JP2021162245A - Continuous burning furnace - Google Patents

Abstract

To facilitate management of temperature in a continuous burning furnace.SOLUTION: A continuous burning furnace 1 includes a furnace body 10 having a treatment chamber 12 in an inside thereof, a pusher 30, and a heater 50. The treatment chamber 12 includes a carry-in port 13, convenance routes 15R, 15L extending along a straight line from the carry-in port 13, and a carry-out port 14 provided on an end on a side opposite from the carry-in port 13 of the conveyance routes 15R, 15L. The furnace body 10 includes a plurality of free rollers 20 arranged in order on a bottom of the conveyance routes 15R, 15L along the conveyance routes 15R, 15L, and guides 40R, 40C, 40L respectively provided on both sides of the conveyance routes 15L, 15R in a plan view. The heater 50 includes side heaters 50R, 50C, 50L arranged inside the treatment chamber 12 and in a restriction area on both sides of the conveyance routes 15L, 15R set by the guides 40R, 40C, 40L.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to a continuous firing furnace.

The continuous firing furnace is a firing furnace that continuously heat-treats the object to be processed while transporting it in the processing chamber. For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-55356, in a state where a plurality of trays on which an object to be processed are placed are stacked on a firing trolley, a plurality of firing trolleys are connected in the traveling direction and move in the firing furnace. The trolley furnace is disclosed. Such a trolley furnace is excellent in continuously firing while transporting a large amount of objects to be processed. Further, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-42664 discloses a technique in which a plurality of hearth rolls rotate in the same direction to transport a transported object placed on the hearth roll. In the technique disclosed in the same gazette, the hearth roll support structure is provided in the treatment chamber. One end of the hearth roll penetrates the outside of the processing chamber, and a sprocket is attached to the hearth roll so that a rotational driving force can be obtained. Then, a plurality of hearth rolls are driven so as to rotate in the same direction, and the conveyed object is conveyed by the driving force. A continuous firing furnace in which such a hearth roll is used is also called a roller hearth kiln.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-55356 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-42664

By the way, the electrode material and the solid electrolyte material of the battery are prepared as powder. A so-called rotary furnace is also used for firing such powder materials, but batch processing is performed, and it is necessary to increase the size of the equipment in order to increase productivity. Such powders are not allowed to be contaminated with metallic foreign substances. The present inventor wants to bake such a powder material under uniform conditions so as to obtain stable performance, improve the processing amount per unit time, and improve the production efficiency. From this point of view, a continuous firing furnace for firing such a powder material in a large amount per unit time under uniform conditions has not been technically established.

For example, in the bogie furnace described in Patent Document 1, there is a possibility that the metal used for the firing bogie, the rail, and the like is rubbed to generate fine metal scraps. In Laura Hers Kiln as in Patent Document 2, when a large amount is transported at one time, a large driving force is required to rotate the hearth roll. If the shapes and orientations of the plurality of hearth rolls are out of alignment, it may not be possible to properly transport the hearth rolls in the processing chamber. Further, since the load applied to the support structure of the hearth roll becomes large, metallic foreign matter may be generated from the support structure arranged in the processing chamber.

In particular, in order to uniformly fire powder materials in a continuous firing furnace, it is necessary to stack and transport flat containers such as trays. In this case, it is necessary to raise the processing chamber for transporting the transported material. The higher the treatment chamber, the more difficult it is to keep the temperature of the treatment chamber uniform in the height direction.

One aspect of the continuous firing furnace disclosed herein includes a firing furnace main body having a processing chamber inside, a pusher, and a heater. The processing chamber includes a carry-in entrance, a transport path extending along a straight line from the carry-in entrance, and a carry-out outlet provided at an end opposite to the carry-in entrance of the transport path. The firing furnace main body includes a plurality of free rollers arranged in order at the bottom of the transfer path along the transfer path, and guides provided on both sides of the transfer path in a plan view. The pusher includes a pushing member provided outside the processing chamber on the carry-in entrance side of the carrying path, and a pushing device for pushing the pushing member toward the carrying path. The heater includes side heaters located inside the processing chamber and in restricted areas on both sides of the transport path set by the guide. By arranging the side heaters in the restricted areas on both sides of the transport path, it becomes easy to keep the temperature of the transport space of the transport path uniform.

The heater may further include an upper heater located inside the processing chamber and in the upper region above the height limit of the transported object set in the transport path. Further, the heater may further include a lower heater arranged inside the processing chamber and in a lower region below the region where the transported material set in the transport path by the free roller is transported.

The guide may extend continuously in parallel along the transport path on both sides of the lower part of the transport path at a position higher than the free roller.

The processing chamber may be provided with a plurality of rows of transport paths extending in parallel at intervals. In this case, the guides may be arranged between the plurality of rows of transport routes and on both sides of the plurality of rows of transport routes. The side heaters may be arranged between each of the plurality of rows of transport paths and on both sides of the plurality of rows of transport paths.

The side heaters arranged between each of the plurality of rows of transport paths and on both sides of the plurality of rows of transport paths may be staggered along the transport paths in adjacent regulated regions.

The side heater may include a radiant tube and a burner body connected to the radiant tube. Radiant tubes may be arranged in the transport path on both sides of the transport path inside the processing chamber. The burner body may be attached to the firing furnace body outside the processing chamber.

The radiant tube may be a straight tube type tube. In this case, the radiant tube may have a plurality of side heaters intermittently arranged along the transport path. The straight tube type tubes of the plurality of side heaters may be arranged along the vertical direction. Further, the radiant tube may be a ceramic tube.

The burner body of the side heaters arranged between the plurality of rows of transport paths may be arranged above the firing furnace body. The burner main bodies of the side heaters arranged on both sides of the plurality of rows of transport paths may be arranged on the upper portion or the side portion of the firing furnace main body.

Each of the plurality of free rollers may be a seamless columnar shaft member and may traverse a plurality of rows of transport paths along a direction perpendicular to the transport direction. Both ends of the plurality of free rollers may each penetrate the processing chamber and be rotatably supported outside the processing chamber.

The pusher pushing members face each of the carry-in inlets of the plurality of rows of transport paths, and may be configured to collectively push the transported objects toward the plurality of rows of transport paths.

The free roller may be made of a SiC-based material containing silicon carbide.

According to such a continuous firing furnace, the space inside the processing chamber where the transported object formed on the free roller in the transport path can be transported is between a pair of guides arranged so as to face each other across the transport path. The ratio h1 / w1 of the width w1 to the height h1 above the free roller can be configured to satisfy, for example, h1 / w1> 1.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the firing furnace main body 10. FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the overall configuration of the heat treatment equipment 200. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the introduction portion 1S of the continuous firing furnace 1. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the firing furnace main body 10. FIG. 5 is a side view showing a support structure provided at the end of the free roller 20. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the gas supply pipe 60, the heater 50, and the guide 40C. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing another form of the continuous firing furnace 1. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the firing furnace main body 10.

Hereinafter, one of the typical embodiments in the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, members / parts having the same action are described with the same reference numerals. Further, the dimensional relations (length, width, thickness, etc.) in each drawing do not reflect the actual dimensional relations. The directions of up, down, left, right, front, and back are represented by arrows U, D, L, R, F, and Rr in the figure, respectively.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the firing furnace main body 10. In FIG. 1, the firing furnace main body 10 is shown in a state of being viewed from diagonally upper left with the left side wall omitted. Here, the material to be heat-treated in the continuous firing furnace 1 is appropriately referred to as an "object to be treated". The firing furnace main body 10 is a firing furnace that continuously heat-treats the object to be processed while transporting it in the processing chamber. The processing chamber 12 includes transport paths 15L and 15R extending along a straight line. As shown in FIG. 1, the transport paths 15L and 15R may be provided in a plurality of rows. In the form shown in FIG. 1, the continuous firing furnace 1 is provided with two rows of transport paths 15L and 15R on the left and right.

Here, the firing furnace main body 10 is vertically defined along the vertical direction. Further, the front and rear of the firing furnace main body 10 are defined with the front as the front and the rear as the rear along the transport directions of the transport paths 15L and 15R. Further, the left and right sides of the firing furnace main body 10 are defined based on the state of the transport paths 15L and 15R facing forward.

In the continuous firing furnace 1 exemplified here, the inside of the processing chamber 12 can be made of a ceramic material such as SiC, which has excellent reactivity resistance and heat resistance. In particular, it is possible to prevent the mixing of metallic foreign substances such as metal materials from being mixed into the object to be treated. Therefore, the continuous firing furnace 1 can be particularly preferably used for heat treatment of a material to which metal foreign matter is not allowed to be mixed.

Examples of the material to which metal foreign matter is not allowed to be mixed include a material used as an electrode active material of various power storage devices and a solid electrolyte. Here, examples of the power storage device include a lithium ion secondary battery. In a power storage device such as a lithium ion secondary battery, if a metal foreign substance is mixed in the electrode active material or the solid electrolyte, it causes metal elution or dentite generation during the battery reaction.

Here, examples of the firing material used in the lithium ion secondary battery include lithium composite metal oxides having a layered structure and a spinel structure. Lithium composite metal oxides include, for example, LiNi _1/3 Co _1/3 Mn _1/3 O ₂ , LiNiO ₂ , LiCoO ₂ , LiFeO ₂ , LiMn ₂ O ₄ , LiNi _0.5 Mn _1.5 O ₄ , Examples thereof include _{LiFePO 4.} These can be used as positive electrode active material materials.

Further, the firing material used as the solid electrolyte material includes an inorganic solid electrolyte such as an oxide-based solid electrolyte and a sulfide-based solid electrolyte.

The oxide-based solid electrolyte is not particularly limited, and for example, one containing oxygen (O) and having lithium ion conductivity and electron insulating property can be preferably used. Examples of the oxide-based solid electrolyte include lithium phosphate (Li ₃ PO ₄ ), Li ₃ PO ₄ N _X , LiBO ₂ N _X , LiNbO ₃ , LiTaO ₃ , Li ₂ SiO ₃ , LiTi ₂ (PO ₄ ) _3. , Li ₅ La ₃ Ta ₂ O ₁₂ , Li ₇ La ₃ Zr ₂ O ₁₂ , Li ₆ BaLa ₂ Ta ₂ O _{12, and the} like.

The sulfide-based solid electrolyte is not particularly limited, and for example, one containing sulfur (S) and having lithium ion conductivity and electron insulating property can be preferably used. The sulfide-based solid electrolyte, for _{example, Li 2 S-P 2 S} 5, Li 2 S-SiS 2, LiI-Li 2 S-SiS 2, LiI-Li 2 S-P 2 S 5, LiI-Li 2 _{S-B 2 S 3, Li} 3 PO 4 -Li 2 S-Si 2 S, Li 3 PO 4 -Li 2 S-SiS 2, LiPO 4 -Li 2 S-SiS, LiI-Li 2 S-P 2 O ₅ , LiI-Li ₃ PO _4- P ₂ S _{5 and the} like.

Demand for power storage devices is increasing, especially with the electrification of vehicles. In the firing process of the firing material used for the power storage device, it is required to increase the processing amount per unit time. On the other hand, in order to obtain stable performance of the power storage device, the material used for the power storage device needs to be uniformly heat-treated from the viewpoint of the firing atmosphere and the firing temperature. Therefore, a predetermined appropriate amount of the material to be treated is placed in a predetermined container for heat treatment. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the containers for heat treatment are stacked in a plurality of stages and further arranged in multiple rows to be introduced into the continuous firing furnace 1. As a result, the amount of processing in the continuous firing furnace 1 per unit time increases.

<Heat treatment equipment 200>
FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the overall configuration of the heat treatment equipment 200. The heat treatment equipment 200 includes a continuous firing furnace 1 as shown in FIG. Further, the heat treatment equipment 200 is divided into a plurality of regions 201 to 206. In the regions 201 to 206, the heat treatment container T is sequentially conveyed toward the continuous firing furnace 1, as shown in FIG. The container T contains the object to be processed, is stacked in a plurality of stages, and is placed on the transport table 16. The carrier 16 is also referred to as a "setter".

In the plurality of regions 201 to 206, the objects to be processed are put into the container T for heat treatment, further stacked, and introduced into the continuous firing furnace 1. Although not shown, a lid is attached to the upper part of the uppermost container T among the plurality of stacked containers T. The container T for heat treatment of the firing furnace is also referred to as "sheath". The lid may be made of the same material as the container T.

In the area 201, the container T is conveyed step by step. Then, a predetermined amount of the object to be processed is put into the container T. In the form shown in FIG. 2, the container T is a substantially rectangular container having a flat bottom and surrounded by side walls. The object to be treated may be, for example, flattened to a predetermined depth so that heat can be evenly distributed.

In region 202, a predetermined number of containers T are stacked. In this embodiment, the containers T are stacked in nine stages. The upper surface of the container T is open. As shown in FIG. 1, the side wall of the container T has an upper edge recessed downward. When the containers T are stacked in a plurality of stages, a gap t1 is formed in the stacked containers T through the recessed upper edge of the side wall. The gap t1 leads to the inside of the container T and is also referred to as a ventilation window. A lid is attached to the uppermost container T. In the uppermost container T, it is preferable that a gap t1 is similarly formed between the container T and the lid.

In the area 203, the stacked containers Td are further placed on the transport table 16. In this embodiment, the transport table 16 is a substantially rectangular plate having the required rigidity. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of stacked containers Td are placed on the transport table 16. In the form shown in FIG. 2, four stacked containers Td are placed on the transport table 16 in an arrangement of 2 columns × 2 rows.

In the region 204, the transport table 16 on which the stacked containers Td are placed is transported toward the introduction portion 1S (region 205) of the continuous firing furnace 1. Region 204 is provided with a replacement chamber E1 partitioned by shutters Sh1 and Sh2. The shutter Sh1 partitions the outside of the continuous firing furnace 1 and the replacement chamber E1. The shutter Sh2 partitions the replacement chamber E1 and the inside of the continuous firing furnace 1. The transport table 16 on which the stacked containers Td are placed is introduced into the replacement chamber E1 by opening the shutter Sh1 with the shutter Sh2 closed.

When the transport table 16 on which the stacked containers Td are placed is introduced into the replacement chamber E1, the shutter Sh1 is closed. Then, the gas atmosphere in the replacement chamber E1 is adjusted to an atmosphere suitable for being connected to the introduction portion 1S of the continuous firing furnace 1. Next, the shutter Sh2 is opened, and the replacement chamber E1 and the introduction unit 1S of the continuous firing furnace 1 are connected. Then, the transport table 16 on which the stacked containers Td are placed is transferred from the replacement chamber E1 to the introduction unit 1S of the continuous firing furnace 1. In the transfer from the replacement chamber E1 to the introduction unit 1S of the continuous firing furnace 1, it is preferable that a transfer means that does not generate metal foreign matter, such as a ceramic roller, is used.

Region 205 is the introduction portion 1S of the continuous firing furnace 1 and is separated from the replacement chamber E1 by the shutter Sh2. Although not shown, at least the introduction portion 1S of the continuous firing furnace 1 from the replacement chamber E1 is surrounded by an outer wall. Then, a space closed from the outside is formed by the shutters Sh1 and Sh2.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the introduction portion 1S of the continuous firing furnace 1. In FIG. 3, the position of the transport table 16 introduced into the introduction unit 1S is indicated by a two-dot chain line. As shown in FIG. 3, the introduction portion 1S of the continuous firing furnace 1 is provided on the front side of the transport paths 15L and 15R of the firing furnace main body 10. In the introduction unit 1S of the continuous firing furnace 1, the transfer table 16 is introduced from the replacement chamber E1 along the direction orthogonal to the transfer direction of the transfer paths 15L and 15R.

The floor of the introduction unit 1S includes a roller R1, stoppers Sp1 and Sp2, and a transfer roller R2. Further, the introduction unit 1S is provided with a pusher 30.

The roller R1 is a roller for introducing the transport base 16 along the transport direction h1 from the replacement chamber E1. A plurality of rollers R1 are intermittently provided along the transport direction h1 from the replacement chamber E1. In the form shown in FIG. 3, the roller R1 is cylindrical, and the rotation axis of the roller R1 is oriented in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction h1 from the replacement chamber E1.

The stoppers Sp1 and Sp2 are members for positioning the transport base 16 introduced from the replacement chamber E1 along the transport direction h1. The stopper Sp1 is arranged at a predetermined position in the transport direction h1 so as to align the position of the transport base 16 with the transport path 15L among the two transport paths 15L and 15R. The stopper Sp2 is arranged at a predetermined position in the transport direction h1 so as to align the position of the transport base 16 with the transport path 15R. The stopper Sp2 is provided with an elevating mechanism. Then, the stopper Sp2 descends to a position lower than the roller R1 or rises to a position higher than the roller R1 by the elevating mechanism.

The transfer roller R2 is a roller for transferring the transfer table 16 along the transfer directions of the two transfer paths 15L and 15R. The transfer roller R2 is arranged between the rollers R1. In the transfer roller R2, the transfer roller R22 is attached to the upper surface of the base R21. The base R21 of the transfer roller R2 is provided with an elevating mechanism (not shown). The transfer roller R22 descends to a position lower than the roller R1 or rises to a position higher than the roller R1 by the elevating mechanism.

When the transfer table 16 is introduced from the replacement chamber E1 into the introduction unit 1S, the transfer roller R22 and the stopper Sp2 are first operated in a state of being lowered to a position lower than the roller R1. The transport table 16 is placed on the roller R1 and is introduced from the replacement chamber E1 into the introduction unit 1S along the transport direction h1. At this time, the position of the introduced transport table 16 is aligned with the transport path 15L by the stopper Sp1. Next, the stopper Sp2 is raised. Then, another transport table 16 is introduced from the replacement chamber E1 into the introduction unit 1S. The position of the transport table 16 is adjusted to the transport path 15R by the stopper Sp2.

Next, the transfer roller R22 is raised to a position higher than the roller R1. Then, the pusher 30 pushes the transport base 16 toward the transport paths 15L and 15R. As a result, the transport base 16 is introduced into the transport paths 15L and 15R, respectively. At this time, the stoppers Sp1 and Sp2 may be retracted to positions that do not interfere with the pusher 30. The stoppers Sp1 and Sp2 may remain raised as long as they do not interfere with the pusher 30.

In the region 206, the transfer bases 16 are connected along the transfer paths 15L and 15R in front of the firing furnace main body 10 of the continuous firing furnace 1. In the area 206, the transport table 16 extruded from the introduction unit 1S pushes the tail end of the continuous transfer table 16. As a result, the transport table 16 on which the stacked containers Td are placed is sequentially introduced into the transport paths 15L and 15R of the firing furnace main body 10. Here, it is preferable that at least the member or portion of the roller R1, the stoppers Sp1 and Sp2, and the transfer roller R2 in contact with the transport table 16 is made of a ceramic material having a required mechanical strength. Such ceramic materials can be, for example, SiC, mullite, alumina and the like.

<Overall configuration of continuous firing furnace 1>
Next, the overall configuration of the continuous firing furnace 1 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the continuous firing furnace 1 includes a firing furnace main body 10 and a pusher 30. The firing furnace main body 10 has a processing chamber 12 inside for heat-treating the object to be processed.

The processing chamber 12 includes a carry-in inlet 13, transport paths 15L and 15R, and a carry-out port 14. The transport paths 15L and 15R extend along a straight line from the carry-in inlet 13. The carry-out port 14 is provided at an end opposite to the carry-in port 13 of the transport paths 15L and 15R.

Specifically, the firing furnace main body 10 of the present embodiment includes a bottom wall 11B, a right side wall 11R, a left side wall 11L (see FIG. 4), and an upper wall 11U. The bottom wall 11B covers the lower side of the processing chamber 12 and supports the entire firing furnace main body 10. The right side wall 11R extends upward from the right end of the bottom wall 11B and covers the right side of the processing chamber 12. The left side wall 11L (see FIG. 4) extends upward from the left end of the bottom wall 11B and covers the left side of the processing chamber 12. The upper wall 11U covers the upper side of the processing chamber 12. The bottom wall 11B, the right side wall 11R, the left side wall 11L, and the upper wall 11U have heat resistance and maintain the airtightness of the internal processing chamber 12. Although not shown, the firing furnace main body 10 has a carry-in door that opens and closes the carry-in entrance 13 on the front side (right side in FIG. 1) of the processing chamber 12, and a carry-in door on the back side (left side in FIG. 1) of the processing chamber 12. ) Is provided with a carry-out door that opens and closes the carry-out port 14.

In the processing chamber 12 of the firing furnace main body 10, transport paths 15R and 15L extending linearly from the carry-in inlet 13 to the carry-out outlet 14 are provided. In the firing furnace main body 10 illustrated in FIG. 1, the right side in the processing chamber 12 extends from the carry-in port 13 to the carry-out port 14 and the left side in the processing chamber 12 extends from the carry-in port 13 to the carry-out port 14. A left transport path 15L is provided. Here, the left and right transport paths 15R and 15L extend in parallel with each other. In the form shown in FIG. 1, the transport paths 15L and 15R have two rows, but the transport paths provided in the processing chamber 12 are not limited to the two rows unless otherwise specified. For example, three or more transfer paths may be formed in the firing furnace main body 10. By providing the firing furnace main body 10 with a plurality of rows of transport paths, a large number of objects to be treated are efficiently heat-treated as compared with the case where there is only one transport path. It is also possible to use only one transport path provided in the firing furnace main body 10.

<Free roller>
A plurality of free rollers 20 are arranged in order along the transport direction on the bottoms of the transport paths 15R and 15L. The transport table 16 on which the stacked containers Td are placed is placed on a plurality of free rollers 20 arranged along the transport direction. In the present embodiment, the transport paths 15R and 15L are transported in a state where a plurality of containers T (9 stages in FIG. 1) are stacked. Therefore, as compared with the case where the containers T are transported in one stage without being stacked, a large number of objects to be treated are efficiently heat-treated in the processing chamber 12.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the firing furnace main body 10. FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the firing furnace main body 10 that crosses the transport paths 15L and 15R and is viewed from the front side of the transport paths 15L and 15R. FIG. 5 is a side view showing a support structure provided at the end of the free roller 20. Hereinafter, the configuration of the free roller 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 4 and 5. The plurality of free rollers 20 are provided side by side along the transport direction at the bottoms of the transport paths 15R and 15L. Each of the plurality of free rollers 20 is a columnar shaft member. In this embodiment, the free roller 20 has a seamless outer columnar shape in the length direction. Each of the free rollers 20 crosses the bottom of the transport paths 15L and 15R along a direction that intersects the transport directions of the transport paths 15L and 15R perpendicularly.

In the present embodiment, both ends of the plurality of free rollers 20 penetrate the processing chamber 12, respectively, and are rotatably supported outside the processing chamber 12, as shown in FIG. Therefore, even if foreign matter is generated from the rotation support members 22R and 22L, the foreign matter is unlikely to be mixed with the object to be transported inside the processing chamber 12. Both ends of the plurality of free rollers 20 have at least two support rollers 22R1, 22, R1 having rotation axes aligned with the rotation axes of the free rollers 20, respectively, outside the processing chamber 12, as shown in FIG. It is placed on the top. Therefore, even if the outer diameter or length of the free roller 20 changes due to thermal expansion or contraction, the free roller 20 can rotate stably on the support rollers 22R1, 22, R1.

Specifically, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, each of the plurality of free rollers 20 is rotatably supported at least at two locations facing each other with the transport paths 15R and 15L in between. ing. Therefore, for example, the load applied to the free roller is unlikely to increase as compared with the case where a cantilever roller that is rotatably supported at one location is adopted. Further, each of the free rollers 20 crosses the bottom of the transport paths 15L and 15R along a direction that intersects the transport directions of the transport paths 15L and 15R perpendicularly. Therefore, it contacts the bottom of the transport table 16 over the entire length in the direction intersecting the transport direction. The load on the rod-shaped free roller 20 is suppressed to a low level, and the deformation and breakage of the free roller 20 and the generation of foreign matter due to scraping of the member are also suppressed. As a matter of course, the weight of the transport table 16 on which the stacked containers Td are placed, such as the number of containers T mounted on the transport table 16, is within the range of the predetermined load capacity of the free roller 20. It is good to be.

Further, the free roller 20 of the present embodiment is a shaft member and is arranged so as to cross the transport paths 15R and 15L arranged in multiple rows. That is, each of the free rollers 20 traverses the bottoms of the transport paths 15R and 15L in multiple rows along a direction that intersects the transport directions of the transport paths 15L and 15R perpendicularly. Then, the free roller 20 supports the transport base 16 in each of the transport paths 15L and 15R arranged in multiple rows, and can collectively transport the transport base 16 along the transport paths 15R and 15L. Therefore, the configuration of the continuous firing furnace 1 is simplified as compared with the case where the free rollers are separately provided for each of the transport paths 15R and 15L.

As shown in FIG. 4, the left and right ends of each of the free rollers 20 are rotatably supported by rotation support members 22R and 22L outside the processing chamber 12. In the present embodiment, the rotation support member 22R on the right side supports the right end portion of the free roller 20. The rotation support member 22L on the left side supports the left end portion of the free roller 20. The rotation support member 22R on the right side includes a pair of support rollers 22R1, 22, R1 (see FIG. 5) that support the free roller 20. Although not shown, the rotary support member 22L on the left side includes a pair of support rollers that support the free roller 20 as on the right side.

The rotation axes of the pair of support rollers 22R1, 22, R1 are aligned with the rotation axes of the free roller 20. In the present embodiment, the rotation axis of the support rollers 22R1, 22, R1 is parallel to the rotation axis of the free roller 20. The support rollers 22R1 and 22R1 are arranged so as to support the lower surface of the end portion of the free roller 20 at a distance narrower than the outer shape of the end portion of the free roller 20. Although not shown, the pair of support rollers 22R1 and 22R1 are rotatably supported. The pair of support rollers 22R1, 22R1 may be composed of, for example, needle bearings. The pair of support rollers 22R1 and 22R1 may be rotatably supported by, for example, the inner wall of the firing furnace main body 10 or the outer wall of the processing chamber 12, although not shown.

More specifically, in the present embodiment, holes 17 through which the free roller 20 is inserted are formed in each of the right side wall 11R and the left side wall 11L of the firing furnace main body 10. Each hole 17 is provided with blocking portions 24R and 24L that suppress the movement of gas and foreign matter through the hole 17. The rotation support members 22R and 22L are installed outside the processing chamber 12 closed by the blocking portions 24R and 24L. Therefore, even if foreign matter is generated from the rotation support members 22R and 22L, the foreign matter is unlikely to be mixed into the object to be processed inside the processing chamber 12. Therefore, it is not necessary to limit the materials of the rotation support members 22R and 22L to materials according to the type of the object to be processed (for example, materials that can be mixed with the object to be processed). For example, as in the present embodiment, even when the object to be processed, which has a problem of mixing metal scraps, is processed by the continuous firing furnace 1, the material of the rotary support members 22R and 22L can be made of metal.

In the present embodiment, a ceramic roller made of a SiC-based material containing silicon carbide is adopted as the material of at least the portion of the free roller 20 exposed in the processing chamber 12. By using a SiC-based material as the material of the free roller 20, the required strength of the free roller 20 is ensured. Further, when the object to be processed in which the mixing of metal scraps is a problem is processed by the continuous firing furnace 1, the foreign matter generated from the free roller 20 does not affect the object to be processed. Therefore, even the object to be treated, which has a problem of mixing of metal scraps, is appropriately treated. Further, since the ceramic roller made of a SiC-based material has high rigidity and hardly bends, it rotates stably in the processing chamber 12.

<Pusher>
The configuration of the pusher 30 will be described with reference to FIG. A pusher 30 is provided at the carry-in entrance 13 of the processing chamber 12. The pusher 30 includes a pushing device 31 and a pushing member 32. The pushing member 32 is provided outside the processing chamber 12 on the carry-in entrance 13 side of the transport paths 15L and 15R. The pushing device 31 is a device that pushes the pushing member 32 toward the transport paths 15L and 15R. The pusher 30 pushes a plurality of transport tables 16 connected in the transport direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1) on the plurality of free rollers 20 toward the downstream side (left side in FIG. 1) in the transport direction. In the present embodiment, the pushing member 32 of the pusher 30 faces the carry-in inlets 13 of the plurality of rows of transport paths 15L and 15R, respectively, and pushes the transported objects together toward the plurality of rows of transport paths 15L and 15R. It is configured in.

The pusher 30 moves the pushing member 32 in the transport direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1) by the pushing device 31. In the present embodiment, when the pushing member 32 moves to the downstream side (left side in FIG. 1) in the transport direction, the pushing member 32 comes into contact with the transport table 16 on which the stacked containers Td are placed, and the transfer table 16 is placed. Is pushed toward the transport paths 15L and 15R. Of the pushing members 32, the contact portion at the tip that contacts the transport table 16 extends in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction in which the transport paths 15R and 15L extend. The extrusion device 31 may be composed of, for example, a hydraulic cylinder or the like. Further, the pushing member 32 may be made of a ceramic material having a required mechanical strength. For example, it is preferable that a ceramic material made of a SiC-based material containing silicon carbide is used. Due to the use of such a material, even if the pushing member 32 is worn due to contact with the transport table 16, no metal foreign matter is generated.

The transport table 16 pushed by the pushing member 32 hits the tail end of a plurality of transfer tables 16 connected in the transport direction on the transport paths 15R and 15L. Then, when the pushing member 32 further pushes the transport base 16, a plurality of transport bases 16 connected along the transport direction of the transport paths 15L and 15R move forward toward the front in the transport direction. The transport table 16 is sequentially pushed in the transport direction on the transport paths 15R and 15L by the pushing member 32, so that the transport base 16 is added to the end of the plurality of transport bases 16 connected along the transport direction. In addition, a plurality of transport tables 16 connected along the transport direction move forward along the transport paths 15L and 15R. The pusher 30 pushes the new transport table 16 along the transport paths 15L and 15R by a predetermined distance at predetermined time intervals. As a result, a plurality of transport stands 16 connected on the transport paths 15R and 15L are intermittently transported.

In this embodiment, the transport table 16 is a rectangular plate. In the plurality of transport stands 16 connected on the transport paths 15R and 15L, the front side surface of the subsequent transport base 16 hits the rear side surface of the previous transport base 16. Therefore, the directions of the previous transport table 16 and the subsequent transport table 16 are aligned in the transport direction. The transport paths 15R and 15L are transported downstream along the plurality of free rollers 20 of the transport paths 15L and 15R. The transport direction of the plurality of transport stands 16 connected on the transport paths 15R and 15L tends to be along the pushing direction by the pusher 30. Therefore, it is unlikely that the transport table 16 on which the stacked containers Td are placed will be separated from the transport paths 15R and 15L.

The pusher 30 of this embodiment pushes out a plurality of rows of transport bases 16 together in a plurality of rows (two rows in this embodiment) of transport paths 15R and 15L by one extrusion device 31. Therefore, the transport tables 16 in a plurality of rows are efficiently transported. In the present embodiment, a plurality of stacked containers Td are placed on the transport table 16. Therefore, the amount of the object to be processed in the processing chamber 12 can be increased, and the productivity is improved. Since the transport tables 16 in a plurality of rows are transported in synchronization, the handling of the plurality of stacked containers Td in the processing chamber 12 becomes easy.

<guide>
The firing furnace main body 10 includes guides 40R, 40C, and 40L that guide the transfer of the transfer table 16 in the respective transfer paths 15R and 15L. Therefore, even if the transport direction of the transport base 16 is temporarily disturbed, the transport of the transport base 16 is guided by the guides 40R, 40C, and 40L. Therefore, the transport table 16 is normally transported on the transport paths 15R and 15L. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the gas supply pipe 60, the heater 50, and the guide 40C. In FIG. 6, the arrangement of the gas supply pipe 60, the heater 50, and the guide 40C is schematically shown.

The guides 40R, 40C, and 40L will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 4, and 6. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the guides 40R, 40C, and 40L are provided at positions on both sides of the respective transport paths 15R and 15L so as to face each other along the transport direction. The guides 40R, 40C, 40L of the present embodiment reliably guide the transport table 16 in the processing chamber 12 along the transfer paths 15L, 15R by contacting the transport table 16 that is continuously transported. High alumina bricks are used as the material for the guides 40R, 40C, and 40L. As a result, the heat resistance and strength of the guides 40R, 40C, and 40L are secured.

In this embodiment, the right guide 40R is provided on the right side of the right transport path 15R, and the intermediate guide 40C is provided on the left side of the right transport path 15R. Further, the intermediate guide 40C is provided on the right side of the left transport path 15L, and the left guide 40L is provided on the left side of the left transport path 15L. That is, the intermediate guide 40C provided between the plurality of transport paths 15R and 15L guides the transport of the transport base 16 in each of the two adjacent transport routes 15R and 15L together. Therefore, the transport of the transport table 16 is appropriately guided with a simple configuration. However, guides may be provided separately for each of the plurality of transport paths 15R and 15L.

In the following, among the plurality of guides 40R, 40C, and 40L, the intermediate guide 40C will be illustrated and described. However, the configuration described below is the same for the right guide 40R and the left guide 40L. As shown in FIG. 6, in the guide 40C, the contact portion 41 in contact with the transport table 16 transported on the transport paths 15R and 15L (see FIGS. 1 and 4) is in a direction parallel to the transport direction. It extends continuously without any gaps. Therefore, even if the transport base 16 comes into contact with the guide 40C during transport, the transport base 16 is unlikely to be caught by the guide 40C. Therefore, the possibility of unnecessary rotation of the transport table 16 and damage to the members is further reduced. Therefore, the containers Td stacked in multiple stages on the transport table 16 can be stably transported.

As shown in FIG. 6, the guide 40C is formed with a roller insertion hole 42 through which the free roller 20 (see FIGS. 1, 4, and 5) is inserted in a direction intersecting the transport direction. The inner diameter of the roller insertion hole 42 is wider than the outer diameter of the free roller 20. Therefore, the guides 40R, 40C, 40L can be formed continuously along the transport paths 15L, 15R without interfering with the free roller 20. Further, in the present embodiment, the free roller 20 is made of a ceramic material that hardly bends like SiC. Therefore, the free roller 20 can rotate in the roller insertion hole 42 without contact while supporting the transport table 16 on which the stacked containers Td are placed.

<Container Td transport space>
With reference to FIG. 4, the space in which the container Td is conveyed inside the processing chamber 12 will be described. Inside the processing chamber 12, the width between a pair of guides arranged so as to face each other across the transport paths 15R and 15L is defined as w1. The height above the free roller 20 in the processing chamber 12 is defined as h1. The space inside the processing chamber 12 to which the stacked containers Td can be conveyed satisfies the condition of h1 / w1> 1. Here, the width w1 between the guides is, in other words, the distance between the pair of guides in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction. The width w1 between the guides of the transport path 15L is the distance between the guides 40L and the guides 40C. The width w1 between the guides of the transport path 15R is the distance between the guides 40C and the guides 40R. The height h1 above the free roller 20 may be, in other words, a height above the free roller 20 inside the processing chamber 12 up to a height limit at which the conveyed material is allowed to be conveyed. h1 / w1 can be an aspect ratio when the transport space in which the transported object is transported along the transport paths 15L and 15R is viewed from the front in the transport direction. Since the condition of h1 / w1> 1 is satisfied, in the continuous firing furnace 1 of the present embodiment, even if a large number of containers T are stacked in the height direction, the stacked containers Td are used in the processing chamber 12 It is properly transported in the space inside. The aspect ratio h1 / w1 of the transport space may be, for example, 2 or more, or 3 or more.

As described above, the continuous firing furnace 1 disclosed here has a firing furnace main body 10 having a processing chamber 12 inside in which a processing atmosphere for heat-treating the object to be processed is formed, and a pusher 30. ing. The processing chamber 12 includes transport paths 15L and 15R extending along a straight line from the carry-in inlet 13. The firing furnace main body 10 includes a plurality of free rollers 20 arranged in order at the bottom of the transfer paths 15L and 15R along the transfer paths 15L and 15R. The pusher 30 includes a pushing member 32 provided outside the processing chamber 12 on the carry-in inlet 13 side of the transport paths 15L and 15R, and a pushing device 31 for pushing the pushing member 32 toward the transport paths 15L and 15R. ing.

According to the continuous firing furnace 1, the pusher 30 arranged outside the processing chamber 12 can push the transport table 16 from the carry-in inlet 13 of the transport paths 15L and 15R along the transfer paths 15L and 15R. The transport table 16 is continuously transported on a plurality of free rollers 20 arranged in order at the bottom of the transport paths 15L and 15R along the transport paths 15L and 15R. The free roller 20 rotates due to friction with the conveyed object pushed by the pusher 30. Therefore, the transported object transported through the transport paths 15L and 15R is stably transported along the transport paths 15L and 15R at an appropriate speed defined by the pusher 30. Further, since the pusher 30 is provided outside the processing chamber 12, foreign matter is unlikely to be generated during transportation in the processing chamber 12, and foreign matter is unlikely to be mixed into the transport table 16. Therefore, so-called contamination is reduced.

In the form shown in FIG. 1, the processing chamber 12 includes a plurality of rows of transport paths 15L and 15R extending in parallel with each other. Therefore, the transported objects can be sent together at once, and the productivity of the object to be processed can be improved.

Further, each of the plurality of free rollers 20 is a seamless cylindrical shaft member. Each of the plurality of free rollers 20 traverses a plurality of rows of transport paths 15L and 15R along a direction perpendicular to the transport direction. Therefore, it is possible to transport the transported object at the same timing in the transport paths 15L and 15R in a plurality of rows. The processing time of the object to be processed can be adjusted by the transport paths 15L and 15R in a plurality of rows.

Further, the pushing member 32 of the pusher 30 faces the carry-in inlets 13 of the transport paths 15L and 15R in a plurality of rows, respectively. The pushing member 32 is configured to collectively push the transported objects toward the plurality of rows of transport paths 15L and 15R. In the transport paths 15L and 15R of a plurality of rows, the transported object can be transported at the same timing. The processing time of the object to be processed can be adjusted by the transport paths 15L and 15R in a plurality of rows.

<Heater / gas supply pipe>
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the firing furnace main body 10 includes a plurality of heaters 50, a plurality of gas supply pipes 60, and a plurality of exhaust ports 70. The heater 50 is a device that heats the inside of the processing chamber 12. The heater 50 may have at least a heat radiating portion provided in the processing chamber 12. The object to be processed contained in the container Td stacked on the transport table 16 is heated in the processing chamber 12 heated by the heater 50. The gas supply pipe 60 is a pipe that supplies atmospheric gas into the processing chamber 12. In this embodiment, the atmospheric gas is oxygen. The exhaust port 70 is an opening for discharging unnecessary reaction gas generated by heat treatment of the object to be treated from the inside of the treatment chamber 12 to the outside. In the present embodiment, the reaction gas is heated and moves upward in the processing chamber 12. Therefore, the exhaust port 70 is provided on the upper wall 11U of the firing furnace main body 10.

In the present embodiment, the object to be treated is a material used for an electrode of a power storage device or a solid electrolyte. Such materials are prepared in powder form. In this embodiment, the object to be treated is housed in a flat-bottomed container. The container T is further stacked, and the plurality of stacked containers Td are introduced into the continuous firing furnace 1 in a state of being placed on the plurality of transport stands 16. In this way, in this continuous firing furnace 1, the stacked containers Td can be conveyed. Then, the processing amount of the object to be processed per unit time can be remarkably increased.

On the other hand, materials used for electrodes of power storage devices and solid electrolytes need to be fired in a predetermined atmospheric gas at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time in order to obtain stable performance. There is. When the object to be processed is fired in the stacked containers Td, the object to be processed needs to satisfy certain firing conditions in each of the stacked containers T.

As described above, the firing furnace main body 10 of the present embodiment is provided with a plurality of rows of transport paths 15R and 15L extending in parallel with each other. The containers T containing the objects to be processed are placed on the transport table 16 in a state of being stacked in the height direction, and are transported along the respective transport paths 15R and 15L.

The transport spaces of the transport paths 15L and 15R through which the stacked containers Td are transported are high in the height direction. Therefore, for example, it is difficult to make the temperature of the atmospheric gas uniform in the height direction of the transport space only by heating from the upper part of the transport paths 15L and 15R. Further, even if heating is performed from the side of the processing chamber 12, since the firing furnace main body 10 is provided with a plurality of rows of transport paths 15L and 15R extending in parallel, the temperature is uniform for each of the transport paths 15L and 15R. Difficult to do. Therefore, when the stacked containers Td are transported along the transport paths 15L and 15R in a plurality of rows, it is difficult to evenly apply heat to the objects to be processed contained in the stacked containers T. In some cases. Similarly, it is difficult to make the concentration of the atmospheric gas in the processing chamber 12 uniform only by supplying the atmospheric gas from the side of the processing chamber 12 toward the stacked containers Td.

Since the transport paths 15L and 15R of the continuous firing furnace 1 of the present embodiment transport the stacked containers Td, they are several times as high as one container T. Further, the stacked containers Td are transported in a state where a plurality of stacked containers Td are placed on one transport table 16. The object to be processed is fired in the containers Td stacked in this way. Therefore, in such a continuous firing furnace 1, it is desirable that the firing conditions in the vertical direction of the transport paths 15L and 15R are more uniform. Further, when a plurality of rows of transfer paths 15L and 15R are formed in the processing chamber 12 of the continuous firing furnace 1, it is desirable that the firing conditions are more uniform even between the transfer paths 15L and 15R.

<Heater 50>
As shown in FIG. 4, the heater 50 includes side heaters 50R, 50C, and 50L. The side heaters 50R, 50C, 50L are arranged inside the processing chamber 12 and in the restricted areas on both sides of the transport paths 15L, 15R set by the guides 40R, 40C, 40L. By arranging the side heaters 50R, 50C, 50L in the restricted regions on both sides of the transport paths 15L, 15R, it becomes easy to keep the temperature of the transport space of the transport paths 15L, 15R uniform. Here, the restricted areas on both sides of the transport paths 15L and 15R are set by the guides 40R, 40C and 40L. That is, both sides of the transport paths 15L and 15R are defined by the contact portions 41 of the guides 40R, 40C and 40L. The restricted area is an area in which the side heaters 50R, 50C, 50L are regulated by the contact portions 41 of the guides 40R, 40C, 40L, to which the transported objects to be transported along the transport paths 15L, 15R are regulated. The side heaters 50R, 50C, and 50L may be provided in the space above the restricted area in the processing chamber 12. Here, the transported object is the transport table 16 and the stacked containers Td mounted on the transfer table 16. Since the side heaters 50R, 50C, and 50L are arranged in the restricted areas on both sides of the transport paths 15L and 15R, the stacked containers Td mounted on the transport table 16 can be placed on both sides of the transport paths 15L and 15R. Is heated from.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, since the stacked containers Td are transported, they are arranged inside the processing chamber 12 so as to face each other with the transport paths 15R and 15L in between. The height h1 above the free roller 20 is higher than the width w1 between the pair of guides. The aspect ratio h1 / w1 of the transport space can be, for example, 1.5 or more, or 2 or more, or even 3 or more. According to the continuous firing furnace 1 disclosed here, the side heaters 50R, 50C, 50L are inside the processing chamber 12 and on both sides of the transport paths 15L, 15R set by the guides 40R, 40C, 40L. It is located in the regulated area. Therefore, heat can be applied from the side of the transport space. Therefore, even if the transport space is high in the height direction, it becomes easy to uniformly adjust the temperature of the transport space. Therefore, it is possible to secure predetermined firing conditions for each of the stacked containers T mounted on the transport table 16.

In the present embodiment, the guides 40R, 40C, 40L extend continuously in parallel along the transport paths 15L, 15R on both sides of the lower portion of the transport paths 15L, 15R at a position higher than the free roller 20. Therefore, the transported object pushed into the transport paths 15L and 15R by the pusher 30 smoothly moves along the transport paths 15L and 15R. It is prevented that the transported object moving on the transport paths 15L and 15R hits the side heaters 50R, 50C and 50L.

Note that FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing another form of the continuous firing furnace 1. As shown in FIG. 7, the continuous firing furnace 1 may appropriately include an upper heater 50U and a lower heater 50D. The upper heater 50U may be arranged inside the processing chamber 12 and in the upper region above the height limit of the transported object set in the transport paths 15L and 15R. Here, the height limit of the transported object may be predetermined for each of the transported paths 15L and 15R. By arranging the upper heater 50U in the upper region above the height limit of the transported object, it becomes easy to keep the temperature of the atmospheric gas above the processing chamber 12 uniform. The upper heater 50U may be appropriately provided in the continuous firing furnace 1.

It is preferable that the lower heater 50D is arranged inside the processing chamber 12 and in a lower region below the region where the transported material set in the transport paths 15L and 15R by the free roller 20 is transported. Here, the area where the conveyed object is conveyed is defined by the free roller 20. The lower heater 50D may be arranged in a region below the region in which the transported object defined by the free roller 20 is transported. The lower heater 50D may be arranged, for example, between the free rollers 20 intermittently arranged at the bottom of the transport paths 15L and 15R. By providing the lower heater 50D, it becomes easy to keep the temperature of the atmospheric gas below the transport paths 15L and 15R uniform. The lower heater 50D may be appropriately provided in the continuous firing furnace 1.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the processing chamber 12 includes a plurality of rows of transport paths 15L and 15R extending in parallel at intervals. The guides 40R, 40C, and 40L are arranged between the plurality of rows of transport routes 15L and 15R, and on both sides of the plurality of rows of transport routes 15L and 15R, respectively. The side heaters 50R, 50C, and 50L are arranged between the transfer paths 15L and 15R in the plurality of rows and on both sides of the transfer paths 15L and 15R in the plurality of rows, respectively. That is, when the processing chamber 12 includes a plurality of rows of transport paths 15L and 15R, guides 40C are also provided between the transport paths 15L and 15R. A side heater 50C is provided in the restricted region between the transport paths 15L and 15R set by the guide 40C.

Specifically, the continuous firing furnace 1 of the present embodiment includes side heaters 50R and 50L and intermediate heaters 50C as side heaters. The side heaters 50R and 50L are arranged on both sides of a plurality of rows of transport paths 15L and 15R. In other words, the side heaters 50R and 50L are provided on the outside (side) of the transport paths 15L and 15R in the direction intersecting the transport directions of the plurality of rows of the transport paths 15R and 15L. The intermediate heater 50C is provided between the transfer paths 15R and 15L in a plurality of rows. Therefore, not only the heat generated by the left and right side heaters 50R and 50L but also the heat generated along the plurality of rows of transport paths 15R and 15L, as well as the heat generated by the left and right side heaters 50R and 50L, as well as between the plurality of rows of transport paths 15R and 15L The heat generated by the intermediate heater 50C is also applied. Therefore, heat is likely to be applied more evenly to the objects to be processed contained in the stacked containers Td transported on the transport paths 15R and 15L in a plurality of rows.

The side heaters arranged between the multiple rows of transport paths 15L and 15R and on both sides of the multiple rows of transport paths 15L and 15R are shifted along the transport paths 15L and 15R in the adjacent regulation region. It may be arranged. Here, FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the firing furnace main body 10. In FIG. 8, of the side heaters 50R, 50C, 50L, the intermediate heater 50C is arranged on both side heaters 50R, 50L so as to be offset along the transport path 15L, 15R. Thereby, for example, the temperature of the atmospheric gas in the processing chamber 12 can be easily adjusted. As described above, the arrangement of the side heaters 50R, 50C, and 50L may be appropriately set in the adjacent regulation region from the viewpoint of facilitating the temperature adjustment of the atmospheric gas in the processing chamber 12. Further, for example, the side heaters 50R, 50C, 50L arranged in the adjacent regulation area may be arranged in a staggered manner.

The side heaters 50R, 50C, and 50L each include a radiant tube 50R1, 50C1, 50L1 and a burner main body 50R2, 50C2, 50L2 connected to the radiant tube 50R1, 50C1, 50L1. Radiant tubes 50R1, 50C1, 50L1 are arranged on both sides of the transport paths 15L and 15R inside the processing chamber 12. The burner main body 50R2, 50C2, 50L2 is attached to the firing furnace main body 10 outside the processing chamber 12.

In this embodiment, the radiant tubes 50R1, 50C1, 50L1 are straight tube type tubes. A plurality of side heaters 50R, 50C, 50L are arranged on both sides of the transport path 15L, 15R. That is, a plurality of side heaters are intermittently arranged on both sides of the transport paths 15L and 15R for each of the transport paths 15L and 15R inside the processing chamber 12. Therefore, it is easy to appropriately adjust the temperature of the atmospheric gas along the transport paths 15L and 15R. In the case of a plurality of side heaters 50R, 50C, 50L straight tube type tubes, they may be arranged along the vertical direction, for example, as shown in FIG. In this way, by forming the plurality of side heaters 50R, 50C, and 50L into straight tube type tubes and arranging them along the vertical direction, the transport paths 15L and 15R which are long in the length direction and high in the height direction are transported. Side heaters 50R, 50C, 50L can be arranged intermittently with respect to the space. As a result, the transport space in which the stacked containers Td are transported is easily heated evenly and uniformly. In the present embodiment, the side heaters 50R, 50C, and 50L are arranged along the vertical direction, but they may be inclined obliquely along the transport paths 15L and 15R, respectively. For example, in the restricted regions on both sides of the transport paths 15L and 15R, the plurality of side heaters 50R, 50C and 50L may be uniformly inclined at an angle.

Further, the radiant tube may be a ceramic tube. Since the radiant tube is a ceramic tube made of ceramic such as SiC, it is possible to prevent metal foreign matter from being generated in the transport space due to the side heaters 50R, 50C, and 50L.

The burner main body 50R2, 50C2, 50L2 may be arranged in the firing furnace main body 10 outside the processing chamber 12, as shown in FIG. For example, the burner body 50C2 of the side heater 50C arranged between the transfer paths 15L and 15R in a plurality of rows may be arranged above the firing furnace body 10. In this case, since the burner main body 50C2 is arranged in the upper part of the firing furnace main body 10, it is a short distance to the burner main body 50C2 of the side heaters 50C arranged between the transfer paths 15L and 15R in a plurality of rows. The burner body 50C2 is connected. Therefore, the thermal efficiency of the side heater 50C is maintained high.

Further, in the present embodiment, the burner main bodies 50R2 and 50L2 of the side heaters 50R and 50L arranged on both sides of the plurality of rows of transport paths 15L and 15R are arranged above the firing furnace main body 10. The burner bodies 50R2 and 50L2 of the side heaters 50R and 50L arranged on both sides of the transport paths 15L and 15R in a plurality of rows are arranged on the side of the firing furnace body 10 without being limited to such a form. You may. In this case as well, the burner main bodies 50R2 and 50L2 are arranged on the upper portion or the side portion of the firing furnace main body 10. Therefore, the burner main bodies 50R2 and 50L2 are connected to the burner main bodies 50R2 and 50L2 of the side heaters 50R and 50L arranged on both sides of the transport paths 15L and 15R in a plurality of rows at a short distance. Therefore, the thermal efficiency of the side heaters 50R and 50L is maintained high.

As described above, a tubular tube burner (in this embodiment, a radiant tube burner) can be adopted for each heater 50. Therefore, the heater 50 can be easily installed at an appropriate position. As an example, the heater 50 of the present embodiment is a tube burner extending linearly. In the present embodiment, in the processing chamber 12, a linear radiant tube is arranged in the upper region of the guides 40R, 40C, 40L in a plan view. Therefore, the heater 50 does not hit the stacked containers Td placed on the transport table 16 on which the transport paths 15L and 15R are transported. Further, the radiant tubes 50R1, 50C1, 50L1 of each heater 50 are attached so as to penetrate the upper wall 11U of the firing furnace main body 10 as shown in FIG. The burner main body 50R2, 50C2, 50L2 of the heater 50 is attached to the base end portion of the radiant tube 50R1, 50C1, 50L1 penetrating the outside of the upper wall 11U of the firing furnace main body 10. According to such a heater 50, a radiant tube 50R1, 50C1, 50L1 extends to the processing chamber 12, and gas is burned in the radiant tube 50R1, 50C1, 50L1. The heat generated in the radiant tubes 50R1, 50C1, 50L1 spreads in the processing chamber 12 due to radiant heat.

When a tube burner is used for the heater 50, the shape of the tube burner is changed so that the heater 50 does not hit the stacked containers Td placed on the transport table 16 on which the transport paths 15L and 15R are transported. Can be selected. From this point of view, the tube burner may be arranged in the upper region of the guides 40R, 40C, 40L in a plan view. The tube burner may have a shape other than a straight line (for example, a U shape, a W shape, etc.). When the tube burner has a shape other than the linear shape, it may be arranged along the transport path 15R, 15L in the upper region of the guides 40R, 40C, 40L.

As described above, in the present embodiment, both the side heaters 50R and 50L and the intermediate heater 50C extend in the vertical direction in the processing chamber 12. Therefore, even when the distances of the transport paths 15R and 15L are increased, each heater 50 can be easily arranged at an appropriate position. In particular, by setting the longitudinal direction of the intermediate heater 50C to the vertical direction, the intermediate heater 50C is fixed to at least one of the upper wall 11U and the bottom wall 1B (upper wall 11U in this embodiment), and a plurality of rows of transport paths are provided. The intermediate heater 50C can be appropriately arranged between 15R and 15L. However, it is also possible to change the installation method of the heater 50. For example, the longitudinal direction of the side heaters 50R and 50L may be the front-rear direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 1) of the continuous firing furnace 1.

<Gas supply pipe 60>
Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the continuous firing furnace 1 of the present embodiment includes gas supply pipes 60R, 60C, 60L. The gas supply pipes 60R and 60L are provided outside (sideways) in a direction intersecting the transport direction with respect to the plurality of rows of transport paths 15R and 15L. The gas supply pipe 60C is provided between the transfer paths 15R and 15L in a plurality of rows. As a result, not only the atmospheric gas supplied from the left and right gas supply pipes 60R and 60L but also the gas supplied between the plurality of rows of transport paths 15R and 15L is supplied to the object to be processed on the plurality of rows of transport paths 15R and 15L. Atmospheric gas supplied from the pipe 60C is also distributed. Therefore, the atmospheric gas is likely to be uniformly distributed over a large amount of the object to be treated.

As shown in FIG. 6, each gas supply pipe 60 is formed with a plurality of gas supply holes 61 for supplying the atmospheric gas introduced into the pipe into the processing chamber 12. Atmospheric gas is appropriately supplied into the processing chamber 12 through each gas supply hole 61. Specifically, in the gas supply pipe 60C between the plurality of rows of transport paths 15R and 15L, a gas supply hole 61 facing the left transport path 15L (see FIGS. 1 and 2) (on the left front side of the paper in FIG. 4). And a gas supply hole (not shown) facing the right transport path 15R (see FIGS. 1 and 2) are formed together. Therefore, the atmospheric gas is appropriately supplied from the gas supply pipe 60C between the two transfer paths 15R and 15L in each direction of the two transfer paths 15R and 15L. The side gas supply pipes 60R and 60L are formed with at least gas supply holes facing the transfer paths 15R and 15L (that is, the inside of the processing chamber 12).

As shown in FIG. 1, each gas supply pipe 60 extends in the vertical direction in the processing chamber 12. Therefore, when the distance between the transport paths 15R and 15L is long, the gas supply pipes 60 may be arranged at appropriate intervals with respect to the transport paths 15L and 15R. Since the gas supply pipe 60 extends in the vertical direction, it can be arranged at an appropriate position with respect to the transport paths 15L and 15R. In particular, by setting the longitudinal direction of the gas supply pipe 60C between the plurality of rows of transport paths 15R and 15L to be the vertical direction, gas is supplied to at least one of the upper wall 11U and the bottom wall 1B (upper wall 11U in this embodiment). With the pipe 60C fixed, the gas supply pipe 60C can be appropriately arranged between the transfer paths 15R and 15L in a plurality of rows. However, it is also possible to change the installation method of the gas supply pipe 60. For example, the longitudinal direction of the gas supply pipes 60R and 60L on the side may be the front-rear direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 1) of the continuous firing furnace 1. Further, instead of the side gas supply pipes 60R and 60L, a plurality of atmospheric gas supply holes may be provided in each of the right side wall 11R and the left side wall 11L.

Hereinafter, the positional relationship between the intermediate heater 50C, the intermediate gas supply pipe 60C, and the intermediate guide 40C will be described. However, the positional relationship described below is the same for the side heaters 50R and 50L, the side gas supply pipes 60R and 60L, and the side guides 40R and 40L. As shown in FIG. 6, the horizontal direction perpendicularly intersecting the transport direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 6) is defined as the regulation direction in which the transport of the container T is restricted. Both ends of the intermediate heater 50C and the gas supply pipe 60C in the regulation direction are located between both ends of the guide 40C in the regulation direction (specifically, inside).

In other words, of the intermediate heater 50C and the gas supply pipe 60C, the end on the left transport path 15L (see FIGS. 1 and 4) is the contact portion of the guide 40C that comes into contact with the transported object on the left transport path 15L. It is located on the side farther from the left transport path 15L than 41. Similarly, of the intermediate heater 50C and the gas supply pipe 60C, the end on the right transport path 15R (see FIGS. 1 and 4) is the contact portion of the guide 40C that comes into contact with the transported object on the right transport path 15R. It is located on the side away from the right transport path 15R (not shown).

That is, of the heater 50 and the gas supply pipe 60, the end portion on the transport path side is located on the side farther from the transport object than the contact portion with the transport object in the guides 40R, 40C, 40L. Therefore, even if the transport direction of the transported object (container T and transport table 16 in the present embodiment) is disturbed, the transported object does not come into contact with the heater 50 and the gas supply pipe 60. Therefore, the possibility that the heater 50 and the gas supply pipe 60 are damaged is reduced.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the continuous firing furnace 1 may appropriately include an upper supply pipe 60U and a lower supply pipe 60D. The upper supply pipe 60U may be arranged inside the processing chamber 12 and in the upper region above the height limit of the transported object set in the transport paths 15L and 15R. It is preferable that the lower supply pipe 60D is arranged inside the processing chamber 12 and in a lower region below the region where the transported material set in the transport paths 15L and 15R by the free roller 20 is transported. By arranging the upper supply pipe 60U and the lower supply pipe 60D, it becomes easy to keep the concentration of the upper or lower atmospheric gas in the processing chamber 12 uniform.

Here, as the object to be treated, an electrode material for a power storage device and a solid electrolyte material are exemplified, but the object is not limited thereto. According to the continuous firing furnace 1 exemplified here, stable transportation of the conveyed material can be appropriately realized. When firing a powder material, the containers containing the powder material can be stably transported in a stacked state. Further, the inside of the processing chamber 12 of the firing furnace main body 10 can be made of all ceramics. In this case, it is possible to prevent metal foreign matter from being mixed into the object to be treated. Further, as described above, by providing the side heaters 50R, 50C, 50L on the side of the transport space of the transport paths 15L, 15R, the temperature of the transport space of the transport paths 15L, 15R to which the transported object is transported is controlled. Becomes easier. Further, by providing the gas supply pipes 60R, 60C, 60L on the side of the transport space of the transport paths 15L, 15R, the concentration control of the atmospheric gas in the transport space of the transport paths 15L, 15R to which the transported material is transported can be controlled. It will be easier. These configurations can be appropriately combined in the continuous firing furnace 1 and interact with each other to improve the function of the continuous firing furnace 1.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the continuous firing method of the powder material disclosed here includes a step (201) of accommodating the powder material in the container T and a plurality of methods accommodating the powder material. A step of stacking the containers T (202), a step of placing the stacked containers Td on the transport table 16 (203), and a continuous firing furnace on the transport table 16 on which the stacked containers Td are placed. It is provided with a step (205) of pushing along the transport paths 15L and 15R prepared in 1. Here, the transfer paths 15L and 15R prepared in the continuous firing furnace 1 include a plurality of free rollers 20 intermittently arranged at the bottom of the transfer paths 15L and 15R, and transfer paths 15L on both sides of the transfer paths 15L and 15R. , 40R, 40C, 40L are provided to guide the transport table 16 pushed into the 15R. The transport table 16 on which the stacked containers Td are placed moves in sequence along the transport paths 15L and 15R defined by the guides 40R, 40C and 40L in the transport paths 15L and 15R. According to the continuous firing method of the powder material, a large amount of the powder material can be transferred to the firing furnace as described above, and the powder material can be continuously processed.

Although the detailed description has been given with reference to specific embodiments, these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of claims. The techniques described in the claims include various modifications and modifications of the above-described embodiments. It is also possible to employ some of the plurality of techniques exemplified in the above-described embodiment in the continuous firing furnace.

1 Continuous firing furnace 10 Firing furnace body 12 Processing chamber 13 Carry-in port 14 Carry-out port 15R, 15L Carrying path 20 Free roller 22R, 22L Rotational support member 24R, 24L Breaking part 30 Pusher 31 Pushing device 32 Pushing member 40R, 40C, 40L Guide 41 Contact part 42 Roller insertion hole 50R, 50L Side heater (side heater (heater))
50C intermediate heater (side heater (heater))
50U upper heater (heater)
50D lower heater (heater)

Claims (16)

The firing furnace body, which has a processing chamber inside,
With the pusher
Equipped with a heater
The processing room
Carry-in entrance and
A transport path extending along a straight line from the carry-in port and
It is provided with a carry-out port provided at an end opposite to the carry-in port of the transport path.
The firing furnace body is
A plurality of free rollers arranged in order at the bottom of the transport path along the transport path,
It is provided with guides provided on both sides of the transport path in a plan view.
The pusher
On the carry-in entrance side of the transport path, a pushing member provided outside the processing chamber and
The push-in member is provided with an push-out device for pushing out the push-in member toward the transport path.
The heater is
A side heater is provided inside the processing chamber and in the restricted areas on both sides of the transport path set by the guide.
Continuous firing furnace. The heater is
An upper heater is further provided inside the processing chamber and in the upper region above the height limit of the transported object set in the transport path.
The continuous firing furnace according to claim 1. The heater is
A lower heater is further provided inside the processing chamber and in a lower region below the region where the transported material set in the transport path by the free roller is transported.
The continuous firing furnace according to claim 1 or 2. The guide
At a position higher than the free roller, it extends continuously in parallel along the transport path on both sides of the lower part of the transport path.
The continuous firing furnace according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The processing room
Each has a multi-row transport path that extends in parallel at intervals.
The guide
It is arranged between the plurality of rows of transport routes and on both sides of the plurality of rows of transport routes, respectively.
The side heater
Arranged between each of the plurality of rows of transport routes and on both sides of the plurality of rows of transport routes, respectively.
The continuous firing furnace according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The side heaters arranged between each of the plurality of rows of transport paths and on both sides of the plurality of rows of transport paths are offset along the transport path in adjacent regulated regions. Item 5. The continuous firing furnace according to item 5. The side heater
It is provided with a radiant tube and a burner body connected to the radiant tube.
The radiant tube
Inside the processing chamber, the transport paths are arranged on both sides of the transport path.
The burner body
Outside the processing chamber, it is attached to the firing furnace body.
The continuous firing furnace according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The radiant tube is a straight tube type tube, and is
Multiple side heaters are intermittently arranged along the transport path.
The continuous firing furnace according to claim 7. The continuous firing furnace according to claim 8, wherein the straight tube type tubes of the plurality of side heaters are arranged along the vertical direction. The continuous firing furnace according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the radiant tube is a ceramic tube. The continuous firing furnace according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the burner main body of the side heater arranged between the plurality of rows of transport paths is arranged in the upper part of the firing furnace main body. .. 6. Continuous firing furnace. Each of the plurality of free rollers is a seamless columnar shaft member, and traverses the plurality of rows of transport paths along a direction perpendicular to the transport direction.
The continuous firing furnace according to any one of claims 5 to 12, wherein both ends of the plurality of free rollers each penetrate the processing chamber and are rotatably supported outside the processing chamber. The pushing members of the pusher face each of the carry-in inlets of the plurality of rows of transport paths, and are configured to collectively push the transported objects toward the plurality of rows of transport paths. The continuous firing furnace according to any one of the items up to. The continuous firing furnace according to any one of claims 5 to 14, wherein the free roller is made of a SiC-based material containing silicon carbide. Inside the processing chamber, the space in which the transported object formed on the free roller in the transport path can be transported is the width w1 between the pair of guides arranged so as to face each other across the transport path. The continuous firing furnace according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the ratio h1 / w1 to the height h1 above the free roller satisfies h1 / w1> 1.

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