JP4999587B2 - Continuous press machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a continuous press apparatus that heat-presses a sheet-like material such as a prepreg and continuously forms a workpiece having the same cross-sectional shape.

Structural materials with laminated prepregs, especially those that use carbon fiber as a prepreg reinforcement, are lightweight, have high specific rigidity and high specific strength, and are used in aerospace applications (for example, beams that reinforce aircraft tails) Yes. In particular, in aerospace applications, those having the same cross-sectional shape in which the length dimension reaches several tens of meters are used. In order to form such a member (workpiece), an intermittent press apparatus such as that described in Patent Document 1 is used.
JP 61-242816

  The intermittent press apparatus described in Patent Literature 1 includes a pair of hot plates controlled to be opened and closed periodically, and a conveying unit that feeds a workpiece. That is, when the hot platen pair is open, the workpiece before molding is sent between the hot platen pair by a predetermined amount. Next, the hot platen pair is closed, and the portion of the work piece between the hot platen pair is hot-pressed. Subsequently, the hot platen pair is opened, the workpiece after molding is sent out from the hot platen pair, and the workpiece before molding is sent between the hot platen pairs. By continuing this process, a long member having the same cross-sectional shape is formed.

  Such an intermittent press apparatus has the following problems. First, it is necessary to perform all processes of heating, molding, and thermosetting with a pair of heating plates if it is a thermoplastic resin, and heating, molding, and thermosetting if it is a thermosetting resin. Is heated and pressurized rapidly from room temperature and normal pressure. For this reason, the prepreg is locally heated to the glass transition temperature and flows. As a result, defects such as turbulence of fibers, traces of resin flow, whitening due to generation of voids, and uneven thickness due to resin flow may occur in the workpiece after molding. Secondly, at the end of the hot platen, a step in the thickness direction occurs between the part before molding of the workpiece and the part being molded, which affects the strength of the product. That is, this level difference is also a kind of defect.

  In order to prevent the occurrence of such a defect, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, the heating plate is provided with an inclination or a step in the thickness direction, and the heating plate interval of the front stage is made larger than that of the rear stage. . The shape of the workpiece is first adjusted at the front stage, and then hot-pressed at the rear stage. In the front part, since the hot platen distance is large, resin flow hardly occurs.

  However, even in this method, since the hot platen is heated to a temperature sufficiently higher than the glass transition temperature of the workpiece, the flow of the resin cannot be completely prevented. Further, when a step is provided on the hot platen, there is a possibility that a step is generated on the workpiece after molding.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems. That is, an object of the present invention is to provide a continuous press apparatus capable of manufacturing a long product without causing defects in a workpiece during molding.

In order to achieve the above object, the continuous press device of the present invention is provided so as to face an upper heating plate having a flat lower surface, an upper surface plate supporting the upper heating plate, and a lower surface of the upper heating plate. A lower heating plate having a flat upper surface, a lower surface plate supporting the lower heating plate, and a first heating means for heating a first region defined by the upper and lower heating plates to a first temperature. And second heating that heats the second region defined adjacent to the first region in the surface direction of each heating plate to the second temperature higher than the first temperature in the upper and lower heating plates . Means, a pressing means for driving at least one of the upper and lower heating plates to press the workpiece disposed between the upper and lower heating plates, and from the first region to the second region It possesses a workpiece conveying means for conveying the workpiece in the conveying direction, the upper and lower platen, the first region At least a pair of distance bars is provided in each of the second regions, and the distance bar of the upper surface plate and the distance bar of the lower surface plate are brought into contact with each other, whereby the upper hot platen when the workpiece is pressed An interval between the lower surface and the upper surface of the lower heating plate is defined for each region.

With such a configuration, the first region is pressed at a low temperature to adjust the shape of the workpiece, and then the workpiece is conveyed to the second region and hot-pressed at a high temperature. Therefore, defects caused by rapid heating of the workpiece can be prevented. Further, in the present invention, the shape of the workpiece is adjusted by a pair of hot plates having flat surfaces that come into contact with the workpiece, and hot pressing is performed. Does not occur. Further, by providing distance bars in the first region and the second region, the thickness and load of the workpiece can be changed between the first region and the second region. For example, in the first region, the load applied to the work piece is reduced by increasing the interval between the hot plates, and in the second region, the hot plate interval is reduced and a large load is applied to the work piece. Can be added. In addition, if the workpiece is made of a material that shrinks or expands in response to the hot pressing process, the hot platen spacing in each region should be adjusted to a size that takes into account the degree of contraction or expansion. Thus, a workpiece having a desired thickness can be finally obtained. For example, when a material that shrinks during the hot pressing process is used as a work piece, the hot pressing is performed with a desired load and thickness by further reducing the distance between the hot plates in the second region. To do.

Further, the upper and lower heating plates may be integrally formed.

Further, the upper and lower surface plates may be integrally formed.

  Further, the pressing means may include a first pressing portion that presses the workpiece disposed in the first region and a second pressing portion that presses the workpiece disposed in the second region. Good. As a result, the first pressing portion can drive the hot platen with a load that is low enough to sufficiently press the workpiece in the first region, and the first and second pressing portions can be driven by a single pressing portion. Compared with the case where both areas are pressed, power loss can be suppressed.

  Here, the first temperature is substantially equal to the glass transition temperature of the workpiece. The second temperature is substantially equal to the molding temperature of the workpiece. When the workpiece is a thermosetting resin, the molding temperature is set, for example, in the curing temperature range of the thermosetting resin.

  The workpiece conveying means may be configured to move the workpiece when the first and second pressing means are not pressing the workpiece. For example, the workpiece conveying means is hung on a lower pulley pair having a pair of pulleys, and is hung on a lower endless belt on which the workpiece is placed and an upper pulley pair having a pair of pulleys. And an upper endless belt disposed so as to face the lower endless belt through the workpiece, and belt driving means for driving the upper endless belt and the lower endless belt. The upper part of the side endless belt and the lower part of the upper endless belt are arranged between the upper and lower heating plates, and the workpiece is the upper part of the lower endless belt and the lower side of the upper endless belt. The upper end portion of the lower endless belt and the lower portion of the upper endless belt are pressed together by the upper and lower heating plates. Further, the belt driving means includes, for example, a gripper capable of gripping the workpiece via the upper and lower endless belts, and a gripper driving means for reciprocating the gripper in the transport direction and in the reverse direction opposite to the transport direction. And having. The gripper driving means reciprocates the gripper by, for example, a cylinder mechanism. Moreover, the gripper is arrange | positioned in the conveyance direction side or the retraction direction side, for example with respect to an upper part and a lower heating board.

In another aspect, the continuous pressing apparatus of the present invention includes an upper heating plate having a flat bottom surface, and a lower heating plate provided to face the lower surface of the upper heating plate and having a flat upper surface. In the first heating means for heating the first region defined in the upper and lower heating plates to the first temperature, and in the upper and lower heating plates, in the surface direction of each heating plate with respect to the first region A second heating means for heating a second region defined adjacent to a second temperature higher than the first temperature; and at least one of an upper and a lower heating plate to drive an upper heating plate and a lower heating plate And a pressing means for pressing the workpiece disposed between the workpiece and the workpiece conveying means for conveying the workpiece in the conveying direction from the first area toward the second area. The workpiece conveying means is stretched over a pair of lower pulleys having a pair of pulleys, and the workpiece is placed thereon. An upper endless belt, which is stretched over a lower endless belt and a pair of upper pulleys having a pair of pulleys, and is disposed so as to face the lower endless belt via the workpiece, the upper endless belt and the lower side and a belt drive means for driving the endless belt, the lower portion of the upper portion and the upper endless belt of the lower endless belt is disposed between the upper and lower heating plate, a belt drive means A gripper capable of gripping the workpiece through the lower part of the upper endless belt and the upper part of the lower endless belt, and a gripper in the transport direction and in a retracting direction opposite to the transport direction. a gripper driving means for reciprocating the, workpiece and conveys in a state sandwiched between an upper portion and a lower portion of the upper endless belt of the lower endless belt, the upper and lower heating plate By the endless bottom It is adapted to press each portion of the lower upper part and the upper endless belt bets. The gripper driving means reciprocates the gripper by, for example, a cylinder mechanism. Moreover, the gripper is arrange | positioned in the conveyance direction side or the retraction direction side, for example with respect to an upper part and a lower heating board. One of the pulleys of the lower pulley pair is biased in a direction away from the other, and one of the pulleys in the upper pulley pair is biased in a direction away from the other. As a result, tension can be applied to the endless belt. Further, one of the pulleys of the lower pulley pair is supported so as to be movable in the transport direction and the backward direction with respect to the other, and one of the pulleys of the upper pulley pair is supported in the transport direction and the backward direction with respect to the other. It is supported so that it can be moved minutely. In this configuration, since a part of the endless belt is disposed between the heating plates, the belt is pulled when the upper heating plate approaches the lower heating plate. In this configuration, by allowing one of the pulley pairs to move minutely, excessive tension generated when the belt is pulled by the hot platen is relieved, and the belt is prevented from being broken.

  Moreover, it is good also as a structure which further has a belt urging means which urges | biases the part which exists between the upper heating board and the lower heating board of an upper endless belt and a lower endless belt mutually. With such a configuration, the endless belt can be separated from the hot platen when the workpiece is not pressed by the hot platen. In addition, after the belt biasing means finishes pressing the workpiece by the upper and lower heating plates and the heating plates are separated from each other, the upper and lower endless belts are in contact with the workpiece for a predetermined time. The state may be maintained, and then the upper and lower endless belts may be urged so that at least one of both endless belts is gradually separated from the workpiece. With such a configuration, when the hot platen opens the workpiece, the endless belt suddenly jumps up and the product is not damaged.

  Further, for example, the belt urging means is provided on the upstream side and the downstream side of the upper heating plate, and urges the lower part of the upper endless belt from the upper surface side, and rotates as the upper endless belt advances. A pair of upper urging rollers configured to be provided on the upstream side and the downstream side of both of the lower heating plates, urging the upper portion of the lower endless belt from the lower surface side, and the lower endless belt It has a pair of lower urging rollers configured to rotate as it progresses.

  Further, in the upper and lower heating plates, a third region is defined on the transport direction side with respect to the second region, and third heating means for heating the third region of both heating plates to the third temperature. The workpiece conveying means may be configured to convey the workpiece from the second region to the third region. With such a configuration, it is possible to perform hot pressing in two steps, and to increase the time for hot pressing without increasing the press time of the workpiece in the first region. be able to. The pressing means may have a third pressing portion that presses the workpiece disposed in the third region.

  Further, for example, the third temperature is substantially equal to the second temperature, and the hot platen space defining means sets the interval between the upper hot platen and the lower hot platen in the third region when the workpiece is pressed. , It is defined as an interval substantially equal to the interval in the second region.

  As described above, according to the present invention, a continuous press apparatus capable of producing a long product without causing defects in a workpiece during molding is realized.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an overall view of a press apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. The press apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is an apparatus that generates a plate-like product having a predetermined thickness by heat-pressing a workpiece in which a plurality of prepreg sheets in which a synthetic fiber sheet is impregnated with a resin is laminated. The product is a long member cut every several meters. As shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus main body 2 of the press apparatus 1 is disposed in a vacuum chamber 10, and a series of pressing operations by the apparatus main body 2 is performed in a vacuum state in the vacuum chamber 10. It is like that.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus main body 2 is disposed substantially at the center of the vacuum chamber 10, and a sheet arrangement area 16 in which a plurality of rolls R of prepreg sheets are arranged on the right side of the apparatus main body in the drawing. On the left side of the figure, product placement areas 17 in which products are placed are arranged. An inlet door 18 and an outlet door 19 are provided on the side surfaces of the vacuum chamber 10 in the vicinity of the sheet arrangement area 16 and the product arrangement area 17, respectively. Accordingly, the roll R of the prepreg sheet can be replenished from the entrance door 18 and the product can be taken out from the exit door 19. Further, a cutter 22 is arranged between the product arrangement area 17 and the apparatus main body 2, and a product continuously formed by the apparatus main body 2 is cut into an appropriate length.

Hereinafter will be described Ki One structure of the vacuum chamber 10. The vacuum chamber 10 is provided with a vacuum pump 15 a for extracting air from the vacuum chamber 10 and a valve 15 b for introducing air into the vacuum chamber 10. In the present embodiment, by controlling the operation of the vacuum pump 15a and the opening / closing of the valve 15b, the pressure inside the vacuum chamber 10 can be changed between vacuum and atmospheric pressure. That is, when replenishing a prepreg sheet or taking out a product, the atmospheric pressure in the vacuum chamber 10 is set to atmospheric pressure, and when the workpiece is hot-pressed, the atmospheric pressure in the vacuum chamber 10 is set to vacuum.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus main body 2 is rigidly supported by the base B via the main leg 242. The vacuum chamber 10 is supported on the base B by the chamber support legs 11. The bottom surface 12 of the vacuum chamber 10 is provided with a plurality of openings 12a, and each of the main legs 242 is disposed so as to penetrate the openings 12a. Further, the main leg 242 of the apparatus main body 2 is covered with the bellows tube 14 from the outer edge of the opening 12 a to the base B. The upper end 14a of the bellows tube 14 and the opening 12a, and the lower end 14b of the bellows tube 14 and the base B are joined together by welding all around to prevent air from entering the vacuum chamber 10 through the opening 12a. is doing.

  In the present embodiment, the main leg 242 of the apparatus main body 2 and the vacuum chamber are not in contact with each other as described above. Further, the inner wall portion of the vacuum chamber 10 and the apparatus main body are not in contact with each other. Therefore, even if the vacuum chamber 10 is distorted due to a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the vacuum chamber 10, the apparatus main body 2 that is not in contact with the vacuum chamber 10 is not distorted. Thereby, even under vacuum, the apparatus main body 2 can perform precise press working.

  Next, the configuration of the apparatus main body 2 will be described. FIG. 2 is a side view of the apparatus main body 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the apparatus main body 2 is arranged in the transport mechanism 100 that transports the workpieces with a pair of belt mechanisms 120 and 140 arranged in the vertical direction, and is transported in the transport mechanism 100. A hot press mechanism 300 that heat-presses the workpiece to be pressed, and a cold press mechanism 400 that is arranged in the transport mechanism 100 and presses the workpiece after the heat-pressing while removing heat. The transport mechanism 100, the hot press mechanism 300, and the cold press mechanism 400 are rigidly supported on the base B via the frame unit 200. More specifically, the leveling plate 241 is fixed to the base B, and the main leg portion 242 of the frame portion 200 is attached on the leveling plate 241 via the leveling bolt 243.

  Hereinafter, the structure of the transport mechanism 100 will be described in detail. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the prepreg sheet S is pulled out from the roll R of the prepreg sheet arranged in the sheet arrangement area 16 and conveyed to the product arrangement area 17. Yes. In the following description, the side with the sheet arrangement area 16 (right side in the figure) is defined as “upstream side”, and the side with the product arrangement area 17 (left side in the figure) is defined as “downstream side”. Further, a direction from the upstream side to the downstream side is defined as a “conveyance direction”, and a direction from the downstream side to the upstream side is defined as a “retreat direction”.

The upper belt mechanism 120 of the transport mechanism 100 includes a downstream pulley 121, an upstream pulley 122, and a steel belt 123 that is an endless belt stretched around the pulleys 121 and 122. The rotating shafts 121a and 122a of the pulleys 121 and 122 are rotatably attached to the upper frame part 210 of the frame part 200 via bearings 121b and 122b, respectively. Here, the bearings 121b and 122b are urged away from each other, and a predetermined tension is applied to the steel belt 123. For this reason, when the lower portion 123a of the steel belt 123 is moved from the upstream side to the downstream side, the pulleys 121 and 122 are moved by the frictional force acting between the steel belt 123 and the pulleys 121 and 122 in the drawing. It rotates in the turning direction.

  Next, a mechanism for applying tension to the steel belt 123 will be described. FIG. 3 is a side view of the vicinity of the pulleys 121 and 122 of the upper belt mechanism. As shown, the bearing 122b is attached to the upstream end of the upper frame portion 210 of the frame 200, and the bearing 121b is attached to the downstream end.

  At the upstream end (right side in the figure) of the upper frame part 210, a pair of rail parts 212a and 212b extending in the transport direction and a connecting part 212c for connecting the rail parts 212a and 212b on the downstream side are provided. A guide frame 212 is formed. The bearing 122b is sandwiched between the rail portions 212a and 212b of the guide frame 212, and can move only in the transport direction and the backward direction. Further, a screw 122c extending in the conveyance / retraction direction is attached to the connecting portion 212c. The upstream end of the screw 122c is engaged with the bearing 122b, and the bearing 122b can be positioned by rotating the screw 122c. After positioning, the connecting part 212c, the bearing 122b, and the screw 122c are fixed with a nut. Thereby, the bearing 122b is fixed.

  A guide frame 211 having a pair of rail portions 211a and 211b extending in the transport direction is formed at the downstream end of the upper frame 210. The bearing 121b on the downstream side in the upper belt mechanism 120 is sandwiched between the rail portions 211a and 211b of the guide frame 211 and can move only in the conveyance / retraction direction. A cylinder 121 c is attached to the upper frame 210. The downstream end of the cylinder 121c is engaged with the bearing 121b, and the bearing 121b is urged downstream by the cylinder 121c. As a result, tension is applied to the steel belt 123. The downstream bearing 121b can be moved minutely in the conveyance / retraction direction. The lower portion 123a of the steel belt 123 is pulled downward by the hot press mechanism 300 and the cold press mechanism 400. In such a case, the bearing 121b and the pulley 121 depend on the steel belt 123 in this case. The steel belt 123 is not excessively tensioned because it moves slightly in the backward direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the steel belt 123 is pulled by the hot press mechanism 300 and the cold press mechanism 400, it does not break.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the lower belt mechanism 140 of the transport mechanism 100 is an endless belt that is stretched around the downstream pulley 141, the upstream pulley 142, and both pulleys 141, 142. It has a steel belt 143. The rotating shafts 141a and 142a of the pulleys 141 and 142 are rotatably attached to the lower frame part 230 of the frame part 200 via bearings 141b and 142b, respectively. Here, the bearings 141b and 142b are urged away from each other, and a predetermined tension is applied to the steel belt 143. For this reason, when the upper portion 143a of the steel belt 143 is moved from the upstream side to the downstream side, the pulleys 141 and 142 are counterclockwise in the figure due to the frictional force acting between the steel belt 143 and the pulleys 141 and 142. It rotates in the turning direction.

  The mechanism for urging the bearings 141 b and 142 b that support the pulleys 141 and 142 of the lower belt mechanism 140 is the same as that of the upper belt mechanism 120. That is, the upstream bearing 142b is positioned and fixed by the screw. Further, the downstream bearing 141b can be moved minutely in the transport / retreat direction and is urged in the transport direction by the cylinder mechanism.

A workpiece M comprising a lower portion 123a of the steel belt 123 of the upper belt mechanism 120, a upper portion 143a of the steel belt 143 of the lower belt mechanism 140, and a pair of upper and lower prepreg sheets S sandwiched between both steel belts. The gripper 150 sends the sheet in the conveyance direction. Hereinafter, the structure of the gripper 150 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the gripper 150 has a pair of gripping plates 151 and 152 and a pair of bodies 155 (described later) that support the gripping plates 151 and 152. The upper grip plate 151 is disposed between the upper portion 123 b and the lower portion 123 a of the steel belt 123 of the upper belt mechanism 120, and the lower grip plate 152 is a steel belt of the lower belt mechanism 140. The upper portion 143 is disposed between the upper portion 143a and the lower portion 143b. When the grip plates 151 and 152 are driven to approach each other, the steel belts 123 and 143 and the workpiece M disposed on the steel belt 143 are sandwiched between the grip plates 151 and 152.

  Next, details of the structure of the gripper 150 will be described. 4 is a side view of the gripper 150 of the present embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a front view of the gripper 150 projected from the conveyance direction side (II line diagram in FIG. 2). 6 is a top view of the gripper 150, and FIG. 7 is a view of the lower grip plate 152 projected from below (the diagram taken along the line III-III in FIG. 5). FIG. 8 is a side view showing a procedure for conveying the workpiece M by the gripper 150.

4 and 5, the grip plates 151 and 152 are plate-like members extending in the width direction of the steel belt, and are configured to be slidable in the vertical direction with respect to the body 155 of the gripper 150, respectively. ing. More specifically, a grip plate support rail 155b is provided on the side surface of the body 155 in the transport direction, and the engaging portions 151a and 152a (see FIG. 5) provided on the grip plate support rail 155b and each grip plate. 6, 7) is engaged so that the movement direction of the grip plates 151, 152 is restricted to the vertical direction only. The grip plates 151 and 152 are driven so as to approach and separate from each other by first and second cylinder drive mechanisms 156 and 157 having hydraulic or pneumatic drive cylinders 156a and 157a and cylinder rods 15 6b and 157b. The cylinder 156 a of the cylinder drive mechanism 156 is fixed to the body 155, and the tip of the cylinder 156 b is fixed to the lower grip plate 152. Therefore, the lower gripping plate 152 can be moved up and down by driving the cylinder driving mechanism 156. Further, the cylinder 157 a of the cylinder driving mechanism 157 is fixed to the lower surface of the lower holding plate 152, and the cylinder rod 157 b is fixed to the upper holding plate 151. Accordingly, by driving the cylinder driving mechanism 157, the upper gripping plate 151 can be brought close to / separated from the lower gripping plate 152. 4 and 5, one cylinder 156a of the first cylinder mechanism 156 is provided for each of the bodies 155 (that is, at both ends in the width direction of the lower grip plate 152). The cylinders 157 a of the second cylinder mechanism 157 are arranged one by one at the four corners of the lower grip plate 152.

  The cylinder driving mechanism 156 is driven to lift the lower gripping plate 152 by a first amount, and at the same time, the cylinder driving mechanism 157 is driven to cause the upper gripping plate 151 to move to the lower gripping plate by a second amount greater than the first amount. When approaching only the lower gripping plate 152, the lower gripping plate 152 rises and the upper gripping plate 151 descends, and the plates 151 and 152 approach each other. On the other hand, the cylinder driving mechanism 156 is driven to lower the lower gripping plate 152 by a first amount, and at the same time, the cylinder driving mechanism 157 is driven to cause the upper gripping plate 151 to move to the lower gripping plate larger than the first amount. When the distance is increased by 2, the lower gripping plate 152 is lowered and the upper gripping plate 151 is lifted, so that the plates 151 and 152 are moved away from each other.

  As shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, rails 231 are provided in the lower frame portion 230 along the conveyance / retraction direction. Legs 155 a that engage with the rails 231 are provided on the bottom surface of the body 155 of the gripper 150. By this engagement, the gripper 150 can move along the rail 231 from the upstream side to the downstream side and from the downstream side to the upstream side. As shown in FIG. 5, two rails 231 are provided side by side in the width direction.

The workpiece M is conveyed by the gripper 150 according to the following procedure. First, from the initial state where the gripper 150 is retracted upstream (FIG. 8A), the cylinder driving mechanisms 156 and 157 are driven to bring the grip plates 151 and 152 close to each other. Then, as shown in FIG. 8B, the grip plates 151 and 152 of the gripper 150 are in a state of sandwiching the steel belts 123 and 143 and the workpiece.

  When the gripper 150 is moved in the conveying direction from this state, the steel belts 123 and 143 and the pulleys 121, 122, 141, and 142 are rotated along with the movement of the gripper 150, and are processed as shown in FIG. A thing is conveyed toward a conveyance direction.

After the gripper 150 has moved to the front of the hot press mechanism 300 (the position indicated by the one-dot chain line in FIG. 4), the gripping plates 151 and 152 are driven away from each other to drive the steel belts 123 and 143 and the workpiece. The object M is released (FIG. 8 (d)). Next, the gripper 150 moves backward in the backward direction. At this time, since the grip plates 151 and 152 do not sandwich the steel belts 123 and 143, the steel belts 123 and 143 and the workpiece M between them are not moved even when the gripper 150 is retracted. As a result, the initial state of FIG. Then, the steel belts 123 and 143 and the workpiece M are sandwiched again between the gripping plates 151 and 152 and moved in the transport direction. In this way, by reciprocating the gripper 150 while opening and closing the grip plates 151 and 152, the steel belts 123 and 143 can be intermittently moved in the transport direction, whereby the workpiece is transported.

The gripper 150 is moved forward / backward by a cylinder mechanism. As shown in FIG. 2, the cylinder 153 constituting the cylinder mechanism is fixed to the lower frame portion 230. And piston 154 by which one end is inserted in cylinder 153 is attached to body 155 of gripper 150 via link mechanism 154a. The gripper 150 moves forward / backward by driving the cylinder 153 and moving the piston 154 forward / backward. 5 and 6, two cylinders 153, two pistons 154, and two link mechanisms 154a are provided.

Next, the structure of the hot press mechanism 300 will be described. FIG. 9 is a side sectional view of the hot press mechanism 300 , and FIG. 10 is a front view (II-II line diagram of FIG. 2) of the hot press mechanism 300 projected from the downstream side. As shown in FIG. 9, the hot press mechanism 300 is configured to hot-press a workpiece between an upper heating plate 322 configured to be movable in the vertical direction and a fixed lower heating plate 324. It is a configured device. An upper heating plate support frame 312 is fixedly supported on the upper frame portion 210 from the conveyance direction side and the backward direction side, and the upper heating plate 322 is movable from the lower heating plate support frame 312 to the hot plate moving cylinder mechanism 370 and movable. It is suspended via a surface plate 336. The lower heat platen 324 is fixed on a table surface plate 314 that is fixedly supported on the lower frame portion 230 via a support column 244.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 10, the upper hot platen 322 is suspended from the upper hot platen support frame 312 by three pairs (six) of hot platen moving cylinder mechanisms 370. As shown in FIG. 10, the cylinder mechanism 370 includes a cylinder 371, a rod 372 extending downward from the cylinder 371, and a link mechanism 373 provided at the tip of the rod 372. The cylinder 371 is fixed to the side surface of the upper heating plate support frame 312. The rod 372 and the movable surface plate 336 are connected by a link mechanism 373. Therefore, by driving the rod 372, the movable surface plate 336 can be moved up and down. The hot platen moving cylinder mechanism 370 moves the rod 372 back and forth by a pneumatic or hydraulic mechanism.

In the present embodiment, the upper hot platen 322 is lowered by the hot platen moving cylinder mechanism 370 so that the workpiece is sandwiched between the hot plates, and then the upper hot platen 322 is pressed downward. Six press cylinder mechanisms 340 that perform pressing are provided on the upper heating platen support frame 312. Each press cylinder mechanism 340 includes a piston 342, a sleeve 344 in which the piston 342 is inserted, and a fixing plate 346 for fixing the sleeve 344 to the lower surface of the upper heating plate support frame 312. Fixing plates 346, for example, integral with the sleeve 344 by means such as welding, by fastening the upper heating plate support frame 312 by the fixing plate 346 bolts 348 (FIG. 10), the sleeve 344 upper heating plate Attached to the support frame 312. The movable surface plate 336 is fixed to the lower end of the piston 342. Therefore, the workpiece can be pressed with a desired load by controlling the hydraulic pressure in the sleeve 344 with a hydraulic pump (not shown).

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, a plurality of upper distance bars 352 extending vertically downward are provided on both sides in the width direction of the upper heat plate from the lower surface of the movable surface plate 336. Similarly, from the upper surface of the table surface plate 314, a plurality of lower distance bars 354 extending vertically upward are provided on both sides in the width direction of the lower heat platen. Each of the upper distance bars 352 is arranged to face each of the lower distance bars 354. When the upper heating plate 322 is driven closer to the lower heating plate 324 by the press cylinder mechanism 340, the lower surface of the upper distance bar 352 is Abutting on the upper surface of the lower distance bar 354, the upper heating platen 322 cannot be lowered any further. That is, the distance bars 352 and 354 can control the distance between the upper heating plate 322 and the lower heating plate 324 during hot pressing, that is, the thickness of the workpiece.

Both the upper heating plate 322 and the lower heating plate 324 incorporate heaters (not shown), and each heating plate can be heated to a desired temperature. Further, a heat insulating material 334 is provided between the movable surface plate 336 and the upper heat plate 322 so that the heat of the upper heat plate 322 does not escape to the piston side. Similarly, a heat insulating material 338 is provided between the table surface plate 314 and the lower heat plate 324 so that the heat of the lower heat plate 324 does not escape to the table surface plate 314 side.

  In the present embodiment, the hot press mechanism 300 includes a preheating zone 300a on the upstream side, a first heating zone 300b that is substantially in the center in the transport / retraction direction, and a second heating zone 300c that is on the downstream side. Yes. The transport direction dimensions of each zone are substantially the same, and two press cylinder mechanisms 340 are disposed in each zone. Further, the transport direction dimension of each zone is substantially equal to the feed amount of the workpiece by the gripper 150 (FIG. 2). Therefore, in this embodiment, the workpiece is sequentially pressed in the preheating zone 300a, the first heating zone 300b, and the second heating zone 300c.

  Further, the temperature of the upper and lower heating plates 322 and 324 and the length of the distance bars 352 and 354 (that is, the heating plate interval) can be different for each of the zones 300a, 300b, and 300c. That is, the thickness of the workpiece can be controlled separately for each zone by adjusting the lengths of the corresponding distance bars 352 and 354 according to the physical properties of the workpiece.

  The press cylinder mechanism 340 is driven separately for each of the zones 300a, 300b, and 300c. In the present embodiment, the load applied to the workpiece in each zone is determined only by the lengths of the distance bars 352 and 354 and the dimensions and physical properties of the workpiece. That is, after the distance bars 352 and 354 are in contact with each other, even if the hydraulic pressure in the sleeve 344 is increased and the load applied to the movable surface plate 336 is increased, the increase in the load is passed through the distance bars 352 and 354. The table surface plate 314 is received, and the load applied to the workpiece M by the heat plates 322 and 324 is not affected. In other words, each press cylinder mechanism 340 only needs to give the movable surface plate 336 a load that can sufficiently press the workpiece M, and even if a load higher than that is applied, only a loss of power occurs. In this embodiment, since the degree of reaction of the workpiece and the length of the distance bars 352 and 354 can be different for each zone, generally, the magnitude of the load to be applied to the workpiece is the zone. Different for each. Therefore, by controlling the load applied to the piston 342 of the press cylinder mechanism 340 separately for each zone, only the load necessary to press the workpiece M arranged in each of the zones 300a, 300b, 300c is obtained. The upper heating plate 322 can be driven, and power loss can be minimized.

  The workpiece hot-pressed by the hot press mechanism 300 is then sent to the cold press mechanism 400 by the gripper 150. As shown in FIG. 2, the cold press mechanism 400 includes an upper cooling plate 422 suspended from the upper frame portion 210 via the press cylinder mechanism 440 and a support bar 248 on the lower frame portion 230. A lower cooling plate 424 that is fixed. Both the upper cooling plate 422 and the lower cooling plate 424 are provided with pipes for circulating a refrigerant (water, air, oil, etc.) inside, and the temperature of the cooling plates 422 and 424 is increased by circulating the refrigerant. It is kept lower than the panels 322 and 324. Further, the press cylinder mechanism 440 can be driven to move the upper cooling plate 422 away / close to the lower cooling plate 424.

In the present embodiment, the workpiece can be brought into close contact with the upper cooling plate 422 and the lower cooling plate 424 by driving the press cylinder mechanism 440 and lowering the upper cooling plate 422. At this time, since the temperature of the workpiece is higher than both the cooling plates 422 and 424, heat is transferred from the workpiece toward the cooling plates 422 and 424, and the temperature of the workpiece is lowered. Accordingly, the workpiece pressed by the hot press mechanism 300 can be cooled by the cold press mechanism 400. In addition, since the conveyance direction dimensions of the upper cooling plate 422 and the lower cooling plate 424 are slightly larger than the single feed amount by the gripper 150, the hot-pressed workpieces sequentially discharged from the hot press mechanism 300 are It is cooled by the cold press mechanism 400 without leakage.

  As shown in FIG. 9, nip roll mechanisms 361, 362, 363, and 364 for supporting the steel belts 123 and 143 are provided at both ends of the hot press mechanism 300 in the conveyance direction. The nip roll mechanism 361 supports the steel belt 123 on the downstream side of the hot press mechanism 300, 362 supports the steel belt 123 on the upstream side, 363 supports the steel belt 143 on the downstream side, and 364 supports the steel belt 143 on the upstream side. ing.

  Next, the structure of each of the nip roll mechanisms 361 to 364 will be described below. As shown in FIG. 9, nip rolls 361 a to 364 a and bearing portions 361 b to 364 b that rotatably support the nip rolls at both ends are provided. Next, the urging means of the nip roll mechanism will be described in detail. FIG. 11 is a side view showing the nip roll mechanisms 361 and 363 on the downstream side. As illustrated, each of the nip rolls 361a and 363a is elastically biased by the cylinder mechanisms 361c and 363c. That is, the nip roll 361a that supports the steel belt 123 of the upper belt mechanism 120 is biased downward, while the nip roll 363a that supports the steel belt 143 of the lower belt mechanism 140 is biased upward. . The upstream nip roll mechanisms 362 and 364 are also provided with substantially the same cylinder mechanisms as the nip roll mechanisms 361 and 363, respectively.

  When the upper heating plate 322 and the lower heating plate 324 are separated from each other, that is, when the hot pressing is not performed, the nip roll mechanisms 361 to 364 are connected to the steel belts 123 and 143 and the upper and lower heating plates 322 and 324. The steel belts 123 and 143 are urged so that is slightly separated. When the upper heating plate 322 is lowered from this state, the steel belt 123 of the upper belt mechanism 120 comes into contact with the upper heating plate 322, and then the steel belt 123 moves downward integrally with the upper heating plate 322. At this time, the cylinder mechanisms of the nip roll mechanisms 361 and 362 are controlled so that the nip rolls 361 a and 362 a also move downward while being in contact with the steel belt 123. Next, the steel belt 123 of the upper belt mechanism 120 comes into contact with the steel belt 143 of the lower belt mechanism 140 through the workpiece, and when the upper heating plate 322 is further lowered, the lower heating plate 322 moves downward. The steel belt 143 of the belt mechanism 140 is also lowered and contacts the lower heating plate 324. At this time, the nip rolls 363 a and 364 a also move downward while being in contact with the steel belt 143. The workpiece is pressed between hot plates by the process as described above. As described above, in the present embodiment, the steel belts 123 and 143 are urged by the nip roll mechanisms 361 to 364 so that the steel belts 123 and 143 do not strongly hit the corners of the heating plates 322 and 324, and the belts are not easily damaged. .

  Further, after the press is completed, the upper heating plate 322 is rapidly separated from the lower heating plate 324. At this time, the cylinder mechanisms of the nip roll mechanisms 361 to 364 are controlled so that the upper steel belts 123 and 143 and the workpiece M come into contact with each other for a while (for example, 1 second), and then the steel belts 123 and 143 are gradually moved upward. And move toward the lower heating plates 322 and 324. Accordingly, the workpiece is not damaged by the vertical movement of the steel belt.

  Further, when the gripper 150 (FIG. 4) is gripping the workpiece, the nip rolls 362a and 364a on the upstream side move closer to each other as the steel belts 123 and 143 move, and the steel belt 123 The steel belts 123 and 143 are biased so that the lower portion 123a and the upper portion 143a of the steel belt 143 are substantially horizontal. Therefore, the steel belt is not damaged by the edges of the gripper grip plates 151 and 152.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, removers 125 and 145 are provided on the upper portion 123 b of the steel belt 123 and the lower portion 143 b of the steel belt 143. The removers 125 and 145 include, for example, a doctor blade and the like, and remove resin pieces attached to the outer peripheral surfaces of the steel belts 123 and 143 by pressing.

  The press procedure of the workpiece by the press apparatus 1 of this embodiment described above will be described. In the following description, a prepreg sheet containing a thermosetting resin is formed as the workpiece M. Further, a portion having a length corresponding to the feed amount by the gripper 150 from the tip of the workpiece M is a first portion, and a portion having a length corresponding to the feed amount adjacent to the upstream side with respect to the first portion is a second portion. A portion having a length corresponding to the feed amount adjacent to the upstream side with respect to the two portions is defined as a third portion, and a portion having a length corresponding to the feed amount adjacent to the upstream side with respect to the third portion is defined as a fourth portion.

  First, the first portion is sent to the preheating zone 300a (FIG. 9) of the hot press mechanism 300 by the gripper 150 (FIG. 4). Next, the hot platen moving cylinder mechanism 370 (FIG. 10) is driven so that the first portion of the workpiece M is sandwiched between the hot plates 322 and 324. Further, the first part of the workpiece M is pressed by driving the press cylinder mechanism 340. Here, the temperature of the hot plates 322 and 324 in the preheating zone 300a is lower than the curing temperature of the resin component of the workpiece and is controlled to a temperature about the glass transition temperature. For this reason, the resin portion of the first portion is softened, but since the temperature is low, the thermosetting of the workpiece hardly proceeds, and the first portion is adjusted to a desired thickness.

  Next, the hydraulic pressure of the press cylinder mechanism 340 is reduced, and the hot platen 322 and 324 are separated from each other by the hot platen moving cylinder mechanism 370 to release the workpiece M. Further, the workpiece M is fed in the transport direction by the gripper 150. As a result, the first part of the workpiece M moves to the first heating zone 300b, and the second part moves to the preheating zone 300a. Next, the hot platen moving cylinder mechanism 370 is driven so that the hot plates 322 and 324 are brought close to each other, and the press cylinder mechanism 340 is driven to apply a load to the upper hot platen 322. As a result, the first part of the workpiece M is pressed in the first heating zone 300b and the second part is pressed in the preheating zone 300a. Here, since the temperature of the hot plates 322 and 324 in the first heating zone 300b is higher than the hot plate temperature in the preheating zone 300a, the thermosetting reaction proceeds to some extent in the first portion of the workpiece M. In the preheating zone 300a, the shape of the second portion is adjusted. Since the workpiece M contracts somewhat due to the thermosetting reaction, the interval between the hot plates when the workpiece is pressed in the first heating zone 300b is somewhat narrower than the hot plate interval in the preheating zone 300a. In addition, the distance between the distance bars 352 and 354 (FIG. 10) is determined.

Next, the hydraulic pressure of the press cylinder mechanism 340 is reduced, and the hot platen 322 and 324 are separated from each other by the hot platen moving cylinder mechanism 370 to release the workpiece M. Further, the workpiece M is fed in the transport direction by the gripper 150. As a result, the first part of the workpiece M moves to the second heating zone 300c, the second part moves to the first heating zone 300b, and the third part moves to the preheating zone 300a. Next, the hot platen moving cylinder mechanism 370 is driven so that the hot plates 322 and 324 are brought close to each other, and the press cylinder mechanism 340 is driven to apply a load to the upper hot platen 322. Thus, the first part of the workpiece M is pressed in the second heating zone 300c, the second part is pressed in the first heating zone 300b, and the third part is pressed in the preheating zone 300a. Here, the temperature of the hot plates 322 and 324 in the second heating zone 300c is approximately the same as that of the first heating zone 300b. The workpiece M is sequentially heated in the first and second heating zones 300b and 300c, so that the thermosetting reaction proceeds to the end. Accordingly, the first portion of the workpiece M is formed into a desired cross-sectional shape. In the first heating zone 300b , the thermosetting reaction of the second portion proceeds to some extent. Further, the shape of the third portion is adjusted in the preheating zone 300a. Since the heat curing reaction further proceeds workpiece of the workpiece M in a second heating zone 300c is contracted, the spacing of the heat plate at the time of pressing the workpiece in the second heating zone 300c The distances between the distance bars 352 and 354 are determined so as to be somewhat narrower than the distance between the heating plates in the first heating zone 300b.

Next, the hydraulic pressure of the press cylinder mechanism 340 is reduced, and the hot platen 322 and 324 are separated from each other by the hot platen moving cylinder mechanism 370 to release the workpiece M. Further, the workpiece M is fed in the transport direction by the gripper 150. As a result, the first portion of the workpiece M is discharged from the hot press mechanism 300 and is conveyed between the cooling plates 422 and 424 of the cold press mechanism 400. The second portion moves to the second heating zone 300c, the third portion moves to the first heating zone 300b, and the fourth portion moves to the preheating zone 300a. Next, the hot platen moving cylinder mechanism 370 and the press cylinder mechanism 440 (FIG. 2) are driven so that the hot plates 322 and 324 and the cooling plates 422 and 424 are close to each other, and the press cylinder mechanism 340 is driven to drive the upper hot platen. A load is applied to 322. As a result, the first portion of the workpiece M and the cooling plates 422 and 424 come into contact with each other, and the first portion is cooled. The second portion is pressed in the second heating zone 300c, the third portion is pressed in the first heating zone 300b, and the fourth portion is pressed in the preheating zone 300a.

  Thus, in the press apparatus 1 of this embodiment, conveyance and press of a workpiece are performed alternately, and the long workpiece M whose conveyance direction dimension is larger than a hot platen or a cooling platen is shape | molded. can do. The workpiece M is first shaped in the preheating zone 300a, then formed by a thermosetting reaction in the first heating zone 300b and the second heating zone 300c, and cooled by the cold press mechanism 400. In this way, since the heat pressing is performed after first preheating and adjusting the shape, defects in the workpiece M due to the progress of the thermosetting reaction in a state where the shape is not aligned (the fiber of the prepreg Disturbance, resin flow, whitening of workpiece, uneven thickness, etc.) do not occur. Further, in the present embodiment, both preheating and hot pressing are performed by a pair of large-sized hot plates 322 and 324. For this reason, even when a workpiece having a dimension in the conveying direction larger than that of the hot platen is formed, a defect such as a seam does not occur.

  In the present embodiment, the workpiece M is heated at two locations, the first heating zone 300b and the second heating zone 300c. That is, the time for hot pressing is twice the preheating time. Even in the preheating zone 300a in which pressing is performed at a low temperature, the thermosetting of the workpiece M proceeds slightly. In this embodiment, since the heat pressing time can be longer than the preheating time in this way, the shape of the workpiece M is adjusted in the preheating zone 300a with almost no progress of thermosetting, and the heating zone. Can complete the heat curing. In the present embodiment, two heating zones are prepared for one preheating zone, but the present invention is not limited to the above configuration, and the number of each zone forms a workpiece. It can change suitably according to the resin material.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the material including the thermosetting resin is hot-pressed, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and can be applied to a workpiece including a thermoplastic resin. . That is, when hot pressing a workpiece containing a thermoplastic resin, first, the shape of the workpiece is adjusted at a low temperature in a preheating zone. At this time, since the workpiece is not heated so much, the viscosity becomes high and the flow of the resin is prevented. Next, the workpiece is molded at a high temperature in the first and second heating zones, and the shape is fixed by a cooling platen.

  In the present embodiment, the gripper 150 is disposed on the backward direction side with respect to the hot press mechanism 300. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the gripper 150 is on the conveyance direction side with respect to the hot press mechanism 300, that is, between the hot press mechanism 300 and the cold press mechanism 400, or against the cold press mechanism. You may arrange | position at the conveyance direction side.

  In the present embodiment, the workpiece M is conveyed by rotating the steel belts 123 and 143 made of steel, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. That is, instead of the steel belts 123 and 143, other metal endless belts or endless belts formed of heat-resistant resin such as polyimide may be used.

  In the present embodiment, heaters are built in the upper heating plate 322 and the lower heating plate 324 so that both heating plates are heated. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and for example, a configuration may be adopted in which heating is performed by circulating a heat medium through a hot platen.

It is a side view of the press apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is a side view of the apparatus main body of the press apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is a side view of the pulley of the upper side belt mechanism of the press apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is a side view of the gripper of the press apparatus of an embodiment of the invention. It is the II arrow directional view of FIG. It is a top view of the gripper of an embodiment of the invention. It is the III-III diagram of FIG. It is a side view for demonstrating the conveyance procedure of the workpiece by a gripper in embodiment of this invention. It is a sectional side view of the hot press mechanism of embodiment of this invention. It is the II-II diagram of FIG. It is a side view which shows the nip roll mechanism of the downstream in the press apparatus of embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Press apparatus 2 Apparatus main body 10 Vacuum chamber 100 Conveying mechanism 120 Upper belt mechanism 121,122 Pulley 121b, 122b Bearing 121c Cylinder 122c Screw 123 Steel belt 140 Lower belt mechanism 141, 142 Pulley 141b, 142b Bearing 143 Steel belt 150 Gripper 151 , 152 Grip plate 153 Cylinder 154 Piston 200 Frame portion 210 Upper frame portion 212 Guide frame 230 Lower frame portion 231 Rail 300 Hot press mechanism 300a Preheating zone 300b First heating zone 300c Second heating zone 322 Upper heating plate 324 Lower heating plate 340 Press cylinder mechanism 352, 354 Distance bar 361-364 Nip roll mechanism 370 Hot plate moving cylinder mechanism 400 Cold pre Mechanism 422 upper cooling plate 424 lower cooling plate
B Base M Workpiece

Claims (21)

An upper heating plate having a flat bottom surface;
An upper surface plate for supporting the upper heat plate;
A lower heating plate provided so as to face the lower surface of the upper heating plate and having a flat upper surface ;
A lower surface plate that supports the lower heat plate;
First heating means for heating a first region defined in the upper and lower heating plates to a first temperature;
Second heating the second region defined adjacent to a surface direction of the heat plate relative to the first region in the upper and lower heating plate in the higher than first temperature second temperature Heating means;
A pressing means for pressing a workpiece disposed between the upper heating plate and a lower heating plate by driving at least one of the upper and lower heating plate,
It possesses a workpiece conveying means for conveying the workpiece in the conveying direction toward the second region from the first region,
The upper and lower surface plates are each provided with at least a pair of distance bars in the first area and the second area,
When the distance bar of the upper surface plate and the distance bar of the lower surface plate abut, the distance between the lower surface of the upper heat plate and the upper surface of the lower heat plate when the workpiece is pressed. Continuous press equipment defined for each area . The continuous press apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the upper and lower heating plates are integrally formed. The continuous press apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper and lower surface plates are each integrally formed. The pressing means includes: a first pressing portion that presses the workpiece disposed in the first region; and a second pressing portion that presses the workpiece disposed in the second region. The continuous press device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the continuous press device is provided. Substantially equal, that the continuous press apparatus according to Izu Re one of the preceding claims 1, wherein the glass transition temperature of the first temperature workpiece. The continuous press apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the second temperature is substantially equal to a molding temperature of the workpiece.   The continuous press apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the workpiece includes a thermosetting resin, and the molding temperature is set in a curing temperature range of the thermosetting resin. The workpiece conveying means, one of claims 1, wherein the first and second pressing means moves the workpiece when not pressing the workpiece, it is characterized in the claims 7 continuous press device as claimed in one paragraph or. An upper heating plate having a flat bottom surface;
A lower heating plate provided so as to face the lower surface of the upper heating plate and having a flat upper surface;
First heating means for heating a first region defined in the upper and lower heating plates to a first temperature;
In the upper and lower heating plates, a second region that is defined adjacent to the first region in the surface direction of each heating plate is heated to a second temperature that is higher than the first temperature. Heating means,
A pressing means for driving at least one of the upper and lower heating plates to press a workpiece disposed between the upper heating plate and the lower heating plate;
A workpiece conveying means for conveying the workpiece in a conveying direction from the first region toward the second region;
Have
The workpiece conveying means includes
A lower endless belt that is stretched over a lower pulley pair having a pair of pulleys and on which the workpiece is placed;
An upper endless belt that is spanned over a pair of upper pulleys having a pair of pulleys and arranged to face the lower endless belt through the workpiece;
Belt driving means for driving the upper endless belt and the lower endless belt;
Have
The upper portion and lower portion of the upper endless belt of the lower endless belt is disposed between the upper and lower heating plate,
The belt driving means includes
A gripper capable of gripping the workpiece via a lower part of the upper endless belt and an upper part of the lower endless belt;
Gripper driving means for reciprocating the gripper in the transport direction and in a backward direction that is opposite to the transport direction;
Have
The workpiece is transported in a state of being sandwiched between an upper portion of the lower endless belt and a lower portion of the upper endless belt, and the upper and lower heating plates are disposed on the upper side of the lower endless belt. The part and the lower part of the upper endless belt are pressed together .
The continuous press apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The continuous press apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the gripper driving means reciprocates the gripper by a cylinder mechanism. The continuous press apparatus according to claim 9 or 10 , wherein the gripper is disposed on either the transport direction side or the backward direction side with respect to the upper and lower heating plates. One of the pulleys of the lower pulley pair is biased in a direction away from the other,
One of the pulleys of the upper pulley pair is biased in a direction away from the other,
The continuous press apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 11 , wherein the continuous press apparatus is provided. One of the pulleys of the lower pulley pair is supported so as to be minutely movable in the transport direction and the backward direction with respect to the other,
One of the pulleys of the upper pulley pair is supported so as to be minutely movable in the transport direction and the backward direction with respect to the other.
The continuous press apparatus according to claim 12 . One of claims 9, wherein the upper endless further having a belt urging means for urging in a direction to close to each other and an upper portion of the lower portion and a lower endless belt of the belt, it is characterized in the claims 13 continuous press device as claimed in one paragraph or. The belt urging means contacts the work piece with the upper and lower endless belts for a predetermined time after pressing of the work piece by the upper and lower heat boards is finished and the two heat boards are separated from each other. 15. The continuous press apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the upper and lower endless belts are urged so that the state is maintained, and then at least one of the endless belts is gradually separated from the other. The belt urging means is
A pair provided on the upstream side and the downstream side of the upper heat plate, configured to urge the lower portion of the upper endless belt from the upper surface side and to rotate as the upper endless belt advances. An upper biasing roller of
Provided on both the upstream and downstream sides of the lower heating plate, and urges the upper portion of the lower endless belt from the lower surface side, and rotates with the progress of the lower endless belt. A pair of lower biasing rollers,
The continuous press apparatus according to claim 14 or 15 , characterized by comprising: A third region is defined on the upper and lower heating plates on the transport direction side of the second region;
And further comprising a third heating means for heating the third region of both heating plates to a third temperature,
The workpiece conveying means conveys the workpiece from the second region to the third region;
The continuous press apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 16 , wherein the continuous press apparatus is characterized. The continuous pressing apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the pressing unit includes a third pressing unit that presses the workpiece disposed in the third region. The third temperature is approximately equal to the second temperature;
The hot platen space defining means is configured such that an interval between the upper hot platen and the lower hot platen in the third region when the workpiece is pressed is substantially equal to the interval in the second region. Prescribed in the interval,
The continuous press apparatus according to claim 18 . A first cooling plate and a second cooling plate facing each other, arranged on the conveying direction side with respect to the upper and lower heating plates;
The workpiece conveying means moves the workpiece between the first and second cooling plates from between the upper and lower heating plates,
Cooling that controls the temperature of the first and second cooling plates so that the heat of the workpiece after being hot-pressed by the upper and lower heating plates can be transferred to the first and second cooling plates. Panel temperature control means;
Cooling plate driving means for driving at least one of the first and second cooling plates to bring the first and second cooling plates into contact with the workpiece;
The continuous press device according to any one of claims 1 to 19 , further comprising: 21. The continuous press apparatus according to claim 20 , wherein the cooling plate temperature control means maintains the first and second cooling plates at a fourth temperature lower than the first temperature.

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