating container used for firing the object to be treated is appropriately referred to as a "firing container".

< continuous Combustion furnace 10 >

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a continuous firing furnace 10. The arrow T1 in the figure indicates the transport direction in which the firing container a is transported. Fig. 1 schematically shows a longitudinal section of the continuous burning furnace 10 along the conveyance direction T1. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the layer number changing chamber 10b of the continuous burning furnace 10. In this embodiment, the firing containers a are arranged in three rows in the width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction and conveyed.

As shown in fig. 1, the continuous firing furnace 10 includes at least one furnace body 12 forming a continuous conveyance space 12a for conveying a firing container. In this embodiment, the object to be treated is conveyed in the conveyance space 12a in a state of being accommodated in the firing vessel a and is continuously subjected to heat treatment. The conveyance space 12a of the continuous burning furnace 10 includes a1 st heating chamber 10a, a layer number changing chamber 10b, and a2 nd heating chamber 10c in this order along the conveyance direction T1. In this embodiment, a replacement chamber 10d is provided between the 1 st heating chamber 10a and the number-of-layers changing chamber 10b. Further, a replacement chamber 10e is provided between the number-of-layers changing chamber 10b and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c. The continuous burning furnace 10 will be described below in order. The continuous burning furnace 10 further includes a conveying mechanism for conveying the burning container a in the conveying direction T1.

< furnace body 12 > (via a chemical vapor deposition) method

As shown in fig. 1, the furnace body 12 has a conveying space 12a inside which a plurality of firing containers a can be conveyed in a stacked state in a conveying direction T1. In this embodiment, the furnace body 12 is a tunnel-type furnace body that surrounds the conveyance space 12a. The transfer space 12a has a height necessary to transfer the stacked firing containers a. In this embodiment, the conveyance space 12a is linearly set. As shown in fig. 2, the furnace body 12 surrounds the entire circumference of the furnace walls 12b to 12d made of a heat insulating material in the conveying direction T1 (see fig. 1) of the conveying space 12a. In this embodiment, the furnace body 12 has a pair of side walls 12b, a top wall 12c, and a bottom wall 12d on both sides in the width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction. The furnace walls 12b to 12d are made of, for example, ceramic fiber plates. The ceramic fiber sheet is a sheet material formed into a sheet shape by adding an inorganic filler and an inorganic or organic binder to a so-called bulky fiber, for example. The ceramic fiber sheet is cut into a predetermined shape and overlapped to form a furnace wall having a desired thickness. The thicknesses of the furnace walls 12b to 12d can be set to desired thicknesses to sufficiently insulate the heat of the conveyance space 12a.

Various structures for controlling the atmosphere in the transport space 12a may be provided in the furnace body 12. For example, as shown in fig. 1, a gas supply pipe 12f may be provided so as to be able to supply nitrogen, argon, or the like. The gas supply pipe 12f may be provided with a shielding rod 12f2 at the discharge port 12f1 to suppress the impact of the discharged gas. The gas discharge pipe 12g may be provided to enable adjustment and exhaust of the atmospheric pressure. In this embodiment, the gas supply pipe 12f is provided in the bottom wall 12d. The gas discharge pipe 12g is provided in the ceiling wall 12c. In addition, a partition 12h for switching the atmosphere for each space may be provided in the furnace body 12. The furnace body 12 is disposed on a base 18 set at a predetermined height. The base 18 (see fig. 2) may have a space in which a gas supply pipe for adjusting the atmosphere in the continuous firing furnace 10, a driving device of the transport mechanism 15, and the like are provided.

< conveying means 15 >

The conveying mechanism 15 is a mechanism that conveys the burned container a in the conveying direction T1. In this embodiment, the conveyance mechanism 15 has a structure in which a plurality of conveyance rollers 16 are arranged in a conveyance space 12a inside the furnace body 12. The conveying roller 16 is a roller for conveying the firing container a. The plurality of conveying rollers 16 are cylindrical rollers, are aligned in height so as to be able to support the firing containers a, and are arranged in the conveying space 12a at a predetermined pitch. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the layer number changing chamber 10b in the continuous burning furnace 10. As shown in fig. 2, the conveyance roller 16 penetrates through the through-hole 12e of the side wall 12b on both sides of the furnace body 12 in the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction. As the conveyance roller 16, for example, a ceramic roller, a metal roller, or the like is used. The feed roller 16 is rotatably supported by

support plates

16a and 16b provided outside the furnace body 12 via bearings not shown.

In this embodiment, a sprocket 17 is attached to an end of the conveying roller 16 on the support plate 16a side. A roller chain, not shown, is attached to the sprocket 17. The roller chain is connected to a driving device such as a motor for rotating the conveying roller 16. The roller chain also links adjacent conveyor rollers 16. No sprocket is attached to the end of the conveying roller 16 on the support plate 16b side. The end of the conveying roller 16 on the support plate 16b side rotates in cooperation with the rotation on the support plate 16a side. Thus, the conveying rollers 16 connected by the roller chain rotate at the same speed at the same timing. Continuous firing furnaces, in which the product is conveyed by rollers, are known as roller kilns (RHK). The roller used in the roller kiln is generally high in strength even in a conveying mechanism used in a continuous firing furnace, and can be suitably used for firing a heavy object to be treated, for example. Further, the presence of the gap between the ceramic rolls enables efficient heating from above and below, and can be suitably used, for example, when firing at a high firing temperature.

< Heater 14 >

The heater 14 is a device for heating the object to be treated stored in the firing container a in the conveyance space 12a (see fig. 1). As shown in fig. 1, the heater 14 is disposed in the conveyance space 12a of the furnace body 12. In this embodiment, the heaters 14 are arranged above and below the plurality of conveying rollers 16 with a predetermined interval therebetween in the conveying direction. In this embodiment, a cylindrical ceramic heater is used as the heater 14. The heater 14 penetrates the side wall 12b. In the present embodiment, the heater 14 is disposed above the conveying roller 16, but is not limited to this configuration. The heater 14 may be further disposed above or below the conveying roller 16 so as to heat the object to be treated stored in the firing container a from one direction. In fig. 2, the heater 14 is not shown. In addition, various heaters can be used for the heater 14 according to the heating temperature and the like. As the heater 14, a ceramic heater, a metal sheath heater, or the like can be used. The shape of the heater 14 is not particularly limited, and for example, a plate-like flat heater or the like can be used.

< 1 st heating chamber 10a, 2 nd heating chamber 10c >

The 1 st heating chamber 10a and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c are cavities for heating the objects to be processed stored in the baking container a, respectively. In this embodiment, the 1 st heating chamber 10a and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c are configured to convey the firing containers a in different numbers of layers. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the 1 st heating chamber 10a is configured such that a plurality of the fired containers a are transported in a stacked state. In the 2 nd heating chamber 10c, the firing container a is conveyed in a divided state. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the firing containers a are transported layer by layer in the 2 nd heating chamber 10c. For example, a partition 12h is provided in the 1 st heating chamber 10 a. The partition 12h of the 1 st heating chamber 10a is set to a height at which the plurality of firing containers a can pass in a stacked state. The second heating chamber 10c is also provided with a partition 12h. The partitions 12h of the 2 nd heating chamber 10c extend to a position lower than the partitions 12h of the 1 st heating chamber 10a so that the firing containers a transported layer by layer pass between the partitions 12h. In this way, the 1 st heating chamber 10a is configured to convey the firing containers a stacked in multiple layers, and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c is configured to convey the firing containers a divided layer by layer. In this embodiment, the 1 st heating chamber 10a and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c are provided with the partition 12h, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. A partition 12h may be provided in either one of the 1 st heating chamber 10a and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c. In addition, a partition may not be provided in either of the 1 st heating chamber 10a and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c.

In this embodiment, the 1 st heating chamber 10a and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c are provided with heaters 14 arranged above and below the conveyance space 12a with the conveyance roller 16 interposed therebetween. The 1 st heating chamber 10a and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c heat the firing container a under different conditions. For example, in the 1 st heating chamber 10a, a plurality of the firing containers a are conveyed in a stacked state and heated together. In the 1 st heating chamber 10a, for example, a process such as a debonding process and a preliminary heating process can be performed. In the 2 nd heating chamber 10c, the firing containers a are transported one by one and heated. Therefore, the object to be treated stored in the firing container a can be heated with higher accuracy. In the 2 nd heating chamber 10c, for example, main firing and the like can be performed. In this embodiment, the 1 st heating chamber 10a and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c are provided with a gas supply pipe 12f and a gas discharge pipe 12g, respectively. Different atmosphere gases can be supplied to the 1 st heating chamber 10a and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c, respectively.

< replacement chamber 10d >

The replacement chamber 10d is provided between the 1 st heating chamber 10a and the layer number changing chamber 10b. The firing container a conveyed in a stacked state is introduced into the replacement chamber 10d. In the replacement chamber 10d, gates 10d1 and 10d2 for partitioning spaces are provided on the upstream side (the 1 st heating chamber 10a side) and the downstream side (the floor number changing chamber 10b side) in the conveyance direction, respectively. The gates 10d1 and 10d2 are made of a heat insulating material. When the firing container a is introduced into the replacement chamber 10d, for example, the shutter 10d1 on the 1 st heating chamber 10a side is opened with the shutter 10d2 on the layer number changing chamber 10b side closed. In this state, the stacked firing containers a are introduced from the 1 st heating chamber 10a into the replacement chamber 10d. Subsequently, the gate 10d1 on the 1 st heating chamber 10a side is closed, and the firing container a is left in the replacement chamber 10d.

< replacement chamber 10e >

The replacement chamber 10e is provided between the layer number changing chamber 10b and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c. In this embodiment, the firing containers a conveyed in a layered state in the layer number changing chamber 10b are introduced into the replacement chamber 10e. In the replacement chamber 10e, gates 10e1 and 10e2 for partitioning spaces are provided on the upstream side (the layer number changing chamber 10b side) and the downstream side (the 2 nd heating chamber 10c side) in the transport direction, respectively. The gates 10e1 and 10e2 are made of a heat insulating material. When the firing container a is introduced into the replacement chamber 10e, for example, the gate 10e1 on the side of the tier number changing chamber 10b is opened with the gate 10e2 on the side of the 2 nd heating chamber 10c closed. In this state, the layered firing container a is introduced from the layer number changing chamber 10b into the replacement chamber 10e. Subsequently, the shutter 10e1 on the side of the tier-number changing chamber 10b is closed, and the firing container a remains in the replacement chamber 10e. The gates 10e1 and 10e2 are not limited to being made of a heat insulating material, and may be made of metal, for example, so that cooling water can be supplied to the inside.

The replacement chamber 10d and the replacement chamber 10e can be spaces in which the atmosphere in the chamber can be adjusted. For example, the gas composition, temperature, pressure, and the like of the

replacement chambers

10d, 10e can be appropriately adjusted. The

replacement chambers

10d and 10e may be appropriately provided with a mechanism for adjusting the gas atmosphere. After the atmospheres in the

replacement chambers

10d and 10e are adjusted, the downstream shutters 10d2 and 10e2 are opened, and the fired container a is discharged from the

replacement chambers

10d and 10e. In this embodiment, the

replacement chambers

10d, 10e are surrounded by furnace walls 12b to 12d of the furnace body 12, respectively. The continuous burning furnace 10 may have at least one furnace body 12 forming a continuous conveying space 12a for conveying the burning container a, or may have

replacement chambers

10d and 10e in a part of the conveying space 12a. In this case, the conveyance space 12a of the

replacement chambers

10d and 10e is formed by the furnace body 12. Therefore, the temperature of the firing container a conveyed through the

replacement chambers

10d and 10e can be maintained high.

By providing the replacement chamber 10d between the 1 st heating chamber 10a and the number-of-layers changing chamber 10b, the atmosphere gas in the 1 st heating chamber 10a is less likely to reach the number-of-layers changing chamber 10b. Further, by providing the replacement chamber 10e between the number-of-layers changing chamber 10b and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c, the atmosphere gas in the number-of-layers changing chamber 10b is less likely to reach the 2 nd heating chamber 10c. In this embodiment,

replacement chambers

10d and 10e are provided between the 1 st heating chamber 10a and the number-of-layers changing chamber 10b and between the number-of-layers changing chamber 10b and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c, respectively. In view of difficulty in mixing the atmosphere gas in the 1 st heating chamber 10a and the atmosphere gas in the 2 nd heating chamber 10c with each other, a replacement chamber may be provided at least either between the 1 st heating chamber 10a and the number-of-layers changing chamber 10b or between the number-of-layers changing chamber 10b and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c. In this case as well, the

replacement chambers

10d and 10e are formed in the conveyance space 12a formed by the furnace body 12, whereby the temperature of the firing container a can be maintained high.

In this embodiment, each of the 1 st heating chamber 10a, the number-of-layers changing chamber 10b, and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c includes a plurality of conveying rollers 16 arranged along the conveying direction. However, the 1 st heating chamber 10a and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c may include independent conveyance mechanisms, respectively. For example, the conveyance roller 16 may be connected to different driving devices in the 1 st heating chamber 10a and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c. That is, in the 1 st heating chamber 10a, a plurality of the firing containers a are conveyed in a stacked state. In the 2 nd heating chamber 10c, the firing containers a are conveyed in a layered state. Therefore, the speed of feeding the burning container a may be different between the 1 st heating chamber 10a and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c. That is, the firing container a may be gradually conveyed in the 1 st heating chamber 10a in which a plurality of firing containers a are conveyed in a stacked state, and the firing container a may be conveyed at a conveying speed faster than that of the 1 st heating chamber 10a in the 2 nd heating chamber 10c in which the firing containers a are conveyed in a layered state. This allows the fired container a to be smoothly transported through the 1 st heating chamber 10a and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c without stagnation. The

replacement chambers

10d and 10e may have independent transport mechanisms. The

replacement chambers

10d and 10e can be configured to be appropriately interlocked with the conveyance mechanisms of the 1 st heating chamber 10a, the number-of-layers changing chamber 10b, and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c that are disposed between the

replacement chambers

10d and 10e.

The transfer of the firing containers a in the 1 st heating chamber 10a and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c is not limited to the transfer rollers 16. For example, the firing container a may be conveyed by a metal conveyor belt such as that used in a so-called Mesh Belt Kiln (MBK).

< number of layers changing chamber 10b >

The layer number changing chamber 10b includes a layer number changing member 11, a stopper 50, a width adjusting mechanism 70 (see fig. 2), a heater 14, and a conveying roller 16. The layer number changing means 11 is a device for changing the number of layers of the firing container a to be conveyed. The number of firing containers a having different numbers of layers are conveyed to the 1 st heating chamber 10a and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c by the number-of-layers changing means 11. The floor number changing means 11 includes a lifter 20 and a holding mechanism 30.

< stop 50 >

The stopper 50 is a device for stopping the firing container a conveyed in the conveying space 12a at a predetermined position in cooperation with the lifter 20. In this embodiment, the stopper 50 includes a stopper body 51, a shaft 52 supporting the stopper body 51, and a lifting device 53 lifting and lowering the stopper body 51 by the shaft 52. The stopper main body 51 is a plate-shaped member having a normal line direction directed in the conveying direction, and is provided to protrude from the gap of the conveying roller 16 to the upper side of the conveying roller 16 at a predetermined position in cooperation with the lifter 20. The shaft 52 is a shaft that supports the stopper main body 51. The shaft 52 supports the lower end of the stopper body 51 and extends vertically through the bottom wall 12d of the furnace body 12.

The lifting device 53 is a device for lifting and lowering the shaft 52, and is constituted by, for example, a cylinder device. In this embodiment, the cylinder as the elevating device 53 is attached to the outer surface of the bottom wall 12d of the furnace body 12 with the piston rod facing downward. A shaft 52 is connected to the top end of the piston rod of the cylinder. By depressing the piston rod of the elevating device 53, the stopper main body 51 is lowered. By pulling up the piston rod of the lifting device 53, the stopper body 51 is lifted up, and the firing vessel a is stopped at a predetermined position.

< Width adjustment mechanism 70 >

As shown in fig. 2, the width adjustment mechanism 70 is a mechanism for adjusting the position of the firing container a in the width direction. The width adjustment mechanism 70 adjusts the position of the firing container a stopped by the stopper 50 (see fig. 1). The width adjustment mechanism 70 includes a width adjustment plate 71, a shaft 72 supporting the width adjustment plate 71, and a drive device 73 driving the width adjustment plate 71 via the shaft 72. The width adjustment plate 71 is a plate-shaped member parallel to the side wall 12b of the furnace body 12. The shaft 72 is vertically attached to a surface of the width adjustment plate 71 on the side opposite to the side wall 12b. The shaft 72 extends through the side wall 12b to the outside of the furnace body 12. The driving device 73 is a device that drives the shaft 72, and is constituted by a cylinder device, for example. In this embodiment, the cylinder as the drive device 73 is attached to the outer surface of the side wall 12b of the furnace body 12 so that the piston rod faces outward in the width direction. A shaft 72 is connected to the top end of the piston rod of the cylinder. By pulling the piston rod inward, the width adjustment plate 71 inside the furnace body 12 is driven inward in the width direction. At this time, the position of the firing container a stopped by the stopper 50 is adjusted to a predetermined position. In this embodiment, the firing containers a arranged in three rows in the width direction are adjusted in position in a state of contact.

The firing containers a conveyed in three rows are aligned in the conveying direction by the stoppers 50 (see fig. 1), and aligned in the width direction by the width adjusting mechanism 70. The number of rows of the firing container a to be transported is appropriately set depending on the size of the material to be fired, the size of the firing container a, and the like. The number of rows in conveying the firing container a may be a single row, or two or more rows.

< elevator 20 >

The elevator 20 is driven from the 1 st heating chamber 10a (see figure) 1) a device for lifting the sintering container A conveyed. In this embodiment, the lifter 20 is provided in the furnace wall 12 at a position vertically opposed to the holding mechanism 30. The lifter 20 includes a lifter body 21, a lifting device 24, and a guide 25.

As shown in fig. 1, the lifter body 21 is a member that projects upward from between the conveying rollers 16 arranged along the conveying direction and lifts the baked container a. In this embodiment, the elevator body 21 includes the 1 st plate 21a, the 2 nd plate 21b, and the connecting portion 21c. The 1 st plate 21a and the 2 nd plate 21b are rectangular plates, respectively. The 1 st plate 21a and the 2 nd plate 21b are disposed so that the plate normal direction is oriented in the conveying direction, one long side is oriented upward, the other long side is oriented downward, and the plates penetrate the gap between the conveying rollers 16. The 1 st plate 21a and the 2 nd plate 21b have widths enough to mount the firing containers a arranged in three rows.

In this embodiment, the 1 st plate 21a is disposed on the upstream side in the conveying direction T1, and the 2 nd plate 21b is disposed on the downstream side in the conveying direction. The coupling portion 21c is a member that couples the lower ends of the 1 st and 2

nd plates

21a, 21b below the conveying rollers 16. In other words, the 1 st plate 21a and the 2 nd plate 21b rise upward from the connecting portion 21c. An operating lever 21d extending downward is attached to the coupling portion 21c. In this embodiment, as shown in fig. 2, two operation levers 21d are attached to the connection portion 21c with a space in the width direction of the conveyance space 12a. The operating rods 21d vertically penetrate the bottom wall 12d and extend downward from the bottom wall 12d. The lower ends of the two operating levers 21d are connected by a connecting lever 21e. Both ends of the connecting rod 21e may be attached to a guide 25 extending downward from the outer side surface of the bottom wall 12d via linear bushes 25 a.

The lifting device 24 is a device that lifts and lowers the connecting rod 21e. The lifting device 24 is constituted by a cylinder device, for example. The cylinder as the elevating device 24 is attached to the outer surface of the bottom wall 12d of the furnace body 12 with the piston rod facing downward. A connecting rod 21e is connected to the distal end of the piston rod of the cylinder. By pulling up the piston rod of the lifting device 24, the connecting rod 21e is lifted up, and the lifter body 21 is lifted up. This lifts up the firing container a stopped at a predetermined position by the stopper 50. When the piston rod of the lifting device 24 is pressed down, the connecting rod 21e is lowered, and the burning container a is lowered. In the present embodiment, a cylinder device is used as the lifting device 24, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, an actuator for moving the elevator main body 21 up and down may be used as the elevator apparatus. The shape of the elevator main body 21 is not limited to a plate shape, and may be, for example, a columnar shape.

< lifting position L1-L3 >

Three lifting positions L1 to L3 are set in advance for the lifter 20. Here, fig. 3A is a side view showing the position of the elevator main body 21 in the state of the 1 st elevation position L1. Fig. 3B is a side view showing the position of the elevator main body 21 in the 2 nd elevating position L2. Fig. 3C is a side view showing the position of the elevator main body 21 in the 3 rd elevation position L3.

At the 1 st elevation position L1, the position of the elevator main body 21 is set such that the upper end of the elevator main body 21 is lower than the upper end of the conveying roller 16. At the elevation position L1, the elevator body 21 does not contact the firing container a conveyed on the conveying rollers 16. For example, when the firing container a is conveyed by the conveying rollers 16, the lifter 20 may be controlled to the lifting position L1.

At the 2 nd elevation position L2, the position of the elevator main body 21 is set to a predetermined height at which the firing container a held by the holding mechanism 30 is lifted to overlap below the firing container a. At the elevation position L2, for example, the lifted-up burning container a overlaps with the burning container a held by the holding mechanism 30. At this time, even if the holding by the holding mechanism 30 is released, the sintering container a can be held by the lifter 20.

At the 3 rd elevation position L3, the position of the elevator main body 21 is set to a height at which the firing container a is lifted up to be held by the holding mechanism 30. For example, the lifter 20 may be controlled to the raised/lowered position L3 when the firing container a lifted up by the lifter 20 is held by the holding mechanism 30 or when the firing container a held by the holding mechanism 30 is lowered.

< holding means 30 >

As shown in fig. 2, the holding mechanism 30 is a mechanism for holding the firing container a lifted by the lifter 20. The holding mechanism 30 includes two shafts 31, a plurality of holders 32, a seal member 33, and a refrigerant supply device 40. In this embodiment, three holding pieces 32 are attached to one shaft 31 at desired intervals. The three holders 32 may be attached to positions corresponding to the positions of the firing containers a arranged in three rows. Here, fig. 4 is a side view of the firing container a, and is a substantially rectangular shallow casing. The wall a1 stands on the peripheral edge of the firing container a. The center portion of the wall a1 along the substantially rectangular side is recessed. The recess a2 forms a gap through which an atmosphere gas flows when the firing containers a are stacked.

< shaft 31 >

The two shafts 31 penetrate through the through-holes of the furnace body 12. The shaft 31 has a hollow configuration. The shaft 31 is cylindrical in shape. The shaft 31 has a hollow formed in a range from one end to the other end. As the shaft 31, a metal having excellent heat resistance and strength is used, and for example, stainless steel, a nickel-based alloy described later, a nickel-based alloy containing chromium and molybdenum in a total amount of about 20 to 35 mass%, or the like can be used. In this embodiment, a shaft 31 made of stainless steel is used. The shaft 31 is provided before and after a predetermined position where the burning container a is lifted by the lifter 20 in the transport direction T1 (see fig. 1). The shaft 31 is rotatably supported by the pair of side walls 12b so as to penetrate in the width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction T1 (see fig. 2).

As shown in fig. 3A to 3C, the holder 32 includes a base portion 32a, an arm portion 32b, and a claw portion 32C. The base portion 32a is a cylindrical member and is attached to the shaft 31. The arm portion 32b is a plate-shaped portion extending downward from the outer peripheral surface of the base portion 32 a. In this embodiment, the arm portion 32b is provided on an inner side surface facing in the conveyance direction T1, among outer side surfaces of the base portion 32a attached to the shafts 31 provided in the front and rear of the conveyance direction T1. Thus, the arm 32b extends so as to sandwich the baking container a lifted by the lifter 20 from the front and the rear. The claw portion 32c is bent inward from the lower end of the arm portion 32 b. The claw portion 32c can support the bottom of the firing container a. In this way, in this embodiment, the shaft 31 is rotatably mounted on the pair of side walls 12b of the furnace body 12. The holder 32 has an arm portion 32b extending from the shaft 31 and a claw portion 32c bent from a lower end of the arm portion 32 b.

As the holder 32, a metal having high heat resistance and oxidation resistance, for example, a nickel-chromium-iron alloy, a nickel-based alloy, or the like is used. In the present specification, a nickel-chromium-iron alloy refers to an alloy in which the total content of nickel, chromium, and iron is 80 mass% or more, assuming that the entire alloy is 100 mass%. The total content of nickel, chromium, and iron may be 90 mass% or more, for example, 95 mass% or more. The content of nickel contained in the nickel-chromium-iron alloy may be, for example, 20 mass% or more and 35 mass% or less. The content of chromium may be, for example, 20 mass% or more and 25 mass% or less. The content of iron may be, for example, 40 mass% or more and 60 mass% or less. In the present specification, a nickel-based alloy means an alloy in which the content of nickel is 50 mass% or more when the entire alloy is 100 mass%. The content of nickel may be 70% by mass or more. The metal other than nickel may contain, for example, chromium and iron. The content of chromium may be 10 mass% or more and 25 mass% or less, assuming that the entire alloy is 100 mass%. The content of iron may be 20 mass% or less, or 5 mass% or less.

< sealing member 33 >

As shown in fig. 2, the seal member 33 is attached to a portion of the shaft 31 that penetrates the furnace body 12. In this embodiment, the furnace body 12 is provided with a casing 34 outside a portion through which the shaft 31 passes. A seal member 33 and a bearing 35 are mounted in the housing 34. The shaft 31 is rotatably supported by a bearing 35 in the housing 34. Further, the seal member 33 seals a gap between the shaft 31 and the housing 34. As the sealing member 33, for example, a carbon fiber-based gland packing, a rubber-based oil seal, a silicon-based sealing material, or the like is used. The atmosphere inside the furnace body 12 is prevented from leaking to the outside by the seal member 33.

The shaft 31 extends further outward from the housing 34, and is attached to a driving device 37 via an operating arm 36 extending in the radial direction of the shaft 31. Here, the driving device 37 is a cylinder device, and one end of the cylinder is fixed to a support piece 38 provided on the casing of the furnace body 12. The operation shaft 31 is rotationally operated by the drive device 37. A connector 39 connected to a refrigerant supply device 40 is provided at an end of the shaft 31. The connector 39 may be connected to the hollow portion of the shaft 31 and configured to supply the refrigerant to the hollow portion of the shaft 31.

The holding mechanism 30 is configured to open and close the holder 32 by rotating the shaft 31 in the circumferential direction by the driving device 37, thereby holding the firing container a. In this embodiment, the holding mechanism 30 is configured such that three holders 32 are simultaneously opened and closed when the shaft 31 is rotated. Therefore, the firing containers a arranged in three rows are held at the same time.

As shown in fig. 3A to 3C, the shafts 31 before and after the conveying direction T1 are rotated inward, respectively, and the arm portions 32b attached to the shafts 31 so as to hold the burning container a are closed. When the front and rear shafts 31 are rotated outward, the arm portions 32b attached to the shafts 31 so as to hold the firing container a are opened.

In the closed state H1 in which the arm portions 32b of the front and rear shafts 31 are closed, the claw portions 32c support the bottom of the firing container a, and thus hold the firing container a. In the open state H2 in which the arm portions 32b of the front and rear shafts 31 are open, the claw portions 32c are retracted to positions that do not interfere with the bottom of the firing container a. In this way, by controlling the driving device 37, the holder 32 of the holding mechanism 30 can be operated in the closed state H1 and the open state H2. Fig. 3A to 3C schematically show the structure. In fig. 3A to 3C, the side wall 12b of the furnace body 12 is not shown, and the driving device 37 of the holding mechanism 30 is shown. In the present embodiment, the holding mechanism 30 has a shaft 31 that is mounted on the side wall 12b, and is configured to supply the refrigerant from one end to the other end, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, a shaft penetrating the top wall 12c of the furnace body 12 may be used. The shaft may have a double pipe structure, for example, and the flow of the refrigerant may be folded back from the inner pipe to the outer pipe. A retainer may be attached to the end of the shaft.

< refrigerant supply device 40 >

As shown in fig. 2, the refrigerant supply device 40 supplies the refrigerant into the shaft 31. As the refrigerant, water or the like can be used. The temperature of the refrigerant supplied to the inside of the shaft 31 is, for example, a temperature lower than the atmospheric temperature of the conveyance space 12a, such as normal temperature. The type and temperature of the refrigerant are not particularly limited, and are appropriately set according to the ambient temperature of the conveyance space 12a, and the like. In this embodiment, connectors 39 are attached to both ends of the shaft 31. A refrigerant supply device 40 is connected to one end of the shaft 31 via a connector 39. From shaft 31 by refrigerant supply means 40 one end is supplied with refrigerant toward the other end. The method of supplying the refrigerant to the shaft 31 by the refrigerant supply device 40 is not particularly limited. For example, different refrigerant supply devices may be connected to the two shafts 31, and the refrigerant may be supplied to each of the shafts 31. Further, a circulation type refrigerant supply device may be used as the refrigerant supply device, and the same refrigerant may be circulated through the two shafts 31.

The refrigerant supply device 40 can appropriately supply the refrigerant to the inside of the shaft 31. For example, the laminating operation and the layering operation described later can be performed while supplying the refrigerant to the shaft 31. For example, when the stacking work or the layering work is performed in a high-temperature environment, the refrigerant may be appropriately supplied to the shaft 31.

As shown in fig. 2, the lifter 20, the holding mechanism 30, and the stopper 50 (refer to fig. 1) may be controlled by a control device 60. The control device may be configured to control, for example, the conveyance of the firing container a, the lifting of the lifter 20, and the opening and closing of the holder 32 of the holding mechanism 30. Here, the controller 60 is connected to the lifting device 24 that lifts the lifter 20 and the driving device 37 that drives the holding mechanism 30. As a control method, for example, various control methods such as sequence control can be employed. Further, the supply of the refrigerant by the refrigerant supply device 40 may also be controlled by the control device 60.

By the combination of the operations of the lifter 20 and the holding mechanism 30, the firing container a can be stacked or a plurality of firing containers a stacked separately can be stacked. Here, the operation of stacking a plurality of firing containers a is appropriately referred to as "stacking". The operation of separating the plurality of firing vessels a which are stacked is appropriately referred to as "layering". Here, the operation of layering the stacked fired containers a conveyed from the 1 st heating chamber 10a in the conveying direction T1 will be described, and then the layering operation will be described.

< layered operation >

In the layer-by-layer operation, a plurality of firing containers a are conveyed in a stacked state. The firing containers a are divided every predetermined number of layers. Here, as shown in fig. 1, an operation of separating and conveying the firing container a layer by layer will be exemplarily described.

As shown in fig. 3A, the controller 60 (see fig. 2) causes the lifter 20 to stand by at the 1 st elevation position L1 below the conveying roller 16. Further, as indicated by the two-dot chain line, the holding mechanism 30 is caused to stand by in an open state H2 in which the arm portion 32b is open. In this state, the control device 60 detects the burning container a at a predetermined position in the conveyance space 12a, and raises the stopper 50 at a predetermined timing. Thereby, the firing container a is stopped at a predetermined position lifted by the lifter 20.

As shown in fig. 3B, controller 60 raises lift 20 to 2 nd lift position L2. In this state, the arm portion 32b of the holding mechanism 30 is closed to the closed state H1, and the firing container a located above the lowermost firing container a among the stacked firing containers a is held by the holding mechanism 30. Then, as shown in fig. 3A, the controller 60 lowers the lifter 20, and waits for the lifter 20 to be at the 1 st elevation position L1 below the conveyance roller 16. This lowers the lowermost firing vessel a. The stopper 50 is lowered to be opened, and the fired container a is conveyed by the conveying roller 16. Thereby, the lowermost firing container a among the stacked firing containers a is separated and conveyed.

Next, as shown in fig. 3C, controller 60 raises lifter 20 to 3 rd lift position L3. Thus, the stacked remaining firing containers a held by the holding mechanism 30 are supported by the lifter 20. The controller 60 sets the holding mechanism 30 in the open state H2, and after lowering the lifter 20 to the 2 nd lifting position L2 as shown in fig. 3B, sets the holding mechanism 30 in the closed state H1. Thus, the lowermost firing container a of the stacked firing containers a is supported by the lifter 20. The firing container a located above the lowermost firing container a is held by the holding mechanism 30. In this state, as shown in fig. 3A, the controller 60 lowers the lifter 20 to the 1 st lifting position L1. Thereby, the lowermost firing container a is lowered and conveyed by the conveying rollers 16. In this way, the lowermost firing container a among the stacked firing containers a is divided.

After that, the above-described process is repeated by the control device 60. Thus, the stacked firing containers a are sequentially separated from below and conveyed by the conveying rollers 16. In the case of dividing the firing containers a into two levels, the height of the 2 nd elevation position L2 of the elevator 20 may be adjusted to a height corresponding to two firing containers a lowered from the 3 rd elevation position L3. Thereby, the fired container a is separated into two layers and conveyed in a state of being stacked into two layers. Similarly, the firing container a may be divided into a plurality of stacked (for example, three) firing containers.

< Stacking operation >

In the stacking operation of stacking the fired containers a conveyed in the conveying direction, the stopping of the fired containers a, the lifting of the fired containers a, and the holding of the fired containers a are repeated in accordance with the following steps.

Fig. 3A shows a state in which the firing container a is stopped during the stacking operation. Here, as shown in fig. 3A, the lifter 20 causes the lifter body 21 to stand by at a lifting position L1 located below the conveying roller 16. The holding mechanism 30 does not hold the firing container a, and stands by in an open state H2 in which the arm portion 32b is open, as shown by the two-dot chain line. In this state, when the burned container a is detected at a predetermined position in the conveyance space 12a, the control device 60 (see fig. 2) raises the stopper 50 at a predetermined timing. Thereby, the firing container a is stopped at a predetermined position lifted by the lifter 20. At this time, the rotation of the conveyance roller 16 may be stopped, or the conveyance roller 16 may be idled without stopping the rotation.

Next, as shown in fig. 3C, controller 60 raises lifter 20 to 3 rd lift position L3. Thereby, the firing container a is lifted to a height that can be held by the holding mechanism 30. Then, the arm portion 32b of the holding mechanism 30 is closed to the closed state H1 by the control device 60. Thus, the lifted-up firing container a is held by the holding mechanism 30. Then, as shown in fig. 3A, controller 60 lowers lifter 20, and makes lifter 20 stand by at 1 st raised/lowered position L1 below conveyor roller 16. The holding mechanism 30 is caused to stand by in a closed state H1 in which the firing container a is held. Thereby, the firing container a is held by the holding mechanism 30.

Subsequently, the burning container a is stopped at a predetermined position again by the stopper 50. Then, as shown in fig. 3B, the lifter 20 is raised to the 2 nd raising/lowering position L2, and the firing container a is overlapped under the firing container a held by the holding mechanism 30. Then, in a state where the firing container a is supported by the lifter 20, the holding mechanism 30 is set to the open state H2, and the claw portion 32c is pulled out from the firing container a. In this state, as shown in fig. 3C, controller 60 raises lifter 20 to 3 rd lift position L3. Thereby, the firing container a held by the holding mechanism 30 and the firing container a newly lifted by the lifter 20 are held at the height of the holding mechanism 30 in a superimposed state. Then, the controller 60 sets the holding mechanism 30 to the closed state H1. As a result, the lowermost firing container a among the firing containers a lifted up by the lifter 20 is supported by the claw portion 32c of the holding mechanism 30, and the firing containers a are held in a stacked state by the holding mechanism 30.

Then, as shown in fig. 3A, the lifter 20 may be lowered to wait at the 1 st lifting position L1 below the conveying roller 16. Then, the burning container a is stopped by the stopper 50. The lifter 20 is raised to the 2 nd elevating position L2, and the firing container a is lifted and stacked under the firing container a held by the holding mechanism 30 (see fig. 3B). The holding mechanism 30 is set to the open state H2, and the claw portion 32C is pulled out, and the lifter 20 is raised to the 3 rd lifting position L3 (see fig. 3C). The holding mechanism 30 is brought into the closed state H1, the stacked firing containers a were held. The lifter 20 is lowered to the 1 st elevation position L1 and stands by. The control device 60 repeats the above steps. In this way, the firing container a is stacked layer by layer.

When the firing containers a are conveyed by the conveying rollers 16 in two stages, the height of the 2 nd elevation position L2 of the elevator 20 can be adjusted so that the firing containers a lifted by the elevator 20 overlap below the firing containers a held by the holding mechanism 30. This also allows the firing container a to be stacked in two layers. Similarly, the firing container a can be laminated in each of a plurality of layers (for example, three layers).

In this way, the lifter 20 can be configured to lift the firing container a to a predetermined height, and the holding mechanism 30 can hold the firing containers a lifted by the lifter 20 by a predetermined number of layers or more from below. That is, the layering work and the stacking work can be performed for each desired number of layers.

As described above, the continuous firing furnace 10 has at least one furnace body 12 forming the continuous conveying space 12a for conveying the firing container a. The conveyance space 12a includes the 1 st heating chamber 10a, the layer number changing chamber 10b, and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c. The 1 st heating chamber 10a and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c are configured to convey the firing containers a in different numbers of layers. The number-of-layers changing chamber 10b is disposed between the 1 st heating chamber 10a and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c along the conveyance direction T1. The layer number changing chamber 10b includes a layer number changing member 11 for changing the number of layers of the firing container a to be conveyed. Since the stacking operation and the layering operation in the layer number changing chamber 10b take time, the temperature of the firing container a tends to decrease during the stacking operation and the layering operation. It also takes time to heat the firing container a, which has been lowered in temperature, to the heating temperature again. In the continuous firing furnace 10, the 1 st heating chamber 10a, the number-of-layers changing chamber 10b, and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c are provided in a conveyance space 12a formed by at least one furnace body 12, including the number-of-layers changing chamber 10b. Therefore, the firing container a can be maintained at a desired temperature in the layer number changing chamber 10b. Therefore, the time required for the heat treatment can be reduced, and the heat treatment can be efficiently performed on the object to be treated. The layer number changing chamber 10b may include a heater 14. In this case, for example, in the case where the main firing is performed in the 2 nd heating chamber 10c, the temperature of the firing container a can be made difficult to further decrease while the baking container stays in the layer number changing chamber 10b.

In this embodiment, the continuous firing furnace 10 has a replacement chamber 10d between the 1 st heating chamber 10a and the layer number changing chamber 10b. The continuous burning furnace 10 further includes a replacement chamber 10e between the layer number changing chamber 10b and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c. In this way, by providing the replacement chamber in at least one of the 1 st heating chamber 10a and the number-of-layers changing chamber 10b and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c, even when the heating conditions in the 1 st heating chamber 10a and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c are greatly different, the atmosphere in one can be prevented from leaking into the other.

In the above embodiment, as shown in fig. 1, the shaft 31 of the holding mechanism 30 of the continuous calcining furnace 10 is a hollow shaft and is connected to the coolant supply device 40. Therefore, the stacking work and the layering work can be performed while cooling the shaft 31. In this embodiment, the holding mechanism 30 is provided in a high-temperature environment in the continuous burning furnace 10. However, since the shaft 31 is cooled by the refrigerant supplied from the refrigerant supply device 40, the sealing performance of the sealing member 33 (see fig. 2) is ensured. Therefore, even if the stacking work or the layering work is performed in the high-temperature environment in the continuous burning furnace 10, the internal atmosphere is less likely to flow out through the shaft 31. Further, since deterioration of the seal member 33 is suppressed by cooling the shaft 31, the life of the seal member 33 can be prolonged. This structure can be suitably used for a continuous firing furnace for continuously firing a material to be processed at a high temperature.

In this embodiment, the holder 32 attached to the shaft 31 includes an arm portion 32b extending from the shaft 31 and a claw portion 32C bent from a lower end of the arm portion 32b (see fig. 3A to 3C). In this case, since the firing container a is held by the claw portions 32c at the lower ends of the arm portions 32b, it is difficult to deprive heat from the shaft 31 cooled by the refrigerant.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 2, the retaining mechanism 30 includes a plurality of retaining members 32. The plurality of holders 32 are disposed on the shaft 31 at intervals. With this configuration, the heating treatment and the layer number change can be simultaneously performed on the firing containers a arranged in a plurality of rows, and the treatment time can be shortened.

In this embodiment, the retainer 32 is composed of a nickel-chromium-iron alloy or a nickel-based alloy. With this structure, the durability of the holder 32 is also good in an atmosphere such as an oxidizing atmosphere, a reducing atmosphere, or a nitriding atmosphere. Further, the durability is good even when used in a high-temperature environment.

In this embodiment, the 1 st heating chamber 10a and the 2 nd heating chamber 10c include a plurality of conveyance rollers 16 arranged along the conveyance direction T1. With this configuration, the heat treatment can be performed with a larger number of layers, and the space of the apparatus can be saved. Further, the continuous burning furnace 10 can be used for heating at a higher temperature.

Although the above description has been given in detail with reference to specific embodiments, these embodiments are merely examples and do not limit the claims. As described above, the technology recited in the claims includes various modifications and changes to the above-described embodiments.

Claims

1. A continuous heating furnace having at least one furnace body forming a continuous conveying space for conveying a heating container, wherein,

the conveying space has a1 st heating chamber, a layer number changing chamber and a2 nd heating chamber,

the 1 st heating chamber and the 2 nd heating chamber are configured to convey the heating containers in different numbers of layers,

the number-of-layers changing chamber includes a number-of-layers changing member that is disposed between the 1 st heating chamber and the 2 nd heating chamber along a conveying direction and changes the number of layers of the heating containers being conveyed.

2. The continuous heating furnace according to claim 1,

the layer number changing chamber includes a heater.

3. The continuous heating furnace according to claim 1 or 2,

the continuous heating furnace further includes a replacement chamber at least one of between the 1 st heating chamber and the number-of-layers changing chamber and between the number-of-layers changing chamber and the 2 nd heating chamber.

4. The continuous heating furnace according to claim 1 or 2,

the 1 st heating chamber and the 2 nd heating chamber respectively comprise independent conveying mechanisms.

5. The continuous heating furnace according to claim 1 or 2,

the number-of-layers changing chamber includes a furnace wall,

the layer number changing means includes:

an elevator that elevates the heating container; and

a holding mechanism that holds the heating container lifted by the lifter,

the holding mechanism has:

a hollow shaft penetrating the furnace body;

a holder attached to the shaft;

a sealing member mounted on a portion of the shaft penetrating the furnace body; and

and a refrigerant supply device connected to the shaft and configured to supply a refrigerant to the hollow portion of the shaft.

6. The continuous heating furnace according to claim 5,

the furnace wall has a pair of side walls on both sides in a width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction,

the shaft is rotatably mounted to the pair of side walls,

the holder includes:

an arm extending from the shaft; and

and a claw portion bent from a lower end of the arm portion.

7. The continuous heating furnace according to claim 5,

the retaining mechanism comprises a plurality of the retaining members,

the plurality of holders are disposed on the shaft at intervals.

8. The continuous heating furnace according to claim 5,

the elevator lifts the heating container to a predetermined height,

the holding mechanism is configured to hold heating containers having a predetermined number of layers or more from below among the heating containers lifted up by the lifter.

9. The continuous heating furnace according to claim 5,

the holder is composed of a nickel-chromium-iron alloy or a nickel-based alloy.

10. The continuous heating furnace according to claim 1 or 2,

the 1 st heating chamber and the 2 nd heating chamber include a plurality of conveying rollers arranged along the conveying direction.