EP4306217A1

EP4306217A1 - Environmental testing apparatus

Info

Publication number: EP4306217A1
Application number: EP23184756.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Toshiaki Makino
Original assignee: Espec Corp
Current assignee: Espec Corp
Priority date: 2022-07-13
Filing date: 2023-07-11
Publication date: 2024-01-17
Also published as: JP2024010913A

Abstract

An environmental testing apparatus (10) includes a test chamber (12) including a test area (TA), a high-temperature chamber (14), a low-temperature chamber (16), an airflow generator (33) for generating an airflow in the test area (TA), the airflow being from a low-temperature inlet port (22a) through which cooled air is led into the test area (TA) from the low-temperature chamber (16) toward a low-temperature outlet port (22b) through which air is led out from the test area (TA) to the low-temperature chamber (16), and a gas jacket (35) for flowing a cooling gas to cool a region closer to the low-temperature outlet port (22b) than to the low-temperature inlet port (22a) more intensively than a region closer to the low-temperature inlet port (22a) than to the low-temperature outlet port (22b) in a wall face (37a) that defines the test area (TA).

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to an environmental testing apparatus including a test chamber, a high-temperature chamber, and a low-temperature chamber.

BACKGROUND ART

As disclosed in JP H01-274039 A , there is conventionally known an environmental testing apparatus including a test chamber having a test area, a high-temperature chamber for generating hot air, and a low-temperature chamber for generating cold air, the environmental testing apparatus being capable of performing high-temperature exposure in which a sample is exposed to a high-temperature environment and low-temperature exposure in which a sample is exposed to a low-temperature environment. In this type of environmental testing apparatus, as shown in Fig. 9, a high-temperature chamber 92 is adjacent to one side of a test chamber 91 having a test area TA in which a sample is to be disposed, and a low-temperature chamber 93 is adjacent to the other side of the test chamber 91. In high-temperature exposure, air is heated in the high-temperature chamber 92, and at the same time, the heated air is caused to circulate between the space in the high-temperature chamber 92 and the test area TA. In low-temperature exposure, the air is cooled in the low-temperature chamber 93, and at the same time, the cooled air is caused to circulate between the space in the low-temperature chamber 93 and the test area TA. This allows the sample disposed in the test area TA to be alternately subjected to a high-temperature environment and a low-temperature environment.
A heat insulating wall 94 that partitions the low-temperature chamber 93 and the test chamber 91 is formed with an inlet port 94a for letting low-temperature air from the low-temperature chamber 93 into the test area TA and an outlet port 94b for letting out air from the test area TA to the low-temperature chamber 93. In low-temperature exposure, an airflow from the inlet port 94a toward the outlet port 94b is formed in the test area TA. Thus, in the test area TA in low-temperature exposure, temperature unevenness may occur between the vicinity of the inlet port 94a and the vicinity of the outlet port 94b.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to suppress occurrence of temperature unevenness between the vicinity of the inlet port and the vicinity of the outlet port in the test area in low-temperature exposure.
An environmental testing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a test chamber including a test area, a high-temperature chamber for heating air to heat the test area, a low-temperature chamber for cooling air to cool the test area, an airflow generator for generating an airflow in the test area, the airflow being from an inlet port through which cooled air is led into the test area from the low-temperature chamber toward an outlet port through which air is led out from the test area to the low-temperature chamber, and a wall face cooling unit for flowing a cooling gas to cool a region closer to the outlet port than to the inlet port more intensively than a region closer to the inlet port than to the outlet port in a wall face that defines the test area.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an environmental testing apparatus according to a first embodiment.
Fig. 2 is a diagram for explaining a flow of a cooling gas in the environmental testing apparatus according to the first embodiment.
Fig. 3 is a diagram schematically showing an environmental testing apparatus according to a modification of the first embodiment.
Fig. 4 is a diagram schematically showing an environmental testing apparatus according to a second embodiment.
Fig. 5 is a diagram schematically showing an environmental testing apparatus according to a third embodiment.
Fig. 6 is a diagram schematically showing an environmental testing apparatus according to a fourth embodiment.
Fig. 7 is a diagram schematically showing an environmental testing apparatus according to a fifth embodiment.
Fig. 8 is a diagram schematically showing an environmental testing apparatus according to a sixth embodiment.
Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a conventional environmental testing apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment)

As shown in Fig. 1, an environmental testing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment includes a test chamber 12 that defines the test area TA, a high-temperature chamber 14 for causing the inside of the test area TA to have a high temperature, and a low-temperature chamber 16 for causing the inside of the test area TA to have a low temperature. The environmental testing apparatus 10 is configured as a thermal shock testing apparatus that alternately exposes a sample disposed in the test area TA to low-temperature air and high-temperature air to apply a thermal load to the sample.
The high-temperature chamber 14 is adjacent to the upper side of the test area TA (test chamber 12) and the low-temperature chamber 16 is adjacent to the lower side of the test area TA (test chamber 12), but the positional relationship of the high-temperature chamber 14, the test area TA, and the low-temperature chamber 16 is not limited to this arrangement as long as the high-temperature chamber 14 and the low-temperature chamber 16 are adjacent to the test area TA.
The test chamber 12, the high-temperature chamber 14, and the low-temperature chamber 16 are formed in a hollow shape by a heat insulating wall. The heat insulating wall includes a high-temperature-side partition wall 21 that partitions the high-temperature chamber 14 and the test chamber 12, and a low-temperature-side partition wall 22 that partitions the low-temperature chamber 16 and the test chamber 12. That is, the high-temperature-side partition wall 21 is a heat insulating wall that forms one face (top face) of the test chamber 12, and the low-temperature-side partition wall 22 is a heat insulating wall that forms another face (bottom face) of the test chamber 12 facing the one face.
The high-temperature-side partition wall 21 is provided with an inlet port (high-temperature inlet port 21a) and an outlet port (high-temperature outlet port 21b) for allowing the test area TA and the space in the high-temperature chamber 14 to communicate with each other. The high-temperature inlet port 21a and the high-temperature outlet port 21b are each opened and closed by a damper 24. Fig. 1 shows a configuration in which the damper 24 is disposed in the high-temperature chamber 14, but the damper 24 may be disposed in the test area TA.
The low-temperature-side partition wall 22 is provided with an inlet port (low-temperature inlet port 22a) and an outlet port (low-temperature outlet port 22b) for allowing the test area TA and the space in the low-temperature chamber 16 to communicate with each other. The low-temperature inlet port 22a and the low-temperature outlet port 22b are each opened and closed by a damper 24. Fig. 1 shows configuration in which the damper 24 is disposed in the low-temperature chamber 16, but the damper 24 may be disposed in the test area TA.
In the high-temperature chamber 14, a heater 26 for heating air and a blower 27 for circulating the heated air between the inside of the high-temperature chamber 14 and the test area TA are provided. In the low-temperature chamber 16, a cooler 28 for cooling air, an auxiliary heater 29, a dehumidifier 30, and a blower 31 for circulating the cooled air between the inside of the low-temperature chamber 16 and the test area TA are provided. When the blower 31 in the low-temperature chamber 16 operates, the cooled air in the low-temperature chamber 16 is blown out from the low-temperature inlet port 22a to the test area TA, and an airflow from the low-temperature inlet port 22a toward the low-temperature outlet port 22b is generated in the test area TA. That is, the blower 31 disposed in the low-temperature chamber 16 functions as an airflow generator 33 that generates an airflow flowing from the low-temperature inlet port 22a toward the low-temperature outlet port 22b in the test area TA.
The test area TA is provided with a gas jacket 35 forming a flow space FS in which a cooling gas flows. The gas jacket 35 is disposed in the test area TA along the heat insulating wall 37 that defines the test area TA. That is, the gas jacket 35 is disposed in the test area TA at a circumference thereof.
The gas jacket 35 forms the flow space FS between the gas jacket 35 and the heat insulating wall 37. That is, the gas jacket 35 is disposed to form a gap having a predetermined width, the gap being between the gas jacket 35 and the heat insulating wall 37. Thus, when the cooling gas flows in the flow space FS, the cooling gas flows in the flow space FS while being in contact with the heat insulating wall 37.
The gas jacket 35 is formed in a rectangular box shape with one face open. Specifically, the gas jacket 35 is formed along a top face, a bottom face, left and right side faces, and a back face of a wall face 37a of the heat insulating wall 37 that defines the test area TA, the wall face 37a facing the test area TA. The gas jacket 35 is not along a front face provided with a door (not shown) for opening and closing the test area TA, in the wall face 37a that defines the test area TA. That is, since the door for opening the test area TA for taking in and out a sample is provided on the front face on the front side in Fig. 1, the gas jacket 35 does not have a portion along the side wall on the front side of the test chamber 12. When the door is provided only on a part of the front face, the gas jacket 35 may also be provided on a portion other than the door on the side wall on the front face side.
The gas jacket 35 is provided with a cylindrical portion that forms a communication hole 35a at a position corresponding to the high-temperature inlet port 21a, the high-temperature outlet port 21b, the low-temperature inlet port 22a, and the low-temperature outlet port 22b so as not to block them. The communication hole 35a corresponding to the high-temperature inlet port 21a penetrates the gas jacket 35 in a thickness direction to allow the test area TA and the high-temperature inlet port 21a to communicate with each other. The cylindrical portions forming the other communication holes 35a are formed to penetrate the gas jacket 35 in the thickness direction to communicate the test area TA and the port 21b, 22a, 22b.
The gas jacket 35 is connected with a gas source 39 for letting a cooling gas into the flow space FS. The gas source 39 includes a tank 39a in which a cooling gas is stored, a pipe 39b connected to the tank 39a, and a valve 39c provided to the pipe 39b. As the cooling gas, for example, liquid nitrogen or liquid carbon dioxide is used. That is, the cooling gas may be a gas having a lower temperature than the cooled air to be led into the test area TA in low-temperature exposure described later. When the test area TA is heated to a temperature much higher than room temperature in high-temperature exposure in which a sample is exposed to a high temperature with a supply of high-temperature air from the high-temperature chamber 14, air may be used as the cooling gas. That is, the cooling gas may be a gas having a temperature lower than the temperature in the test area TA in the case of shifting from high-temperature exposure to low-temperature exposure. In this case, the gas source 39 only needs to include the pipe 39b connected to the gas jacket 35 and a blower (not shown) that sends air into the pipe 39b.
The pipe 39b penetrates the heat insulating wall 37 that defines the test area TA, and a tip of the pipe 39b is open into the flow space FS. In the heat insulating wall 37, a portion where the tip of the pipe 39b is open serves as an inflow port 35b through which the cooling gas flows into the gas jacket 35. The inflow port 35b is positioned closer to the low-temperature outlet port 22b than to the low-temperature inlet port 22a. More specifically, the inflow port 35b is positioned in the heat insulating wall 37 constituting the left side face of the test area TA in Fig. 1. A plurality of inflow ports 35b through which the cooling gas flows into the gas jacket 35 may be provided. The inflow port 35b is not limited to the inflow port provided in the heat insulating wall 37 constituting the left side face in Fig. 1. That is, the inflow port 35b may be disposed such that a region closer to the outlet ports 21b and 22b than to the inlet ports 21a and 22a in the wall face 37a that defines the test area TA is cooled by the cooling gas flowing in the gas jacket 35 in preference to a region closer to the inlet ports 21a and 22a than to the outlet ports 21b and 22b.
The gas jacket 35 is also provided with an outflow port 35c through which the cooling gas that has flowed in the flow space FS flows out into the test area TA. The outflow port 35c is positioned closer to the low-temperature inlet port 22a than to the low-temperature outlet port 22b. More specifically, the outflow port 35c is positioned on the right side face in Fig. 1 of the wall face 37a that defines the test area TA, that is, the side face facing the side face on which the inflow port 35b is disposed. In the flow space FS, the cooling gas flows from the inflow port 35b toward the outflow port 35c.
The outflow port 35c may be formed not only on the right side face of the wall face 37a in Fig. 1 but also on the top face, the bottom face, and the side face on the back side. The outflow port 35c may be positioned on the top face, the bottom face, and the side face on the back side but not on the right side face as long as the outflow port 35c is positioned closer to the low-temperature inlet port 22a than to the low-temperature outlet port 22b. The number of outflow port 35c is not limited to one, and a plurality of outflow ports 35c may be provided. The outflow port 35c does not have to be open in the test area TA, and it may be open in such a manner as to discharge the cooling gas outside the test chamber 12 through the heat insulating wall 37, for example.
The cooling gas is led into the flow space FS, for example, in low-temperature exposure in which the cooled air obtained in the low-temperature chamber 16 is led into the test area TA. That is, the valve 39c of the gas source 39 opens at the time of low-temperature exposure. At the time of low-temperature exposure, as shown in Fig. 2, the low-temperature inlet port 22a and the low-temperature outlet port 22b are opened by the damper 24, and the high-temperature inlet port 21a and the high-temperature outlet port 21b are closed by the damper 24. This causes the cooled air blown out from the blower 31 in the low-temperature chamber 16 to be led into the test area TA through the low-temperature inlet port 22a, and this cooled air flows in the test area TA from a region on the right side of the drawing where the low-temperature inlet port 22a is positioned toward a region on the left side of the drawing where the low-temperature outlet port 22b is positioned. Thus, in the low-temperature-side partition wall 22 and the high-temperature-side partition wall 21, the portion on the left side tends to be slightly harder to cool off than the portion on the right side in the drawing.
On the other hand, the cooling gas supplied from the gas source 39 to the flow space FS in the gas jacket 35 flows in the flow space FS in a direction from the inflow port 35b toward the outflow port 35c. The inflow port 35b is positioned close to the low-temperature outlet port 22b, and the outflow port 35c is positioned close to the low-temperature inlet port 22a. This causes the cooling gas to flow in a direction from the outlet ports 21b and 22b toward the inlet ports 21a and 22a along the wall face 37a (the high-temperature-side partition wall 21 and the low-temperature-side partition wall 22) that defines the test area TA. At this time, since the cooling gas flows while cooling the wall face 37a, the temperature of the gas gradually rises. As a result, in the low-temperature-side partition wall 22, a region closer to the low-temperature outlet port 22b than to the low-temperature inlet port 22a is cooled more intensively than a region closer to the low-temperature inlet port 22a than to the low-temperature outlet port 22b by the cooling gas. The positional relationship between the low-temperature inlet port 22a and the low-temperature outlet port 22b is the same as the positional relationship between the high-temperature inlet port 21a and the high-temperature outlet port 21b. Thus, also in the high-temperature-side partition wall 21, a region closer to the high-temperature outlet port 21b than to the high-temperature inlet port 21a is cooled more intensively than a region closer to the high-temperature inlet port 21a than to the high-temperature outlet port 21b by the cooling gas. Therefore, occurrence of temperature unevenness of air in the test area TA can be suppressed in low-temperature exposure. That is, the gas jacket 35 functions as a wall face cooling unit 41 that allows the cooling gas to flow in such a manner that the region closer to the low-temperature outlet port 22b than to the low-temperature inlet port 22a is cooled more intensively than the region closer to the low-temperature inlet port 22a than to the low-temperature outlet port 22b in the wall face 37a that defines the test area TA.
The cooling gas may be led in at a stage where high-temperature exposure in which the heated air obtained in the high-temperature chamber 14 is led into the test area TA shifts to low-temperature exposure. At the time of this shift, no airflow is generated in the test area TA since all the dampers 24 are closed. However, in subsequent low-temperature exposure, in the low-temperature-side partition wall 22 and the high-temperature-side partition wall 21, the portion on the left side tends to be slightly harder to cool off than the portion on the right side in the drawing. Thus, by preferentially cooling the region on the outlet ports 21b and 22b side, occurrence of temperature unevenness of air in the test area TA can be suppressed in low-temperature exposure.
As described above, in the present embodiment, the airflow generated by the blower 31 in the low-temperature chamber 16 becomes an airflow in the direction from the inlet ports 21a and 22a to the outlet ports 21b and 22b in the test area TA. Thus, in low-temperature exposure in which cooled air is led into the test area TA from the low-temperature chamber 16, the cooled air led into the test area TA from the low-temperature inlet port 22a flows from the low-temperature inlet port 22a toward the low-temperature outlet port 22b. Therefore, without the wall face cooling unit 41, the region close to the inlet ports 21a and 22a would be likely to be made cooler than the region close to the outlet ports 21b and 22b in the test area TA. Thus, providing the wall face cooling unit 41 can suppress occurrence of a difference in the degree of cooling between the region close to the outlet ports 21b and 22b and the region close to the inlet ports 21a and 22a in the test area TA. Moreover, since the wall face cooling unit 41 cools the wall face 37a of the test area TA, the air in the test area TA is also cooled accordingly along with the cooling of the wall face 37a. Therefore, occurrence of temperature unevenness of air in the test area TA can be prevented in low-temperature exposure.
Further, in the present embodiment, the wall face cooling unit 41 causes the cooling gas to flow in a direction from the outlet ports 21b and 22b toward the inlet ports 21a and 22a along the wall face 37a that defines the test area TA. Thus, the cooling gas that has cooled the region close to the outlet ports 21b and 22b in the wall face 37a cools the region close to the inlet ports 21a and 22a. Thus, even when the cooled air led into the test area TA from the low-temperature inlet port 22a flows from the low-temperature inlet port 22a toward the low-temperature outlet port 22b in low-temperature exposure, the region close to the outlet ports 21b and 22b can be cooled more intensively than the region close to the inlet ports 21a and 22a in the wall face 37a. As a result, occurrence of temperature unevenness of air in the test area TA can be suppressed in low-temperature exposure.
In the present embodiment, the region closer to the outlet ports 21b and 22b than to the inlet ports 21a and 22a is cooled more intensively than the region closer to the inlet ports 21a and 22a than to the outlet ports 21b and 22b in the wall face 37a that defines the test area TA by the cooling gas flowing in the gas jacket 35.
In the present embodiment, the positional relationship between the low-temperature inlet port 22a and the low-temperature outlet port 22b is the same as the positional relationship between the high-temperature inlet port 21a and the high-temperature outlet port 21b. However, the present embodiment is not limited to this configuration. That is, the positional relationship between the low-temperature inlet port 22a and the low-temperature outlet port 22b may be opposite to the positional relationship between the high-temperature inlet port 21a and the high-temperature outlet port 21b. That is, the high-temperature inlet port 21a may be positioned on the left side in Fig. 1, and the high-temperature outlet port 21b may be positioned on the right side in Fig. 1. In this case as well, since the cooling gas flows in the gas jacket 35 from the low-temperature outlet port 22b side toward the low-temperature inlet port 22a side, the region close to the low-temperature outlet port 22b in the low-temperature-side partition wall 22 and the high-temperature-side partition wall 21 can be cooled more intensively.
In the present embodiment, the gas jacket 35 is provided in the entire length of the low-temperature-side partition wall 22 and the high-temperature-side partition wall 21, but the present embodiment is not limited to this configuration. For example, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the gas jacket 35 may be disposed close to the low-temperature outlet port 22b and formed in a size with which the gas jacket 35 does not extend to the vicinity of the low-temperature inlet port 22a. In this case, the outflow port 35c is open toward the side face of the test chamber 12 on the low-temperature inlet port 22a side at the end on the low-temperature inlet port 22a side of the gas jacket 35. Thus, the cooling gas that has flowed out the flow space FS in the gas jacket 35 flows along the wall face 37a in the direction in which the low-temperature inlet port 22a is positioned. In this case as well, the region close to the outlet ports 21b and 22b in the low-temperature-side partition wall 22 and the high-temperature-side partition wall 21 can be cooled more intensively than the region close to the inlet ports 21a and 22a. The outflow port 35c does not have to be open toward the side face of the test chamber 12 on the low-temperature inlet port 22a side, and it may be open toward the center of the test area TA at the end of the gas jacket 35 on the low-temperature inlet port 22a side.

(Second Embodiment)

Fig. 4 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. Here, the same components as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.
The environmental testing apparatus 10 of the second embodiment is different from the environmental testing apparatus of the first embodiment in that a discharge port 43 is provided in the test chamber 12. The discharge port 43 is an opening for discharging the air in the test area TA to the outside of the test chamber 12. The discharge port 43 is provided in a side face of the heat insulating wall 37 that defines the test area TA, the side face facing the outflow port 35c of the gas jacket 35. Thus, when the cooling gas flows out from the gas jacket 35 into the test area TA, the air in the test area TA is discharged to the outside by the cooling gas.
Thus, in the present embodiment, when a shift is made from a state in which the temperature in the test area TA is high by high-temperature exposure in which the heated air obtained in the high-temperature chamber 14 is led into the test area TA to low-temperature exposure in which the cooled air obtained in the low-temperature chamber 16 is led into the test area TA, the high-temperature air can be discharged from the discharge port 43 to the outside by the cooling gas. Therefore, the cooling load in the low-temperature chamber 16 can be reduced as compared with a configuration in which high-temperature air flows into the low-temperature chamber 16 when low-temperature exposure starts. The discharge port 43 may be provided with an opening/closing unit and opened between high-temperature exposure and low-temperature exposure.
In Fig. 4, the pipe 39b connected to the tank 39a is bifurcated, but the pipe 39b is not limited to this configuration. For example, as in the first embodiment, the pipe 39b may be connected to the gas jacket 35 without bifurcating.
Although descriptions of other configurations, operations, and effects are omitted, the description of the first embodiment can be applied to the second embodiment.

(Third Embodiment)

Fig. 5 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. Here, the same components as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.
In the first embodiment, a gas supplied from the gas source 39, the gas being different from the cooled air obtained in the low-temperature chamber 16, is used as the cooling gas. The third embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the cooled air obtained in the low-temperature chamber 16 is used as the cooling gas. Since the cooled air is used as the cooling gas, the timing at which the cooling gas is caused to flow into the flow space FS of the gas jacket 35 is at the stage of shifting from high-temperature exposure to low-temperature exposure. However, the cooling gas may be led in during the subsequent low-temperature exposure.
The gas jacket 35 is formed in a rectangular tube shape in such a manner as to form a space (flow space FS) between the high-temperature-side partition wall 21 and the low-temperature-side partition wall 22, and the outflow port 35c of the gas jacket 35 is open at one end in a tube axis direction. The outflow port 35c is disposed at a position closer to the inlet ports 21a and 22a than to the outlet ports 21b and 22b at a position along the high-temperature-side partition wall 21 and the low-temperature-side partition wall 22. The inflow port 35b of the gas jacket 35 is disposed at a position closer to the outlet port 22b than to the inlet port 22a in the low-temperature-side partition wall 22. A damper 45 for opening and closing the inflow port 35b is also provided. When the gas jacket 35 extends to a side face of the test chamber 12 on the low-temperature inlet port 22a side, the outflow port 35c may be provided at a position adjacent to the side face of the test chamber 12 on the inlet ports 21a and 22a side as in the configuration of Fig. 1. Although an auxiliary blower 46 for assisting the flow of airflow is provided in the inflow port 35b, the auxiliary blower 46 can be omitted.
In this configuration, the cooled air (cooling gas) sent out from the blower 31 in the low-temperature chamber 16 flows into the flow space FS of the gas jacket 35 through the inflow port 35b positioned close to the low-temperature outlet port 22b. The cooled air flows into the test area TA through the outflow port 35c positioned close to the inlet ports 21a and 22a. This configuration can preferentially cool the region closer to the outlet ports 21b and 22b than to the inlet ports 21a and 22a in the wall face 37a that defines the test area TA. Moreover, unlike the first embodiment, the gas source 39 is unnecessary.
Although descriptions of other configurations, operations, and effects are omitted, the description of the first and second embodiments can be applied to the third embodiment.

(Fourth Embodiment)

Fig. 6 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention. Here, the same components as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.
In the first embodiment, the wall face cooling unit 41 includes the gas jacket 35 forming the flow space FS in which the cooling gas flows. In the fourth embodiment, the wall face cooling unit 41 does not form a clear flow space FS, but includes an air guide plate 48 that guides the cooling gas in a predetermined direction. The air guide plate 48 guides the cooling gas led into the test area TA through an inflow port 37b where a tip of the pipe 39b is open in the heat insulating wall 37.
The air guide plate 48 is formed of a plate member bent into a predetermined shape, and includes a low-temperature-side guide unit 48a for guiding the cooling gas from the inflow port 37b through which the cooling gas is led into the test area TA from the pipe 39b of the gas source 39 toward the low-temperature outlet port 22b of the low-temperature-side partition wall 22. The air guide plate 48 also includes a high-temperature-side guide unit 48b for guiding the cooling gas from the inflow port 37b toward the high-temperature outlet port 21b of the high-temperature-side partition wall 21.
The low-temperature-side guide unit 48a causes part of the cooling gas to flow from the low-temperature outlet port 22b side toward the low-temperature inlet port 22a side along the low-temperature-side partition wall 22 in the test area TA. The high-temperature-side guide unit 48b causes the other part of the cooling gas to flow from the high-temperature outlet port 21b side toward the high-temperature inlet port 21a side along the high-temperature-side partition wall 21 in the test area TA.
A hole may be formed in the low-temperature-side guide unit 48a of the air guide plate 48 so as not to obstruct air in the test area TA flowing toward the low-temperature outlet port 22b in low-temperature exposure. A hole may also be formed in the high-temperature-side guide unit 48b of the air guide plate 48 so as not to obstruct air in the test area TA flowing toward the high-temperature outlet port 21b in high-temperature exposure.
In the present embodiment, the air guide plate 48 causes the cooling gas to flow in the direction from the outlet ports 21b and 22b toward the inlet ports 21a and 22a along the wall face 37a that defines the test area TA. Thus, the cooling gas that has cooled the region close to the outlet ports 21b and 22b in the wall face 37a cools the region close to the inlet ports 21a and 22a. Therefore, since the region close to the outlet ports 21b and 22b can be cooled more intensively than the region close to the inlet ports 21a and 22a in the wall face 37a, occurrence of temperature unevenness of air in the test area TA can be suppressed in low-temperature exposure.
Although descriptions of other configurations, operations, and effects are omitted, the description of the first to third embodiments can be applied to the fourth embodiment.

(Fifth Embodiment)

Fig. 7 shows a fifth embodiment of the present invention. Here, the same components as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.
In the fifth embodiment, the wall face cooling unit 41 includes a heat transfer tube 50 that allows the cooling gas to flow. The heat transfer tube 50 is disposed on the heat insulating walls 37 that defines the top face, the bottom face, the side face on the back face side (the back side in Fig. 7), and the left and right side faces (the left and right side faces in Fig. 7) of the test area TA, and the heat transfer tube 50 is in thermal contact with the wall faces 37a that defines the test area TA. That is, the heat transfer tube 50 extends along the wall face 37a that defines the test area TA in the heat insulating wall 37. A part of the heat transfer tube 50 does not have to be in thermal contact with the wall face 37a.
The heat transfer tube 50 is connected to the pipe 39b at the heat insulating wall 37 on the side close to the low-temperature outlet port 22b, and is open as an outflow port 50a through which the cooling gas flows out into the test area TA at the heat insulating wall 37 on the side close to the low-temperature inlet port 22a. The connection port between the heat transfer tube 50 and the pipe 39b functions as an inflow port 50b through which the cooling gas flows into the heat transfer tube 50. The outflow port 50a does not have to be open in the test area TA. In this case, the heat transfer tube 50 may be configured to be drawn to the outside of the test chamber 12 through the heat insulating wall 37 to discharge the cooling gas to the outside of the test chamber 12.
The heat transfer tube 50 is formed to meander on the top face, the bottom face, and the side face on the back face side. This causes the cooling gas to flow in the heat transfer tube 50 from the region closer to the outlet ports 21b and 22b than to the inlet ports 21a and 22a toward the region closer to the inlet ports 21a and 22a than to the outlet ports 21b and 22b while meandering toward the front side and the back side in Fig. 7. Thus, the region closer to the outlet ports 21b and 22b than to the inlet ports 21a and 22a is cooled more intensively than the region closer to the inlet ports 21a and 22a than to the outlet ports 21b and 22b in the wall face 37a that defines the test area TA by the cooling gas flowing in the heat transfer tubes 50.
As illustrated in Fig. 7, the heat transfer tube 50 is provided along the wall face 37a except for the side face on the front face side, but the heat transfer tube does not have to be provided to the entire wall face 37a. For example, the heat transfer tube 50 may be disposed along the left side face on which the inflow port 50b is provided and may be disposed only on the wall face 37a in the region closer to the outlet ports 21b and 22b than to the inlet ports 21a and 22a among the top face, the bottom face, and the back side face. That is, the heat transfer tube 50 may be disposed at least in the region closer to the outlet ports 21b and 22b than to the inlet ports 21a and 22a in the wall face 37a that defines the test area TA. The heat transfer tube 50 does not have to meander. For example, the heat transfer tube 50 may be branched into a plurality of portions at the upper edge, the lower edge, and the back edge of the left side face where the inflow port 50b is provided, and the plurality of heat transfer tubes 50 may extend along the top face, the bottom face, and the back side face.
In addition, the heat transfer tubes 50 may be disposed along the wall face 37a outside the heat insulating wall 37 (in the test area TA) instead of being provided in the heat insulating wall 37. When the heat transfer tube 50 is disposed in the test area TA, it is desirable that the heat transfer tube 50 be in thermal contact with the wall face 37a, but a part or all of the heat transfer tubes 50 does not have to be in thermal contact with the wall face 37a.
Although descriptions of other configurations, operations, and effects are omitted, the description of the first to fourth embodiments can be applied to the fifth embodiment.

(Sixth Embodiment)

Fig. 8 shows a sixth embodiment of the present invention. Here, the same components as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.
The sixth embodiment is different from the first to fifth embodiments in that a wall face cooling unit 41 includes a nozzle 52 that blows the cooling gas.
The pipe 39b of the gas source 39 penetrates the heat insulating wall 37 of the test chamber 12 and extends into the test area TA. The nozzle 52 is provided at the tip of the pipe 39b. The nozzle 52 is disposed to blow the cooling gas to a region of the low-temperature-side partition wall 22 closer to the low-temperature outlet port 22b than to the low-temperature inlet port 22a.
The nozzle 52 may be disposed to blow out the cooling gas such that the cooling gas flows from the region close to the low-temperature outlet port 22b toward the region close to the low-temperature inlet port 22a. Although not illustrated in the drawing, a nozzle 52 that blows the cooling gas to the high-temperature-side partition wall 21 may be added.
In the present embodiment, since the cooling gas is blown to the region closer to the low-temperature outlet port 22b than to the low-temperature inlet port 22a in the wall face 37a that defines the test area TA, the region is cooled by the cooling gas. That is, the wall face cooling unit 41 is configured to cool a region close to the outlet ports 21b and 22b more intensively than a region close to the inlet ports 21a and 22a in the wall face 37a. Thus, even when the cooled air led into the test area TA from the low-temperature inlet port 22a flows from the low-temperature inlet port 22a toward the low-temperature outlet port 22b in low-temperature exposure, the situation in which the region close to the low-temperature outlet port 22b in the wall face 37a does not cool off is reduced. As a result, occurrence of temperature unevenness of air in the test area TA can be suppressed in low-temperature exposure.
Although descriptions of other configurations, operations, and effects are omitted, the description of the first to fifth embodiments can be applied to the sixth embodiment. In the first to fifth embodiments, a plurality of inflow ports 35b, 37b, and 50b may be provided. In this case, the flow rate of the cooling gas flowing to each of the inflow ports 35b, 37b, and 50b may be controlled. In such a case, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the wall face 37a may be provided, and the flow rate may be controlled according to the detection value of the temperature sensor.
Here, the above-described embodiments will be outlined.

(1) An environmental testing apparatus according to the embodiments includes a test chamber including a test area, a high-temperature chamber for heating air to heat the test area, a low-temperature chamber for cooling air to cool the test area, an airflow generator for generating an airflow in the test area, the airflow being from an inlet port through which cooled air is led into the test area from the low-temperature chamber toward an outlet port through which air is led out from the test area to the low-temperature chamber, and a wall face cooling unit for flowing a cooling gas to cool a region closer to the outlet port than to the inlet port more intensively than a region closer to the inlet port than to the outlet port in a wall face that defines the test area.
In the environmental testing apparatus, the airflow generated by the airflow generator is an airflow in a direction from the inlet port to the outlet port in the test area. Thus, in low-temperature exposure in which cooled air is led into the test area from the low-temperature chamber, the cooled air led into the test area through the inlet port flows from the inlet port toward the outlet port. Thus, without the wall face cooling unit, the region close to the inlet port would be cooled in the test area more than the region close to the outlet port. Thus, providing the wall face cooling unit that causes the cooling gas to flow in such a manner that the region closer to the outlet port than to the inlet port is cooled more intensively than the region closer to the inlet port than to the outlet port in the wall face that defines the test area can makes it possible to prevent occurrence of a difference in the degree of cooling between the region close to the outlet port and the region close to the inlet port in the test area. Moreover, since the wall face cooling unit cools the wall face of the test area, the air in the test area is also cooled accordingly along with the cooling of the wall face. Thus, occurrence of temperature unevenness of air in the test area can be suppressed in low-temperature exposure.
(2) The wall face cooling unit may be configured to cause the cooling gas to flow in a direction from the outlet port toward the inlet port along the wall face that defines the test area.
In this aspect, since the wall face cooling unit causes the cooling gas to flow in the direction from the outlet port toward the inlet port along the wall face that defines the test area, the cooling gas that has cooled the region close to the outlet port in the wall face cools the region close to the inlet port. Thus, even when the cooled air led into the test area from the inlet port flows from the inlet port toward the outlet port in low-temperature exposure, the region close to the outlet port can be cooled more intensively than the region close to the inlet port in the wall face by the wall face cooling unit, and thus, temperature unevenness of air in the test area can be suppressed in low-temperature exposure.
(3) The wall face cooling unit may include a gas jacket disposed in the test area at circumference thereof at least in the region closer to the outlet port than to the inlet port, the gas jacket allowing the cooling gas to flow.
In this aspect, the region closer to the outlet port than to the inlet port is cooled more intensively than the region closer to the inlet port than to the outlet port in the wall face that defines the test area by the cooling gas flowing in the gas jacket.
(4) The gas jacket may include an inflow port through which the cooling gas is allowed to flow into the gas jacket. In this case, the inflow port may be positioned closer to the outlet port than to the inlet port.
In this aspect, the cooling gas before cooling the wall face flows into the gas jacket through the inflow port closer to the outlet port than to the inlet port. Thus, in the wall face that defines the test area, the region closer to the outlet port than to the inlet port is cooled more intensively by the cooling gas.
(5) The gas jacket may include an outflow port through which the cooling gas is allowed to flow out from inside the gas jacket to the test area. In this case, the outflow port may be at least positioned closer to the inlet port than to the outlet port.
In this aspect, when the cooling gas flows in the gas jacket from the inflow port toward the outflow port, the cooling gas flows from the outlet port side toward the inlet port side. Thus, in the wall face that defines the test area, the region closer to the outlet port than to the inlet port is cooled more intensively.
(6) The wall face cooling unit may include an air guide plate for guiding the cooling gas in a direction from the outlet port toward the inlet port along the wall face.
In this aspect, since the air guide plate causes the cooling gas to flow in the direction from the outlet port toward the inlet port along the wall face that defines the test area, the cooling gas that has cooled the region close to the outlet port in the wall face cools the region close to the inlet port. Thus, the region close to the outlet port can be cooled more intensively than the region close to the inlet port in the wall face. Thus, occurrence of temperature unevenness of air in the test area can be suppressed in low-temperature exposure.
(7) The wall face cooling unit may include a heat transfer tube disposed to be in thermal contact with the wall face or disposed along the wall face at least in the region closer to the outlet port than to the inlet port, the heat transfer tube allowing the cooling gas to flow.
In this aspect, the region closer to the outlet port than to the inlet port is cooled more intensively than the region closer to the inlet port than to the outlet port in the wall face that defines the test area by the cooling gas flowing in the heat transfer tube.
(8) The test area may be provided with a discharge port through which air in the test area is allowed to be discharged outside by the cooling gas.
In this aspect, when a shift is made from a state in which the air temperature in the test area is high by high-temperature exposure in which the heated air obtained in the high-temperature chamber is led into the test area to low-temperature exposure in which the cooled air obtained in the low-temperature chamber is led into the test area, the high-temperature air can be discharged from the discharge port by the cooling gas. Therefore, the cooling load in the low-temperature chamber can be reduced as compared with a configuration in which high-temperature air flows into the low-temperature chamber when low-temperature exposure starts.
(9) The discharge port may be opened between high-temperature exposure in which heated air obtained in the high-temperature chamber is led into the test area and low-temperature exposure in which cooled air obtained in the low-temperature chamber is led into the test area.
In this aspect, since the high-temperature air in the test area in high-temperature exposure is discharged to the outside before low-temperature exposure is performed, the time for shifting from high-temperature exposure to low-temperature exposure can be shortened.
(10) The wall face cooling unit may be configured to blow the cooling gas to the region closer to the outlet port than to the inlet port in the wall face that defines the test area.

In this aspect, since the cooling gas is blown to the region closer to the outlet port than to the inlet port in the wall face that defines the test area, the region is cooled by the cooling gas. Thus, even when the cooled air led into the test area through the inlet port flows from the inlet port toward the outlet port in low-temperature exposure, the situation in which the region close to the outlet port in the wall face does not cool off is reduced. As a result, occurrence of temperature unevenness of air in the test area can be suppressed in low-temperature exposure.
As described above, occurrence of temperature unevenness between the vicinity of the inlet port and the vicinity of the outlet port in the test area can be suppressed in low-temperature exposure.
This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-112503 filed on July 13, 2022 , the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Although the present invention has been fully described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
Therefore, unless otherwise such changes and modifications depart from the scope of the present invention hereinafter defined, they should be construed as being included therein.

Claims

An environmental testing apparatus (10) comprising:
a test chamber (12) including a test area (TA);

a high-temperature chamber (14) for heating air to heat the test area (TA);

a low-temperature chamber (16) for cooling air to cool the test area (TA);

an airflow generator (33) for generating an airflow in the test area (TA), the airflow being from an inlet port (22a) through which cooled air is led into the test area (TA) from the low-temperature chamber (16) toward an outlet port (22b) through which air is led out from the test area (TA) to the low-temperature chamber (16); and

a wall face cooling unit (41) for flowing a cooling gas to cool a region closer to the outlet port (22b) than to the inlet port (22a) more intensively than a region closer to the inlet port (22a) than to the outlet port (22b) in a wall face (37a) that defines the test area (TA).
The environmental testing apparatus (10) according to claim 1, wherein
the wall face cooling unit (41) is configured to cause the cooling gas to flow in a direction from the outlet port (22b) toward the inlet port (22a) along the wall face (37a) that defines the test area (TA).
The environmental testing apparatus (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
the wall face cooling unit (41) includes a gas jacket (35) disposed in the test area (TA) at circumference thereof at least in the region closer to the outlet port (22b) than to the inlet port (22a), the gas jacket (35) allowing the cooling gas to flow.
The environmental testing apparatus (10) according to claim 3, wherein
the gas jacket (35) includes an inflow port (35b) through which the cooling gas is allowed to flow into the gas jacket (35), and

the inflow port (35b) is positioned closer to the outlet port (22b) than to the inlet port (22a).
The environmental testing apparatus (10) according to claim 3 or 4, wherein
the gas jacket (35) includes an outflow port (35c) through which the cooling gas is allowed to flow out from inside the gas jacket (35) to the test area (TA), and

the outflow port (35c) is at least positioned closer to the inlet port (22a) than to the outlet port (22b).
The environmental testing apparatus (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
the wall face cooling unit (41) includes an air guide plate (48) for guiding the cooling gas in a direction from the outlet port (22b) toward the inlet port (22a) along the wall face (37a).
The environmental testing apparatus (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
the wall face cooling unit (41) includes a heat transfer tube (50) disposed to be in thermal contact with the wall face (37a) or disposed along the wall face (37a) at least in the region closer to the outlet port (22b) than to the inlet port (22a), the heat transfer tube (50) allowing the cooling gas to flow.
The environmental testing apparatus (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein
the test area (TA) is provided with a discharge port (43) through which air in the test area (TA) is allowed to be discharged outside by the cooling gas.
The environmental testing apparatus (10) according to claim 8, wherein
the discharge port (43) is opened between high-temperature exposure in which heated air obtained in the high-temperature chamber (14) is led into the test area (TA) and low-temperature exposure in which cooled air obtained in the low-temperature chamber (16) is led into the test area (TA).
The environmental testing apparatus (10) according to claim 1, wherein
the wall face cooling unit (41) is configured to blow the cooling gas to the region closer to the outlet port (22b) than to the inlet port (22a) in the wall face (37a) that defines the test area (TA).