JP5193917B2 - Temperature and humidity treatment equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a temperature and humidity treatment apparatus.

  Conventionally, there has been known a temperature and humidity control apparatus that has a processing tank in which a processing space is provided and adjusts the processing space in the processing tank to a predetermined temperature and humidity condition. An example of the apparatus is disclosed in Patent Document 1 below.

  In the temperature and humidity control apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, a test space for accommodating a processing object in a test tank and an air-conditioning space for adjusting the temperature and humidity of air to a target temperature and humidity are provided. In the air-conditioned space, a heater, a cooler, and a humidifier are provided. The cooler is composed of a freezer evaporator and also serves as a dehumidifier. The temperature control apparatus is provided with a dry bulb temperature sensor that detects the dry bulb temperature in the test space and a wet bulb temperature sensor that detects the wet bulb temperature in the test space. The humidity of the test space is derived from the detected dry bulb temperature and wet bulb temperature of the test space. The sensitive part of the wet bulb temperature sensor is wrapped in a wick, and the lower portion of the wick is immersed in water in a container disposed below the wet bulb temperature sensor. As a result, the water in the container is sucked up by the wick to the periphery of the sensitive part of the wet bulb temperature sensor so that the wet bulb temperature sensor can detect the wet bulb temperature. And the temperature of the air in the conditioned space is adjusted by controlling the heating capacity of the heater and the cooling capacity of the cooler based on the detected dry bulb temperature of the test space, and the derived test space The humidity of the air in the air-conditioned space is adjusted by controlling the humidifying capacity of the humidifier and the dehumidifying capacity of the cooler based on the humidity of the air. And the temperature and humidity of a test space are adjusted by sending the air of the air-conditioned space in which this temperature and humidity were adjusted to a test space by a blower.

JP 2003-106986 A

  By the way, in recent years, a processing apparatus attached to a product production line and capable of performing a process of exposing the product to an atmosphere of a certain temperature and humidity condition for evaluation of product moisture resistance and aging as part of the manufacturing process. Is required. In such a processing apparatus, when the processing apparatus is stopped, the production efficiency of the product is lowered, so that it is necessary to be able to continue the operation for a long time. And as such a processing apparatus, it is also conceivable to use a processing apparatus having a configuration similar to that of the temperature and humidity control apparatus of Patent Document 1. However, in the temperature and humidity control apparatus of Patent Document 1 described above, since the force to suck up water is weakened when the wick becomes old and dirty, it is necessary to stop the operation of the apparatus and replace the wick each time. Further, in this temperature and humidity control apparatus, even when a refrigerator for performing dehumidification and cooling fails or malfunctions, the operation of the apparatus must be stopped. Moreover, in the said temperature control apparatus, since a dehumidifier is operated and dehumidification and cooling are performed, energy is required for operation | movement of the refrigerator, As a result, the energy which an apparatus uses increases. Therefore, when a processing device having the same configuration as the temperature control device of Patent Document 1 is used as a processing device for temperature and humidity processing attached to the production line, it cannot be continued for a long time. As a result, the production efficiency of the product decreases and the energy used increases.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a temperature and humidity treatment apparatus capable of continuous operation for a long period of time and energy saving. is there.

  In order to achieve the above object, a temperature and humidity treatment apparatus according to the present invention is a temperature and humidity treatment apparatus used in a treatment process in which a treatment object is exposed to an atmosphere of a certain temperature and humidity condition, and can carry in the treatment object. A processing tank provided inside, a space temperature detecting unit for detecting the temperature of the processing space, and the processing space and an external space of the processing tank, the processing space being the external space When the temperature is higher than the space, the working fluid sealed inside evaporates inside the side disposed in the processing space and the evaporated working fluid condenses inside the side disposed in the external space Detected by a humidity detection main body configured to cause a pipe phenomenon, a main body temperature deriving unit for deriving the temperature of a portion of the humidity detection main body where the working fluid evaporates, and the space temperature detection unit. Based on the temperature of the processing space and the temperature of the humidity detection main body derived by the main body temperature deriving unit, and provided in the processing tank, the arithmetic unit for calculating the humidity of the processing space, A heating unit capable of heating air based on the temperature of the processing space detected by the space temperature detection unit, and an air based on the humidity of the processing space provided in the processing tank and calculated by the calculation unit. A humidifying unit capable of humidification, and the treatment tank is provided with a vent for ventilating inside and outside the treatment tank.

  In this temperature and humidity treatment device, the treatment tank is provided with a ventilation port for ventilating inside and outside the treatment tank, so that treatment is performed when the treatment space in the treatment tank is hotter and humid than the external space. The space can be dehumidified and cooled through this vent. Further, in this temperature and humidity treatment apparatus, the temperature of the portion where the working fluid evaporates in the humidity detection main body that causes the heat pipe phenomenon is substantially equal to the dew point of the treatment space. Therefore, based on the temperature derived by the body temperature deriving unit for deriving the temperature of the portion where the working fluid evaporates and the temperature of the processing space detected by the space temperature detecting unit, the arithmetic unit calculates the humidity of the processing space. Can be calculated. Therefore, in this temperature and humidity treatment apparatus, unlike the case where the humidity of the treatment space is derived using the conventional dry bulb temperature sensor and wet bulb temperature sensor, the wet bulb temperature sensor does not need to be wicked. Therefore, it is not necessary to stop the operation of the processing apparatus. Further, since the temperature of the portion where the working fluid evaporates on the side of the humidity detection main body disposed on the processing space becomes substantially equal to the dew point of the processing space, dew condensation occurs on the outer surface of the portion where the working fluid evaporates. For this reason, auxiliary dehumidification of the processing space can be performed using dew condensation on the outer surface of the portion where the working fluid evaporates in the humidity detection main body. Also, in the humidity detection main body where the heat pipe phenomenon has occurred, heat is transferred from the portion where the working fluid evaporates to the portion where the working fluid evaporates from the portion where the working fluid evaporates. Further, the cooling of the processing space can be performed by utilizing the heat transfer by the humidity detection main body. That is, in this temperature / humidity processing apparatus, the processing space can be obtained by ventilation through the ventilation opening, condensation and heat transfer in the humidity detection main body without using a conventional cooler (dehumidifier) composed of an evaporator of a refrigerator. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the processing apparatus from being stopped due to a failure or malfunction of the refrigerator, and to reduce energy required for the operation of the refrigerator. Therefore, this temperature / humidity treatment apparatus can be continuously operated for a long period of time, and can save energy.

  The temperature / humidity treatment apparatus preferably includes an opening adjustment device capable of adjusting the opening of the ventilation port according to the amount of air heated by the heating unit and the amount of air humidified by the humidifying unit.

  With this configuration, when the temperature and humidity outside the processing tank is lower than the temperature and humidity of the processing space, the opening degree is adjusted when the heating amount of air by the heating unit and the humidification amount of air by the humidifying unit are increased. The apparatus can reduce the ventilation amount by reducing the opening of the ventilation port, and as a result, the heating effect of air by the heating unit and the humidification effect of air by the humidification unit can be enhanced. Thereby, the energy required for heating the air by the heating unit and humidifying the air by the humidifying unit can be reduced, so that further energy saving can be achieved. In addition, when the temperature and humidity outside the treatment tank is relatively high, when the amount of air heated by the heating unit and the amount of air humidified by the humidifying unit are decreased, the opening adjustment device increases the opening of the ventilation port. Can increase ventilation. As a result, even when the temperature and humidity outside the processing tank is relatively high and the temperature and humidity inside the processing tank are difficult to decrease, dehumidification and cooling of the processing space can be promoted by increasing the ventilation amount. Furthermore, when the temperature and humidity treatment device is operating in a state where the temperature and humidity in the treatment tank are stable, when the heating amount of air by the heating unit and the humidification amount of air by the humidifying unit are both greater than a predetermined value, If the opening of the ventilation port is gradually reduced by the opening adjustment device so that the heating amount by the heating unit and / or the humidification amount by the humidifying unit is close to a predetermined value, further energy saving can be achieved. Can be planned.

  In the temperature / humidity treatment apparatus, the treatment tank is provided with a partition wall between the treatment space and an air-conditioning space in which the heating unit and the humidification unit are installed. An air blowing unit that circulates air between the air-conditioned space and the processing space is provided, and the ventilation port is downstream in the air flow direction from the position where the processing object is installed in the processing tank, And it is preferable that it is arrange | positioned in the upstream position in the flow direction of air rather than the position where the said ventilation part is installed.

  When a ventilation port is provided in a region where a processing object is installed in the processing tank, or in the upstream of the position where the processing object is installed in the air flow direction, and a blower unit is installed. When a ventilation port is provided at a position downstream of the position, the temperature and humidity of the air taken into the treatment tank from the outside through the ventilation port are locally different from the temperature and humidity of the surrounding air. There is a possibility that air hits the object to be processed, and in this case, there is a possibility that the processing conditions of the temperature and humidity of the object to be processed will be uneven. On the other hand, in this structure, after the air taken into the processing tank from the outside through the ventilation port is agitated by the air blowing unit and the temperature and humidity are relatively uniform, the air is blown so as to hit the object to be treated. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the non-uniformity in the processing conditions of temperature and humidity as described above.

  In the temperature / humidity processing apparatus, the processing object to the processing space is transferred to the processing space by a transport device that sends the processing object in one direction at positions facing each other among the walls of the processing tank forming the processing space. A carry-in port and a carry-out port may be provided so that loading and unloading of the processing object from the processing space are possible.

  In this way, if the pair of carry-out ports and carry-in ports are provided at opposite positions, the processed object to be processed is unloaded from the processing space through the carry-out port by the transfer device that sends the process object in one direction. The object to be processed can be carried into the treatment space in the same direction as the carry-out direction through the carry-in port. That is, the time required for replacing the processing object into the processing space, compared to a batch-type processing step in which the processing object after processing is taken out from the processing space and then the processing object to be processed next is carried into the processing space. Can be shortened, and the processing efficiency can be improved. Moreover, in this structure, ventilation can be performed inside and outside the treatment tank using at least one of the carry-in port and the carry-out port as a ventilation port. For this reason, when the processing space is at a higher temperature and higher humidity than the external space of the processing tank, the processing space can be dehumidified and cooled through the carry-in port or the carry-out port.

  In this case, the carry-in shutter includes a carry-in shutter device provided in the processing tank so that the carry-in port can be opened and closed, and a carry-out shutter device provided in the treatment tank so that the carry-out port can be opened and closed. At least one of the apparatus and the carry-out shutter device has an opening degree of the carry-in port or the carry-out port that the shutter device opens and closes, an amount of air heated by the heating unit, and air humidification by the humidifying unit. It may be configured to be adjustable according to the amount.

  If comprised in this way, when the temperature / humidity outside the processing tank is lower than the temperature / humidity of the processing space, the shutter device can cope with increasing the amount of air heated by the heating unit and the amount of air humidified by the humidifying unit. It is possible to reduce the ventilation amount by reducing the opening of the carry-out port or the carry-in port, and as a result, it is possible to enhance the air heating effect by the heating unit and the air humidification effect by the humidification unit. Thereby, the energy required for heating the air by the heating unit and humidifying the air by the humidifying unit can be reduced, so that further energy saving can be achieved. In addition, when the temperature and humidity outside the processing tank is relatively high, when the amount of air heated by the heating unit and the amount of air humidified by the humidifying unit are reduced, the opening degree of the carry-out port or carry-in port corresponding to the shutter device Can be increased to increase ventilation. As a result, even when the temperature and humidity outside the processing tank is relatively high and the temperature and humidity inside the processing tank are difficult to decrease, dehumidification and cooling of the processing space can be promoted by increasing the ventilation amount. Furthermore, when the temperature and humidity treatment device is operating in a state where the temperature and humidity in the treatment tank are stable, when the heating amount of air by the heating unit and the humidification amount of air by the humidifying unit are both greater than a predetermined value, Further, if the opening degree of the corresponding carry-out port or carry-in port is gradually reduced by the shutter device so that the heating amount by the heating unit and / or the humidification amount by the humidifying unit is close to a predetermined value, further improvement is possible. Energy saving can be achieved.

  In the configuration in which a carry-in port and a carry-out port are provided at positions facing each other in the wall portion of the treatment tank, a portion of the humidity detection main body portion disposed in the treatment space is the treatment by the carrying device. The processing object is disposed above the transport path of the object, and in the processing space, below the portion of the humidity detection main body disposed in the processing space, and the transport path of the processing object by the transport device It is preferable that a receiving portion for receiving condensed water dripping from the humidity detection main body portion is provided at a position above.

  According to this configuration, even when the heat pipe phenomenon as described above occurs in the humidity detection main body, and dew condensation generated on the outer surface of the portion disposed in the processing space of the humidity detection main body drops, the condensed water It is possible to prevent the processing object from being received by the receiving unit.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a temperature / humidity treatment apparatus capable of continuous operation for a long period of time and energy saving.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the temperature / humidity processing apparatus by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the high temperature / humidity area | region where the temperature / humidity of a process space is set. It is a figure which shows the result of having experimented what kind of temperature the outer surface temperature of the location where the working fluid is evaporating in the heat pipe in which the heat pipe phenomenon has occurred. It is a figure which shows the structure of the temperature / humidity processing apparatus by the modification of one Embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  First, with reference to FIG. 1, the structure of the temperature / humidity processing apparatus 2 by one Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated.

  The temperature / humidity treatment apparatus 2 according to this embodiment performs high-temperature and high-humidity (for example, a temperature of 80 ° C. or more, for example) in order to perform a moisture resistance evaluation or aging of the product as part of the product manufacturing process. It is used in a treatment process that is exposed to an atmosphere of a constant temperature and humidity condition at a humidity of 80% or more, and is attached to a product production line. Therefore, in this temperature and humidity treatment device 2, unlike the temperature control and humidity control device for testing, the temperature and humidity conditions for treating the object to be processed W are not repeatedly changed to various temperature and humidity conditions, and are within a narrow temperature and humidity range. Thus, the processing object W is processed under a certain temperature and humidity condition. Examples of the processing object W processed by the temperature / humidity processing apparatus 2 include a printed circuit board, a semiconductor, a secondary battery, various electronic components, other metal materials, and polymer materials.

  In the processing step of the processing object W, a transport device 100 such as a chain conveyor that sends the processing object W in one direction is used. The transport device 100 includes an endless transport body 102 such as a conveyor chain, four rotating bodies 104 around which the transport body 102 is stretched, and at least one of the four rotating bodies 104 is not illustrated. And a drive motor. The four rotators 104 are arranged separately in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction. That is, the two rotators 104 are spaced apart from each other in the horizontal direction, and the rotators 104 corresponding to the lower portions of the two rotators 104 are spaced apart from each other. The two rotators 104 are arranged at positions separated from each other in the horizontal direction. The transport body 102 is stretched outside the four rotating bodies 104. Then, at least one of the four rotating bodies 104 is rotated by a drive motor, so that the conveying body 102 moves around.

  A portion of the transport body 102 that extends horizontally between the two upper rotating bodies 104 extends through the temperature and humidity treatment apparatus 2, and the processing object W is placed on this portion. As the transport body 102 is moved around, the portion of the transport body 102 that extends horizontally between the two upper rotating bodies 104 moves in one direction from right to left in FIG. The processing object W is sent in the same direction.

  The temperature / humidity treatment apparatus 2 of the present embodiment is configured to be attached to the transfer apparatus 100 as described above, and includes a treatment tank 4, a humidification unit 6, a heating unit 8, a blower unit 10, A humidity deriving unit 12, a carry-in shutter device 14, a carry-out shutter device 16, an opening degree adjusting device 18, and a control device 20 are provided.

  The processing tank 4 is formed in the shape of a hollow box extending in the direction in which the processing object W is transported by the transport apparatus 100, and a processing space S1 and an air conditioning space S2 are provided therein. The processing space S1 and the air conditioning space S2 are partitioned by a partition wall 4c provided in the processing tank 4 and extending in the horizontal direction. The processing space S1 is disposed above the partition wall 4c and the partition wall. An air-conditioned space S2 is disposed below 4c. An inflow communication portion 4d is provided on the downstream side in the transport direction of the processing object W with respect to the partition wall 4c, and on the upstream side in the transport direction of the processing object W with respect to the partition wall 4c. An outflow side communication portion 4e is provided, and the processing space S1 and the air-conditioned space S2 are communicated with each other by the communication portions 4d and 4e. The outflow side communication part 4e is a part serving as an outlet through which air is blown from the air-conditioned space S2 to the processing space S1, and the inflow side communication part 4d is an inlet through which air flows from the processing space S1 into the air-conditioned space S2. Part.

  The processing space S1 is a space into which the processing object W can be carried. The atmosphere (air) of the processing space S1 is adjusted to a predetermined temperature and humidity condition, and the processing object W is exposed to the atmosphere of the temperature and humidity condition. The The air conditioned space S2 is provided to adjust the temperature and humidity of the air in the processing space S1 to a target temperature and humidity, and the humidifying unit 6, the heating unit 8, and the air blowing unit 10 are installed in the air conditioned space S2.

  And the processing tank 4 has the processing space main body 4g by which processing space S1 and air-conditioning space S2 are arrange | positioned inside, and the upper part is opening, and the upper cover 4h which covers opening of the upper part of the processing tank main body 4g.

  The upper lid 4h is detachably attached to the upper end portion of the processing tank body 4g, and the upper opening of the processing tank body 4g can be opened and closed by attaching and detaching the upper lid 4h to the processing tank body 4g. ing. A sealing member 4i is provided at the upper end of the processing tank main body 4g, and the gap between the upper end of the processing tank main body 4g and the upper lid 4h attached to the upper end is sealed by the sealing member 4i. ing. When maintenance is performed on the respective components arranged in the processing tank 4, the maintenance can be easily performed through the opening of the processing tank main body 4g by removing the upper lid 4h. The upper lid 4h and each wall portion constituting the treatment tank main body 4g are each provided with a heat insulating material, and the space in the treatment tank 4 is thermally insulated from the external space.

  In the wall part of the processing tank main body 4g forming the processing space S1, the processing object W is carried into the processing space S1 by the transport device 100 and the processing space S1 at positions facing each other in the transport direction of the processing target object W. A carry-in port 4j and a carry-out port 4k are provided so that the processing object W can be carried out from the machine.

  Specifically, the carry-in port 4j is formed in the wall portion 4m located on the upstream side in the transport direction among the four wall portions of the treatment tank main body 4g forming the treatment space S1, and the carry-out port 4k is It is formed in the wall part 4n located in the downstream in the said conveyance direction. A portion of the transport body 102 that extends horizontally between the two upper rotating bodies 104 extends into and out of the processing space S1 through the transport inlet 4j and the transport outlet 4k, and is placed on the portion. The processed object W is carried into the processing space S1 from the outside through the carry-in port 4j and is carried out from the processing space S1 through the carry-out port 4k.

  Further, the processing tank 4 is provided with a carry-in shutter device 14 capable of opening and closing the carry-in port 4j and a carry-out shutter device 16 capable of opening and closing the carry-out port 4k.

  The carry-in shutter device 14 includes a shutter 14a for opening and closing the carry-in port 4j, and a drive unit 14b that moves the shutter 14a. The drive unit 14b is attached to the outer surface of the wall 4m of the processing tank 4, and slides the shutter 14a up and down. A control signal is input to the driving unit 14b from the control device 20, and the driving unit 14b slides the shutter 14a up and down according to the input control signal to open and close the carry-in port 4j. The carry-out shutter device 16 includes a shutter 16a for opening and closing the carry-out port 4k, and a drive unit 16b that moves the shutter 16a. The drive unit 16b is attached to the outer surface of the wall 4n of the processing tank 4, and slides the shutter 16a up and down. Similar to the drive unit 14b of the carry-in shutter device 14, the drive unit 16b slides the shutter 16a up and down according to a control signal input from the control device 20, thereby opening and closing the carry-out port 4k.

  Specifically, when the control device 20 stops the movement of the transport body 102 and processes the processing target W in the processing space S1, the control device 20 sends a control signal for closing the carry-in port 4j to the carry-in shutter device 14. While sending to the drive part 14b, the control signal which closes the carry-out port 4k is sent to the drive part 16b of the carry-out shutter device 16. Thereby, the drive unit 14b of the carry-in shutter device 14 moves the shutter 14a downward according to the input control signal to close the carry-in port 4j, and the drive unit 16b of the carry-out shutter device 16 receives the input control. In accordance with the signal, the shutter 16a is moved downward to close the carry-out port 4k. In addition, the control device 20 controls to open the carry-in entrance 4j when moving the transport body 102 to carry in the processing object W into the processing space S1 and carry out the processing object W from the processing space S1. A signal is sent to the drive unit 14 b of the carry-in shutter device 14, and a control signal for opening the carry-out port 4 k is sent to the drive unit 16 b of the carry-out shutter device 16. Thereby, the drive unit 14b of the carry-in shutter device 14 moves the shutter 14a upward according to the input control signal to open the carry-in port 4j, and the drive unit 16b of the carry-out shutter device 16 receives the input. According to the control signal, the shutter 16a is moved upward to open the carry-out port 4k.

  The air-conditioned space S2 includes a first air-conditioned space S3 located on the upstream side in the transport direction of the processing object W and a second air conditioner located on the downstream side in the transport direction by a partition 4t extending downward from the partition wall 4c. It is partitioned into a space S4. The first air conditioned space S3 communicates with the processing space S1 through the outflow side communication portion 4e, and the air blowing portion 10 is disposed in the first air conditioned space S3. The second air-conditioned space S4 includes a long and narrow space and a space that is wider in the vertical direction than this space, and communicates with the processing space S1 through the inflow side communication portion 4d. A portion in the vicinity of the outflow side communication portion 4e in the lower portion of the processing tank main body 4g is a protruding portion 4s that protrudes downward as compared with other portions, and the vertical width of the second air-conditioned space S4 is wide. The space is arranged at a position corresponding to the protruding portion 4s. The humidification part 6 and the heating part 8 are arranged in this wide space. And the opening part 4u which connects 1st air-conditioning space S3 and 2nd air-conditioning space S4 is provided in the partition part 4t.

  The humidifying unit 6 is configured to be able to humidify the air in the air-conditioned space S2 (second air-conditioned space S4) based on the relative humidity of the processing space S1 calculated by the arithmetic unit 12d described later of the temperature / humidity deriving unit 12. This humidification part 6 has the humidification water accommodating part 6a, the heater 6b, and the humidification water supply piping 6c.

  The humidified water storage portion 6a is a portion that accumulates humidified water, and includes a recess formed on the inner surface of the bottom wall portion 4v of the protruding portion 4s.

  The heater 6b has a heat generating portion provided in the humidified water storage portion 6a, and heats and evaporates the humidified water stored in the humidified water storage portion 6a, thereby humidifying the air in the second air-conditioned space S4. The control device 20 determines the humidification amount of air (degree of humidification of air) based on the relative humidity of the processing space S1 calculated by the calculation unit 12d described later, and the heating capacity necessary to obtain the humidification amount Is sent to the heater 6b. The heater 6 b heats the humidified water with the heating capability according to the control signal sent from the control device 20, whereby the humidification amount of the air by the humidification unit 6 becomes the humidification amount determined by the control device 20.

  The supply pipe 6c has one end connected to a humidified water supply source (not shown) and the other end connected to the humidified water storage section 6a. The humidified water supplied from the humidified water supply source is supplied with the supply pipe 6c. The humidified water storage portion 6a is replenished through 6c. The supply pipe 6c extends from the outside of the processing tank body 4g to the inside thereof through the wall of the processing tank body 4g, and most of the supply pipe 6c is a floor surface in the processing tank body 4g in the second air-conditioned space S4. It is arranged along. Thereby, when the space in the processing tank 4 is set at a higher temperature and higher humidity than the external space, the humidification supplied to the humidified water storage portion 6a in the portion of the supply pipe 6c disposed in the second air-conditioned space S4. Water is warmed to some extent. For this reason, while the fluctuation | variation of the temperature of humidification water becomes small in the humidification water accommodating part 6a, it becomes easy to evaporate humidification water, As a result, disorder of the humidification amount of air becomes small.

  The heating unit 8 is configured to be able to heat the air in the air-conditioned space S2 (second air-conditioned space S4) based on the temperature of the processing space S1 detected by a space temperature sensor 12a described later of the temperature / humidity deriving unit 12. The control device 20 determines the heating amount of air (degree of heating air) based on the temperature of the processing space S1 detected by the space temperature sensor 12a, and indicates the heating capacity necessary to obtain the heating amount. A control signal to be sent is sent to the heating unit 8. The heating unit 8 heats the air with a heating capability according to a control signal sent from the control device 20. Thereby, the heating amount of air by the heating unit 8 becomes the heating amount determined by the control device 20.

  The air blower 10 includes a fan that blows air, and circulates air between the air-conditioned space S2 (first air-conditioned space S3) and the processing space S1. The blower unit 10 is disposed facing the opening 4u of the partition 4t in the first air-conditioned space S3, and a motor 10a for driving the blower unit 10 is provided outside the processing tank 4. When the air blower 10 is driven by the motor 10a, the air in the second air-conditioned space S4, the temperature and humidity of which has been adjusted by the humidifying unit 6 and the heating unit 8, is stirred by the fan, and then through the opening 4u of the partition 4t. While flowing into the first conditioned space S3, the air is blown to the processing space S1 through the outflow side communication portion 4e, and further, air flows from the processing space S1 to the second conditioned space S4 through the inflow side communication portion 4d. In this way, the temperature and humidity of the processing space S1 are adjusted while air is circulated between the air-conditioned space S2 and the processing space S1. And in process space S1, air flows in the same direction as the conveyance direction of the processing target object W by the said conveying apparatus 100. As shown in FIG.

  In the processing space S1, air may flow in the direction opposite to the conveyance direction of the processing object W. That is, the inflow side communication portion 4d is arranged on the upstream side in the conveyance direction of the processing object W, the outflow side communication portion 4e is arranged on the downstream side in the conveyance direction, and the blower portion 10 is also on the outflow side on the downstream side in the conveyance direction. The air in the air-conditioned space S2 that is arranged in the vicinity of the communication part 4e and is blown by the air blowing part 10 passes from the outflow side communication part 4e on the downstream side in the transport direction through the processing space S1 to the inflow side communication part 4d on the upstream side in the transport direction. It is good also as a structure which circulates through so that it may return to air-conditioning space S2.

  The treatment tank body 4g is provided with a ventilation port 4w for ventilating inside and outside the treatment tank 4. This ventilation port 4w is provided in the wall part which forms air-conditioning space S2 (2nd air-conditioning space S4) among the processing tank main bodies 4g, and is arrange | positioned in the position of the inflow side communication part 4d vicinity. That is, the ventilation port 4w is downstream in the air flow direction from the position where the processing object W is installed in the processing tank 4, and upstream in the air flow direction from the position where the blower unit 10 is installed. It is arranged at the side position. The air-conditioned space S2 communicates with the external space of the processing tank 4 through the ventilation port 4w. When the air-conditioned space S2 is hotter and humid than the external space, the air-conditioned space S2 is dehumidified and cooled by being ventilated through the ventilation port 4w.

  The treatment tank 4 is provided with an opening degree adjusting device 18 that can adjust the opening degree of the ventilation port 4w according to the amount of air heated by the heating unit 8 and the amount of air humidified by the humidifying unit 6.

  The opening adjustment device 18 includes an adjustment plate 18a for adjusting the opening of the ventilation port 4w, and an adjustment plate driver 18b that moves the adjustment plate 18a. The adjustment plate driving unit 18 b is attached to the wall portion of the processing tank 4, and slides the adjustment plate 18 a along the wall portion of the processing tank 4. A control signal that instructs the opening degree of the ventilation port 4w according to the amount of air heated by the heating unit 8 and the amount of air humidified by the humidifying unit 6 is input from the control device 20 to the adjusting plate driving unit 18b. The adjustment plate driving unit 18b changes the opening degree of the ventilation port 4w by sliding the adjustment plate 18a in accordance with the input control signal.

  The temperature / humidity deriving unit 12 derives the temperature and humidity of the processing space S1. The temperature / humidity deriving unit 12 includes a space temperature sensor 12a, a humidity detection main body 12b, an outer surface temperature sensor 12c, and a calculation unit 12d.

  The space temperature sensor 12a detects the temperature of the processing space S1, and is disposed at a position facing the outflow side communication part 4e in the processing space S1. This space temperature sensor 12a is included in the concept of the space temperature detector of the present invention.

  The humidity detection main body 12b is formed of a straight rod-like heat pipe, and is provided on the upper lid 4h of the processing tank 4 so as to straddle the processing space S1 and the external space of the processing tank 4.

  Specifically, a through hole 4x that penetrates up and down is provided at a position near the outflow side communication portion 4e in the upper lid 4h, and a heat pipe of the humidity detection main body 12b is inserted into the through hole 4x. . The humidity detection main body 12b is provided in such a posture that the side disposed in the processing space S1 is positioned below the side disposed in the external space of the processing tank 4. And the part arrange | positioned in process space S1 among this humidity detection main-body parts 12b is arrange | positioned above the conveyance path | route of the process target object W by the conveyance body 102. FIG. The humidity detection main body 12b is not only disposed in a posture extending in the vertical direction, but may be disposed in a posture inclined to some extent from the vertical direction as long as the heat pipe phenomenon can occur. Good. Further, a plurality of heat pipes of the humidity detection main body 12b may be provided as necessary.

  A working fluid made of pure water is sealed inside the heat pipe of the humidity detection main body 12b. During normal operation of the temperature / humidity processing apparatus 2, the processing space S1 is hotter than the external space of the processing tank 4, and as a result, the heat pipe of the humidity detection main body 12b is disposed in the processing space S1. This causes a heat pipe phenomenon in which the working fluid evaporates in the inner side and the evaporated working fluid condenses in the inner side disposed in the external space. In the processing space S1, a receiving portion 4y is provided at a position below the humidity detection main body 12b and above the transport path of the processing object W by the transport body 102. As will be described later, the receiving portion 4y receives the condensation when the moisture is formed on the outer surface of the portion of the humidity detection main body portion 12b disposed in the processing space S1 and the condensation is dropped. The water received by the receiving portion 4y is discharged to the outside of the processing tank 4 through a discharge pipe (not shown) connected to the receiving portion 4y. Note that when the humidity detection main body 12b is arranged to be shifted from the conveyance path of the processing target W by the conveyance body 102 to the side, the receiving unit 4y can be omitted.

  The outer surface temperature sensor 12c is for deriving the outer surface temperature of the portion of the humidity detection main body 12b that is disposed in the processing space S1 and where the working fluid evaporates. The outer surface temperature sensor 12c is the main body of the present invention. It is included in the concept of the temperature deriving unit.

  Specifically, the external surface temperature sensor 12c operates in a liquid state on the side of the humidity detection main body 12b that is disposed in the processing space S1 when the heat detection phenomenon occurs completely in the humidity detection main body 12b. It is attached to the outer surface of the part where the fluid accumulates. That is, when the heat pipe phenomenon starts to occur in the humidity detection main body 12b, the liquid working fluid accumulated inside the processing space S1 gradually evaporates, and accordingly the working fluid The liquid level decreases. Then, when the heat pipe phenomenon is completely generated in the humidity detection main body 12b, the liquid level of the working fluid is the lowest. The outer surface temperature sensor 12c is attached to a range in which the liquid working fluid is accumulated below the liquid surface when the humidity is lowered in the humidity detection main body 12b, and the outer surface temperature of the attached portion. Is detected. The outer surface temperature of the portion where the outer surface temperature sensor 12c is attached is equal to the outer surface temperature of the portion where the working fluid evaporates, and the outer surface temperature of this portion is substantially equal to the dew point of the processing space S1, as will be described later. Become. For this reason, detected surface temperature data substantially equal to the dew point of the processing space S1 is output from the outer surface temperature sensor 12c. In other words, the humidity detection main body 12b and the outer surface temperature sensor 12c of this embodiment can function as an alternative to a wet bulb temperature sensor using a conventional wick.

  The calculation unit 12d is included in the control device 20. The calculation unit 12d includes temperature data of the processing space S1 detected by the space temperature sensor 12a and a humidity detection main body detected by the outer surface temperature sensor 12c. The data of the outer surface temperature of 12b is input. The computing unit 12d calculates the relative humidity of the processing space S1 based on the input temperature data of the processing space S1 and the outer surface temperature data of the humidity detection main body 12b.

  As described above, the control device 20 controls the operation of each part of the temperature and humidity treatment device 2.

  Next, the process of the process target object W using the temperature / humidity processing apparatus 2 of this embodiment is demonstrated.

  In this processing step, the temperature / humidity of the processing space S1 is set to the temperature / humidity condition in the high temperature / humidity region indicated by the region within the thick line in FIG. Processing to expose the object W is performed.

  First, humidified water is heated and evaporated by the heater 6b in the humidifying unit 6 of the temperature / humidity treatment device 2, and the air in the air-conditioned space S2 is humidified, and the air in the air-conditioned space S2 is heated by the heating unit 8. The humidified and heated air is blown to the processing space S1 through the outflow side communication portion 4e when the air blowing unit 10 is driven, and the air in the processing space S1 enters the conditioned space S2 through the inflow side communication portion 4d. Flows in. In this way, air circulates between the air-conditioned space S2 and the processing space S1, and the temperature and humidity of the processing space S1 increases.

  When the temperature of the processing space S1 becomes higher than the temperature of the external space of the processing tank 4, a heat pipe phenomenon occurs in the humidity detection main body 12b. Specifically, the liquid working fluid evaporates inside the humidity detection main body 12b on the side disposed in the processing space S1, and the evaporated working fluid is contained in the processing tank 4 in the humidity detection main body 12b. It flows to the part arranged in the external space of the water and is cooled and condensed in that part. The working fluid that has been condensed into a liquid state flows to the side of the humidity detection main body 12b that is disposed in the processing space S1, and evaporates again. In this way, the working fluid evaporates and condenses in the humidity detection main body 12b.

  In the humidity detection main body 12b in which the heat pipe phenomenon is completely generated, the outer surface temperature detected by the outer surface temperature sensor 12c, that is, the temperature equal to the outer surface temperature of the portion where the working fluid is evaporated is equal to the processing space S1. It is approximately equal to the dew point of air.

  This phenomenon has been found from the results of experiments conducted by the present inventors. In this experiment, in the constant temperature and humidity chamber, the heat pipe is installed through the heat insulating wall so as to straddle the space inside the tank partitioned by the heat insulating wall and the space outside the tank. The heat pipe phenomenon was completely generated in the heat pipe at a temperature higher than that of the space, and in that state, the outer surface temperature of the portion was measured by a temperature sensor attached to the same portion of the heat pipe as the outer surface temperature sensor 12c. Moreover, the temperature and relative humidity in the tank were measured on the apparatus side of the constant temperature and humidity chamber, and the dew point of the air in the tank was calculated from the measured temperature and relative humidity in the tank. The time course of these measurement results and calculation results is shown in FIG. From the result of FIG. 3, it can be seen that the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is substantially equal to the dew point of the air in the tank (the dew point of the space on the high temperature side). That is, in a heat pipe in which the heat pipe phenomenon has completely occurred, the outer surface temperature of the portion where the liquid working fluid that can be regarded as being equivalent to the outer surface temperature where the working fluid evaporates is approximately equal to the dew point of the high-temperature space. Turned out to be. And from this result, in this embodiment, the external surface temperature of the part detected by the external surface temperature sensor 12c in the humidity detection main body part 12b in which the heat pipe phenomenon occurs may be substantially equal to the dew point of the processing space S1. It was found.

  And in the calculating part 12d, the temperature detected by the outer surface temperature sensor 12c, that is, the data of the temperature substantially equal to the dew point of the processing space S1, and the data of the detected temperature by the space temperature sensor 12a are input, and processing is performed based on these data. The relative humidity of the space S1 is calculated. The control device 20 controls the amount of air heated by the heating unit 8 based on the temperature detected by the space temperature sensor 12a, and humidifies the air by the humidifying unit 6 based on the relative humidity of the processing space S1 calculated by the calculation unit 12d. Control the amount.

  Specifically, when the temperature of the processing space S1 detected by the space temperature sensor 12a is lower than the target temperature, the control device 20 increases the heating capability of the heating unit 8 and promotes heating of the air. On the other hand, when the temperature of the processing space S1 detected by the space temperature sensor 12a is equal to or higher than the target temperature, the heating capability of the heating unit 8 is weakened to suppress the heating of air. In addition, when the relative humidity of the processing space S1 calculated by the calculation unit 12d is lower than the target relative humidity, the control device 20 increases the heating capacity of the heater 6b of the humidifying unit 6 to increase the evaporation amount of the humidified water. While increasing the humidity of the air and promoting the humidification of the air, if the relative humidity of the processing space S1 calculated by the calculation unit 12d is equal to or higher than the target relative humidity, the heating capacity of the heater 6b of the humidification unit 6 is weakened to humidify the air. Reduces water evaporation and suppresses humidification of air.

  And the control apparatus 20 determines the opening degree of the ventilation port 4w according to the heating amount of the air by the heating part 8, and the humidification amount of the air by the humidification part 6, and adjusts the opening degree of the control signal which instruct | indicates the opening degree This is sent to the adjusting plate driving unit 18b of the device 18. The adjustment plate driving unit 18b moves the adjustment plate 18a according to the control signal sent from the control device 20 to adjust the opening degree of the ventilation port 4w to the opening degree determined by the control device 20. At this time, when the control device 20 controls the heating unit 8 and the humidifying unit 6 to increase the amount of air heated by the heating unit 8 and the amount of air humidified by the humidifying unit 6, the control device 20 While controlling the opening degree adjusting device 18 to lower the opening degree of the ventilation port 4w, the control unit 20 reduces the heating amount of the air by the heating unit 8 and the humidifying amount of the air by the humidifying unit 6 and When the humidifying unit 6 is controlled, the control device 20 controls the opening adjustment device 18 so as to increase the opening of the ventilation port 4w. Then, the air-conditioned space S2 (second air-conditioned space S4) is ventilated through the ventilation port 4w with a ventilation amount corresponding to the opening degree. This ventilation dehumidifies and cools the air-conditioned space S2. The dehumidified and cooled air in the air-conditioned space S2 is humidified by the humidifying unit 6 and heated by the heating unit 8, and then sent to the processing space S1 while being stirred by the blower unit 10.

  Further, in the humidity detection main body 12b in which the heat pipe phenomenon as described above occurs, the outer surface temperature of the portion where the working fluid evaporates on the side disposed in the processing space S1 is substantially equal to the dew point of the processing space S1. Then, condensation occurs on the outer surface of the portion where the working fluid evaporates. This condensation is dripped from the lower end of the humidity detection main body 12b, and the dripped water is received by the receiving portion 4y and discharged to the outside through the discharge pipe. That is, auxiliary dehumidification of the processing space S1 is performed using dew condensation on the outer surface of the portion of the humidity detection main body 12b where the working fluid evaporates. Furthermore, in the humidity detection main body 12b in which the heat pipe phenomenon as described above occurs, a portion where the working fluid is condensed by being disposed in the external space of the processing tank 4 from a portion where the working fluid is evaporated in the processing space S1. Heat is transported to the substrate, and auxiliary cooling of the processing space S1 is performed by the heat transport.

  In the present embodiment, air humidification by the humidifying unit 6, dehumidification of the air-conditioned space S2 accompanying ventilation through the ventilation port 4w, and auxiliary dehumidification of the processing space S1 by the humidity detection main body 12b in which the heat pipe phenomenon occurs. Therefore, the humidity of the processing space S1 in the processing tank 4 is set to the target humidity and maintained at that humidity. Moreover, the balance of the heating of the air by the heating part 8, the cooling of the air-conditioning space S2 accompanying the ventilation through the ventilation port 4w, and the auxiliary cooling of the processing space S1 by the humidity detection main body part 12b in which the heat pipe phenomenon occurs. Thus, the temperature of the processing space S1 in the processing tank 4 is set to the target temperature and maintained at that temperature. In this way, the temperature and humidity of the processing space S1 are adjusted and maintained at the target temperature and humidity (high temperature and high humidity conditions).

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the temperature and humidity treatment apparatus 2 is operated in a state where the temperature and humidity in the treatment tank 4 are stable, both the amount of air heated by the heating unit 8 and the amount of humidified air by the humidifying unit 6 are both. When larger than a predetermined value, the control apparatus 20 controls the drive part 16b so that the opening degree of the ventilation port 4w may be made small gradually. Accordingly, the control device 20 gradually reduces the heating amount by the heating unit 8 and the humidifying amount by the humidifying unit 6, and the heating amount by the heating unit 8 and the humidifying amount by the humidifying unit 6 are set to the predetermined values. The amount of heating and / or the amount of humidification is minimized so as to be close to. Note that the predetermined values of the heating amount and the humidifying amount are preferably close to zero within a controllable range.

  After the processing space S1 is adjusted to the target temperature and humidity, the shutter 14a is slid upward by the drive unit 14b of the carry-in shutter device 14, and the shutter 16a is moved upward by the drive unit 16b of the carry-out shutter device 16. To slide. As a result, the carry-in port 4j and the carry-out port 4k are opened, and then the processing motor W placed on the transport body 102 is transported by driving the drive motor of the transport device 100 to move the transport body 102 around. It is carried into the processing space S1 through the mouth 4j. The drive motor of the transport device 100 moves the transport body 102 until the portion of the transport body 102 on which the processing object W to be processed is placed fits in the processing space S1, and then stops driving to stop the transport body. The movement of 102 is stopped. Thereafter, the shutter 14a is slid downward by the drive unit 14b of the carry-in shutter device 14, and the shutter 16a is slid downward by the drive unit 16b of the carry-out shutter device 16. As a result, the carry-in port 4j and the carry-out port 4k are closed.

  In this state, the processing object W is exposed to an atmosphere of a constant temperature and humidity condition (high temperature and high humidity condition) in the processing space S1 for a certain period of time. After that, the carry-in shutter device 14 opens the carry-in port 4j and the carry-out shutter device 16 opens the carry-out port 4k. Then, the drive motor of the carrying device 100 is driven to move the carrying body 102 around and move the process. The subsequent processing object W is unloaded from the processing space S1 through the unloading port 4k. Then, simultaneously with the unloading of the processed object W after the processing, the processed object W to be processed next is carried into the processing space S1 through the carry-in entrance 4j, and thereafter the processing object in the processing space S1 in the same manner. Process W is performed.

  In the processing step according to the present embodiment, the processing object W as described above is carried into the processing space S1, the processing of the processing object W in the processing space S1, and the processing object W after processing from the processing space S1. Unloading is performed sequentially.

  As described above, in this embodiment, since the processing tank 4 is provided with the ventilation port 4w for ventilating inside and outside the processing tank 4, the processing space S1 and the air-conditioned space S2 in the processing tank 4 are external. When the temperature and humidity are higher than the space, the processing space S1 can be dehumidified and cooled through the ventilation port 4w.

  In the present embodiment, the temperature of the processing space S <b> 1 is raised to a temperature higher than the external space of the processing tank 4 in order to expose the processing object W to an atmosphere having a higher temperature and humidity condition than the external space of the processing tank 4. At that time, a heat pipe phenomenon occurs in the humidity detection main body 12b, the working fluid evaporates inside the humidity detection main body 12b on the side disposed in the processing space S1, and the working fluid evaporates. The outer surface temperature is substantially equal to the dew point of the processing space S1. Then, since the outer surface temperature of the portion where the working fluid evaporates is detected by the outer surface temperature sensor 12c, the calculation is performed based on the detected outer surface temperature and the temperature of the processing space S1 detected by the space temperature sensor 12a. The relative humidity of the processing space S1 can be calculated by the unit 12d. Therefore, in this embodiment, unlike the case where the relative humidity of the processing space is derived using the conventional dry bulb temperature sensor and the wet bulb temperature sensor, the wick of the wet bulb temperature sensor is not required, so the wick becomes old. It is not necessary to stop the operation of the temperature / humidity treatment apparatus 2 in order to replace the wick each time the water suction becomes worse.

  Further, in the present embodiment, since the outer surface temperature of the portion where the working fluid evaporates on the side of the humidity detection main body 12b arranged in the processing space S1 is substantially equal to the dew point of the processing space S1, the working fluid evaporates. Condensation occurs on the outer surface of the part to be used. For this reason, auxiliary dehumidification of the processing space S1 can be performed by utilizing the dew condensation on the outer surface of the portion where the working fluid evaporates in the humidity detection main body 12b. Further, in the humidity detection main body 12b in which the heat pipe phenomenon has occurred, heat is transferred from the portion where the working fluid is evaporated in the processing space S1 to the portion where the working fluid is condensed in the outer space of the processing tank 4 Therefore, auxiliary cooling of the processing space S1 can be performed using heat transfer by the humidity detection main body 12b. That is, in the present embodiment, a processing space is obtained by ventilation through the ventilation port 4w, condensation and heat transfer in the humidity detection main body 12b, without using a conventional cooler (dehumidifier) composed of an evaporator of a refrigerator. Since the dehumidification and cooling of S1 can be performed, it is possible to prevent the temperature / humidity treatment apparatus 2 from being stopped due to a malfunction or malfunction of the refrigerator, and to reduce energy required for operating the refrigerator. . Therefore, in this embodiment, long-term continuous operation is possible and energy saving can be achieved.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the opening degree adjustment apparatus 18 which can adjust the opening degree of the ventilation port 4w according to the heating amount of the air by the heating part 8 and the humidification amount of the air by the humidification part 6 is provided in the processing tank 4. Therefore, when the temperature and humidity outside the processing tank 4 is lower than the temperature and humidity of the processing space S1, when the heating amount of air by the heating unit 8 and the humidification amount of air by the humidifying unit 6 are increased, the opening degree The adjustment device 18 can reduce the ventilation amount by reducing the opening degree of the ventilation port 4w. As a result, the heating effect of the air by the heating unit 8 and the humidification effect of the air by the humidifying unit 6 can be enhanced. Thereby, the energy required for heating the air by the heating unit 8 and humidifying the air by the humidifying unit 6 can be reduced, so that further energy saving can be achieved. In addition, when the temperature and humidity outside the processing tank 4 is relatively high, when the amount of air heated by the heating unit 8 and the amount of air humidified by the humidifying unit 6 are decreased, the opening adjustment device 18 is provided in the ventilation port 4w. The amount of ventilation can be increased by increasing the opening. As a result, even when the temperature and humidity outside the processing tank 4 is relatively high and the temperature and humidity inside the processing tank 4 is difficult to decrease, dehumidification and cooling of the processing space S1 can be promoted by increasing the ventilation amount.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the temperature and humidity treatment apparatus 2 is operated in a state where the temperature and humidity in the treatment tank 4 are stable, both the amount of air heated by the heating unit 8 and the amount of humidified air by the humidifying unit 6 are both. When it is larger than the predetermined value, the opening degree adjusting device 18 gradually decreases the opening degree of the ventilation port 4w, and accordingly, the heating amount by the heating unit 8 and the humidification amount by the humidifying unit 6 are gradually reduced. As a result, the energy becomes closer to a predetermined value, so that further energy saving can be achieved.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the ventilation port 4w is more downstream than the position where the processing object W is installed in the processing tank 4 in the air flow direction, and more air than the position where the blower unit 10 is installed. Is disposed at an upstream position in the flow direction. For this reason, the air taken into the air-conditioned space S2 in the processing tank 4 from the outside through the ventilation port 4w is stirred by the blower 10 so that its temperature and humidity are relatively uniform, and then hits the processing object W. Since the air is blown into the processing space S1, it is possible to prevent the temperature and humidity processing conditions for the processing object W from becoming uneven.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, since the entrance 4j and the exit 4k are provided in the mutually opposing position among wall part 4m, 4n of the process tank main body 4g which forms process space S1, the process target W is provided. By the transport device 100 that sends in one direction, the processed object W after processing is unloaded from the processing space S1 through the outlet 4k, and at the same time, the processing target W to be processed next is processed in the same direction as the unloading direction through the inlet 4j. It can be carried into the space S1. That is, the processing target object W in the processing space S1 is compared with the batch type processing step in which the processing target object W to be processed next is taken into the processing space after the processing target object W after processing is taken out from the processing space. The time required for replacement can be shortened, and the processing efficiency can be improved.

  In the present embodiment, in the processing space S1, the humidity detection main body 12b is positioned below the portion disposed in the processing space S1 and above the transport path of the processing object W by the transport body 102. Is provided with a receiving portion 4y for receiving the dew condensation water dripping from the humidity detection main body portion 12b, so that a heat pipe phenomenon occurs in the humidity detection main body portion 12b, and the processing space S1 in the humidity detection main body portion 12b. Even when the dew condensation generated on the outer surface of the arranged portion is dropped, it is possible to prevent the dew condensation water from being received by the receiving unit 4y and being applied to the processing object W.

  The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the above description of the embodiments but by the scope of claims for patent, and further includes meanings equivalent to the scope of claims for patent and all modifications within the scope.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the carrier 102 is orbitally moved until the processing object W is accommodated in the processing space S1, and then stopped for a certain period of time, and then the carrier 102 is orbitally moved again. The invention is not limited to such a configuration. That is, the drive motor of the transport apparatus 100 continuously moves the transport body 102 around, so that the processing object S passes through the processing space S1 over a predetermined time and the atmosphere of the processing space S1 has a predetermined temperature and humidity condition. You may be exposed to.

  In this case, the carry-in shutter device 14 and the carry-out shutter device 16 may not be provided, and the carry-in port 4j and the carry-out port 4k may be always open. In this configuration, since the air in the processing space S1 can be ventilated by using the carry-in port 4j and the carry-out port 4k as a ventilation port, the processing space S1 has higher temperature and humidity than the external space of the processing tank 4. In some cases, the processing space S1 can be dehumidified and cooled through the carry-in port 4j and the carry-out port 4k.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, instead of the ventilation opening 4w, the outlet 4k located downstream from the position where the process target W is installed in the processing space S1 in the processing tank 4 in the air flow direction is set to the ventilation opening. May be used for ventilation inside and outside the treatment tank 4. In this case, it is preferable that the carry-out shutter device 16 can adjust the opening degree of the carry-out port 4k according to the amount of air heated by the heating unit 8 and the amount of air humidified by the humidifying unit 6.

  Specifically, the driving unit 16b of the carry-out shutter device 16 can move the shutter 16a to an arbitrary position between a position where the carry-out port 4k is fully opened and a position where the carry-out port 4k is fully closed. It is configured. Then, in a state in which the processing object W is carried into the processing space S1 in the processing tank 4 by the transport device 100, the heating amount of the air by the heating unit 8 from the control unit 20 is transferred to the driving unit 16b of the carry-out shutter device 16. And the control signal which instruct | indicates the opening degree of the carrying-out port 4k according to the humidification amount of the air by the humidification part 6 is input. That is, the control device 20 determines the opening of the carry-out port 4k according to the amount of air heated by the heating unit 8 and the amount of humidified air by the humidifying unit 6, and sends a control signal indicating the opening to the carry-out shutter. It sends to the drive part 16b of the apparatus 16. The drive unit 16 b moves the shutter 16 a according to the control signal sent from the control device 20 to adjust the opening of the carry-out port 4 k to the opening determined by the control device 20.

  At this time, when the control device 20 controls the heating unit 8 and the humidifying unit 6 to increase the amount of air heated by the heating unit 8 and the amount of air humidified by the humidifying unit 6, the control device 20 While controlling the drive unit 16b to lower the opening degree of the carry-out port 4k, the control unit 20 reduces the heating amount of the air by the heating unit 8 and the humidification amount of the air by the humidifying unit 6 and the humidifying unit. 6 is controlled, the control device 20 controls the drive unit 16b so as to increase the opening degree of the carry-out port 4k.

  Further, when the temperature / humidity treatment apparatus 2 is operated in a state where the temperature and humidity in the treatment tank 4 are stable, both the heating amount of the air by the heating unit 8 and the humidification amount of the air by the humidifying unit 6 are both lower than a predetermined value. If larger, the control device 20 controls the drive unit 16b so as to gradually reduce the opening degree of the carry-out port 4k. Accordingly, the control device 20 gradually reduces the heating amount by the heating unit 8 and the humidifying amount by the humidifying unit 6, and the heating amount by the heating unit 8 and the humidifying amount by the humidifying unit 6 are set to the predetermined values. The amount of heating and / or the amount of humidification is minimized so as to be close to. Note that the predetermined values of the heating amount and the humidifying amount are preferably close to zero within a controllable range.

  And the air of the area | region downstream from the area | region where the process target object W was installed among process space S1 is ventilated through the carrying-out port 4k with the ventilation amount according to the opening degree, and the dehumidification and cooling of the air of the area | region are ventilated. Is done. The dehumidified and cooled air in the downstream area of the processing object W flows into the air-conditioned space S2, is humidified by the humidifying unit 6, is heated by the heating unit 8, and is then stirred by the blower unit 10. It is sent to the processing space S1.

  In addition, ventilation in the processing tank 4 using the carry-out port 4k as a ventilation port in this way is performed only in a state where the processing object W is stored in the processing space S1. That is, when the processing object W is carried out from the processing tank 4, the control device 20 gives priority to opening and closing of the carry-out port 4 k by the carry-out shutter device 16 according to the movement and stop of the conveyance body 102 by the conveyance device 100. Let it be done.

  Thus, if the air in the processing tank 4 is ventilated using the outlet 4k as a ventilation opening while adjusting the opening degree of the outlet 4k by the outlet shutter device 16, the temperature and humidity outside the processing tank 4 When the heating amount of the air by the heating unit 8 and the humidification amount of the air by the humidifying unit 6 are increased when the temperature is lower than the temperature and humidity of the processing space S1, the carry-out shutter device 16 reduces the opening of the carry-out port 4k. The ventilation volume can be reduced. As a result, the air heating effect by the heating unit 8 and the air humidification effect by the humidifying unit 6 can be enhanced. Thereby, the energy required for heating the air by the heating unit 8 and humidifying the air by the humidifying unit 6 can be reduced, so that further energy saving can be achieved.

  In addition, when the temperature and humidity outside the processing tank 4 is relatively high, when the amount of air heated by the heating unit 8 and the amount of air humidified by the humidifying unit 6 are decreased, the carry-out shutter device 16 is provided at the carry-out port 4k. The amount of ventilation can be increased by increasing the opening. As a result, even when the temperature and humidity outside the processing tank 4 is relatively high and the temperature and humidity inside the processing tank 4 is difficult to decrease, dehumidification and cooling of the processing space S1 can be promoted by increasing the ventilation amount.

  Furthermore, when the temperature / humidity treatment apparatus 2 is operated in a state where the temperature and humidity in the treatment tank 4 are stable, both the heating amount of air by the heating unit 8 and the humidification amount of air by the humidifying unit 6 are both lower than a predetermined value. If it is larger, the carry-out shutter device 16 gradually reduces the opening of the carry-out port 4k, and accordingly, the heating amount by the heating unit 8 and the humidification amount by the humidifying unit 6 are gradually reduced to a predetermined value. Therefore, further energy saving can be achieved.

  In addition, although it is preferable to use the carrying-out port 4k located in the downstream in the air flow direction as a ventilation port from the position where the processing object W is installed in the processing tank 4 as described above, the carrying-in port 4j is used as the ventilation port. As well as the carry-out shutter device 16 described above, the opening of the carry-in port 4j is used according to the heating amount of the air by the heating unit 8 and the humidification amount of the air by the humidifying unit 6 as well as being used as a ventilation port. You may comprise so that adjustment is possible.

  In addition, when the conveyance direction of the process target object W is a reverse direction with the said embodiment, the inside of the processing tank 4 is ventilated using the carrying-in port provided in the position of the said carrying-out port 4k as a ventilation port. It is preferable. That is, it is preferable that the opening degree is always adjusted by using, as a ventilation port, a carry-in port or a carry-out port located downstream in the air flow direction from the position where the processing object W is installed in the processing space S1. In that case, it is preferable that the carry-in port or the carry-out port located on the upstream side of the processing object W in the air flow direction is closed by the corresponding shutter device.

  When the inside of the processing tank 4 is ventilated through a carry-in port or a carry-out port located upstream from the position where the processing object W is installed in the air flow direction, the treatment tank is externally supplied through the carry-in port or carry-out port. 4, there is a risk that the air taken into the processing object W will hit the processing object W in a state where the temperature and humidity of the air are locally different. In this case, the processing conditions of the temperature and humidity of the processing object W may be uneven. There is. On the other hand, as described above, one of the carry-in port and the carry-out port, which is located on the downstream side in the air flow direction from the position where the treatment object W is installed in the treatment tank 4, is used as a ventilation port. If the inside of the processing tank 4 is ventilated, the air taken into the processing tank 4 from the outside through the carry-in port or the carry-out port is stirred by the blower 10 and the temperature thereof is made relatively uniform. Since the air is blown so as to hit W, it is possible to prevent the processing conditions of the temperature and humidity of the processing target W from being uneven as described above.

  And as mentioned above, when ventilating the inside of the processing tank 4 using at least one of the carry-in port and the carry-out port as a ventilation port, the ventilation port 4w and the opening degree adjusting device 18 may be omitted. In this case, the configuration of the temperature / humidity treatment apparatus 2 can be simplified.

  Moreover, the conveyance apparatus used for a process does not need to be a thing like the conveyor which sends the process target W as mentioned above to one direction.

  For example, as in a modification of the above-described embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the transport device may be a carriage 112 or the like for loading and transporting the processing object W. In the configuration of this modified example, the processing tank 24 is configured in a hollow box shape, and a wall 24a on the front side (left side in FIG. 4) of the processing tank 24 is provided with a carry-in port and a carry-out port. An opening 24b is also formed, and a door 24d for opening and closing the opening 24b is attached. The door 24d can be opened to the front. The door 24d is opened, and the rack 26 containing the processing object W placed on the carriage 112 is passed through the opening 24b in the processing space in the processing tank 4. While being able to carry in to S1, the rack 26 in which the processing object W after being stored in the processing space S1 and subjected to the temperature and humidity processing can be carried out of the processing space S1 through the opening 24b.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, in order to make the maintenance in the processing tank 4 easy, although the upper cover 4h whole was made detachable with respect to the processing tank main body 4g, it is for maintenance on any wall part which comprises a processing tank. An opening may be provided, and a door for opening and closing the opening may be provided.

  Moreover, you may set the position of the ventilation opening 4w in various positions other than the position shown in the said embodiment. For example, you may provide a ventilation port in the wall part which forms process space S1 among the process tanks 4. FIG.

  Moreover, in the processing tank 4, the processing space S1 and the air-conditioned space S2 may be arranged upside down. In connection with it, you may change suitably the installation position with respect to the processing tank 4 of each structure part of the temperature / humidity processing apparatus 2. FIG.

  In addition, the outer surface temperature sensor 12c is attached to the outer surface of a portion other than the end portion on the side arranged in the processing space S1 in the humidity detection main body portion 12b shown in the above embodiment, and the outer surface temperature of the portion is detected. May be. In this case, a temperature difference is generated between the detected temperature of the outer surface temperature sensor 12c and the outer surface temperature of the portion where the working fluid evaporates in the humidity detection main body 12b, that is, the dew point of the processing space S1. Therefore, a correction unit is provided in addition to the outer surface temperature sensor 12c, the temperature difference is measured in advance, and the correction unit corrects the detected temperature of the outer surface temperature sensor 12c by the measured temperature difference. The dew point of S1 can be determined. In this aspect, the body surface temperature deriving unit according to the present invention is configured by the outer surface temperature sensor 12c and the correcting means.

  Moreover, you may use the temperature sensor which detects the outer surface temperature of the humidity detection main-body part 12b by non-contact as the outer surface temperature sensor 12c.

  Further, instead of detecting the outer surface temperature of the humidity detection main body 12b by the outer surface temperature sensor 12c, a temperature sensor is attached to a predetermined position on the inner surface of the humidity detection main body 12b to detect the inner surface temperature of the humidity detection main body 12b. Also good. Also in this case, the main body temperature deriving unit of the present invention is configured by the temperature sensor attached to the inner surface of the humidity detection main body 12b and the correction means for correcting the temperature detected by the temperature sensor to obtain the dew point of the processing space S1. Is preferred.

  In addition, the positions where the space temperature sensor 12a, the humidity detection main body 12b, and the outer surface temperature sensor 12c are disposed are limited to positions near the air outlet (outflow side communication portion 4e) from the air-conditioned space S2 to the processing space S1. Not.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the humidity detection main-body part 12b was comprised by the straight-bar shaped heat pipe, you may use the heat pipe of various shapes other than this as the humidity detection main-body part 12b. Further, the humidity detection main body 12b may be constituted by a meandering capillary heat pipe known as a heat lane (registered trademark) or a self-excited vibration heat pipe.

  The working fluid sealed in the humidity detection main body 12b may be a liquid other than pure water.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although it comprised so that the supply piping 6c might pass the inside of the processing tank 4, it is not limited to this structure. That is, the supply pipe 6c is arranged so as to pass outside the processing tank 4, and a heating device for heating the supply pipe 6c is provided separately so that the humidified water flowing in the supply pipe 6c is heated by the heating device. Also good.

2 Temperature / humidity treatment device 4, 24 Treatment tank 4a Treatment space 4b Air-conditioning space 4c Partition wall 4j Carry-in port 4k Carry-out port 4w Ventilation port 4y Receiving part 6 Humidification part 8 Heating part 10 Blower part 12a Space temperature sensor (space temperature detection part)
12b Humidity detection main body 12c External surface temperature sensor (main body temperature deriving unit)
12d Calculation unit 14 Carrying-in shutter device 16 Carrying-out shutter device 18 Opening adjustment device W Processing object

Claims (6)

A temperature / humidity treatment apparatus used in a treatment process in which an object to be treated is exposed to an atmosphere of a certain temperature / humidity condition,
A treatment tank in which a treatment space into which the treatment object can be carried is provided;
A space temperature detector for detecting the temperature of the processing space;
Provided across the processing space and the external space of the processing tank, and when the processing space is hotter than the external space, the working fluid sealed inside is disposed inside the processing space. A humidity detection body configured to evaporate and to cause a heat pipe phenomenon in which the evaporated working fluid is condensed inside the outer space;
A body part temperature deriving part for deriving the temperature of the part where the working fluid evaporates in the humidity detecting body part;
A calculation unit that calculates the humidity of the processing space based on the temperature of the processing space detected by the space temperature detection unit and the temperature of the humidity detection main body derived by the main body temperature deriving unit;
A heating unit provided in the processing tank and capable of heating air based on the temperature of the processing space detected by the space temperature detection unit;
A humidifying unit provided in the processing tank and capable of humidifying air based on the humidity of the processing space calculated by the calculation unit;
The temperature / humidity treatment apparatus, wherein the treatment tank is provided with a vent for ventilating inside and outside the treatment tank.   The temperature / humidity processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an opening degree adjusting device capable of adjusting an opening degree of the ventilation port in accordance with an amount of air heated by the heating unit and an amount of air humidified by the humidifying unit. In the processing tank, a partition wall is disposed between the processing space and an air conditioning space in which the heating unit and the humidification unit are installed, and the air conditioning space and the processing space are provided. The air blowing part that circulates air between is provided,
The ventilation port is further downstream in the air flow direction than the position where the processing object is installed in the treatment tank, and more upstream in the air flow direction than the position where the air blowing unit is installed. The temperature / humidity treatment apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, which is disposed at a position.   At the positions facing each other among the walls of the processing tank forming the processing space, the processing object is carried into the processing space by the transport device that sends the processing object in one direction, and from the processing space. The temperature / humidity treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a carry-in port and a carry-out port are provided so that the processing object can be carried out. A carry-in shutter device provided in the processing tank so that the carry-in port can be opened and closed;
A carry-out shutter device provided in the treatment tank so that the carry-out opening can be opened and closed,
At least one of the carry-in shutter device and the carry-out shutter device has an opening degree of the carry-in port or the carry-out port that the shutter device opens and closes, an air heating amount by the heating unit, and the humidifying unit. The temperature / humidity treatment apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the temperature / humidity treatment apparatus is configured to be adjustable according to a humidification amount of air. A portion of the humidity detection main body disposed in the processing space is disposed above a transport path of the processing object by the transport device,
In the processing space, a position below the portion of the humidity detection main body portion arranged in the processing space and above the transport path of the processing object by the transport device is from the humidity detection main body portion. The temperature / humidity treatment apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein a receiving portion for receiving the condensed water to be dropped is provided.

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