JPH0560899A - Electron beam irradiation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the utilization efficiency of inert gas with a simple constitution by providing a transport duct covering nozzles and rollers along the transport path and replacing the atmosphere in an irradiation region with inert gas. CONSTITUTION:Along the transport path transporting an irradiated body 4, a transport duct 20 is formed in nearly parallel to the irradiated body 4 so that it covers nozzles 10 and rollers 11. By blowing inert gas out of the nozzles 10, the air sticking to the surface of the irradiated body 4 is blown off and is replaced by the inert gas and so the atmosphere in the irradiation region 71 becomes below a desired oxigen concentration. As the space of inert gas environment is quite limited, the inert gas does not disperse. Therefore, useless inert gas need not be supplied and the utilization efficiency of the inert gas can be improved.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electron beam irradiation apparatus, and particularly to reducing the consumption of inert gas.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an electron beam irradiation apparatus, an electric wire, a tube, a tape or other long object to be irradiated is directed toward an irradiation area in an irradiation chamber where the electron beam from the electron beam generator is applied to the object to be irradiated. It is well known that the carrier is carried and the electron beam is sequentially irradiated onto the carrier. In this case, the X-rays generated when the electron beam is irradiated are prevented from leaking to the outside, and the oxygen, that is, the air adhering to the irradiation target is blown off by the inert gas, and the irradiation is performed in the inert gas atmosphere. It is required to irradiate the body with an electron beam.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic structure of a conventional electron beam irradiation apparatus, in which 1 is an electron beam generator, 2 is an irradiation window, 3 is a beam catcher, and 4 is a long irradiation object. Then, the X-ray shielding case 5 for shielding X-rays is divided into an irradiation chamber 7 and a plurality of preliminary chambers 8 by a shielding wall 6, and a slit 9 is formed in each shielding wall 6.
Is formed so that the irradiated body 4 passes between the slits 9. Reference numeral 71 is an irradiation area in the irradiation chamber 7 where the electron beam is irradiated. Irradiation chamber 8 in which the irradiated body 4 is transported
Further, a nozzle 10 for spraying an inert gas onto the irradiation target 4 and a roller 11 for guiding the irradiation target 4 are arranged in the transfer passage of the preliminary chamber 9.

X-rays generated in the irradiation chamber 7 by the electron beam e from the electron beam generator 1 are attenuated and / or shielded by the X-ray shielding case 5 and each shielding wall 6, and the X-ray shielding case 5 is irradiated with the X-rays. It is configured so as not to leak to the outside through the entrance / exit 12 of the body 4. Further, by blowing an inert gas such as nitrogen gas from the nozzles 10 onto the surface of the irradiated body 4, the air adhering to the surface of the irradiated body 4 is blown off and replaced with the inert gas to irradiate the irradiation area 7
The oxygen concentration of the irradiation atmosphere in No. 1 is set to be a desired value or less.

[0005]

However, according to such a structure, the space of the irradiation chamber 7 and each of the preliminary chambers 8 is large, so that it is necessary to blow a large amount of inert gas, which causes a shortage of the amount. However, there are drawbacks such that the oxygen concentration does not fall below the desired level and the time required for replacement with air becomes long.

Further, since the nozzle 10 and the roller 11 are not located at the positions facing each other, the irradiated object 4 may flutter due to the spraying of the inert gas, which may hinder the electron beam irradiation in the irradiation chamber 7. There is.

An object of the present invention is to improve the utilization efficiency of the inert gas in this kind of electron beam irradiation apparatus.

Another object of the present invention is to prevent the irradiation object from fluttering due to the blowing of an inert gas.

[0009]

The present invention is characterized in that a conveying duct is formed along a conveying passage and so as to wrap at least a part of a nozzle and a roller, and an irradiation area is made an inert gas atmosphere. To do.

The present invention also includes a nozzle and a roller,
It is characterized in that the object to be irradiated is placed facing each other at a target position.

[0011]

Since the conveying duct is formed along the conveying passage so as to wrap at least a part of the nozzle and the roller, the space for substituting the inert gas is extremely small. Therefore, the inert gas blown from the nozzle,
The air is effectively blown onto the irradiation target and is replaced with air adhering to the surface of the irradiation target, so that the irradiation region has a desired oxygen concentration or less.

Since the nozzle and the roller face each other, even if the inert gas from the nozzle is blown onto the object to be irradiated, the roller receives the inert gas, and the flapping of the object to be irradiated is prevented by this. ..

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. It should be noted that the parts denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 3 indicate the same or corresponding parts. In the illustrated example, a transport duct 20 is formed along the transport path along which the irradiated body 4 is transported, substantially parallel to the irradiated body 4 and surrounding the nozzle 10. The transport duct 20 can be formed by combining respective duct pieces 21 obtained by processing a thin plate of stainless steel, copper, aluminum or the like into a desired shape by press molding.

The roller 11 is also wrapped by the transport duct 20 as shown in the figure. In this case, it goes without saying that the rotation of the roller 11 is not hindered. Each roller 11 is arranged along the conveyance path of the irradiated body 4. The X-ray shielding case 5 and the shielding wall 6 are formed by appropriately combining a substance having a large X-ray shielding ability such as lead and a substance preferable as a structure such as iron, stainless steel, and aluminum. Is good.

When it is required that the oxygen concentration on the back surface side of the irradiated body 4 is about the same as that on the front surface, the nozzle 10 may be appropriately arranged on the back surface side of the irradiated body 4.

By blowing the inert gas from the nozzle 10, the air adhering to the surface of the irradiated body 4 is blown away and replaced with the inert gas, and the irradiation area 7
The atmosphere of No. 1 is below the desired oxygen concentration. In addition, since the space used as the inert gas atmosphere does not have a conventional space, the inert gas does not fly into such a space, and therefore, it is not necessary to supply useless inert gas. Therefore, the utilization efficiency of the inert gas can be improved.

Further, since the nozzle 10 and the roller 11 face each other, even if the inert gas from the nozzle 10 is blown to the irradiated body 4, the roller 11 receives the inert gas, so that the irradiated body 4 does not flap. To be prevented.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the illustrated example, the X-ray shielding case 5 that shields X-rays is configured by integrally combining a case 51 that forms the irradiation chamber 7 and a case 52 that forms the preliminary chamber 8.
The inside of the case 51 is divided into two auxiliary chambers 8 by the shielding wall 6. Of the nozzle 10 and the roller 11 arranged along the conveying path of the irradiation target 4, the conveying duct 20 encloses the nozzle 10 and the roller 11 arranged in the preliminary chamber 8 so as to follow the irradiation duct 7. With respect to the roller 11 disposed inside, each duct piece 21 is covered so as to cover the lower side thereof.
Are appropriately connected and combined. In addition,
Reference numeral 13 is a nozzle for blowing out an inert gas also for cooling the irradiation window 2, 14 is a shield plate for attenuating and / or shielding X-rays, 31 is a cooling passage for the beam catcher 3, and a coolant such as cooling water is provided. Is circulated.

In this embodiment, compared with the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, since the entire conveying passage is not formed by the conveying duct 20, the amount of the inert gas used is slightly increased, but the amount of the inert gas used is increased as compared with the conventional example. Besides, the assembly and configuration of the transport duct 20 can be simplified, which is convenient.

In each of the embodiments, when guiding the irradiated body 4 to the transfer passage formed of the transfer duct 20, a thin plate-shaped guide jig may be used if necessary. Further, the irradiation chamber 7 is usually provided with a maintenance door or an opening / closing mechanism for changing the thinness of the irradiation window 2, and is used as needed to guide the irradiation target 4 described above. Of course, you can use it.

[0021]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention,
With a simple configuration such as providing a transport duct, it is possible to improve the utilization efficiency of the inert gas.

Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the irradiation object from fluttering due to the blowing of the inert gas.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: Electron beam generator 4: Irradiation target 5: X-ray shielding case 7: Irradiation chamber 71: Irradiation area 10: Nozzle 11: Roller 20: Transport duct

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A surface of the object to be irradiated is conveyed along a transfer path of the object to be irradiated, which is conveyed toward an irradiation region in an irradiation chamber for irradiating the object to be irradiated with an electron beam from an electron beam generator. An electron beam having a plurality of nozzles for spraying an inert gas, a plurality of rollers for guiding the transfer of the irradiation target, and an X-ray shielding case surrounding a transfer passage including the nozzles and the rollers and the irradiation region. In the irradiation device, a conveyance duct is formed along the conveyance passage so as to wrap at least a part of the nozzle and the roller, and the irradiation region is made an inert gas atmosphere. 2. The electron beam irradiation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle and the roller are arranged so as to face the target position with the object to be irradiated interposed therebetween.