JP2015038010A - Apparatus for tempering/heat-treating glass sheet - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus for tempering/heat-treating a glass sheet, which has excellent energy efficiency.SOLUTION: The apparatus of one embodiment 1 for tempering/heat-treating the glass sheet includes: a salt bath furnace for heat-treating the glass sheet; a first hot air oven which is used for preheating the glass sheet to be heat-treated in the salt bath furnace and for slowly cooling the glass sheet heat-treated in the salt bath furnace; and a second hot air oven which is also used for preheating the glass sheet to be heat-treated in the salt bath furnace and for slowly cooling the glass sheet heat-treated in the salt bath furnace. The salt bath furnace, the first hot air oven, and the second hot air oven are connected consecutively to one another in this order in the first direction.

Description

  The present invention relates to a glass tempering heat treatment apparatus.

  For example, in a portable device such as a mobile phone or a personal digital assistant (PDA), a glass plate is used as a display cover or substrate. In recent years, due to demands for thinning and weight reduction in portable devices, it has become possible to reduce the thickness and weight of glass plates by using tempered glass plates having high strength. For example, a chemical strengthening method is becoming mainstream as a method for strengthening a relatively thin glass plate used in a portable device or the like.

  Here, with reference to FIG. 3, the structure of the tempered glass plate obtained by the chemical strengthening method will be described. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a tempered glass plate. In FIG. 3, the direction of the arrow indicates the direction of action of the residual stress, and the size of the arrow indicates the magnitude of the stress. As shown in FIG. 3, the tempered glass plate has a front surface layer 13 and a back surface layer 15, and an intermediate layer 17 provided between the front surface layer 13 and the back surface layer 15. Compressive stress remains on the front surface layer 13 and the back surface layer 15 by a chemical strengthening method. Further, as a reaction, tensile stress remains in the intermediate layer 17. The thickness (depth) of the compressive stress layer (front surface layer 13 and back surface layer 15) is referred to as DOL (Depth of Layer).

In the chemical strengthening method, for example, a glass plate is immersed in a salt bath of KNO ₃ heated to about 400 to 450 ° C., and ion exchange is performed on the front and back surfaces of the glass plate. Thereby, ions with a small ion radius (for example, Li ions or Na ions) contained in the glass are replaced with ions with a large ion radius (K ions), and the surface layer 13 and the back surface layer 15 in which compressive stress remains are formed. Is done.

When performing the heat treatment using the salt bath described above, the glass plate is preheated before the heat treatment and gradually cooled after the heat treatment in order to prevent breakage of the glass plate due to a rapid temperature change.
In FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1, a preheating furnace 10 for preheating a glass plate, a main body furnace 20 for heat-treating the glass plate with a salt bath, and a slow cooling furnace 31 for gradually cooling the glass plate are arranged in this order. A glass tempering heat treatment apparatus is disclosed.

JP 2011-42564 A

The inventor has found the following problems with respect to the glass-reinforced heat treatment apparatus.
In the glass strengthening heat treatment apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, the preheating furnace 10 is used only for preheating the glass plate before the heat treatment, and the slow cooling furnace 31 is used only for gradually cooling the glass plate after the heat treatment. . Therefore, the preheating furnace 10 needs to be used after being heated to the heat treatment temperature and then cooled to room temperature. Similarly, if the slow cooling furnace 31 is used after being cooled to room temperature, it must be used after being heated to the heat treatment temperature. That is, the glass strengthening heat treatment apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a problem that it is inferior in energy efficiency.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the above, Comprising: It aims at providing the glass strengthening heat processing apparatus excellent in energy efficiency.

The glass-strengthened heat treatment apparatus according to aspect 1 of the present invention is
A salt bath furnace for heat treating the glass plate;
Preheating the glass plate before the heat treatment by the salt bath furnace, and first cooling the glass plate after the heat treatment by the salt bath furnace,
Preheating the glass plate before the heat treatment in the salt bath furnace, and second cooling furnace for gradually cooling the glass plate after the heat treatment in the salt bath furnace,
The salt bath furnace, the first hot air furnace, and the second hot air furnace are connected in this order in the first direction.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the glass strengthening heat processing apparatus excellent in energy efficiency can be provided.

It is the perspective view which showed typically the glass strengthening heat processing apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view which showed typically the glass strengthening heat processing apparatus which concerns on the comparative example of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of a tempered glass board.

  Hereinafter, specific embodiments to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment. In addition, for clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings are simplified as appropriate.

(Embodiment 1)
First, with reference to FIG. 1, the glass strengthening heat processing apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a glass strengthening heat treatment apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As a matter of course, the xyz coordinates shown in FIG. 1 are convenient for explaining the positional relationship.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the glass tempering heat treatment apparatus according to the first embodiment includes hot air circulating furnaces 1a and 1b, salt bath furnaces 20a, 20b and 20c, a hot water tank 41, a cold water tank 42, and a room temperature transfer machine 51. , A high-temperature transfer device 52, a cleaning transfer device 53, a rail 60, a loader 71, and an unloader 72.

First, with reference to FIG. 1, the outline | summary of the heat processing of the glass plate by the glass strengthening heat processing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment is demonstrated.
First, the glass plate group 80 before heat treatment stored in the transport rack 90 is carried into the glass tempering heat treatment apparatus by the loader 71.
Next, the carried glass plate group 80 is transferred to one of the hot-air circulating furnaces 1a and 1b by the room temperature transfer device 51 and preheated.

Next, the preheated glass plate group 80 is transferred to one of the salt bath furnaces 20a, 20b, and 20c by the high-temperature transfer machine 52 and heat-treated. By this heat treatment, the glass plate group 80 is strengthened to become a tempered glass plate group 80a.
Next, the heat-treated tempered glass plate group 80a is transferred to one of the hot-air circulating furnaces 1a and 1b by the high-temperature transfer machine 52 and gradually cooled.

Next, the tempered glass sheet group 80a that has been slowly cooled is transferred to the hot water tank 41 by the room temperature transfer machine 51 and cleaned.
Next, the tempered glass plate group 80 a cleaned in the hot water tank 41 is transferred to the cold water tank 42 by the transfer machine 53 for cleaning, and further cleaned.

Finally, the tempered glass plate group 80a cleaned in the cold water tank 42 is transferred to the unloader 72 by the cleaning transfer machine 53 and is carried out of the glass tempering heat treatment apparatus.
In addition, the glass plate group 80 (tempered glass plate group 80a) is conveyed inside the glass tempering heat treatment apparatus while being accommodated in the conveyance rack 90.

Next, each component will be described in detail with reference to FIG.
The hot air circulating furnaces 1a and 1b are arranged adjacent to each other in the x-axis direction. That is, the hot air circulating furnaces 1a and 1b are connected in the x-axis direction. Specifically, a hot air circulating furnace (second hot air furnace) 1b is continuously provided on the positive side in the x-axis direction of the hot air circulating furnace (first hot air furnace) 1a.

  The hot-air circulating furnaces 1a and 1b preheat the unheated glass plate group 80 carried in by the loader 71 from room temperature to the heat treatment temperature, and the tempered glass plate group 80a heat-treated in any of the salt bath furnaces 20a to 20c. It is a furnace for slow cooling to near room temperature. The hot-air circulating furnaces 1a and 1b are provided with a fan for circulating the air in the furnace in order to make the temperature in the furnace uniform. As a matter of course, the number of hot air circulating furnaces is not particularly limited as long as it is two or more. That is, more hot air circulation furnaces may be provided.

  Moreover, the hot-air circulation furnaces 1a and 1b are box-shaped heating furnaces and have a structure in which a ceiling portion can be opened and closed. Specifically, two doors slidable in the y-axis direction are provided on the ceiling portions of the hot-air circulating furnaces 1a and 1b. That is, the glass plate group 80 (or tempered glass plate group 80a) is carried into and out of the hot-air circulation furnaces 1a and 1b through the openable and closable ceiling.

  The salt bath furnaces 20a, 20b, 20c are arranged adjacent to each other in the x-axis direction. That is, the salt bath furnaces 20a, 20b, and 20c are continuously provided in the x-axis direction. Specifically, salt bath furnaces 20a, 20b, and 20c are arranged in this order in the positive direction of the x axis. The salt bath furnaces 20a, 20b, and 20c are connected to the minus side in the x-axis direction of the hot air circulating furnaces 1a and 1b. Specifically, the salt bath furnace 20c is adjacently disposed on the minus side in the x-axis direction of the hot air circulating furnace 1a. As a matter of course, the number of salt bath furnaces is not particularly limited. The greater the number of salt bath furnaces, the greater the number of glass plates that can be heat-treated at the same time.

  Here, the salt bath furnace 20a is located at the end on the negative side in the x-axis direction of the glass tempering heat treatment apparatus according to the first embodiment. That is, nothing is arranged on the minus side in the x-axis direction of the salt bath furnace 20a. Therefore, in the glass strengthening heat treatment apparatus according to the first embodiment, it is possible to add a salt bath furnace on the minus side in the x-axis direction of the salt bath furnace 20a.

The salt bath furnaces 20a, 20b, and 20c are main body furnaces for performing a tempering heat treatment on the glass plate group 80 preheated by the hot air circulating furnace 1a or 1b at a temperature of about 400 to 450 ° C., for example.
The salt bath furnaces 20a, 20b, and 20c are box-shaped heating furnaces, and, for example, a stainless steel container is provided therein. KNO ₃ is accommodated in this container and kept at a predetermined temperature. The glass plate group 80 is immersed in the KNO ₃ salt bath for a predetermined time. As described above, compressive stress layers (surface layer 13 and back surface layer 15 in FIG. 3) are formed by ion exchange on the front and back surfaces of each glass plate.

  The salt bath furnaces 20a, 20b, and 20c also have a structure in which the ceiling portion can be opened and closed, similar to the hot air circulating furnaces 1a and 1b. That is, the glass plate group 80 before the heat treatment is carried into the salt bath furnaces 20a, 20b, and 20c through the openable / closable ceiling, and the tempered glass plate group 80a after the heat treatment passes through the openable / closable ceiling. And are carried out from the salt bath furnaces 20a, 20b, 20c. The temperature inside the salt bath furnaces 20a, 20b, and 20c can be efficiently maintained constant by closing the ceiling portion except when the transport rack 90 is taken in and out.

  The hot water tank (first cleaning tank) 41 is continuously provided on the positive side in the x-axis direction of the hot air circulating furnaces 1a and 1b. Specifically, the hot water tank 41 is arranged on the positive side in the x-axis direction of the hot air circulating furnace 1b. Here, between the warm water tank 41 and the hot-air circulating furnace 1b, a loader 71 for carrying in the glass plate group 80 before the heat treatment is arranged.

  The hot water tank 41 is a water tank for storing hot water for washing the salt adhering to the tempered glass plate group 80a that is gradually cooled by the hot-air circulating furnaces 1a and 1b. The hot water tank 41 includes a heater for maintaining the temperature of the hot water at about 80 ° C., for example.

  In order to efficiently maintain the temperature of the hot water, the hot water tank 41 preferably has a structure in which the ceiling portion can be opened and closed, similarly to the hot-air circulating furnaces 1a and 1b. The tempered glass plate group 80a is also carried in and out of the hot water tank 41 through the ceiling. Note that the hot water tank 41 may have a structure in which an upper part is opened (no ceiling part).

  The cold water tank (second cleaning tank) 42 is connected to the positive side of the hot water tank 41 in the x-axis direction. Moreover, the unloader 72 for carrying out the tempered glass board group 80a after heat processing to the x-axis direction plus side of the cold water tank 42, ie, the end of the glass strengthening heat treatment apparatus according to the first embodiment on the x-axis direction plus side. Is arranged.

The cold water tank 42 is a water tank that stores cold water for further washing the tempered glass plate group 80 a washed by the hot water tank 41. The cold water tank 42 may include a heater to adjust the water temperature.
Similarly to the hot-air circulating furnaces 1a and 1b, the cold water tank 42 may have a structure in which the ceiling portion can be opened and closed. As for the cold water tank 42, the tempered glass board group 80a is carried in / out via a ceiling part. The cold water tank 42 may have a structure in which an upper part is opened (no ceiling part).

  As shown in FIG. 1, hot air circulating furnaces 1 a and 1 b, salt bath furnaces 20 a, 20 b and 20 c, a hot water tank 41, and a cold water tank 42 (on the positive side in the z axis direction) connected in the x-axis direction, A rail 60 extends in the x-axis direction. That is, the rail 60 is extended from one end to the other end in the x-axis direction in the glass strengthening heat treatment apparatus according to the first embodiment. The rail 60 does not necessarily have to be composed of one rail, and may be composed of a plurality of rails provided in parallel.

  A room temperature transfer machine 51, a high temperature transfer machine 52, and a cleaning transfer machine 53 that are slidable along the rail 60 in the x-axis direction are provided below the rail 60. The room temperature transfer machine 51, the high temperature transfer machine 52, and the cleaning transfer machine 53 are moving means for moving the transport rack 90 in which the glass plate group 80 or the tempered glass plate group 80a is stored in the x-axis direction. .

  The room temperature transfer machine (first transfer machine) 51 is provided between the high temperature transfer machine 52 and the cleaning transfer machine 53 below the rail 60. The room temperature transfer machine 51 transfers the glass plate group 80 (conveying rack 90) carried in by the loader 71 from the loader 71 to one of the hot air circulating furnaces 1a and 1b. Further, the tempered glass plate group 80a (conveying rack 90) that has been gradually cooled in any of the hot-air circulating furnaces 1a and 1b is transferred to the hot water tank 41 from there. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, the moving range of the room temperature transfer machine 51 in the x-axis direction is from the upper part of the hot air circulating furnace 1 a to the upper part of the hot water tank 41.

  The room temperature transfer machine 51 is a box-like structure having an open bottom (z-axis direction minus side). The room temperature transfer machine 51 includes a crane mechanism for moving the transport rack 90 in which the glass plate group 80 or the tempered glass plate group 80a is accommodated in the vertical direction (z-axis direction). Therefore, the room temperature transfer machine 51 can slide in the x-axis direction in a state where the transport rack 90 pulled up by the crane mechanism is housed inside.

  The high temperature transfer machine (second transfer machine) 52 is provided below the rail 60 on the minus side in the x-axis direction from the room temperature transfer machine 51. That is, the high-temperature transfer machine 52 is provided on the most minus side in the x-axis direction among the three transfer machines. The high-temperature transfer machine 52 transfers the glass plate group 80 (conveying rack 90) preheated to the heat treatment temperature in any of the hot-air circulating furnaces 1a and 1b from there to any of the salt bath furnaces 20a, 20b and 20c. . Further, the high-temperature transfer machine 52 transfers the tempered glass plate group 80a (conveying rack 90) that has been heat-treated in any of the salt bath furnaces 20a, 20b, and 20c from there to any one of the hot-air circulating furnaces 1a and 1b. . Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, the moving range of the high-temperature transfer machine 52 in the x-axis direction is from the upper part of the salt bath furnace 20a to the upper part of the hot air circulating furnace 1b.

  The high temperature transfer machine 52 is a box-shaped heating furnace. Therefore, the glass plate group 80 or the tempered glass plate group 80a can be transferred while being held at a heat treatment temperature (for example, about 400 to 450 ° C.) in the salt bath furnaces 20a, 20b, and 20c.

  Further, the high-temperature transfer machine 52 has a structure in which the bottom (z-axis direction minus side) can be opened and closed. Specifically, two doors slidable in the y-axis direction are provided at the bottom of the high-temperature transfer machine 52. That is, the transport rack 90 in which the glass plate group 80 or the tempered glass plate group 80a is accommodated is put into and out of the high-temperature transfer machine 52 through the bottom that can be opened and closed. By keeping the bottom closed except when the transport rack 90 is taken in and out, the temperature inside the high-temperature transfer machine 52 can be efficiently maintained constant.

  The high-temperature transfer machine 52 includes a crane mechanism for moving the transport rack 90 in the vertical direction (z-axis direction). Therefore, the high-temperature transfer machine 52 can slide in the x-axis direction in a state where the transport rack 90 pulled up by the crane mechanism is housed inside.

  The cleaning transfer machine (third transfer machine) 53 is provided below the rail 60 on the plus side in the x-axis direction from the room temperature transfer machine 51. That is, the cleaning transfer machine 53 is provided on the most positive side in the x-axis direction among the three transfer machines. In other words, the cleaning transfer machine 53 is arranged to face the high temperature transfer machine 52 through the room temperature transfer machine 51. The cleaning transfer machine 53 transfers the tempered glass plate group 80 a (conveying rack 90) cleaned in the hot water tank 41 from the hot water tank 41 to the cold water tank 42. Further, the tempered glass plate group 80 a (conveying rack 90) washed in the cold water tank 42 is transferred from the cold water tank 42 to the unloader 72. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, the moving range of the cleaning transfer machine 53 in the x-axis direction is from the upper part of the hot water tank 41 to the upper part of the unloader 72.

  The cleaning transfer machine 53 is a box-like structure having an open bottom (z-axis direction minus side). In addition, the cleaning transfer machine 53 includes a crane mechanism for moving the transport rack 90 in which the tempered glass plate group 80a is stored in the vertical direction (z-axis direction). Therefore, the cleaning transfer machine 53 can slide in the x-axis direction in a state where the transport rack 90 pulled up by the crane mechanism is housed inside.

  The loader 71 is a conveyor for carrying the glass plate group 80 before heat treatment stored in the transport rack 90 into the glass tempered heat treatment apparatus. In the example of FIG. 1, the loader 71 extends from between the hot air circulating furnace 1 b and the hot water tank 41 toward the y-axis plus direction. Therefore, the glass plate group 80 is carried into the glass tempering heat treatment apparatus from the y-axis direction plus side toward the y-axis direction minus side by the loader 71 as indicated by an arrow in FIG. The loader 71 may be provided, for example, between the salt bath furnace 20c and the hot air circulation furnace 1a.

  The unloader 72 is a conveyor for carrying out the tempered glass sheet group 80a after heat treatment stored in the transport rack 90 from the glass tempered heat treatment apparatus. In the example of FIG. 1, the unloader 72 extends from the x-axis direction plus side of the cold water tank 42 toward the y-axis minus direction. Therefore, the tempered glass sheet group 80a is carried out of the glass tempering heat treatment apparatus from the y-axis direction plus side toward the y-axis direction minus side by the unloader 72 as indicated by an arrow in FIG.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the glass strengthening heat processing apparatus which concerns on the comparative example of 1st Embodiment is demonstrated. FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing a glass tempering heat treatment apparatus according to a comparative example of the first embodiment of the present invention. The glass strengthening heat treatment apparatus shown in FIG. 2 schematically shows the glass strengthening heat treatment apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the glass strengthening heat treatment apparatus according to the comparative example includes a preheating furnace 110, salt bath furnaces 120a, 120b, 120c, a slow cooling furnace 130, a hot water tank 141, a cold water tank 142, a room temperature transfer machine 151, and a high temperature transfer. Machine 152, rail 160, loader 171, and unloader 172.

First, with reference to FIG. 2, the outline | summary of the heat processing of the glass plate by the glass strengthening heat processing apparatus which concerns on a comparative example is demonstrated.
First, the glass plate group 180 before heat treatment stored in the transport rack 190 is carried into the glass tempering heat treatment apparatus by the loader 171.
Next, the carried glass plate group 180 is transferred to the preheating furnace 110 by the room temperature transfer device 151 and preheated.

Next, the preheated glass plate group 180 is transferred to one of the salt bath furnaces 20a, 20b, and 20c by the high-temperature transfer machine 152 and heat-treated.
Next, the heat-treated tempered glass plate group 180a is transferred to the slow cooling furnace 130 by the high-temperature transfer machine 152 and gradually cooled.

Next, the tempered glass plate group 180a that has been slowly cooled is transferred to the hot water tank 141 by the room temperature transfer device 151 and washed.
Next, the tempered glass plate group 180a cleaned in the hot water tank 141 is transferred to the cold water tank 42 by the room temperature transfer machine 151 and further cleaned.

  Finally, the tempered glass plate group 180a cleaned in the cold water tank 42 is transferred to the unloader 172 by the room temperature transfer machine 151 and is carried out of the glass tempering heat treatment apparatus.

  Here, the preheating furnace 110 and the slow cooling furnace 130 according to the comparative example shown in FIG. 2 have the same structure as the hot-air circulating furnaces 1a and 1b shown in FIG. However, the preheating furnace 110 is used only for preheating the glass plate before the heat treatment, and the slow cooling furnace 130 is used only for gradually cooling the glass plate after the heat treatment. For this reason, the preheating furnace 110 needs to be used after being heated to the heat treatment temperature and then cooled to room temperature. Similarly, the slow cooling furnace 130 needs to be used after being cooled to room temperature and then heated to the heat treatment temperature.

  On the other hand, the hot-air circulating furnaces 1a and 1b shown in FIG. 1 can be used as a preheating furnace after being heated from room temperature to a heat treatment temperature and then cooled as a slow cooling furnace from the heat treatment temperature to room temperature. And after cooling and using it from the heat processing temperature to normal temperature as a slow cooling furnace, it can heat and use from normal temperature to heat processing temperature as a preheating furnace. Therefore, the glass strengthening heat treatment apparatus according to the first embodiment is more energy efficient than the glass strengthening heat treatment apparatus according to the comparative example. Such an effect becomes remarkable particularly in a tempered glass sheet having a small DOL and a short heat treatment time in a salt bath furnace. More generally, in the glass-strengthened heat treatment apparatus according to the first embodiment, heating or cooling in the hot air circulating furnaces 1a and 1b can be set more freely so that the energy efficiency is as high as possible.

  In the glass tempering heat treatment apparatus according to the comparative example shown in FIG. 2, the preheating furnace 110 is disposed adjacent to the negative side in the x-axis direction of the salt bath furnaces 120a, 120b, 120c. Further, a loader 171 is disposed adjacent to the preheating furnace 110 on the minus side in the x-axis direction. On the other hand, the slow cooling furnace 130 is disposed adjacent to the salt bath furnaces 120a, 120b, 120c on the positive side in the x-axis direction. Thus, in the glass tempered heat treatment apparatus according to the comparative example, both sides of the salt bath furnaces 120a, 120b, 120c in the x-axis direction are already closed by the preheating furnace 110 and the slow cooling furnace 130, and the salt bath furnace is additionally installed. I can't.

  On the other hand, in the glass tempering heat treatment apparatus according to the first embodiment, the hot air circulating furnaces 1a and 1b functioning as a preheating furnace or a slow cooling furnace are all adjacent to the positive side in the x-axis direction of the salt bath furnaces 20a, 20b and 20c. Has been placed. Accordingly, the loader 71 is also arranged adjacent to the positive side in the x-axis direction of the hot air circulating furnaces 1a and 1b. That is, as described above, in the glass-strengthened heat treatment apparatus according to the first embodiment, nothing is arranged on the minus side in the x-axis direction of the salt bath furnaces 20a, 20b, 20c. Therefore, in the glass strengthening heat treatment apparatus according to the first embodiment, it is possible to add a salt bath furnace on the minus side in the x-axis direction of the salt bath furnace 20a.

  Further, the room temperature transfer machine 151 according to the comparative example shown in FIG. 2 is the role of both the room temperature transfer machine 51 and the cleaning transfer machine 53 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. Is responsible. Therefore, in the glass strengthening heat treatment apparatus according to the comparative example, the load of the room temperature transfer machine 151 is extremely large as compared with the high temperature transfer machine 152. Therefore, the transfer process by the room temperature transfer machine 151 may rate-limit the entire glass tempering heat treatment process, which may reduce the efficiency. In the glass-strengthened heat treatment apparatus according to the first embodiment, by providing the cleaning transfer machine 53, the load on the transfer machine is made uniform and the efficiency is improved.

  Furthermore, the room temperature transfer machine 151 according to the comparative example is provided below the rail 160 on the minus side in the x-axis direction from the high temperature transfer machine 152. The moving range in the x-axis direction of the room temperature transfer device 151 is from the upper part of the loader 171 to the upper part of the unloader 172 (that is, from one end to the other end of the glass tempering heat treatment apparatus according to the comparative example). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, in the glass strengthening heat treatment apparatus according to the comparative example, it is necessary to make the length of the rail 160 longer than the total length of the glass strengthening heat treatment apparatus. In addition, the normal temperature transfer machine 151 which concerns on a comparative example is integrated with the high temperature transfer machine 152, and both move together.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, in the glass tempering heat treatment apparatus according to the first embodiment, the hot air circulating furnaces 1a and 1b and the loader 71 are on the positive side in the x-axis direction of the salt bath furnaces 20a, 20b and 20c. Has been placed. Accordingly, a high-temperature transfer machine 52, a room temperature transfer machine 51, and a cleaning transfer machine 53 are provided in this order toward the x-axis plus direction. Therefore, the movement range of each transfer machine in the glass tempering heat treatment apparatus is limited to the minus side in the x-axis direction in the high-temperature transfer machine 52, and limited to the center in the x-axis direction in the room temperature transfer machine 51, and the transfer for cleaning. In the machine 53, it can be limited to the x axis direction plus side. As a result, in the glass tempering heat treatment apparatus according to the first embodiment, the length of the rail 60 can be matched with the entire length of the glass tempering heat treatment apparatus, and the space can be saved as compared with the glass tempering heat treatment apparatus according to the comparative example. .

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1a, 1b Hot-air circulation furnace 20a-20c Salt bath furnace 41 Hot water tank 42 Cold water tank 51 Room temperature transfer machine 52 High temperature transfer machine 53 Transfer machine 60 for washing | cleaning Rail 71 Loader 72 Unloader 80 Glass plate group 80a Tempered glass plate group 90 Transport rack

Claims (8)

A salt bath furnace for heat-treating the glass plate;
Preheating the glass plate before the heat treatment by the salt bath furnace, and first cooling the glass plate after the heat treatment by the salt bath furnace,
Preheating the glass plate before the heat treatment in the salt bath furnace, and second cooling furnace for gradually cooling the glass plate after the heat treatment in the salt bath furnace,
A glass tempering heat treatment apparatus in which the salt bath furnace, the first hot air furnace, and the second hot air furnace are connected in this order in the first direction. A first cleaning tank for cleaning the glass plate that has been slowly cooled by the first or second hot air furnace;
A loader for carrying in a glass plate preheated by the first or second hot stove,
The loader is provided between the second hot stove and the first cleaning tank in the first direction.
The glass strengthening heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1. A first transfer machine for transferring the glass plate carried by the loader to the first or second hot stove;
A second transfer machine for transferring to the salt bath furnace while heating the glass plate preheated by the first or second hot air furnace,
The second transfer machine and the first transfer machine are movable along a rail extending in the first direction and are provided in this order in the first direction. ,
The glass strengthening heat treatment apparatus according to claim 2. A second cleaning tank that is disposed adjacent to the first cleaning tank in the first direction and further cleans the glass plate cleaned by the first cleaning tank;
A third transfer machine for transferring the glass plate washed by the first washing tank to the second washing tank,
The glass strengthening heat treatment apparatus according to claim 3. The third transfer machine is movable along the rail, and is provided to face the second transfer machine via the first transfer machine.
The glass strengthening heat treatment apparatus according to claim 4. An unloader that is disposed adjacent to the second cleaning tank in the first direction and carries out the glass plate cleaned by the second cleaning tank;
The glass strengthening heat treatment apparatus according to claim 4 or 5. The first transfer machine transfers the glass plate that has been gradually cooled by the first or second hot air furnace to the first cleaning tank,
The second transfer machine transfers the glass plate heat-treated by the salt bath furnace to the first or second hot air furnace,
The third transfer machine transfers the glass plate cleaned by the second cleaning tank to the unloader.
The glass strengthening heat treatment apparatus according to claim 6. A plurality of the salt bath furnaces are provided;
The glass strengthening heat processing apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1-7.

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