KR20200126180A - Cooling System for Curing Machine - Google Patents

Abstract

An objective of the present invention is to provide a cooling system for a hardening apparatus which sufficiently cools a UV LED to secure UV LED light emitting efficiency and prevent a condensation problem from occurring on the UV LED. The system for cooling a light source of a hardening apparatus comprises: a hardening apparatus (30) having a light source (37); a cooling apparatus (20) to circulate a refrigerant which cools the hardening apparatus (30); and a system control apparatus (10) to control the cooling apparatus (20). The hardening apparatus (30) includes: the light source (37) which is a heating source; a cooling main body (31) to support the light source (37), and absorb heat generated from the light source (37); and a temperature sensor (35) to measure the temperature (Tc) of the cooling main body (31) and measure the temperature (Ta) of a space in which the hardening apparatus (30) is installed. The system control apparatus (10) controls the cooling apparatus (20) based on the temperatures measured by the temperature sensor (35). The control includes basic cooling control and condensation prevention control.

Description

Curing system cooling system {Cooling System for Curing Machine}

The present invention relates to an ultraviolet curing device, and more particularly, to a system for cooling an ultraviolet light-emitting diode (UV LED) of the curing device.

Ultraviolet rays are widely used in sterilization or curing processes. In the curing process, if the surface of the object to be cured is not evenly irradiated with ultraviolet rays, there is a very high possibility of failure. In particular, when the irradiation intensity of ultraviolet rays is uneven in the field of ultra-precision processing such as a semiconductor, there is a problem that the yield is lowered.

As technology for light-emitting diodes develops, UV LEDs (Ultra-Violet Light Emitting Diodes) have begun to be widely used as light sources that generate ultraviolet rays. Because UV LEDs have low luminous efficiency, they generate more heat than LEDs in the visible light region. In addition, as the heating value increases and the temperature of the UV LED increases, the luminous efficiency decreases further.

Thus, conventionally, in order to secure the luminous efficiency of the UV LED, a technology for cooling the UV LED has been applied. Because UV LEDs generate a lot of heat, the device for cooling them was also focused on strong cooling. However, when supercooling is performed on the UV LED, there is a problem in that the curing device fails due to dew condensation on the UV LED.

The present invention has been conceived to solve the above-described problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a cooling system for a curing device that does not cause problems such as condensation on the UV LED while ensuring the luminous efficiency of the UV LED by sufficiently cooling the UV LED. To do.

In order to solve the above-described problem, the present invention provides a cooling body 31 that absorbs heat from the light source 37 in contact with the light source 37 of the curing device 30, and the refrigerant flows in the cooling body 31. The curing device 30 is formed through the furnace 34 to allow the refrigerant to cool the cooling body 31, based on the temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the cooling flow path 34 and the temperature of the space in which the curing device is installed. Provide a cooling system to control the cooling for.

In the cooling system, when the temperature of the cooling body (Tc) is lower than the temperature (Ta) of the space where the curing device is installed, the temperature of the cooling body (Tc) is lower than the reference temperature difference (Ts). Condensation prevention control can be performed so that the temperature (Ta) of the space where is installed within the reference temperature difference (Ts).

The reference temperature difference Ts may be 10 degrees Celsius. That is, the temperature of the cooling body may be controlled so as not to be lowered by more than 10 degrees Celsius with respect to the temperature of the space where the curing device is installed.

Specifically, the curing apparatus cooling system includes: a curing apparatus 30 having a light source 37; A light source control device 40 for controlling the light source 37; A cooling device 20 for circulating a refrigerant cooling the curing device 30; And a system control device 10 for controlling the cooling device 20.

The curing device 30 includes: a light source 37 serving as a heat source; A cooling body 31 supporting the light source 37 and absorbing heat generated from the light source 37; And a temperature sensor 35 that measures the temperature Tc of the cooling body 31 and measures the temperature Ta of the space in which the curing device 30 is installed.

The cooling body 31 includes: a refrigerant inlet 32 through which the refrigerant supplied from the cooling device 20 is introduced; A refrigerant flow path 34 connected to the refrigerant inlet 32 and passing through the cooling body 31; And a refrigerant outlet 33 connected to the refrigerant flow path 34 and serving as a path for returning the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path 34 to the cooling device 20.

The system control device 10 may control the cooling device 20 based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 35.

The light source control device 40 may be controlled by the system control device 10.

The cooling device 20 may cool the refrigerant to correspond to a set temperature of the cooling device 20. The cooling device 20 may adjust the flow amount of the refrigerant.

The system control device 10 may perform condensation prevention control.

The condensation prevention control, when the difference (Tc-Ta) between the temperature (Tc) of the cooling body 31 and the temperature (Ta) of the space in which the curing device 30 is installed is less than or equal to the reference temperature difference (Ts), the A first control for increasing the set temperature T of the cooling device 20 may be included.

In the condensation prevention control, after the first control is performed and a tracking time elapses, the difference between the temperature Tc of the cooling body 31 and the temperature Ta of the space where the curing device 30 is installed (Tc- When Ta) is lower than the condensation prevention control end temperature difference Tso, a second control for increasing the set temperature T of the cooling device 20 may be further included.

The condensation prevention control termination temperature difference Tso may be higher than the reference temperature difference Ts. The condensation prevention control end temperature difference Tso may be higher than the reference temperature difference Ts by +2 degrees Celsius. As a result, it is possible to prevent control chattering and ensure reliability of control operation.

When the number of times N of the additionally performed condensation prevention control is equal to or greater than the number of error determinations Ne, an alarm may be generated and the light source control device 40 may stop the operation of the light source 37.

The temperature sensor 35 includes: a first sensor 351 installed at the refrigerant inlet 32; One or more sensors (352, 353) installed in the refrigerant flow path (34); And a fourth sensor 354 installed in the curing device 30 and measuring the temperature of the space in which the curing device 30 is installed.

The one or more sensors 352 and 353 may include a second sensor 352 and a third sensor 353 installed at two different positions on the path of the refrigerant flow path 34.

Of the second sensor 352 and the third sensor 353, the second sensor 352 is disposed closer to the refrigerant inlet 32, and among the second sensor 352 and the third sensor 353 The third sensor 353 may be disposed closer to the refrigerant outlet 33.

The second sensor 352 is disposed closer to the coolant inlet 32 of the coolant inlet 32 and the coolant outlet 33, and the third sensor 353 includes the coolant inlet 32 and the coolant outlet. Among the refrigerant outlets 33 may be disposed closer to the refrigerant outlet 33.

When the refrigerant flow path 34 is divided in order from the refrigerant inlet 32 to the refrigerant outlet 33 from the first division to the tenth division, the second sensor 352 The third sensor 353 may be disposed in a first divided portion adjacent to the 32, and the third sensor 353 may be disposed in a tenth divided portion adjacent to the refrigerant outlet 33.

During the condensation prevention control, the lowest temperature among the temperatures measured by the first sensor 351 installed in the refrigerant inlet 32 and one or more sensors 352 and 353 installed in the refrigerant flow path 34 is, It can be applied as the temperature Tc of the cooling body 31 measured by the temperature sensor 35.

The system control device 10 may perform basic cooling control.

The basic cooling control is a third control that lowers the set temperature of the cooling device 20 when the temperature Tc of the cooling body 31 measured by the temperature sensor 35 is higher than the allowable upper limit temperature TL. It may include.

After the third control is performed and a follow-up time elapses, the basic cooling control may be repeated.

When the number of repetitions (n) of the basic cooling control is equal to or greater than the number of error determinations (ne), an alarm may be generated and the light source control device 40 may stop the operation of the light source 37.

The system control device 10 may control the cooling device 20 based on the temperature of the temperature sensor 35 at following time intervals.

When the temperature difference between the temperature T3 of the third sensor 353 and the temperature T2 of the second sensor 352 is higher than the comparison set temperature, the set temperature T of the cooling device 20 is further lowered. At least one of the fourth control and the fifth control for increasing the flow amount of the refrigerant may be performed.

The temperature T1 measured by the first sensor 351, the temperature T2 measured by the second sensor 352, and the temperature T3 measured by the third sensor 353 have a reference deviation. When it rises while maintaining, an alarm may be generated and the light source control device 40 may stop the operation of the light source 37.

The temperature T1 measured by the first sensor 351, the temperature T2 measured by the second sensor 352, the temperature T3 measured by the third sensor 353, and the third 4 When the temperature T4 measured by the sensor 354 changes in temperature beyond the reference value Te, an alarm may be generated.

The light source may be a UV LED module. The UV LED module may include a substrate 371 and a UV LED 372 mounted on the substrate. The UV LED may be in the form of a chip. The UV LED may irradiate ultraviolet rays toward the front, and the cooling body 31 may be installed in close contact with the rear surface of the substrate 371. The substrate 371 may be a material having high thermal conductivity. The cooling body 31 may be a material having high thermal conductivity and high specific heat. The cooling body 31 may have a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

The refrigerant inlet 32 is opened toward the side or opened toward the rear, the refrigerant outlet 33 is opened toward the side or open toward the rear, and the refrigerant flow path 34 extends in the lateral direction. It may include parts that become.

According to the curing device cooling system of the present invention, the UV LED is sufficiently cooled to secure the luminous efficiency of the UV LED, while condensation does not occur on the UV LED.

Further, according to the cooling system of the curing apparatus of the present invention, the reliability of the condensation prevention control of the curing apparatus can be sufficiently ensured.

In addition, according to the cooling system of the curing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to continuously monitor whether the light source of the curing apparatus operates normally, the appropriateness of the installation environment of the curing apparatus, and whether or not there is an abnormality in the cooling apparatus, from the temperature information measured from the temperature sensor.

In addition to the above-described effects, specific effects of the present invention will be described together while describing specific details for carrying out the present invention.

1 is a schematic diagram of a cooling system for a curing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a signal system diagram of the cooling system of the curing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a plan view of a curing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a control diagram of a cooling system for a curing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 to 10 are different embodiments of the curing apparatus of the embodiment according to the present invention, respectively.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but may be implemented in a variety of different forms, only the present embodiment is intended to complete the disclosure of the present invention, and the scope of the invention to those of ordinary skill in the art. It is provided to inform you.

For convenience of explanation, hereinafter, the term "front" refers to a direction in which ultraviolet rays are irradiated from the curing apparatus, and the rear may be a direction opposite to the front. Accordingly, the front and rear directions can be defined.

The first lateral direction is a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction, and accordingly, a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction may be defined. The first lateral direction may be a left-right direction, one of the first direction and the second direction may be a left direction, and the other may be a right direction.

The second lateral direction is a direction that crosses the front-rear direction at a right angle and also crosses the first lateral direction at a right angle, and accordingly, a third direction and a fourth direction opposite to the third direction may be defined. The second lateral direction may be an up-down direction, and one of the third and fourth directions may be upward and the other may be downward.

<Curing system cooling system>

1 to 3, the curing apparatus cooling system 1 according to the present invention includes a system control apparatus 10, a cooling apparatus 20, a curing apparatus 30, and a light source control apparatus 40.

[Curing device]

The curing device 30 is a device installed in an environment requiring a curing process to irradiate ultraviolet rays onto a surface to be cured. The curing apparatus 30 includes a light source 37 for irradiating ultraviolet rays. The light source 37 may be a UV LED module. The UV LED module may include a substrate 371 and a UV LED 372 mounted on the substrate 371.

The substrate 371 may be a metal substrate having high thermal conductivity, such as an aluminum substrate. UV LEDs may be mounted on one of the front and rear surfaces of the substrate 371. The surface of the substrate may be installed to face the front side, and a material to be cured may be disposed in front of the curing apparatus. The shape of the substrate may vary, and may be in a rectangular shape as shown. One or two or more substrates may be installed.

A plurality of UV LEDs may be mounted on one substrate at equal intervals on a two-dimensional surface. All of the plurality of substrates may have UV LEDs that irradiate ultraviolet rays in the same wavelength band. The plurality of substrates may have UV LEDs that irradiate ultraviolet rays in different wavelength bands. A plurality of UV LEDs mounted on a single substrate may have different wavelength bands. Different wavelength bands of the ultraviolet rays may include UVA, UVB and UVC.

The UV LED may be mounted in the form of a device and/or may be mounted in the form of a chip.

A cooling body 31 is disposed on the rear side of the UV LED module 37. That is, the UV LED module 37 is installed on the front surface of the cooling body 31. The rear surface of the substrate 371 may be in close contact with the front surface of the cooling body 31. The cooling body 31 may be a metal material having high thermal conductivity and high specific heat. Heat generated from the UV LED may be transferred to the cooling body 31 through the substrate 371 in a conductive manner. The cooling body 31 absorbs heat generated from the UV LED.

The cooling body 31 may have a solid rectangular parallelepiped shape. Areas of the front and rear surfaces of the cooling body 31 may correspond to areas of one or more UV LED modules 37. A refrigerant flow path 34 may be formed in the cooling body 31. The refrigerant flow path 34 may be formed to be uniformly distributed over the entire volume of the cooling body 31. The refrigerant flow path 34 may be formed by processing such as drilling, and may be closed by closing a stopper after drilling.

A refrigerant inlet 32 may be installed at one end of the refrigerant flow path 34. In addition, a refrigerant outlet 33 may be installed at the other end of the refrigerant flow path 34. One cooling body (31) is provided with one refrigerant inlet (32) and one refrigerant outlet (33), and one refrigerant flow connecting the one refrigerant inlet (32) and one refrigerant outlet (33) A furnace 34 may be formed. In contrast, a plurality of refrigerant inlets 32 and a plurality of refrigerant outlets 33 are provided in one cooling body 31, and a plurality of refrigerant inlets 32 and a plurality of refrigerant outlets 33 are respectively connected. Four refrigerant flow paths 34 may be formed.

A temperature sensor 35 may be installed in the curing device 30. A plurality of temperature sensors 35 may be installed at different positions. The temperature sensor 35 includes a first sensor 351 installed at the refrigerant inlet 32, a second sensor 352 and a third sensor 353 installed at different positions of the refrigerant flow path 34 , And a fourth sensor 354 installed in the curing device 30 and measuring a temperature of a space in which the curing device 30 is installed.

The first sensor 351 may be installed at an input terminal into which a refrigerant enters. The input terminal into which the refrigerant enters becomes a portion where the temperature of the refrigerant is lowest in the flow path of the refrigerant flowing through the curing device.

The second sensor 352 may be installed in a portion where the temperature first rises when the UV LED is turned on in the flow path of the refrigerant flowing through the curing device.

The third sensor 353 is a final stage for exiting the cooling body in the flow path of the refrigerant flowing through the curing apparatus, and may be installed at a portion where the refrigerant is heated and the temperature rises to the highest.

Of the second sensor 352 and the third sensor 353, the second sensor 352 is disposed closer to the refrigerant inlet 32, and among the second sensor 352 and the third sensor 353 The third sensor 353 may be disposed closer to the refrigerant outlet 33.

The second sensor 352 is disposed closer to the coolant inlet 32 of the coolant inlet 32 and the coolant outlet 33, and the third sensor 353 includes the coolant inlet 32 and the coolant outlet. Among the refrigerant outlets 33 may be disposed closer to the refrigerant outlet 33.

When the refrigerant flow path 34 is divided in order from the refrigerant inlet 32 to the refrigerant outlet 33 from the first division to the tenth division, the second sensor 352 The third sensor 353 may be disposed in a first divided portion adjacent to the 32, and the third sensor 353 may be disposed in a tenth divided portion adjacent to the refrigerant outlet 33.

The first to third sensors measure temperatures at different locations of the cooling body 31. The first to third sensors may be attached to or embedded in the cooling body 31 to measure the temperature of the cooling body 31 itself, or installed on a flow path of the refrigerant to measure the temperature of the refrigerant.

The fourth sensor 354 is installed in the cooling body 31 to measure the temperature Ta of the space where the curing device is installed, and the cooling body 31 is not affected by the temperature of the cooling body 31. Can be installed outside. To this end, an insulating material may be interposed between the cooling body 31 and the fourth sensor 354.

The installation position of the first sensor is for measuring and comparing the coldest temperature area. The installation positions of the second sensor and the third sensor are for comparing the temperature change of the cooling area and comparing the highest temperature. The installation position of the fourth sensor is for measuring the outside temperature and comparing it with the temperature of the first to third sensors.

[Cooling device]

The cooling device 20 cools the curing device 30. The cooling device is a device that supplies and flows the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path 34. The cooling device may be a chiller. The cooling device cools the refrigerant to a set temperature. For example, if 30 degrees Celsius is input to the cooling device, the refrigerant can be cooled to 30 degrees Celsius. The refrigerant pipe from which the refrigerant comes out of the cooling device is connected to the refrigerant inlet 32. The refrigerant pipe through which the refrigerant enters the cooling device is connected to the refrigerant outlet 33.

The refrigerant supplied from the cooling device passes through the refrigerant flow path 34 through the refrigerant inlet 32 and returns to the cooling device through the refrigerant outlet 33. That is, the cooling device circulates the refrigerant. When the set temperature of the cooling device is lowered, the temperature of the refrigerant is lowered, so that the curing device 30 is cooled more coldly.

[Light source control device]

The light source control device 40 is a UV LED control device that controls the lighting and turning off of the UV LED 372 of the curing device 30. The light source control device may be connected to the light source 37 through a power cable. The light source control device may control the turning on and off of the UV LED by controlling power supplied to the UV LED. In addition, the light source control device may control the amount of light emitted by the UV LED by controlling power supplied to the UV LED.

[System control device]

The system control device 10 may be connected to the cooling device 20 to control the cooling device 20. The system control device 10 may turn on/off the cooling device 20 and input a set temperature of the cooling device 20. The system control device 10 and the cooling device 20 may be connected to each other through an RS232 protocol. The system control device 10 may be managed by a user or automatically managed by a program.

The system control device 10 may be connected to the temperature sensor 35 to continuously receive temperature information measured by the temperature sensor 35. The temperature sensor may be connected to the substrate 371. The temperature information measured by the temperature sensor may be provided to the system control device 10 by wire or wirelessly.

The system control device 10 may be connected to the light source control device 40 to control the light source control device 40. The system control device 10 and the light source control device 40 may be connected to each other through RS232 or TCP/IP protocol. The system control device 10 may control the light source control device 40 to control the on/off of the light source and the intensity of the light source.

The system control device 10 may control the cooling device 20 and the light source control device 40 based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 35.

<Operation of curing device cooling system>

Hereinafter, the operation of the curing device cooling system will be described with reference to FIG. 4. The curing unit cooling system performs basic cooling control and anti-condensation control. The basic cooling control is a control for cooling the curing device 30 so that the temperature of the UV LED is kept lower than the allowable upper limit temperature TL. The condensation prevention control is a control to prevent condensation from occurring in the UV LED of the curing apparatus by controlling the temperature of the UV LED of the curing apparatus to be too lower than the ambient temperature of the space where the curing apparatus is installed.

[Basic cooling control]

The basic cooling control is a third control that lowers the set temperature of the cooling device 20 when the temperature Tc of the cooling body 31 measured by the temperature sensor 35 is higher than the allowable upper limit temperature TL. Includes. For the temperature Tc of the cooling body 31 applied to the basic cooling control, the highest temperature among temperatures measured by the cooling body may be substituted. That is, when the highest temperature among the temperatures measured by the first sensor to the third sensor is higher than the allowable upper limit temperature, the third control is performed. The highest temperature is of course expected to be the temperature measured by the third sensor.

The unit by which the set temperature is lowered may be a unit of 5 degrees Celsius. However, the unit need not be limited to this.

The temperature measured by the temperature sensor 35 may be continuously monitored or may be monitored at following time intervals. The following time refers to a time sufficient for the curing device 30 to cool in response to the changed set temperature of the refrigerant after the system control device 10 changes the set temperature of the cooling device 20. The following time may be, for example, 1 minute. However, the following time need not be limited to this. That is, when the set temperature of the cooling device 20 is lowered by 5 degrees Celsius, the temperature of the refrigerant is lowered, and accordingly, the time taken for the curing device 30 to be further cooled may be a following time.

After the third control is performed and a follow-up time elapses, the basic cooling control may be repeated. If the follow-up time interval is not given, the temperature Tc and the allowable upper limit temperature (Tc) of the cooling body 31 measured by the temperature sensor 35 before the curing device 30 even follows the set temperature of the cooling device 20 Since TL) can be compared, there is a fear that the control is made wrong.

After the third control is performed only once, the temperature Tc of the cooling body 31 measured by the temperature sensor 35 may be lower than the allowable upper limit temperature TL, but the third control must be performed several times before the temperature sensor 35 The temperature (Tc) of the cooling body 31 measured in) may be lower than the allowable upper limit temperature (TL). However, due to various environments or other errors, a situation in which the temperature (Tc) of the cooling body (31) measured by the temperature sensor (35) does not fall below the allowable upper limit temperature (TL) even if the third control is performed several times. I can. This situation can occur, for example, when the refrigerant in the cooling unit is not circulating properly, the cooling unit is not properly cooling the refrigerant, the amount of refrigerant has been reduced due to a refrigerant leak, or there is an error in the temperature sensor or signaling system. have.

Therefore, the basic cooling control may generate an alarm and cause the light source control device 40 to stop the operation of the light source 37 when the number of repetitions n of the third control is greater than or equal to the number of error determinations ne. . The number of error determinations ne may be, for example, 3 times. That is, if the temperature Tc of the cooling body 31 measured by the temperature sensor 35 is not lower than the allowable upper limit temperature TL even though the third control is performed three or more times in a row, it may be estimated as an error.

The temperature of the temperature sensor 35 may be continuously provided to the system control device 10 or may be provided at following time intervals, and the system control device 10 may adjust the temperature of the temperature sensor 35 at a following time interval. The cooling device 20 can be controlled based on it.

[Condensation prevention control]

The condensation prevention control, when the difference (Tc-Ta) between the temperature (Tc) of the cooling body 31 and the temperature (Ta) of the space in which the curing device 30 is installed is less than or equal to the reference temperature difference (Ts), the It includes a first control to increase the set temperature (T) of the cooling device (20).

As for the temperature Tc of the cooling body 31 applied to the condensation prevention control, the lowest temperature among temperatures measured by the cooling body may be substituted. That is, when the lowest temperature among the temperatures measured by the first sensor to the third sensor is lower than the temperature Ta of the space where the curing device 30 is installed, the first control is performed. . It is expected that the lowest temperature is, of course, the temperature measured by the first sensor.

The reference temperature difference Ts may be -10 degrees Celsius. That is, when the temperature measured by the fourth sensor is 27 degrees Celsius, and the lowest temperature among the temperatures measured by the first sensor to the third sensor is 20 degrees Celsius, the temperature difference is only -7 degrees Celsius, so the first control is not performed. If the lowest temperature among the temperatures measured by the first to third sensors is 15 degrees Celsius, the first control is performed because the temperature difference reaches -12 degrees Celsius.

The reference temperature difference Ts may be set as a temperature difference at which condensation may occur. As a result of the experiment, it was confirmed that the temperature difference at which condensation starts to occur in the environment in which the curing device 30 is installed is about 10 degrees Celsius.

The unit in which the set temperature T increases may be a unit of 5 degrees Celsius. However, the unit need not be limited to this.

On the other hand, the condensation prevention control, after the first control is implemented and the following time elapses, the difference between the temperature Tc of the cooling body 31 and the temperature Ta of the space where the curing device 30 is installed ( When Tc-Ta) is lower than the condensation prevention control termination temperature difference Tso, a second control for increasing the set temperature T of the cooling device 20 is further included. The condensation prevention control termination temperature difference Tso may be a negative number greater than the reference temperature difference Ts. For example, the reference temperature difference Ts may be -10 degrees Celsius, and the condensation prevention control termination temperature difference Tso may be -8 degrees Celsius. That is, the condensation prevention control termination temperature difference Tso may be higher than the reference temperature difference Ts by +2 degrees Celsius. The condensation prevention control termination temperature difference (Tso) may be less than 0 degrees Celsius and -9 degrees Celsius or more. For example, the condensation prevention control is performed when the temperature of the cooling body 31 is 10 degrees Celsius or more lower than the temperature of the surrounding air atmosphere, and the temperature of the cooling body 31 is lower than the temperature of the surrounding air atmosphere. It can be carried out until it goes down to 8 degrees or less.

In the condensation prevention control, when the number of repetitions N of the second control is equal to or greater than the number of error determinations Ne, an alarm may be generated and the light source control device 40 may stop the operation of the light source 37. The number of error determinations Ne may be, for example, two times. That is, even though the first control is performed once and the second control is performed twice or more continuously, the temperature Tc of the cooling body 31 measured by the temperature sensor 35 is the temperature of the space in which the curing device 30 is installed. In contrast to (Ta), if it is lower than the condensation prevention control termination temperature difference (Tso), it can be estimated as an error. This can happen, for example, when there is an error in the cooling system, in the light source, in the temperature sensor or in the signaling system.

The temperature of the temperature sensor 35 may be continuously provided to the system control device 10 or may be provided at following time intervals, and the system control device 10 may adjust the temperature of the temperature sensor 35 at a following time interval. The cooling device 20 can be controlled based on it.

[Cooling speed control]

The system control device 10 may also control the cooling rate.

For example, if the temperature difference between the temperature T3 of the third sensor 353 and the temperature T2 of the second sensor 352 is higher than the comparative set temperature, it is estimated that the amount of heat absorption per unit mass of the refrigerant currently flowing is high. can do. This may mean that the amount of heat generated by the light source is severe or that the amount of refrigerant flows is small.

Accordingly, the system control device may perform at least one of a fourth control to further lower the set temperature T of the cooling device 20 and a fifth control to increase the flow amount of the refrigerant. If the fourth control is performed, it is possible to cope with a light source having a high calorific value, and if the fifth control is performed, the amount of heat absorption per unit mass of the refrigerant can be reduced. This can be said to be related to the control of the cooling rate.

If the temperature difference between the temperature (T3) of the third sensor 353 and the temperature (T2) of the second sensor 352 is still higher than the comparison set temperature despite the fourth control and the fifth control as described above, the refrigerant It is necessary to check whether the flow is disturbed or the capacity of the chiller is insufficient, and the cooling rate control provides an opportunity for such a situation check.

[Error Check Control]

The system control device 10 continuously monitors the temperature of the four locations of the curing device.

As a result of monitoring, the temperature T1 measured by the first sensor 351, the temperature T2 measured by the second sensor 352, and the temperature T3 measured by the third sensor 353 are reference If it is confirmed that the deviation is maintained and rises, it can be determined that the cooling is not performed. For example, this may be a situation in which the valve of the refrigerant inlet 32 is closed, or a situation in which the refrigerant does not flow through the refrigerant flow path 34 due to leakage of the refrigerant.

Accordingly, in this case, an alarm may be generated and the light source control device 40 may stop the operation of the light source 37.

In addition, as a result of monitoring, the temperature T1 measured by the first sensor 351, the temperature T2 measured by the second sensor 352, and the temperature T3 measured by the third sensor 353 Wow, when it is confirmed that the temperature T4 measured by the fourth sensor 354 has a greater temperature change than the reference value Te, it may be determined that there is a rapid temperature change.

In this case, you need to figure out what is the cause. Therefore, in this case, only an alarm can be generated while maintaining the operation of the light source and the cooling device.

In response to such an alarm, the user will be able to check a state in which the indoor temperature has risen or fallen rapidly. For example, through this, it is possible to check whether a fire has occurred, an error in which some or all of the light sources are turned off, and an abnormality in the temperature of outside heating or cooling.

<Composition of refrigerant flow path of curing device>

The refrigerant flow path of the curing device can be configured in various ways.

Referring to Figure 5 (a; perspective view, b; top view, c; front view), in the case of the elongated cooling body 31, the refrigerant flow path 34 extends in the longitudinal direction (first lateral direction), The refrigerant inlet 32 and the refrigerant outlet 33 may be configured to extend rearward. 5 illustrates a curing apparatus provided with one refrigerant inlet 32, one refrigerant outlet 33, and one refrigerant flow path 34.

Referring to Fig. 6(a; rear perspective view, b; plan perspective view, c; front view), when the cooling body of three elongated three stages is provided as an assembly, the refrigerant flow path 34 has a length for each cooling body of each stage. It extends in the direction (first lateral direction), and the refrigerant inlet 32 and the refrigerant outlet 33 may be configured to extend rearward for each cooling body at each stage. That is, the curing apparatus shown in FIG. 6 includes three refrigerant inlets 32 and three refrigerant outlets 33, and three refrigerant flow paths 34 respectively connecting them.

When it is necessary to apply different UV LED modules 37, the structure as shown in FIG. 6 can be very effective.

Referring to Figures 7 (a; top view, b; front perspective) and Figure 8 (a; top view, b; front view, c: side view), the cooling body having a larger dimension in the second lateral direction than in the front-rear direction ( For 31), the refrigerant flow path 34 may be formed in a "C" shape connecting two portions extending in the first lateral direction and ends of the two portions in the second lateral direction. The "c" shape is arranged in parallel with a plane including a first lateral axis and a second lateral axis.

According to this structure, while one refrigerant flow path 34 is arranged in a "c" shape, the refrigerant flow path 34 near the refrigerant inlet 32 and the refrigerant flow path near the refrigerant outlet 33 Since are adjacent to each other, the refrigerant inlet 32 and the refrigerant outlet 33 are installed close to each other to simplify the installation of the refrigerant pipe. 7 shows the refrigerant inlet 32 and the refrigerant outlet 33 extending in the first lateral direction, and FIG. 8 shows the refrigerant inlet 32 and the refrigerant outlet 33 extending rearward. .

In addition, the temperature of the refrigerant gradually rises as the refrigerant flows along the path of the refrigerant flow path. As the refrigerant flow path 34 is arranged in a "c" shape, the refrigerant flow path 34 near the refrigerant inlet 32 ), and the refrigerant flow path in the portion close to the refrigerant outlet 33 are adjacent to each other, it can be expected that all UV LEDs are cooled evenly.

Referring to FIG. 9 (a; a plan view, b; a front perspective view), a structure in which two refrigerant inlets 32 and two refrigerant outlets 33 are connected through two refrigerant flow paths 34 are shown. . The refrigerant flow path 34 has a "C" shape connecting two portions extending in a first lateral direction and ends of the two portions in a front-rear direction. The "c" shape is disposed in parallel with a plane including a first lateral axis and an anteroposterior axis. The two "c"-shaped refrigerant flow paths 34 are arranged in two layers in the second lateral direction.

According to this, the refrigerant inlet 32 and the refrigerant outlet 33 are installed close to each other to simplify the installation of the refrigerant pipe. In addition, if the refrigerant flow directions of the upper "c"-shaped refrigerant flow path 34 and the lower "c"-shaped refrigerant flow path 34 are opposite to each other, all UV LEDs can be expected to be cooled evenly.

In Fig. 10 (a; rear perspective view, b; plan perspective view, c; front view), a cooling body 31 in which the refrigerant flow path 34 is in a "D" shape is shown. This may be a form suitable for the cooling body 31 in which the UV LED module 37 extends widely in both the first side direction and the second side direction. The refrigerant inlet 32 is an end in a first direction in a first lateral direction and is disposed at an end in a fourth direction in a second lateral direction, and the refrigerant outlet 33 is an end in a second direction in the first lateral direction and in a second lateral direction. It may be disposed at the end in the third direction. In addition, the refrigerant flow path may include portions extending in a first lateral direction and portions connecting them in a second lateral direction.

According to the curing device cooling system of the above-described embodiment, the temperature sensor and the system control device for monitoring and controlling the same can faithfully cool the light source of the curing device and prevent condensation from occurring due to overcooling of the light source. In addition to this, it is possible to monitor changes in the indoor environment and failures/errors in curing devices, cooling devices, and system control devices.

As described above with reference to the drawings illustrated for the present invention, the present invention is not limited by the embodiments and drawings disclosed in the present specification, and various by a person skilled in the art within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. It is obvious that transformation can be made. In addition, even if not explicitly described and described the effects of the configuration of the present invention while describing the embodiments of the present invention, it is natural that the predictable effects of the configuration should also be recognized.

1: curing device cooling system
10: system controller
20: cooling device (chiller)
30: curing device
31: cooling body
32: refrigerant inlet
33: refrigerant outlet
34: refrigerant flow path
35: temperature sensor
351: first sensor
352: second sensor
353: third sensor
354: fourth sensor
37: UV LED module (light source)
371: substrate
372: UV LED
40: UV LED control device (light source control device)
Tc: temperature of the cooling body
Ta: temperature of the space where the curing device is installed
TL: upper allowable temperature
T: set temperature
To: Initial setting temperature
dT: temperature
T1: temperature measured by the first sensor
T2: temperature measured by the second sensor
T3: Temperature measured by the third sensor
Ts: reference temperature difference
Tso: Condensation prevention control termination temperature difference
Te: reference value
N, n: number of repetitions
Ne, ne: number of error judgments

Claims (20)

Curing apparatus 30 having a light source 37;
A light source control device 40 for controlling the light source 37;
A cooling device 20 for circulating a refrigerant cooling the curing device 30; And
As a curing device cooling system comprising a; system control device 10 for controlling the cooling device 20,
The curing device 30 is:
A light source 37 serving as a heat source;
A cooling body 31 supporting the light source 37 and absorbing heat generated from the light source 37; And
Including; a temperature sensor 35 for measuring the temperature (Tc) of the cooling body 31 and measuring the temperature (Ta) of the space in which the curing device 30 is installed,
The cooling body 31 is:
A refrigerant inlet 32 through which refrigerant supplied from the cooling device 20 flows into;
A refrigerant flow path 34 connected to the refrigerant inlet 32 and passing through the cooling body 31; And
A refrigerant outlet 33 connected to the refrigerant flow path 34 and serving as a path for returning the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path 34 to the cooling device 20; and
The system controller (10) controls the cooling device (20) based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor (35).
The method according to claim 1,
The light source control device (40) is controlled by the system control device (10), the curing device cooling system.
The method according to claim 1,
The temperature sensor 35 is:
A first sensor 351 installed at the refrigerant inlet 32;
One or more sensors (352, 353) installed in the refrigerant flow path (34); And
A fourth sensor (354) installed in the curing apparatus (30) and measuring the temperature of the space in which the curing apparatus (30) is installed; including, a curing apparatus cooling system.
The method of claim 3,
The one or more sensors 352 and 353 include a second sensor 352 and a third sensor 353 installed at two different positions of the path of the refrigerant flow path 34,
Of the second sensor 352 and the third sensor 353, the second sensor 352 is disposed closer to the refrigerant inlet 32, and among the second sensor 352 and the third sensor 353 The third sensor (353) is disposed closer to the refrigerant outlet (33).
The method of claim 4,
The second sensor 352 is disposed closer to the coolant inlet 32 of the coolant inlet 32 and the coolant outlet 33, and the third sensor 353 includes the coolant inlet 32 and the coolant outlet. Among the refrigerant outlets (33), the curing apparatus cooling system is disposed closer to the refrigerant outlet (33).
The method of claim 5,
When the refrigerant flow path 34 is divided in order from the refrigerant inlet 32 to the refrigerant outlet 33 in 10 equal parts, the second sensor 352 is The curing apparatus cooling system is disposed in a first divided portion adjacent to (32), and the third sensor (353) is disposed in a tenth divided portion adjacent to the refrigerant outlet (33).
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The system control device 10 performs condensation prevention control,
The condensation prevention control,
If the difference (Tc-Ta) between the temperature (Tc) of the cooling body 31 and the temperature (Ta) of the space where the curing device 30 is installed is less than or equal to the reference temperature difference (Ts), the cooling device 20 Including a first control to increase the set temperature (T),
Curing unit cooling system.
The method of claim 7,
During the condensation prevention control, the lowest temperature among the temperatures measured by the first sensor 351 installed in the refrigerant inlet 32 and one or more sensors 352 and 353 installed in the refrigerant flow path 34 is, Applied as the temperature (Tc) of the cooling body 31 measured by the temperature sensor 35,
Curing unit cooling system.
The method of claim 7,
The reference temperature difference (Ts) is -10 degrees Celsius, curing device cooling system.
The method of claim 7,
The condensation prevention control,
After the first control is executed and the following time elapses, the difference (Tc-Ta) between the temperature (Tc) of the cooling body (31) and the temperature (Ta) of the space where the curing device (30) is installed is controlled to prevent condensation If it is lower than the end temperature difference (Tso), further comprising a second control to increase the set temperature (T) of the cooling device 20,
The condensation prevention control termination temperature difference (Tso) is higher than the reference temperature difference (Ts),
Curing unit cooling system.
The method of claim 10,
The condensation prevention control termination temperature difference (Tso) is +2 degrees Celsius higher than the reference temperature difference (Ts), the curing device cooling system.
The method of claim 10,
When the number of times (N) of additionally implemented condensation prevention control is equal to or greater than the number of error determinations (Ne),
Generates an alarm and causes the light source control device 40 to stop the operation of the light source 37,
Curing unit cooling system.
The method of claim 7,
The system control device 10 performs basic cooling control,
The basic cooling control,
When the temperature (Tc) of the cooling body (31) measured by the temperature sensor (35) is higher than the allowable upper limit temperature (TL), the curing apparatus comprising a third control to lower the set temperature of the cooling device (20) Cooling system.
The method of claim 13,
After the third control is performed and a follow-up time elapses, the basic cooling control is repeated.
The method of claim 14,
When the number of repetitions (n) of the basic cooling control is greater than or equal to the number of error determinations (ne),
Generates an alarm and causes the light source control device 40 to stop the operation of the light source 37,
Curing unit cooling system.
The method according to claim 1,
The system control device 10 controls the cooling device 20 based on the temperature of the temperature sensor 35 at a following time interval,
Curing unit cooling system.
The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6,
When the temperature difference between the temperature T3 of the third sensor 353 and the temperature T2 of the second sensor 352 is higher than the comparison set temperature, the set temperature T of the cooling device 20 is further lowered. Performing at least one of the fourth control and the fifth control to increase the flow amount of the refrigerant,
Curing unit cooling system.
The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6,
The temperature T1 measured by the first sensor 351, the temperature T2 measured by the second sensor 352, and the temperature T3 measured by the third sensor 353 have a reference deviation. Keep and rise,
Generates an alarm and causes the light source control device 40 to stop the operation of the light source 37,
Curing unit cooling system.
The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6,
The temperature T1 measured by the first sensor 351, the temperature T2 measured by the second sensor 352, the temperature T3 measured by the third sensor 353, and the third 4 When the temperature (T4) measured by the sensor 354 changes in temperature above the reference value (Te), generates an alarm, the curing device cooling system.
The method according to claim 1,
The refrigerant inlet 32 is opened toward the side or opened toward the rear,
The refrigerant outlet 33 is opened toward the side or open toward the rear,
The refrigerant flow path 34 includes a portion extending in the lateral direction,
Curing unit cooling system.

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