EP3824236B1 - Air lock - Google Patents
Air lock Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP3824236B1 EP3824236B1 EP19756317.4A EP19756317A EP3824236B1 EP 3824236 B1 EP3824236 B1 EP 3824236B1 EP 19756317 A EP19756317 A EP 19756317A EP 3824236 B1 EP3824236 B1 EP 3824236B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- airlock
- shaft
- gas
- workpiece
- gas inlet
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Active
Links
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 claims description 84
- 239000011261 inert gas Substances 0.000 claims description 36
- 238000005192 partition Methods 0.000 claims description 27
- 238000011010 flushing procedure Methods 0.000 claims description 12
- 239000000969 carrier Substances 0.000 claims description 8
- 230000001419 dependent effect Effects 0.000 claims 1
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 10
- 230000002000 scavenging effect Effects 0.000 description 7
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 description 6
- IJGRMHOSHXDMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N Atomic nitrogen Chemical compound N#N IJGRMHOSHXDMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- CURLTUGMZLYLDI-UHFFFAOYSA-N Carbon dioxide Chemical compound O=C=O CURLTUGMZLYLDI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 238000011109 contamination Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 229920001296 polysiloxane Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 238000011144 upstream manufacturing Methods 0.000 description 2
- QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N atomic oxygen Chemical compound [O] QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229910002092 carbon dioxide Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000001569 carbon dioxide Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000001143 conditioned effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 210000003746 feather Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 238000005755 formation reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000005484 gravity Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229910052757 nitrogen Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910052756 noble gas Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 150000002835 noble gases Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 229910052760 oxygen Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000001301 oxygen Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000002245 particle Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000005086 pumping Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000004064 recycling Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000001105 regulatory effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000007789 sealing Methods 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F27—FURNACES; KILNS; OVENS; RETORTS
- F27B—FURNACES, KILNS, OVENS, OR RETORTS IN GENERAL; OPEN SINTERING OR LIKE APPARATUS
- F27B9/00—Furnaces through which the charge is moved mechanically, e.g. of tunnel type; Similar furnaces in which the charge moves by gravity
- F27B9/04—Furnaces through which the charge is moved mechanically, e.g. of tunnel type; Similar furnaces in which the charge moves by gravity adapted for treating the charge in vacuum or special atmosphere
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F27—FURNACES; KILNS; OVENS; RETORTS
- F27D—DETAILS OR ACCESSORIES OF FURNACES, KILNS, OVENS, OR RETORTS, IN SO FAR AS THEY ARE OF KINDS OCCURRING IN MORE THAN ONE KIND OF FURNACE
- F27D99/00—Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- F27D99/0073—Seals
- F27D2099/0078—Means to minimize the leakage of the furnace atmosphere during charging or discharging
Definitions
- the present invention relates to an air lock with a housing that has a front inlet opening, a rear outlet opening and a lock shaft running in between, through which a transport device passes, which is connected to workpiece carriers in such a way that workpieces arranged thereon can be transported through the lock shaft.
- airlocks are closed inlet locks especially for ovens, such as from the GB515121A known and exemplified in 1 shown.
- the infeed lock 1 shown here is arranged upstream of a furnace 2 in the transport direction 3 and is designed as a closed infeed lock 1 .
- the inlet sluice 1 has a front opening 4 through which the workpieces are introduced into the sluice shaft 6 with a transport device 5 .
- the transport device is designed as a carrier that is pushed into the lock shaft complete with the workpieces arranged on it using the pushing method.
- the sluice shaft 6 is then closed and the air in it is drawn off, so that a vacuum forms in the sluice shaft 6 .
- the lock shaft 6 is then opened towards the furnace 2 and the workpieces can be transported into the furnace 2 without the atmosphere prevailing here being contaminated by air, oxygen and/or other gases.
- an airlock which at least partially eliminates the problems of the prior art.
- an airlock should be specified, the one cost-effective and comparatively fast transport of the workpieces through the air lock.
- the transport device is connected at least indirectly (i.e. directly or indirectly) to partitions arranged transversely to the transport direction, which each delimit workpiece chambers to the front and rear, with the lock shaft having at least one first gas inlet opening and at least one first gas outlet opening, which are located within the Lock shaft open into a workpiece chamber, so that an inert gas can be introduced into the workpiece chamber through the gas inlet opening, which flows through the workpiece chamber from the gas inlet opening to the gas outlet opening.
- the lock shaft is closed by a plurality of partitions arranged one behind the other, between which a workpiece chamber is formed in each case.
- the workpiece chambers are not delimited laterally, downwards and upwards by separate partition walls, but by the lock shaft itself, in which the at least one gas inlet opening and the at least one gas outlet opening are arranged at suitable points and transverse to the transport direction.
- the workpiece chambers When leaving the air lock, the workpiece chambers are then completely filled with inert gas and the atmosphere located behind the lock, for example in a furnace, is not contaminated by gas or air from the outside.
- the workpieces arranged in the workpiece chambers can be transported through the lock shaft continuously or in a clocked manner and comparatively quickly and cost-effectively.
- the device is easily constructed and easy to maintain, which means that the manufacturing costs are also comparatively low.
- the lock shaft is delimited laterally by shaft walls and/or downwards by a shaft floor and/or upwards by a fixedly or movably mounted shaft cover.
- the partitions which are loosely mounted on the transport device, lie within the lock shaft at least in regions on the shaft walls, shaft floor and shaft ceiling, so that gas exchange between two adjacent workpiece chambers in the transport direction is blocked.
- the movably mounted manhole cover is preferably suspended from a number of springs, so that the pressure with which the manhole cover rests on the partition walls can be regulated. Increased pressure ensures additional tightness, but care must be taken to avoid the partition walls wearing out quickly as a result of excessive pressure.
- the manhole cover can also be freely suspended, so that gravity ensures that the manhole cover rests on the partition walls. This also makes it possible to compensate for wear and tear caused by wear and tear, in particular on the upper side of the partition walls, manufacturing tolerances and/or heat-related distortion.
- the shaft walls, the shaft floor and/or in particular the shaft ceiling can have a thin silicone seal, which increases the ability to slide and the tightness.
- the partition walls can have a seal, in particular a silicone seal, partially or completely at the edges.
- the at least one gas inlet opening and the at least one gas outlet opening are preferably arranged on the side and opposite one another on the lock shaft.
- the gas inlet opening and the gas outlet opening are preferably each connected to a flushing channel.
- the inert gas can be introduced through the scavenging duct on the gas inlet opening side and the gas-air mixture can be discharged at the scavenging duct on the gas outlet opening side and possibly fed to a recycling plant where the inert gas is separated from the other gas components for reuse.
- the gas inlet opening and the gas outlet opening have at least twice the width of a workpiece chamber, so that at least two adjacent workpiece chambers can Purged with inert gas, with inert gas flowing through the workpiece chambers in the same direction. Due to the fact that the inert gas has the same flow direction and preferably the same flow rate, there are no eddy formations at the ends and sealing surfaces of the partition walls, which would otherwise cause an undesired gas exchange.
- the flushing channel opens into the lock shaft several times via a number of gas inlet openings and a number of gas outlet openings.
- the flushing process can be carried out several times, so that even the last residual components of foreign gas are removed and replaced by inert gas.
- the gas inlet openings and the gas outlet openings are arranged in such a way that the workpiece chambers are flushed in pairs in alternating directions with inert gas. For example, if the first flushing process takes place from left to right, the subsequent gas inlet and gas outlet openings are arranged in such a way that the flushing process is carried out from right to left, etc.
- the present air lock with the transport device allows both a continuous and a cycle-bound transport of the workpieces.
- the transport device preferably has two chains, each of which runs on a guide.
- the workpiece carriers can be attached to such chains, which in turn are connected to the partition walls.
- the partitions are preferably connected to the workpiece carriers with L-shaped profile pieces, which preferably have an elongated hole for fastening the partitions, which allow the partitions to be mounted loosely and within limits movable. As a result, height differences caused by wear and heat-related distortion are automatically compensated.
- the scavenging gas or the inert gas can be conditioned. After this, the volume flow, the flow speed, the pressure, the temperature, the humidity and/or the particle load of the (inert) gas can be set according to the requirements.
- the airlock can be used for any application. According to a preferred embodiment, however, the exit opening of the air lock is connected to an oven. Such a furnace can also be equipped with one at the exit corresponding air lock so that the inert gas contained in the workpiece chambers can be collected and reused.
- an inert gas is used that does not lead to any contamination within the application.
- Nitrogen, carbon dioxide and all noble gases are usually suitable as possible inert gases.
- FIG. 2 shows the simplest embodiment of an air lock 10 according to the invention, which has a housing 11 with a front inlet opening 12 and a rear outlet opening 13 .
- the lock shaft 14 is formed, through which a transport device 15 passes.
- the transport device 15 is connected to workpiece carriers 16 on which workpieces 17 can be arranged.
- the workpiece carrier 16 is a blade holder, on which various blades are lined up as workpieces 17, which are placed in a furnace downstream of the air lock 10 (in 2 not shown) are supplied.
- dividing walls 18 which are aligned transversely to the transport direction 3 and close the lock shaft 14 in the transport direction 3 are fastened on the transport device 15 .
- a workpiece chamber 19 is formed between each of two partition walls 18 and is delimited to the front and rear within the air lock 10 by the partition walls 18 and otherwise by the lock shaft 14 .
- the lock shaft 14 has a lateral gas inlet opening 20 and a gas outlet opening 21 opposite.
- the workpiece chamber 19b that is transported further, there is at best only inert gas, so that the workpiece 17 can be released at the outlet opening 13 without contamination of the atmosphere.
- the gas inlet opening 20 and the gas outlet opening 21 are at least twice as wide as a workpiece chamber 19, so that two workpiece chambers 19 arranged next to one another are flushed with inert gas at the same time, with the Inert gas flows through both workpiece chambers 19 in the same direction.
- the air lock 10 has a plurality of gas inlet openings 20 and a plurality of gas outlet openings 21, which are each connected to a flushing channel 24 outside of the lock shaft 14, through which the inert gas or the inert gas-gas mixture can flow multiple times and in different directions flows through the workpiece chambers 19.
- all gas inlet openings 21 and all gas outlet openings 22 have twice the width of a workpiece chamber 19, so that two adjacent workpiece chambers 19 are flushed with inert gas at the same time and in the same direction.
- the flow directions of the inert gas are in 3 marked with the arrows 25 which also pass through the arcuate scavenging channels 24 connecting a gas inlet port 21 to an adjacent gas outlet port 20 on the same side of the housing 11 respectively.
- a distance of at least one workpiece chamber width is provided between them, so that turbulence caused by the flow at the partitions 18 is avoided.
- the scavenging channels 24 have wall sections 32 arranged in the center, so that each side of the scavenging channel 24 has the width of a workpiece chamber 19 . This results in a uniform flushing of two adjacent workpiece chambers 19 because no pressure differences build up and the inert gas flows in both workpiece chambers 19 at the same speed.
- the rinsing processes are connected quasi "in series" and the flow of inert gas is directed in the opposite direction to the transport direction 3 of the workpieces 17 .
- each workpiece chamber 19 is first flushed with a mixture of inert gas and gas from the original atmosphere during transport through the lock shaft 14 because the mixture has already flowed through several other workpiece chambers 19 and has absorbed gas from the original atmosphere there.
- a “parallel connection” is also provided, in which the workpiece chambers 19 are directly connected to an inert gas source and each rinsing process is carried out with pure inert gas.
- an alternating flushing direction is advantageous and is therefore provided.
- the workpiece chambers 19 can each be connected to its own inert gas source or a common inert gas source with suitable supply lines can be used.
- the transport device 15 is designed as a chain 26 which runs on a guide 27 .
- Workpiece carriers 16 are mounted on the chain 26, which carry the workpieces 17 (here hold razor blades).
- the workpiece carriers 16 are connected to the dividing walls 18 via L-shaped profile pieces 28 in such a way that the dividing walls 18 bear against the shaft base 29 and the shaft ceiling 30 . This prevents gas exchange between two adjacent workpiece chambers 19 in the transport direction 3 .
- the flow of the inert gas or the inert gas-gas mixture is in 4 represented by the circled dots and the circled crosses, respectively.
- figure 5 shows a further cross-sectional view of the airlock 10 seen in the transport direction 3, which points in the plane of the page (see cross-section YY from 4 ).
- the partition walls 18 are in contact with the lock shaft 14 on all sides, so that a gas exchange in the transport direction 3 is avoided.
- the 6 and 7 correspond to the cross-sectional views of FIG 4 and 5 ,
- a movably mounted manhole cover 30 being provided in the exemplary embodiments shown.
- the shaft cover 30 is suspended on springs 31 in the lock shaft 14 so that the shaft cover 30 rests on the partition walls 18 with an adjustable pressure. In this way, differences in height of the partition walls 18 caused by wear can be compensated for.
- FIG. 8 a perspective view of a specific embodiment of the air lock 10 according to the invention, which is upstream of a furnace 2, so that there is a constant and oxygen-free atmosphere in the furnace 2.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Tunnel Furnaces (AREA)
- Furnace Details (AREA)
- Lock And Its Accessories (AREA)
- Window Of Vehicle (AREA)
- Glass Compositions (AREA)
Description
Die vorliegende Erfindung betrifft eine Luftschleuse mit einem Gehäuse, das eine vordere Eingangsöffnung, eine hintere Ausgangsöffnung und einen dazwischen verlaufenden Schleusenschacht aufweist, der von einer Transportvorrichtung durchgriffen ist, die mit Werkstückträgern derart verbunden ist, dass hierauf angeordnete Werkstücke durch den Schleusenschacht transportierbar sind. Derartige Luftschleusen sind als geschlossene Einlaufschleusen insbesondere für Ofen, wie z.B. aus der
Solche geschlossenen Einlaufschleusen sind nachteilbehaftet, weil sie ausschließlich einen taktgebundenen Transport der Werkstücke ermöglichen und weil das komplette Abpumpen der im Schleusenschacht befindlichen Luft zeit- und kostenintensiv ist.Such closed inlet sluices are disadvantageous because they only allow the workpieces to be transported in a clocked manner and because the complete pumping out of the air in the sluice shaft is time-consuming and costly.
Hiervon ausgehend ist es die Aufgabe der vorliegenden Erfindung, eine Luftschleuse anzugeben, die die Probleme des Standes der Technik zumindest teilweise behebt. Insbesondere soll eine Luftschleuse angegeben werden, die einen kostenschonenden und vergleichsweise schnellen Transport der Werkstücke durch die Luftschleuse ermöglicht.Proceeding from this, it is the object of the present invention to specify an airlock which at least partially eliminates the problems of the prior art. In particular, an airlock should be specified, the one cost-effective and comparatively fast transport of the workpieces through the air lock.
Diese Aufgabe wird durch die Luftschleuse nach Anspruch 1 gelöst. Erfindungsgemäß ist vorgesehen, dass die Transportvorrichtung zumindest mittelbar (also mittelbar oder unmittelbar) mit quer zur Transportrichtung angeordneten Trennwänden verbunden ist, die jeweils Werkstückkammern nach vorne und hinten begrenzen, wobei der Schleusenschacht mindestens eine erste Gaseinlassöffnung und mindestens eine erste Gasauslassöffnung aufweist, die innerhalb des Schleusenschachtes in eine Werkstückkammer münden, so dass durch die Gaseinlassöffnung ein Inertgas in die Werkstückkammer einleitbar ist, das die Werkstückkammer von der Gaseinlassöffnung bis zur Gasauslassöffnung durchströmt.This object is solved by the airlock according to claim 1. According to the invention, it is provided that the transport device is connected at least indirectly (i.e. directly or indirectly) to partitions arranged transversely to the transport direction, which each delimit workpiece chambers to the front and rear, with the lock shaft having at least one first gas inlet opening and at least one first gas outlet opening, which are located within the Lock shaft open into a workpiece chamber, so that an inert gas can be introduced into the workpiece chamber through the gas inlet opening, which flows through the workpiece chamber from the gas inlet opening to the gas outlet opening.
Mit anderen Worten wird der Schleusenschacht in Transportrichtung gesehen durch mehrere hintereinander angeordnete Trennwände verschlossen, zwischen denen jeweils eine Werkstückkammer ausgebildet ist. Zur Seite, nach unten und nach oben werden die Werkstückkammern allerdings nicht durch separate Trennwände, sondern durch den Schleusenschacht selbst begrenzt, in dem an geeigneten Stellen und quer zur Transportrichtung die mindestens eine Gaseinlassöffnung und die mindestens eine Gasauslassöffnung angeordnet sind. Sobald eine Werkstückkammer beim Transport durch den Schleusenschacht an der Gaseinlass- und Gasauslassöffnung vorbeigeführt wird, wird die Werkstückkammer mit Inertgas durchströmt und das vorherige Gas-Luftgemisch wird durch die Gasauslassöffnung abgeführt. Beim Verlassen der Luftschleuse sind die Werkstückkammern dann vollständig mit Inertgas gefüllt und die hinter der Schleuse befindliche Atmosphäre, beispielsweise in einem Ofen, wird nicht durch Gas oder Luft vom außen verunreinigt. Hierdurch können die in den Werkstückkammern angeordneten Werkstücke kontinuierlich oder auch taktgebunden und vergleichsweise schnell sowie kostenschonend durch den Schleusenschacht transportiert werden. Zudem ist die Vorrichtung leicht aufgebaut und leicht zu warten, womit auch die Herstellkosten vergleichsweise gering sind.In other words, seen in the direction of transport, the lock shaft is closed by a plurality of partitions arranged one behind the other, between which a workpiece chamber is formed in each case. The workpiece chambers are not delimited laterally, downwards and upwards by separate partition walls, but by the lock shaft itself, in which the at least one gas inlet opening and the at least one gas outlet opening are arranged at suitable points and transverse to the transport direction. As soon as a workpiece chamber is transported past the gas inlet and gas outlet openings during transport through the lock shaft, inert gas flows through the workpiece chamber and the previous gas-air mixture is discharged through the gas outlet opening. When leaving the air lock, the workpiece chambers are then completely filled with inert gas and the atmosphere located behind the lock, for example in a furnace, is not contaminated by gas or air from the outside. As a result, the workpieces arranged in the workpiece chambers can be transported through the lock shaft continuously or in a clocked manner and comparatively quickly and cost-effectively. In addition, the device is easily constructed and easy to maintain, which means that the manufacturing costs are also comparatively low.
Bevorzugte Ausführungsformen der vorliegenden Erfindung werden nachfolgend und in den Unteransprüchen angegeben.Preferred embodiments of the present invention are given below and in the subclaims.
Nach einer ersten bevorzugten Ausgestaltung der vorliegenden Erfindung ist vorgesehen, dass der Schleusenschacht seitlich durch Schachtwände und/oder nach unten durch einen Schachtboden und/oder nach oben durch eine fest oder beweglich gelagerte Schachtdecke begrenzt ist. Dabei liegen die Trennwände, die lose an der Transportvorrichtung gelagert sind, innerhalb des Schleusenschachtes zumindest bereichsweise an den Schachtwänden, am Schachtboden und an der Schachtdecke an, so dass ein Gasaustausch zwischen zwei benachbarten Werkstückkammern in Transportrichtung blockiert ist. Die beweglich gelagerte Schachtdecke ist vorzugsweise an mehreren Federn aufgehängt, so dass der Druck regulierbar ist, mit der die Schachtdecke auf den Trennwänden aufliegt. Ein erhöhter Druck sorgt für eine zusätzliche Dichtigkeit, wobei jedoch zu vermeiden ist, dass die Trennwände durch einen überhöhten Druck schnell verschleißen. Alternativ zu einer federnd gelagerten Schachtdecke kann die Schachtdecke auch frei hängend angeordnet sein, so dass die Gravitation für eine Auflage der Schachtdecke auf den Trennwänden sorgt. Auch hierdurch können verschleißbedingte Abnutzungserscheinungen insbesondere auf der Oberseite der Trennwände, Fertigungstoleranzen und/oder ein hitzebedingter Verzug ausgeglichen werden. Die Schachtwände, der Schachtboden und/oder insbesondere die Schachtdecke können eine dünne Silikondichtung aufweisen, was das Gleitvermögen und die Dichtigkeit erhöht. Alternativ und/oder additiv können die Trennwände an den Rändern teilweise oder vollständig eine Dichtung, insbesondere eine Silikondichtung, aufweisen.According to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is provided that the lock shaft is delimited laterally by shaft walls and/or downwards by a shaft floor and/or upwards by a fixedly or movably mounted shaft cover. The partitions, which are loosely mounted on the transport device, lie within the lock shaft at least in regions on the shaft walls, shaft floor and shaft ceiling, so that gas exchange between two adjacent workpiece chambers in the transport direction is blocked. The movably mounted manhole cover is preferably suspended from a number of springs, so that the pressure with which the manhole cover rests on the partition walls can be regulated. Increased pressure ensures additional tightness, but care must be taken to avoid the partition walls wearing out quickly as a result of excessive pressure. As an alternative to a spring-loaded manhole cover, the manhole cover can also be freely suspended, so that gravity ensures that the manhole cover rests on the partition walls. This also makes it possible to compensate for wear and tear caused by wear and tear, in particular on the upper side of the partition walls, manufacturing tolerances and/or heat-related distortion. The shaft walls, the shaft floor and/or in particular the shaft ceiling can have a thin silicone seal, which increases the ability to slide and the tightness. Alternatively and/or additionally, the partition walls can have a seal, in particular a silicone seal, partially or completely at the edges.
Die mindestens eine Gaseinlassöffnung und die mindestens eine Gasauslassöffnung sind vorzugsweise seitlich und gegenüberliegend am Schleusenschacht angeordnet. Hierdurch durchströmt das Inertgas von der Gaseinlassöffnung bis zur Gasauslassöffnung die gesamte Werkstückkammer, so dass allenfalls bei einem schnellen Transport geringfügige Restbestandteile der ursprünglichen Atmosphäre in der Werkstückkammer zurückbleiben.The at least one gas inlet opening and the at least one gas outlet opening are preferably arranged on the side and opposite one another on the lock shaft. As a result, the inert gas flows through the entire workpiece chamber from the gas inlet opening to the gas outlet opening, so that at most minor residual components of the original atmosphere remain in the workpiece chamber during rapid transport.
Außerhalb des Schleusenschachtes sind die Gaseinlassöffnung und die Gasauslassöffnung vorzugsweise jeweils mit einem Spülkanal verbunden. Durch den gaseinlassöffnungsseitigen Spülkanal kann das Inertgas eingeleitet werden und das Gasluftgemisch kann am gasauslassöffnungsseitigen Spülkanal abgeführt und ggf. einer Recyclinganlage zugeführt werden, wo das Inertgas von den übrigen Gasbestandteilen zur Wiederverwendung getrennt wird.Outside the lock shaft, the gas inlet opening and the gas outlet opening are preferably each connected to a flushing channel. The inert gas can be introduced through the scavenging duct on the gas inlet opening side and the gas-air mixture can be discharged at the scavenging duct on the gas outlet opening side and possibly fed to a recycling plant where the inert gas is separated from the other gas components for reuse.
Um auch einen geringfügigen Gasaustausch zwischen zwei benachbarten Werkstückkammern an den Rändern der Trennwände zu vermeiden, ist nach einer bevorzugten Ausgestaltung der vorliegenden Erfindung vorgesehen, dass die Gaseinlassöffnung und die Gasauslassöffnung mindestens die doppelte Breite einer Werkstückkammer aufweisen, so dass jeweils mindestens zwei benachbarte Werkstückkammern zeitgleich mit Inertgas gespült werden, wobei die Werkstückkammern in die gleiche Richtung mit Inertgas durchströmt werden. Dadurch, dass eine gleiche Strömungsrichtung und vorzugsweise eine gleiche Strömungsgeschwindigkeit des Inertgases vorliegen, kommt es an den Enden und Dichtflächen der Trennwände zu keinen Wirbelbildungen, die anderenfalls einen unerwünschten Gasaustausch hervorrufen.In order to also avoid a slight gas exchange between two adjacent workpiece chambers at the edges of the partition walls, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is provided that the gas inlet opening and the gas outlet opening have at least twice the width of a workpiece chamber, so that at least two adjacent workpiece chambers can Purged with inert gas, with inert gas flowing through the workpiece chambers in the same direction. Due to the fact that the inert gas has the same flow direction and preferably the same flow rate, there are no eddy formations at the ends and sealing surfaces of the partition walls, which would otherwise cause an undesired gas exchange.
Um auch letzte Restbestandteile des ursprünglichen Gases innerhalb der Werkstückkammern zu entfernen, ist nach einer bevorzugten Ausgestaltung der Erfindung vorgesehen, dass der Spülkanal mehrfach über mehrere Gaseinlassöffnungen und mehrere Gasauslassöffnungen in den Schleusenschacht mündet. Hierdurch kann der Spülvorgang mehrfach durchgeführt werden, so dass auch letzte Restbestandteile von Fremdgas abgeführt und durch Inertgas ersetzt werden.In order to also remove the last remaining components of the original gas within the workpiece chambers, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the flushing channel opens into the lock shaft several times via a number of gas inlet openings and a number of gas outlet openings. As a result, the flushing process can be carried out several times, so that even the last residual components of foreign gas are removed and replaced by inert gas.
Um bei dem mehrfachen Spülen zu vermeiden, dass sich Restgas in Bereichen ansammelt, die von der Inertgasströmung innerhalb einer Werkstückkammer nicht erreicht werden, beispielsweise in Strömungsschatten, ist vorzugsweise vorgesehen, dass die Gaseinlassöffnungen und die Gasauslassöffnungen derart angeordnet sind, dass die Werkstückkammern paarweise in alternierender Richtung mit Inertgas gespült werden. Findet der erste Spülvorgang beispielsweise von links nach rechts statt, sind die darauffolgenden Gaseinlass- und Gasauslassöffnungen derart angeordnet, dass der Spülvorgang von rechts nach links durchgeführt wird, usw. Dabei besteht zwischen einer Gaseinlassöffnung und einer benachbarten Gasauslassöffnung an der gleichen Seite des Schleusenschachtes ein Abstand von mindestens einer Werkstückkammerbreite, so dass ein gegenläufiger Luftstrom zwischen zwei benachbarten Werkstückkammern vermieden wird, was anderenfalls aufgrund von Verwirbelungen an den Trennwandrändern zu einem unerwünschten Gasaustausch führen würde.In order to prevent residual gas from accumulating in areas that cannot be reached by the inert gas flow within a workpiece chamber during multiple flushing, for example in flow shadows, it is preferably provided that the gas inlet openings and the gas outlet openings are arranged in such a way that the workpiece chambers are flushed in pairs in alternating directions with inert gas. For example, if the first flushing process takes place from left to right, the subsequent gas inlet and gas outlet openings are arranged in such a way that the flushing process is carried out from right to left, etc. There is a distance between a gas inlet opening and an adjacent gas outlet opening on the same side of the lock shaft of at least one workpiece chamber width, so that an opposing air flow between two adjacent workpiece chambers is avoided, which would otherwise lead to an undesired gas exchange due to turbulence at the partition wall edges.
Die vorliegende Luftschleuse mit der Transportvorrichtung erlaubt sowohl einen kontinuierlichen als auch einen taktgebundenen Transport der Werkstücke. Dabei weist die Transportvorrichtung vorzugsweise zwei Ketten auf, die jeweils auf einer Führung ablaufen. An solchen Ketten lassen sich die Werkstückträger befestigen, die wiederum mit den Trennwänden verbunden sind. Die Verbindung der Trennwände an den Werkstückträgern erfolgt vorzugsweise mit L-förmigen Profilstücken, die zur Befestigung der Trennwände vorzugsweise ein Langloch aufweisen, die eine lose und in Grenzen bewegliche Lagerung der Trennwände erlauben. Hierdurch gleichen sich verschleißbedingte Höhenunterschiede und ein hitzebedingter Verzug automatisch aus.The present air lock with the transport device allows both a continuous and a cycle-bound transport of the workpieces. The transport device preferably has two chains, each of which runs on a guide. The workpiece carriers can be attached to such chains, which in turn are connected to the partition walls. The partitions are preferably connected to the workpiece carriers with L-shaped profile pieces, which preferably have an elongated hole for fastening the partitions, which allow the partitions to be mounted loosely and within limits movable. As a result, height differences caused by wear and heat-related distortion are automatically compensated.
Um mit einer vorschlagsgemäßen Luftschleuse ein sauberes Spülergebnis zu erzielen, ist vorzugsweise vorgesehen, dass zumindest ein Teil des Spülgases bzw. des Inertgases konditioniert werden kann. Hiernach kann der Volumenstrom, die Strömungsgeschwindigkeit, der Druck, die Temperatur, die Feuchtigkeit und/oder die Partikelbelastung des (Inert-)gases den Anforderungen entsprechend eingestellt werden.In order to achieve a clean scavenging result with a proposed air lock, it is preferably provided that at least part of the scavenging gas or the inert gas can be conditioned. After this, the volume flow, the flow speed, the pressure, the temperature, the humidity and/or the particle load of the (inert) gas can be set according to the requirements.
Die Luftschleuse ist für beliebige Anwendungszwecke verwendbar. Nach einer bevorzugten Ausgestaltung ist die Ausgangsöffnung der Luftschleuse jedoch mit einem Ofen verbunden. Ein solcher Ofen kann auch am Ausgang mit einer entsprechenden Luftschleuse verbunden sein, so dass das in den Werkstückkammern enthaltene Inertgas aufgefangen und wiederverwendet werden kann.The airlock can be used for any application. According to a preferred embodiment, however, the exit opening of the air lock is connected to an oven. Such a furnace can also be equipped with one at the exit corresponding air lock so that the inert gas contained in the workpiece chambers can be collected and reused.
Je nach Anwendungsgebiet wird ein Inertgas eingesetzt, dass zu keinen Verunreinigungen innerhalb der Anwendung führt. Üblicherweise eignen sich Stickstoff, Kohlenstoffdioxid und alle Edelgase als mögliche Inertgase.Depending on the area of application, an inert gas is used that does not lead to any contamination within the application. Nitrogen, carbon dioxide and all noble gases are usually suitable as possible inert gases.
Eine konkrete Ausgestaltung der vorliegenden Erfindung wird nachfolgend anhand der Figuren erläutert.A specific embodiment of the present invention is explained below with reference to the figures.
Es zeigen:
- Fig. 1
- einen Ofen mit einer Luftschleuse nach dem Stand der Technik,
- Fig. 2 bis 7
- unterschiedliche Querschnittsansichten einer Luftschleuse und
- Fig. 8
- eine perspektivische Darstellung einer Luftschleuse.
- 1
- a prior art furnace with an airlock,
- Figures 2 to 7
- different cross-sectional views of an airlock and
- 8
- a perspective view of an airlock.
Der Schleusenschacht 14 besitzt eine seitliche Gaseinlassöffnung 20 und eine gegenüberliegende Gasauslassöffnung 21. Durch die Gaseinlassöffnung 20 kann Inertgas in Pfeilrichtung 22 in die Werkstückkammer 19a eingeleitet werden, so dass das zuvor hierin befindliche Gasgemisch aus der Gasauslassöffnung 21 in Pfeilrichtung 23 abgegeben wird. In der weiter transportierten Werkstückkammer 19b befindet sich bestenfalls ausschließlich Inertgas, so dass das Werkstück 17 ohne eine Verunreinigung der Atmosphäre an der Ausgangsöffnung 13 abgegeben werden kann.The
Um den Grad des Gasaustausches innerhalb der Werkstückkammern 19 zu erhöhen, ist vorzugsweise vorgesehen, dass die Gaseinlassöffnung 20 und die Gasauslassöffnung 21 mindestens doppelt so breit ist, wie eine Werkstückkammer 19, so dass zeitgleich zwei nebeneinander angeordnete Werkstückkammern 19 mit Inertgas gespült werden, wobei das Inertgas beide Werkstückkammern 19 in gleicher Richtung durchströmt.In order to increase the degree of gas exchange within the
Die Spülkanäle 24 besitzen in der dargestellten Ausführungsform mittig angeordnete Wandabschnitte 32, so dass jede Seite des Spülkanals 24 die Breite einer Werkstückkammer 19 aufweist. Hierdurch ergibt sich eine gleichmäßige Spülung zweier benachbarter Werkstückkammern 19, weil sich keine Druckunterschiede aufbauen und das Inertgas in beiden Werkstückkammern 19 mit gleicher Geschwindigkeit strömt.In the illustrated embodiment, the scavenging
Mit der in
Alternativ zu einer solchen "Reihenschaltung" der Spülvorgänge ist auch eine "Parallelschaltung" vorgesehen, bei der die Werkstückkammern 19 unmittelbar mit einer Inertgasquelle verbunden sind und jeder Spülvorgang mit reinem Inertgas durchgeführt wird. Auch hierbei ist eine alternierende Spülrichtung vorteilhaft und demzufolge vorgesehen. Die Werkstückkammern 19 können jeweils mit einer eigenen Inertgasquelle verbunden sein oder es kann eine gemeinsame Inertgasquelle mit geeigneten Zuleitungen eingesetzt werden.As an alternative to such a "series connection" of the rinsing processes, a "parallel connection" is also provided, in which the
Die
Schließlich zeigt
- 11
- Einlaufschleuseinlet lock
- 22
- Ofenoven
- 33
- Transportrichtungtransport direction
- 44
- vordere Öffnungfront opening
- 55
- Transportvorrichtungtransport device
- 66
- Schleusenschachtlock shaft
- 1010
- Luftschleuseairlock
- 1111
- GehäuseHousing
- 1212
- vordere Einlassöffnungfront intake port
- 1313
- hintere Ausgangsöffnungrear exit opening
- 1414
- Schleusenschachtlock shaft
- 1515
- Transportvorrichtungtransport device
- 1616
- Werkstückträgerworkpiece carrier
- 1717
- Werkstückworkpiece
- 1818
- Trennwandpartition wall
- 1919
- Werkstückkammerworkpiece chamber
- 2020
- Gaseinlassöffnunggas inlet port
- 2121
- Gasauslassöffnunggas outlet port
- 2222
- Pfeilrichtungarrow direction
- 2323
- Pfeilrichtungarrow direction
- 2424
- Spülkanalflushing channel
- 2525
- Pfeilrichtungarrow direction
- 2626
- KetteChain
- 2727
- Führungguide
- 2828
- Profilstückprofile piece
- 2929
- Schachtbodenshaft bottom
- 3030
- Schachtdeckemanhole cover
- 3131
- Federnfeathers
- 3232
- Wandabschnittewall sections
Claims (13)
- Airlock with a housing (11) which has a front inlet opening (12), a rear outlet opening (13) and an airlock shaft (14) extending therebetween, which is passed through by a transport device (15), which is connected to workpiece carriers (16) such that workpieces (17) arranged thereon can be transported through the airlock shaft (14), wherein- the transport device (15) is at least indirectly connected to partition walls (18) arranged transversely to the direction of transport (3), the partition walls (18) each delimiting workpiece chambers (19) to the front and rear,characterized in that- the airlock shaft (14) has at least one first gas inlet opening (20) and at least one first gas outlet opening (21), which open into a workpiece chamber (19) within the airlock shaft (14), so that an inert gas can be introduced into the workpiece chamber (19) through the gas inlet opening (20), the inert gas flowing through the workpiece chamber (19) from the gas inlet opening (20) to the gas outlet opening (21).
- Airlock according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the airlock shaft (14) is delimited- laterally by shaft walls and/or- downwardly by a shaft floor (29) and/or- upwardly by a fixed or movably mounted shaft ceiling (30).
- Airlock according to claim 2, wherein the partition walls (18) within the airlock shaft (14) abut the shaft walls, the shaft floor (29), and the shaft ceiling (30) at least in some regions, so that a gas exchange between two workpiece chambers (19) is blocked in the direction of transport (3).
- Airlock according to claim 1, wherein the gas inlet opening (20) and the gas outlet opening (21) are arranged laterally and oppositely on the airlock shaft (14).
- Airlock according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the gas inlet opening (20) and the gas outlet opening (21) are each connected to a flushing channel (24) outside the airlock shaft (14).
- Airlock according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the gas inlet opening (20) and the gas outlet opening (21) have at least twice the width of one workpiece chamber (19), so that in each case at least two adjacent workpiece chambers (19) are flushed simultaneously with inert gas which flows through the workpiece chambers (19) in the same direction.
- Airlock according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the flushing channel (24) opens into the airlock shaft (14) plurally via a plurality of gas inlet openings (20) and a plurality of gas outlet openings (21).
- Airlock according to claim 7, wherein the gas inlet openings (20) and the gas outlet openings (21) are arranged such that the workpiece chambers (19) are flushed with inert gas in pairs in alternating directions.
- Airlock according to one of the preceding claims, wherein there is a distance of at least one workpiece chamber width between a gas inlet opening (20) and an adjacent gas outlet opening (21) on the same side of the airlock shaft (14).
- Airlock according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the transport device (5) allows continuous or cycle-dependent transport of the workpieces (17).
- Airlock according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the transport device (5) has at least two chains (26), each of which runs on a guide (27).
- Airlock according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the workpiece carriers (16) are connected to the chains (26) and the partition walls (18).
- Airlock according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the outlet opening (13) of the airlock (10) merges into an oven (2).
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
DE102018117355.5A DE102018117355A1 (en) | 2018-07-18 | 2018-07-18 | airlock |
PCT/DE2019/100606 WO2020015779A1 (en) | 2018-07-18 | 2019-07-01 | Air lock |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP3824236A1 EP3824236A1 (en) | 2021-05-26 |
EP3824236B1 true EP3824236B1 (en) | 2022-04-27 |
Family
ID=67704475
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP19756317.4A Active EP3824236B1 (en) | 2018-07-18 | 2019-07-01 | Air lock |
Country Status (5)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP3824236B1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN112823267B (en) |
DE (1) | DE102018117355A1 (en) |
IL (1) | IL280192B2 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2020015779A1 (en) |
Family Cites Families (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB515121A (en) * | 1937-05-24 | 1939-11-27 | Wilhelm Doderer | Apparatus for the treatment of materials with gases under pressure |
JPS6127485A (en) * | 1984-07-17 | 1986-02-06 | 中外炉工業株式会社 | Continuous type atmosphere heat treatment furnace |
US20110136069A1 (en) * | 2009-05-28 | 2011-06-09 | Panasonic Corporation | Burning equipment |
CN201569282U (en) * | 2009-12-11 | 2010-09-01 | 安徽金寨将军磁业有限公司 | Kiln body of separation-space rapid-cooling area of permanent magnetic ferrite electric sintering kiln |
JP5654796B2 (en) * | 2010-07-20 | 2015-01-14 | 光洋サーモシステム株式会社 | Continuous diffusion processing equipment |
JP5828425B2 (en) * | 2012-03-07 | 2015-12-09 | Dowaサーモテック株式会社 | Continuous carburizing furnace and continuous carburizing method |
-
2018
- 2018-07-18 DE DE102018117355.5A patent/DE102018117355A1/en not_active Withdrawn
-
2019
- 2019-07-01 CN CN201980047669.7A patent/CN112823267B/en active Active
- 2019-07-01 EP EP19756317.4A patent/EP3824236B1/en active Active
- 2019-07-01 WO PCT/DE2019/100606 patent/WO2020015779A1/en active Application Filing
-
2021
- 2021-01-14 IL IL280192A patent/IL280192B2/en unknown
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
IL280192B2 (en) | 2023-08-01 |
CN112823267B (en) | 2023-07-25 |
DE102018117355A1 (en) | 2020-01-23 |
IL280192A (en) | 2021-03-01 |
EP3824236A1 (en) | 2021-05-26 |
WO2020015779A1 (en) | 2020-01-23 |
CN112823267A (en) | 2021-05-18 |
IL280192B1 (en) | 2023-04-01 |
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