KR20220136131A - Continuous heating furnace - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is to improve the heat treatment efficiency of an object to be treated. A continuous heating furnace has at least one furnace body forming a continuous conveying space in which heating containers are conveyed. The conveying space has a first heating chamber, a stage number changing chamber, and a second heating chamber. The first heating chamber and the second heating chamber are configured so that heating containers are conveyed in different numbers of stages. The stage number changing chamber is disposed between the first heating chamber and the second heating chamber along a conveying direction, and is provided with a stage number changing means for changing the number of stages of the heating containers to be conveyed.

Description

Continuous heating furnace {CONTINUOUS HEATING FURNACE}

The present disclosure relates to a continuous heating furnace.

In the heat treatment facility disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-48981, a plurality of conveying trays accommodating the object to be processed are loaded into the decompression processing unit in a stacked state, and the to-be-processed unit accommodated in each conveyance tray in the decompression processing unit. Water is treated under reduced pressure. Each conveyance tray subjected to the decompression treatment is loaded into the conveyance tray separation unit. Then, from the plurality of transport trays carried in to the transport tray separation unit in this way, a part of the transport trays are separated and sequentially transported to the heat treatment unit. In the meantime, the conveyance tray in which the to-be-processed object was accommodated is newly carried into said pressure reduction processing part in the state laminated|stacked in multiple stages. The plurality of conveying trays carried in the conveying tray separating unit are sequentially conveyed to the heat treatment unit, and while the to-be-processed object accommodated in each conveying tray is sequentially heat-treated at the heat treatment unit, the decompression processing unit performs pressure reduction treatment over a long period of time. It is said that it can be done. The conveyance tray separation part disclosed in the above publication is provided on the ceiling so that four rotary actuators, respectively, with a sealing sealant therebetween, have a required interval therebetween in the conveying direction of the conveying tray and in the width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction. A rotating rod is introduced from each rotary actuator into the conveying tray separating section through the ceiling of the conveying tray separating section. At the tip of each rotating rod, a holding member is provided so as to protrude in the horizontal direction. With rotation of each rotating rod, each holding member rotates in a horizontal direction. Thereby, it is comprised so that a holding member can operate in the state which hold|maintains a conveyance tray, and the state which does not touch a conveyance tray.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-48981

By the way, when heat-processing a to-be-processed object, there are cases where it is efficient to collect and process the conveyance trays in a multi-tiered state, and there are cases where it is appropriate to disassemble the conveyance trays and process them one by one or in small numbers. However, in the case of changing the number of stages in the middle of the heat treatment, it is necessary to temporarily cool the object to be processed along with the operation of changing the number of stages, and the processing time is prolonged.

A continuous heating furnace of one embodiment disclosed herein is a continuous heating furnace having at least one furnace body that forms a continuous conveying space in which a heating vessel is conveyed. The conveying space has a first heating chamber, a stage change chamber, and a second heating chamber. The first heating chamber and the second heating chamber are configured such that the heating vessel is conveyed in different stages. The stage change chamber is disposed between the first heating chamber and the second heating chamber along the conveying direction, and includes stage change means for changing the number of stages of the heating vessel to be conveyed.

According to such a continuous heating furnace, step stacking and stage dismantling can be performed while maintaining the temperature of the to-be-processed object, and the to-be-processed object can be heat-processed efficiently.

The stage change room may be equipped with a heater.

The continuous heating furnace may further have a substitution chamber in at least either of between the first heating chamber and the number change chamber and between the number change chamber and the second heating chamber.

Each of the first heating chamber and the second heating chamber may be provided with an independent conveying mechanism.

The stage change chamber may include a furnace wall, and the stage change means may include a lifter for raising and lowering the heating vessel, and a holding mechanism for holding the heating vessel lifted by the lifter. The holding mechanism includes a hollow shaft inserted into the furnace body, a retaining tool mounted on the shaft, a seal member mounted on a portion where the shaft is inserted into the furnace body, and connected to the shaft, and injects refrigerant into the hollow part of the shaft. It is okay to have a refrigerant supply device that supplies it.

The furnace wall may have a pair of side walls on both sides of the width direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction, and the shaft may be rotatably spread over a pair of side walls. The holding tool may include an arm extending from the shaft and a claw bent from the lower end of the arm.

The holding mechanism may include a plurality of holding tools, and the plurality of holding tools may be disposed on the shaft at intervals.

The lifter may lift the heating vessel to a predetermined height, and the holding mechanism may be configured to hold the heating vessel having a predetermined number or more from below among the heating vessels lifted by the lifter.

The holding tool may be composed of a nickel-chromium-iron alloy or a nickel-based alloy.

The first heating chamber and the second heating chamber may be provided with a plurality of conveying rollers arranged in a row along the conveying direction.

1 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the continuous firing furnace 10 .
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the number of stages change chamber 10b of the continuous firing furnace 10 .
3A is a side view showing the position of the lifter main body 21 in the first raising/lowering position L1.
3B is a side view showing the position of the lifter main body 21 in the second raising/lowering position L2.
3C is a side view showing the position of the lifter body 21 in the third lifting position L3.
4 : is a side view of the baking container A. As shown in FIG.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, one of typical embodiment in this indication is demonstrated in detail, referring drawings. In addition, in the following drawings, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected and demonstrated to the member and site|part which exhibit the same effect|action. In addition, the dimensional relationship (length, width, thickness, etc.) in each drawing does not reflect an actual dimensional relationship.

Hereinafter, a continuous calcination furnace is taken as an example as an example of a continuous heating furnace and demonstrated, but it is not intended that this invention is limited to what was described in this embodiment. In this specification, a "continuous heating furnace" means a heating furnace which heat-processes a to-be-processed object continuously. As used herein, the term "continuous firing furnace" refers to a heating furnace for continuously firing a target object at a high temperature. In addition, in this specification, the heating container used when baking a to-be-processed object is called a "baking container" suitably.

<Continuous kiln (10)>

1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the continuous firing furnace 10 . Arrow T1 in the figure has shown the conveyance direction in which the baking container A is conveyed. In FIG. 1, the longitudinal cross-section of the continuous kiln 10 along the conveyance direction T1 is shown typically. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the number of stages change chamber 10b of the continuous firing furnace 10 . In this embodiment, the baking containers A are arranged in three rows in the width direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction, and are conveyed.

The continuous firing furnace 10 has at least one furnace body 12 which forms the continuous conveyance space 12a in which a baking container is conveyed, as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the to-be-processed object is conveyed by the conveyance space 12a in the state accommodated in the baking container A, and is heat-processed continuously. The conveyance space 12a of the continuous firing furnace 10 has the 1st heating chamber 10a, the stage|stage change chamber 10b, and the 2nd heating chamber 10c in order along the conveyance direction T1. . Moreover, in this embodiment, the substitution chamber 10d is provided between the 1st heating chamber 10a and the stage change chamber 10b. Moreover, between the stage change chamber 10b and the 2nd heating chamber 10c, the substitution chamber 10e is provided. Hereinafter, such a continuous firing furnace 10 will be described in order. Moreover, the continuous firing furnace 10 is further equipped with the conveyance mechanism for conveying the baking container A in the conveyance direction T1.

<Nobody (12)>

As shown in FIG. 1, the furnace body 12 has the conveyance space 12a inside which can convey in the conveyance direction T1 in the state which piled several baking containers A step by step. In this embodiment, the furnace body 12 is a tunnel-shaped furnace body which surrounds the conveyance space 12a. The conveyance space 12a has a required height which can convey the stacked baking containers A. As shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the conveyance space 12a is set to linear shape. As shown in FIG. 2 , the furnace body 12 extends around the entire periphery of the conveyance direction T1 (refer to FIG. 1 ) of the conveyance space 12a, and is formed of a heat insulating material in the furnace walls 12b to 12d. surrounded by In this embodiment, the furnace body 12 has a pair of side walls 12b, the ceiling 12c, and the bottom wall 12d on both sides of the width direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction. Each furnace wall 12b - 12d is comprised from ceramic fiber board, for example. The ceramic fiber board is, for example, a plate material formed by adding an inorganic filler and an inorganic/organic binder to so-called bulk fiber and forming a plate shape. The ceramic fiber board is cut into a predetermined shape and overlapped to form a furnace wall having a required thickness. The thickness of the furnace walls 12b to 12d can be set to a required thickness such that the heat in the conveyance space 12a is sufficiently insulated.

The furnace body 12 may be provided with various structures for controlling the atmosphere of the conveyance space 12a. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the gas supply pipe 12f may be provided so that nitrogen, argon, etc. can be supplied. The shielding rod 12f2 may be provided in the blowing port 12f1 of the gas supply pipe 12f suitably so that the gas to blow may be contact|abutted and force may be suppressed. A gas exhaust pipe 12g may be provided so that the atmospheric pressure can be adjusted and exhaust gas can be performed. In this embodiment, the gas supply pipe 12f is provided in the bottom wall 12d. The gas exhaust pipe 12g is provided on the ceiling 12c. Moreover, in the furnace 12, the partition 12h for changing an atmosphere for every space may be provided. The furnace body 12 is arranged on a base 18 set to a predetermined height. The base 18 (refer to FIG. 2 ) may have a space in which a gas supply pipe for adjusting the atmosphere in the continuous firing furnace 10 , a driving device of the conveying mechanism 15 , etc. are provided.

<Transfer mechanism (15)>

The conveyance mechanism 15 is a mechanism which conveys the baking container A in the conveyance direction T1. In this embodiment, the conveyance mechanism 15 has the structure in which the some conveyance roller 16 was arranged in the conveyance space 12a inside the furnace body 12. As shown in FIG. The conveying roller 16 is a roller for conveying the baking container A. The plurality of conveying rollers 16 are cylindrical rollers, aligned in height so that the firing container A can be supported, and arranged in a line in the conveying space 12a at a predetermined pitch. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the number of stages change chamber 10b in the continuous firing furnace 10 . As shown in FIG. 2, the conveyance roller 16 has penetrated the insertion hole 12e of the side wall 12b of the both sides of the furnace body 12 along the direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction. As the conveyance roller 16, a ceramic roller, a metal roller, etc. are used, for example. The conveyance roller 16 is rotatably supported by the support plates 16a, 16b provided outside the furnace body 12 via a bearing (not shown).

In this embodiment, the sprocket 17 is attached to the edge part by the side of the support plate 16a of the conveyance roller 16. As shown in FIG. A roller chain (not shown) is attached to the sprocket 17 . The roller chain is connected to a driving device such as a motor that rotates the conveying roller 16 . The roller chain further connects the conveying rollers 16 adjacent to each other. A sprocket is not attached to the edge part of the conveyance roller 16 by the side of the support plate 16b. The end of the conveyance roller 16 on the support plate 16b side rotates in accordance with the rotation on the support plate 16a side. In this way, the conveyance rollers 16 connected by the roller chain rotate at the same speed at the same timing. A continuous kiln in which a product is conveyed by rollers is called a Roller Hearth Kiln (RHK). A roller used for a roller furnace kiln is generally high in strength among conveying mechanisms used in a continuous firing furnace, and can be suitably used, for example, when firing a heavy to-be-processed object. Moreover, since there exists a gap between ceramic rollers, it can heat efficiently from upper and lower direction, For example, when baking at a high baking temperature, it can use suitably.

<Heater (14)>

The heater 14 is an apparatus for heating the to-be-processed object accommodated in the baking container A in the conveyance space 12a (refer FIG. 1). The heater 14 is arrange|positioned in the conveyance space 12a of the furnace body 12, as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the heater 14 is arranged above and below the some conveyance rollers 16 at predetermined intervals along the conveyance direction. In this embodiment, a cylindrical ceramic heater is used as the heater 14 . The heater 14 penetrates the side wall 12b. In this embodiment, although the heater 14 is arrange|positioned above the conveyance roller 16, it is not limited to this form. The heater 14 may be arrange|positioned also above or below the conveyance roller 16 so that the to-be-processed object accommodated in the baking container A can be heated from one direction. In addition, in FIG. 2, illustration of the heater 14 is abbreviate|omitted. In addition, various heaters may be used for the heater 14 according to the heating temperature or the like. As the heater 14, a metal sheath heater or the like can be used in addition to a ceramic heater. In addition, the shape of the heater 14 is not specifically limited, For example, a plate-shaped panel heater etc. can be used.

<First heating chamber 10a, second heating chamber 10c>

The 1st heating chamber 10a and the 2nd heating chamber 10c are booths which heat the to-be-processed object accommodated in the baking container A, respectively. In this embodiment, the 1st heating chamber 10a and the 2nd heating chamber 10c are comprised so that the baking container A may be conveyed in different stages. In the form shown in FIG. 1, the 1st heating chamber 10a is comprised so that the some baking container A may be conveyed in the stacked state. In the 2nd heating chamber 10c, the baking container A is conveyed in the decomposed|disassembled state. In the form shown in FIG. 1, in the 2nd heating chamber 10c, the baking container A is conveyed one end at a time. For example, the partition 12h is provided in the 1st heating chamber 10a. The partition 12h of the first heating chamber 10a is set to a height at which the plurality of firing containers A can pass in a stacked state. The second heating chamber 10c is also provided with a partition 12h similarly. The partition 12h of the second heating chamber 10c has a partition 12h lower than that of the first heating chamber 10a so that the firing containers A conveyed one end at a time pass between the partitions 12h. extended to the location. In this way, the first heating chamber 10a is configured such that the firing containers A stacked in multiple stages are conveyed, and the second heating chamber 10c is configured such that the firing vessels A disassembled one end are conveyed. Consists of. Moreover, in this embodiment, although the partition 12h was provided in the 1st heating chamber 10a and the 2nd heating chamber 10c, it is not limited to this form. The partition 12h may be provided in either one of the 1st heating chamber 10a and the 2nd heating chamber 10c. Moreover, the partition may not be provided in either of the 1st heating chamber 10a and the 2nd heating chamber 10c.

In this embodiment, as for the 1st heating chamber 10a and the 2nd heating chamber 10c, the heater 14 is arranged in the upper part and the lower part of the conveyance space 12a so that the conveyance roller 16 may be pinched|interposed, respectively, have. In the first heating chamber 10a and the second heating chamber 10c, the firing vessel A is heated under different conditions. For example, in the 1st heating chamber 10a, several baking containers A are conveyed in the stacked state, and are heated at once. In the first heating chamber 10a, for example, a process such as a removal process and a preheating process may be performed. In the 2nd heating chamber 10c, the baking containers A are conveyed one by one and are heated. For this reason, the to-be-processed object accommodated in the baking container A can be heated on conditions with high precision. In the second heating chamber 10c, for example, main firing or the like can be performed. In this embodiment, a gas supply pipe 12f and a gas exhaust pipe 12g are provided in the first heating chamber 10a and the second heating chamber 10c, respectively. Different atmospheric gases may be supplied to the first heating chamber 10a and the second heating chamber 10c, respectively.

<Substitution chamber (10d)>

The substitution chamber 10d is provided between the 1st heating chamber 10a and the stage change chamber 10b. A firing container A conveyed in a stacked state is introduced into the replacement chamber 10d. The replacement chamber 10d is provided with shutters 10d1 and 10d2 dividing the space on the upstream side (first heating chamber 10a side) and downstream side (stage number change chamber 10b side) in the conveying direction, respectively. The shutters 10d1 and 10d2 are made of a heat insulating material. When the firing vessel A is introduced into the substitution chamber 10d, for example, in a state in which the shutter 10d2 on the side of the stage change chamber 10b is closed, the shutter 10d1 on the side of the first heating chamber 10a is open In this state, the stacked firing vessel A is introduced from the first heating chamber 10a into the substitution chamber 10d. Next, the shutter 10d1 on the side of the first heating chamber 10a is closed, and the firing vessel A stays in the replacement chamber 10d.

<Substitution chamber (10e)>

The substitution chamber 10e is provided between the stage change chamber 10b and the 2nd heating chamber 10c. In this embodiment, the firing container A conveyed in the state dismantled from the stage|stage change chamber 10b is introduce|transduced into the replacement chamber 10e. The replacement chamber 10e is provided with shutters 10e1 and 10e2 for dividing spaces, respectively, on the upstream side (the number of stages change chamber 10b side) and the downstream side (the second heating chamber 10c side) in the conveying direction. The shutters 10e1 and 10e2 are made of a heat insulating material. When the firing vessel A is introduced into the replacement chamber 10e, for example, in a state in which the shutter 10e2 on the side of the second heating chamber 10c is closed, the shutter 10e1 on the side of the stage change chamber 10b is closed. is open In this state, the disassembled firing vessel A is introduced into the replacement chamber 10e from the stage change chamber 10b. Next, the shutter 10e1 on the side of the stage change chamber 10b is closed, and the firing vessel A stays in the replacement chamber 10e. In addition, the shutters 10e1 and 10e2 are not limited to what is comprised by the heat insulating material, For example, the shutter etc. made of a metal to which cooling water is supplied may be sufficient.

The substitution chamber (10d) and the substitution chamber (10e) may be a space in which the atmosphere of the room can be adjusted, respectively. For example, the gas composition, temperature, pressure, and the like of the substitution chambers 10d and 10e may be appropriately adjusted. A mechanism for adjusting the gas atmosphere may be suitably incorporated in the replacement chambers 10d and 10e. After the atmosphere of the substitution chambers 10d and 10e is adjusted, downstream shutters 10d2 and 10e2 are opened, and the firing vessel A is taken out from the substitution chamber 10d and the substitution chamber 10e. In this embodiment, the replacement chambers 10d and 10e are surrounded by furnace walls 12b - 12d of the furnace body 12, respectively. The continuous firing furnace 10 may have at least one furnace body 12 forming a continuous conveying space 12a in which the firing vessel A is conveyed, and a replacement chamber 10d in a part of the conveying space 12a; 10e) may be present. In this case, the conveyance space 12a of replacement chamber 10d, 10e is formed with the furnace body 12. As shown in FIG. For this reason, the temperature of the baking container A conveyed by replacement chamber 10d, 10e can be maintained high.

By providing the substitution chamber 10d between the first heating chamber 10a and the stage change chamber 10b, the atmospheric gas of the first heating chamber 10a becomes difficult to reach the stage number change chamber 10b. . Moreover, since the substitution chamber 10e is provided between the stage number change chamber 10b and the second heating chamber 10c, the atmospheric gas of the stage number change chamber 10b hardly reaches the second heating chamber 10c. lose In this embodiment, both between the first heating chamber 10a and the number change chamber 10b and between the number change chamber 10b and the second heating chamber 10c, the replacement chambers 10d and 10e, respectively. ) is provided. From the viewpoint of making it difficult to mix the atmospheric gas of the first heating chamber 10a and the atmospheric gas of the second heating chamber 10c with each other, between the first heating chamber 10a and the number changing chamber 10b and the number of stages changing chamber A substitution chamber may be provided in at least one of between (10b) and the second heating chamber 10c. Also in this case, since the replacement chambers 10d and 10e are comprised in the conveyance space 12a formed by the furnace body 12, the temperature of the baking container A can be maintained high.

Moreover, in this embodiment, the 1st heating chamber 10a, the stage|stage change chamber 10b, and the 2nd heating chamber 10c are provided with the some conveyance roller 16 lined up along the conveyance direction, respectively, have. Among these, the 1st heating chamber 10a and the 2nd heating chamber 10c may be equipped with each independent conveyance mechanism. For example, in the 1st heating chamber 10a and the 2nd heating chamber 10c, the conveyance roller 16 should just be connected to another drive device. That is, in the 1st heating chamber 10a, the some baking container A is conveyed in the stacked state. In the second heating chamber 10c, however, the firing container A is conveyed in a disassembled state. For this reason, in the 1st heating chamber 10a and the 2nd heating chamber 10c, the speed which conveys the baking container A may differ. That is, in the first heating chamber 10a in which the plurality of firing containers A are transported in a stacked state, the second heating chamber 10c is transported slowly, and the firing containers A are transported in a disassembled state. What is necessary is just to convey the baking container A at the conveyance speed faster than the 1st heating chamber 10a. Thereby, the baking container A is conveyed smoothly without stagnation in the 1st heating chamber 10a and the 2nd heating chamber 10c. Moreover, replacement chamber 10d, 10e may have an independent conveyance mechanism. The substitution chambers 10d and 10e are suitably connected to the transfer mechanism of the first heating chamber 10a, the number change chamber 10b, and the second heating chamber 10c interposed between the substitution chambers 10d and 10e. It should be configured to work together.

In addition, conveyance of the baking container A in the 1st heating chamber 10a and the 2nd heating chamber 10c is not limited to the conveyance roller 16. As shown in FIG. For example, you may be comprised so that the baking container A may be conveyed with the metal belt conveyor used for what is called a mesh belt kiln (MBK).

<Single change room (10b)>

The stage number change chamber 10b includes a stage number change unit 11 , a stopper 50 , an attaching mechanism 70 (refer to FIG. 2 ), a heater 14 , and a conveyance roller 16 . The stage number change means 11 is an apparatus for changing the stage number of the baking container A to be conveyed. Different stages of the firing containers A are conveyed to the first heating chamber 10a and the second heating chamber 10c by the stage number change means 11 . The stage changing means 11 includes a lifter 20 and a holding mechanism 30 .

<Stopper (50)>

The stopper 50 is an apparatus for stopping the baking container A conveyed in the conveyance space 12a at a predetermined position in conformity with the lifter 20 . In this embodiment, the stopper 50 includes a stopper main body 51 , a shaft 52 supporting the stopper main body 51 , and a lifting device 53 for elevating the stopper main body 51 via the shaft 52 . ) is provided. The stopper body 51 is a plate-shaped member oriented in the direction normal to the conveying direction, and is provided so as to protrude upward from the conveying roller 16 from a gap between the conveying rollers 16 at a predetermined position in accordance with the lifter 20 . have. The shaft 52 is a shaft that supports the stopper body 51 . The shaft 52 supports the lower end of the stopper body 51 and penetrates the bottom wall 12d of the furnace body 12 up and down.

The raising/lowering device 53 is a device for raising/lowering the shaft 52, and is constituted by, for example, a cylinder device. In this embodiment, the cylinder as the lifting device 53 is attached to the outer surface of the bottom wall 12d of the furnace body 12 with the piston rod facing downward. A shaft 52 is connected to the front end of the piston rod of the cylinder. When the piston rod of the lifting device 53 is pushed down, the stopper main body 51 is lowered. When the piston rod of the lifting device 53 is pulled up, the stopper main body 51 rises, and the firing container A is stopped at a predetermined position.

<Attachment appliance (70)>

The sticking mechanism 70 is a mechanism for adjusting the position of the baking container A in the width direction, as shown in FIG. As for the pasting mechanism 70, the position of the firing container A stopped by the stopper 50 (refer FIG. 1) is adjusted. The attaching mechanism 70 is provided with the attaching board 71, the shaft 72 which supports the attaching board 71, and the drive device 73 which drives the attaching board 71 via the shaft 72. As shown in FIG. The mounting plate 71 is a plate-shaped member parallel to the side wall 12b of the furnace body 12 . The shaft 72 is mounted perpendicularly to the surface of the mounting plate 71 opposite to the side wall 12b. The shaft 72 penetrates the side wall 12b and extends outside the furnace body 12 . The drive device 73 is a device that drives the shaft 72 , and is constituted of, for example, a cylinder device. In this embodiment, the cylinder as the driving device 73 is attached to the outer surface of the side wall 12b of the furnace body 12 with the piston rod facing outward in the width direction. A shaft 72 is connected to the front end of the piston rod of the cylinder. By drawing the piston rod inward, the mounting plate 71 inside the furnace body 12 is driven inward in the width direction. At that time, the position of the firing container A stopped by the stopper 50 is adjusted to a predetermined position. In this embodiment, the position is adjusted in the state in which the baking containers A lined up in three rows in the width direction contacted.

The firing containers A arranged in three rows and conveyed are aligned in the conveying direction by the stopper 50 (refer to FIG. 1 ), and aligned in the width direction by the attaching mechanism 70 . In addition, the number of heat|fever at the time of conveying the baking container A is set suitably by the size of a to-be-baked object, the dimension of the baking container A, etc. Thermal insulation may be sufficient as the number of rows at the time of conveying the baking container A, and two or more rows may be sufficient as it.

<Lifter (20)>

The lifter 20 is an apparatus for raising/lowering the firing container A conveyed from the first heating chamber 10a (refer to FIG. 1 ). In this embodiment, the lifter 20 is provided at a position opposite to the holding mechanism 30 in the furnace wall 12 up and down. The lifter 20 includes a lifter body 21 , a lifting device 24 , and a guide 25 .

The lifter main body 21 is a member which protrudes upwardly from between the conveyance rollers 16 lined up along the conveyance direction, and lifts the baking container A, as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the lifter body 21 has a first plate 21a, a second plate 21b, and a connecting portion 21c. The first plate 21a and the second plate 21b are rectangular plates, respectively. The first plate 21a and the second plate 21b are inserted into the gap between the conveying roller 16 with the normal direction of the plate facing the conveying direction, with one long side facing up and the other long side facing down. placed so as to The first plate 21a and the second plate 21b have a width such that the firing containers A arranged in three rows are loaded.

In this embodiment, the 1st plate 21a is arrange|positioned upstream of the conveyance direction T1, and the 2nd plate 21b is arrange|positioned downstream of the conveyance direction. The connection part 21c is a member which connects the lower end of the 1st plate 21a and the 2nd plate 21b under the conveyance roller 16. As shown in FIG. In other words, the first plate 21a and the second plate 21b stand up from the connecting portion 21c. An operating rod 21d extending downward is attached to the connecting portion 21c. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the two operating rods 21d are attached to the connection part 21c with space|interval in the width direction of the conveyance space 12a. The operating rod 21d penetrates the bottom wall 12d up and down, respectively, and extends downward from the bottom wall 12d. The lower ends of the two operating rods 21d are connected by a connecting bar 21e. Both ends of the connecting bar 21e should just be attached to the guide 25 extending downward from the outer surface of the bottom wall 12d via the linear bushing 25a.

The lifting device 24 is a device for raising and lowering the connecting bar 21e. The lifting device 24 is constituted by, for example, a cylinder device. The cylinder as the lifting device 24 is attached to the outer surface of the bottom wall 12d of the furnace body 12 with the piston rod facing downward. A connecting bar 21e is connected to the front end of the piston rod of the cylinder. When the piston rod of the lifting device 24 is pulled up, the connecting bar 21e rises and the lifter body 21 rises. Thereby, the firing container A stopped at a predetermined position by the stopper 50 is lifted. When the piston rod of the lifting device 24 is pushed down, the connecting bar 21e is lowered and the firing container A is lowered. In addition, in this embodiment, although the cylinder apparatus was used as the raising/lowering device 24, it is not limited to this form. For example, an actuator that moves the lifter main body 21 up and down may be used as the elevating device. In addition, the shape of the lifter main body 21 is not limited to a plate shape, For example, a column shape etc. may be sufficient.

<Elevation position (L1~L3)>

In the lifter 20, three raising/lowering positions L1 to L3 are preset. Here, FIG. 3A is a side view showing the position of the lifter body 21 in the first raising/lowering position L1. 3B is a side view showing the position of the lifter main body 21 in the second raising/lowering position L2. 3C is a side view showing the position of the lifter body 21 in the third lifting position L3.

In the first raising/lowering position L1 , the position of the lifter body 21 is set so that the upper end of the lifter body 21 is lower than the upper end of the conveying roller 16 . At the raising/lowering position L1, the lifter main body 21 does not touch the baking container A conveyed on the conveyance roller 16 top. For example, when conveying the baking container A by the conveyance roller 16, the lifter 20 should just be controlled to the raising/lowering position L1.

In the second raising/lowering position L2, the position of the lifter body 21 is set so that the firing container A is lifted to a predetermined height overlapping under the firing container A held by the holding mechanism 30. has been At the raising/lowering position L2, the baking container A lifted by the baking container A hold|maintained by the holding mechanism 30 overlaps, for example. At this time, even if the holding mechanism 30 releases holding|maintenance, the baking container A can be hold|maintained by the lifter 20. As shown in FIG.

In the third raising/lowering position L3 , the position of the lifter body 21 is set so that the firing container A is lifted to a height held by the holding mechanism 30 . For example, when the holding mechanism 30 holds the firing container A lifted by the lifter 20 , or when lowering the firing container A held by the holding mechanism 30 , the lifter (20) may be controlled to the lifting position (L3).

<holding mechanism 30>

The holding mechanism 30 is a mechanism for holding the firing container A lifted by the lifter 20 as shown in FIG. 2 . The holding mechanism 30 has two shafts 31 , a plurality of holding tools 32 , a seal member 33 , and a refrigerant supply device 40 . In this embodiment, with respect to one shaft 31, the three holding tools 32 are attached with the required space|interval. The three holding tools 32 should just be attached to the positions corresponding to the positions of the firing containers A arranged in a row in three rows. Here, FIG. 4 is a side view of the firing container A, and is a shallow case with a substantially rectangular shape. A wall a1 is erected on the periphery of the firing vessel A. The central portion of the wall a1 along the side of the substantially rectangle is concave. This recessed portion a2 forms a gap through which the atmospheric gas flows when the firing containers A are overlapped.

<Shaft (31)>

The two shafts 31 are inserted into the insertion holes of the furnace body 12 . The shaft 31 has a hollow structure. The shaft 31 has a cylindrical shape. The shaft 31 has a cavity formed from one end to the other end. As the shaft 31, a metal excellent in heat resistance and strength is used, and for example, stainless steel, a nickel-base alloy described later, a nickel-base alloy containing about 20 to 35 mass% of chromium and molybdenum in total can be used. . In this embodiment, the shaft 31 made of stainless steel is used. The shaft 31 is provided before and after a predetermined position at which the firing container A is lifted by the lifter 20 in the conveyance direction T1 (refer to FIG. 1 ). The shaft 31 penetrates a pair of side walls 12b along the width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction T1, and is spread over rotatably (refer FIG. 2).

The holding tool 32 is provided with the base part 32a, the arm part 32b, and the claw part 32c, as shown to FIGS. 3A-3C. The base portion 32a is a cylindrical member, and is attached to the shaft 31 . The arm part 32b is a plate-shaped site|part extending downward from the outer peripheral surface of the base part 32a. In this embodiment, the arm part 32b is on the inner side surface opposite along the conveyance direction T1 among the outer surfaces of the base part 32a attached to the shaft 31 provided before and after the conveyance direction T1. is provided. Thereby, the arm part 32b is extended so that the baking container A lifted by the lifter 20 may be pinched|interposed from the front and back. The claw portion 32c is a portion bent inward from the lower end of the arm portion 32b. The claw part 32c can support the bottom of the firing container A. As described above, in this embodiment, the shaft 31 is rotatably placed on the pair of side walls 12b of the furnace body 12 . The holding tool 32 has an arm part 32b extending from the shaft 31 and a claw part 32c bent from the lower end of the arm part 32b.

As the holding tool 32, a metal having high heat resistance and oxidation resistance is used, for example, a nickel-chromium-iron alloy, a nickel-based alloy, or the like is used. As used herein, the nickel-chromium-iron alloy refers to an alloy in which the total content of nickel, chromium, and iron is 80 mass% or more when the entire alloy is 100 mass%. The total content of nickel, chromium, and iron may be 90 mass % or more, for example, 95 mass % or more. The content rate of nickel contained in a nickel-chromium-iron alloy may be 20 mass % or more and 35 mass % or less, for example. The content of chromium may be, for example, 20 mass% or more and 25 mass% or less. The content rate of iron may be 40 mass % or more and 60 mass % or less, for example. In addition, in this specification, when a nickel-based alloy makes the whole alloy 100 mass %, the content rate of nickel means that it is an alloy 50 mass % or more. The content rate of nickel may be 70 mass % or more. As a metal other than nickel, chromium and iron may be contained, for example. When the whole alloy is 100 mass %, the content rate of chromium may be 10 mass % or more and 25 mass % or less. 20 mass % or less may be sufficient as the content rate of iron, and 5 mass % or less may be sufficient as it.

<Seal member (33)>

The seal member 33 is attached to the site|part where the shaft 31 was inserted in the furnace body 12, as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, as for the furnace body 12, the housing 34 is provided outside the site|part into which the shaft 31 was inserted. In the housing 34 , a seal member 33 and a bearing 35 are mounted. The shaft 31 is rotatably supported by a bearing 35 in the housing 34 . Moreover, the sealing member 33 is sealing the clearance gap between the shaft 31 and the housing 34 . As the seal member 33, for example, a carbon fiber-based gland packing, a rubber oil seal, a silicone-based sealing material, or the like is used. By the seal member 33, it is prevented that the atmospheric gas inside the furnace body 12 leaks to the outside.

The shaft 31 extends further outward from the housing 34 and is mounted to the drive device 37 via an operating arm 36 extending in the radial direction of the shaft 31 . Here, the drive device 37 is a cylinder device, and one end of the cylinder is being fixed to a support piece 38 provided in the case of the furnace body 12 . The shaft 31 is rotationally operated by such a drive device 37 . In addition, a connector 39 connected to the refrigerant supply device 40 is provided at the end of the shaft 31 . The connector 39 is connected to the hollow part of the shaft 31 and may have a structure that supplies a coolant to the hollow part of the shaft 31 .

The holding mechanism 30 is configured such that the shaft 31 is rotated in the circumferential direction by the driving device 37 to open and close the holder 32 and hold the firing container A. In this embodiment, the holding mechanism 30 is comprised so that the three holding|maintenance tools 32 may open and close simultaneously when the shaft 31 rotates. Therefore, the firing containers A arranged in three rows are held at the same time.

As shown in Figs. 3A to 3C, the arm portion ( 32b) is closed. Moreover, when the front and rear shafts 31 rotate outward, respectively, the arm part 32b attached to the shaft 31 is opened so that the baking container A may be hold|maintained.

In the closed state H1 in which the arm portions 32b of the front and rear shaft 31 are closed, the claw portion 32c supports the bottom of the firing vessel A, so that the firing vessel A is held. In the open state H2 in which the arm portions 32b of the front and rear shaft 31 are opened, the claw portion 32c is retracted to a position where it does not interfere with the bottom of the firing vessel A. In this way, when the drive device 37 is controlled, the holder 32 of the holding mechanism 30 can be operated in the closed state H1 and the open state H2. 3A to 3C are schematically shown. In FIGS. 3A to 3C , the side wall 12b of the furnace body 12 is not shown, and the drive device 37 of the holding mechanism 30 is shown. In addition, in this embodiment, the holding mechanism 30 has the shaft 31 extended over the side wall 12b, and although it was comprised so that a refrigerant|coolant might be supplied from one end toward the other end, it is not limited to this form. For example, a shaft penetrating the ceiling 12c of the furnace body 12 may be used. Such a shaft may have, for example, a double tube structure, and may be configured so that the flow of the refrigerant is repeated from the inner tube toward the outer tube. Such a shaft should just be equipped with a holding tool at the end.

<Refrigerant supply unit 40>

The refrigerant supply device 40 is a device for supplying a refrigerant to the inside of the shaft 31 as shown in FIG. 2 . As the refrigerant, water or the like can be used. The temperature of the refrigerant supplied to the inside of the shaft 31 is a temperature lower than the atmospheric temperature of the conveyance space 12a, such as room temperature, for example. The type and temperature of the refrigerant are not particularly limited, and are appropriately set according to the atmospheric temperature of the conveyance space 12a or the like. In this embodiment, connectors 39 are attached to both ends of the shaft 31 . A refrigerant supply device 40 is connected to one end of the shaft 31 via a connector 39 . The refrigerant is supplied from one end of the shaft 31 toward the other end by the refrigerant supply device 40 . The method of supplying the refrigerant to the shaft 31 by the refrigerant supply device 40 is not particularly limited. For example, a different refrigerant supply device may be connected to each of the two shafts 31 , and the refrigerant may be individually sent to each shaft 31 . Moreover, you may be comprised so that the same refrigerant|coolant may circulate through the two shafts 31 using the circulating refrigerant|coolant supply apparatus as a refrigerant|coolant supply apparatus.

The refrigerant supply device 40 can properly supply the refrigerant to the inside of the shaft 31 . For example, while supplying a coolant to the shaft 31 , a step stacking operation or a step dismantling operation, which will be described later, can be performed. For example, when a stage piling operation or a stage dismantling operation is performed in a high-temperature environment, the refrigerant may be appropriately supplied to the shaft 31 .

As shown in FIG. 2 , the lifter 20 , the holding mechanism 30 , and the stopper 50 (refer to FIG. 1 ) may be controlled by the control device 60 . The control apparatus should just be comprised so that it may control conveyance of the baking container A, raising/lowering of the lifter 20, and opening/closing of the holding|maintenance tool 32 of the holding|maintenance mechanism 30, for example. Here, the control device 60 is connected to a lifting device 24 for raising and lowering the lifter 20 and a drive device 37 for driving the holding mechanism 30 . As a control method, various control methods, such as sequence control, can be employ|adopted, for example. In addition, the supply of the coolant by the coolant supply device 40 may be controlled by the control device 60 .

By combining the operations of the lifter 20 and the holding mechanism 30 described above, it is possible to stack the firing containers A on one another or to disassemble a plurality of stacked firing containers A. Here, the operation|work which overlaps the some baking container A is called "step stacking" suitably. The operation of dismantling the overlapping plurality of firing containers A is appropriately referred to as "step dismantling". Here, the operation|work of disassembling the baking container A conveyed in the conveyance direction T1 from the 1st heating chamber 10a in multiple stages|stages is demonstrated, and thereafter, the stage stacking operation is demonstrated.

<But dismantling work>

However, in the dismantling operation, the plurality of firing containers A are conveyed in an overlapping state. The firing container A is disassembled for each predetermined number of this. Here, as shown in FIG. 1, the operation|work which disassembles and conveys the baking container A one step at a time is demonstrated as an example.

As shown in FIG. 3A , the control device 60 (refer to FIG. 2 ) waits the lifter 20 at the first raising/lowering position L1 lower than the conveying roller 16 . Moreover, as shown by the dashed-dotted line, the holding mechanism 30 is made to stand by in the open state H2 in which the arm part 32b is opened. In this state, the control device 60 detects the firing container A at a predetermined position in the conveyance space 12a, and raises the stopper 50 at a predetermined timing. Thereby, the firing container A stops at a predetermined position lifted by the lifter 20 .

The control device 60 raises the lifter 20 to the second lifting position L2 as shown in FIG. 3B . In this state, when the arm portion 32b of the holding mechanism 30 is closed in the closed state H1, the firing vessel A higher than the lowest firing vessel A among the stacked firing vessels A. ) is held by the holding mechanism 30 . Thereafter, the control device 60 lowers the lifter 20 and makes the lifter 20 stand by at the first raising/lowering position L1 below the conveying roller 16 as shown in FIG. 3A . . Thereby, the lowermost firing container A descend|falls. By lowering and opening the stopper 50 , the firing container A is conveyed by the conveying roller 16 . Thereby, the lowest firing container A among the stacked firing containers A is disassembled and conveyed.

Next, the control device 60 raises the lifter 20 to the third lifting position L3 as shown in FIG. 3C . Thereby, the remaining firing containers A held by the holding mechanism 30 are supported by the lifter 20 . The control device 60 puts the holding mechanism 30 into the open state H2 and lowers the lifter 20 to the second lifting position L2 as shown in FIG. 3B, after which the holding mechanism ( 30) is set to the closed state (H1). As a result, the lowermost firing vessel A among the stacked firing vessels A is supported by the lifter 20 . Moreover, the firing container A above the lowermost firing container A is held by the holding mechanism 30 . In this state, the control device 60 lowers the lifter 20 to the first raising/lowering position L1 as shown in FIG. 3A . Thereby, the lowermost firing container A is lowered|falling, and it is conveyed by the conveyance roller 16. As shown in FIG. In this way, the lowest firing container A among the stacked firing containers A is disassembled.

Thereafter, the above processing is repeated by the control device 60 . Thereby, the stacked baking containers A are disassembled in order from the bottom, and are conveyed by the conveyance roller 16. As shown in FIG. When disassembling the firing containers A by two steps, the height of the second raising/lowering position L2 of the lifter 20 is adjusted from the third raising/lowering position L3 to the lowered height of the two firing containers A do. Thereby, the baking container A is disassembled two steps at a time, and is conveyed in the state in which it was piled up in two steps. Similarly, the firing container A may be disassembled in a state in which a plurality of stages (for example, three stages) were stacked.

<Step stacking work>

In the step stacking operation for stacking the firing containers A conveyed in the conveying direction, the stopping of the firing containers A, lifting of the firing containers A, and holding of the firing containers A are repeated in the following procedure. .

Fig. 3A shows a state in which the firing vessel A is stopped in the step-up operation. Here, as shown in FIG. 3A , the lifter 20 waits the lifter main body 21 at the raising/lowering position L1 located below the conveying roller 16 . Moreover, the holding mechanism 30 does not hold|maintain the baking container A, and as shown by the dashed-dotted line, the arm part 32b is made to stand by in the open state H2. In this state, when the control apparatus 60 (refer FIG. 2) detects the baking container A at the predetermined position of the conveyance space 12a, it raises the stopper 50 at a predetermined timing. Thereby, the firing container A stops at a predetermined position lifted by the lifter 20 . In that case, you may stop rotation of the conveyance roller 16, and you may make it revolve, without stopping rotation of the conveyance roller 16.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3C , the control device 60 raises the lifter 20 to the third lifting position L3 . Thereby, the baking container A is lifted to the height which can be hold|maintained by the holding mechanism 30. And by the control device 60, the arm part 32b of the holding mechanism 30 is closed in the closed state H1. Thereby, the lifted baking container A is hold|maintained by the holding mechanism 30. As shown in FIG. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 3A , the control device 60 lowers the lifter 20 and makes the lifter 20 stand by at the first raising/lowering position L1 lower than the conveying roller 16 . . Moreover, the holding mechanism 30 is made to stand-by in the closed state H1 which hold|maintained the baking container A. Thereby, it will be in the state hold|maintained by the holding mechanism 30 of the baking container A.

Next, the firing container A is stopped at a predetermined position by the stopper 50 again. Then, as shown in FIG. 3B , the lifter 20 is raised to the second raising/lowering position L2 , and the firing container A is overlapped under the firing container A held by the holding mechanism 30 . let it go Then, while the firing container A is supported by the lifter 20 , the holding mechanism 30 is set to the open state H2, and the claw portion 32c is pulled out from the firing container A. In this state, the control device 60 raises the lifter 20 to the third lifting position L3 as shown in FIG. 3C . As a result, the firing container A held by the holding mechanism 30 and the firing container A newly lifted by the lifter 20 are overlapped, and rise to a height held by the holding mechanism 30 . do. Then, the control device 60 sets the holding mechanism 30 to the closed state H1. Thereby, the lowest firing container A among the firing containers A lifted by the lifter 20 is supported by the claw part 32c of the holding mechanism 30, and the firing container A is stepped. It is held in the holding mechanism 30 in a stacked state.

Then, as shown in FIG. 3A , the lifter 20 is lowered, and what is necessary is just to wait at the 1st raising/lowering position L1 lower than the conveyance roller 16. As shown in FIG. Thereafter, the firing vessel A is stopped by the stopper 50 . The lifter 20 is raised to the second raising/lowering position L2, and the firing container A is lifted so as to overlap under the firing container A held by the holding mechanism 30 (refer to Fig. 3B). With the holding mechanism 30 in the open state H2, the claw portion 32c is pulled out, and the lifter 20 is raised to the third lifting position L3 (see Fig. 3C). The holding mechanism 30 is set to the closed state H1, and the stacked firing containers A are held. The lifter 20 is lowered to the first raising/lowering position L1, and waiting. The control device 60 repeats this. Thereby, the firing containers A are stacked one step at a time.

When the firing containers A flow in two steps by the conveying roller 16 , the firing containers A held by the holding mechanism 30 are the firing containers A lifted by the lifter 20 . The height of the second lifting position L2 of the lifter 20 may be adjusted so as to overlap under the . Thereby, the baking container A can also be stacked two steps at a time. Similarly, the firing container A can also be stacked in multiple steps (for example, three steps).

In this way, the lifter 20 lifts the firing vessel A to a predetermined height, and the holding mechanism 30 has a predetermined number of stages from the bottom among the firing vessels A lifted by the lifter 20 . It can be comprised so that the above-mentioned baking container may be hold|maintained. That is, the stage dismantling operation and the stage stacking operation can be performed for every desired number of stages.

As described above, the continuous firing furnace 10 has at least one furnace body 12 that forms a continuous conveying space 12a through which the firing vessel A is conveyed. The conveyance space 12a has the 1st heating chamber 10a, the stage|stage change chamber 10b, and the 2nd heating chamber 10c. The first heating chamber 10a and the second heating chamber 10c are configured such that the firing vessel A is conveyed in different stages. The stage change chamber 10b is arrange|positioned between the 1st heating chamber 10a and the 2nd heating chamber 10c along the conveyance direction T1. The stage number change chamber 10b is provided with the stage number change means 11 which changes the stage number of the baking container A conveyed. The stage piling operation and stage dismantling operation in the stage number change chamber 10b take time, and therefore, the temperature of the firing container A tends to decrease during the operation of the stage piling operation and the stage dismantling operation. It also takes time to heat the calcination container A from which the temperature fell to heating temperature again. In this continuous firing furnace 10 , including the stage number change chamber 10b , the first heating chamber 10a , the stage number change chamber 10b , and the second heating chamber 10c are provided in at least one furnace body 12 . It is provided in the conveyance space 12a formed by this. For this reason, the firing vessel A can be maintained at a required temperature in the stage change chamber 10b. For this reason, the time required for heat processing can be shortened, and a to-be-processed object can be heat-processed efficiently. The stage change chamber 10b may be provided with the heater 14 . In this case, for example, when the main firing is performed in the second heating chamber 10c, the temperature of the firing vessel A can be made more difficult to lower while staying in the number change chamber 10b. have.

In this embodiment, the continuous firing furnace 10 has a substitution chamber 10d between the first heating chamber 10a and the number change chamber 10b. Further, the continuous firing furnace 10 has a substitution chamber 10e between the stage change chamber 10b and the second heating chamber 10c. In this way, by having the substitution chamber in at least one of between the first heating chamber 10a and the number change chamber 10b and between the number change chamber 10b and the second heating chamber 10c. , even when the heating conditions are greatly different in the first heating chamber 10a and the second heating chamber 10c, it is possible to prevent leakage of one atmosphere to the other.

In the embodiment described above, as shown in FIG. 1 , the shaft 31 of the holding mechanism 30 of the continuous kiln 10 is a hollow shaft and is connected to the refrigerant supply device 40 . For this reason, while cooling the shaft 31, the piling up operation|work and the stage disassembly operation|work can be performed. In this embodiment, the holding mechanism 30 is provided in a high-temperature environment in the continuous firing furnace 10 . However, since the shaft 31 is cooled by the refrigerant supplied by the refrigerant supply device 40 , the sealability of the seal member 33 (see FIG. 2 ) is maintained. For this reason, in the high-temperature environment in the continuous kiln 10, even if the stage piling operation and the stage dismantling operation are performed, it is difficult for the atmospheric gas inside to flow out through the shaft 31. Moreover, since deterioration of the seal member 33 is suppressed by cooling of the shaft 31, life improvement of the seal member 33 can be aimed at. Such a configuration is suitably used for a continuous firing furnace that continuously bakes the object to be treated at a high temperature.

In this embodiment, the holding tool 32 attached to the shaft 31 includes an arm part 32b extending from the shaft 31 and a claw part 32c bent from the lower end of the arm part 32b. (See FIGS. 3A-3C). In this case, since the firing container A is held by the claw part 32c at the lower end of the arm part 32b, heat is hardly lost to the shaft 31 cooled by the refrigerant.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , the holding mechanism 30 was provided with the plurality of holding tools 32 . The plurality of holding tools 32 are arranged at intervals on the shaft 31 . According to such a configuration, it is possible to simultaneously heat-treat and change the number of firing containers A arranged in a plurality of rows, thereby shortening the processing time.

In this embodiment, the holding tool 32 is made of a nickel-chromium-iron alloy or a nickel-based alloy. With this configuration, the holding tool 32 has good durability even in an atmosphere such as an oxidizing atmosphere, a reducing atmosphere, or a nitriding atmosphere. Moreover, even if used in a high temperature environment, durability is favorable.

In this embodiment, the 1st heating chamber 10a and the 2nd heating chamber 10c are equipped with the some conveyance roller 16 arranged in a row along the conveyance direction T1. According to such a structure, heat processing can be performed in more stages, and space can be saved in an installation. Moreover, the continuous firing furnace 10 can be used also for heating at a higher temperature.

As mentioned above, although specific embodiment was given and detailed description was given, these are only illustrations and do not limit a claim. As described above, the technology described in the claims includes various modifications and changes of the above-described embodiments.

10: continuous firing furnace (continuous heating furnace) 10a: first heating chamber
10b: stage change room 10c: second heating room
10d, 10e: substitution chamber 12: furnace body
12a: conveyance space 12b: side wall (furnace wall)
12c: ceiling (furnace wall) 12d: floor wall (furnace wall)
12e: through hole 12f: gas supply pipe
12g: gas exhaust pipe 12h: partition
14: heater 16: conveyance roller
16a, 16b: support plate 17: sprocket
18: base 20: lifter
21: lifter body 21a: first plate
21b: second plate 21c: connection part
21d: operating rod 21e: connecting bar
24: elevating device 25: guide
25a: linear bush 30: holding mechanism
31: shaft 32: retainer
32a: base part 32b: arm part
32c: claw part 33: seal member
34: housing 35: bearing
36: operation arm 37: drive device
38: support piece 39: connector
40: refrigerant supply 50: stopper
51: stopper body 52: shaft
53: lifting device 60: control device
70: attachment mechanism 71: attachment plate
72: shaft 73: drive device
A: firing vessel (heating vessel) a1: wall
a2: recessed part H1: closed state
H2: Open state L1~L3: Lifting position

Claims (10)

A continuous heating furnace having at least one furnace body forming a continuous conveying space through which a heating vessel is conveyed, the continuous heating furnace comprising:
The conveying space has a first heating chamber, a stage change chamber, and a second heating chamber,
The first heating chamber and the second heating chamber are configured such that the heating vessel is conveyed in different stages,
wherein the number of stages change chamber is disposed between the first heating chamber and the second heating chamber along a conveyance direction, and includes stage number change means for changing the number of stages of the heating vessel to be conveyed. The method according to claim 1,
The stage change chamber is a continuous heating furnace provided with a heater. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
The continuous heating furnace further has a substitution chamber in at least one of between the first heating chamber and the number change chamber and between the number change chamber and the second heating chamber. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
The said 1st heating chamber and the said 2nd heating chamber are a continuous heating furnace provided with each independent conveyance mechanism. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
The stage change room is provided with a furnace wall,
The singular change means,
a lifter for raising and lowering the heating vessel;
a holding mechanism for holding the heating vessel lifted by the lifter;
The holding mechanism is
a hollow shaft inserted into the furnace body;
a retainer mounted on the shaft;
a seal member mounted on a portion in which the shaft is inserted into the furnace body;
A continuous heating furnace connected to the shaft and having a refrigerant supply device for supplying a refrigerant to a hollow part of the shaft. 6. The method of claim 5,
the furnace wall has a pair of side walls on both sides in a width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction;
The shaft is rotatably placed over the pair of side walls,
The retainer is
an arm extending from the shaft;
A continuous heating furnace having a claw part bent from the lower end of the arm part. 6. The method of claim 5,
The holding mechanism includes a plurality of the holding tools,
The plurality of holding tools are a continuous heating furnace disposed at intervals on the shaft. 6. The method of claim 5,
The lifter lifts the heating vessel to a predetermined height,
The holding mechanism is a continuous heating furnace configured to hold a predetermined number or more of heating vessels from below among the heating vessels lifted by the lifter. 6. The method of claim 5,
The holder is a continuous heating furnace composed of a nickel-chromium-iron alloy or a nickel-based alloy. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
The said 1st heating chamber and the said 2nd heating chamber are a continuous heating furnace provided with the some conveyance roller arranged along the said conveyance direction.

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