TWI771548B - Heat treatment furnace - Google Patents

Abstract

The heat treatment furnace heats the object to be treated. The heat treatment furnace system includes: a heat treatment part, which includes a space for heat treatment of the object to be processed; a loading part, which carries the object to be processed into the heat treatment part; Moved in the processed object. The conveyance roller system can arrange and mount a plurality of to-be-processed objects horizontally and in the 2nd direction perpendicular|vertical to the 1st direction which is a conveyance direction. The carrying-in section is configured to carry in the heat-treating section so as to be offset in the first direction, respectively, of the plurality of objects to be processed that are arranged and placed in the second direction.

Description

Heat treatment furnace

The technology disclosed in this patent specification relates to a heat treatment furnace for heat treatment of objects to be treated.

A heat treatment furnace (for example, a roller hearth furnace or the like) may be used to heat treat the object to be treated. Such a heat treatment furnace system includes a plurality of conveying rollers, and conveys the object to be treated by rotating the conveying roller in a state where the object to be treated is placed on the conveying roller. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2015-64189 discloses an example of a heat treatment furnace.

[The problem to be solved by the invention]

In such a heat treatment furnace, in order to improve productivity, a plurality of rollers may be arranged and placed on a conveyance roller in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction (hereinafter also referred to as a first direction) and in a horizontal direction (hereinafter also referred to as a second direction). The objects to be processed are transported at the same time. In this case, a plurality of to-be-processed objects are simultaneously carried into the heat treatment furnace in a state where they are aligned in the second direction. Moreover, a plurality of to-be-processed objects are conveyed in the heat-treating furnace by conveyance rollers, and are carried out from the heat-treating furnace. Since a plurality of to-be-processed objects arranged and arranged in the second direction are conveyed by the same conveyance roller, they should ideally be conveyed out of the heat treatment furnace at the same time. However, the conveyance speed differs depending on which position of the conveyance roller is placed on the conveyance roller due to deformation caused by the manufacture of the conveyance roller, or warpage caused by the weight of the object to be processed. Therefore, there is a problem that the plurality of objects to be processed arranged and placed in the second direction are not simultaneously carried out from the heat treatment furnace. This problem becomes remarkable especially in the heat-treatment furnace in which the conveyance distance of the to-be-processed object is long.

This patent specification discloses a technique for simultaneously carrying out a plurality of objects to be processed which are arranged and placed in a horizontal direction and a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction (second direction). [Means of Solving Problems]

The heat treatment furnace disclosed in this patent specification heats the object to be treated. The heat treatment furnace system includes: a heat treatment part, which includes a space for heat treatment of the object to be processed; a loading part, which carries the object to be processed into the heat treatment part; Moved in the processed object. The conveyance roller system can arrange and mount a plurality of to-be-processed objects horizontally and in the 2nd direction perpendicular|vertical to the 1st direction of a conveyance direction. The carrying-in section is configured to carry in the heat-treating section so as to be offset in the first direction, respectively, of the plurality of objects to be processed that are arranged and placed in the second direction.

In the above-mentioned heat treatment furnace, each of a plurality of to-be-processed objects arranged and placed in the second direction in the carrying portion can be shifted in the conveying direction. Therefore, the carrying-in part can be adjusted to carry out the to-be-processed object at the same time when carrying out the to-be-processed object from the heat treatment part.

Main features of the embodiments described below are listed in advance. In addition, the technical elements described below are independent technical elements, exhibit technical usefulness alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the patent application scope at the time of filing a patent application.

(Feature 1) In the heat treatment furnace disclosed in this patent specification, a transfer portion may be provided, and conveyance rollers for conveying a plurality of objects to be processed carried in by the heat treatment portion may be provided. The conveyance roller system provided in the carrying-in portion may include partial conveyance rollers divided into a plurality of parts in the second direction. Each of the partial conveyance rollers divided in the second direction may be independently driven. According to such a configuration, a plurality of to-be-processed objects arranged in the second direction can be individually conveyed in the carry-in section. Therefore, the timing of carrying each of the plurality of objects to the heat treatment section can be easily adjusted so that, for example, when the plurality of objects to be processed arranged in the second direction are carried out from the heat treatment section at the same time.

(Feature 2) In the heat treatment furnace disclosed in this patent specification, the carrying portion may include a pressing device capable of independently pushing out a plurality of quilts arranged and placed in the second direction in the conveying direction. each of the processed objects. According to such a configuration, it is possible to easily adjust the timing of carrying in each of the plurality of objects to be processed in the heat treatment section by means of the pressing device.

(Feature 3) The heat treatment furnace disclosed in this patent specification may further include: a sensor for detecting each of a plurality of objects to be processed which are arranged and placed in the second direction and are carried out from the heat treatment part; and the calculation part, which is based on the deviation of the carry-out time of each of the plurality of objects to be processed arranged and placed in the second direction detected by the sensor, and calculates that each of the plurality of objects to be processed is placed in the carry-in part. The amount of offset in the first direction. According to such a configuration, by detecting the object to be processed carried out from the heat treatment section with the sensor, it is possible to detect the deviation of the timing of carrying out each of the plurality of objects to be processed. By calculating and adjusting the amount by which each object to be processed is shifted in the conveyance direction in the carrying-in section based on the deviation, the deviation of the timing of carrying out the plurality of objects to be processed can be made smaller. [Example] (Example 1)

Hereinafter, the heat treatment furnace 10 of the embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1 , the heat treatment furnace 10 includes a heat treatment part 20 , a carry-in part 34 , a carry-out part 40 , a conveying device 50 , and a control device 62 . The heat treatment furnace 10 heat-processes the to-be-processed object 12 while the to-be-processed object 12 is conveyed in the heat-processing part 20 by the conveyance apparatus 50.

Examples of the object to be processed 12 include a laminate in which a ceramic dielectric body (substrate) and an electrode are laminated, or a positive electrode material or a negative electrode material of a lithium ion battery. When heat-treating the laminated body made of ceramics using the heat-treating furnace 10, these to-be-processed objects can be placed under a flat plate-like carrier plate, and can be conveyed in the furnace. Moreover, when heat-processing the positive electrode material or the negative electrode material of a lithium ion battery using the heat-processing furnace 10, these to-be-processed objects can be accommodated in the box-shaped sagger, and can be conveyed in a furnace. In the heat treatment furnace 10 of the present embodiment, a plurality of carrier plates or saggers can be placed and conveyed in a state in which a plurality of carrier plates or saggers are arranged in the conveyance direction on conveyance rollers 52 and 54 (described later). Hereinafter, in this embodiment, the entirety of the heat-treated substance, the carrier plate on which the heat-treated substance is placed, or the saggar that accommodates the substance is referred to as the "processed object 12". In addition, in the following description, the direction in which the object to be processed 12 is conveyed (the direction perpendicular to the YZ plane in FIG. 1 ) may be referred to as the “conveyance direction” or the “first direction”, and the horizontal direction and the direction perpendicular to the first direction may be referred to as the “transport direction”. The direction (the direction perpendicular to the XZ plane in FIG. 1 ) is referred to as the "second direction".

The heat treatment unit 20 includes a substantially rectangular box-shaped furnace body, and a space 24 surrounded by an outer wall 22 is provided inside the furnace body. An opening 26 is formed on the front end surface of the outer wall 22 (end surface on the -X side in FIG. 1 ), and an opening 28 is formed on the rear end surface of the outer wall 22 (end surface on the +X side in FIG. 1 ). The to-be-processed object 12 is conveyed from the opening 26 into the heat-processing part 20 by the conveying apparatus 50, and is conveyed from the opening 28 to the outside of the heat-processing part 20 again. That is, the opening 26 is used as a carry-in port of the heat treatment part 20 , and the opening 28 is used as a carry-out port of the heat treatment part 20 .

In the space 24, a plurality of conveyance rollers 52 and a plurality of heaters 30 and 32 are arranged. The heaters 30 are arranged at equal intervals in the conveyance direction at positions above the conveyance rollers 52 , and the heaters 32 are arranged at equal intervals in the conveyance direction at positions below the conveyance rollers 52 . The heaters 30 and 32 heat the space 24 by generating heat. In addition, in this Example, although the heaters 30 and 32 are arrange|positioned at equal intervals in the conveyance direction, respectively, it is not limited to this structure. The heater may be appropriately changed and arranged at a desired position in accordance with, for example, the type of the object to be processed 12 or the heat treatment conditions of the heat treatment section 20 . In this embodiment, the heaters 30 and 32 are arranged in the space 24, but it is not limited to this configuration. As long as heating can be performed in the space 24 , for example, a gas burner or the like may be installed in the space 24 .

As shown in FIG. 2 , in the heat treatment unit 20, a plurality of objects to be processed 12 are arranged and conveyed in the second direction. In the present embodiment, in the heat treatment unit 20 (that is, the entire heat treatment furnace 10 ), the three to-be-processed objects 12 are aligned and conveyed in the second direction. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the size of the heat treatment section 20 in the second direction is made larger than the size of the three objects to be processed 12 arranged in the second direction, but the size of the heat treatment section 20 in the second direction is not particularly limited. The size in the second direction of the heat treatment section 20 may be a size in which more than three to-be-processed objects 12 can be arranged and conveyed in the second direction. In addition, the dimension of the heat treatment part 20 in the conveyance direction is relatively large, about 100 m, but the dimension of the heat treatment part 20 in the conveyance direction is not particularly limited. For example, the dimension in the conveyance direction of the heat treatment part 20 may be smaller than 100 m, may be 30 m to 100 m, or may be larger than 100 m. In addition, in the following description, the center side in the second direction when a plurality of objects 12 to be processed are arranged in the second direction may be referred to as "inside", and the end side (+Y direction) may be referred to as the center in the second direction. and -Y direction) is called "outside". In addition, the to-be-processed object 12 is continuously carried into the heat-processing part 20 with predetermined space|intervals. Therefore, the to-be-processed objects 12 are arranged not only in the second direction but also in the conveyance direction.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 3 , in this embodiment, among the three objects to be processed 12 arranged and placed in the second direction, the object placed on the +Y direction side of the second direction is regarded as the object to be processed The object 12a is distinguished by treating the object placed in the center (inside) of the second direction as the object to be processed 12b, and the object placed on the -Y direction side of the second direction as the object to be processed 12c. Hereinafter, with regard to other constituent elements, the subscript letters are sometimes used when it is necessary to distinguish the constituent elements, and omitted when it is not necessary to distinguish the constituent elements. The letters of the subscripts are omitted, and only numbers are recorded.

As shown in FIG. 1, the carrying-in part 34 is located on the upstream side of the heat treatment part 20 (that is, the upstream side in the conveyance direction, in the -X direction of the heat treatment part 20 in FIG. 1). The carrying-in part 34 receives the object to be processed 12 conveyed from the outside of the heat treatment furnace 10 , and then carries the received object to be processed 12 into the space 24 of the heat treatment part 20 . In the carrying-in part 34, conveyance rollers 54 are provided, and the to-be-processed object 12 conveyed from the outside of the heat treatment furnace 10 is conveyed by the conveyance rollers 54. In addition, the specific structure of the carry-in portion 34 will be described in detail later.

The carry-out portion 40 is located on the downstream side of the heat treatment portion 20 (ie, on the downstream side in the conveyance direction, in the +X direction of the heat treatment portion 20 in FIG. 1 ). The unloading part 40 unloads the object to be processed 12 from the space 24 of the heat treatment part 20 , and then delivers the unloaded object 12 to the outside of the heat treatment furnace 10 . In the unloading part 40, the conveyance roller 52 is provided, and the to-be-processed object 12 is conveyed to the outside of the space 24 by the conveyance roller 52. As shown in FIG.

In addition, the unloading part 40 is provided with a sensor 48 which detects that the object to be processed 12 has been unloaded from the heat treatment part 20 . The sensor 48 is arranged in the vicinity of the outer wall 22 of the carry-out portion 40 (ie, outside the space 24 ) and above the conveyance path of the object to be processed 12 (see FIG. 1 ). As shown in FIG. 10 , in this embodiment, three sensors 48 (sensors 48 a to 48 c in FIG. 10 ) are arranged in the second direction and provided. The three sensors 48a-48c respectively detect the objects to be processed 12a-12c. Specifically, the sensor 48a is disposed on the +Y direction side, and detects the object to be processed 12a from above. The sensor 48b is provided in the center, and detects the object to be processed 12b from above. The sensor 48c is provided on the -Y direction side, and detects the object to be processed 12c from above. For example, as the sensor 48, an optical sensor can be used, and the sensor 48 can detect whether the light path is blocked by the processing object 12 or not. In addition, although the sensor 48 is arrange|positioned above the conveyance path of the to-be-processed object 12 in this Example, it is not limited to this structure. As long as the sensor can detect that the object to be processed 12 has been carried out from the heat treatment unit 20 , the sensor may be arranged below the conveyance path of the object to be processed 12 . In addition, the sensor may be a laser sensor. That is, such a sensor can also be arranged downstream of the object to be processed 12 in the conveying direction (in the +X direction in FIG. 1 ), and the sensor is based on the object to be processed 12 based on the laser light output from the sensor. The position of the object to be processed 12 is measured from the time of reflection until it is input to the sensor again. The sensors 48 a to 48 c are connected to the control device 62 , and the signals from the sensors 48 a to 48 c are input to the control device 62 .

The conveyance device 50 includes a plurality of conveyance rollers 52 and 54 and a drive device 60 . The conveying device 50 conveys the object to be processed 12 conveyed to the carrying-in part 34 from the carrying-in part 34 to the space 24 of the heat treatment part 20 through the opening 26 . Furthermore, the conveyance apparatus 50 is tied in the space 24 and conveys the to-be-processed object 12 from the opening 26 to the opening 28 . And the conveyance apparatus 50 conveys the to-be-processed object 12 from the space 24 to the carry-out part 40 via the opening 28. The to-be-processed object 12 is conveyed from the carrying-in part 34 to the carrying-out part 40 by the conveyance rollers 52 and 54.

The conveyance rollers 52 and 54 are cylindrical, and the axis system thereof extends in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction. All of the plurality of conveyance rollers 52 and 54 have the same diameter, and are arranged at equal intervals at a constant pitch in the conveyance direction. The conveying rollers 52 and 54 are supported so as to be rotatable about their axes, and are rotated by transmitting the driving force of the driving device 60 . A plurality of conveyance rollers 52 are arranged in the heat treatment unit 20 and the carry-out unit 40 . The dimension of the axial direction of the conveyance roller 52 is larger than the dimension of the 2nd direction of the heat processing part 20 (refer FIG. 2). A plurality of conveying rollers 54 are arranged in the carrying-in portion 34 . The dimension of the axial direction of the conveyance roller 54 is smaller than the dimension of the axial direction of the conveyance roller 52, and it is larger than the dimension of the 2nd direction of the to-be-processed object 12 (refer FIG. 3). In addition, the structure provided in the conveyance roller 54 of the carrying-in part 34 will be described in detail later.

The driving devices 60a to 60d are driving devices (for example, motors) that drive the conveyance rollers 52 and 54 . The drive devices 60a to 60d are connected to the conveyance rollers 52 and 54 via a power transmission mechanism. When the driving force of the drive devices 60a to 60d is transmitted to the conveyance rollers 52 and 54 via the power transmission mechanism, the conveyance rollers 52 and 54 are rotated. As a power transmission mechanism, a well-known thing can be used, for example, the mechanism which consists of a sprocket and a chain can be used. The drive devices 60a to 60d drive the respective conveyance rollers 52 and 54 so that the conveyance rollers 52 and 54 rotate at substantially the same speed. Moreover, the drive devices 60a-60c are connected to the conveyance roller 54 provided in the carrying-in part 34, and the drive device 60d is connected to the conveyance roller 52 provided in the heat-treatment part 20 and the carry-out part 40. The drive devices 60a to 60d are driven separately. In addition, the driving force of the driving devices 60a to 60d is the same. Therefore, all the conveyance rollers 52, 54 are rotated at the same speed. The drive device 60 is controlled by the control device 62 .

Here, the configuration of the carry-in unit 34 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 3 , a plurality of conveyance rollers 54 are provided in the carry-in portion 34 . The axis system of the conveyance roller 54 extends parallel to the second direction, and the three conveyance rollers 54a to 54c are arranged on the same straight line. Specifically, the conveyance roller 54a is arranged on the +Y direction side of the second direction, the conveyance roller 54b is arranged at the center (inside) of the second direction, and the conveyance roller 54c is arranged on the −Y direction side of the second direction . When the carrying-in part 34 is seen along the conveyance direction, all the conveyance rollers 54a are arrange|positioned so that it may substantially correspond. Similarly, when the carrying-in portion 34 is viewed along the conveying direction, all of the conveying rollers 54b and 54c are arranged so as to be substantially identical, respectively.

The three to-be-processed objects 12a-12c which were carried into the carrying-in part 34 from the outside of the heat treatment furnace 10 are each mounted on the conveyance rollers 54a-54c. Specifically, the to-be-processed object 12a is mounted on the conveyance roller 54a, the to-be-processed object 12b is mounted on the conveyance roller 54b, and the to-be-processed object 12c is mounted on the conveyance roller 54c system. The conveyance rollers 54a-54c convey the to-be-processed objects 12a-12c to the heat processing part 20, respectively.

The conveyance rollers 54a-54c provided in the carrying-in part 34 are respectively connected to separate drive devices 60a-60c. Specifically, the plurality of conveyance rollers 54a are connected to the drive device 60a, the plurality of conveyance rollers 54b are connected to the drive device 60b, and the plurality of conveyance rollers 54c are connected to the drive device 60c. As described above, the driving systems of the driving devices 60 a to 60 c are controlled by the control device 62 . The control device 62 controls the driving sequence of the drive devices 60a to 60c, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the control device 62 is connected to the heaters 30 and 32 and the driving devices 60a to 60d, and controls the heaters 30 and 32 and the driving devices 60a to 60d. In addition, the control apparatus 62 controls the timing which drives the drive apparatuses 60a-60c. As will be described in detail later, in the carry-in unit 34, the objects to be processed 12a to 12c are conveyed at different timings, respectively. That is, the time from when the to-be-processed objects 12a-12c are simultaneously carried into the carrying-in part 34 until the drive apparatuses 60a-60c are driven (it is also called predetermined time hereafter) differs for each drive apparatus 60a-60c. The control device 62 calculates a predetermined time, and drives the drive devices 60a to 60c according to the calculated predetermined time. The calculated predetermined time is memorized by the control device 62 . Moreover, the control apparatus 62 is connected to the sensors 48a-48c, and inputs the signals from the sensors 48a-48c.

Next, the operation of the heat treatment furnace 10 when the object to be treated 12 is heat treated will be described. In order to heat-process the object 12 to be processed, first, the heaters 30 and 32 are activated, and the ambient gas temperature of the space 24 is set to the set temperature. Next, the three to-be-processed objects 12 are moved from the outside of the heat treatment furnace 10 to the conveyance rollers 54 a to 54 c provided in the carry-in unit 34 , respectively. Next, the driving devices 60 a to 60 d are actuated, and the three to-be-processed objects 12 arranged in the second direction are conveyed from the carrying part 34 through the opening 26 into the space 24 of the heat treatment part 20 . The to-be-processed object 12 conveyed into the space 24 is conveyed from the opening 26 to the opening 28 in the space 24 . Thereby, the to-be-processed object 12 is heat-processed. Then, the to-be-processed object 12 which has been heat-treated passes through the opening 28 , is conveyed to the carry-out portion 40 , and is carried out from the carry-out portion 40 .

The to-be-processed object 12 is conveyed in the state which lined up in the 2nd direction from the carrying-in part 34 via the heat-processing part 20 to the carrying-out part 40 (three in this embodiment). However, when a plurality of objects to be processed 12 are transported in a state where the inlets of the heat treatment section 20 are aligned in the conveying direction, the conveyance speed of each of the plurality of objects to be processed 12 varies between the transports in the heat treatment section 20, and the transfer speed of the plurality of objects to be processed 12 varies after the heat treatment section 20. When the part 20 is carried out, the plurality of to-be-processed objects 12 are shifted (misaligned) in the conveying direction. This deviation is caused by deformation such as warpage generated during the manufacture of the conveyance roller 52 , or by the weight of the object to be processed 12 when the object to be processed 12 is placed on the conveyance roller 52 . produced by bending.

For example, when the “warp” of the conveyance roller 52 is larger than the “bend” of the conveyance roller 52 , the conveyance speed of the object to be processed 12 placed on the inner side (center) of the conveyance roller 52 tends to be higher than that of the conveyance roller 52 . The conveyance speed of the to-be-processed object 12 placed on the outside (end side) is high. That is, since the conveyance rollers 52 are warped or deformed during manufacture, it is impossible to make all the conveyance rollers 52 installed in the heat treatment furnace 10 to have exactly the same shape. When the "warp" of the conveyance roller 52 is larger than the "curve" of the conveyance roller 52, the influence of the "warp" of the conveyance roller 52 becomes dominant, and the "warp" of the conveyance roller 52 determines the workpieces 12a to 12a to 12c transport speed. For example, as shown in FIG. 5 , when the conveyance roller 52 is warped, the turning radius R1 of the portion having a large warpage becomes larger than the turning radius R2 of the other portions. Therefore, the conveyance speed of the to-be-processed object 12 placed on the part with a large turning radius becomes faster than that of the to-be-processed object 12 placed on the part with a small turning radius. The warp of the conveyance roller 52 is more likely to occur in the central portion than in the vicinity of the end portions. Therefore, the object to be processed 12 b placed on the inner side (ie, the center) of the transportation roller 52 is more likely to be the object to be processed than the object to be placed on the outside (ie, the end side) due to the warpage generated in the transportation roller 52 . 12a, 12c are carried faster.

On the other hand, when the “curvature” of the conveyance roller 52 is greater than the “warp” of the conveyance roller 52, the conveyance speed of the object to be processed 12 placed on the outer side (end side) of the conveyance roller 52 tends to be higher than that of the conveyance roller 52. The conveyance speed of the to-be-processed object 12 placed on the inner side (center) of the conveyance roller 52 is high. That is, when the "curve" of the conveyance roller 52 is larger than the "warp" of the conveyance roller 52, the "curvature" of the conveyance roller 52 cancels out the influence of the "warp", and the above-mentioned tendency (in the case of the conveyance roller The tendency that the conveyance speed of the to-be-processed object 12 on the inner side (center) of 52 is higher than that on the outer side (ie, the end side) is offset. On the other hand, the influence of the uneven diameter of the conveyance rollers 52 is dominant, and the conveyance speed of the workpiece 12 placed on the outer side (end side) of the conveyance rollers 52 tends to be higher than that at the inner side of the conveyance rollers 52 . (center) The conveyance speed of the to-be-processed object 12 mounted is high.

This will be explained using FIG. 6 . 6 schematically shows the object to be processed 12 placed on four conveying rollers 52. The four conveying rollers 52 are arranged in the order of conveying rollers 52a to 52d from upstream to downstream (in the +X direction) in the conveying direction. In addition, the diameter dimension of the conveyance rollers 52a and 52c of the four conveyance rollers 52a-53d is large, and the diameter dimension of the conveyance rollers 52b and 52d is small.

Here, since the conveyance roller 52 is supported at both ends, its "curve" is large at the center and becomes smaller at the ends. As described above, when the "curve" of the conveyance roller 52 is larger than the "warp" of the conveyance roller 52, the effect of the "warp" of the conveyance roller 52 is canceled, so it is assumed that the "warp" does not occur in the conveyance roller 52. song". In this case, if the "curve" of the conveying roller 52 is small, the object to be processed 12 is only in contact with the conveying roller 52 having a large diameter. On the other hand, if the "curve" of the conveying roller 52 is large, the workpiece 12 is greatly bent by the conveying roller 52 having a large diameter, and as a result, also contacts the conveying roller 52 having a small diameter.

As shown in FIG.6(a), since the bending of the conveyance rollers 52a and 52c is large in the vicinity of the center of the conveyance roller 52, the to-be-processed object 12b is also in the state of contact with other conveyance rollers 52b and 52d. That is, the to-be-processed object 12b is in contact with all the conveyance rollers 52a-52d. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6( b ), since the bending of the conveying rollers 52 a and 52 c is small at the ends of the conveying roller 52 , the objects 12 a and 12 c are not in contact with the conveying rollers 52 b and 52 d. . Therefore, at the ends of the conveyance rollers 52, only the conveyance rollers 52a, 52c with large turning radii are used to convey the objects 12a, 12c, and as a result, the conveyance speed of the objects 12a, 12c is increased. On the other hand, in the state shown in Fig. 6(a), since the bending of the conveying rollers 52a and 52c is large, the object 12b to be processed is in contact with all the conveying rollers 52a to 52d, thereby reducing the diameter of the conveying rollers 52a to 52d. The effect of size. As a result, the conveyance speed of the to-be-processed object 12 placed on the inner side of the conveyance roller 52 becomes slower than the conveyance speed of the to-be-processed object 12 placed on the outside (end side).

As mentioned above, the conveyance speed of the to-be-processed objects 12a to 12c arranged and placed in the Y direction changes according to the relationship between the "warpage" and the "curve" of the conveyance roller 52 . When the "warp" of the conveyance roller 52 is larger than the "bend", the influence of the "warp" of the conveyance roller 52 becomes stronger, and the object to be processed 12b arranged at the center of the conveyance roller 52 is more likely than that at the end. The disposed to-be-processed objects 12a and 12c are easily transported quickly. On the other hand, when the “curvature” of the conveyance roller 52 is larger than the “warp”, the influence of the uneven diameter of the conveyance roller 52 becomes stronger, and the object to be processed arranged at the end of the conveyance roller 52 becomes stronger. 12a and 12c are easier to be conveyed than the object to be processed 12b arranged in the center.

In this way, the conveyance speed of the object to be processed 12 changes according to the warpage, curvature, and size variation of the conveyance rollers 52 . Therefore, the plurality of to-be-processed objects 12 arranged in the second direction may be shifted in the conveyance direction between the conveyance of the to-be-processed objects 12 by the heat treatment unit 20 . In particular, as described above, in the heat treatment furnace 10 of the present embodiment, since the dimension of the heat treatment section 20 in the conveying direction is relatively long, a plurality of objects to be processed arranged and conveyed in the second direction are easily shifted in the conveying direction. When the plurality of to-be-processed objects 12 in the unloading section 40 do not coincide in the second direction, it is difficult to carry out the plurality of to-be-processed objects 12 to the outside of the heat treatment furnace 10 . Therefore, in consideration of the amount of deviation between the heat treatment unit 20 being conveyed, the carrying-in unit 34 shifts the plurality of processed objects 12 in the conveying direction so that all the processed objects 12 a to 12 c are simultaneously carried out from the heat treatment unit 20 . Hereinafter, the configuration in which the plurality of to-be-processed objects 12 arranged in the second direction is shifted in the conveying direction in the carrying-in unit 34 will be described in more detail.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed by the control device 62 when the carrying-in unit 34 shifts the objects 12 a to 12 c in the conveying direction. As shown in FIG. 7, first, the control device 62 calculates the time for each of the objects to be processed 12a to 12c to be conveyed in the heat treatment section 20 based on the amount of curvature of the conveyance roller 52 (S12). The amount of curvature of the conveyance roller 52 can be calculated from, for example, the material, shape, size, etc. of the conveyance roller 52 , and the weight, number, and placement position of the objects to be processed 12 placed on the conveyance roller 52 . The control apparatus 62 calculates the time which each to-be-processed object 12a-12c is conveyed in the heat processing part 20 based on the calculated bending amount. That is, the conveyance speed of each to-be-processed object 12a-12c is calculated, and the conveyance time of each to-be-processed object 12a-12c is calculated from this conveyance speed. In addition, the calculation in step S12 is based on the assumption that the influence of the "warpage" of the conveying roller 52 is small (ie, "bending" > "warping"), and the unevenness of the diameter dimension of the conveying roller 52 is so small that it can be ignored. calculate.

Next, the control apparatus 62 calculates the predetermined time for each drive apparatus 60a-60c based on the difference of the conveyance time of the to-be-processed objects 12a-12c calculated (S14). For example, when the control device 62 calculates that the time for conveying the object to be processed 12b in the heat treatment unit 20 is longer than the time for conveying the objects 12a and 12c in the heat treatment unit 20 by only t1, the control device 62 predetermines the driving device 60b The time is calculated as 0, and the predetermined time for the drive devices 60a and 60c is calculated as t1. Furthermore, the control device 62 is the predetermined time calculated by the memory. In addition, in this Example, although the system control apparatus 62 performs step S12 and step S14, it is not limited to this structure. For example, a predetermined time may be calculated in advance, and the calculated predetermined time may be input to the control device 62 .

Next, the control apparatus 62 conveys the to-be-processed objects 12a-12c (S16). The to-be-processed objects 12a-12c are conveyed according to the following procedure. First, as shown in FIG. 8, three to-be-processed objects 12a-12c are carried into the carrying-in part 34 from the outside of the heat treatment furnace 10, and the to-be-processed objects 12a-12c are mounted on conveyance rollers 54a-54c, respectively. The control device 62 drives the drive devices 60a to 60c, respectively, when a predetermined time elapses after the objects 12a to 12c are placed on the conveyance rollers 54a to 54c.

For example, since the control device 62 memorizes the predetermined time for the drive device 60b as 0, when the object to be processed 12b is placed on the conveyance roller 54b, the object to be processed 12b is conveyed immediately. Since the predetermined time for the drive devices 60a and 60c is memorized as t1, the processed objects 12a and 12c are conveyed after the time t1 has elapsed after the objects 12a and 12c are placed on the conveyance rollers 54a and 54c. Since the driving force of the driving devices 60a to 60c is the same, all the conveyance rollers 54a to 54c rotate at the same speed (hereinafter this speed is referred to as v). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, in the carrying-in section 34, the object to be processed 12b is conveyed in a state shifted by the distance vt1 to the downstream side of the object to be processed 12a, 12c in the conveyance direction, and is conveyed while maintaining the distance vt1. into the heat treatment unit 20 .

Next, the control device 62 determines whether or not the signals from the sensors 48a to 48c have been input (S18). The to-be-processed objects 12a-12c conveyed in the heat-processing part 20 are detected by the sensors 48a-48c when the heat-processing part 20 is carried out, respectively. In the case where the control device 62 does not input the signals detected by the respective sensors 48a to 48c, that is, there is a case where the sensors 48a to 48c of the objects 12a to 12c that have been transported out have not been detected (NO in step S18). case), the control device 62 repeats the processing of step S18. When the control device 62 has input the signals detected by the respective sensors 48a to 48c, that is, all the sensors 48a to 48c have detected the unloading of the objects to be processed 12a to 12c (in the case of YES in step ST18 ), the system moves to step S20.

When the signals detected by the respective sensors 48a to 48c are input (in the case of YES in step S18), the control device 62 determines whether the signals input in step S18 are simultaneously input (S20). In addition, the "simultaneous" referred to here includes not only the case where the signals input in step S18 are input at the same time, but also the case where all the signals are input within a preset time (ie, the case where the signals are substantially simultaneously). As understood from the above description, when the objects 12a to 12c are conveyed in the heat treatment unit 20 according to the conveyance time calculated in step S12, the objects 12a to 12c are simultaneously carried out from the heat treatment unit 20. In this case, the objects to be processed 12a to 12c are simultaneously conveyed from the heat treatment unit 20 to the unloading unit 40 , and the objects to be processed 12a to 12c can be simultaneously unloaded from the unloading unit 40 to the outside of the heat treatment furnace 10 . In the case where the signals detected by the sensors 48a to 48c are simultaneously input (in the case of YES in step S20), the control device 62 does not change the predetermined time and continues the subsequent conveyance of the object to be processed 12.

On the other hand, when the signals detected by the sensors 48a to 48c are not simultaneously input (in the case of NO in step S20), the control device 62 changes the predetermined time (S22). For example, when the warpage of the conveyance roller 52 or the unevenness of the diameter size has a great influence, the objects to be processed 12a to 12c are not conveyed in the heat treatment section 20 for the time calculated from the amount of curvature. In this case, the control device 62 changes the predetermined time according to the deviation of the timing of the input signals from the sensors 48a to 48c in step S18.

For example, as shown in FIG. 10, it is assumed that the to-be-processed object 12c is carried out first, and the to-be-processed objects 12a and 12b are carried out after time t2 behind the to-be-processed object 12c. In this case, in step S18, the control device 62 inputs the signal detected by the sensor 48c indicating that the object to be processed 12c has been removed, and then, after the time t2, inputs the signals detected by the sensors 48a, 48b A signal that the objects 12a and 12b have been carried out. Then, the control device 62 determines in step S20 that signals are not simultaneously input from the sensors 48a to 48c.

Then, the control apparatus 62 changes the predetermined time based on the signal input in step S18. Specifically, the object to be processed 12c is only a fraction of the object to be processed 12a that is brought into the heat treatment section 20 at the same time as the object to be processed 12c, and the object to be processed 12b that is carried into the heat treatment section 20 earlier than the object to be processed 12c by a time t1. It is carried out from the heat treatment unit 20 at an early time t2. Therefore, the control apparatus 62 changes the predetermined time so that the to-be-processed object 12c is carried into the heat processing part 20 only later by time t2. That is, the predetermined time for the drive device 60c is the time (t1+t2).

After changing the predetermined time in step S22, the control device 62 returns to step S16 and executes the process of step S16. Then, the to-be-processed objects 12a-12c are conveyed by the carrying-in part 34 in the state shifted in the conveyance direction according to the predetermined time newly memorized. For example, in the control device 62, since the predetermined time for the drive device 60b is memorized as 0, when the object to be processed 12b is placed on the conveyance roller 54b, the object to be processed 12b is conveyed immediately. On the other hand, since the predetermined time for the drive device 60a is memorized as t1, the to-be-processed object 12a is conveyed when the time t1 elapses after the to-be-processed object 12a is mounted on the conveyance roller 54a. Furthermore, since the predetermined time for the drive device 60c is memorized as (t1+t2), after the workpiece 12c is placed on the conveyance roller 54c, the workpiece 12c is conveyed when the time (t1+t2) elapses. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11 , in the carry-in unit 34, the object to be processed 12b is conveyed in a state shifted by a distance vt1 to the downstream side of the object to be processed 12a in the conveyance direction, and is conveyed in the conveyance direction with respect to the object to be processed 12c. The downstream side offset is conveyed only by the distance v(t1+t2). And the to-be-processed objects 12a-12c are carried into the heat processing part 20 in the state which maintains these distances. By carrying the objects to be processed 12 a to 12 c into the heat treatment unit 20 in this way, the objects to be processed 12 a to 12 c can be simultaneously carried out from the heat treatment unit 20 . The adjustment of such a predetermined time is repeatedly performed until the to-be-processed objects 12a-12c are simultaneously carried out from the heat-processing part 20. In addition, after the predetermined time is changed in step S22, the control device 62 does not execute the processing of steps S18 and S20 until the objects to be processed 12a to 12c conveyed in the state where the predetermined time has been changed are unloaded from the heat treatment unit 20. That is, the control device 62 considers the conveyance time of the objects to be processed 12a to 12c in the heat treatment section 20, and does not execute the predetermined time until the sensors 48a to 48c detect the objects to be processed 12a to 12c whose predetermined time has been changed. adjustment.

In the present embodiment, the plurality of to-be-processed objects 12 simultaneously carried into the carrying-in part 34 are shifted in the conveying direction in the carrying-in part 34 according to the difference in the speed of conveying the plurality of to-be-processed objects 12 in the heat-treatment part 20 . Thereby, a plurality of objects to be processed 12 can be simultaneously carried out from the heat treatment unit 20 . As described above, the conveyance rollers 52 provided in the heat treatment section 20 are deformed during manufacture or warped due to the weight of the object to be processed 12 . Therefore, depending on which position of the conveyance roller 52 in the second direction to convey the object to be processed 12, the speed at which the object to be processed 12 is conveyed in the heat treatment section 20 differs. Therefore, when the plurality of to-be-processed objects 12 are arranged and conveyed in the second direction, the time for conveying the plurality of to-be-processed objects 12 in the entire heat treatment section 20 does not match. Then, the plurality of objects 12 to be processed 12 arranged and carried in the second direction in the heat treatment furnace 10 are shifted in the conveying direction in the unloading part 40, and it becomes difficult to carry out from the heat treatment furnace 10 to the outside. In the heat treatment furnace 10 of the present embodiment, the carrying-in portion 34 can shift the plurality of objects 12 to be processed arranged in the second direction in the conveying direction. Therefore, the carrying-in part 34 can be adjusted in advance so that a plurality of to-be-processed objects 12 can be carried out from the heat treatment part 20 at the same time. Therefore, the plurality of to-be-processed objects 12 arranged and carried in in the second direction in the heat treatment furnace 10 can be aligned in the conveying direction in the carry-out section 40 , and can be easily carried out from the heat treatment furnace 10 .

In addition, in this Example, although three to-be-processed objects 12a-12c were arranged and mounted in the 2nd direction, it is not limited to this structure. The carrying-in section 34 may be configured so as to be able to shift the plurality of objects to be processed 12 arranged in the second direction and carried in in the conveying direction, and more than three objects may be arranged and carried in the second direction. Treatment 12. In addition, although the conveyance time of the to-be-processed objects 12a-12c is calculated in step S12, such a step can be abbreviate|omitted. For example, it is also possible to start the heat treatment of the objects to be processed 12a to 12c assuming that the conveyance time of the objects to be processed 12a to 12c is the same. In this way, the carrying-out timing is detected every time the heat treatment of the object 12 is performed, and the carrying-in timing is adjusted according to the detection result, so that the objects 12a to 12c are gradually adjusted to be carried out at the same time. Alternatively, the objects 12a to 12c may be transported experimentally, and the transport time measured at that time may be used.

In addition, in this Example, although all the conveyance rollers 52 and 54 have the same diameter, it is not limited to this structure. For example, the diameters of the conveying rollers provided in the heat treatment unit 20 may be different from the diameters of the conveying rollers provided in the conveying unit 34 and the conveying unit 40, or the diameters of the conveying rollers may be adapted to the type of the object to be processed 12 or The heat treatment conditions and the like are appropriately changed. In addition, in this Example, although all the conveyance rollers 52 and 54 are arrange|positioned at equal intervals, it is not limited to this structure. For example, the conveyance roller 52 provided in the heat treatment part 20 may be arrange|positioned by the pitch different from the conveyance roller 52 and 54 provided in the carry-in part 34 and the carry-out part 40. In addition, in the present embodiment, the drive device 60 drives the respective conveyance rollers 52 and 54 so that the conveyance rollers 52 and 54 rotate at substantially the same speed, but it is not limited to this configuration. For example, the heat treatment furnace 10 may include a plurality of driving devices with different driving forces, and the plurality of driving devices may be used so that the conveyance rollers 52 provided in the heat treatment part 20 are different from those in the carrying-in part 34 and the carrying-out part 40 . The provided conveying rollers 52 and 54 rotate at different speeds.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the objects 12a to 12c are shifted in the conveyance direction by shifting the timing of the driving of the drive devices 60a to 60c, but it is not limited to this configuration. The timing in which the plurality of objects to be processed 12 arranged and carried in the second direction in the heat treatment furnace 10 are carried into the heat treatment section 20 may be shifted. For example, the conveying rollers 54a to 54c may be different from each other. Composition of speed rotation. That is, the conveyance rollers 54a-54c may be respectively connected to the drive device which can change the difference of a drive speed. According to such a structure, also in the carrying-in part 34, the to-be-processed objects 12a-12c can be shifted in the conveyance direction, and it can be carried in the heat processing part 20 in a shifted manner. (Example 2)

The heat treatment furnace 10 according to the first embodiment described above makes it possible to shift the conveyance timing of the plurality of to-be-processed objects 12a to 12c arranged in the second direction in the conveying section 34, or to convey them at different conveyance speeds. Although the to-be-processed objects 12a-12c are shifted in the conveyance direction in the carrying-in part 34, it is not limited to this structure. For example, the heat treatment furnace 110 may include the pressing device 70 . In addition, the structure of the heat-treating furnace 110 of this Example differs from the heat-treating furnace 10 of Example 1 in the structure of the carrying-in part 134, and other structures are substantially the same. Therefore, the description of the same structure as that of the heat treatment furnace 10 of Example 1 is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 12 , a plurality of conveyance rollers 52 are provided in the carry-in portion 134 . The axis system of the conveyance roller 52 extends parallel to the second direction, and the plurality of conveyance rollers 52 are arranged at equal intervals with a constant pitch in the conveyance direction. The pitch of the conveyance rollers 52 provided in the carrying-in portion 134 is the same as the pitch of the conveyance rollers 52 provided in the heat treatment portion 20 . In addition, the pitch of the conveyance rollers 52 provided in the carrying-in portion 134 may be arranged to be different from the pitch of the conveyance rollers 52 provided in the heat treatment portion 20 .

In the carrying-in portion 134, a pressing device 70 is provided. The pressing device 70 is arranged on the upstream side (the −X direction side) of the carrying portion 134 in the conveying direction. The pressing device 70 includes push plates 72a to 72c, and the front end surfaces (the surfaces on the +X direction side) of the push plates 72a to 72c are provided so as to be in contact with the rear end surfaces (−X) of the objects to be processed 12a to 12c carried into the carrying section 134 . face on the side of the direction) contact. The push plates 72a-72c are driven by the actuator (illustration omitted), and push out the to-be-processed objects 12a-12c in the conveyance direction. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 13 , the pressing device 70 is connected to the control device 62 and is controlled by the control device 62 . The amount by which the pushing device 70 pushes out the objects to be processed 12 a to 12 c is controlled by the control device 62 .

In the present embodiment, the objects to be processed 12 a to 12 c can be shifted by a predetermined amount in the conveying direction in the carrying portion 134 by the pressing device 70 . Therefore, in the present embodiment, the plurality of objects 12 to be processed 12 arranged and carried in the second direction in the heat treatment furnace 10 may be shifted in the carrying direction in the carrying part 134 so as to be carried out from the heat treatment part 20 at the same time. Therefore, the plurality of to-be-processed objects 12 arranged and carried in in the second direction can be aligned in the conveying direction in the carry-out unit 40 , and the plurality of to-be-processed objects 12 can be easily carried out from the heat treatment furnace 10 .

In addition, in this Example, although the to-be-processed object 12a-12c was shifted in the conveyance direction in the carrying-in part 134 by the pressing device 70, it is not limited to this structure. Any structure that can shift the timing of conveying the plurality of objects to be processed 12 arranged in the second direction and carried in in the heat treatment furnace 10 by a predetermined time period is sufficient. Sequence of transportation of the processed object 12 . That is, the start timing of conveyance of each object to be processed 12 may be shifted by the stopper, whereby each object to be processed 12 may be transported into the heat treatment unit 20 in a state shifted in the conveyance direction. In addition, in this Example, although the conveyance roller 52 which is not divided|segmented in the 2nd direction is attached to the carrying-in part 34, it is not limited to this structure. For example, as shown in the carrying-in part 34 of Example 1, you may provide the conveyance roller 54 divided|segmented in the 2nd direction. In such a configuration, the pressing device 70 or the stopper may be used, and the workpieces 12 a to 12 c may be displaced in the conveying direction in the carrying-in part 134 .

As mentioned above, although the specific example of the technique disclosed in this patent specification was demonstrated in detail, these are merely examples, and do not limit the scope of the patent application. The technology described in the scope of the claims includes various modifications and changes to the specific examples shown above. In addition, the technical elements described in the specification or drawings of this patent are technically useful alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing the patent application.

10‧‧‧Heat treatment furnace 12‧‧‧Items to be processed 20‧‧‧Heat treatment department 22‧‧‧External Wall 24‧‧‧Space 26‧‧‧Opening 28‧‧‧Opening 30‧‧‧Heater 32‧‧‧Heater 34‧‧‧Moving in 40‧‧‧Removal Department 50‧‧‧Transportation device 52, 54‧‧‧Conveying roller 60‧‧‧Drive 62‧‧‧Controls 70‧‧‧Pushing device

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the heat treatment furnaces of Examples 1 and 2, and is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the heat treatment furnace when the heat treatment furnace is cut along a plane parallel to the conveying direction of the object to be treated. [Fig. 2] A cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in Fig. 1. [Fig. 3] It is a top view which shows the schematic structure of the carrying-in part of Example 1. [FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the control system of the heat treatment furnace of Example 1. FIG. 5] It is a figure for demonstrating the conveyance of the to-be-processed object in the case where the conveyance roller is warped. [ Fig. 6 ] is a diagram for explaining the conveyance of the object to be processed in the case where the deflection of the conveying roller is large, and Fig. 6(a) shows the loading state of the object to be processed placed on the center of the conveying roller. 6(b) shows the mounted state of the to-be-processed object mounted on the edge part of a conveyance roller. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing performed by the control device when a plurality of objects to be processed arranged and carried in in the second direction are shifted in the conveying direction in the carrying section. [ Fig. 8] Fig. 8 is a view showing a state in which a plurality of objects to be processed arranged and carried in in the second direction are carried into the carrying-in section. [ Fig. 9] Fig. 9 is a view showing another form in which a plurality of objects to be processed arranged and carried in in the second direction are conveyed in the carry-in section in a state where the objects are shifted in the conveying direction. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which an object to be processed carried out from a heat treatment unit is detected by a sensor. [ Fig. 11 ] is a diagram showing another form in which a plurality of objects to be processed arranged in the second direction and carried in are carried in the carrying portion in a state where the objects are shifted in the carrying direction. FIG. 12 is a top view showing a schematic configuration of a carry-in part of Example 2. FIG. 13 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the control system of the heat treatment furnace of Example 2. FIG.

34‧‧‧Moving in

12a~12c‧‧‧Items to be processed

54a~54c‧‧‧Conveying roller

vt1, vt(t1+t2)‧‧‧distance

Claims (4)

A heat treatment furnace, which is a heat treatment furnace for heat treatment of a plurality of objects to be treated, comprising: a heat treatment part including a space for heat treatment of the objects to be treated; a loading part for loading the objects to be treated into the heat treatment part objects; and a plurality of conveying rollers, which are arranged in the heat treatment section and convey the objects to be processed carried in the heat treatment section; these conveying rollers can be horizontal and perpendicular to the first direction of the conveying direction. The objects to be processed are arranged and placed in 2 directions; a plurality of driving devices drive the conveying rollers separately; a sensor detects the objects carried out from the heat treatment part that are arranged in the second direction and placed Each of the objects to be processed; the control device calculates the time each of the objects to be processed is conveyed in the heat treatment section according to the bending amount of the conveying rollers, and then calculates the predetermined time for each driving device, and according to the The predetermined time is changed by the deviation of the timing of the input signal of the sensor; the carrying part is configured so that each of the objects to be processed arranged and placed in the second direction can be shifted in the first direction. into the heat treatment section. According to the heat treatment furnace of claim 1, wherein the transfer portion is provided with transfer rollers for transferring the objects to be treated carried in the heat treatment portion; the transfer rollers provided in the transfer portion are included in the transfer portion. The two directions are divided into a plurality of partial conveyance rollers; each of the partial conveyance rollers divided in the second direction can be driven independently. According to the heat treatment furnace of claim 1, wherein the carrying part includes a pressing device, and the pressing device can independently push out the processed objects arranged and placed in the second direction in the conveying direction of each. The heat treatment furnace according to any one of the claims 1 to 3 of the scope of the application, further comprising: a computing unit for a plurality of to-be-processed objects arranged and placed in the second direction according to the detection by the sensor The amount of deviation of the carry-out time of each of the plurality of to-be-processed objects is calculated by the amount by which each of the plurality of to-be-processed objects is displaced in the first direction in the carry-in section.

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