JP2820861B2 - Article heat treatment equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to various electric and electronic devices,
The present invention relates to an apparatus for subjecting the components, various materials, and the like to a predetermined temperature to test their environmental resistance, heat resistance, and cold resistance, and to perform an article heat treatment such as applying a desired heat treatment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 42 shows a typical example of a conventionally known article heat treatment apparatus of this type. In the conventional apparatus shown in FIG. 42A, a conveyor C1 such as a chain conveyor is circulated in a processing tank H for obtaining a predetermined temperature atmosphere, and an article A is placed on the conveyor and passed through the processing atmosphere. It is.

In the conventional apparatus shown in FIG. 1B, a roller conveyor C2 is disposed in a processing tank H, and articles B are placed on the conveyor and passed through the processing atmosphere. (C) In the conventional apparatus shown in the figure, a bed b is arranged in a processing tank H, and an article carrying beam a that can partially fit into the bed or protrude upward from the bed surface is arranged. By rotating the beam a so as to draw a rectangular trajectory when viewed from the side, the articles C arranged on the bed b are advanced intermittently and passed through the processing atmosphere.

[0004] In addition, there is an apparatus using a transfer device disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3-2840. As shown in FIG. 43, the transport device has a rail R for holding and guiding articles, which is arranged in a constant temperature device, and is movable parallel to the rail in the axial direction and rotatable in the circumferential direction. A shaft S, and a protruding piece P protruding from the shaft S in the radial direction.
The projecting piece P is made to face the article T pinched and guided by the rail R by the rotation of the shaft S.
Is moved in the axial direction to feed the article T by a predetermined distance, and then the shaft S is rotated back to place the protruding piece P under the article T, and the shaft S is retracted to the initial position to perform the next conveyance. It is provided.

[0005]

However, according to the conventional apparatus, since the articles are conveyed in the horizontal direction, the processing tank must be formed long in the horizontal direction in order to expose the articles to the processing atmosphere for a predetermined time. As a result, there is a problem that the installation area of the heat treatment apparatus becomes large.

[0006] Further, since the processing tank is formed horizontally long and low, the ratio of the size of the loading / unloading port of the article becomes larger than the height in the processing tank, and as a result, the distance from the loading / unloading port is increased. There is a problem that the temperature turbulence in the processing tank due to the invasion of the outside air increases, and the reliability of the processing apparatus decreases. Further, when the articles are, for example, plate-like bodies and must be arranged horizontally, the volume in the processing tank becomes large with respect to the heat treatment amount of the articles. However, there is a problem that the capacity of the heater becomes large and the running cost is high.

Further, in the apparatus using the transfer device described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3-2840, it is easy to generate dust due to sliding between the article T and the guide rail R when the article is transferred, and to treat the article which does not like dust adhesion. There is also a problem that it is difficult to provide. Therefore, the present invention can reduce the installation area of the apparatus, easily suppress temperature turbulence in the heat treatment tank, and reduce the content in the heat treatment tank even when the object to be processed is, for example, a plate-like body, as compared with the conventional article heat treatment apparatus. It is an object of the present invention to provide an article heat treatment apparatus that can effectively process a large amount of material and can reduce the running cost of the heat treatment apparatus, and also generate less dust during article transport. .

[0008]

According to the present invention, there are provided the following two types of article heat treatment apparatuses according to the above objects. One is the following first article heat treatment apparatus. An article carry-in port on one side, a heat treatment tank having an article carry-out port on the other side, a plurality of article supporting pallets that can be stacked while supporting the object to be processed, and the article carry-in port and the article carry-out port. First and second pallet support members capable of taking a pallet support position for supporting the pallets in a stacked state at a plurality of stages at fixed positions in each of the space portions in the heat treatment tank or a retreat position retracted therefrom; The empty pallet arranged at the position facing the article entrance is raised and the object to be processed is scooped up, and the pallet group above the pallet supported by the first pallet support member can be stacked from below, A first pallet lifting member capable of supporting and raising and lowering the vertical pallet group by itself instead of the support by the first pallet supporting member; and the first pallet lifting member From the upper pallets of the more supported vertical pallets, the upper traverse member for laterally moving upward from the position facing the article carry-out port, and the vertical pallets themselves in place of the support by the second pallet support member With the second pallet lifting member capable of being supported and raised and lowered, the pallet sent by the upper horizontal moving member can be received on the pallet group below the pallet group. A second pallet elevating member that can lower the lower pallet to a position facing the article outlet while the upper pallet group is supported by the second pallet support member; A lateral moving member for moving the empty pallet after being removed to the facing position and removing the object to be treated to the position facing the article carry-in port, wherein the upper lateral moving member A lower lateral moving member that moves in conjunction with the same direction, and the article carrying-in above an empty pallet facing the article carry-in port and lifted and supported from the lower lateral moving member by the first pallet elevating member. A carry-in member for carrying the workpiece from the mouth, a carry-in member that moves in and out of the heat treatment tank in conjunction with the lateral movement member in the same direction,
An ascending / descending first receiving member for temporarily receiving the workpiece carried in by the carrying-in member by an ascending operation, and descending and supporting the empty pallet after the carrying-in / out of the carrying-in member; A member for temporarily receiving an object to be processed by a lifting operation from a pallet lowered to a position facing the outlet, a second receiving member that moves up and down in conjunction with the first receiving member, and is supported by the second receiving member. An unloading member that receives an object to be lowered and unloads the article from the article unloading port, and an unloading member that moves in and out of the heat treatment tank in the same direction as the unloading member; A supportable and vertically movable article mounting member to be mounted on the carry-in member by a lowering operation, and an object to be processed carried out by the carry-out member outside the heat treatment tank. Article heat treatment apparatus is characterized in that a liftable removing members elevating the operation.

The article supporting pallet in this apparatus may be, for example, a projection which projects laterally in each of four corners with respect to the loading / unloading direction of the pallet so that the upper and lower laterally movable members can contact and support from below. And a frame having a hollow portion vertically penetrating the central portion so that the object to be processed can be fitted and disengaged from above, and provided at an inner edge facing the hollow portion of the frame body, the peripheral edge of the object to be processed is line-contacted or An object support portion having a downwardly inclined surface that can be supported from below in a substantially line contact state, and a pallet provided at a position near the protruding portion of the frame body for stacking pallets at regular intervals. And those having columns.

[0010] Another second article heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention is as follows. An article carry-in port on one side, a heat treatment tank having an article carry-out port on the other side, a plurality of article support pallets that can be stacked while supporting an object to be processed, and a heat treatment tank facing the article carry-in port. A pallet supporting position for supporting the pallet in a state of being stacked in a plurality of stages in the space portion or a retracted position retracted from the pallet can be taken,
Vertically moving with respect to the vertical pallet group in the retracted position, and further lowering and stacking a pallet group above the empty pallet arranged at a position facing the article carry-in entrance; A first pallet supporting member which is capable of supporting a workpiece or a position which is provided slightly below the first pallet supporting member and which can support the workpiece in cooperation with the pallet supporting member, and which can be moved up and down. A first workpiece support member capable of lifting the workpiece to be carried in after being placed at a position facing the article carry-in port, and being disposed at a position facing the article carry-in port. When the pallet group above the empty pallet is lowered onto the empty pallet by the first pallet support member, the pallet group is supported by the first workpiece support member. A vertically movable first receiving member capable of temporarily receiving the processed object by an ascending operation, and from the upper pallet of the vertical pallet group supported by the first pallet supporting member to the article outlet. An upper lateral moving member for laterally moving upward from the facing position, and a pallet supporting position for supporting the pallets in a stacked state in a plurality of stages in a space in the heat treatment tank facing the article carrying-out port, or a retracted position retracted therefrom. Can be moved vertically with respect to the vertical pallet group in the state of being in the retracted position, and further, the lower pallet of the vertical pallet group is arranged at a position facing the article outlet, and The upper pallet group can be lifted, and the pallet sent by the upper lateral moving member is stacked on the pallet group below it and received. The second, which can be
A pallet support member, and a lateral moving member for lowering the empty pallet after being processed to be removed to a position facing the article carry-out port and facing the article carry-in port, wherein the upper lateral moving member A lower lateral moving member that moves in conjunction with the same direction as the above, and a member that can temporarily receive an object to be processed by an ascending operation from a pallet that is lowered to a position facing the article carry-out port. A second receiving member that moves up and down in conjunction with the member, and a position that is provided slightly below the second pallet support member and that can interlock with the pallet support member to support a workpiece or a position retracted therefrom; The object to be processed supported on the second receiving member with the lowering of the pallet to the article carry-out port, and the pallet group above the object to be processed are supported by the second pallet support. The second pallet can be raised together by the member, and then lowered when the empty pallet is laterally moved to a position facing the article carry-in port, and can be re-supported by the second receiving member. A workpiece support member, and a loading member for loading a workpiece from the article entrance above the first workpiece support member disposed at a position facing the article entrance, wherein the lateral moving member The carrying-in member which moves in and out of the heat treatment tank in the same direction as the above, and the object to be processed which is re-supported by the second receiving member enters the lower part of the second receiving member. A carry-out member for receiving and receiving the article from the article carry-out port, and a carry-out member that cooperates in the same direction as the carry-in member, and a lifting member that supports the workpiece outside the heat treatment tank and is placed on the carry-in member by descending. A possible article mounting member, and a removing member that lifts an object to be processed carried out by the carrying-out member by an ascending operation outside the heat treatment tank and that moves up and down simultaneously with the article mounting member. An article heat treatment apparatus, characterized in that:

In the second device, the pallet exemplified in the first device can be adopted as the article supporting pallet. However, the processing object support portion that supports the peripheral edge of the processing object leaves a space for the first and second processing object support members to enter a position for supporting the processing object on the pallet. It is provided. In any of the first and second article heat treatment apparatuses, the vertical pallet group may include a ventilation baffle member that is alternately stacked with the article support pallet. In this case, the ventilation baffle provides a space that allows ventilation along the lower surface of the workpiece supported by the article support pallet above it, while providing the workpiece supported by the article support pallet below it. And a portion for suppressing ventilation along the upper surface of the pallet, and can be circulated and moved in the heat treatment tank like the article support pallet.

Further, in order to prevent the pallet and the drive unit for driving each member for moving the object to be processed in the heat treatment tank from being exposed to heat and being deteriorated or malfunctioning as much as possible, In order to suppress the generation of dust in the heat treatment tank and maintain the state as clean as possible, it is desirable that the driving unit is provided outside the heat treatment tank. The driving unit referred to here is a portion including an electric motor, a motor such as a piston cylinder device, and all or a part of a transmission device connected to the motor.

Further, a preheating device for the object to be treated may be connected to the article carrying-in port, and a slow cooling device for the object to be treated may be connected to the article carrying-out port. The heat treatment in the article heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention is a concept including various heat treatments such as a heat treatment and a cooling treatment.

[0014]

Next, the operation of each article heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention will be described. Reference figures shown in the description are for facilitating the understanding of the apparatus operation. However, the present invention is not limited to this. First, according to the first article heat treatment apparatus, an empty pallet is supported by the first pallet lifting member at a position facing the article carry-in port and waits for the article to be carried in (FIG. 20). On the other hand, outside the entrance, the article to be processed is placed on the carry-in member by descending from the article placing member (FIG. 20), and then the carry-in member enters the heat treatment tank, and the article to be treated is removed. Arrange above the empty pallet (Fig. 2
1). Subsequently, the first receiving member is lifted to temporarily lift the workpiece from the loading member (FIG. 22), and after the lifting, the loading member moves out of the heat treatment tank again (FIG. 2).
3). Thereafter, the empty pallet is lifted by lowering the first receiving member relatively to the first pallet elevating member and raising the first pallet elevating member relatively to the first receiving member. Are scooped up on the pallet, and are further stacked from below on the lowermost pallet of the vertical pallet group already supported by the first pallet support member (FIG. 24). The first pallet elevating member is further raised slightly, whereby the first pallet supporting member released from the vertical pallet group is retracted to the retracted position. At this time, the upper horizontal moving member interlocking with the carry-in member is already located below the uppermost pallet in the vertical pallet group. From this state, the first pallet lifting member is lowered, whereby the uppermost pallet is supported by the upper horizontal moving member and separated from the lower vertical pallet group (FIG. 25). Next, the upper horizontal moving member and the pallets supported by the upper pallet are moved above the vertical pallet group supported by the second pallet elevating member in the space on the article exit side (FIG. 26). Next, the second pallet lifting member is raised while supporting the vertical pallet group, whereby the vertical pallet group is stacked from below on the pallet which has been laterally moved as described above, and the second pallet lifting member is further slightly moved. The pallet is lifted and lifted above the upper lateral moving member (FIGS. 27 and 11). In this state, the upper horizontal moving member is moved to a position deviating from the pallet supporting position, and then the second pallet elevating member descends, and thus the lowest pallet of the vertical pallet group supported by the second pallet elevating member Is located below the second pallet support member (FIG. 12), the second pallet support member is arranged at the pallet support position (FIG. 13). Next, the second pallet elevating member supporting the lowermost pallet is lowered as it is to arrange it at a position facing the article outlet, and the pallet group above it is supported by the second pallet supporting member (FIG. 14). . Further, the second receiving member is raised in response to the lowering of the pallet at the bottom,
The treated article is temporarily supported (FIG. 14). Is advanced into the heat treatment tank articles out member from opening out article transportable in this state, it is arranged below the object to be processed is supported by the second receiving member (Figure 15). Thereafter, the second receiving member is lowered and the object to be processed which has been supported so far is placed on the carrying-out member (FIG. 16). Thereafter, the carry-out member is moved out of the heat treatment tank (FIG. 17). In addition, by moving the carry-out member out of the heat treatment tank in this manner, the lower lateral moving member, which operates in conjunction with the carry-out member, reaches the position where the empty pallet is supported (FIG. 17). Then, the second pallet lifting member is lowered, and an empty pallet is placed on the lower lateral moving member (FIG. 18). Is moved to the position facing the lower horizontal moving member to an article transportable inlet mouth later that accordingly (Fig. 19) and then lift and support the first pallet lift member as the original description of the air pallet (Figure 20). By repeating the above-described steps, the object to be processed is carried into the heat treatment tank and supported on the empty pallet, and the pallet supporting the object is raised in the heat treatment tank and laterally moved. ,
The pallet is lowered to reach the article exit, where the processed object is carried out by the carrying-out member, and then the pallet that has been emptied again is moved to the article entrance.

Next, the operation of the second article heat treatment apparatus will be described. In this apparatus, a plurality of article support pallets are stacked and supported on the first pallet support member in a space near the article carry-in entrance in the heat treatment tank, and further, one pallet is supported on the upper lateral moving member above the first pallet, The first workpiece support member slightly below the first pallet support member is left empty (FIG. 33). Next, the object to be processed is placed on the article carrying member by lowering it from the article placing member outside the heat treatment tank (FIG. 3).
4). Thereafter, the carry-in member is advanced into the heat treatment tank,
The object to be processed supported thereon is placed above the first workpiece support member (FIG. 35 ). At this time, the upper horizontal moving member interlocking with the carry-in member is moved above the vertical pallet group supported by the second pallet support member in the space near the article carry-out port (FIG. 35 ). From this state the first
The pallet support member is raised, whereby the workpiece is lifted from the loading member by the first workpiece support member (FIG. 36). Further, the second pallet supporting member is lowered, and the lowest pallet of the vertical pallet group supported by the member is placed on the horizontal moving member,
Thereafter, the second pallet supporting member is further lowered slightly, and then is disposed at the retracted position (FIG. 36). Next, the second receiving member is lifted to lift the processed workpiece from the pallet arranged on the lower lateral moving member. Further, the second pallet supporting member is raised again, and is disposed at a position where the second pallet from the bottom can be supported (FIG. 37). Thereafter, the second pallet supporting member is raised, while the second receiving member is lowered, so that the object to be processed supported on the second receiving member is slightly lower than the second pallet supporting member. It is lifted by the workpiece support member, thus leaving an empty pallet on the lower laterally moving member (FIG. 38). Further, a pallet group below the pallet supported by the upper lateral moving member is superimposed from below and further lifted slightly, whereby the pallet supported there is lifted from the upper lateral moving member ( (FIG. 38). In this state, the lower lateral moving member is moved to a position facing the article entrance. At this time, the upper lateral moving member also moves at the same time, and enters between the uppermost pallet and the lower pallet of the pallet group supported on the first pallet supporting member,
The upper pallet can be supported (FIG. 39). Thereafter, the first pallet supporting member is lowered, and the pallet group supported by the first pallet supporting member is stacked on an empty pallet from above. Also, at this time, the first receiving member is raised, and the workpiece to be supported by the second workpiece supporting member is temporarily lifted (FIG. 40). After the pallet group supported by the first pallet support member is stacked on an empty pallet, the first pallet support member is disposed at the retracted position (FIG. 40). The first pallet supporting member thus arranged at the retracted position is further lowered to a position below the empty pallet, whereupon the first pallet supporting member is arranged again at a position capable of supporting the pallet (FIG. 41). Thereafter, the first pallet supporting member is raised, whereby the previously empty pallet is lifted together with the pallets thereon, and the empty pallet is supported on the first receiving member during the lifting. The object to be processed is lifted (FIG. 33). Thus, the first workpiece support member below the first pallet support member is again placed in the empty state for receiving the article as before (see FIG. 3).
3). In this way, the article support pallet is circulated in the heat treatment tank, and the unprocessed objects are sequentially loaded into the first object support member disposed at the position facing the article carry-in port, while the articles are unloaded. The processed objects are sequentially unloaded from a second object support member that is disposed at a position facing the carry-out port and supports the processed object.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1 to 27 show an embodiment of the present invention.
To FIG. 41 show another embodiment of the present invention. First one
An example article heat treatment apparatus will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view as viewed from the front, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of a portion for carrying in and out an object to be processed and circulating an article supporting pallet in a heat treatment tank. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one pallet support member 3A (30A), and FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the entire apparatus viewed from the side, with some parts omitted. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the drive units 3a and 30a of the pallet support members 3A and 30A. FIG. 6 shows the drive units 8a of the first and second receiving members 8A and 80A. The left side view, (B) figure is a front view,
(C) is a right side view. FIG. 7 shows the article supporting pallet 2
8, FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of a state in which the pallets are stacked, FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the ventilation baffle member 20, and FIG. 10 is a schematic side view when the pallet 2 and the ventilation baffle member 20 are alternately stacked. . 11 to 27 are diagrams illustrating the operation of the device.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, this article heat treatment apparatus includes a heat treatment tank 1A surrounded by a heat insulating wall, and the front opening thereof can be opened and closed by a heat insulating door 109 as shown in FIG. An article processing space 101 and an air conditioning unit 102 adjacent thereto are provided in the heat treatment tank 1A, and both of them are a high dust collection performance filter 104 called a hepa filter behind the article processing space 101 and a filter of the filter. It is separated from each other by an upper partition plate 105 that is continuous from the upper end to the door side. In the air conditioner 102, a pair of heaters 106 is disposed above the partition plate 105, and an air circulation fan 107 is disposed behind the pair of heaters 106, respectively. Each fan 107 is rotationally driven by a motor M provided on the ceiling wall of the heat treatment tank 1A. Both motors M are surrounded by a box 108 and connected to a dust collector (not shown) so that dust from the motors is quickly eliminated.

The heat treatment tank 1A has an article carry-in port 11 on one side wall at the lower part, and an article carry-out port 12 on the other side wall at a position facing the carry-in port 11. In the space inside the heat treatment tank 1A, the article supporting pallets 2 are stacked in the space near the article entrance 11, and the same pallets 2 are also stacked in the space near the exit 12.

As shown in FIG. 7, each pallet 2 is provided with a rectangular frame 21 made of a plate, and the frame is provided at each of its four corners in a direction orthogonal to the loading / unloading direction X of the pallet. And a protruding portion 211 protruding from the main body. Each projection 211 has a small hole 211a. Frame 21
Has a rectangular hollow portion 22 penetrating vertically at the center thereof, and the hollow portion 22 is formed in a size that allows the workpiece S to be inserted and removed from above. Further, on each inner edge of the frame body 21 facing the hollow portion 22, an object support portion 23 having a downwardly inclined surface 231 which can support the lower peripheral edge of the object S from below in a line contact state is integrally formed. is there. The support part 23
Is disposed at a position slightly lower than the above-mentioned protrusion 211. The size and position of the support 23 are determined so that the article S is supported in a state where the four corners S1 of the object S supported by the support 23 are opened from the support 23.

Further, columns 24 are provided on the frame 21 in the vicinity of the projections 211. Each pillar 24 has an upper end 241 projecting upwardly from the upper surface of the frame body 21 in a mountain shape, and the remaining portion extends downward from the lower surface of the frame body 21. A concave portion 242 into which the chevron projection 241 of the support is fitted is formed.

In FIG. 7, a portion 25 protruding upward from the outer edge of the frame 21 is a reinforcing portion formed integrally with the frame 21. A first pallet supporting member 3A, a first pallet elevating member 4A, and a first receiving member 8A are provided for pallets stacked in a space near the article entrance 11 of the heat treatment tank 1A.

Four first pallet support members 3A are provided corresponding to the four columns 24 of the pallet shown in FIG. 7, and each support member 3A is a horizontal member. Each member 3A is connected to the upper end of a rod 31 extending in the vertical direction.
3a provided at the bottom and the plate-like member 2 at a fixed position below the bottom wall
00, and extends a little further to the lower part.
It is connected to.

The drive unit 30 includes an arm link 32 connected to the lower end of each member 3A, and a motor 3 fixed at a fixed position.
4 includes a motor link 33 connected to the rotation shaft 4, a rod link 35 connecting the motor link 33 and the arm link 32 adjacent thereto, and a rod link 36 connecting the adjacent arm links 32 to each other. In FIG. 5, when the motor link 33 is driven in the counterclockwise direction CCW by the motor 34, each support member 3A is turned to the position P1 where the pallet is supported, and the motor link 33 is turned in the opposite direction by driving the motor. Thereby, each pallet support member 3A is retracted as shown in FIG. 5 (retreat position R1 shown in FIG. 3).
See also).

As shown in FIG. 3, each pallet supporting member 3A is provided with a recess forming portion 301 at the tip thereof. When the member 3A is disposed at the pallet supporting position, the recess forming portion 301 is formed. The pallet 2 can be supported by contacting the lower surface of the pallet frame 21 while being fitted to the support column 24 of the pallet 2. The first pallet lifting member 4A is
The pallet shown in FIG. 7 is composed of a vertical rod having a mountain-shaped projection (not shown) which can be fitted into the bottom recess 242 of the support 24 of the pallet. The four members 4A are provided corresponding to the four supports 24 of the pallet 2. . Each member 4A is connected to its drive section 40. That is, each member 4A
Bottom wall 110 of heat treatment tank 1A and plate-like member 2 below the bottom wall
00 also extends below. Each member 4A
Is a bearing 4 extending from the bottom wall 110 of the heat treatment tank to the plate member 200.
1 and can be moved up and down. Thus, the lower end of each member 4A protruding below the plate-like member 200 is connected to one horizontal member 42.
Can be moved up and down in the heat treatment tank 1A by the rotation of the screw rod 44 screwed into the female screw member 43 provided on this. Screw rod 44
Is a plate-like member 200 and a lower plate-like member 2 laid thereover.
The plate-like member 201 is rotatably supported by a motor 45 and is driven to rotate forward or reverse. These motors 45 and the like constitute the drive unit 40 of the member 4A, and each member 4A moves up and down by forward or reverse rotation of the motor 45.

The first receiving member 8A is for supporting the object to be processed S from below, and is formed of a vertical rod, and is provided four in number. As shown in FIG. 2, these members are arranged in four corners of a quadrangle when viewed from a plane. Each member 8A can be moved up and down by a bearing 81 provided on the bottom wall 110 of the heat treatment tank 101. The driving section 80 of this member will be described later.

On the other hand, corresponding to the pallets 2 stacked in the space near the article outlet 12 in the heat treatment tank 1A,
Second pallet support member 30A, second pallet lifting member 4
0A and a second receiving member 80A are provided. The second pallet support member 30A is made of a horizontal member similarly to the first pallet support member 3A (see also FIG. 3).
Four pallets 2 are provided corresponding to the four columns 24. Each member 30A is supported by a rod 31 extending in the vertical direction similarly to the first member 3A.
The drive unit 30a has the same configuration except that it is symmetrical with respect to the drive unit 30 that drives the member 3A to rotate. The drive unit 30a is reciprocated and arranged at a position P1 that supports the pallet or a position R1 that is retracted from the pallet. 5 and FIG. 3).

The second pallet lifting member 40A is connected to the first pallet lifting member 40A.
It consists of a vertical rod like the pallet lifting member 4A,
Four pallets are provided corresponding to the four columns 24. These members 40A are driven up and down in the heat treatment tank by a driving unit 40a having the same configuration as the driving unit 40 of the first member 4A. The second receiving member 80A is provided for supporting the workpiece S from below, and is provided in four pieces, each of which is provided on the bottom wall 110 of the heat treatment tank 1A as in the case of the first receiving member 8A. The bearing 81 can be moved up and down freely.

The first receiving member 8A and the second receiving member 80A described above are driven up and down in the heat treatment tank by a driving unit 80 common to them. As shown in FIG.
Of the members 8A and 80A, the members on the heat treatment tank door side have their lower ends connected to a horizontal member 82 extending in the carry-in / carry-out direction X of the object to be processed, and the members 8A and
80A is connected to a horizontal member 83 paired with the horizontal member 82. The driving unit 80 raises and lowers the horizontal member 82 by a pair of left and right reciprocating slider crank mechanisms 84 on the heat treatment tank door side that are driven forward and reverse by the motor 8M, and at the same time, the left and right sides on the rear side that are linked to the mechanism. The horizontal member 83 is moved up and down by a pair of reciprocating slider crank mechanisms 85, whereby the members 8A and 80A are moved up and down at the same time.

The first and second pallet supporting members 3A, 30A, the first and second pallet lifting members 4 described above.
A, 40A, first and second receiving members 8A, 80A
2 and FIG. 4, the first and second pallet support members 3A and 30A are positioned on both outermost sides in a direction perpendicular to the loading / unloading direction X of the workpiece.
The first and second pallet elevating members 4A and 40A are arranged inside, and the first and second receiving members 8A and 80A are arranged further inside.

In addition to the above, the article entrance 1 of the heat treatment tank 1A
1. A pair of parallel horizontal beams 50 penetrating the article outlet 12 are provided, and a pair of parallel horizontal beams 60 having the same length as the beam 50 are provided inside these beams.
Is provided. The beams 50 and 60 located close to the door side of the heat treatment tank 1A are close to each other, and the first and second pallet support members 3A and 3A on the door side are located between these beams.
Each vertical rod 31 supporting 0A penetrates up and down. The back beams 50 and 60 are also close to each other, and the vertical rods 31 supporting the back first and second pallet support members 3A and 30A penetrate vertically between the beams. ing.

The first and second pallet lifting members 4A, 4A
OA and the first and second receiving members 8A, 80A are arranged between the inner beams 60,60. The four beams 50 and 60 described above are reciprocally driven by the driving unit D. The driving unit D is configured as follows. That is, the end on the side of the article entrance 11 and the end on the side of the article exit 12 are connected to each other by a horizontal member 70 extending in a direction perpendicular to these beams. The lower ends of the leg members 701 extending downwardly each time can reciprocate in the article loading / unloading direction along a pair of rails (rails extending in the article loading / unloading direction) 702 provided on the upper surface of the plate-shaped member 200. . Then, a pair of leg members 70 located at a position near the article carry-in entrance 11.
A horizontal member 703 is fixed to a lower end of the second member 2, a female screw member 704 is fixed to a central portion of the horizontal member 703, and a screw rod 705 is screwed to the female screw member. Also, this screw rod 705
Is rotatably supported by a bearing member 706 provided on the plate member 200. The screw rod 705 is driven to rotate forward and backward by a motor 707 provided on the plate member 200 via a transmission 708. Therefore, by rotating the motor 707 forward or backward, the four beams 50 and 60 can be reciprocated simultaneously.

Of these beams, a pair of inner beams 6
0, two carry-in members 7A are erected. The carry-in member 7A in one beam 60 and the carry-in member 7A in the other beam 60 face each other. Each beam 60 is provided with two auxiliary carry-in members 7Aa standing on the beam end side with respect to the carry-in member 7A. These auxiliary carrying members 7Aa face each other in one beam and the other beam. Each of the pair of beams 60 has a carry-out member 7 at an end opposite to the side on which the carry-in member 7A is provided.
0A are set up two by two.
Face each other in the two beams 60.
Further, two auxiliary discharge members 70Aa are provided for each beam on the beam end side further than the discharge members 70A, and these auxiliary discharge members also have beams 60, 60.
Facing each other in between.

In this example, the distance between the set of four carry-in members 7A and the set of four auxiliary carry-in members 7Aa is the distance between the set of four carry-out members 70A and the set of four auxiliary carry-out members 70Aa. Is equal to Further, each of the pair of beams 60 is provided with two lower lateral moving members 6A between the carry-in member 7A and the carry-out member 70A. Between the two beams 60, 60A, these lateral moving members 6A face each other. These lateral moving members 6A are
The pallet shown in FIG. 7 has an upper surface protrusion (not shown) that can be fitted into the small hole 211a of the protrusion 211 of the frame body. Are projected from the beam 60 inward so as to be supported from below. Further, above each lower lateral moving member 6A, there is disposed an upper lateral moving member 5A having the same amount of inward projection, and these upper lateral moving members 5A are provided on the pillars 500 erected on the outer beam 50. It is supported horizontally at the upper end. Each member 5A also has a small hole 21 in the projecting portion 211 of the frame in the pallet shown in FIG.
An upper surface protrusion (not shown) that can be fitted into the small hole 1a is provided, and the protrusion (not shown) can be fitted into the small hole 211a to support the protrusion 211 from below.

As described above, the carry-in member 7A and the carry-out member 7
The intervals in the article carry-in / out direction of the upper side moving member 5A and the lower side moving member 6A correspond to a vertical pallet group in which the carrying-in member 7A is arranged in a space near the article carrying-in port 11 in the heat treatment tank 1A. The vertical pallet in which the carry-in member 70A is outside the article carry-out port 12 and the upper and lower lateral moving members 5A and 6A are both disposed in the space near the carry-out port 12 in the heat treatment tank 1A The discharge member 70A is located at a position corresponding to the group, and the discharge member 70A is disposed at the discharge port 12 in the heat treatment tank 1A.
When placed at a position corresponding to the vertical pallet group in a space close to, the carry-in member 7A is arranged outside the carry-in port 11A, and the upper and lower lateral moving members 5A and 6A are arranged.
A is set so as to be arranged at a position corresponding to the vertical pallet group in the space near the entrance 11.

An article loading member 9 composed of four rods each extending vertically is provided outside the article entrance 11.
A, two sets of A are provided one after the other in the article loading / unloading direction, and these article mounting members 9A are driving units 8 for vertically driving the first and second receiving members 8A, 80A.
The upper end can be moved up and down between a position higher than or lower than the article support surface of the carry-in member 7A and the auxiliary carry-in member 7Aa. As shown in FIG. 2, these mounting members 9A are arranged further inside than the carry-in member and the auxiliary carry-in member.

On the other hand, on the outer side of the article exit 12, there is provided a removing member 90 A composed of four vertically extending rods.
Are provided one after the other in the article carrying-in / out direction, and these removing members are also driven by a driving unit 90 similar to the driving unit 80 of the first and second receiving members 8A and 80A described above.
It is raised and lowered by 0. At this time, the removing member 90A
Can reciprocate up and down between a position higher than or lower than the article support surface of the discharge member and the auxiliary discharge member. These removal members 90A are disposed further inside than the carry-out member and the auxiliary carry-out member.

The above two sets of article mounting members 9A, 9A
When the carry-in member 7A and the auxiliary carry-in member 7Aa are both arranged outside the article carry-in port 11, they take positions corresponding to them, and when the carry-in member 7A enters the heat treatment tank 1A, the carry-in member 7A The position is set such that the closer mounting member 9A takes a position corresponding to the auxiliary carry-in member 7Aa left outside the carry-in entrance 11.

Further, the two sets of removing members 90A, 90A correspond to the carrying-out member 70A and the auxiliary carrying-out member 70Aa when both are disposed outside the article carrying-out port 12, and the carrying-out member 70A When the auxiliary unloading member 70Aa is left outside the unloading port 12 in the heat treatment tank 1A, the removing member 9 near the unloading port 12 is removed.
The position is set so that 0A corresponds to this auxiliary carrying member.

Further, a preheating device P for preheating an object to be processed before being carried into the heat treatment tank 1A is provided at the article carry-in port 11.
H is continuously provided, and the article outlet 12 is connected to a slow cooling device AC for gradually cooling the workpiece carried out of the heat treatment tank 1A. Preheating device PH and slow cooling device A
The structure of C is not particularly limited as long as it does not prevent the loading and unloading of the object.

The pallet support members 3A, 3A
0A drive units 30, 30a, pallet lifting members 4A, 4A
0A drive units 40 and 40a, receiving members 8A and 80A
Drive unit 80, reciprocating drive unit D for horizontal beams 50 and 60,
Driving units such as the driving unit 90 of the article mounting member 9A and the driving unit 900 of the removing member 90A are not limited to those described above, and it is needless to say that a piston cylinder device or other means may be used. is there.

Next, the operation of the apparatus according to the first embodiment described above will be described with reference to FIGS.
As an example, a case where a coating film is formed on the upper surface of a glass substrate of a liquid crystal display device and subjected to a heating and drying process will be described.
During the heat treatment, the heater 10 was placed in the heat treatment tank 1A.
6 and the operation of the fan 107, the article processing space 101
Hot air of a predetermined temperature is supplied from the filter 104 to the
Blown out toward the 9 side, it is circulating in the air conditioning unit 102 again.
This air flow is indicated by Ai in FIGS. [Steps in FIG. 11] In this state, the pallets 2 supporting the glass substrates S are stacked on the pallet lifting member 4A, and the pallets 2 supporting the glass substrates S are also stacked on the pallet lifting member 40A. Pallet support member 3A,
30A are both located further below the lowermost pallet of the vertical pallet group and are located at the retracted position. The upper lateral moving member 5A is disposed between the uppermost pallet of the left pallet group and the pallet thereunder. The carry-in member 7A enters the heat treatment tank and is disposed below the right pallet group, while the carry-out member 70A is placed outside the treatment tank. The article mounting member 9A rises to support the two glass substrates S before processing. The removing member 90A also rises to support the glass substrate S after the heat treatment above the carry-in member 70A. The receiving members 8A and 80A are both lowered. [Steps in FIG. 12] The beams 50 and 60 slightly move rightward in the figure, and the upper lateral moving member 5A is disposed between the left and right protrusions 211 (see FIG. 7) on the left uppermost pallet. It is placed between two pallet groups, thus allowing the left pallet group to descend. From this state, the pallet lifting member 40A descends, and the pallet support member 30A is located between the lowermost pallet and the pallet thereabove. [Step in FIG. 13] The pallet support member 30A rotates to the pallet support position. At this time, the receiving members 8A and 80A are raised. [Step in FIG. 14] The pallet lifting member 40A is lowered to separate the lowermost pallet 2 of the left pallet group from the pallets above it. At this time, the glass substrate S supported by the pallet 2 is supported by the receiving member 80A. [Steps in FIG. 15] The beams 50 and 60 move rightward in the figure, and the carry-in member 7A
Is located below the glass substrate S before processing waiting outside the entrance. At the same time, the carrying-out member 70A is
It is arranged below the glass substrate S supported at 0A. Further, the auxiliary carry-out member 70Aa is disposed below the processed glass substrate S supported by the removing member 90A. [Step in FIG. 16] The receiving member 80A descends, whereby the glass substrate S is placed on the carrying-out member 70A. At the same time, the removing member 90A descends, and the processed glass substrate S supported by the removing member 90A is placed on the auxiliary carrying-out member 70Aa. [Steps in FIG. 17] The beams 50 and 60 move leftward in the figure, and the processed glass substrate S that has been in the heat treatment tank until now is carried out of the tank. In addition, as the beams 50 and 60 move to the left, the lower lateral moving member 6A moves to a position where the left pallet 2 can support the empty pallet 2 on the left. [Steps in FIG. 18] The pallet lifting member 40A is lowered, whereby the empty pallet 2 is placed on the lower lateral moving member 6A. Also, the removing member 90A rises to support the processed glass substrate S on the carrying-out members 70A, 70Aa. [Step in FIG. 19] The beam moves rightward in the figure, the empty pallet 2 is arranged below the right pallet group, and the carry-in member 7A is arranged below the glass substrate S waiting outside the article entrance. Is done. [Step in FIG. 20] The pallet lifting member 4A rises and lifts the empty pallet 2 supported by the lower lateral moving member 6A. In addition, the article placing member 9A descends, thereby causing the carrying member 7 to move downward.
A glass substrate S is placed on A. [Step in FIG. 21] The beam moves leftward in the figure, and the carry-in member 7A enters the heat treatment tank while supporting the glass substrate S. [Step in FIG. 22] The receiving member 8A rises, and lifts the glass substrate S supported by the carry-in member 7A. [Steps in FIG. 23] The beam moves to the right again in the figure, the carry-in member 7A is moved out of the tank, and the upper lateral moving member 5A is moved to the uppermost pallet 2 of the right vertical pallet group and the pallet thereunder. And placed between. [Step in FIG. 24] The pallet lifting member 4A is raised and the receiving member 8A is lowered, so that the pallet which has been empty is raised, whereby the glass substrate S which has been supported by the receiving member 8A is moved to it. In support, the pallets are stacked from above on a group of pallets above it and lifted slightly further. On the other hand, also in the left pallet group, the pallet elevating member 40A rises to support the left pallet group. Thus, the left and right pallet groups are pallet lifting members 4
A, a pallet support member 3A supported by 40A,
30A is pivoted to the retracted position. [Step in FIG. 25] The pallet lifting member 4A descends, whereby the uppermost pallet 2 is placed on the upper lateral moving member 5A. The left pallet elevating member 40A also moves down to form a space above the pallet group supported by the pallet at the uppermost stage on the right. [Step in FIG. 26] The beam moves to the left in the figure, and the pallet 2 supported by the upper lateral moving member 5A is located above the left pallet group. [Steps in FIG. 27] The left pallet elevating member 40A is raised, and the pallet group below the pallet 2 supported by the upper lateral moving member 5A is lifted up from below. In addition, the pallet lifting member 4A also rises to reach the initial state shown in FIG. On the other hand, outside the heat treatment tank, a new glass substrate S is placed on the vacant article placing member 9A by a transport means (not shown). On the other hand, the removing member 9 is provided above the auxiliary carrying member 70Aa.
The processed glass substrate S supported by OA is carried out by a carrying means (not shown).

By repeating the above operations, the loading and unloading of the glass substrate and the circulating movement of the pallet and the glass substrate in the heat treatment tank are repeated, and the glass substrate is heated and dried. Next, an article heat treatment apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 28 is a schematic sectional view of the article heat treatment apparatus as viewed from the front side, and FIG. 29 is a section for carrying articles in and out of the apparatus and an article support pallet and an article for circulating and moving an object to be processed in the heat treatment tank. It is a figure which shows a part seen from a plane. FIG. 30 is a perspective view of a pallet support member and a workpiece support member interlocked with the pallet support member. FIG. 31 is a view in which a cross section of the apparatus shown in FIG.
FIG. 32 is an explanatory diagram of an example in which the article carrying member and the auxiliary carrying member are linked with the article carrying member and the auxiliary carrying member. 33 to 41 are explanatory diagrams of the operation of this device.

This apparatus has a structure similar to the article heat treatment apparatus shown in FIGS. This apparatus is a heat treatment tank 1A, an article support pallet 2, an upper lateral moving member 5A, a lower lateral moving member 6A, a loading member 7 in the apparatus shown in FIG.
A, auxiliary carry-in member 7Aa, carry-out member 70A, auxiliary carry-out member 70Aa, members 5A, 6A, 7A, 7Aa, 70A,
Beams 50 and 60 carrying 70Aa, beam driving unit D, receiving members 8A and 80A, driving unit 80 for members 8A and 80A, member 9A for placing articles, and driving unit 9 for member 9A.
0, corresponding to the removing member 90A, the driving section 900 of the member 90A, the preheating device PH, and the annealing device AC, respectively, except that the size, shape, operating distance, and the like may be slightly different, and the heat treatment has substantially the same structure. Tank 1B, article support pallet 2, upper side moving member 5B, lower side moving member 6B, loading member 7B,
Auxiliary carry-in member 7Bb, carry-out member 70B, auxiliary carry-out member 7
0Bb, members 5B, 6B, 7B, 7Bb, 70B, 70
Beams 50 and 60 on which Bb is mounted, beam driving unit D, receiving members 8B and 80B, and driving units 8 of members 8B and 80B
0, article placing member 9B, driving section 90 of member 9B, removing member 90B, driving section 900 of member 90B, preheating device P
H, equipped with a slow cooling device AC.

The member 7B mounted on the beam 60,
7Bb, 70B, and 70Bb are bent and rise to avoid collision with other members (see FIG. 31). Also,
The article entrance 13 and the article exit 14 of the heat treatment tank 1B are shown in FIG.
The heat treatment tank 1A shown in FIG. Therefore, in this apparatus, the article carry-in / out direction is the Y direction shown in the drawings after FIG. Further, in this embodiment, the carry-in member / auxiliary carry-in member, the carry-out member / auxiliary carry-out member are simultaneously raised and simultaneously lowered. Therefore, the carrying-in member, the carrying-out member, etc.
As shown in FIG. 2, a single drive mechanism 7D may be configured to move up and down in conjunction with each other.

This apparatus is greatly different from the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 in that the pallet supporting members 3A, 3A which rotate at a fixed position to take a pallet supporting position or a retracted position in the apparatus shown in FIG.
Instead of OA, pallet support members 3B and 30B that can be raised and lowered and can rotate between a pallet support position and a retreat position are employed, and the workpiece support members 4B and 40B that move up and down and rotate in conjunction with the members. This is the point adopted.

Also in this apparatus, the pallets 2 shown in FIG. 7 are vertically stacked in the space near the article carry-in port 13 in the heat treatment tank 1B, and the pallets 2 are also stacked in the space near the article carry-out port 14. Can be A first pallet support member 3B and a first workpiece support member 4B are provided for the vertical pallet group near the carry-in port 13, and a second pallet group is provided for the vertical pallet group near the carry-out port 14. Pallet support member 30B and second workpiece support member 40
B is provided.

The pallet supporting members 3B and 30B are provided four by four in correspondence with the four columns 24 of the pallet 2, respectively. As shown in FIG. 30, each of the members 3B and 30B is made of a horizontal member, and has a concave portion 3
01, the rear end of which is connected to the upper end of the longitudinal rod 38,
Supported. The support member 3B is integrally provided with a first workpiece support member 4B having a workpiece support surface at a position slightly lower than the pallet support upper surface, and at an angle of about 90 ° with respect to the support member 3B. Is formed. Similarly, a second workpiece support member 40B is provided for the support member 30B. Each support rod 38 penetrates vertically between the beams 50 and 60 as shown in FIGS.

The rod 38 supporting the pallet support member 3B and the workpiece support member 4B is connected to the rotation drive unit 3D and to the elevation drive unit 4D. The rotation drive unit 3D is supported by the lifting drive unit 4D,
It is raised and lowered together with B and 4B. The rod 38 that supports the pallet support member 30B and the workpiece support member 40B is connected to the rotation drive unit 30D and to the elevation drive unit 40D. Rotation drive unit 30D
Are supported by the lifting drive unit 40D, and the members 30B, 40B
It is raised and lowered with. Rotating drive unit 3D, 30D
Is a pallet support member drive unit 30 in the apparatus of FIG.
Similar to 30a, a motor driven link mechanism is used, and the lifting drive units 4D and 40D use a screw mechanism driven by a motor similarly to the pallet lifting member drive units 40 and 40a in the apparatus of FIG. Is what you do.

The members 3B and 4B are moved up and down together with these driving units, and are rotated. Then, as shown in FIG. 30, the member 3B can support the lower surface of the pallet frame 21 by rotating the member 3B so that the recess forming portion 301 is fitted to the pallet support 24, or the member 4B is S
Can be set to a supporting position P1 at which the four corner portions S1 (see FIG. 7) can be supported, and a position R1 that retreats and does not collide with the pallet or the object to be processed can be set.
The same applies to the members 30B and 40B.

Next, the operation of the second embodiment described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 33 to 41. Further, a coating film is formed as an object to be processed S on the upper surface of a glass substrate of a liquid crystal display device. This will be described by taking as an example the case of performing a heat drying process. During the heat treatment, in the heat treatment tank 1B, the heater 106
And the operation of the fan 107, hot air of a predetermined temperature flows from the filter 104 to the door 109 over substantially the entire area of the article processing space 101.
Blown out toward the side, it is circulating in the air conditioning unit 102 again. [Steps in FIG. 33] In the heat treatment tank, the article supporting pallets 2 are stacked and supported on the pallet supporting members 3B, and the upper lateral moving member 5B supports the pallets 2 further above.
A plurality of pallets 2 are also stacked and supported on the right pallet support member 30B. Further receiving member 8
B, 80B are raised, and the right receiving member 80B
Supports the processed glass substrate S. A carry-out member 70B is arranged below the glass substrate.

Outside the heat treatment tank, the article mounting member 9B and the removing member 90B are both raised, and the two glass substrates S before processing are supported on the article mounting member 9B. One processed glass substrate S is supported by the removing member 90B. [Step in FIG. 34] The receiving members 8B and 80B are lowered, and the glass substrate S supported by the receiving member 80B is placed on the unloading member 70B. Further, the article mounting member 9B and the removing member 90B are both lowered, and the glass substrate S before processing is mounted on the carry-in member 7B and the auxiliary carry-in member 7Bb, respectively, and the auxiliary carry-out member 70B
The processed glass substrate S is placed on b. [Steps in FIG. 35] The beams 50 and 60 move rightward in the figure, and the glass substrate previously supported on the loading member 7B is loaded into the heat treatment tank, and the workpiece support member 4B
The pallet 2 supported by the upper lateral moving member 5B is also arranged above the right pallet group by being moved to the right side while being arranged above. Further, the carrying-out member 70
As B goes out of the tank, the processed glass substrate S supported by it is also carried out of the tank. [Step in FIG. 36] The pallet group on the left side is lifted by raising the pallet support member 3B and the workpiece support member 4B, and the workpiece support member 4
B lifts the glass substrate S from the loading member 7B. On the other hand, the right pallet support member 30B descends,
As a result, the right pallet group is moved to the lower horizontal moving member 6B.
The pallet support member 30B is then placed in the retracted position. Outside the article entrance, the article placing member 9B rises and lifts the glass substrate previously supported by the auxiliary carrying member 7Bb. Further, a new glass substrate S is placed on the empty article placing member 9B by means not shown. The removal member 90B also rises outside the article exit, and lifts the processed glass substrate S supported on the carry-out member 70B and the auxiliary carry-out member 70Bb. [Step in FIG. 37] The receiving member 80B rises, and lifts the processed glass substrate S on the lowermost pallet of the right pallet group. The processed glass substrate on the auxiliary carrying-out member 70Bb is carried out by means not shown. The pallet support member 30
B rises to a position between the lowermost pallet and the pallet thereabove and rotates to the pallet support position. [Step in FIG. 38] The support member 30B further rises, and the pallet group supported by the support member 30B is superimposed from below on the pallet supported by the upper upper lateral moving member 5B. Further, as the pallet support member 30B rises, the workpiece support member 40B also rises, and further, the receiving member 80B descends, whereby the workpiece support member 40B has been supported on the receiving member until then. Lift the glass substrate S. Then, the empty pallet 2 is left on the lower lateral moving member 6B. [Step in FIG. 39] The beam moves to the left in the figure, whereby the empty pallet 2 supported by the lower lateral moving member 6B is arranged at a position facing the entrance. At the same time, the upper horizontal moving member 5B moves to be positioned between the uppermost pallet and the pallet therebelow in the left pallet group. [Step in FIG. 40] The pallet support member 3B descends,
Thereby, the left pallet group is stacked on the empty pallet 2 on the lower horizontal moving member 6B. At this time, the uppermost pallet is supported by the upper horizontal moving member 5B. When the pallet support member 3B is lowered, the receiving member 8B
Rises to lift and support the glass substrate S supported by the workpiece support member 4B. In the right pallet group, the pallet support member 30B is lowered and the receiving member 80B is raised, so that the glass substrate S supported by the right workpiece support member 40B is lifted and supported by the receiving member 80B. . Furthermore, after the pallet group supported by the left pallet support member 3B is overlaid on an empty pallet, the left pallet support member 3B slightly descends and rotates to the retracted position. [Step S in FIG. 41] The pallet support member 4B further descends, reaches a position below the empty pallet 2, and rotates again to the pallet support position. Thus, the pallet supporting member 4B is raised again and the receiving member 8B is lowered, whereby the glass substrate S is supported on the pallet 2 which has been empty, and the state shown in FIG. 33 is obtained.

By repeating the above operations, the loading and unloading of the glass substrate and the circulating movement of the pallet and the glass substrate in the heat treatment tank are repeated, and the glass substrate is heated and dried. In any of the above-described first and second embodiments, the apparatus installation area can be reduced and the temperature turbulence in the heat treatment tank can be easily suppressed as compared with the conventional article heat treatment apparatus.
Even when the object to be processed is, for example, a plate-like body, a large amount of processing can be performed by effectively utilizing the inner volume of the heat treatment tank,
As a result, the running cost of the heat treatment apparatus can be reduced. In addition, a desired atmosphere such as a non-oxidizing atmosphere is easily created and maintained.

Further, since no easily transportable means such as a roller conveyor or a belt conveyor is used for loading and unloading the object to be processed, the generation of dust in the heat treatment tank is suppressed. By being arranged outside the heat treatment tank, the generation of dust in the tank is further reduced, which is suitable for the treatment of an object which dislikes dust. In the apparatus of the second embodiment, since the number of operation steps of each part is smaller than that of the apparatus of the first embodiment, the time from the loading of the workpiece to the unloading can be reduced as compared with the apparatus of the first embodiment. it can.

In each of the first and second embodiments described above, the article supporting pallets 2 are stacked and circulated adjacent to each other in the heat treatment tanks 1A and 1B.
The ventilation baffle members 20 as shown in FIG. 9 may be alternately stacked on the pallet 2. The ventilation baffle member 20 shown in FIG. 9 includes a frame 21 and a support post 24 having the same structure as the pallet support member shown in FIG. The difference from the pallet shown in FIG.
Instead, the side plate 26 along the air flow Ai direction is
The horizontal plate 28 extends to the lower end of the side plate 26 and further includes a ventilation baffle plate 27 that slightly hangs from the front and rear edges of the horizontal plate body 28. By alternately stacking the members 20 on the pallet 2 as shown in FIG. 10, a space through which the processing gas passes is formed in the lower space of the workpiece S supported by the pallet 2 above the member 20. On the other hand, on the upper surface of the processing object S on the pallet 2 disposed below the baffle member 20, the ventilation baffle plate 2
7 has the effect of suppressing the passage of gas by obstructing the passage. Therefore, for example, the object to be processed S is a glass substrate as described above, and a coating film is formed thereon, and when this is dried, the coating film is heated mainly from the lower surface side of the glass substrate. This is advantageous because a good quality dried film without bubbles remains in the final coating film. The ventilation baffle member 20 is circulated in the heat treatment tank similarly to the pallet 2.
Regarding the above, when this is disposed at the article carry-in port or the article carry-out port, the operation of a member that may collide with the article may be stopped or moved to a position where no collision occurs. Alternatively, it is conceivable to provide a recess, a notch or the like for avoiding collision in advance in the ventilation obstruction member.

[0055]

As described above, according to the article heat treatment apparatus of the present invention, as compared with the conventional article heat treatment apparatus, the installation area of the apparatus can be reduced, the temperature turbulence in the heat treatment tank can be easily suppressed, and the object to be treated is, for example, a plate. Even in the case of a shape-like body, a large amount of treatment can be performed by effectively utilizing the internal volume of the heat treatment tank, and the running cost of the heat treatment apparatus can be reduced accordingly. Further, dust generation in the heat treatment tank can be suppressed.

In the apparatus according to the third aspect, there is an additional advantage that the heat treatment can be efficiently performed by shortening the time from carrying in to carrying out the object to be treated. In any case, by arranging the driving unit outside the heat treatment tank, dust generation in the tank can be more reliably suppressed. Further, when a preheating device is connected to the article entrance, the object can be preheated by using the standby time before the loading. When the slow cooling device is connected to the article outlet, the workpiece can be gradually cooled by utilizing the standby time until the workpiece is further transported to another device, means, place, or the like.

When the article supporting pallet and the ventilation baffle member are alternately stacked and circulated, the heat treatment can be performed mainly on the object to be heat-treated from the lower surface side.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the front.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an apparatus of FIG.
It is a top view of the part for circulating an article support pallet in a heat treatment tank.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one pallet support member.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a driving unit of first and second pallet support members.

6 (A) is a left side view, FIG. 6 (B) is a front view, and FIG. 6 (A) shows a drive section of the first and second receiving members.
(C) is a right side view.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an article supporting pallet.

FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of a state where pallets are stacked.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a ventilation obstruction member.

FIG. 10 is a schematic side view when a pallet and a ventilation obstruction member are alternately stacked.

FIG. 11 is a diagram explaining a part of the operation of the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a further part of the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a further part of the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a further part of the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a further part of the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a further part of the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a further part of the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating a further part of the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating a further part of the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating still another portion of the operation of the apparatus illustrated in FIG.

FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating still another portion of the operation of the apparatus illustrated in FIG.

FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating still another portion of the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 23 is a diagram illustrating a further part of the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating a further part of the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating still another portion of the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG.

26 is a diagram illustrating still another portion of the operation of the apparatus illustrated in FIG.

FIG. 27 is a diagram illustrating a further part of the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 28 is a schematic sectional view seen from the front of another embodiment of the present invention.

29 is a plan view of a part of the apparatus of FIG. 28 for loading and unloading an object to be processed and circulating an article supporting pallet in a heat treatment tank.

FIG. 30 is a perspective view of one pallet support member and a workpiece support member integrated therewith.

FIG. 31 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 28, as viewed from the side, with some parts omitted;

FIG. 32 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of an interlocking mechanism of a carry-in member, an auxiliary carry-in member, a carry-out member, and an auxiliary carry-out member.

FIG. 33 is a diagram illustrating a part of the operation of the device illustrated in FIG. 28.

FIG. 34 is a diagram illustrating still another portion of the operation of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 28.

FIG. 35 is a diagram illustrating still another portion of the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 28.

36 is a diagram illustrating still another portion of the operation of the device illustrated in FIG. 28.

FIG. 37 is a diagram illustrating still another portion of the operation of the device illustrated in FIG. 28.

FIG. 38 is a diagram illustrating still another portion of the operation of the device illustrated in FIG. 28.

FIG. 39 is a view illustrating still another portion of the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 28.

40 is a diagram illustrating still another part of the operation of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 28.

FIG. 41 is a diagram illustrating still another portion of the operation of the device illustrated in FIG. 28.

42 (A) and 42 (B) schematically show a conventional example, FIG. 42 (A) shows one example, FIG. 42 (B) shows another example, and FIG. 42 (C) shows still another example.

FIG. 43 is a perspective view showing still another conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

1A Heat treatment tank 11 Article entrance 12
Article exit 2 Article support pallet 21 Pallet frame 21
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Projection part 211a Small hole 22 Hollow part 23 Workpiece support part 231 Downslope surface of support part 24 Prop 241 Angle projection 24
2 Support column bottom recess 20 Vent baffle member 26 Side plate 27
Baffle plate 3A First pallet support member 30 Drive unit of member 3A 30A Second pallet support member 30a Member 30
A drive unit 4A First pallet elevating member 40 Member 4A driving unit 40A Second pallet elevating member 40a Member 40
A driving unit 5A Upper lateral moving member 6A Lower lateral moving member 7A Import member 7Aa Auxiliary import member 70A Unload member 70Aa Auxiliary unload member 50, 60 Horizontal beam D beam drive unit 8A penetrating heat treatment tank 1A First beam Receiving member 80A Second receiving member 80 Driving portion 9A of member 8A, 80A 9A Article mounting member 90 Driving portion 90A of member 9A Removal member 900 Member 90
A drive unit PH preheating device AC cooling device 3B first pallet support member 30B second pallet support member 4B first workpiece support member 40B second workpiece support member 3D Rotation of members 3B and 4B Dynamic drive unit 4D member 3B,
4B lifting drive unit 30D Rotating drive unit for members 30B, 40B 40D lifting drive unit for members 30B, 40B 5B Upper horizontal moving member 6B Lower horizontal moving member 7B Loading member 7Bb Auxiliary loading member 70B Unloading member 70Bb Auxiliary discharging Member 7D Lifting and lowering drive unit of members 7B, 7Bb, 70B, 70Bb 8B First receiving member 80B Second receiving member 9B Article placing member 90B Removing member S Workpiece

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI G01R 31/28 G01R 31/30 31/30 H01L 21/324 D H01L 21/324 21/66 H 21/66 G01R 31/28 H (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) F27B 9/00-9/40 F27D 3/12 B65G 1/127 B65G 47/52 G01R 31/26-31/28 H01L 21/324 H01L 21 / 66

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A heat treatment tank having an article carry-in port on one side and an article carry-out port on the other side; a plurality of article support pallets that can be stacked while supporting an object to be processed; First and second pallets that can take a pallet support position for supporting the pallets in a stacked state at a fixed position in each of the spaces in the heat treatment tank facing the carry-out port or a retreat position retracted therefrom. A support member, and raises an empty pallet arranged at a position facing the article carry-in port and scoops up the object to be processed. Above that, the pallet group supported by the first pallet support member moves from below to the pallet group. A first pallet elevating member that can be stacked and that can also support and raise and lower the vertical pallet group by itself instead of being supported by the first pallet supporting member; An upper lateral moving member for laterally moving the upper pallet of the group of vertical pallets supported by the pallet lifting member from a position facing the article carrying-out port; and a vertical pallet instead of being supported by the second pallet supporting member. A second pallet elevating member capable of supporting the pallet group and elevating the pallet, and receiving the pallet sent by the upper horizontal moving member on the pallet group below the pallet; A second pallet elevating member capable of lowering a lower pallet of the group to a position facing the article outlet while the pallet group above it is supported by the second pallet support member; A horizontal moving member for moving the empty pallet from which the object to be processed has been removed by being lowered to a position facing the carry-out port to a position facing the article carry-in port; A lower lateral moving member that moves in conjunction with the lateral moving member in the same direction; and an empty pallet facing the article carry-in port and lifted and supported from the lower lateral moving member by the first pallet elevating member. A loading member for loading the workpiece from the article loading port upward, a loading member for moving in and out of the heat treatment tank in conjunction with the lateral moving member in the same direction, and a workpiece loaded by the loading member. A first receiving member that is temporarily received by the ascending operation, descends after the carry-in member moves out and retreats, and is supported by the empty pallet, and a pallet that is lowered to a position facing the article carry-out port, A second receiving member that temporarily receives an object to be processed by an ascending operation, and that moves up and down in conjunction with the first receiving member; and a process that is supported by the second receiving member and lowered. An unloading member that receives an object and unloads the article from the article unloading port; an unloading member that moves in and out of the heat treatment tank in conjunction with the unloading member in the same direction; A lifting / lowering article mounting member to be mounted on the loading member; and a lifting / lowering removing member that lifts a workpiece carried out by the carrying-out member by a lifting operation outside the heat treatment tank. An article heat treatment apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. 2. The article supporting pallet has projecting portions at four corners thereof, each projecting in a lateral direction with respect to the loading / unloading direction of the pallet so that the upper and lower lateral moving members can be supported from below. A frame body having a hollow portion vertically penetrating so that the object to be processed can be fitted and detached from above in the central portion,
The workpiece support portion, which is provided on an inner edge facing the hollow portion of the frame and has a downwardly inclined surface that can support the peripheral edge of the workpiece in line contact or substantially line contact from below, and The article heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a support provided at a position near the protruding portion for stacking the pallets at regular intervals. 3. A heat treatment tank having an article carry-in port on one side and an article carry-out port on the other side; a plurality of stackable article support pallets supporting an object to be processed; and facing the article carry-in port. A pallet supporting position for supporting the pallets in a stacked state in a plurality of stages in the space in the heat treatment tank or a retracted position retracted therefrom can be taken, and the vertical pallet group can be vertically moved in the retracted position. A first pallet support member that is operable in the direction and that can lower and stack pallet groups above it on an empty pallet arranged at a position facing the article carry-in port; It is provided slightly below the member and can take a position capable of supporting the workpiece in cooperation with the pallet support member or a position retracted therefrom, and can be moved up and down, A first workpiece support member capable of lifting a workpiece to be loaded after being placed at a position facing the article carry-in port, and an empty pallet placed at a location facing the article carry-in port; When the pallet group above the empty pallet is lowered by the first pallet supporting member, the workpiece supported by the first workpiece supporting member may be temporarily received by a lifting operation. A first receiving member capable of ascending and descending, and an upper lateral moving member for laterally moving from a vertical pallet group supported by the first pallet supporting member to a position facing the article outlet from an upper pallet; A pallet supporting position for supporting the pallets in a stacked state in a plurality of stages in a space in the heat treatment tank facing the article carrying-out port, or a retracted position retracted therefrom. The vertical pallet group can be vertically moved in the retracted position, and further, the lower pallet of the vertical pallet group is arranged at a position facing the article carry-out port. The upper pallet group can be raised,
A second pallet support member capable of receiving the pallet sent by the upper lateral moving member on a pallet group below the pallet, and lowering the workpiece to a position facing the article outlet. A lateral moving member for moving the empty pallet after being removed to a position facing the article carrying-in port, a lower lateral moving member that moves in conjunction with the upper lateral moving member in the same direction, and faces the article carrying-out port from Orosaru pallet to the position, the upward movement of a member that Ki out to receive an object to be processed temporarily, and a second receiving member in conjunction lifting said first receiving member, the second pallet support members It is provided slightly below and can take a position capable of supporting the object to be processed in cooperation with the pallet support member or a position retracted therefrom, and can be moved up and down. The object to be processed along with the descent of the let is supported on the second receiving member,
When the pallet group above it is raised by the second pallet support member, it can be raised together, and then, when the empty pallet is laterally moved to a position facing the article carry-in port, it descends and the second pallet descends. (2) a second workpiece support member that can be re-supported by the receiving member; and a process target from the article carry-in port above the first workpiece support member arranged at a position facing the article carry-in port. A loading member for loading and unloading an object, wherein the loading member moves in and out of the heat treatment tank in conjunction with the horizontal moving member in the same direction; and a workpiece to be re-supported by the second receiving member is placed under the second receiving member. By entering into the unloading member, which is received along with the descending operation of the member, and is unloaded from the article outlet, the unloading member cooperating with the loading member in the same direction, and the processing object outside the heat treatment tank. Lifting and lowering an article placing member to be placed on the carry-in member by lowering; and the article placing, wherein an article to be processed carried out by the carry-out member is lifted by an ascending operation outside the heat treatment tank. An article heat treatment apparatus comprising: a member for use; and a removing member that moves up and down simultaneously. 4. The article supporting pallet has projecting portions at four corners thereof in a direction transverse to the loading / unloading direction of the pallet so that the upper and lower lateral moving members can contact and support from below. A frame body having a hollow portion vertically penetrating the workpiece so that the workpiece can be fitted into and removed from the center, and an inner edge facing the hollow portion of the frame body, and the peripheral edge of the workpiece is line-contacted or substantially line-contacted. A workpiece support portion having a downwardly inclined surface that can be supported from below at a position slightly lower than the protruding portion, wherein the first and second workpiece support members are provided on a pallet. For supporting the object to be processed, which is provided with a space for entering a position for supporting the pallet, and pallets provided at positions in the vicinity of the protruding portions of the frame, with a constant spacing therebetween. With the support of The article heat treatment apparatus according to claim 3.