JP4704181B2 - Immersion processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an immersion treatment apparatus including a treatment tank capable of storing a treatment liquid such as a plating solution, such as an electroplating apparatus, and in particular, the work is held in a vertical state and immersed without raising or lowering the work. The present invention relates to an immersion treatment apparatus in which a gate device having an opening through which a workpiece can pass can be opened and closed at a front portion and / or a rear portion in a workpiece conveyance direction of the treatment tank in an immersion treatment apparatus that is introduced into or carried out from a tank.

Conventionally, an electroplating apparatus as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 is known as an immersion treatment apparatus provided with an immersion treatment tank having the gate device as described above. The immersion treatment apparatus of Patent Documents 1 and 2 includes a gate mechanism having an opening through which a plate-like workpiece can pass vertically on a tank wall formed between adjacent processing tanks. A plate-like gate plate is slidably provided, and the gate plate is mechanically slid by a drive mechanism having a motor and a reduction gear mechanism, and the opening is opened and closed. Patent Document 1 also describes a structure in which a plate-like gate plate is opened and closed by a rotating method in addition to a sliding method.
JP 2004-99957 A JP 2002-327296 A

  In the structure in which a plate-like gate plate is mechanically slid or rotated and opened and closed like the gate mechanism of Patent Documents 1 and 2, the number of parts of the gate mechanism is increased, and the seal structure is complicated. Moreover, since the movable part (slide part etc.) of a gate plate always contacts a process liquid, a problem also arises in durability. Further, since it is difficult to attach and detach the gate plate, it takes time for maintenance. In addition, when opening and closing by the slide method or the rotation method, it takes time to open and close the gate, and it takes time to inject the processing liquid, so that after transporting one plate-shaped workpiece, the next plate-shaped workpiece is transported. It took about 30 seconds to open.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an immersion treatment apparatus having a highly durable gate apparatus that is simple in structure and easy to maintain in an immersion treatment apparatus such as an electroplating apparatus.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 is the immersion treatment apparatus provided with the treatment tank capable of storing the treatment liquid, wherein the workpiece passes through the front portion and / or the rear portion of the treatment vessel in the workpiece conveyance direction. A gate device having a possible opening is provided to be openable and closable, and the gate device includes a bag-like gate member that expands or contracts by press-fitting or discharging gas or liquid to open and close the opening.

  According to the above configuration, the plate-like gate member can be mechanically moved by sliding or rotating, as well as being able to hold the workpiece in a vertical state and introduce or carry it out of the immersion tank without raising or lowering the workpiece. Compared to a gate device that opens and closes, the number of parts can be reduced to simplify the structure, the seal structure can be simplified, and maintenance can be performed easily. Furthermore, a series of gates can be opened and closed in a short time of about 15 seconds, for example, the number of workpieces that can be transferred in a predetermined time can be increased, and the productivity of the apparatus can be increased.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the immersion treatment apparatus according to the first aspect, the gate device expands by press-fitting a gas or liquid, closes the opening, and contracts by discharging the gas or liquid. And a bag-like gate member for opening the opening.

  When the opening is closed by inflating the bag-like gate member as in the above configuration, the opening can be reliably sealed with a simple structure using the flexibility of the bag-like gate member.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the immersion treatment apparatus according to the first or second aspect, a gate member accommodating portion for accommodating a bag-shaped gate member is formed around the opening, and the gate member accommodating portion and the opening A slit that allows the bag-like gate member to protrude into the opening when inflated is formed.

  According to the above configuration, at the time of expansion, the bag-like gate member can be reliably projected into the opening through the slit, and the opening can be closed.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the immersion treatment apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, the gate device is provided on a tank wall of the treatment tank.

  With the above configuration, the number of parts can be reduced to simplify the structure, the seal structure can be simplified, and maintenance can be performed easily.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the immersion treatment apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the gate device is a tank wall of a box tank provided before and / or after the processing tank in the workpiece transfer direction. Is provided.

  According to the above configuration, the processing liquid can be prevented from splashing around when the gate device is opened and closed. For example, even when processing a thin workpiece having a thickness of 0.1 mm or less, it can be safely placed in the processing tank. Can be dipped.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the immersion treatment apparatus according to the fifth aspect, a discharge port plug is provided at the bottom of the box tank so as to be openable and closable.

  According to the said structure, the process liquid in a process tank can be discharged | emitted quickly at a desired time, without using a pump, and the efficiency of a process operation improves.

  In short, according to the invention, it is possible to provide a dipping apparatus having a simple structure, easy sealing, and durability.

[First Embodiment]
FIGS. 1-13 shows an example of the immersion processing apparatus provided with the gate apparatus concerning this invention, and is the example applied to the electroplating apparatus.

(Outline of overall plating equipment)
FIG. 1 is a plan view of the entire electroplating apparatus. On a plating processing line configured in a generally oval shape, an arrow is drawn from a load portion 10 at one end portion (right end portion in FIG. 1) in the longitudinal direction of the processing line. In the F direction (clockwise direction), a pretreatment tank (shower tank) 11 in a pretreatment process, an empty stage 12, a box tank 13, a plating tank 14 in an electroplating process, a box tank 15 in an aftertreatment process, an empty stage 16, First post-treatment tank (shower tank) 17, second post-treatment tank (recovery tank) 18 at the other end in the longitudinal direction, unloading section 19, empty stage 20 in the peeling process (hanger return process), box tank 21, a peeling tank 22, a box tank 23, an empty stage 24, and a post-peeling treatment tank (shower room) 25. Box tanks 13, 15, 21, and 23 are adjacent to each other before and after the plating tank 14 and the peeling tank 22, which are immersion treatment tanks, in the workpiece conveyance direction. The inlet of the peeling tank 22 is also used, and the inlets of the box tanks 15 and 23 are also used as the outlets of the plating tank 14 and the peeling tank 22.

  An oblong guide rail 27 is laid on the inner peripheral side of the plating line, and a number of transport hangers 28 are supported on the guide rail 27 so as to be movable in the rail length direction.

  In order to move the transport hanger 28 in the horizontal direction on the inner peripheral side of the guide rail 27, a plurality of independent transport devices 31, 32,. Of the transfer devices 31, 32,..., 40, linear actuator type reciprocating intake transfer devices 31, 32, 33, and 34 are respectively provided at positions corresponding to the box tanks 13, 15, 21, and 23. It is arranged. A position corresponding to the pretreatment tank 11 and the empty stage 12 in the pretreatment process, a position corresponding to the plating tank 14, a position corresponding to the empty stage 16 and the first posttreatment tank 17 in the posttreatment process, and a peeling process The position corresponding to the empty stage 20, the position corresponding to the peeling tank 22, and the position corresponding to the empty stage 24 and the post-peeling treatment tank 25 are respectively chain conveyor type continuous transfer devices 35, 36, 37, 38. , 39, 40 are arranged. Further, during the post-processing step, the first post-treatment tank 17 passes through the second post-treatment tank 18 and reaches the unload section 19, and the separation post-treatment tank 25 passes through the load section 10 and reaches the pre-treatment tank 11. Although not shown, a pusher device that pushes the transport hanger is arranged. In FIG. 1, each section A1 to A6 indicated by a double line arrow indicates a transfer section by the chain conveyor type continuous transfer devices 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, and 40, and each section B1 indicated by a dashed arrow. B represents a conveyance section by the linear actuator type take-in conveyance apparatuses 31, 32, 33, and 34, and sections C1, C2, C3, and C4 indicated by solid lines represent conveyance sections by the pusher device.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic enlarged vertical sectional view of the plating tank 14, the post-treatment step box tank 15, the empty stage 16, and the first post-treatment tank 17 in FIG. 1, and the plating tank 14, box tank 15, empty stage, and The first post-treatment tank 17 is placed on a gantry 42 having a constant height, and a preliminary tank 43 is disposed in the gantry 42. A column tank 47 having a predetermined volume is disposed above the box tank 15 via a gantry (not shown).

  The bottom wall of the box tank 15 is provided with a discharge port plug 46 that can be opened and closed. The discharge port plug 46 is provided with an operation portion 46 a for opening and closing the discharge port plug 46. A pipe 48 is disposed between the preliminary tank 43 and the column tank 47, and a pump 49 and a filter 50 for introducing a plating solution (treatment liquid) from the preliminary tank 43 to the column tank 47 are provided in the pipe 48. Is provided. At the bottom of the column tank 47, a discharge port plug 51 capable of supplying the processing liquid to the box tank 15 from above is provided to be openable and closable.

  Two pipes 55 and 56 are arranged in parallel between the preliminary tank 43 and the plating tank 14, and a pump 57 for supplying a plating solution from the preliminary tank 43 to the plating tank 14 in any of the pipes 55 and 56, 59 and filters 58 and 60 are provided. One pipe 55 is for maintaining the liquid level of the plating tank 14 at a predetermined height when the gate of the box tank 15 is opened and closed, and the other pipe 56 is for circulating the plating solution. A discharge pipe 44 for discharging the plating solution to the preliminary tank 43 is provided at the bottom of the empty stage 16, and an overflow pipe 61 for discharging the overflowing plating solution to the preliminary tank 43 is further provided in the plating tank 14. Is also provided.

(Transport hanger)
3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the transport hanger 28 taken along the line III-III of FIG. 2. The transport hanger 28 includes a movable base 63 supported on the guide rail 27 so as to be movable in the length direction of the guide rail, and the movable base. 63, an arm portion 64 extending horizontally in a direction substantially perpendicular to the guide rail 27, and a work suspension portion 65 extending downward from the distal end portion of the arm portion 64. A suspension pin 66 and a clamp 67 are provided. An engagement hole at the upper end of a workpiece (for example, a circuit board) W is engaged with the suspension pin 66 and is held by a clamp 67 so as not to fall off. The suspended workpiece W is electrically connected to the guide rail 27 via the suspension portion 65 and an appropriate conductive mechanism (not shown), and electricity is supplied from the guide rail 27. A support shaft 70 extending horizontally in the opposite direction to the arm portion 64 is fixed to the upper surface of the movable base 63, so that the sprocket 71 rotates only in one direction via the one-way clutch 72. It is supported. Specifically, in FIG. 2, the sprocket 71 is configured to rotate in the direction of the arrow R but not to rotate in the direction of the opposite arrow R.

(Transport device)
In FIG. 2, the chain conveyor type continuous conveyance devices 36 and 37 are composed of a drive sprocket 73, a driven sprocket 74, and a conveyance chain 75 (FIG. 3) wound between the sprockets 73 and 74. The sprocket 71 of the transport hanger 28 is engaged with the upper traveling portion of the transport chain 75. As described above, the transport hanger 28 includes the one-way clutch 72 (FIG. 3), so that the transport hanger 28 moves together with the upper portion of the transport chain 75 in the direction of arrow F in FIG. It is like that.

  In FIG. 2, the linear actuator type take-in and transport device 32 has a slider 77 supported on a guide portion 76 arranged in parallel with the guide rail 27 so as to be movable in parallel with the guide rail 27. Although not shown, the guide portion 76 is reciprocated by a screw feed mechanism and a servo motor provided in the guide portion 76.

  4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 2, and a support shaft 78 extending substantially horizontally toward the transport hanger 28 is fixed to the slider 77, and the support shaft 78 is extended downward. A claw 79 is supported so as to be rotatable around a support shaft 78. The take-in pawl 79 is locked from the counter arrow S direction side in the state shown in FIG. 2 by a stopper (not shown), and is engaged with the support shaft 70 of the transport hanger 28 from the counter arrow F direction side. The movement hanger 28 is moved in the direction of arrow F via the take-in claw 79 by the movement of 77 in the direction of arrow F. When the slider 77 moves in the direction opposite to the arrow F with respect to the transport hanger 28, the take-in pawl 79 rotates in the arrow S direction so as to get over the support shaft 78 of the transport hanger 28.

(Gate device)
FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view of the box tank 15 in the post-processing step and the plating tank 14 and the empty stage 16 before and after the box tank 15. A pair of left and right box portions 15a are arranged at intervals, and the workpiece W passes between the left and right box portions 15a. A plating tank wall 82 between the plating tank 14 and the box tank 15 (a tank wall that also serves as an inlet tank wall of the box tank 15) 82 and a box tank wall 83 at the box tank outlet between the box tank 15 and the empty stage 16. Gate devices 84 and 85 are provided respectively. By providing the box portion 15a, the amount of the liquid supplied to the box tank 15 is reduced, the fluctuation of the plating liquid when the gate device 84 is opened and closed can be reduced, and the discharge time of the plating liquid supplied to the box tank 15 is reduced. Can be shortened.

  6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5, FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5 of the gate device 84 alone, and FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. The gate device 84 includes a gate body 90 having a substantially rectangular shape, and a bag-like gate member 91 that is housed in the gate body 90 and can be expanded and contracted. A substantially vertical slit-shaped opening 88 extending in the vertical direction is formed. As shown in FIG. 6, the gate body 90 is fixed in a liquid-tight state to the plating tank wall 82 by a plurality of bolts 92 and nuts. The opening 88 has a lateral width larger than the thickness of the work W so that the work W can pass in a vertical orientation, and the upper end of the opening 88 has a suspension part 65 and a clamp 67 of the transport hanger 28. Inverted triangular-shaped enlarged portion 89 that extends upward is formed. As the inverted triangular shape of the enlarged portion 89 that spreads upward, it is preferable that the apex angle of the upper end position of the opening 88 be as acute as possible. For example, it can be set to 20 to 60 degrees. If the angle becomes too acute, there is a risk of contact with the clamp 67. If the angle becomes too wide, the upper end of the opening 88 is inflated by injecting air into the bag-like gate member 91 as will be described later. There is a possibility that the liquid sealability at the part may be lowered.

  An air inlet pipe 94 and an air outlet pipe 95 are respectively provided on the right end and the left end of the gate body 90, and the air inlet pipe 94 is connected to the air pump 96 and one of the bag-like gate members 91. The air outlet pipe 95 is connected to the other end of the bag-like gate member 91 and communicates with, for example, the atmosphere via an opening / closing valve 97. The bag-like gate member 91 is attached to the air inlet pipe 94 and the air outlet pipe 95 in a state in which the bag-like gate member 91 is pulled slightly.

  FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the gate device 84. The gate main body 90 is formed by attaching a pair of front and rear plate members 90a and 90b with a plurality of bolts 100 (only some are shown) and nuts 101 (only some are shown). Gate member housing grooves 98a and 98b are formed on the left and right sides of the opening 88 and the enlarged portion 89 on the mating surfaces of the two plate-like members 90a and 90b. A gate member storage portion 98 is configured by combining the storage grooves 98a and 98b (FIG. 8). The gate member storage portion 98 is connected to the lower side of the opening 88 in a substantially arc shape, extends horizontally to the left and right at the upper end portion of each enlarged portion 89, opens at the left and right ends, An air outlet pipe 95 and an air inlet pipe 94 are fixed.

  When replacing the bag-shaped gate member 91, the old gate-shaped gate member 91 may be pulled out of the gate member storage portion 98 and replaced with a new bag-shaped gate member. After the gate member 91 is replaced, the gate main body 90 may be assembled again and attached to the plating tank wall 82.

  It is preferable that the portion connected in a substantially circular arc shape below the opening 88 is as close as possible to the gate member storage portions 98 provided on both sides of the opening 88 in the vicinity of the opening 88. For example, the angle θ1 is preferably set to 45 degrees at the maximum, in order to improve the liquid sealing property at the lower end of the opening 88 when the bag-like gate member 91 is expanded.

  As the bag-like gate member 91 housed in the gate member housing portion 98, for example, a rubber-like elastic tube having corrosion resistance is used, and the bag-like gate member 91 substantially corresponds to the gate member housing portion 98. The shape is adjusted to the shape to be stored and is stored in the gate member storage portion 98. The bag-like gate member 91 expands when air is press-fitted from the air pump 96 through the air inlet pipe 94 with the opening / closing valve 97 closed, while the opening / closing valve 97 is opened to open the air outlet pipe 95. It contracts when air is exhausted from it.

  The material of the bag-shaped gate member 91 is not particularly limited as long as it is a resin, but is resistant to chemicals, durable enough to withstand repeated expansion and contraction, stretchability, and a gate body 90 and a slit 102 (described later) when expanded (FIG. 10). It is preferable to determine in consideration of wear resistance and surface smoothness that can withstand wear due to friction. For example, EPDM, tetrafluoroethylene resin, polyethylene, polypropylene, soft vinyl chloride, natural rubber, and the like can be used when used in an immersion tank that stores acidic and alkaline treatment liquids. A candy rubber can also be employed in a dipping tank for storing water, such as a washing tank.

  10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line XX of FIG. 7. In FIG. 10, the outer diameter of the bag-shaped gate member 91 can be appropriately selected according to the width of the slit 102 and the width of the closing portion 88 described later. If the outer diameter of the bag-shaped gate member 91 is too small, the liquid sealability cannot be improved unless the width of the closing portion 88 is reduced, and a work such as a printed circuit board that passes through the closing portion 88 is transferred to the gate device 84. There is a risk of touching and scratching. On the other hand, if the outer diameter of the bag-shaped gate member 91 is too large, a large-capacity air pump must be used, and the front and rear width of the gate device 84 increases, resulting in an excessive device size. For example, when the workpiece W is a printed circuit board, it can be 10 to 30 mm. The outer diameter of the bag-shaped gate member 91 can be increased as the width of the closing portion 88 is increased, and can be decreased as the closing portion 88 is not decreased.

  The gate member storage portion 98 is formed in an oval shape whose cross-sectional shape is long to the left and right, and the end of the gate member storage portion 98 on the opening side is along the length direction of the gate member storage portion 98. A slit 102 narrower than the front-rear width of the gate member storage portion 98 is formed, and the inside of the gate member storage portion 98 communicates with the opening 88 through the slit 102.

  The shape of the gate member storage portion 98 in the cross section shown in FIG. 10 is preferably a shape having no corners. Thereby, durability of the bag-shaped gate member 91 can be improved. Specifically, the shape can be a combination of an arc, an elliptic arc, a parabola, and the like, and examples thereof include a circle, an ellipse, and an oval formed by combining an arc, an ellipse arc, and a parabola. In particular, an oval shape or an oval shape (provided that a slit is provided at a sharp point) is preferable, so that the bag-shaped gate member 91 can reliably protrude from the slit 102 and the gate member storage portion when exhausted. It is surely accommodated in 98.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the gate member storage portion 98 does not have a gap between the bag-shaped gate member 91 when the bag-shaped gate member 91 is stored. Thereby, the air pump can be miniaturized and the gate opening / closing time can be shortened.

  The width of the slit 102 can be appropriately determined according to the outer diameter of the bag-shaped gate member 91 and the width of the closing portion 88, but if the width of the slit 102 is too small, the durability of the bag-shaped gate member 91 may be impaired. If it is too wide, the liquid sealability of the gate may be deteriorated. When the workpiece W is a printed board, it is preferably 10 to 15 mm.

  The width of the closing portion 88 can be appropriately determined according to the width of the work W to be passed (width in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction F). However, if the width of the closing portion 88 is too narrow, the work W and the gate device come into contact with each other. The workpiece W may be damaged, and if it is too wide, the outer diameter of the bag-like gate member 91 is increased to obtain a liquid sealing property, and the apparatus becomes excessive, such as a large-capacity air pump must be used. Since there is a fear, it is preferable to determine in consideration of these. When the work W is a printed board, the width of the closing portion 88 is preferably 10 to 15 mm.

  When air is not press-fitted into the bag-shaped gate member 91, as shown in FIG. 10, the bag-shaped gate member 91 is entirely accommodated in the gate member storage portion 98, and the opening 88 is thereby opened. Yes. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11, when air is press-fitted into the bag-shaped gate member 91, the bag-shaped gate member 91 expands, and part of the bag-shaped gate member 91 projects into the opening 88 through the slit 102. When the protruding portions into the opening 88 are pressed against each other, the opening 88 is closed.

  As described above, since the bag-like gate member 91 is attached so as to be slightly tensioned, when the air is discharged, the bag-like gate member 91 that is inflated and protrudes from the slit 102 is surely received. Yes.

  The air to be injected is appropriately selected depending on the width of the opening 88, the width of the slit 102, and the material / outer diameter of the bag-shaped gate member 91. The bag-shaped gate member 91 is 1 from the center of the left and right width of the closing portion 88. It is preferable to supply so that it protrudes by about 2 mm. The center of the width of the closing portion 88 here means a boundary where the bag-shaped gate member 91 is pressed against each other to perform liquid sealing. For example, a bag-shaped gate member made of different materials is used for the left and right. When a large amount of one of the bag-shaped gate members is projected, a boundary where the bag-shaped gate members are pressed against each other when air is press-fitted can be used as a reference.

  A gate device 85 between the box tank 15 and the empty stage 16 shown in FIG. 5 has the same structure as the gate device 84 between the box tank 15 and the plating tank 14. Moreover, the gate apparatus similar to the gate apparatus 84 is also provided in the other box tanks 13, 21, and 22 in the plating apparatus of FIG. Further, it can be provided in each empty stage 11, 17, 20, 24.

(Description of operation)
Since the plating process and the subsequent hanger peeling process are well known in the art, they will be described very simply. In FIG. 1, a workpiece W before plating treatment is suspended on a transport hanger 28 by a load unit 10, and the transport hanger 28 and the workpiece W are transported into the pretreatment tank 11 by a pusher device, and the sprocket 71 of the transport hanger 28 is moved forward. The processing tank 11 is engaged with the start end of the transport chain 75 of the continuous transport device 35.

  The workpiece W is moved forward by moving the transport hanger 27 from the continuous transport device 35 in the direction of the arrow F sequentially by the capture transport device 31, the continuous transport device 36, the capture transport device 32, and the continuous transport device 37. It passes through the processing tank 11, the empty stage 12, the box tank 13, the plating tank 14, the box tank 15, the empty stage 16, and the first post-treatment tank 17, or stops at a predetermined processing position for a predetermined time, and is subjected to pretreatment and plating. Post-processing such as processing and cleaning is performed. The workpiece after the plating process is completed is conveyed to the unloading section 19 via the second post-treatment tank 18 by a pusher device (not shown), and the workpiece W after the plating process is removed from the conveyance hanger 28.

  The transport hanger 28 after removing the workpiece W is next engaged with the chain conveyor 75 of the continuous transport device 38 of the empty stage 20 in the peeling process, and the sprocket 71 is moved from the continuous transport device 38 in the direction of arrow F. In order, these are moved by the take-in transport device 33, the continuous transport device 39, the take-in transport device 34, and the continuous transport device 40, and the deposits are peeled off, washed, and returned to the load unit 10 again.

  In the plating process, for example, when the workpiece W is moved horizontally from the plating tank 14 to the box tank 15 in the plating process, or horizontally moved from the box tank 15 to the empty stage 16, as shown in FIG. When the bag-shaped gate member 91 of the gate device 84 is evacuated, the opening 88 is opened, the workpiece W is passed through the opened opening 88, and when the workpiece W has passed, the bag-shaped gate member 91 is opened as shown in FIG. By injecting air into the gate member 91, the bag-like gate member 91 is inflated and protruded from the slit 102, whereby the opening 88 is closed and leakage of the liquid is prevented.

[Example of workpiece transfer using opening and closing of gate device]
12 to 14 show the relationship between the transfer (transfer) of the workpiece W between the plating tank 14, the box tank 15, and the empty stage 16 and the opening / closing operation of the gate devices 84 and 85. In addition, when the gate devices 84 and 85 are open, cross hatching is performed, and when the gate devices 84 and 85 are closed, they are shown in white.

(1) In FIG. 12, a plating solution from a column tank (not shown) is supplied into the box tank 15 in advance. The gate device 84 between the plating tank 14 and the box tank 15 is opened, the gate device 85 between the box tank 15 and the empty stage 16 is closed, and the most box tank among the transport hangers 28 in the plating tank 14. The take-in pawl 79 of the slider 77 of the take-in transport device 32 is engaged with the support shaft 70 of the transport hanger (shown by an imaginary line) 28 located on the 15th side (arrow F direction side) from the opposite arrow F direction side. Then, by moving the slider 77 in the direction of the arrow F, the workpiece W is moved in the direction of the arrow F together with the transport hanger 28 and is transported into the box tank 15 through the opening 88 (FIG. 6) of the gate device 84. Stop in the box tank 15.

(2) In FIG. 13, the gate device 84 between the plating tank 14 and the box tank 15 is closed, and the plating solution in the box tank 15 is discharged.

(3) In FIG. 14, by opening the gate device 85 between the box tank 15 and the empty stage 16, and moving the slider 77 in the direction of arrow F, the work W is moved in the direction of arrow F together with the transport hanger 28. It passes through the opening 88 of the gate device 85 and is transported into the empty stage 16. Thereafter, the gate device 85 is closed. The transport hanger 28 transported into the empty stage 16 is transported by the continuous transport device 37.

(4) After transporting the transport hanger 28 into the empty stage 16, the slider 77 moves in the opposite arrow F direction and returns to above the plating tank 14. At this time, the take-in pawl 79 of the slider 77 gets over the support shaft 70 of the next transport hanger 28 in the plating tank 14 and engages with the support shaft 70 from the side opposite to the arrow F direction.

(An example of controlling the amount of plating solution in the box tank)
FIGS. 15-18 has shown the liquid quantity control of the plating solution at the time of moving the workpiece | work W to the plating tank 14, the box tank 15, and the empty stage 16 one by one. 15 to 18, the pumps 49, 57, and 59 are cross-hatched in the operating state, and are white in the stopped state, and the outlet plugs 46 and 51 are in the open state. Is shown in white, and in the closed state, it is shown in cross hatching.

(1) FIG. 15 shows a state immediately after the workpiece W processed in the box tank 15 is transferred to the empty stage 16, and the gate device 85 between the box tank 15 and the empty stage 16 is opened, and the plating tank 14 and the box The gate device 84 between the tank 15 is closed.

  The liquid circulation pump 57 of the plating tank 14 is operating, but the level maintaining pump 59 and the column tank pump 49 are stopped. Further, the outlet plug 51 of the column tank 47 and the outlet plug 46 of the box tank 15 are both closed. In the state of FIG. 15, the plating process in the plating tank 14 is continued. The column tank 47 is in a state where a predetermined amount of plating solution is stored.

(2) FIG. 16 shows a state before transferring the workpiece W next to the plating tank 14 to the box tank 15 after transferring the workpiece W to the empty stage 16 as shown in FIG. The gate devices 84 and 85 before and after are closed, and the circulation pump 57 for the plating tank is operating, but the level maintaining pump 59 and the column tank pump 49 are stopped.

  In the state of FIG. 16, by opening the outlet port 51 of the column tank 47, a predetermined amount of the plating solution stored in the column tank 47 is supplied to the box tank 15 at once, and is placed in the box tank 15. A fixed amount of plating solution is stored.

(3) In FIG. 17, after discharging the plating solution from the column tank 47 to the box tank 15 as shown in FIG. 16, the gate device 84 between the box tank 15 and the plating tank 14 is opened, 15 shows a state immediately after the work W is transferred to 15. The pumps 49, 57, 59 are all in operation. The plating solution is replenished from the reserve tank 43 to the column tank 47 by the column tank pump 49, and the level maintaining pump 59 is used to supply the plating solution from the reserve tank 43. The plating solution is replenished to the plating tank 14, and the plating solution is circulated by the circulation pump 57. The outlet plugs 51 and 46 of the column tank 47 and the box tank 15 are both closed.

  In the state of FIG. 17, the plating solution is supplied from the plating vessel 14 to the box vessel 15 through the opening 88 of the gate device 84, and the plating solution is stored in the box vessel 15 to the same level as the plating vessel 14. .

(4) In FIG. 18, after the workpiece W is processed in the box tank 15, by opening the discharge port plug 46 at the bottom of the box tank 15, the plating solution in the box tank 15 is discharged to the preliminary tank 43 below at once. It shows the state.

  The level maintaining pump 59 of the plating tank 14 is stopped, but the circulation pump 57 for the plating tank is operating. Further, the replenishment of the plating solution from the preliminary tank 43 to the column tank 47 by the column tank pump 49 is continued.

  After the plating solution is discharged from the box tank 15 as shown in FIG. 18, the state returns to the state shown in FIG.

(Effect of embodiment)
(1) As shown in FIG. 5, a gate device 84 for passing a workpiece disposed between the plating tank 14 and the box tank 15 where the plating solution is stored, or between the box tank 15 and the empty stage 16, 85 includes a bag-like gate member 91 that expands by press-fitting air and closes the opening 88 of the gate devices 84 and 85 and contracts by discharging air to open the opening 88 as a gate member. Therefore, compared to the conventional gate device that mechanically opens and closes a plate-like gate member by a sliding method or a rotating method, there is no risk of corrosion or the like of a sliding part or a rotating part, and durability is improved. As well as improving the sealing performance, the structure is not complicated.

  In addition, a series of gate opening and closing operations can be performed in a short time such as within 15 seconds, the number of workpieces that can be conveyed in a predetermined time can be increased, and the productivity of the apparatus can be increased.

(2) A gate member accommodating portion 98 for accommodating the bag-shaped gate member 91 is formed around the opening 88, and the bag-shaped gate member is expanded between the gate member accommodating portion 98 and the opening 88 when expanded. Since 91 forms the slit 102 which can protrude in the opening part 88, at the time of expansion | swelling, the bag-like gate member 91 can be reliably protruded in the opening part 88 through the slit 102, and the opening part 88 can be closed. .

(3) Since a discharge port plug 46 for discharging the plating solution in the box tank 15 is provided at the bottom of the box tank 15 as shown in FIG. 2, the plating solution in the box tank 15 is used with a pump. It can be discharged quickly without increasing the efficiency of the processing work.

[Second Embodiment]
19 to 23 show another example of the gate device. In FIG. 19 showing a schematic front view, the gate device 200 includes a single gate body 201 and a pair of left and right gate member storage boxes 203 fixed to the left and right sides of the concave portion at the center of the left and right width of the gate body 201. It is comprised from the bag-shaped gate member 204 accommodated in this gate member storage box 203, respectively.

  The gate member storage box 203 is arranged with a predetermined gap in the left-right direction, and an opening 205 for passing a workpiece is formed between the gate member storage boxes 203. The opening 205 is formed to have a uniform lateral width from the upper end of the gate body 201 to a predetermined depth, and no enlarged portion is formed at the upper end as in the above embodiment. A lid 206 is attached to the upper end of each gate member storage box 203, a pipe 210 is connected to each lid 206, and each pipe is independently connected to an air pump 211. The lower end portion of each gate member storage box 203 is also closed by the bottom lid 207.

  FIG. 20 is a partial perspective view of the gate device 200. A vertical slit 214 communicating with the opening 205 and the inside of the gate member storage box 203 is linearly formed on the side wall of each gate member storage box 203 on the opening 205 side. Is formed.

  FIG. 21 is an enlarged horizontal cross-sectional view of the gate member storage box 203. The cross-sectional shape of the inner surface of the gate member storage box 203 is substantially circular, and a bag-like gate member 204 made of rubber tube is formed in the circular inner space. Is stored.

  FIG. 22 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the upper end portion of the gate member storage box 203. The upper end portion of the bag-like gate member 204 stored in the gate member storage box 203 is in an open state, The folded portion 204a is sandwiched between the inner peripheral surface of the upper lid 206 and the outer peripheral surface of the upper end fitting portion 203a of the gate member storage box 203, whereby the bag-shaped gate member 204 is folded back. Is sealed in an airtight state.

  Since the gate device 200 shown in FIGS. 19 to 23 includes a pair of bag-like gate members 204 independently, air is injected from the air pump 211 (FIG. 19) for each bag-like gate member 204. In this way, a part of the bag-like gate member 204 protrudes from the slit 214 into the opening 205 and the protruding portions are pressed against each other to close the opening 20.

  When the gate member storage box 203 separate from the gate main body 201 is attached to the gate main body 201 as in the embodiment of FIGS. 19 to 23, the gate member storage is performed during maintenance of the bag-shaped gate member 204. Maintenance can be performed simply by removing the box 203 from the gate body 201.

[Third Embodiment]
FIGS. 24 to 42 show still another embodiment of the gate device, and the box tank in which the gate device is stored also has a structure different from that of the first embodiment. The box tank 15, the left and right box portions 15 a, the plating tank wall 82, the box tank wall 83, the plating tank 14 before and after the box tank 15, and the empty stage 16 are denoted by the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment. ing.

(Configuration of box tank)
FIG. 24 shows a plan view of the box tank 15. In FIG. 24, a large number of left and right roller pairs 301 are arranged in the direction of arrow F in the workpiece passage space P formed between the left and right box portions 15 a. Arranged at a predetermined interval, the workpiece W passes between the left and right rollers 301 to regulate the swing of the workpiece W during conveyance and when the box tank 15 is filled with the plating solution. Each box portion 15a is provided with a lid 302 that can be opened and closed on the wall facing the workpiece passage space P. By opening the lid 302, the plating solution in the box portion 15a is transferred to the workpiece passage space P. Thus, the box portion 15a serves as a substitute for the column tank 47 (FIG. 2) of the first embodiment. Each lid 302 is configured to rotate around a vertical hinge portion 302a, and a cylinder 303, a drive arm 304, and the like are provided as a driving device that opens and closes each lid 302.

  27 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XXVII-XXVII in FIG. 24. The drive arm 304 is formed in an L shape, and a rotation 306 fixed to a central bent portion is rotatably supported by a support base 307. The lower end of the drive arm 304 is engaged with the drive piece 305 provided on the lid 302 by protruding through the engagement hole 305a, and the tip of the horizontal protrusion is the rod portion of the cylinder 303. It is pivotally connected to 303a. By extending the rod portion 303a of each cylinder 303, each lid 302 is opened via each drive arm 304 and each drive piece 305, while each rod 302 is retracted by contracting the rod portion 303a of each cylinder 303. It is supposed to close. At this time, the lower end of the drive arm 304 is moved up and down by the rotation, and the drive piece 305 is moved laterally by the rotation of the lid 302 and the engagement position is displaced. However, the drive arm 304 is moved through the engagement hole 305a. Since the lower end portion of the downward projecting portion is engaged only by projecting, and the lower end portion of the drive arm 304 is movable in the engagement hole 305a, the shift of the engagement device is absorbed. .

(Configuration of gate device)
FIG. 26 is a front view showing a state in the middle of attaching the gate device 310 to the box tank wall 83. A gate device mounting hole 311 having a uniform left and right width and extending in the vertical direction is formed at the center of the left and right width of the box tank wall 83, and the lower end portion of the gate device mounting hole 311 is substantially semicircular. Is formed. As shown in FIG. 25, which shows the box tank wall 83 with the gate device 310 attached, the gate device 310 includes a rectangular gate body 312 that is long in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 32, which is an enlarged sectional view of XXXII-XXXII in FIG. 26, a groove 315 that engages with the inner peripheral edge of the gate device mounting hole 311 of the box tank wall 83 is formed. As can be seen from FIG. 26, the gate main body 312 is attached to the box tank wall 83 by an insertion method.

  Returning to FIG. 25, with the groove 315 of the gate body 312 engaged with the inner peripheral edge of the gate device mounting hole 311, the gate body 312 is inserted into the gate device mounting hole 311 from above, and the upper end of the gate body 312 is The gate body 312 is attached to the box tank wall 83 by fixing the fixture 320 fixed to the left and right to the upper end of the box tank wall 83 with a bolt 321.

  As in the first embodiment, the gate main body 312 has a substantially vertical slit-like opening 330 extending in the vertical direction at the center of the left and right width, and the upper end of the opening 330 has an upward An inverted triangle-shaped enlarged portion 331 that spreads out is formed. Gate member storage portions 333 are formed along the left and right sides of the opening 330 and the enlarged portion 331. The gate member storage portion 333 is connected to the left side of the opening 330 in a circular arc shape, and the gate member storage portion 333 is formed. A bag-like gate member 322 made of a rubber tube similar to that of the first embodiment is accommodated therein.

  The left and right upper ends of the gate member storage portion 333 are interrupted at a position below the upper end edge of the gate body 312 by a certain distance, and the bag-like gate member 322 stored in the gate member storage portion 333 has a left upper end portion 322b. The right upper end 322a is closed by the fixture 412 and connected to the air pump 337 via the air passage 401 formed in the gate body 312.

  That is, the bag-like gate member 322 expands the bag-like gate member 322 by press-fitting air with the air pump 337, thereby closing the opening 330, and conversely, the air pump 337 causes the air in the bag-like gate member 322 to air. Is opened to open the opening 330. As shown in FIG. 32, the gate main body 312 is configured by bonding two front and rear main body members 312a and 312b, and a slit 334 is formed on the opening 330 side of the gate member storage portion 333. Is formed.

  As described above, the gate device 310 seals the fitting portion between the gate main body 312 and the gate device mounting hole 311 of the box tank wall 83 in addition to the bag-shaped gate member 322 for opening and closing the opening 330. A bag-like seal member 323 that can be expanded and contracted along the fitting portion is provided.

(Attachment structure of bag-like seal member)
In FIG. 32, a small groove-like seal member storage portion 335 having a narrower front-rear width and left-right width than the groove 315 is formed at the bottom of the groove 315 of the gate body 312. The bag-like seal member 323 is accommodated. The bag-like seal member 323 is made of a rubber tube, like the bag-like gate member.

  FIG. 29 shows the structure of the upper end portion of the bag-shaped seal member 323. The fixing tool 320 is fixed to the left and right end portions of the upper end of the gate body 312 with bolts 351. The upper end, for example, the left upper end is closed by engaging a protrusion 320a formed on the left fixture 320 into the seal member storage portion 335 of the gate body 312. On the other hand, the upper end portion on the right side is also closed by engaging the protrusion 320a formed on the right fixture 320 with the upper part in the seal member storage portion 335 of the gate body 312. The upper right end portion communicates with the fixed air pump 341 via an air passage 340 formed in the right fixture 320.

  As shown in FIG. 25, the bag-like seal member 323 is arranged along the inner peripheral edge of the gate attachment hole 311, and the upper end is fixed by a fixture 320. Here, when the bag-like seal member 323 is fixed, the bag-like seal member 323 is fixed in a state where tension is applied (a state where both upper ends are pulled and a load is applied).

  The communication structure between the right upper end portion of the bag-like seal member 323 and the air passage 340 of the fixture 320 will be described in detail. In FIG. 30, the right upper end portion of the bag-like seal member 323 has a certain distance from the upper edge. A slit-like air inlet 342 is formed at a lower position, and air is supplied from the air inlet 342 into the bag-like seal member 323. In FIG. 31, a joint (not shown) is connected and fixed to the upper end of the air passage 340, and an air tube connected to the air pump 341 is connected to the joint.

  40 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XXXX-XXXX of FIG. 29. In FIG. 40, a bag-like seal member 323 is arranged so that the air inlet 342 faces the air passage 340, and the fixture 320 is tightened with a bolt 351. Thus, the protrusion 320a is fixed to the bottom portion of the seal member storage portion 335 having the expansion portion 335a in a state where the tip portion of the bag-like seal member 323 is pressed and closed.

  In FIG. 41, the bag-like seal member 323 and the fixture 320 are removed from the gate body 312, and the three members are arranged side by side in order to clarify the positional relationship and the size relationship of the three members 312, 320, and 323 in the vertical direction. It is a figure and the gate main body 312 and the bag-shaped sheet member 323 are the figures seen from the arrow D1 direction of FIG. 40, and the fixture 320 has shown the figure seen from the arrow D2 direction of FIG. As can be seen from FIG. 41, the extended portion 335a of the gate main body 312 shown on the left side has a keyhole shape, and the lower end thereof is the lower end of the fixture 320 in the attached state shown in the center. It extends below (height H1). The circular portion on the upper side of the extended portion 335 a of the gate body 312 is substantially the same size as the air passage 340.

  In addition, the air inlet 342 of the bag-like seal member 323 illustrated on the right side of FIG. 41 is sized to fit within the closed portion of the air passage 340. Therefore, the bag-like seal member 323 is pressed and closed between the protrusion 320a of the fixture 320 and the bottom of the seal member storage portion 335 in the hatched region in the figure.

  The air inlet 342 is closed so that air is securely supplied from the air inlet 342 into the bag-like seal member 323, and the supplied air easily enters the upper end of the bag-like seal member 323. In addition, a non-crimped portion (a portion without hatching) that becomes an easily expandable region is provided, and furthermore, the air supplied to the inside of the upper end of the bag-like seal member 323 is surely introduced into the lower end portion. By extending the lower end downward from the lower end of the fixture 320 in the attached state, as shown in FIG. 31, an air flow path is formed in the bag-like seal member 323 by the press-fitted air, and the bag-like seal Air is supplied into the member 323.

  Air is always press-fitted into the bag-like seal member 323 by the air pump 341, and thereby the space between the gate body 312 and the box tank wall 83 is always sealed in a liquid-tight state.

  As described above, since the bag-like seal member 323 is fixed in a tensioned state, the bag-like seal member 323 is surely expanded so as to protrude from the seal member storage portion 335, and the inner peripheral edge of the gate device attachment hole 311 is expanded. It can be sealed uniformly in a liquid-tight state as a whole.

(Attachment structure of bag-shaped gate member)
FIG. 33 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line XXXIII-XXXIII of FIG. 25 and shows a state in which the gate body 312 is disassembled. The gate member storage portion 333 is configured by combining the front and rear gate member storage grooves 333a and 333b, and the bag-shaped gate member 322 made of a rubber tube is stored in the gate member storage portion 333.

  The air passage 401 is formed in a penetrating state at a position a certain distance above the upper end of the gate member housing groove 333b of one main body member 312b, and a portion of the bag-like gate member 322 is formed in a portion corresponding to the air passage 401. The fixture 412 is fastened by a bolt 415 so as to sandwich the right upper end 322a. A recess 411 for accommodating the fixture 412 is formed at a position corresponding to the air passage 401 of the other body member 312a. The fixture 412 has a recess 412a formed on the surface facing the one main body member 312b. The recess 412a is formed in a keyhole shape as shown in FIGS. In addition, bolt insertion 414 is formed on both the left and right sides of the recess 412a. Although not shown, a joint is connected and fixed to the air passage 401 in the same manner as the air passage 340 described above, and an air tube connected to the air pump 337 is connected to the joint. ing.

  FIG. 34 is an enlarged perspective view of the upper end portion 322a on the right side of the bag-like gate member 322. The upper end portion 322a has a slit 413 for air circulation at a position below the upper end edge by a certain distance.

  As shown in FIG. 42, by fastening the fixing member 412 to one main body member 312b, the periphery of the slit 413 of the bag-shaped gate member 322 is moved around the main body as in the case of the above-described bag-shaped seal member 323. Although sandwiched between the member 312 b and the fixture 412, the slit 413 is located at a position corresponding to the recess 412 a of the fixture 412, so that it is not closed and communicates with the air passage 401 of the main body member 312 b. That is, the bag-shaped gate member 322 communicates with the air passage 401. Thereafter, the plate body members 312a and 312b are fastened so that the fixture 412 is housed in the recess 411 of the other body member 312a.

  FIG. 37 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the left upper end 322b of the bag-shaped gate member 322. In FIG. 37, the left upper end 322b fastens the fixture 421 to one main body member 312b with a bolt 423. By doing so, it is clamped between the fixture 421 and the main body member 312b, and is thereby always closed. When the two main body members 312a and 312b are overlapped, the fixture 421 is accommodated in a recess 422 formed in the other main body member 312a. 38 is a view of the fixture 421 in FIG. 37 as viewed from a direction orthogonal to the workpiece transfer direction, FIG. 39 is a view of the fixture 421 in FIG. 38 in the direction of arrow β, and the fixture 421 is notched. A pair of bolt insertion holes 424 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape having no dents.

(Description of operation)
The opening / closing operation of the opening due to the expansion and contraction of the bag-like gate member 322 is the same as in the case of the first embodiment, and is therefore omitted.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 24, the box portion 15a of the box tank 15 is provided with a lid 302 that opens and closes with respect to the workpiece passage space P, and a plating solution supply pump is provided in each box portion 15a. Since 400 is connected, instead of supplying the plating solution from the column tank 47 shown in FIG. 2 of the first embodiment to the box tank 15, the lid 302 in FIG. 24 is opened. The plating solution can be supplied from the box portion 15a to the workpiece passage space P.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 27, the plating solution is filled in the box portion 15 a so that the liquid level is higher than the liquid level L in the plating tank 14. When the lid 302 is opened, the plating solution in the box portion 15 a is discharged from the lid 302 to the workpiece passage space P by its own weight, and becomes a liquid level L in the workpiece passage space P. At this time, the liquid level of the plating solution in the box portion 15a becomes the liquid level L. That is, the volume V1 of the plating solution filled in a position higher than the liquid level L in the box portion 15a is substantially the same as the volume V2 of the workpiece passage space, and the replenishment of the plating solution into the box portion 15a is performed. Is required only for the volume V1, and the replenishment of the plating solution into the box portion 15a is ensured while the plating solution in the workpiece passage space P is discharged, the gate device 310 is opened and closed, and the workpiece W is carried out. Can be completed. Therefore, the gate opening / closing cycle of the gate device 310 can be dramatically shortened.

(Effects of the embodiment)
The gate body 312 is attached to the box tank wall 83 by a plug-in type as well as the same effects as those of the first embodiment, so that the attaching operation can be performed easily and accurately. Further, since the entire bag-shaped gate member 322 is stored in the gate member storage portion 333, local expansion is prevented from occurring and bursting at the joint between the air pump and the bag-shaped gate member 322. In addition, the durability of the bag-like gate member 322 can be improved and the mounting work can be reduced. Furthermore, since the gap between the gate body 312 and the box tank wall 83 is sealed using the bag-shaped sealing member 323, the sealing can be performed easily and reliably.

[Other embodiments]
(1) Although the plating apparatus of FIG.1 and FIG.2 is a plating apparatus of what is called a continuous conveyance system which passes each tank by moving horizontally a conveyance hanger continuously, the gate apparatus concerning this invention is, for example, In addition, the present invention can also be applied to an intermittent conveyance type plating apparatus having a conveyance section in which the hanger is raised and transferred to the next tank and lowered in the next tank, or other immersion treatment apparatuses.

(2) The gate apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to a plating apparatus, and can be applied to, for example, an immersion processing apparatus such as a peeling tank for cleaning a workpiece with a processing liquid stored in a processing tank.

(3) Although the plating apparatus of FIG.1 and FIG.2 has one row of lanes which convey a workpiece | work, it applies to the plating apparatus which has the gate apparatus of this invention arranged in multiple rows side by side, and has several conveyance lanes. Can do.

(4) In the above embodiment, the workpiece W is used as an example of an immersion tank that processes a plate-like workpiece such as a printed circuit board. However, it is troublesome to carry over a tank wall of the immersion tank such as a long workpiece. It can also be applied to work that requires time.

(5) In the above-described embodiment, air (gas) is injected to inflate the bag-like gate member and the bag-like seal member.

(6) Although one gate device 84 is provided in the rear part of the plating tank 14 in the above embodiment, the gate device 84 may be composed of first, second,... And a plurality of gate devices. The same applies to the gate device 85. At this time, the first gate device is used for the gate opening / closing operation at the normal time, and the second and subsequent gate devices are kept open. Then, when the first gate device must be replaced, the second and subsequent gate devices are used for the gate opening / closing operation. Thereby, also when replacing | exchanging a 1st gate apparatus, the processing liquid in each immersion treatment tanks, such as a plating tank, can be kept stored, and a process can be continued stably.

(7) In the above embodiment, the gate device having the bag-shaped gate member is provided before and after the box tank in the workpiece conveyance direction, but the gate mechanism not in contact with the plating tank (the gate device 85 in FIG. 5). May be a gate mechanism using a seal roller or a door-type gate.

(8) In the above embodiment, the box tanks 15 and 23 are provided before and after the plating tank 14 and the peeling tank 22 which are immersion treatment tanks in the workpiece conveyance direction, but the box tanks 15 and 23 are eliminated. Also good.

(9) In the above embodiment, liquid sealing is performed by pressure-contacting the bag-shaped gate members, but the structure is not limited to this. For example, an L-shaped sliding gate is used in cross-sectional view, and the L-shaped bottom portion of the sliding gate is included in the gate member housing portion, and the bag-shaped gate member is located on the opening side with respect to the L-shaped bottom portion. Can be provided with a spring on the opposite side. In this case, when the bag-shaped gate member is inflated to press the L-shaped bottom portion of the sliding gate to open the sliding gate against the spring, and the bag-shaped gate member is contracted, the sliding gate is moved by the spring force. Try to close.

(10) In the above embodiment, the example in which the discharge port plug 46 is provided in the box tank 15 has been described. However, the liquid may be discharged and filled by a pump. Furthermore, the amount of the processing liquid to be discharged or filled may not be completely filled and discharged.

(11) In the embodiment shown in FIG. 24, the lid of the box portion 15a can be opened and closed in the front-rear direction. However, a sliding type or a method of opening and closing in the up-down direction may be used. In addition to use, the lid may be always closed by a spring, and the lid may be opened by pulling with a wire or the like.

(12) In the above embodiment, as a mechanism for filling the liquid in a short time, the column tank 47 for storing a predetermined amount of the processing liquid and introducing the liquid into the box tank or the box portion 15a of FIG. 24 is provided. However, the mechanism may be used in a conventional apparatus. Thereby, the gate opening and closing time can be dramatically shortened.

  In addition to the plating apparatus, the present invention can also be applied to an immersion treatment apparatus such as a chromate treatment apparatus, an aluminum anodization treatment apparatus, an electrolytic polishing apparatus, or an electrolytic pickling apparatus.

1 is an overall plan view of a plating apparatus including a gate device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional enlarged view of the plating tank of FIG. 1, and a box tank vicinity. It is the III-III cross-sectional enlarged view of FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 2. It is a plane enlarged view of the box tank of FIG. It is VI-VI sectional drawing of FIG. It is a VII arrow line view of the gate main body of the gate apparatus of FIG. It is VIII-VIII sectional drawing of FIG. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the gate device of FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line XX of FIG. 6 in a state where an opening is opened. FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line XX of FIG. It is an operation explanatory view showing the relation between the conveyance of the work between the plating tank of FIG. 1, the box tank, and the empty stage and the opening / closing operation of the gate device. FIG. 13 is an operation explanatory view similar to FIG. 12 showing a step subsequent to FIG. 12. FIG. 14 is an operation explanatory view similar to FIG. 12 showing a step subsequent to FIG. 13. FIG. 3 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating liquid amount control of the box tank when the workpiece is sequentially transferred to the plating tank, the box tank, and the empty stage of FIG. 1. FIG. 16 is an operation explanatory view similar to FIG. 15 showing a step subsequent to FIG. 15. FIG. 17 is an operation explanatory view similar to FIG. 15 showing a step subsequent to FIG. 16. FIG. 18 is an operation explanatory view similar to FIG. 15 showing a step subsequent to FIG. 17. It is the figure which looked at the gate apparatus of 2nd Embodiment in the workpiece conveyance direction. FIG. 20 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the gate device of FIG. 19. FIG. 20 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of the gate member storage box of FIG. 19. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional enlarged view of the upper end part of the gate member storage box of FIG. FIG. 20 is an enlarged horizontal cross-sectional view of the gate member storage box and the gate member in the closed state of FIG. 19. It is a top view of the box tank provided with the gate apparatus of 3rd Embodiment. It is a front view of the gate apparatus of FIG. It is a front view of the box tank wall which shows the state in the middle of attachment of a gate apparatus. It is XXVII-XXVII sectional schematic of FIG. It is a plane exploded enlarged view of the gate device of FIG. It is XXIX-XXIX sectional drawing of the assembly state of FIG. It is a perspective view of one upper end part of a bag-shaped seal member. It is an enlarged view of the XXXI part of FIG. FIG. 27 is an enlarged sectional view of XXXII-XXXII in FIG. 26. It is a XXXIII-XXXIII cross-sectional exploded enlarged view of FIG. FIG. 26 is an enlarged perspective view of a right upper end portion of the bag-shaped gate member of FIG. 25. It is the front view which looked at the fixing tool of FIG. 33 from the direction orthogonal to a workpiece conveyance direction. FIG. 36 is a view on arrow α of the fixture of FIG. 35. It is a XXXVII-XXXVII cross-sectional exploded enlarged view of FIG. It is the front view which looked at the fixing tool of FIG. 37 from the direction orthogonal to a workpiece conveyance direction. FIG. 39 is a β arrow view of the fixture of FIG. 38. FIG. 32 is a cross-sectional view taken along XXXX-XXXX in FIGS. 29 and 31. It is a figure which shows a gate main body, the fixing tool removed from this gate main body, and a bag-shaped sealing member side by side. It is XXXXII-XXXXII sectional drawing of FIG. 33 of an assembly state.

Explanation of symbols

14 Plating tank (an example of processing tank)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 15 Box tank 28 Conveyance hanger 46 Discharge port stopper 51 Discharge port stopper 82, 83 Tank wall 84, 85 Gate apparatus 88 Opening 91 Bag-shaped gate member 98 Gate member storage part 102 Slit 200 Gate apparatus 203 Gate member storage box (gate member) Example of storage unit)
204 Bag-shaped gate member 205 Opening 214 Slit 310 Gate device 322 Bag-shaped gate member 330 Opening 333 Gate member storage

Claims (6)

In the immersion treatment apparatus provided with a treatment tank capable of storing the treatment liquid,
A gate device having an opening through which a work can pass can be opened and closed at a front part and / or a rear part in the work transfer direction of the processing tank,
The dipping apparatus is provided with a bag-like gate member that expands or contracts by opening or closing a gas or liquid by press-fitting or discharging a gas or liquid.   The gate device includes a bag-like gate member that expands by press-fitting a gas or a liquid, closes the opening, and shrinks by discharging a gas or a liquid to open the opening. The immersion treatment apparatus according to claim 1. Forming a gate member storage portion for storing the bag-shaped gate member around the opening,
The immersion processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a slit is formed between the gate member storage portion and the opening so that the bag-like gate member can protrude into the opening when inflated.   The immersion processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gate device is provided on a tank wall of the processing tank.   5. The immersion treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gate device is provided on a tank wall of a box tank provided in front and / or after the processing tank in the workpiece conveyance direction. . 6. The immersion treatment apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a discharge port plug is provided at the bottom of the box tank so as to be openable and closable.

Images