KR20030035742A - Heating method and heating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a heating method and a heater device capable of quickly equalizing the temperature distribution in a heating region between plural panel- like heaters disposed in parallel with one another in a simple structure at a low cost, and of accurately evenly heating an object. CONSTITUTION: By this heating device provided with the plural panel-like heaters 3 arranged in parallel with one another with spaces, the heating object 4 disposed so as to face to the heating surfaces 3a of the heaters 3 is heated between the heaters 3 adjacent to one another. A gas at a temperature lower than the set temperature of the heaters 3 is introduced into gas flow spaces 20 formed inside the respective heaters 3, and the gas introduced into the flow spaces 20 is run from the centers of the heating surfaces 3 toward the circumferences thereof.

Description

Heating method and heating device {HEATING METHOD AND HEATING APPARATUS}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for heating a heating target with a plurality of panel heaters arranged in parallel at intervals, and can be used for heating a substrate for flat panel display, for example.

BACKGROUND ART A heating apparatus having a plurality of panel heaters arranged in parallel at intervals from each other has been conventionally performed to heat a heating object arranged opposite to a heating surface of a heater between the heaters adjacent to each other.

In the heating region between adjacent panel heaters as described above, heat dissipation is less in the vicinity of the center of the heating surface of the heater than in the vicinity of the surroundings. Therefore, there exists a problem that the uniformity of the temperature distribution of each heating surface falls. Therefore, it is conceivable to lower the output of each heater in the vicinity of the center of the heating surface than in the vicinity of the surroundings. However, this adjustment of the heater output takes time. Moreover, when heating temperature is comparatively low temperature, for example 250 degrees or less, even if adjusting a heater output, it was difficult to fully ensure uniformity of temperature distribution.

An object of the present invention is to provide a heating method and a heating device that can solve the above problems.

1 is a side view of a heating apparatus which is an embodiment of the present invention,

2 is a plan view of a heating apparatus which is an embodiment of the present invention,

3 is a perspective view showing a parallel state of the panel heater in the heating apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention,

4 is a side sectional view of an essential part of a heating apparatus which is an embodiment of the present invention;

5 is a plan sectional view of an essential part of the heating apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention,

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a time change of the temperature and the temperature deviation of the substrate heated by the heating apparatus of the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

1: heating device

2: furnace body

3: panel heater

4: heating target

10: heater body

11: heater cover

20: gas flow space

20a: compartment near center

20b: close compartment

21: bulkhead

22 gas introduction pipe

22a: spout

23 outlet

27: exhaust pipe

The method of the present invention is a heating device having a plurality of panel heaters arranged in parallel at intervals from each other, and in heating a heating object disposed opposite the heating surface of the heater between the heaters adjacent to each other, A gas having a temperature lower than the set temperature of the heater is introduced into the gas flow space provided therein, and the gas introduced into the gas flow space is flowed from the center of the heating surface toward the periphery.

According to the method of the present invention, since a gas having a temperature lower than the set temperature of the heater is flowed from the center of the heating surface to the periphery in the gas flow space provided inside the heater, the center of the heating surface of the heater in the heating target arrangement region. The heat radiation in the vicinity can be promoted. Thereby, the temperature distribution of a heating surface can be uniformized with high precision in a short time, and a heating object can be heated uniformly.

The apparatus of the present invention is provided with a plurality of panel heaters arranged in parallel at intervals, and a heating device in which a heating object is disposed between the heaters adjacent to each other so as to face a heating surface of the heaters, wherein the gas flows inside each heater. A space is provided, and gas introduction means for introducing gas into the gas flow space is provided, and the gas is moved near the center of the heating surface such that the gas introduced into the gas flow space flows from the center of the heating surface toward the periphery. It is characterized by being introduced.

According to the apparatus of the present invention, the method of the present invention can be carried out. In addition, by providing a gas flow space in each heater, it can be reduced in weight compared to the solid heater.

In the apparatus of the present invention, the gas introduction means has a jet port for ejecting gas from the vicinity of the center of the heating surface in the gas flow space, and each heater has a discharge port of the gas introduced into the gas flow space at the periphery of the heating surface. It is preferable to be provided in the position which adjoins.

Thereby, the method of the present invention can be carried out at low cost without requiring a complicated configuration.

In the apparatus of the present invention, each heater is provided with a partition partitioning the gas flow space into a compartment near the center of the heating surface and a compartment closer to the periphery than the compartment near the center. It is preferable that a gas flow-through hole is provided, and gas is introduced into the compartment near the center of the heating surface by the gas introduction means.

Thereby, gas can be reliably flowed toward the periphery from the center of a heating surface.

In the apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the gas discharge port is provided at a position away from the center of the heating surface than the placement area of the heating target so that the gas discharged from the discharge port is not directly discharged to the heating target. .

Thereby, the temperature fluctuation of the heating object by gas can be prevented.

In the apparatus of the present invention, the heater is disposed inside a furnace main body having an entrance and exit for heating, and means are provided for guiding gas discharged from the discharge port toward the entrance and exit of the furnace main body. desirable.

As a result, the intrusion of outside air into the furnace body at the entrance and exit of the furnace body can be suppressed by the gas discharged from the discharge port, thereby reducing the temperature drop in the furnace body and preventing the temperature in the furnace body from becoming uneven. Savings can be achieved.

According to the present invention, the temperature distribution in the heating region between a plurality of panel heaters arranged in parallel can be uniformized in a short time by a simple configuration at low cost, and the heating target can be uniformly heated with high precision, and each heater is It is possible to provide a heating method and a heating device that can reduce the weight and save energy.

The heating apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 is provided with the furnace main body 2 and the some panel heater 3 arrange | positioned inside this furnace main body 2. These heaters 3 are arranged in parallel at intervals along the up-down direction when the thickness direction is in the up-down direction as shown in FIG. 3 so that the space can be used efficiently. The plate-shaped heating object 4 is disposed opposite to the heating surface constituted by the upper surface of the heater 3 between the heaters 3 adjacent to each other when the thickness direction is set in the vertical direction. The heating surface and the upper and lower surfaces of the heating target 4 are arranged horizontally. In this embodiment, the heating object 4 enters and exits from the doorway opened and closed by both opening and closing doors 2a and 2b of the furnace body 2.

As shown in FIG. 4, each heater 3 is supported by the furnace main body 2 via the bracket 5. Each heater 3 is provided with the heater main body 10 and the heater cover 11 which covers the lower part of this heater main body 10. This heater main body 10 is comprised by inserting the heat generating body 10a which generate | occur | produces by electricity supply to the aluminum plates 10b and 10c, The upper surface is the heating surface 3a. The heating object 4 is supported by the support piece 6 which protrudes from this heating surface 3a. The heater cover 11 is made of a stainless steel plate, and is composed of a bottom plate 11a and a circumferential wall 11b extending upward from an outer circumference of the bottom plate 11a. The bottom surface of the bottom plate 11a becomes a reflecting surface 11a 'having metallic luster, and reflects the heat rays emitted from the heating surface 3a. As a result, the heating object 4 is directly radiated by the heater 3 from the lower side and radiantly indirectly from the upper side.

Inside each heater 3, a gas flow space 20 surrounded by the heater main body 10 and the heater cover 11 is provided. As shown in FIG. 5, the gas flow space 20 includes a compartment 20a near the center of the heating surface 3a and a compartment 20b closer to the periphery than the compartment 20a near the center. 21). The partition 21 is provided with a gas distribution hole 21a for communicating with adjacent compartments.

The gas introduction pipe 22 is provided as a gas introduction means for introducing gas into the gas flow space 20 of each heater 3. One end of the gas introduction pipe 22 is connected to a gas supply source (not shown) outside the furnace body 2. The other end of the gas introduction pipe 22 is branched in such a manner as to be inserted into each heater 3, and is disposed in the compartment 20a near the center of the heating surface 3a in each gas flow space 20. . As a result, the other end of the gas introduction pipe 22 serves as a jet port 22a that ejects gas from the vicinity of the center of the heating surface 3a in the gas flow space 20. The gas blown out from the jet port 22a is introduced into the compartment 20a near the center of the heating face 3a and then passes through the gas flow hole 21a as shown by the arrow in FIG. It flows into the compartment 20b near the periphery. That is, the gas introduced into the gas flow space 20 flows from the center of the heating surface 3a toward the periphery. In addition, in order to preheat the gas introduced into the gas flow space 20, as shown in FIG. 2, a heater 26 for preheating the gas flowing through the gas introduction pipe 22 is provided in the furnace body 2. have.

In order to discharge the gas introduced into the gas flow space 20, a plurality of outlets 23 are provided in the bottom plate 11a of the heater cover 11 of each heater 3. Each discharge port 23 is close to the periphery of the heating surface 3a. Each outlet 23 is arranged at a position farther from the center of the heating surface 3a than the arrangement area of the heating target 4 so that the gas discharged from each outlet 23 is not directly ejected to the heating target 4. It is. In addition, the number or arrangement | positioning of the discharge port 23 will not be specifically limited if the gas introduced into the gas flow space 20 can be flowed toward the periphery from the center of the heating surface 3a.

In order to guide the gas discharged from this discharge port 23 to the outside of the furnace main body 2, the exhaust pipe 27 in which the several gas inflow hole 27a was formed in the outer periphery on both sides of each heater 3 is provided. It is prepared. One end of each exhaust pipe 27 is closed, and the other end is connected to each other and is opened from the outside of the furnace body 2. Moreover, the gas inflow hole 27a of each exhaust piping 27 is formed in the position which opposes the entrance of the furnace main body 2, and the gas discharged | emitted from the discharge port 23 makes the entrance of the furnace main body 2 the same. Is directed towards. Therefore, when the doorway of the furnace main body 2 closed by the said opening / closing doors 2a and 2b is opened, invasion of outside air into the furnace main body 2 at the entrance and exit is suppressed by the said gas, and the furnace main body 2 The temperature drop in the inside) can be reduced.

The kind of the gas is not particularly limited as long as it does not affect the heating target 4, and for example, nitrogen gas or dry air can be used. The gas flow rate may be appropriately determined depending on the scale of the heating device 1 and the set temperature of the heater 3. For example, when the size of each heater 3 is 950 mm x 1140 mm x 38 mm, and the parallel pitch is set to 75 to 90 mm, and five heating objects 4 are processed, the gas flow rate is minute per heater. 20 to 100 liters. For example, the temperature of the gas is preferably lowered by about 20 ° C. when the set temperature of the heater 3 is 100 to 180 ° C., and lowered by about 30 ° C. when the set temperature of the heater 3 is 180 to 250 ° C., but is limited thereto. It is also not necessary to preheat the gas.

According to the above embodiment, in radiant heating of the heating object 4 disposed opposite the heating surface 3a between the heaters 3 adjacent to each other, a gas having a temperature lower than the set temperature of the heater in the gas flow space 20. Is introduced, and the gas introduced into the gas flow space 20 flows from the center of the heating surface 3a toward the periphery. Thereby, the heat radiation in the vicinity of the center of the heating surface 3a in the arrangement | positioning area of the heating target 4 can be promoted. Therefore, the temperature distribution of the heating surface 3a can be uniformized with high precision in a short time, and the heating object 4 can be heated uniformly. Since the gas flow space 20 is provided in each heater 3, it can be reduced in weight compared with a solid heater. In addition, since the gas ejection opening 22a is provided in the vicinity of the center of the heating surface 3a, and the gas discharge port 23 adjacent to the heating surface 3a may be provided, unless a complicated structure is needed, This can be done at low cost. In this gas flow space 20, the gas flows through the gas flow hole 21a from the compartment 20a near the center of the heating surface 3a to the compartment 20b close to the periphery, so that the gas is reliably heated on the heating surface ( It can flow from the center of 3a) toward the periphery. Moreover, since the gas discharged | emitted from the discharge port 23 does not discharge directly to the heating object 4, the temperature fluctuation of the heating object 4 by this gas can be prevented.

FIG. 6: shows the time change of the temperature and temperature deviation of the glass substrate for flat panel displays heated with the heating apparatus 1 of the said Example. The glass substrate had a dimension of 730 mm x 920 mm x 0.7 mm, a set temperature of the heater 3 at 230 ° C, and a gas flow of 30 l per minute. In the figure, the horizontal axis represents the heating time, the left vertical axis represents the surface temperature of the glass substrate, and the right vertical axis represents the deviation of the surface temperature of the glass substrate. In the drawing, solid line A is the time change of the temperature of the highest surface temperature position of the glass substrate, solid line B is the time change of the temperature of the lowest surface temperature position of the glass substrate, and dashed line C is the highest surface temperature position of the glass substrate. The time change of the deviation at the set temperature of the broken line (D) is the time change of the deviation at the set temperature of the lowest surface temperature position of the glass substrate, the broken line (E) is the temperature and the minimum surface temperature of the highest surface temperature position of the glass substrate It shows the time change of the deviation from the temperature of the position. Thereby, according to the heating apparatus 1 of the said Example, it was confirmed that the deviation between the highest surface temperature and the lowest surface temperature can be 5 degrees C or less in about 6 minutes. On the other hand, when the said gas is not supplied, the deviation does not become smaller than about 10 degreeC even if time passes, and it may require a very long time until reaching a target deviation. That is, according to the present invention, it was confirmed that the temperature distribution in the heating region can be uniformized in a short time and the heating object can be uniformly heated with high precision.

With the method and apparatus according to the present invention, it is possible to uniformize the temperature distribution in the heating region between a plurality of panel heaters arranged in parallel in a short time by a simple configuration at low cost, and to uniformly heat the heating target with high precision. In addition, it is possible to reduce the weight of each heater and to save energy.

Claims (7)

A heating device (1) having a plurality of panel heaters (3) arranged in parallel at intervals from each other, disposed between the heaters (3) adjacent to each other so as to face the heating surface (3a) of the heater (3). In heating the heating object 4 to be used, The gas lower in temperature than the set temperature of the heater 3 is introduced into the gas flow space 20 provided inside each heater 3, and the gas introduced into this gas flow space 20 is transferred to the heating surface 3a. A heating method characterized by flowing from the center toward the periphery. A plurality of panel heaters 3 arranged in parallel at intervals are provided, and a heating target 4 is disposed between the heaters 3 adjacent to each other so as to face the heating surface 3a of the heater 3. As a heating device, The gas flow space 20 is provided inside each heater 3, Gas introduction means 22 for introducing gas into the gas flow space 20 is provided, The gas is introduced near the center of the heating surface (3a) so that the gas introduced into the gas flow space (20) flows from the center of the heating surface (3a) toward the periphery. 3. The gas introduction means (22) according to claim 2, wherein the gas introduction means (22) is provided with a jet port (22a) for ejecting gas from the vicinity of the center of the heating surface (3a) in the gas flow space (20). A heating apparatus, characterized in that a discharge port (23) of gas introduced into the gas flow space (20) is provided at a position proximate to the periphery of the heating surface (3a). 4. The heaters (3) according to claim 3, wherein each of the heaters (3) has the gas flow space (20) closer to the periphery than the compartment (20a) near the center of the heating surface (3a) and the compartment (20a) near the center ( The partition 21 divided into 20b is provided, and the partition 21 is provided with a gas flow hole 21a for communicating with adjacent compartments, and the compartment 20a near the center of the heating surface 3a is provided. A gas is introduced by the gas introduction means (22). The gas outlet 23 is heated more than the arrangement | positioning area of the said heating object 4 so that the gas discharged from the said outlet 23 may not be blown off directly to the said heating object 4. A heating apparatus, which is provided at a position away from the center of the surface (3a). The gas outlet 23 is heated more than the arrangement area of the heating object 4 so that the gas discharged from the gas outlet 23 is not directly ejected to the heating object 4. A heating apparatus, which is provided at a position away from the center of the surface (3a). The gas according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the heater (3) is disposed inside the furnace main body (2) having an entrance and exit of the heating target (4), and the gas discharged from the discharge port (23). And a means for guiding the furnace toward the doorway of the furnace main body (2) is provided.