JP3616378B2 - Heat treatment equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a heat treatment apparatus that heats and unloads a plate-like workpiece carried in one by one with a plurality of heating plates, and is advantageously used as a single wafer heat treatment apparatus for a glass substrate for a flat panel display. Is done.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As a device for heat-treating a workpiece made of a glass substrate for a flat panel display or the like with a heating plate that generates heat such as a radiant heating plate, a plurality of heating plates are arranged in parallel in a tunnel-shaped heat treatment chamber, and a roller conveyor A horizontal tunnel type apparatus is generally used in which a workpiece is passed through a shuttle beam for heat treatment. However, in such an apparatus, since it is a one-stage horizontal conveyance type, a large floor area is required.
[0003]
As a general vertical apparatus, as shown in FIG. 16, the radiant heating plate 1 is fixedly installed in multiple stages in the heat treatment chamber 22, and the workpiece W is supported by the support tube 2 within each interval. Then, the workpiece W is heated with a radiant heating plate, and a robot is provided on the workpiece unloading side and loading side on both sides in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in the drawing, and the workpiece W at the stage where the heat treatment has been completed is unloaded and a new workpiece is loaded. Such a device is known. However, in such an apparatus, a work loading / unloading door is provided for each stage, and it is necessary to open and close the door, which increases heat loss, and a robot is provided on the work entrance / exit side. There is a problem that a wide space is required as an operation range.
[0004]
Incidentally, in an apparatus that does not use a heating plate such as a hot-air circulation type, an apparatus in which the workpiece is taken in and out only from one place while raising and lowering the workpiece between multiple stages is generally used (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 10-2010). No. 68592, 10-73379), and such a device cannot be applied to a device of the type heated by a heating plate.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art and to provide a heat treatment apparatus that occupies a small arrangement space and has high thermal efficiency.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a heat treatment apparatus in which a plate-like workpiece carried in one by one is heated and carried out by a plurality of heating plates.
It is formed in a long shape with a length having an overhanging portion projecting from the heating plate in the transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction consisting of the feeding direction which is the direction of carrying out from the carrying-in and the returning direction opposite to the feeding direction. At least two workpiece support members provided for one workpiece so as to support the workpiece;
The heating plate is arranged as a front row heating plate on the side to be carried in multiple stages in the vertical direction at regular intervals so that it can be moved up and down, and a workpiece support member supporting the workpiece can be placed and the workpiece can be heated. The front row device,
An intermediate row device in which the heating plate is arranged in multiple stages in the vertical direction at the predetermined interval in parallel with the front row device as an intermediate row heating plate, and the workpiece can be heated;
The heating plate is arranged as a rear row heating plate on the side to be carried out symmetrically with respect to the middle row device with respect to the middle row device, and can be moved up and down, and a work supporting member supporting the work can be placed thereon. A back row device that makes the workpiece heatable,
Among the three-row devices composed of the front row device, the middle row device, and the rear row device, the workpieces are disposed so as to avoid mutual interference at the positions of the adjacent two-row devices, and are capable of reciprocating in the vertical direction. A back-and-forth movement device comprising a receiving member capable of supporting the overhanging portion of the support member;
A workpiece that includes a separation mechanism that separates the lowermost workpiece heated by the lowermost heating plate of the rear row heating plates from the lowermost workpiece support member, and moves the separated lowermost workpiece in the feeding direction and carries it out. An unloading device;
A work support member return device that moves a single work support member, which is the lowermost work support member separated from the lowermost work, from the position of the rear row device to the position of the front row device;
A workpiece loading device provided with a coupling mechanism for moving a new workpiece from the outside in the feeding direction to carry in and carrying the new workpiece supported by the single workpiece support member;
An uppermost stage moving device for moving a front row uppermost work support member on which the uppermost work heated by the uppermost heating plate of the front row heating plates is moved to the position of the rear row apparatus in the feeding direction;
It is characterized by having.
[0007]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows an example of a schematic overall configuration of a heat treatment apparatus to which the present invention is applied, and FIGS. 2 to 6 show structural examples of each part.
The heat treatment apparatus normally uses a work W such as a glass substrate for a flat panel display, which is a flat work carried in one by one, as a large number of heating plates, and incorporates an electric heater to emit infrared rays. It is a device that is heated and carried out by a heating plate 1 composed of a radiant heating plate or the like, and is a tube 2 as a work supporting member, a front row device 3, an intermediate row device 6, a rear row device 7, and a back and forth movement It has the apparatus 8, the workpiece carrying-out apparatus 10, the pipe returning apparatus 12 which is a workpiece supporting member returning apparatus, the workpiece carrying-in apparatus 15, the uppermost stage moving apparatus 17, etc.
[0008]
In addition, as a normal structural part, a heat insulating wall 21, a heat treatment chamber 22 surrounded by the heat insulating wall 21, a heat insulating door 23 which is always closed during operation of the apparatus, and a work loading side and a carrying side are provided at one place respectively. An inlet 24 and an outlet 25, a support frame 26 coupled to the main body structure below the heat treatment chamber, and a casing surrounding the work inlet and outlet portions so as to have a work preheating and cooling effect outside the heat insulating wall. 27, etc.
[0009]
As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. ₁ And the return direction Y opposite to this ₂ One piece of work so as to be able to support the work W, which is formed in a long shape having a projecting portion 2a projecting from the heating plate 1 in the transverse direction X perpendicular to the longitudinal direction Y. In contrast, at least two are provided in this example. In addition, as long as the workpiece supporting member is a long object that is placed on the heating plate 1 and has the overhanging portion 2a, the workpiece may have an appropriate shape such as a polygon such as a triangle or a rectangle or an ellipse. The heating plate 1 is usually larger than the workpiece W, but when the workpiece is larger than the heating plate, the overhanging portion 2a is provided so as to overhang the workpiece.
[0010]
In the front row apparatus 3, the heating plate 1 has a plurality of stages in the vertical direction Z at a pitch p at a constant interval on the inlet 24 side, which is the side where the heating plate 1 is carried in as the front row heating plate 1 F. In this example, as shown in FIGS. It is arranged in a stage and can be moved up and down, so that the pipe 2 supporting the work W can be placed and the work W can be heated.
[0011]
That is, each of the front row heating plates 1F is attached to the support column 31 and the connection plate 32 that are erected on both sides in the X direction, and these are supported by the elevating mechanism 40 via the elevating plate 33 and are moved up and down. The front row heating plate 1F is attached with a front row tube receiver 34 on which the tube 2 can be placed except for the uppermost heating plate 1Ft in this example, and the tube 2 supporting the workpiece W is placed on the front row tube plate 34. The workpiece W is heated by the front row heating plate 1F thereon. In FIG. 1, the 10 heating plates are shown as an upper heating plate 1Ft and a lower heating plate 1Fb, and an intermediate heating plate 1Fm in which eight intermediate plates are shown as one stage.
[0012]
In this example, the lifting mechanism 40 employs a mechanism in which a cam and a crank are combined. The lifting mechanism 40 is connected to a motor 41, a cam 42 driven to rotate by this, and an arm 43 as shown in FIG. A cam follower 44 that swings like an arrow, a transmission shaft 45 that is rotated by this operation, an arm 46 that transmits torque, a pin 47 that is connected to the free end and moves in the up-and-down direction, and that lift is transmitted. The lift drive plate 48, a lift shaft 49 connected thereto, a linear guide 50 for guiding the lift, and the lift plate 33 connected to the lift shaft 49 to be lifted and supported.
[0013]
The motor 41, the transmission shaft 45, the linear guide 50, and the like are attached to or supported by the support frame 26. In addition, as a raising / lowering apparatus, it replaces with such a mechanism and can use well-known suitable linear movement mechanisms, such as cylinder apparatuses, such as an air cylinder, a ball screw mechanism, and a crank mechanism.
[0014]
In the middle row device 6, the heating plate 1 is arranged in the same row p as the middle row heating plate 1M as the middle row heating plate 1M in the upper and lower Z directions at the same pitch p, and is arranged in the same ten steps as the front row device 3 in this example. The workpiece W can be heated. That is, each of the intermediate row heating plates 1M is attached to the columns 61 and the connecting plates 62 that are erected on both sides in the X direction, and the columns 61 are fixedly attached to the support frame 26. Accordingly, the workpiece W that has reached the position of the intermediate row heating plate 1M can be heated, although it does not move up and down and does not support the tube 2.
[0015]
In the rear row apparatus 7, the heating plate 1 is disposed on the outlet 25 side, which is a side to be carried out symmetrically with the front row apparatus 3 with respect to the intermediate row apparatus 6 as the rear row heating plate 1 </ b> B. The tube 2 that supports can be placed, and the workpiece W can be heated.
[0016]
That is, the rear row heating plates 1B are arranged at the same pitch and the same number as the front row heating plates 1F, and each of the rear row heating plates 1B is attached to the columns 71 and the connecting plates 72 standing on both sides in the X direction. In this example, the elevating mechanism 40 for the front row apparatus is also used as a support mechanism, and is supported by the elevating mechanism 40. Similarly, each rear row heating plate 1B is provided with a rear row tube receiver 74 on which the tube 2 can be placed except for the uppermost heating plate 1Bt, and the tube 2 supporting the workpiece W is placed on the rear row tube receiver 74. The workpiece W is heated by the rear row heating plate 1B thereon.
[0017]
As a structure also used as the lifting device 40, the conduction shaft 45 is extended to the rear row device 7 side in addition to the front row device 3 side, and the arm 46, the pin 47, the lifting drive plate 48, A lifting shaft 49 and a linear guide 50 are provided, and the lifting shaft 49 is connected to the lifting plate 73.
[0018]
In this way, if the front row device 3 and the rear row device 7 are also used as the lifting device 40, the device can be simplified and the cost can be reduced. In this example, as will be described later, since the front row heating plate 1F and the rear row heating plate 1B can perform the same operation, it is necessary to synchronize the operation by using the same lifting device as described above. And the operation can be performed more reliably. It is also possible to provide another lifting device for the rear row device 7.
[0019]
The front-rear moving device 8 is arranged to avoid mutual interference at the position of the adjacent two-row device among the three-row devices composed of the front row device 3, the intermediate row device 6, and the rear row device 7. A longitudinally movable tube receiver 81 is provided as a receiving member that can reciprocate in the longitudinal direction Y and can support the protruding portion 2a of the tube 2.
[0020]
That is, as shown in FIG. 7A together with FIGS. 2 to 6, a longitudinally moving tube that can receive tubes 2 provided corresponding to the number of heating plates 1 so that the workpiece W is heated by the heating plate 1. Respective positions of the receiver 81 are within the range of the heating plate 1 in the X direction (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIGS. 1 to 3) and are positioned outside the tube receivers 34 and 74 that receive the tube 2 thereon. Even if this longitudinally moving tube receiver 81 is erected so as not to interfere with the heating plate 1 on both sides in the X direction and moves in the Y direction, the heating plate 1 and its supporting columns 31, 61, 71 are out of the existing range. Are attached to the support columns 82 on both sides in the X direction so that they are connected by connecting plates 83 and 84 on both sides and above, and the support column 82 is coupled to the beam 91 that is vertically moved by the longitudinal movement mechanism 9 in this example. doing.
[0021]
The vertical moving tube receiver 81 is movable in the vertical direction Y, but is at a fixed position in the vertical Z direction, and as shown in FIG. Corresponding to the position under the plate, it is similarly provided in 10 steps. In FIG. 1, the 10-stage vertical moving tube receiver 81 is shown as an uppermost vertical moving tube receiver 81t and a lowermost vertical moving tube receiver 81b, and an intermediate 8-stage vertical moving tube receiver 81m showing the middle 8 stages. ing.
[0022]
As shown schematically in FIG. 8, the vertical movement mechanism 9 is a connecting plate 93 that is attached to a beam 91 that extends in the whole of the vertical direction Y on both sides of the horizontal direction X, and is fitted to the linear guide 92. And a ball screw 96 rotatably supported by a bearing 95, a servo motor 97 for rotating the ball screw 96, and the like. Instead of this, other mechanisms such as an air cylinder can be employed.
[0023]
The workpiece carry-out device 10 includes a separation mechanism 11 that separates the lowermost workpiece Wb heated by the lowermost heating plate 1Bb of the rear heating plate 1B from the pipe 2, and feeds the lowermost workpiece Wb separated thereby by the feed direction. Y ₁ It is a device that makes it possible to carry it out and to carry it out. In this carry-out, a carry-out slider 101 which is also used as the vertical movement mechanism 9 in this example and is arranged on the beam 91 so as to extend toward the center in the X direction is used. Instead of this, it is also possible to use an independent vertical movement device.
[0024]
In this example, as shown in FIG. 7 (b), the separation mechanism 11 can be lifted and lowered, and the separation hoisting tube receiver 111 provided at a position outside the range of the work W, only the work W without interfering with it. The separation work receiver 112 to be mounted, the vertical movement pipe receiver 113 for separation on which only the pipe 2 can be mounted without interfering with the vertical movement of the separation hoist pipe receiver 111 without being interfered by the lowering operation of the separation hoist pipe receiver 111, etc. Yes. The member 113 is directly attached to the slider beam 91. However, you may attach to the support | pillar 82 of the back-and-forth movement apparatus 8 attached to the beam 91. FIG.
[0025]
Among them, the separation hoisting tube receiver 111 is attached to the column 71 to which the rear heating plate 1B is attached in this example, and is lifted and lowered by the lifting mechanism 40. Although the structure is somewhat complicated, the tube receiver 111 may be lifted and lowered by another lifting device.
[0026]
On the other hand, an elevating mechanism 200 that elevates and lowers the separating workpiece receiver 112 is the same as the elevating mechanism 40 in this example, and includes a motor 41 that is also used, a cam 202 that is rotationally driven by this, and an arm as shown in FIG. A cam follower 204 that is connected to 203 and swings as indicated by an arrow by rotation of a cam 202, a transmission shaft 205 that is rotated by this operation, an arm 206 that transmits torque, and a pin that is connected to its free end and moves in the vertical direction 207, an elevating plate 208 that transmits the elevating movement as the movement, an elevating shaft 209 that is connected to the elevating plate 209 and elevates the separating work receiver 112, a linear guide 210 that guides the elevating movement, and the like.
[0027]
The conductive shaft 205, the linear guide 210, and the like are supported by or attached to the support frame 26. As for the lifting device, a cylinder device such as an air cylinder, a known appropriate linear moving mechanism such as a ball screw mechanism, a crank mechanism, etc. can be used instead of such a mechanism as in the case of the lifting device 40. is there.
[0028]
The pipe return device 12 is a device that moves the single pipe 2c as a single work supporting member, which is the lowermost stage pipe separated from the lowermost stage work Wb, from the position of the rear row apparatus 7 to the position of the front row apparatus 3. The return vertical movement tube receiver 13 and the separation vertical movement tube receiver 113 as the front and rear return work support member receivers, and the single tube receiver as the return lifting work support member receiver provided at the position of the intermediate row device 6. 144. In FIG. 1, the single pipe 2 c is shown as a single pipe 2 c with a thick line in the intermediate row device 6 being returned as a single pipe.
[0029]
In this example, the return vertical movement tube receiver 13 that can be moved vertically is directly attached to the slider beam 91 in the same manner as the separation vertical movement tube receiver 113, and is thereby movable vertically.
[0030]
The single tube receiver 144 is configured as a return lift mechanism 14. In this example, the return lifting mechanism 14 includes a lever 141 that is lifted and lowered by an arm that is lifted and lowered by the transmission shaft 205 of the lifting device 200, an intermediate fulcrum 142 thereof, and a reverse operation lifting shaft 143 that is coupled to the other end 141a of the lever 141. The single tube receiver 144 attached thereto is used. As shown in FIG. 7C, the tube receivers 13 and 144 are in a positional relationship that does not interfere with each other. In addition, it is also possible to make these into independent moving mechanisms and lifting mechanisms.
[0031]
The workpiece carry-in device 15 feeds a new workpiece Wn, which is a new workpiece, from the outside in the feed direction Y. ₁ The coupling mechanism 16 is provided to move to and carry the new workpiece Wn by the single pipe 2c. As a mechanism for carrying in the new workpiece Wn, in this example, similarly to the workpiece carry-out device 10, the longitudinal movement mechanism 9 is also used, and a carry-in slider 151 standing upright on the beam 91 so as to extend toward the center in the X direction is used. Yes. Instead of this, an independent vertical movement device can be used.
[0032]
In this example, the coupling mechanism 16 has the same structure as the separation mechanism 11, can be moved up and down, is located outside the range of the workpiece W, has been placed on the return vertical movement tube receiver 13, and has moved to the front row apparatus side. As shown in FIG. 7 (d), the connecting hoisting tube receiver 161 provided so that the single pipe 2c can be picked up, the new work Wn carried in without interfering with it is lifted and picked up by the single pipe 2c. In this way, it is constituted by a coupling work receiver 162 provided in the range of the work.
[0033]
The coupling hoisting tube receiver 161 is attached to the support column 31 to which the front row heating plate 1F is attached in this example, and is moved up and down by the lifting mechanism 40. Although the structure is somewhat complicated, it may be lifted and lowered by another lifting device. The coupling work receiver 162 is lifted and lowered by a lifting mechanism 200 that lifts and lowers the separation work receiver 112. That is, it is coupled to a lifting shaft 209 ′ that is guided up and down by the linear guide 210 ′ from the conduction shaft 205 via an arm or the like.
[0034]
The uppermost moving device 17 feeds the uppermost work support member on which the uppermost work heated by the uppermost heating plate 1Ft of the front row heating plates 1F is fed in the feed direction Y ₁ In this example, an intermediate row uppermost work support member lifting / lowering support mechanism capable of supporting the uppermost tube 2t at the uppermost position of the intermediate row device 6 and capable of moving up and down is provided. A certain upper end pipe lifting mechanism 18 is provided. As shown in FIG. 7E, the mechanism 18 is provided at a position that does not interfere with the pipe 2t so that the pipe 2t can be exchanged with the longitudinal movement pipe receiver 81 of the longitudinal movement apparatus 8.
[0035]
In this example, the upper end pipe lifting / lowering mechanism 18 uses the conduction shaft 205 of the lifting / lowering device 200 in the same manner as the return lifting / lowering mechanism 14. In other words, the torque of this shaft is converted into vertical movement, the lifting shaft 182 can be moved up and down via the linear guide 181, and the uppermost tube receiver 183 that receives the tube 2 t is attached thereto. It is also possible to make this an independent lifting mechanism.
[0036]
With the above devices, all the operations of loading, lifting, lateral feeding, lowering, and unloading of the workpiece W are possible. However, in the device of this example, the workpiece is mounted on the slider on the loading side and from the slider during unloading. For convenience of taking out, an elevating mechanism 19 for elevating the workpiece W on the carry-in and carry-out side is provided. The elevating mechanism 19 also uses the elevating device 40, and is an elevating shaft 192 that is moved up and down by a conductive shaft 205 and guided by a linear guide 191, a support plate that extends in two rows with a narrow width at the center position in the Y direction. 193, etc.
[0037]
1 and 9 to 15 show the movement state until the workpiece is heat-treated in the heat treatment apparatus as described above.
In the end, the heat treatment apparatus of this example is composed of a combination of a mechanism for only vertical movement and a mechanism for only vertical movement. In the vertical movement, the beam 91 is reciprocated by a single servo motor 97, and the vertical movement is performed. All of the moving mechanisms are coupled to this, and in raising and lowering, the raising and lowering parts composed of various raising and lowering mechanisms are driven by a single motor 41, and the cam and the rotation conduction shaft are two types 42 and 202 for the heating plate and others. And 45 and 205. Therefore, the structure and movement of the device are extremely simplified and the operation is highly reliable.
[0038]
In such a mechanism, in a motor, usually, the timing and amount of rotation are automatically controlled, and each mechanism is determined to have a necessary and sufficient amount of operation at a timing suitable for the purpose. . Below, operation | movement of each mechanism driven in this way is demonstrated.
[0039]
FIG. 1 shows the feed direction Y of the beam 91 as a reference state. ₁ At the same time, a new work Wn is carried into the front row device 3 by the carry-in slider 151, and the workpieces W are placed on all the vertical movement tube receivers 81 (hereinafter simply referred to as “receivers 81”) to move back and forth. Comes to the position of the intermediate row device 6 and the rear row device 7, the final stage work Wb separated in the final stage is carried out of the heat treatment chamber 22 by the carry-out slider 101, and the heating plate 1F of the front and rear row apparatuses 3, 7 1B is lowered and the reference position P is the same height as the intermediate row heating plate 1M. _o On the other hand, a state is shown in which the single pipe 2c indicated by the thick line separated from the work Wb is picked up by the single pipe receiver 144 while the reverse operation lifting shaft 143 is raised. The end and start states of one tact operation of heat treatment are shown.
[0040]
9 shows that the work W and the pipe 2 of the rear row apparatus 7 descend and the vertical movement of the single pipe 2c is started, and the heating plates 1F and 1B are moved to the intermediate position P from the state of FIG. ₁ The heating plate 1B picks up the work and the pipe from the receiver 81, while the single pipe receiver 144 is lowered by the reverse operation, and the single pipe 2c is placed on the return vertical moving pipe holder 13 and further moved to the uppermost stage. The uppermost pipe 2t on the uppermost stage receiver 81t and the uppermost work Wt thereon are picked up on the uppermost stage pipe receiver 183. The upper-end pipe lifting mechanism 18 of the apparatus 17 is also used as the uppermost stage moving apparatus. Indicates the state. It should be noted that there is no heating plate below the last stage heating plate 1Bb. Therefore, at the position where the rear row tube receiver 74 is not present, the final stage tube 2b and the workpiece Wb are received by the separation hoisting tube receiver 111.
[0041]
FIG. 10 shows a state in which the work W and the pipe 2 of the rear row device 7 are being lowered by 1 pitch p. From the state of FIG. ₂ Is moved a little to the tube support position (a), and the heating plate 1B, which can be lowered by this, passes the position of the receiver 81 and passes through the intermediate position P. ₂ = P _o (B), the receiver 81 that needs to support the pipe 2 by lowering it by one step is the feed direction Y. ₁ Shows the state (c) of returning to the tube support position.
[0042]
FIG. 11 shows a position P at which the heating plate 1B of the rear row apparatus 7 further descends and is one pitch p lower. ₃ The workpiece W and the pipe 2 are lowered by one pitch and are supported by the receiver 81, and the final stage work Wb and the final stage pipe 2b are separated from the separation hoisting pipe receiver 111 at the lowermost stage without the receiving, respectively. And the state transferred to the vertical moving tube receiver 113 for separation is shown. As a result, the first-stage lowering operation of the work in the back-and-forth movement device 8 in the rear row apparatus 7 is completed, and the uppermost stage receiver 81t of the receivers 81 is in an empty state without pipes and workpieces. 2b is separated and can be processed separately. The tube 2b becomes a new single tube.
[0043]
In FIG. 12, the beam 91 returns in the Y direction. ₂ And the other members 13 and 113 on the beam are positioned at the front row and intermediate row devices 3 and 6, respectively, and the carry-out slider 101 enters the heat treatment chamber and the carry-in slider 151 exits the heat treatment chamber. Indicates the state. At this time, the work W to be heat-treated next from the previous process is placed on the support plate 193 on the carry-in side of the elevating mechanism 19 outside the heat treatment chamber, and the heat-treated final-stage work Wb is the support plate on the carry-out side. It is picked up from 193 and sent to the subsequent production line.
[0044]
In addition, the old single tube receiver 2c indicated by the bold line is in a state capable of supporting the new workpiece Wn, and the pipe 2b from which the workpiece has been separated becomes the next single tube receiver 2c ′ and comes to the position of the intermediate row device 6, The workpiece W can be raised in the front row device 3 and the single tube receiver 2c can be coupled to the new workpiece Wn.
[0045]
FIG. 13 is a view corresponding to FIG. 9, and ascending of the workpiece W and the pipe 2 of the front row apparatus 3 is started, and the heating plates 1F and 1B are moved to the low position P from the state of FIG. ₃ Intermediate position P slightly raised from ₄ Then, the heating plate 1F picks up the workpiece and the pipe from the receiver 81, and the coupling pipe receiver 161 of the coupling mechanism 16 attached to the column 31 of the front row apparatus 3 also rises and returns to the front row apparatus 3 side. The single pipe 2c is taken from the vertical moving pipe receiver 13 and the new work Wn is picked up from the coupling work receiver 162, and both are coupled.
[0046]
Further, the single tube receiver 144 is lifted by the reverse operation, and the new single tube 2c ′ is taken up by the single tube receiver 144 from the separating vertical moving tube receiver 113. Further, after the receiver 81 including the uppermost receiver 81t that is empty without the pipe and the workpiece W has moved to the position of the intermediate row device 6, the upper end pipe lifting mechanism 18 of the uppermost moving device 17 is moved. The uppermost stage pipe 2t and the uppermost stage work Wt thereon are mounted on the uppermost stage receiver 81t of the longitudinal movement apparatus 8 that is also used as the uppermost stage moving apparatus. It should be noted that the uppermost stage receiver 81t, which has been moved to the position of the front row apparatus by being picked up by the uppermost stage pipe receiver 183 at the position of the intermediate row apparatus, is in an empty state.
[0047]
FIG. 14 is a view corresponding to FIG. 10 and shows the ascending operation of the work W of the front row apparatus 3 and the pipe 2 by 1 pitch p. From the state of FIG. Y ₁ Is moved a little to the tube support position (a), and the heating plate 1F, which can be lifted by this, passes the position of the receiver 81 and is at a high intermediate position P. ₅ (B), the receiver 81 which needs to support the pipe 2 by raising it by one step is in the return direction Y. ₂ Shows the state (c) of returning to the tube support position.
[0048]
FIG. 15 is a view corresponding to FIG. 11, and the heating plate 1 </ b> F of the front row apparatus 3 is lowered to the reference position P. _o The workpiece W and the pipe 2 are lifted by one pitch and supported by the receiver 81 in the back-and-forth moving device 8. As a result, the first-stage ascending operation of the work in the front-rear apparatus 3 in the front-row apparatus 3 is completed, and all the positions of the front-row apparatus 3 and the intermediate-row apparatus 6 including the uppermost stage receiver 81t at the front-row apparatus position that have been emptied. The pipe and workpiece are placed on the receiver 81. When the back-and-forth moving device 8 moves to the positions of the middle row device 6 and the rear row device 7, the state returns to the reference state of FIG.
[0049]
According to the heat treatment apparatus as described above, there is a row in which the work W is not mounted in the heat treatment chamber 22 for the movement of the work W. However, the space occupied by the apparatus is the heat treatment chamber 22 and the preheating and precooling effects of the work. Therefore, the space occupied by the apparatus can be made smaller than that of a conventional heat treatment apparatus that requires a work handling space by a robot.
[0050]
In addition, since the workpiece is moved up and down in the heat treatment apparatus, the inlet and the outlet for carrying in and out the workpiece W can be set to one place at a fixed position. As a result, a large number of doors provided for each stage of a 10-stage apparatus, for example, which is necessary in the conventional apparatus is not required, a special door opening / closing mechanism is not required, and the inside and outside air circulates. Since the possible parts are minimized, the thermal efficiency of the device can be greatly improved.
[0051]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the heat treatment apparatus has a work support member having a predetermined configuration, a front row apparatus, an intermediate row apparatus, a rear row apparatus, a forward / backward movement apparatus, a work carry-out apparatus, and a work support. Since it has a member return device, a workpiece carry-in device, and an uppermost moving device, it is possible to move up and down a workpiece that cannot be moved up and down directly because there is a heating plate, and carries the workpiece from one inlet provided at a fixed position, For each predetermined heat treatment time, the work can be heat-treated by a single wafer processing system in which the work is unloaded from one outlet provided at a fixed position and the work that is not possible with a conventional heating plate heat treatment apparatus is circulated.
[0052]
In other words, the forward / backward moving device is arranged to be movable in the vertical direction so as to avoid mutual interference at the position of two adjacent devices among the three-row devices composed of the front row device, the middle row device, and the rear row device. And a receiving member on which the projecting portion of the work support member can be placed, so that when the back-and-forth moving device is at the position of the intermediate row device and the rear row device, The workpiece support member on which the workpiece is placed is supported by a receiving member provided in multiple stages corresponding to the workpiece under the rear row heating plate and outside the range, and the workpiece support member can be moved up and down. Raise the rear row heating plate, pick up the workpiece support member from the receiving member on it, move the longitudinally movable device a little in that direction, and move the position of the receiving member in the vertical direction from the position of the workpiece support member Shift Pass the work support member on each rear row heating plate through the position of the receiving member below it and lower it, move the receiving member in the vertical direction again to a position where the work support member can be placed The work support member can be lowered by one stage in the multi-stage receiving member by returning it and then further lowering the rear row heating plate and placing the work support member placed thereon on the lower stage receiving member.
[0053]
By this operation, the uppermost stage of the receiving member is emptied, and the work supporting member that was placed on the lowermost receiving member is lowered below that. Then, the lowermost workpiece on the lowermost workpiece support member descending can be unloaded from the heat treatment apparatus by the work unloading device as a predetermined heat treatment time elapses.
[0054]
Since this workpiece carry-out device includes a separation mechanism that separates the lowermost workpiece from the lowermost workpiece support member, the separated lowermost workpiece can be moved out in the feeding direction and carried out. As a result, the heat treatment of one workpiece can be completed and the workpiece can be carried out and transferred to the next workpiece production process. Further, the lowermost work support member can be a single work support member without a work.
[0055]
As the separation mechanism, for example, a separation lifting work receiver that does not interfere with other members is provided under the lowermost rear heating plate, thereby picking up the lowermost work support member from the front-rear moving device, lowering it, and lowering the workpiece It is possible to adopt a mechanism in which the tube support member is placed on the separation-moving workpiece support member receiver that can be moved vertically after the tube is placed on the separation workpiece receiver.
[0056]
Therefore, the next workpiece is placed on the empty uppermost receiving member, the single workpiece support member picked up by the workpiece is returned to the loading side, a new workpiece is loaded instead of the unloaded workpiece, and the single workpiece is If the support member and the new workpiece are combined, the workpiece can be continuously heat-treated.
[0057]
For this, first, since the uppermost stage moving device is provided, the front row uppermost workpiece support member on which the uppermost workpiece heated by the uppermost heating plate among the front row heating plates is placed in the rear row in the feed direction. It can be moved to the position of the apparatus and the next workpiece support member can be placed on the uppermost stage.
[0058]
For this purpose, for example, an intermediate row uppermost work support member lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the uppermost work receiving member at the position of the intermediate row device is provided, and the front row side portion of the front and rear moving mechanism provided for the two row devices is in the middle. When it comes to the position of the row device, the workpiece support member placed on the uppermost receiving member in the middle row is picked up and supported, and moved back and forth as described above. When the uppermost receiving member of the rear row side part of the apparatus reaches the position of the intermediate row device, the lifting mechanism is lowered to transfer the intermediate row uppermost workpiece support member to the empty receiving member, and the forward / backward moving device May be moved to the back row side again.
[0059]
As a result, the uppermost receiving member on the front row side of the front / rear moving device is emptied. However, it is only necessary to replenish the work support member on which the work is placed at the front row device position.
[0060]
For the circulation of the single work support member, a work support member return device is provided to move the single work support member from the position of the rear row device to the position of the front row device. By connecting with the workpiece, it is possible to circulate.
[0061]
As an example of the mechanism for returning, as in the case of the front-rear moving device, the front and rear return work support member receivers that are vertically movable to the position of the front-rear device via the position of the intermediate row device are provided. It can be set as the structure which provided the raising / lowering work supporting member receptacle for return which can be raised / lowered in the position of row apparatus. As a result, when the rear-side return work support member receiver has come to the position of the intermediate row apparatus with the single work support member placed thereon, it raises the return lift work support member receiver and holds and holds it. When the work support member receiver for use has come to the position of the intermediate row device, the lift receiver is lowered to transfer the single work support member to the front side receiver, and by moving this to the front row side, The single workpiece support member can be returned from the rear row side to the front row side. In this case, the separating vertically moving work support member receiver can be used as a rear return work support member receiver.
[0062]
For the combination of a new workpiece and its single workpiece support member, a loading device is provided, and a new mechanism is provided for moving the new workpiece in the feed direction from the outside and forming a part of the loading device. Thus, the new work carried in is supported by a single work support member.
[0063]
As the coupling mechanism, for example, a lifting / lowering work supporting member receiver that moves up / down with the lower front heating plate and does not interfere with other members can be provided, for example. Then, by this lifting / lowering work support member receiver, the single work support member is picked up from, for example, the front return work support member receiver, and is lifted, and the new work is placed on the single work support member from the connection work receiver. By picking up the new workpiece, the new workpiece and the single workpiece support member can be combined. Thereby, a workpiece | work can be replenished as a new workpiece | work, and it can join with a single workpiece | work support member, and can enter a heat processing system.
[0064]
The transfer of the workpiece support member loaded with the new workpiece to the receiving member of the front / rear moving device and the replenishment of the workpiece supporting member to the uppermost stage of the receiving member on the front row side of the front / rear moving device are, for example, a single workpiece support. At the same time when the member returns to the front row side, it can be executed when the front / rear moving device moves to the position of the front row device.
[0065]
That is, simultaneously with the return of the single workpiece support member to the front row side, the longitudinal movement device vertically moves from the position of the intermediate row and rear row device to the position of the front row and intermediate row device, and the vertical movement of this device and the lifting operation of the front row device In combination with the rear row device, the workpiece support member is raised by one step in the receiving member of the forward / backward movement device, and the workpiece support member is replenished to the uppermost receiving member. The joining lifting / lowering work support member receiver can be lifted / lowered together with the front row heating plate, and a new work mounting work support member supported thereby can be added.
[0066]
This operation involves picking up the work support member on the receiving member of the back-and-forth movement device on the front row heating plate by raising the front row device, picking up the new work and single work support member on the lifting work support member receiving joint, Retraction from the position of the work support member by vertical movement of the moving device, passage of the receiving member position of the front and rear moving device by further raising of the front row device, return of the front and rear moving device, and mounting of a new work on the receiving member by lowering of the front row device This is performed by an operation of transferring all work support members including the work support members. As a result, at the position of the front row apparatus, the work mounting work supporting members are placed on the receiving members of all the stages up to the uppermost stage of the front and rear moving apparatus.
[0067]
When the workpiece support members are mounted on all stages of the receiving members of the front and rear movement devices at the front row and intermediate row positions, the front and rear movement devices move to the middle row and rear row side, and the work lowering and unloading operations are repeated again.
[0068]
According to the single wafer heat treatment apparatus as described above, there is no need for a space other than the space that is inevitably necessary for loading and unloading of workpieces outside the heated portion of the heat treatment apparatus. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate a large occupied space required when a robot with a long hand insertion / extraction or a rotation operation is arranged on both sides of the carry-in and carry-out of the heat treatment device, and to reduce the occupied space of the heat treatment device related equipment as a whole. it can. As a result, the equipment area in the work production factory can be effectively utilized.
[0069]
In addition, since the work is moved up and down in the heat treatment apparatus, the carry-in and carry-out portions can be set at a fixed position. As a result, there is no need to provide a large number of doors for each stage of the front and rear row devices, the opening and closing mechanism is simplified, and the portion that can be connected to the outside air is minimized, so that the thermal efficiency of the device is improved. Can do.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a heat treatment apparatus to which the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of the apparatus, and is an explanatory diagram of a front portion in a front state.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a rear portion of a front state, showing an example of the structure of the device.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a side state showing an example of the structure of the device.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a front portion in a planar state, showing a structural example of the device.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a rear portion of the planar state, showing an example of the structure of the device.
7A to 7E are perspective views showing an example of a partial structure of the device. FIG.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of a vertical movement mechanism of the device.
FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the apparatus.
FIGS. 10A to 10C are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the apparatus.
FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the apparatus.
FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the device.
FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the apparatus.
14A to 14C are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the apparatus.
FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the apparatus.
FIG. 16 is an explanatory view of a conventional heating plate type heat treatment apparatus.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Heating plate
1F Front row heating plate
1M Middle row heating plate
1B Rear row heating plate
2 Pipe (work support member)
2a Overhang
2c Single pipe (single workpiece support member)
3 Front row device
6 Middle row device
7 Back row device
8 Forward / backward moving device
10 Work carry-out device
11 Separation mechanism
12 Pipe return device (work support member return device)
13 Vertical moving tube receiver for return (work support member return device)
14 Return lift mechanism (work support member return device)
15 Work carry-in device
16 Coupling mechanism
17 Uppermost stage moving device
18 Upper end pipe lifting mechanism (top stage moving device)
81 Longitudinal tube receiver (receiving member)
101 Exit slider (work carry-out device)
151 Entrance slider (work loading device)
p pitch (fixed interval)
W Work
Wb Final stage work
Wn New work (new work)
X Horizontal direction
Y ₁ Feeding direction (direction from loading to unloading)
Y ₂ Return direction
Y Longitudinal direction
Z Vertical direction

Claims (1)

In a heat treatment apparatus that heats and unloads a plate-shaped workpiece that is loaded one by one with a large number of heating plates,
It is formed in a long shape with a length having an overhanging portion projecting from the heating plate in the transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction consisting of the feeding direction which is the direction of carrying out from the carrying-in and the returning direction opposite to the feeding direction. At least two workpiece support members provided for one workpiece so as to support the workpiece;
The heating plate is arranged as a front row heating plate on the side to be carried in multiple stages in the vertical direction at regular intervals so that it can be moved up and down, and a workpiece support member supporting the workpiece can be placed and the workpiece can be heated. The front row device,
An intermediate row device in which the heating plate is arranged in multiple stages in the vertical direction at the predetermined interval in parallel with the front row device as an intermediate row heating plate, and the workpiece can be heated;
The heating plate is arranged as a rear row heating plate on the side to be carried out symmetrically with respect to the middle row device with respect to the middle row device, and can be moved up and down, and a work supporting member supporting the work can be placed thereon. A back row device that makes the workpiece heatable,
Among the three-row devices composed of the front row device, the middle row device, and the rear row device, the workpieces are disposed so as to avoid mutual interference at the positions of the adjacent two-row devices, and are capable of reciprocating in the vertical direction. A back-and-forth movement device comprising a receiving member capable of supporting the overhanging portion of the support member;
A workpiece that includes a separation mechanism that separates the lowermost workpiece heated by the lowermost heating plate of the rear row heating plates from the lowermost workpiece support member, and moves the separated lowermost workpiece in the feeding direction and carries it out. An unloading device;
A work support member return device that moves a single work support member, which is the lowermost work support member from which the lowermost work is separated, from the position of the rear row device to the position of the front row device;
A workpiece loading device provided with a coupling mechanism for moving a new workpiece from the outside in the feeding direction to carry in and carrying the new workpiece supported by the single workpiece support member;
An uppermost stage moving device for moving a front row uppermost work support member on which the uppermost work heated by the uppermost heating plate of the front row heating plates is moved to the position of the rear row apparatus in the feeding direction;
The heat processing apparatus characterized by having.

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