JP2012189243A - Treatment object feeding device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a treatment object feeding device with high workability, in which an outlet end of a treatment object passage can be easily moved while a treatment object can be fed from a treatment object storage part.SOLUTION: The treatment object feeding device includes: a treatment object storage part storing a treatment object; a treatment object passage 12 in which the treatment object can pass in an airtight state to be fed to a treatment device through an outlet end 12a; a treatment object extracting mechanism that can extract the treatment object in an airtight state from the treatment object storage part to the treatment object passage 12; a closing part 14 that can block the treatment object passage 12 on the treatment device side and on the treatment object storage part side; and a joint part 15 that can separate and join the treatment object passage at a position on the side of the treatment object storage part from the closing part 14 in the treatment object passage 12. The treatment object passage 12 can be extended and contracted to allow the outlet end to approach and separate from the joining position of the joint part 15 while keeping the joining position.

Description

  The present invention relates to a processing object input device for supplying a processing object from the outside in an airtight state to a processing apparatus that processes the processing object in an airtight state.

  As a processing apparatus that processes an object to be processed in an airtight state, for example, a silicon material that is an object to be processed is injected into the processing apparatus, melted, and solidified, thereby performing a single process as a semiconductor substrate material. An apparatus for producing crystalline silicon is known. During the manufacturing process, the inside of the processing apparatus is placed in a special atmosphere (for example, an inert gas atmosphere or a vacuum atmosphere) different from the outside air.

  And the to-be-processed object injection | throwing-in apparatus for inputting the to-be-processed object to the said processing apparatus from the outside in an airtight state is also known (for example, patent document 1, 2).

  A workpiece input device (silicon granule supply device) described in Patent Document 1 includes a hopper, a feeder, a casing, a quartz port, and a bellows. A hopper for containing the silicon granules is provided inside the casing in an inert gas atmosphere, and a feeder for conveying an object to be processed (silicon granules) is provided below the hopper. A part of the quartz port connected to the housing via the bellows is inserted into the processing apparatus (heating furnace) and communicates with the inside of the heating furnace. The inside of each of the silicon granule supply device and the heating furnace is in an airtight state, specifically, an inert gas atmosphere. That is, the silicon granule supply device and the heating furnace have the same inert gas atmosphere. Thereby, silicon granules can be put into the inside of the heating furnace in an airtight state (inert gas atmosphere) through the quartz port from the hopper.

  The workpiece input device (charge material supply device) described in Patent Document 2 is also similar in basic configuration to that described in Patent Document 1, and includes a hopper, a trough, a vibration unit, It is equipped with a charging material input chamber and a shooter. A hopper that accommodates an object to be processed (charging material) is provided inside the charging material charging chamber in a vacuum atmosphere, and a trough and a vibrating part for conveying the charging material are provided below the hopper. . A part of the shooter is inserted into the processing apparatus (vacuum chamber) and communicates with the inside of the vacuum chamber. Both the charging material charging chamber and the vacuum chamber can be sealed from the outside air, and the inside of each is kept in an airtight state, specifically, in a vacuum atmosphere. That is, the charging material supply device and the vacuum chamber have the same vacuum atmosphere. As a result, the charging material can be introduced from the hopper through the shooter into the vacuum chamber in an airtight state (vacuum atmosphere).

  By the way, the workpiece input device (silicon granule supply device) described in Patent Document 1 has a case in which the silicon granules stored in the hopper are lost and the hopper needs to be replenished with silicon granules. The lid provided on the hopper is opened, from which the hopper is replenished with silicon granules. In addition, the workpiece input device (charging material supply device) described in Patent Document 2 has to replenish the hopper with the charging material because the charging material stored in the hopper is lost. The vacuum door provided in the charging material charging chamber is opened, and the charging material is supplied to the hopper from there.

  However, since all of the workpiece input devices (silicon granule supply device, charging material supply device) communicate with the inside of the processing device, it is likely that the processing material will be replenished during the processing of the processing device. For example, with the opening of the workpiece input device (opening of the lid and vacuum door), the inside of the processing device is opened to the outside air, and the airtight state (special atmosphere) that has been maintained until then is destroyed. End up. Therefore, the replenishment of the object to be processed cannot be performed during the process, and needs to be performed after the process, resulting in a problem that the idle time (operation stop time) increases accordingly.

  In view of the above problems, the inventors of the present application have invented a workpiece input device 500 as shown in FIG. 3 (Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-178554). This processing object charging apparatus 500 is a processing apparatus for processing apparatus F500 in which a furnace body (crucible) F510 for heating and melting a processing object (specifically, polycrystalline silicon (silicon nugget)) is provided. An object to be processed can be put into the furnace body F510 from the outside of the F500.

  Specifically, the workpiece input device 500 includes a workpiece storage portion (hopper) 511 that can temporarily store a workpiece, and a workpiece supplied from the workpiece storage portion 511. A charging device main body 510 provided with a feeder 512 for conveying, and a portion including the workpiece storage portion 511 and the feeder 512 supported by a moving mechanism 550 so as to be separately movable in the vertical and forward / backward / left / right directions; , A workpiece passage 520 through which a workpiece directed from the charging device main body 510 toward the processing device F500 can pass. The workpiece passage 520 is made of quartz glass, and has a pipe-shaped portion 522 that is integrated in the longitudinal direction. The pipe-shaped portion 522 is provided so as to be directed obliquely downward as illustrated. Thus, the object to be processed can be put into the furnace body F510 from the outlet end 521. The workpiece passage 520 includes a drive mechanism, and can move (forward / retreat) in the longitudinal direction with respect to the furnace body F510. The retreat of the workpiece passage 520 is made so as not to interfere with the single crystal silicon when the solidified single crystal silicon is pulled up.

  Further, a joint portion 530 is provided between the charging device main body 510 and the workpiece passage 520 so that the charging device main body 510 and the workpiece passage 520 can be separated. A closing portion 540 capable of blocking the workpiece passage 520 is provided on the downstream side (in the passage direction of the workpiece). Therefore, the object to be processed can be replenished to the object-to-be-processed container 511 by opening the lid 513 provided in the charging apparatus main body 510 with the closing part 540 closed. Then, in the replenishment work of the workpiece, the charging device main body 510 is separated from the workpiece passage 520 with the joint portion 530 as a boundary, and the workpiece storage portion 511 is moved to a position where it can be easily operated by the moving mechanism 550. This can be done more efficiently.

  As described above, the workpiece input device 500 invented by the inventors of the present application can replenish the workpiece without destroying the special atmosphere inside the processing device F500.

JP 59-115736 A JP 2003-21470 A

  By the way, due to the falling moment of the object to be processed put into the furnace body F510, the unmelted object to be processed in the furnace body F510 or the object to be processed (molten metal) in a molten state jumps up and comes out of the furnace body F510. In order to prevent this, the molten metal in which the outlet end 521 of the workpiece passage 520 is located in the furnace body F510 as much as possible, regardless of whether the charging is performed before processing or additional charging (addition) during processing. It is desirable to place the object to be processed in a position close to the surface of the metal or an unmelted object to be processed.

  In this way, when the workpiece is introduced after the outlet end 521 of the workpiece passage 520 is disposed as close as possible to the surface of the molten metal, the workpiece is stacked like a mountain in the furnace body F510, and the workpiece is processed. By closing the outlet end 521 of the object passage 520, the object to be processed may be caught in the object passage 520, and the charging may not be continued. Further, as the workpiece is melted, the surface of the molten metal in the furnace body F510 rises, and the outlet end 521 of the workpiece passage 520 may be immersed in the molten metal. In such cases, if the workpiece passage 520 can be moved backward (moved to the upper right in the figure) with respect to the processing apparatus F500, the unmelted workpieces stacked like the mountain are stacked. And the outlet end 521 of the workpiece passage 520 are vacant so that the workpiece to be handled can be put into the furnace body F510. Further, the outlet end 521 of the workpiece passage 520 can be separated from the surface of the molten metal that has risen.

  However, as described above, the workpiece passage 520 has the pipe-like portion 522 that is integrated in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, when the workpiece passage 520 is moved backward as described above, the workpiece is passed. The entire passage 520 is retracted. That is, not only the outlet end 521 of the workpiece passage 520 but also the joint portion 530 at the upper end in the figure of the workpiece passage 520 moves obliquely upward.

  Therefore, in order not to stop the input of the workpiece from the charging device main body 510 into the furnace body F510, the workpiece passage 520 is formed without separating the charging device main body 510 from the workpiece passage 520 as illustrated. In order to move backward, it is necessary to also move the charging device main body 510 in the same direction.

  However, as described above, when the single crystal silicon is pulled up, the workpiece passage 520 is retracted to avoid interference with the single crystal silicon. It is assumed that the separation is performed separately from the passage 520, and it has not been assumed that the processing apparatus passage 520 is moved backward without separating the charging apparatus main body 510 from the treatment passage 520. Therefore, the charging apparatus main body 510 is not configured to move in accordance with the retreat of the workpiece passage 520.

  That is, since the moving mechanism 550 can be moved only in the up / down / front / rear / left / right directions as described above, the workpiece passage 520 can be moved without separating the charging device main body 510 from the workpiece passage 520. In order to retreat, it is necessary to move the input device main body 510 first, for example, upward and then rearward in accordance with the diagonally upward movement of the joint portion 530. Further, since the charging device main body 510 must be moved in each direction separately, it is not possible to increase the movement distance once, and the backward movement of the workpiece passage 520 and the movement of the charging device main body 510 must be alternately performed in small increments. Did not get. Moreover, the charging device main body 510 in which the object to be processed is accommodated is heavy and may be about 200 kg. Therefore, it is very difficult to move the outlet end 521 of the workpiece passage 520 without separating the charging device main body 510 from the workpiece passage 520. Thus, the workpiece input device 500 has room for improvement in terms of workability.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is easy to move the outlet end of the workpiece passage while maintaining the state in which the workpiece can be put in from the workpiece storage portion. It is an object of the present invention to provide a workpiece input device with good quality.

  An object to be processed input device of the present invention is an object to be processed to input an object to be processed in an airtight state from the outside to a processing device that processes the object to be processed in an airtight state in a processing unit provided inside. In the charging device, the workpiece to be processed can be temporarily accommodated, and the workpiece to be processed having an openable and closable opening used for storing the workpiece, and the workpiece to be thrown into the processing device Is passed through in an airtight state and can be introduced from the outlet end, and a workpiece takeout mechanism capable of taking out the object to be processed from the workpiece receiving portion to the workpiece passage in an airtight state. And a closing part capable of blocking the processing apparatus side and the processing object storage part side of the processing object path, and a position of the processing object path closer to the processing object storage part than the closing part. And a joint part capable of separating and joining the workpiece passages. The object to be processed passage, while maintaining the joining position of the joint portion, the outlet end is characterized in that it is stretchable so as to approach to and separate from to the joining position.

  According to the above configuration, the workpiece passage can be expanded and contracted with the outlet end approaching / separating from the joining position while maintaining the joining position of the joint portion. The outlet end of the processing object passage can be moved closer to or away from the processing unit without moving the processing object storage unit for storing the object.

  And the to-be-processed material injection | throwing-in apparatus of this invention has the expansion-contraction pipe unit which the said to-be-processed object channel | path has combined the 1st pipe and 2nd pipe arrange | positioned on the same axis line, The first pipe is disposed on the upstream side in the passing direction of the workpiece, the second pipe is disposed on the downstream side, and the outlet end of the workpiece passage is located upstream of the first pipe. It is preferable that the expansion and contraction pipe unit expands and contracts when the second pipe moves in the longitudinal direction so that the downstream end of the second pipe approaches and separates.

  According to the preferable configuration, since the expansion and contraction pipe unit formed by combining the first pipe and the second pipe expands and contracts, the outlet end of the workpiece passage is connected to the processing unit with a relatively simple configuration. Can be approached and separated.

  And the workpiece input device of the present invention is configured such that the telescopic pipe unit can be inserted into the second pipe at the downstream end of the first pipe when approaching, and the closing portion is The first pipe and the second pipe are provided so as to be able to be shut off, and the downstream end of the first pipe is inserted into the second pipe when the closing portion is opened. It is preferable that an object is charged.

  According to the preferable configuration, when the closing portion is opened, the workpiece is input while the downstream end of the first pipe is inserted into the second pipe. In this case, the object to be processed can be prevented from touching the structural member that realizes the blocking, and the occurrence of the blocking failure due to the debris of the object being processed can be suppressed.

  In the workpiece input device according to the present invention, a portion of the telescopic pipe unit that can be in contact with the outside air is airtight and expands and contracts in the longitudinal direction between the processing device and the joint portion. It is preferable that it is covered with a possible covering material.

  According to the preferable configuration, the expansion pipe unit is not exposed directly by being covered with the jacket material, and the occurrence of damage to the expansion pipe unit can be suppressed. Note that “outside air” refers to the atmosphere outside the workpiece input apparatus and the processing apparatus.

  Since the workpiece input device of the present invention can move the outlet end closer to or away from the processing unit without moving the processing object storage unit that stores the processing object, It is easy to move the workpiece passage while the workpiece can be put in, and the workability is good.

It is a schematic diagram which shows a processing apparatus and a to-be-processed object injection | throwing-in apparatus. The 2nd to-be-processed object channel | path and a joint part are shown, Comprising: (A) (B) shows the state which the expansion-contraction pipe unit extended most, (B) is the schematic of a side view, (A) is (B It is a schematic diagram in X arrow view. (C) (D) shows the state of the intermediate length of the expansion and contraction pipe unit, (D) is a schematic diagram in side view, and (C) is a schematic diagram in Y direction of (D). (E) (F) shows a state in which the telescopic pipe unit is contracted, (E) is a schematic diagram in a side view, and (E) is a schematic diagram in a Z arrow direction in (F). It is a schematic diagram which shows the processing apparatus and workpiece input apparatus which the inventors of this application invented before.

  The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings by taking one embodiment. In the following description of the direction, “up and down” is based on the up and down direction shown in FIG. Further, “front and rear” means that the side closer to the processing apparatus F1 is the front side and the far side is the rear side in the state shown in FIG. Further, “upstream / downstream” is based on the passage direction (flow direction) of the workpiece S. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described in this direction.

-Processing device-
First, the processing apparatus F1 to which the workpiece input apparatus 1 according to the present invention is attached will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the processing apparatus F <b> 1 can be hermetically sealed, and the workpiece S can be melted in a furnace body (crucible) F <b> 11 provided as a processing unit. In the present embodiment, in order to manufacture single crystal silicon S2 which is a material of the semiconductor substrate, massive polycrystalline silicon (silicon nugget) as the object to be processed S is put into the furnace body F11 and heated and melted. Incidentally, the diameter dimension of the silicon nugget used in this embodiment is about 10 mm.

  In the processing apparatus F1 of the present embodiment, single crystal silicon S2 is manufactured by the CZ method. A method of manufacturing the single crystal silicon S2 of this embodiment will be briefly described. First, the silicon nugget charged into the furnace body F11 in an inert gas atmosphere is heated to about 1800 ° C. and melted. A single crystal silicon as a seed is immersed in this molten silicon (hereinafter referred to as “molten metal”) S1, and then the crystal is grown by slowly lifting it while rotating. A single crystal silicon (ingot) S2 is formed. That is, the processing apparatus F1 is used to pull up the single crystal silicon S2 from the molten metal S1.

  Specifically, the inert gas atmosphere in the present embodiment refers to an atmosphere filled with an inert gas such as argon or nitrogen after once evacuating the internal space of the processing apparatus F1. Therefore, a deaeration pump (vacuum pump) and an inert gas supply pipe are provided in the processing apparatus F1 (not shown). In addition, the inside of the following workpiece input apparatus 1 is also placed in the same inert gas atmosphere as that in the processing apparatus F1 when the following closing portion 14 is not closed.

  Depending on the type of the object to be processed S, the inside of the processing apparatus F1 may be a vacuum atmosphere. In particular, when it is desired to remove impurities from the molten metal S1, there may be a vacuum atmosphere. However, in a vacuum atmosphere, the workpiece S evaporates inside the processing apparatus F1. Since this is inconvenient in the present embodiment, an inert gas is introduced into the processing apparatus F1 in order to suppress the evaporation of silicon by the pressure of the inert gas. Further, the pressure of the inert gas to be introduced is optimum for the type of the workpiece S.

  In the present embodiment, the material constituting the object to be processed S is silicon, but the object to be processed S targeted by the present invention is not limited to this, and various metals such as metals and resins other than silicon can be used. The substance can be the workpiece S.

  The “treatment” in the present embodiment includes a series of operations from melting of the silicon nugget by heating and formation of single crystal silicon (ingot) by pulling up from the molten metal S1. “Processing” is a broader concept, and refers to all operations for applying various physical or chemical changes to the workpiece S in an airtight state.

-Material input device-
As shown in FIG. 1, the workpiece input device 1 can input the workpiece S into the furnace body F11 from the outside of the processing device F1 with respect to the processing device F1. In the following description, a generic term for parts provided at the workpiece receiving portion 11 side of the joint portion 15 separated by the joint portion 15 described below will be described as the charging device main body 1a.

  The workpiece input apparatus 1 includes a workpiece storage unit 11 and a transport unit 1b. The conveyance part 1b is a part for conveying the to-be-processed object S accommodated in the to-be-processed object accommodating part 11 to the processing apparatus F1, Comprising: The to-be-processed object channel | path 12 and the to-be-processed object extraction mechanism 13 are provided. . The transport unit 1 b includes a closing unit 14 and a joint unit 15. Details will be described later.

  The workpiece S is transported from the workpiece storage unit 11 through the workpiece passage 12 in the transport unit 1b to the processing apparatus F1. In the conveyance path, the portion to be processed S touched is made of quartz glass, which is a material resistant to wear, or is lined with quartz glass, and impurities such as metal powder due to wear are treated. Since the possibility of being mixed into the object S is suppressed as much as possible, the single crystal silicon S2 with high purity can be manufactured.

  In the present embodiment, the workpiece storage section 11, a part of the workpiece passage 12, and the workpiece removal mechanism 13 are each provided inside a stainless steel supply tank 111. And when the to-be-processed object injection | throwing-in apparatus 1 is attached to the processing apparatus F1, this supply tank 111 itself can maintain the airtight state with respect to external air. Note that “outside air” in the description of the present embodiment refers to the atmosphere outside the workpiece input device 1 and the processing device F1.

  The supply tank 111 includes a substantially cylindrical supply tank main body 111a and a protruding portion 111b protruding in a horizontal direction from the supply tank main body 111a. In this embodiment, the supply tank 111 is connected by a flange as illustrated. Both are united. In addition, the structure which directly connected so that the to-be-processed object accommodating part 11 and the to-be-processed object channel | path 12 may be maintained airtight with respect to external air without providing the supply tank 111 may be employ | adopted. Moreover, the supply tank main body 111a and the protrusion 111b may be integrated by welding or the like.

-Workpiece container (hopper)-
The workpiece storage unit 11 is a part that can temporarily store the workpiece S until it is transported, and is an openable / closable storage port that is used when the workpiece S is stored. 111c. In the present embodiment, the accommodation port 111c can be opened and closed by the lid portion 111d. And in this embodiment, the hopper is used as this to-be-processed object accommodating part 11. As shown in FIG. The hopper 11 is provided in the supply tank 111 by laminating flat quartz glass. And as for the shape, an octagonal pyramid is connected to the lower end of an octagonal prism whose upper and lower ends are open. The lower end of the octagonal pyramid portion is open, and the object to be processed S spontaneously falls from that part, and the object to be processed S is taken out to the transport unit 1b.

  When combined with an octagonal prism and an octagonal pyramid as in this embodiment, a flat quartz glass having a rectangular or trapezoidal shape in plan view can be combined to form the hopper 11 and manufacturing cost can be reduced. Can be suppressed. In addition, the to-be-processed object accommodating part 11 of this invention is not restricted to the shape which combined the octagonal column and the octagonal pyramid like the hopper of this embodiment, It is the shape which combined the other polygonal column and the polygonal pyramid. It's okay. In some cases, a cylindrical shape may be adopted.

  The lid portion 111d in the present embodiment is provided at the upper end of the supply tank main body 111a so as to maintain an airtight state with respect to the outside air. 111 c is opened, and the workpiece S can be replenished to the hopper 11.

-Material passage-
The to-be-processed object channel | path 12 is a site | part through which the to-be-processed object S thrown into the processing apparatus F1 can pass. The upstream end is provided at a position where the workpiece S can be received from the hopper 11. And the downstream end (exit end) 12a is provided in the position which can throw in the processed material S with respect to the processing apparatus F1. More specifically, the downstream end 12a in the workpiece passage 12 is located inside the processing apparatus F1 and above the furnace body F11.

  The workpiece passage 12 according to the present embodiment includes a first workpiece passage 121 located on the hopper 11 side and a second workpiece passage 122 located on the processing apparatus F1 side. The first workpiece passage 121 and the second workpiece passage 122 can be separated and joined with the joint portion 15 as a boundary. Here, the downstream end 12a belongs to the second workpiece passage 122 (more specifically, the second pipe 122b). In the present embodiment, it is not necessary to separate the second workpiece passage 122 from the processing apparatus F1 except when the first pipe 122a and the second pipe 122b (described later) are replaced. Therefore, the moving mechanism 2 (described later) only needs to be able to move the first workpiece passage 121 and does not need to bear the movement of the second workpiece passage 122. That is, the design of the moving mechanism 2 can be simplified by configuring the workpiece passage 12 from the first workpiece passage 121 and the second workpiece passage 122 as described above.

  And this to-be-processed object channel | path 12 and the hopper 11 are provided in the positional relationship which can convey the to-be-processed object S, without making outside air contact. In the present embodiment, the hopper 11 is formed in the supply tank 111 and the first workpiece passage 121 is formed in the lower portion of the supply tank 111, so that the workpiece S can be conveyed without being exposed to the outside air. It is possible to make it.

  In the present embodiment, the first workpiece passage 121 is a portion that extends horizontally from directly under the hopper 11 to the front, and protrudes forward from the lower part of the supply tank body 111a and the lower part of the supply tank body 111a. It exists across the protrusion 111b. An enlarged portion 122a1 (described later) of the first pipe 122a is located on the downstream side of the protrusion 111b, and the workpiece S enters from the enlarged portion 122a1 and is conveyed to the second workpiece passage 122. To go.

  The second object passage 122 is connected to the downstream end of the first object passage 121 so that the object S can pass through the joint portion 15 described below, and is inclined obliquely downward and forward. Is arranged. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a part of the second workpiece passage 122 (enlarged portion 122a1 of the first pipe 122a) enters the first workpiece passage 121. Further, the downstream end of the first workpiece passage 121 and the upstream end of the second workpiece passage 122 may be provided so as to wrap.

  Each of the second object passages 122 of the present embodiment is made of quartz glass, and has a telescopic pipe unit 122x formed by combining a first pipe 122a and a second pipe 122b arranged on the same axis. ing. The outer diameter (excluding the enlarged portion 122a1) of the first pipe 122a is smaller than the inner diameter (excluding the enlarged portion 122b1) of the second pipe 122b. Thus, the first pipe 122a (insertion side pipe) can be inserted into the second pipe 122b (insertion side pipe), and the pipe 122a, 122b in the above-described degree of insertion or not inserted. Depending on the distance between them, the expandable pipe unit 122x can be expanded and contracted in the longitudinal direction (the total length of the expandable pipe unit 122x can be changed). During the expansion and contraction, the downstream end 122b2 of the second pipe 122b approaches and separates from the upstream end of the first pipe 122a.

  At the upstream end of the first pipe 122a, an enlarged portion 122a1 whose diameter is increased toward the tip is formed. As shown in FIG. 1, the enlarged portion 122a1 is positioned below the trough 132 of the workpiece removal mechanism (electromagnetic vibration feeder) 13, receives the workpiece S conveyed on the trough 132, This is the part leading into the pipe 122a. On the other hand, the downstream end 122a2 is cut by a cross section orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the first pipe 122a. The downstream end 122a2 is a portion that is inserted into the second pipe 122b when the telescopic pipe unit 122x contracts.

  An enlarged portion 122b1 whose diameter is increased toward the tip is also formed at the upstream end of the second pipe 122b. The enlarged portion 122b1 is a portion for attaching the second pipe 122b to the second pipe support portion 16 connected to a drive plate 175 (described later) of the passage moving mechanism 17. Further, when the first pipe 122a is inserted into the second pipe 122b, it can also serve as a guide for guiding the downstream end 122a2 of the first pipe 122a. In addition, a closing portion 14 (described later) is provided above the enlarged portion 122b1. The closing portion 14 is provided so as to be integrated with the second pipe 122b. On the other hand, the downstream end 122b2 (coincident with the downstream end 12a of the workpiece passage 12) may be cut in the horizontal direction as shown in the figure, or in the vertical direction (a vertical line passing through the center of the furnace body F11). It may be cut in a direction parallel to C).

  By configuring the second workpiece passage 122 in this way, as shown in FIGS. 2B, 2D, and 2F, the first workpiece passage in the joint portion 15 (the upper end portion in the drawing). The second pipe 122b can be moved with respect to the first pipe 122a while the bonding position with the 121 is maintained (in a fixed state), and the second object passage 122 can be expanded and contracted in the longitudinal direction. As described above, since the expansion pipe unit 122x is inserted or expanded or contracted by approaching / separating, the downstream end 12a of the workpiece passage 122 approaches the furnace body F11 with a relatively simple configuration.・ Can be separated.

  FIG. 2B shows a state in which the expansion pipe unit 122x is most extended, FIG. 2D shows a state in which the expansion pipe unit 122x is slightly contracted, and FIG. 2F shows that the expansion pipe unit 122x is further contracted. Indicates the state. In the state shown in FIG. 2B, the first pipe 122a has not yet been inserted into the second pipe 122b. In addition, in this state, since the 1st pipe 122a does not exist in the closing part 14, the closing part 14 can be closed. In the state shown in FIGS. 2D and 2F, the first pipe 122a is inserted into the second pipe 122b, and the first pipe 122a exists in the closing part 14, so that the closing part 14 is opened. Yes.

  In this way, the second workpiece passage 122 can be set to an arbitrary length within the range in which the telescopic pipe unit 122x can be expanded and contracted. In the present embodiment, the first pipe 122a is fixed to the processing apparatus F1 by the fixing portion 12b. Therefore, the first pipe 122a does not move with respect to the processing device F1, and the second pipe 122b moves. Therefore, the position of the downstream end 12a of the processed material passage 122 with respect to the processing apparatus F1 (more specifically, the furnace body F11) can be easily changed.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, in order to protect each quartz glass pipe 122a, 122b from damage, between the processing apparatus F1 and the joint part 15, the part which can contact external air among each pipe 122a, 122b, It is covered with protective bellows 12c, 12d as an outer jacket material that is airtight and can be expanded and contracted in the longitudinal direction. The protective bellows 12c and 12d are, for example, stainless steel thin plates formed in a bellows shape by welding or integral molding, and are expanded and contracted according to the expansion and contraction of the expansion and contraction pipe unit 122x.

  In the present embodiment, the first protective bellows 12 c is hermetically connected to the lower joint member 152 and the closing portion 14 between the lower joint member 152 and the closing portion 14 of the joint portion 15. The second protective bellows 12d is airtightly connected to the closing portion 14 and the fixing portion 12b between the closing portion 14 and the fixing portion 12b.

  In addition, the structure of the 2nd to-be-processed object channel | path 122 is not restricted to the thing of this embodiment, A various deformation | transformation is possible. For example, the second object passage 122 may be expanded and contracted by using a bellows-like member. Moreover, although each pipe 122a, 122b of this embodiment is made into the straight tube shape whose diameter size does not change except expansion part 122a1, 122b1, it may change diameter size like a taper pipe. . In some cases, a curved tube having a predetermined curvature may be used. The stretchable pipe unit 122x may be a combination of three or more pipes.

-Workpiece removal mechanism-
The workpiece removal mechanism 13 is a part for transporting the workpiece S in an airtight state from the workpiece storage portion 11 to the workpiece passage 12. In the present embodiment, an electromagnetic vibration feeder is used as the workpiece removal mechanism 13, and this electromagnetic vibration feeder is provided inside the first workpiece passage 121. Since the workpiece removal mechanism 13 is provided in the transport unit 1b, the workpiece removal mechanism 13 is not limited to the one provided in the workpiece passage 12 as in the present embodiment. The object passage 12 may be provided at a position away from the object passage 12.

  The electromagnetic vibration feeder includes a drive unit 131 and a trough 132. The drive unit 131 vibrates the trough 132 and conveys the workpiece S placed on the trough 132 to the downstream side. Can do. The trough 132 is a bowl-shaped part with an open upper end and a downstream end. In this embodiment, the inner surface is lined with quartz glass. The trough 132 is provided from the position immediately below the hopper 11 to the vicinity of the downstream end of the first workpiece passage 121 along the direction in which the first workpiece passage 121 extends. As a result, the workpiece S that naturally falls from the lower end of the hopper 11 is placed on the trough 132 and conveyed downstream. And the to-be-processed object S which came to the downstream end of the trough 132 falls to the expansion part 122a1 of the said 1st pipe 122a.

  In the present embodiment, by using an electromagnetic vibration feeder as the workpiece extraction mechanism 13, the workpiece S can be continuously and quantitatively introduced into the processing apparatus F1. Therefore, the processing object S can be continuously added to the furnace body F11 little by little, so that the processing efficiency and accuracy can be improved. Of course, it is possible to input a small amount of the workpiece S. In addition, in the past, there was a case where the workpieces were thrown into the furnace body at once, in which case there was a concern that the furnace body might be damaged due to a splash of molten metal or an impact at the time of charging, as described above. Such concerns can be eliminated by using the electromagnetic vibration feeder. In addition, since a small amount of the processing object S can be input, even when the processing object S is input to the furnace body F11 during the operation of the processing apparatus F1, a rapid temperature drop of the molten metal S1 is suppressed. This is advantageous for quality control.

  In the present embodiment, the first object passage 121 extends in the horizontal direction, and the second object passage 122 is inclined obliquely downward and forward. Therefore, the workpiece S is conveyed in the horizontal direction by the electromagnetic vibration feeder in the first workpiece passage 121, and is conveyed obliquely downward in the second workpiece passage 122 by natural fall due to gravity. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the first workpiece passage 121 and the second workpiece passage 122 are both directed obliquely downward or downward, both of which are gravity. The object to be processed S may be transported by natural fall due to the above. In that case, for example, a flow rate adjusting mechanism such as a gate or a valve provided in the lower portion of the hopper 11 serves as the workpiece extraction mechanism 13.

  Further, even when the workpiece removal mechanism 13 is used to transport the workpiece S in the horizontal direction, it is not limited to the electromagnetic vibration feeder as in the present embodiment, for example, a belt conveyor or a roller conveyor. In addition, various transport mechanisms can be used as long as they have a function capable of transporting the workpiece S from one side to the other side. Of course, the conveyance direction of the workpiece S by the workpiece extraction mechanism 13 may be other than the horizontal direction.

-Closure-
The closing part 14 is a part capable of blocking the processing apparatus F1 side and the workpiece storage part 11 side of the transport part 1b. The closing portion 14 includes an opening / closing member (valve element) (not shown) that can close the space in the closing portion 14 for the blocking. As shown in FIG. 2, the closing portion 14 of the present embodiment is a gate valve provided at one location on the upper end of the second pipe 122 b in the second workpiece passage 122. The closing part 14 and the second pipe 122b are connected in an airtight manner. By closing the closing part 14, the part closer to the processing device F <b> 1 than the closing part 14 can be closed in an airtight state. Of course, the workpiece S can be closed so as not to leak out. As the type of the valve used for the closing portion 14, various valves such as a globe valve, a ball valve, and a butterfly valve can be used in addition to the gate valve if conditions permit.

  Here, the downstream end 122a2 of the first pipe 122a in the second workpiece passage 122 is downstream of the opening / closing member when the closing portion 14 is opened, as shown in FIGS. It is supposed to be located on the side. In other words, at this time, the workpiece S is charged with the downstream end 122a2 of the first pipe 122a being inserted into the second pipe 122b. As a result, the workpiece S passing through the second workpiece passage 122 does not come into contact with the opening / closing member and the components (O-ring, packing, etc.) that realize the blocking by being in close contact with the opening / closing member. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of a blocking failure due to the debris of the workpiece S being caught.

  In the present embodiment, the closing portion 14 is provided at the upper end of the second pipe 122b. However, the closing portion 14 is not limited to this and may be provided at another position in the transport portion 1b. However, when the workpiece passage 12 is separated by the joint portion 15, it is necessary to provide the closing portion 14 closer to the processing device F 1 than the joint portion 15 in order to maintain the airtight state of the processing device F 1 after the separation. is there. In order to keep both the processing apparatus F1 and the charging apparatus main body 1a in an airtight state after separation, the closing portion 14 is placed on both the processing apparatus F1 side and the charging apparatus main body 1a side with the joint portion 15 interposed therebetween. It may be provided.

  By providing the closing portion 14 in this way, if the closing portion 14 is closed, the hopper 11 can be opened to the outside air while maintaining the inert gas atmosphere inside the processing apparatus F1. For this reason, it is possible to replenish the hopper 11 with the processing object S by opening the lid 111d while continuing to melt the processing object S in the furnace body F11 of the processing apparatus F1. And after replenishing the to-be-processed object S to the hopper 11, the to-be-processed object S newly replenished to the hopper 11 can be thrown in in the furnace body F11 by opening the closing part 14. FIG. In addition, when thrown into the furnace body F11 the to-be-processed object S newly replenished to the hopper 11, the hopper 11 side is made into the inert gas atmosphere rather than the closing part 14. FIG.

  Conventionally, when the object to be processed accommodated in the hopper is lost, after the furnace body is cooled once, the inert gas atmosphere is released, the object to be processed is replenished to the hopper, and the inert gas atmosphere is set again. Since it was necessary to reheat the furnace body, there was a lot of time loss, more specifically, idle time (operation stop time), which was undesirable in terms of quality control. On the other hand, in this embodiment, by providing the closing part 14, it is possible to replenish the workpiece input device F1 with the workpiece S without destroying the special atmosphere inside the processing device F1. This can reduce the idle time and improve the productivity. Therefore, the conventional problems can be solved.

-Joint part-
In addition to the closing portion 14, a joint portion 15 capable of separating and joining the transporting portion 1 b at a position closer to the workpiece receiving portion 11 than the closing portion 14 in the workpiece passage 12. To do. Thereby, the conveyance part 1b is separable. The joint part 15 may be provided at any position on the transport part 1b as long as the joint part 15 is located closer to the workpiece storage part 11 than the closing part 14. And by this joint part 15, the part (in this embodiment charging device main body 1a) of the to-be-processed object charging device 1 by the side of the hopper 11 rather than the joint part 15 can be isolate | separated from the processing apparatus F1. From this, in this embodiment, it becomes possible to take charge of supply of the to-be-processed object S to the some processing apparatus F1 with the one injection | throwing-in apparatus main body 1a. That is, unlike the prior art, the same number of input device bodies 1a as the processing device F1 are not necessarily required. Of course, the number of the processing apparatus F1 and the input apparatus main body 1a may correspond one to one as usual.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the joint portion 15 is provided between the first workpiece passage 121 and the second workpiece passage 122. More specifically, an upper joint member 151 is provided at the downstream end of the first workpiece passage 121, and the upstream end of the second workpiece passage 122 (excluding the enlarged portion 122b1 of the second pipe 122b). ) Is provided with a lower joint member 152. In this embodiment, each joint member 151,152 is made into the substantially flange shape, and it can join airtightly by contact | adhering the contact surfaces in the opposing relationship.

  When the first processing object passage 121 and the second processing object passage 122 of the processing object passage 12 are divided by the joint portion 15 by providing the closing portion 14 and the joint portion 15 as described above. Moreover, the airtight state of the downstream portion with respect to the moving direction of the workpiece S in the workpiece passage 12 can be maintained by the closing portion 14. Specifically, the following is possible. If it is no longer necessary to replenish the processing object S in the processing apparatus F1, if the processing object S still remains in the hopper 11, the closing part 14 is closed and the joint part 15 is bounded. It is possible to separate the processing object passage 12 and replace the input apparatus main body 1a with a processing apparatus F1 different from that before separation, and thereby input the processing object S remaining in the hopper 11 into another processing apparatus F1. it can.

  When the object to be processed S accommodated in the hopper 11 is lost, for example, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the expansion pipe unit 122x is extended to enter the first pipe 122a in the closing portion 14. And the workpiece passage 12 is separated with the joint portion 15 as a boundary after the closing portion 14 is closed. Then, the lift 21 is operated to move the loading apparatus main body 1a to a convenient position, for example, and then the workpiece S is replenished to the hopper 11. Thereafter, the charging apparatus main body 1a can be replaced with a processing apparatus F1 different from that before separation. However, you may attach the input apparatus main body 1a again to the same processing apparatus F1 as before separation. In particular, when the charging device main body 1a is supported by the following lift 21, the above-described replenishing operation can be performed more efficiently.

  In addition, although there is a demerit that it is necessary to frequently replenish the workpiece S to the hopper 11, by reducing the capacity of the hopper 11, the charging device main body 1 a can be made compact and easier to handle. This is not applicable at any manufacturing site, but according to the present embodiment, such a selection is possible, and the device can be optimized according to the situation at the manufacturing site.

  Here, in the case where only one closing portion 14 is provided in the workpiece passage 12, the inert gas atmosphere inside the charging device main body 1a is lost due to the separation of the joint portion 15, and therefore the charging device main body. It is necessary to arrange the inside of 1a again in an inert gas atmosphere. In view of this, it is conceivable to provide another closed portion in the workpiece passage 12 with the joint portion 15 interposed therebetween. In this case, since the section where the inert gas atmosphere should be prepared can be a relatively short section between the closing portion 14 and the other closing portion, the working efficiency can be greatly improved, which is advantageous. is there.

  In the present embodiment, the second object passage 122 is left in the processing apparatus F1 even when the joint portion 15 is separated. Therefore, the separation operation of the second workpiece passage 122 with respect to the processing device F1 is unnecessary, and the movement of the charging device main body 1a by the following moving mechanism 2 is easy. Further, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the pipes 122a and 122b in the second workpiece passage 122 made of quartz glass are damaged as the charging apparatus main body 1a moves.

  And since this 2nd to-be-processed object channel | path 122 can be moved separately from the 1st to-be-processed object channel | path 121 by presence of this joint part 15, the vertical line C which passes along the center area | region (the center of the furnace body F11) is shown. The downstream end 12a of the workpiece passage 12 is moved only by the movement of the second workpiece passage 122 between the position of the wide area) and the position outside the central region. Is possible. Therefore, the space required for movement can be reduced, and the workpiece input device 1 can be reduced in size. Further, the movement of the downstream end 12a in the workpiece passage 12 by the passage moving mechanism 17 can be performed separately from the movement by the following moving mechanism 2 (in other words, the moving mechanism 2 described below is to be processed). Since it is not necessary to take charge of the movement of the downstream end 12a in the passage 12, the structure of the moving mechanism 2 described below can be simplified, and from this point, the enlargement of the workpiece input apparatus 1 can be suppressed.

  Here, a procedure for replenishing the workpiece S using the workpiece input apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be briefly summarized. When the processing object S is being processed by the processing apparatus F1, when the processing object S in the furnace body F11 is reduced, the processing unit F1 accommodates the processing object F in the hopper 11 by operating the electromagnetic vibration feeder that is the processing object take-out mechanism 13. The processed object S that has been transferred is transferred through the processed object passage 12 of the transfer unit 1b, and is put into the furnace body F11. In this state, the closing part 14 is opened and the joint part 15 is joined.

  When the processing object S of the hopper 11 is lost, the closing portion 14 is first closed, and then the joint portion 15 is separated. Thereby, the joint part 15 can be isolate | separated, maintaining the inert gas atmosphere inside processing apparatus F1. Then, using the moving mechanism 2, the charging device main body 1 a is moved to a convenient position, the accommodation port 111 c is opened, and the workpiece S is replenished to the hopper 11. Prior to opening the storage port 111c, outside air is introduced into the charging device main body 1a to release the inert gas atmosphere.

  After replenishing the workpiece S as described above, the joint unit 15 is joined using the moving mechanism 2. Thereafter, by opening the closing portion 14, the workpiece S can be put into the furnace body F11. In addition, when throwing in the to-be-processed object S to the furnace body F11, the inside of the charging device main body 1a is made into inert gas atmosphere by introduce | transducing an inert gas after evacuating.

-Movement mechanism-
Moreover, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the moving mechanism 2 which can move the input device main body 1a in the direction which approaches / separates with respect to the processing apparatus F1 is provided. The moving mechanism 2 of the present embodiment includes a lift 21 and a plurality of wheels 22 (a front wheel 221 and a rear wheel 222). The lift 21 can move the charging device main body 1a in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, a manual lift that moves the input device main body 1a up and down by a handle operation is adopted, but a lift driven by a motor or the like may be used. The wheel 22 is adapted to rotate along the installation surface G on which the processing device F1 is installed, and can move the input device main body 1a and the lift 21 mainly in the front-rear direction and also in the left-right direction. It can be made to.

  By this moving mechanism 2, it is possible to more easily separate and join the joint portion 15 by moving the charging device main body 1a. Then, the input device main body 1a can be moved relative to the different processing device F1. In addition, by lowering the processing apparatus F1 to near the installation surface G, the replenishment of the workpiece S can be simplified. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, by placing the processing apparatus F <b> 1 at a high position, in the processing object passage 12, in a portion where the natural fall due to gravity is made (the second processing object passage 122 in the present embodiment). The workpiece S can be transported more smoothly. Thus, by providing the moving mechanism 2, the workpiece input device 1 can be made very convenient. Moreover, the restrictions given to the layout of the production site can be made small.

-Movement of workpiece passage-
In the present embodiment, the position of the downstream end 12a in the workpiece passage 12 relative to the processing apparatus F1 can be moved. This movement is made movable between the position of the central area, which is a wide area including the vertical line C passing through the center of the furnace body F11, and the position outside the central area. The “central region” is a region where the single crystal silicon S2 can be pulled up, excluding the peripheral portion of the furnace body F11. More specifically with respect to the present embodiment, this movement is made in a direction approaching / separating with respect to the vertical line C passing through the center of the furnace body F <b> 11, and the second pipe 122 b of the second workpiece passage 122 is treated. It moves with respect to apparatus F1 (more specifically, furnace body F11). This movement is performed separately from the first workpiece passage 121.

  The approach / separation related to the movement means that the most forward portion of the downstream end 12a in the workpiece passage 12 is close to the vertical line C (the most forward portion of the downstream end 12a is the position of the central region. In this case, the most forward portion of the downstream end 12a is located on the inner side of the upward movement trajectory S2a of the single crystal silicon S2, and at the time of separation (downstream end 12a). Of the downstream end 12a, the most forward portion of the downstream end 12a is positioned on the outer side of the movement locus S2a. Is.

  Therefore, when approaching the vertical line C (when the most forward portion of the downstream end 12a is at the position of the central region), the workpiece S can be put into the approximate center of the furnace body F11. Become. That is, it becomes possible to throw in the workpiece S at a position close to the center of the furnace body F11 as compared with the conventional one in which the workpiece S is thrown outside the movement locus S2a. As described above, since the workpiece S can be thrown into a position closer to the center of the furnace body F11, the workpiece S is not easily biased in the furnace body, and the charged silicon granules are heated uniformly and efficiently. Can melt. Therefore, the pulling operation of single crystal silicon can be performed smoothly and the manufacturing efficiency is good. And since the to-be-processed object S before a fusion | melting does not overflow from the furnace body F11, the fixed input of the to-be-processed object S is possible, and work efficiency is good.

  At the time of separation with respect to the vertical line C (when the most forward portion of the downstream end 12a is located away from the central region), the single crystal silicon S2 is not interfered with the workpiece passage 12. It can be pulled up from the furnace body F11.

  In addition, when the downstream end 122b2 in the second pipe 122b is cut and opened along a plane parallel to the vertical line C passing through the center of the furnace body F11, the second pipe 122b approaches the vertical line C. If the downstream end 12a overlaps with the vertical line C at the time (when the downstream end 12a is at the position of the central region), the distance corresponding to the radius of the movement locus S2a of the single crystal silicon S2 is at least the first. If the two pipes 122b are moved, interference between the single crystal silicon S2 pulled up from the furnace body F11 and the second pipes 122b can be avoided. That is, the moving distance of the second pipe 122b can be minimized.

  A passage moving mechanism 17 is provided to move at least a part of the workpiece passage 12. In the present embodiment, the second pipe 122b is moved in the longitudinal direction by the passage moving mechanism 17, and moves into and out of the processing apparatus F1 along with this movement. As described above, the first pipe 122a can be inserted into the second pipe 122b, and depending on the degree of insertion or the distance between the pipes 122a and 122b in the uninserted state, the telescopic pipe unit 122x. Therefore, the second pipe 122b can be moved in and out of the processing apparatus F1 while the joining position at the joint portion 15 is maintained, and the second workpiece passage 122 can be expanded and contracted in the longitudinal direction. it can.

  Thereby, when the downstream end 12a of the workpiece passage 12 is arranged as close as possible to the surface of the molten metal S1 in the furnace body F11 or to the unmelted workpiece S, the unmelted workpiece to be treated that has already been charged. The object S may be piled up in the furnace body F11 like a mountain, and the downstream object 12 may be caught in the second object passage 122 by closing the downstream end 12a of the second object passage 122. However, by retreating the second workpiece passage 122 relative to the processing apparatus F1, the workpiece S stacked in a mountain shape can be put in a state in which the workpiece S can be introduced from the workpiece storage portion 11. The space between the processing object S and the downstream end 12a of the second processing object passage 122 is increased, whereby the processing object S can be put into the furnace body F11. Further, as the object to be processed S is melted, the surface of the molten metal in the furnace body F11 rises and the downstream end 12a of the second object to be processed passage 122 may be immersed in the molten metal. By retracting the second workpiece passage 122 with respect to F1, the downstream end 12a of the second workpiece passage 122 can be separated from the surface of the elevated molten metal.

-Passage moving mechanism-
Hereinafter, the passage moving mechanism 17 in the present embodiment will be described in more detail. As shown in FIGS. 2A, 2C, and 2E, the passage moving mechanism 17 includes a frame 171, a support shaft 172, a drive shaft 173, a driven portion 174, and a drive plate 175.

  The frame 171 is a portion fixed directly or indirectly to the processing device F1, and is immovable with respect to the processing device F1. In the present embodiment, a fixing plate 171a provided at a position downstream of the frame 171 is fixed to the processing apparatus F1.

  A support shaft 172 is fixed to the frame 171. The support shaft 172 is a round bar provided in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the second pipe 122b. The frame 171 is provided with a drive shaft 173 at a position parallel to the support shaft 172 and opposite to the second pipe 122b. Further, a driven portion 174 is rotatably provided on the side of the frame 171 close to the drive shaft 173. The rotational axis of the driven part 174 is orthogonal to the drive shaft 173. The drive shaft 173 is a round bar having a screw formed on the outer peripheral surface thereof, and is rotatable with respect to the frame 171 in the circumferential direction. A bevel gear 173 a is attached to the downstream end portion of the drive shaft 173, and the bevel gear 173 a meshes with a bevel gear 174 a that is also provided at the end portion of the driven portion 174. Therefore, the drive shaft 173 can be rotated by rotating the driven portion 174. The driven portion 174 may be automatically operated by connecting a driving means such as a motor, or may be manually operated by attaching a handle.

  The drive plate 175 is connected to the second pipe support portion 16 and supports the second pipe 122b in a stationary manner, and is attached so that the support shaft 172 and the drive shaft 173 pass therethrough. This penetration is made slidable with respect to the support shaft 172, and can be screwed with respect to the drive shaft 173. As a result, the drive plate 175 can be moved toward and away from the fixed plate 171a in accordance with the rotation of the drive shaft 173 by the operation of the driven portion 174. And when this drive plate 175 carries out the operation | movement which approaches with respect to the fixed plate 171a, the 2nd pipe 122b approaches the perpendicular line C which passes along the center of the furnace body F11, and is the most front end among the downstream ends 12a. The part moves to the position of the central region. When the drive plate 175 moves away from the fixed plate 171a, the second pipe 122b moves away from the vertical line C, and the most forward portion of the downstream end 12a moves to a position outside the central region. To do. As described above, since the first pipe 122a and the second pipe 122b expand and contract in combination, the position of the joint portion 15 is maintained without change.

  The position of the second pipe 122b with respect to the processing device F1 can be freely set as long as it is within the movement range of the drive plate 175. Therefore, the input position of the workpiece S with respect to the furnace body F11 can be set freely. Moreover, as described above, since the position of the joint portion 15 is maintained without change, the second pipe 122b can be moved while the charging device main body 1a is connected.

-Other variations-
As described above, the specific configuration of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  For example, at least one of the joint members 151 and 152 in the joint portion 15 may include a guide portion, and the other may include a guided portion. The guiding portion and the guided portion are configured to be in a joined state by guiding the guided portion to the guiding portion when the joint members 151 and 152 are to be joined. It is a site where alignment to the bonded state is performed. By doing in this way, since a to-be-guided part is guided to a guidance part and joint part 15 is aligned to a predetermined position, joint work can be performed easily.

  Further, the workpiece input device 1 may be provided with a stopper as a positioning portion that restricts the movement mechanism 2 from moving in directions other than up and down. Specifically, among the plurality of wheels 22, at least a front wheel 221 is prevented from rotating in the forward direction, and a stopper for determining the position of the front wheel 221 in the left-right direction with respect to the processing device F1 is provided on the installation surface G. It can be considered to be fixed. By providing the stopper in this way, the joint portion 15 can be easily joined.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 To-be-processed object injection | throwing-in apparatus 1b Conveyance part 11 To-be-processed object accommodating part, hopper 111c receiving port 12 To-be-processed object channel | path 12a The exit end of the to-be-treated material channel | path, downstream end 12d jacket material, protective bellows 13 workpiece removal mechanism, electromagnetic vibration feeder 14 closing part, gate valve 15 joint part F1 processing device F11 processing part, furnace body (crucible)
S workpiece, silicon nugget

Claims (4)

In a processing object input device for supplying an object to be processed in an airtight state from the outside to a processing apparatus that processes the object to be processed in an airtight state in a processing unit provided inside,
A workpiece storage section that can temporarily store the workpiece and has an openable and closable storage port used when storing the workpiece;
A workpiece passage that allows the workpiece to be introduced into the processing apparatus to pass through in an airtight state and allow the addition from the outlet end; and
A workpiece removal mechanism capable of taking out the workpiece in an airtight state from the workpiece storage section to the workpiece passage;
A closing portion capable of blocking the processing device side and the processing object storage portion side of the processing object passage;
A joint part capable of separating and joining the workpiece passage is provided at a position closer to the workpiece receiving portion than the closed portion in the workpiece passage.
The workpiece input device, wherein the workpiece passage is expandable and contractable while maintaining the joint position of the joint portion so that the outlet end approaches and separates from the joint position. . The workpiece passage has an extendable pipe unit formed by combining a first pipe and a second pipe arranged on the same axis,
In the telescopic pipe unit, the first pipe is arranged on the upstream side in the passing direction of the workpiece, and the second pipe is arranged on the downstream side,
The expansion and contraction is caused by the movement of the second pipe in the longitudinal direction so that the downstream end of the second pipe serving as the outlet end of the workpiece passage approaches and separates from the upstream end of the first pipe. The workpiece input device according to claim 1, wherein the pipe unit expands and contracts. The telescopic pipe unit is configured such that a downstream end of the first pipe can be inserted into the second pipe when the approach is made,
The closing portion is provided so as to be able to block between the first pipe and the second pipe,
3. The object to be processed according to claim 2, wherein when the closing portion is opened, the object to be processed is input in a state where the downstream end of the first pipe is inserted into the second pipe. Input device.   Between the processing apparatus and the joint portion, a portion of the expansion pipe unit that can come into contact with the outside air is covered with an outer jacket material that has airtightness and can expand and contract in the longitudinal direction. The workpiece input device according to claim 2 or 3.

Images