JP2998110B2 - Glass tube heating and conveying equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a heating and conveying apparatus for a glass tube with an exhaust pipe such as a fluorescent lamp. To a glass tube heating / transporting device which feeds horizontally into the inside and heats it to a desired temperature.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A glass tube preheating step provided between an enclosing step and an evacuation step in the manufacture of a fluorescent lamp requires a glass tube sent from the enclosing step in a heating furnace in a subsequent evacuation step. Heat to a temperature close to ° C. As a manufacturing method for performing each of these steps with high quality and high productivity, there is a manufacturing method in which a straight tube-shaped glass tube is horizontally held and transported. As a heating and conveying device in the glass tube preheating step of this manufacturing method, the glass tube was horizontally fed into the heating furnace by a chain conveyor circulating inside and outside the heating furnace, and was disposed below the glass tube conveying path in the heating furnace. A device for heating a glass tube by a direct fire of a pipe burner is known.

[0003]

However, such a heating and conveying apparatus as described above has a disadvantage in that the efficiency of heating the glass tube by the direct fire of the pipe burner is low and the amount of wasteful heat released outside the heating furnace is large. It is difficult to efficiently heat the tube to a predetermined temperature, and there has been a problem that fuel cost is increased and manufacturing cost is increased. When the type of glass tube is switched to a type having a different length, it is necessary to re-mount the chain conveyor so as to fit the entire length of the new type of glass tube. However, this operation requires many man-hours and is troublesome. There was also a problem that it took time to switch the glass tube type each time.

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and a horizontal glass tube with an exhaust pipe is always horizontally transported in a heating furnace in a good state, and the glass tube is efficiently heated in the heating furnace. Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a heating and conveying device capable of executing a type change of a glass tube in a short time.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus for horizontally feeding a straight glass tube having an exhaust pipe protruding coaxially from a sealed end into a heating furnace and heating the same. A glass tube is placed orthogonally on a fixedly arranged horizontal rail, and the glass tube is rolled and moved in the rail direction by the next transport drive mechanism, and heated by a radiant burner arranged above the glass tube. Achieve the above objectives. The transport drive mechanism is a pressing member that pushes the glass tube on the rail in the rail direction to roll on the rail, and an axial direction of the glass tube facing the vicinity of the end of the exhaust pipe of the glass tube moving on the rail. Having a regulating plate that regulates displacement
A chain conveyor for moving the regulating plate in the same direction as the glass tube in the same direction is provided, and the transport drive mechanism is housed and arranged in the heating furnace.

[0006] A pair of such transport drive mechanisms are disposed at both ends of the glass tube transport path on the rail so as to be movable in the approaching and separating directions, and the distance between the pair is adjusted according to the entire length of the glass tube on the rail. This is desirable in order to simplify the switching of glass tube types.

[0007]

[Function] When a glass tube that is fed horizontally in a heating furnace is heated by a radiant burner from above, a conveyance drive mechanism that directly conveys the glass tube is housed in the heating furnace, and from the inside of the heating furnace to the outside. The amount of wasted heat release is reduced, and it is easy to maintain the inside of the heating furnace at a high temperature, and the heating efficiency of the glass tube is further improved. Further, the type switching of the glass tube is performed in a short time by the lateral movement of the entire transport driving mechanism in the heating chamber. Furthermore, when the transport drive mechanism is placed in the heating furnace, the transport drive mechanism is heated to a high temperature, causing a partial dimensional deviation on the chain conveyor, etc., and the horizontal feed of the glass tube on the rail is not accurate. However, the control plate of the transport drive mechanism moves together with the glass tube, preventing the glass tube from being displaced through the glass tube's exhaust pipe during transport, and ensuring accurate horizontal alignment of the glass tube. Enable feeding. In this case, the tip of the exhaust pipe of the glass tube is
Since it only touches the regulating plate which is moving together with the glass tube, there is no fear that the exhaust pipe will be damaged.

[0008]

An embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The glass tube heating and conveying device shown in the drawing is used in a glass tube preheating process between the encapsulation process and the exhaust process in the manufacture of a fluorescent lamp, and is a straight tube held horizontally in a heating furnace (preheating furnace) (4). The shaped glass tube (1) is conveyed horizontally in the orthogonal direction and heated to near 800 ° C. by the radiant burner (6).
In the glass tube (1), the exhaust pipes (2) are projected coaxially from both ends to be sealed, and two lead wires (3) are led out from both ends along the exhaust pipes (2). I have. The lead wires () at both ends of the glass tube (1) are bent laterally from the end of the glass tube (1) in preparation for electrode energization (disassembly) in a later evacuation step. In the heating furnace (4), a transport drive mechanism (10) including a horizontal rail (5) and a chain conveyor (9) for moving the glass tube (1) on the rail (5) in the rail direction, The said radiant burner (6) arrange | positioned in parallel above the rail (5) is accommodated.

The rail (5) is composed of a pair arranged in parallel. A plurality of glass tubes (1) are mounted on each of the rails at right angles to each other and are conveyed while rolling in the rail direction. The pair of rails (5) are arranged so as to be able to approach and separate from each other. For example, one is a reference rail supported by the fixed block (11), and the other is a movable rail that can approach and separate in the direction of the fixed block (11). It is a moving rail supported by the block (12).

The transport drive mechanism (10) has, for example, a pair of identical structures supported by a fixed block (11) and a movable block (12) at both ends of a glass tube transport path on a rail (5). It is arranged movably in the approaching / separating direction. The first transport drive mechanism (10) supported by the fixed block (11)
a) comprises a pair of parallel endless inner chain conveyors (9a) and outer chain conveyors (9b). A plurality of pin-shaped pressing members (7) are integrally provided at equal intervals on the inner chain conveyor (9a), and a plurality of regulating plates (8) are integrally formed at equal intervals on the outer chain conveyor (9b). It is protruded. Similarly, the second transport drive mechanism (10b) supported by the movable block (12) includes an inner chain conveyor (9c)
And an outer chain conveyor (9d). A pressing member (7) is provided on the inner chain conveyor (9c), and a regulating plate (8) is provided on the outer chain conveyor (9d).

The pair of rails (5) support two places at a predetermined distance from both ends of the glass tube (1) carried into the heating furnace (4). The chain conveyors (9a) to (9d) of the pair of transport drive mechanisms (10a) (10b) are simultaneously driven in the same direction at the same speed. A pair of inner chain conveyors (9a) (9c)
Of the glass tube (1) presses in the rail direction substantially the middle between both ends of the glass tube (1) and the rails (5) and (5), and the glass tube (1) is placed on the rail (5) by this pressing. Rolls and translates. The regulating plates (8) of the pair of outer chain conveyors (9b) (9d) are glass tubes (1) on the rail (5).
At the opposite ends of the exhaust pipes (2), and moves in the same direction at the same speed as the corresponding glass pipes (1). The distance between the pair of restriction plates (8) and (8) facing the vicinity of the tip of the exhaust pipe (2) of one glass tube (1) is constant, and the glass is placed on the rail (5) for the reason described later. When the tube (1) is going to be displaced, the tip of the exhaust pipe (2) in the displaced direction hits the corresponding regulating plate (8), and the displacement and inclination of the glass tube (1) in the axial direction are minimized. Is prevented.

When the glass tube (1) is horizontally fed into the heating furnace (4) in the above-described manner and heated from above by the radiant burner (6), the transport drive mechanism (10) is housed in the heating furnace (4). Therefore, the amount of waste heat released from the heating furnace (4) to the outside is small, the internal temperature of the heating furnace (4) can be maintained high, and the glass tube (1) can be heated with high efficiency. it can. When the type of the glass tube (1) carried into the heating furnace (4) is switched to a type having a different length, as shown by an arrow in FIG. The pair of rails (5) are moved closer to or away from the fixed block (11).
Adjust the distance between (5) and the transport drive mechanism (10a) (10b). Such an interval adjustment can be performed simply and in a short time by operating a handle (not shown) without performing a troublesome operation such as changing a chain conveyor.

When the glass tube is heated, the inside of the heating furnace (4) is 800
When the temperature of the conveyor drive mechanism (10) is increased to a high temperature of about 0 ° C. and the transport drive mechanism (10) is also heated to a high temperature, the chain conveyor (9) may abnormally expand and malfunction due to a dimensional deviation as shown in FIG. . FIG. 4 shows a state in which the inner chain conveyor (9a) on the side of the fixed block (11) is stretched when heated to a high temperature, a part is raised, and the pressing member (7) thereon is inclined forward. . Thus, some of the pressing members (7)
When the glass tube (1) pressed by the pressing member (7) is tilted forward, the rail (5) is pressed as shown by a chain line in FIG.
The sheet is conveyed while being skewed due to a positional shift above. If the glass tube (1) is continuously transported in such a bad posture, the inclination of the glass tube (1) may increase and the glass tube (1) may fall from the rail (5). Therefore, a pair of regulating plates (8) near the exhaust pipe (2) of the glass tube (1).
When the glass tube (1) is slightly displaced, the tip of the exhaust pipe (2) is connected to the regulating plate (8).
The glass tube (1) is fed horizontally while maintaining a normal posture substantially orthogonal to the rail (5).

The inventor of the present invention has proposed a method in which, instead of the movable regulating plate (8) for preventing the glass tube (1) from being displaced, a long band plate is provided at a position where the regulating plate (8) passes. When the glass tube (1) is displaced on the rail (5) when the glass tube (1) is displaced on the rail (5), the tip of the exhaust pipe (2) is brought into contact with the guide plate, and the glass tube ( A prototype for preventing the displacement of 1) was manufactured. However, this configuration simplifies the transport driving mechanism. However, the tip of the exhaust pipe (2) of the glass tube (1) transported with displacement is moved by rubbing the guide plate. In some cases, stress was applied to the base of the exhaust pipe (2), and the exhaust pipe (2) was broken from the base. Therefore, in order to prevent the displacement of the glass tube with the exhaust pipe (1), the above-mentioned regulating plates (8) which move integrally with the glass tube (1) are practically effective.

The present inventor has also tried to apply restriction plates for preventing misalignment to both end surfaces of the glass tube (1). However, this attempt is difficult to implement because the lead wires (3) extending laterally from both ends of the glass tube (1) and rotating together with the glass tube (1) are obstructive, and the glass tube (1) is forcibly forced. ) And the lead wires (3) are inserted between the lead wires (3)..., Which hinders normal horizontal conveyance of the glass tube (1).

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but is also applicable to, for example, a heating and conveying apparatus for a straight glass tube having an exhaust pipe at only one end. In this case, if the glass tube is transported on the rail such that the end on the exhaust pipe side is biased toward the side where the regulating plate is located, the glass tube is always in a normal state in which the tip of the exhaust pipe hits the corresponding regulating plate. Glass tube transfer can be performed.

[0017]

According to the present invention, a transfer drive mechanism for directly transferring a glass tube is accommodated in a heating furnace, and the glass tube which is rolled on rails in the heating furnace and fed horizontally is moved upward. Heating with a radiant burner makes it easier to keep the inside of the heating furnace at a high temperature, further improving the heating efficiency of the glass tube, reducing fuel consumption, and reducing the cost of glass tube manufacturing processing. Is possible. In addition, switching between types of glass tubes having different overall lengths can be easily performed in a short time by laterally moving the entire transfer drive mechanism in the heating chamber, thereby greatly improving the workability of switching the type of glass tubes. In addition, since the regulating plate of the transport driving mechanism moves in unison with the glass tube, the displacement of the glass tube on the rail when the glass tube is transported is reliably prevented by the regulating plate, and furthermore, the exhaust pipe is prevented from being damaged. Therefore, the glass tube can always be transported in a normal posture, and a highly reliable glass tube heating and transporting device can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing a heating and conveying apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial front view of the apparatus of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a partial front view of the chain conveyor in the apparatus of FIG. 2 when the chain conveyor malfunctions.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Glass tube 2 Exhaust tube 4 Heating furnace 5 Rail 6 Radiant burner 7 Pressing member 8 Restriction plate 9 Chain conveyor 10 Transport drive mechanism

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-59-219836 (JP, A) JP-A-2-106608 (JP, A) JP-A-56-82543 (JP, A) JP-A 55-1983 64345 (JP, A) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01J 9/46 H01J 9/38

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A straight glass tube having an exhaust pipe protruding coaxially from a sealed end is placed orthogonally on a horizontal rail fixedly arranged in a heating furnace, and the glass tube is rolled in the rail direction. A device for heating with a radiant burner disposed above while moving and moving, a pressing member for pressing a glass tube on a rail in the rail direction and rolling on the rail, and an exhaust pipe for the glass tube on the rail A transport drive mechanism having a chain conveyor that integrally has a regulating plate that opposes the vicinity of the tip and regulates the axial displacement of the glass tube, and moves the regulating plate at the same speed as the glass tube in the same direction. Is stored and arranged in the heating furnace. 2. The glass tube heating / conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a pair of conveying / driving mechanisms are arranged so as to be movable toward and away from both ends of the glass tube conveying path on the rail.