WO2021211302A1

WO2021211302A1 - Part-conveying apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2021211302A1
Application number: PCT/US2021/025360
Authority: WO
Inventors: Chuanbo WANG
Original assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
Priority date: 2020-04-15
Filing date: 2021-04-01
Publication date: 2021-10-21
Also published as: TW202142468A

Abstract

The present application provides a part-conveying apparatus for a sintering furnace, and the part-conveying apparatus comprises a conveying belt and a plurality of support bridges. The conveying belt is a meshed structure and has a conveying surface, and the conveying belt has a first area and a second area extending in the lengthwise direction of the conveying belt; the plurality of support bridges include a first group of support bridges disposed in the first area of the conveying surface and a second group of support bridges disposed in the second area of the conveying surface, the first group of support bridges and the second group of support bridges are respectively disposed in the lengthwise direction of the conveying belt, each of the plurality of support bridges comprises an outer side leg, an inner side leg and a beam portion, the outer side leg and the inner side leg respectively extend from the conveying belt in a direction away from the conveying surface, the beam portion is connected between the outer side leg and the inner side leg, and the beam portion inclines from the inside to the outside in a direction away from the conveying surface. The conveying apparatus in the present application is applicable to parts in different sizes.

Description

PART-CONVEYING APPARATUS

Related Applications

[0001] The present application claims the benefit of Chinese Patent Application No. 202010294699.2, filed April 15, 2020, and Chinese Patent Application No. 202110295915.X, filed March 19, 2021. The entireties of Chinese Patent Application No. 202010294699.2 and Chinese Patent Application No. 202110295915. X is expressly incorporated herein by reference.

Field

[0002] The present application relates to a part-conveying apparatus, in particular to a part-conveying apparatus in a sintering furnace.

Background

[0003] A sintering furnace is used for sintering and optical processing of a part to be processed, for example, for processing of the wafer of a passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC) solar battery. A conveying apparatus, a sintering apparatus and an optical processing apparatus are provided in the sintering furnace. The conveying apparatus is used to deliver a part to be processed into the sintering furnace, and then deliver the part out of the sintering surface after being processed in the sintering furnace. During processing, the part is always on the conveying apparatus, and the sintering apparatus and the optical processing apparatus process the part on the conveying apparatus. When the part leaves the sintering furnace, processing is completed.

Summary

[0004] The present application provides a conveying apparatus for conveying parts in a sintering furnace, and the conveying apparatus can adapt to parts in different sizes. The part-conveying apparatus comprises a conveying belt and a plurality of support bridges; the conveying belt is a meshed structure and has a conveying surface, the conveying belt has a first side edge and a second side edge extending in the lengthwise direction of the conveying belt and disposed oppositely, and the conveying surface has a first area and a second area respectively close to the first side edge and the second side edge and extending in the lengthwise direction of the conveying belt, and a central area located between the first area and the second area; the plurality of support bridges include a first group of support bridges disposed in the first area of the conveying surface and a second group of support bridges disposed in the second area of the conveying surface, the first group of support bridges and the second group of support bridges are respectively disposed in the lengthwise direction of the conveying belt, each of the plurality of support bridges comprises a beam portion and an outer side leg, the beam portion comprises an inner end close to the central area and an outer end away from the central area, the outer side leg connects the outer end and the conveying belt, and the beam portion inclines from the inner end to the outer end in a direction away from the conveying surface; wherein the beam portion of each support bridge in the first group of support bridges and the beam portion of each support bridge in the second group of support bridges are configured to jointly support a part having a width in a certain range.

[0005] For the above-mentioned conveying apparatus, the outer end of the beam portion of each support bridge in the first group of support bridges jointly forms a first outer edge portion, the outer end of the beam portion of each support bridge in the second group of support bridges jointly forms a second outer edge portion, and the distance between the first outer edge portion and the second outer edge portion accounts for more than 90% of the width of the conveying belt.

[0006] For the above-mentioned conveying apparatus, the beam portion comprises at least one step portion, the at least one step portion comprises a working section and a connecting section, the connecting section is connected with the top of the working section, and the angle of inclination of the connecting section relative to the conveying surface is greater than the angle of inclination of the working section relative to the conveying surface so that a bent portion is formed between the connecting section and the working section.

[0007] For the above-mentioned conveying apparatus, the angle of inclination of the connecting section relative to the conveying surface is between 80° and 90°.

[0008] For the above-mentioned conveying apparatus, the bent portion of the at least one step portion of each support bridge in the first group of support bridges jointly forms a first side support portion, the bent portion of the at least one step portion of each support bridge in the second group of support bridges jointly forms a second side support portion, the first side support portion and the second side support portion are symmetrically disposed relative to the middle area, and the first side support portion and the second side support portion are configured to jointly support a part to be processed.

[0009] For the above-mentioned conveying apparatus, the at least one step portion comprises an upper step portion, a middle step portion and a lower step portion connected in turn so that the bottom of the working section of the upper step portion is connected with the top of the connecting section of the middle step portion and the bottom of the working section of the middle step portion is connected with the top of the connecting section of the lower step portion; the bent portion of the upper step portion in the first group of support bridges forms a first side upper support portion, the bent portion of the middle step portion in the first group of support bridges forms a first side middle support portion, the bent portion of the lower step portion in the first group of support bridges forms a first side lower support portion, the bent portion of the upper step portion in the second group of support bridges forms a second side upper support portion, the bent portion of the middle step portion in the second group of support bridges forms a second side middle support portion, and the bent portion of the lower step portion in the second group of support bridges forms a second side lower support portion; the first side upper support portion and the second side upper support portion are symmetrically disposed relative to the middle area, the first side middle support portion and the second side middle support portion are symmetrically disposed relative to the central area, and the first side lower support portion and the second side lower support portion are symmetrically disposed relative to the central area.

[0010] For the above-mentioned conveying apparatus, the working section of the upper step portion and the working section of the middle step portion incline at a first angle of inclination relative to the conveying surface, the working section of the lower step portion inclines at a second angle of inclination relative to the conveying surface, and the second angle of inclination is greater than the first angle of inclination.

[0011] For the above-mentioned conveying apparatus, the height the connecting section extends in a direction perpendicular to the conveying surface is no less than a first height.

[0012] For the above-mentioned conveying apparatus, the distance from the top of the working section of the lower step portion to the conveying surface is no less than a first preset distance, and the distance from the top of the working section of the upper step portion to the conveying surface is no greater than a second preset distance. [0013] For the above-mentioned conveying apparatus, the first side upper support portion and the second side upper support portion are configured to jointly support a part having a width in a first range, the first side middle support portion and the second side middle support portion are configured to jointly support a part having a width in a second range, and the first side lower support portion and the second side lower support portion are configured to jointly support a part having a width in a third range. [0014] For the above-mentioned conveying apparatus, each of the plurality of support bridges further comprises an inner side leg, the inner side leg connects the inner end and the conveying belt, and the beam portion is connected between the outer side leg and the inner side leg.

[0015] For the above-mentioned conveying apparatus, the beam portion of each support bridge in the first group of support bridges jointly forms a first side support surface, the beam portion of each support bridge in the second group of support bridges jointly forms a second side support surface, and the first side support surface and the second side support surface can jointly support a part to be processed.

[0016] For the above-mentioned conveying apparatus, the first side support surface has a first inner side portion, the second side support surface has a second inner side portion, and the distance between the first inner side portion and the second inner side portion is less than a third preset distance.

[0017] For the above-mentioned conveying apparatus, the distance between the first inner side portion/second inner side portion and the conveying surface is greater than a fourth preset distance.

[0018] For the above-mentioned conveying apparatus, an acute angle is formed between the outer side leg and the conveying surface, and an acute angle is formed between the inner side leg and the conveying surface.

[0019] For the above-mentioned conveying apparatus, the support bridges in the first group of support bridges and the support bridges in the second group of support bridges are staggered in the lengthwise direction of the conveying belt.

[0020] For the above-mentioned conveying apparatus, an included angle is formed between the projection of the beam portion on the conveying surface of the conveying belt and the widthwise direction of the conveying belt.

[0021] For the above-mentioned conveying apparatus, in the conveying direction of the conveying belt, the outer end of each support bridge of the plurality of support bridges is located before the inner end. [0022] For the above-mentioned conveying apparatus, each of the plurality of support bridges is made of a metal wire into one piece, the conveying belt is made of a metal mesh, and each of the plurality of support bridges is welded to the conveying belt. [0023] For the above-mentioned conveying apparatus, the distance between adjacent support bridges in each group of the first group of support bridges and the second group of support bridges is greater than a fifth preset distance.

[0024] The conveying apparatus provided by the present application comprises a conveying belt assembly, wherein the conveying belt assembly has two groups of support bridges, the two groups of support bridges form two groups of support surfaces and parts in different sizes can be conveyed. A sintering furnace in which the conveying apparatus provided by the present application is used can process parts in different sizes.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025] Fig. 1 A is a 3-D view of a sintering furnace.

[0026] Fig. 1 B is a cutaway view of the sintering furnace in Fig. 1 A.

[0027] Fig. 1C is an exploded view of the sintering furnace in Fig. 1 A.

[0028] Fig. 2 is a 3-D view of the conveying belt assembly in Fig. 1 C.

[0029] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a first embodiment of a support bridge of the conveying belt in Fig. 2.

[0030] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the conveying belt assembly in Fig. 2 in the widthwise direction.

[0031] Fig. 5 is a partial bottom view of the conveying belt assembly upper portion in Fig. 2.

[0032] Fig. 6 is a 3-D view of the tension pulley in the sintering furnace in Fig. 1 B. [0033] Fig. 7 is a cutaway view of the sintering furnace in Fig. 1 A.

[0034] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of a second embodiment of a support bridge of the conveying belt in Fig. 2.

[0035] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the conveying belt assembly in a second embodiment of the present application in the widthwise direction.

[0036] Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the conveying belt assembly in the second embodiment and a part on the conveying belt assembly in the widthwise direction. Detailed Description

[0037] Various specific implementation modes of the present application will be described below by reference to the drawings which constitute a part of the present description. It should be understood that although the terms indicating directions, such as "before", "behind", "on", "below", "left", and "right" are used to describe various exemplified structural parts and components in the present application, these terms are just used for the convenience of illustrations and are determined based on the exemplified directions in the drawings. Since the embodiments disclosed in the present application can be set in different directions, these terms indicating directions are only used as illustrations, instead of restrictions.

[0038] Fig. 1 A is a 3-D view of a sintering furnace 100, Fig. 1 B is a cutaway view of the sintering furnace in Fig. 1A, and Fig. 1 C is an exploded view of the sintering furnace 100 in Fig. 1A and shows the structure of the sintering furnace 100. The sintering furnace 100 is used for sintering and optical processing of a part to be processed (for example, wafer of a solar battery). Fig. 1A and Fig. 1 B are used to show the conveying apparatus in the sintering furnace, with the other components in the sintering furnace omitted. As shown in Figs. 1A and 1 B, the sintering furnace 100 comprises a housing 102 and a conveying apparatus 103. The housing 103 comprises an upper portion 131 , a lower portion 132, a first side portion 133 and a second side portion 134, wherein the upper portion 131 , the first side portion 133, the lower portion 132 and the second side portion 134 are connected in turn to form a box with two open ends and thus the housing 102 has a front opening 141 and a rear opening 142. The conveying apparatus 103 passes through the front opening 141 and the rear opening 142 of the housing 102 and is a certain distance away from the upper portion 131 so that a conveying passage 105 can be formed between the conveying apparatus 103 and the upper portion 131 of the housing. The conveying passage 105 has a conveying passage entrance 151 and a conveying passage exit 152. A part to be processed can be conveyed by the conveying apparatus 103. Thus, the part enters the sintering furnace 100 via the conveying passage entrance 151 and leaves the sintering furnace 100 via the conveying passage exit 152.

[0039] The conveying apparatus 103 comprises a conveying belt assembly 125, a tension pulley 126 and a plurality of rollers 128. The conveying belt assembly 125 is a flat ribbon and forms a closed ring. The conveying belt assembly 125 has an inner side surface 155 and an outer side surface 156. The plurality of rollers 128 are disposed on the inner side of the conveying belt assembly 125 to contact the inner side surface 155 of the conveying belt assembly, thus being able to support the conveying belt assembly 125 and guide the direction of the conveying belt assembly 125. The tension pulley 126 is disposed on the outer side of the conveying belt assembly 125 to contact the outer side surface 156, and the tension pulley 126 can move to adjust the tension of the conveying belt assembly 125. Two conveying belt assemblies 125 are disposed side by side in the sintering furnace 100 shown in the present application and are used to simultaneously convey two parts to be processed to improve the production efficiency. In some embodiments, one or more conveying belt assemblies 125 can be disposed in the sintering furnace 100.

[0040] Fig. 2 is a 3-D view of one conveying belt assembly 125 in Fig. 1C and shows the structures of the conveying belt assembly 125. The conveying belt assembly 125 is supported by a plurality of rollers 128 and thus forms an irregular ring, and the conveying belt assembly 125 comprises a conveying belt assembly upper portion 208, a conveying belt assembly lower portion 209 and a pair of conveying belt assembly side portions 211 and 212. The conveying belt assembly upper portion 208 extends in a horizontal direction, and thus the outer side surface 156 of the conveying belt assembly upper portion 208 can bear and convey a part to be processed. The conveying belt assembly 125 has a conveying surface 205, and the conveying surface 205 has an entrance end 231 close to the conveying passage entrance 151 and an exit end 232 close to the conveying passage exit 152. The conveying belt assembly 125 can be driven by the rollers 128 to rotate clockwise as shown in Fig. 2, and thus a part to be processed on the conveying surface 205 can enter the sintering furnace 100 via the conveying passage entrance 151 and then leave the sintering furnace via the conveying passage exit 152.

[0041] The conveying belt assembly 125 consists of a meshed structure and has a plurality of meshes. In the housing 103 of the sintering furnace 100, processing apparatuses, for example, a heat processing apparatus and optical processing apparatus, are provided above and below the conveying surface 205 to process a part to be processed. The part to be processed is processed when conveyed by the conveying apparatus 103 to pass through the sintering furnace 100. During optical processing of the part to be processed, both the upper surface and the lower surface of the part to be processed need to be irradiated by a light source so as to complete surface processing of the part. The upper surface of the part is directly irradiated by the light source above the part, and the lower surface of the part receives irradiation of the light source via the meshes of the conveying belt assembly 125. Therefore, both the strength and the light transmittance are considered in the structure design of the conveying belt assembly 125.

[0042] The conveying belt assembly 125 comprises a conveying belt 228 and a plurality of support bridges 250, wherein the conveying belt 228 is a flat strip and the upper surface of the conveying belt 228 constitutes the conveying surface 205. The conveying belt 228 has a first side edge 241 and a second side edge 242 extending in the lengthwise direction of the conveying belt 228. The conveying belt has a first area 251 extending in the lengthwise direction of the conveying belt 228 at the place close to the first side edge 241 and a second area 252 extending in the lengthwise direction of the conveying belt 228 at the place close to the second side edge 242, and a central area 253 is provided between the first area 251 and the second area 252. A plurality of support bridges 250 are provided in the first area 251 and the second area 252, respectively, the plurality of support bridges in the first area 251 form a first group of support bridges 261 , and the plurality of support bridges 250 in the second area 252 form a second group of support bridges 262. The first group of support bridges 261 are staggered in the lengthwise direction of the conveying belt 228. Similarly, the second group of support bridges 262 are also staggered in the lengthwise direction of the conveying belt 228.

[0043] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a first embodiment of a support bridge of the conveying belt 228 in Fig. 2 and shows the structure of the support bridge. As shown in Fig. 3, the support bridge 250 comprises an outer side leg 311 , an inner side leg 312 and a beam portion 313. The beam portion 313 has an inner end 331 and an outer end 332, the outer side leg 311 and the inner side leg 312 respectively extend from the conveying belt 228 in a direction away from the conveying surface 205, and the beam portion 313 is connected between the outer side leg 311 and the inner side leg 312, that is to say, the outer end 332 and inner end 331 of the beam portion 313 are connected to the tops of the outer side leg 311 and the inner side leg 312, respectively. In the first group of support bridges 261 , the outer side leg 311 of each support bridge is closer to the first side edge 241 of the conveying belt 228 than the inner side leg 312. In the second group of support bridges 262, the outer side leg 311 of each support bridge is closer to the second side edge 242 of the conveying belt 228 than the inner side leg 312. The height of the outer side leg 311 relative to the conveying surface 205 is greater than the height of the inner side leg 312 relative to the conveying surface 205, that is to say, the height of the joint between the outer side leg 311 and the beam portion 313 relative to the conveying surface 205 is greater than the height of the joint between the inner side leg 312 and the beam portion 313 relative to the conveying surface 205, and thus the beam portion 313 inclines from the inside to the outside in a direction away from the conveying surface 205.

[0044] Still as shown in Fig. 3, the outer side leg 311 and the inner side leg 312 obliquely extend from the conveying surface 205 toward the beam portion 313. That is to say, an acute angle is formed between the outer side leg 311 /inner side leg 312 and the conveying surface 205 just below the beam portion 313. This is good for the formation and stability of support bridges. In some embodiments of the present application, the support bridge may only comprise a beam portion and an outer side leg, and the inner end of the beam portion extends until it is connected with the conveying belt 228. In the embodiments where support bridges comprise no inner side leg, the first inner side portion and the second inner side portion are formed by the beam portions of corresponding support bridges.

[0045] Still as shown in Fig. 3, the support bridge 250 further comprises an outer side leg extension portion 321 and an inner side leg extension portion 322, wherein the outer side leg extension portion 321 extends from the bottom of the outer side leg 311 in a direction away from the inner side leg 312, and the inner side leg extension portion 322 extends from the bottom of the inner side leg 312 in a direction away from the outer side leg 312. The outer side leg extension portion 321 and the inner side leg extension portion 322 are respectively used to be connected with the conveying belt 228.

[0046] In the present embodiment, the support bridge 250 is made of a metal wire into one piece, the conveying belt 228 is made of a metal mesh, and the support bridge 250 is welded to the conveying belt 228.

[0047] It should be noted that the height of the outer side leg 311 of each support bridge 250 and the height of the inner side leg 312 of each support bridge 250 may be different in the present embodiment. This is because the outer side leg extension portion 321 and the inner side leg extension portion 322 may be welded to different positions of the conveying belt 228. For example, in the present embodiment, the height of the outer side leg 311 and the height of the inner side leg 312 of each support bridge in the first group of support bridges 261 are respectively less than the height of the outer side leg 311 and the height of the inner side leg 312 of each support bridge in the second group of support bridges 262. This is because the joints of the outer side leg extension portion 321 and the inner side leg extension portion 322 of each support bridge in the first group of support bridges 261 with the conveying belt 228 are located on the upper surface of the conveying belt 228, while the joints of the outer side leg extension portion 321 and the inner side leg extension portion 322 of each support bridge in the second group of support bridges 262 with the conveying belt 228 are located on the lower surface of the conveying belt 228. When the first group of support bridges 261 and the second group of support bridges 262 are all connected to the conveying belt 228, the heights of respective outer side legs 311 and inner side legs

312 of the support bridges in the first group of support bridges 261 and the second group of support bridges 262 relative to the conveying surface 205 are the same. [0048] The distance between adjacent support bridges in each group of the first group of support bridges 261 and the second group of support bridges 262 is greater than a preset distance. In one embodiment, the range of the preset distance is 50 mm to 55 mm. In another embodiment, the preset distance is 53.4 mm. The preset distance should be as large as possible on condition that a part to be processed is guaranteed not to fall off support bridges 250. That is to say, support bridges should be disposed as sparsely as possible so as to reduce the blocking of light from below the conveying surface 205.

[0049] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the conveying belt assembly in Fig. 2 in a first embodiment of the present application in the widthwise direction and shows the structure of the conveying belt assembly. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the beam portion

313 of each support bridge in the first group of support bridges 261 jointly forms a first side support surface 411 , and the beam portion 313 of each support bridge in the second group of support bridges 262 jointly forms a second side support surface 412. A part to be processed is jointly supported by the first side support surface 411 and the second side support surface 412, that is to say, the two side edges of the part respectively contact the first side support surface 411 and the second side support surface 412. Thus, a distance is formed between the part and the conveying surface 205, to avoid contact between the lower surface of the part and the conveying surface 205, which would affect the finish of the lower surface of the part. The first side support surface 411 and the second side support surface 412 respectively gradually rise relative to the conveying surface 205 from the inside to the outside. The portion of the first side support surface 411 which is the farthest away from the conveying surface 205 is a first outer edge portion 421 , and the first outer edge portion 421 is formed by the outer end 332 of the beam portion 313 of each support bridge in the first group of support bridges 261 ; the portion of the first side support surface 411 which is the closest to the conveying surface 205 is a first inner side portion 431 , and the first inner side portion 431 is formed by the inner end 331 of the beam portion of each support bridge in the first group of support bridges 261 . The portion of the second side support surface 412 which is the farthest away from the conveying surface 205 is a second outer edge portion 422, and the second outer edge portion 422 is formed by the outer end 332 of the beam portion 313 of each support bridge in the second group of support bridges 262; the portion of the second side support surface 412 which is the closest to the conveying surface 205 is a second inner side portion 432, and the second inner side portion 432 is formed by the inner end 331 of the beam portion of each support bridge in the second group of support bridges 262.

[0050] The distance between the first outer edge portion 421 and the second outer edge portion 422 accounts for more than 90% of the width of the conveying belt 228. In some embodiments, the distance between the first outer edge portion 421 and the second outer edge portion 422 is roughly equal to the width of the conveying belt 228. In the present embodiment, the distance between the first outer edge portion 421 and the second outer edge portion 422 is greater than 230 mm so that the conveying belt assembly 125 is applicable to parts having a width of 230 mm or less than 230 mm. [0051] The distance between the first inner side portion 431 and the second inner side portion 432 is less than a preset distance. In one embodiment of the present application, the preset distance is 150 mm. In another embodiment of the present application, the preset distance is 145 mm. The preset distance enables the conveying belt assembly 125 to be applicable to parts having a width of 156 mm or greater than 156 mm.

[0052] The first side support surface 411 and the second side support surface 412 of the conveying apparatus 103 provided by the present application enable the conveying belt assembly 125 to convey parts having a width between 156 mm and 230 mm, for example, solar battery wafers.

[0053] The distance between the first inner side portion 431 /the second inner side portion 432 and the conveying surface 205 is greater than a preset distance. In one embodiment of the present application, the preset distance is 8 mm. A distance is formed between a part to be processed and the conveying surface 205. Thus, the lower surface of the part is prevented from contacting the conveying surface 205 and the lower surface of the part can receive light more evenly.

[0054] Fig. 5 is a partial bottom view of the conveying belt assembly upper portion 208 in Fig. 2 and shows the position relationship between adjacent support bridges. As shown in Fig. 5, the conveying belt assembly 125 moves from top to bottom. The conveying belt 228 has a plurality of meshes 301 so that a light source below the conveying belt 228 can irradiate the lower surface of a part to be processed through the meshes 301 . The support bridges in the first group of support bridges and the support bridges 261 in the second group of support bridges 262 are staggered in the lengthwise direction of the conveying belt assembly 125. An included angle is formed between the projection of the beam portion 313 of each support bridge 250 on the conveying surface 205 of the conveying belt 228 and the widthwise direction of the conveying belt 228, that is to say, the projection of the beam portion 313 of each support bridge 250 on the conveying surface 205 of the conveying belt 228 is not perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the conveying belt 228. In the conveying direction of the conveying belt 228, the outer side leg 311 of each support bridge 250 is located before the corresponding inner side leg 312. That is to say, viewed perpendicularly from the upper surface of the conveying belt assembly 125, the projection of the beam portion 313 of each support bridge 250 on the conveying surface 205 obliquely extends from the inside to the outside in the conveying direction of the conveying belt 228. In this way, the contact area between the support bridge 250 and the part to be processed is larger, and thus the part is more stable and is more difficult to move or fall off during the conveyance.

[0055] Fig. 6 is a 3-D view of the tension pulley 126 in the sintering furnace in Fig. 1 B. As shown in Fig. 6, the tension pulley 126 roughly looks like a cylinder and has a head portion 604, a body portion 603 and a tail portion 602, and the head portion 604 and the tail portion 602 are respectively connected to the two ends of the body portion 603. The diameter of the head portion 604 is equal to the diameter of the tail portion 602, and the diameter of the body portion 603 is greater than the diameter of the head portion 604 or the diameter of the tail portion 602. As shown in Fig. 1 B, the tension pulley contacts the outer side of the conveying belt assembly 125, and thus the body portion 603 contacts the conveying surface 205 between the first group of support bridges 261 and the second group of support bridges 262. The head portion 604 and the tail portion 602 respectively contact the first group of support bridges 261 and the second group of support bridges 262.

[0056] The tension pulley 126 has a hollow passage 607, in which a shaft is installed, and the tension pulley 126 can rotate around the shaft. In addition, the tension pulley 126 can be driven by the shaft to move in a direction to adjust the tension of the conveying belt assembly 125.

[0057] Fig. 7 is a cutaway view of the sintering furnace in the present application. As shown in Fig. 7, a pair of support bars 701 and 702 are disposed below each of the two conveying belt assemblies 125, and the support bars 701 and 702 extend in the conveying direction of the conveying belt assemblies 125. The two sides of the support bar 701 in the vertical direction respectively contact the lower portion 132 of the housing 102 and the outer side of the conveying belt assembly 125, thus supporting the conveying belt assembly 125. In the horizontal direction, the distance between a pair of support bars 701 and 702 is no greater than a preset distance so that the pair of support bars 701 and 702 contact the conveying surface 205 between the first group of support bridges 261 and the second group of support bridges 262. The range of the preset distance is 90 mm to 140 mm. In one embodiment of the present application, the preset distance is 100 mm. The preset distance enables the contact points between the pair of support bars 701 and 702 and the conveying belt assembly 125 to be located between the first group of support bridges 261 and the second group of support bridges 262, and prevents the pair of support bars from directly contacting the first group of support bridges 261 or the second group of support bridges 262.

[0058] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of a second embodiment of a support bridge 850 of the conveying belt 228 in Fig. 2. The shape of the support bridge 850 shown in Fig. 8 is different from the shape of the support bridge 250 shown in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 8, the support bridge 850 has an inner side leg 811 and a beam portion 813, and the outer side leg 811 extends from the conveying belt 228 in a direction away from the conveying surface 205. The beam portion 813 has an outer end 832 and an inner end 831 , wherein the outer end 832 is connected with the outer side leg 811 via a transitional portion 823 and the inner end 831 is connected with the conveying belt 228. The inner end 831 is roughly flush with the conveying surface 205, the outer end 832 is higher than the conveying surface 205, and thus the beam portion 813 extends from the inner end 831 to the outer end 832 in a direction away from the conveying surface 205. In one embodiment of the present application, the support bridge 850 may also comprise an inner side leg of the support bridge in the embodiment shown in Fig. 3.

[0059] The beam portion 813 comprises an upper step portion, a middle step portion 852 and a lower step portion 853, and the upper step portion 851 , the middle step portion 852 and the lower step portion 853 are connected in turn from top to bottom. The upper step portion 851 comprises a connecting section 841 and a working section 842, the middle step portion 852 comprises a connecting section 843 and a working section 844, and the lower step portion comprises a connecting section 845 and a working section 846. The top of the connecting section 841 of the upper step portion

851 is connected with the transitional portion 823, the bottom of the connecting section 841 of the upper step portion 851 is connected with the top of the working section 842 of the upper step portion 851 , and the bottom of the working section 842 of the upper step portion 851 is connected with the top of the connecting section 843 of the middle step portion 852; the bottom of the connecting section 843 of the middle step portion

852 is connected with the top of the working section 846 of the middle step portion 852, and the bottom of the working section 844 of the middle step portion 852 is connected with the top of the connecting section 845 of the lower step portion 853; the bottom of the connecting section 845 of the lower step portion 853 is connected with the top of the working section 846 of the lower step portion 853, and the bottom of the working section 846 of the lower step portion 853 is connected with the conveying belt 228. That is to say, each step portion comprises a connecting section and a working section, and the connecting section of each step portion is connected with the working section of the adjacent step portion. In other embodiments of the present application, the beam portion may also comprise other numbers of step portions to adapt to different types of parts to be processed. The working section of each step portion is used to support a part to be processed, and the connecting section is used to prevent the part from inclining.

[0060] The connecting section 841 , connecting section 843 and connecting section 845 all extend in a direction roughly perpendicular to the conveying surface 205, and the included angle b between the connecting section 841 , connecting section 843, or connecting section 845 and the conveying surface 205 is 80° to 90°. In one embodiment of the present application, the included angle b is 90°. The working section 842, working section 844 and working section 846 all obliquely extend relative to the conveying surface 205, wherein the included angle a1 between the working section 842 and the conveying surface 205 and the included angle a2 between the working section 844 and the conveying surface 205 are both 13° to 20°, and the included angle a3 between the working section 846 and the conveying surface 205 is 15° to 25°. In one embodiment of the present application, the included angle a1 and the included angle a2 are both 15°, and the included angle a3 is 20°. The angles of inclination of the connecting section 841 and working section 842 of the upper step portion 851 are different, and thus a bent portion 871 is formed between the connecting section 841 and the working section 842. The bent portion 871 is dented toward the conveying surface 205 and the outer side leg 811 , and thus a dented portion 863 is formed on a side of the bent portion 871 away from the conveying surface 205. Similarly, the middle step portion 852 has a bent portion 872 and the bent portion 872 forms a dented portion 864; the lower step portion 853 has a bent portion 873 and the bent portion 873 forms a dented portion 865.

[0061] In the present application, the heights of the connecting section 841 , connecting section 843 and connecting section 845 in a direction perpendicular to the conveying surface 205 are no less than 2.5 mm. In one embodiment of the present application, the heights of the connecting section 841 , the connecting section 843 and the connecting section 845 are all 3 mm. The heights make it difficult for a part to be processed to slide relative to the connecting section 841 , connecting section 843 and connecting section 845 so that the part can reach the respective tops of the connecting section 841 , connecting section 843 and connecting section 845. The distance from the top of the working section 846 of the lower step portion 853 to the conveying surface 205 is no less than 7 mm. In one embodiment of the present application, the distance from the top of the working section 846 of the lower step portion 853 to the conveying surface 205 is 8 mm. A certain distance is formed between a part to be processed and the conveying surface 205. Thus, the lower surface of the part is prevented from contacting the conveying surface 205 and the lower surface of the part can receive light more evenly. The distance from the top of the working section 842 of the upper step portion 851 to the conveying surface 205 is no greater than 30 mm. In one embodiment of the present application, the distance from the top of the working section 842 of the upper step portion 851 to the conveying surface 205 is 21 mm to 23 mm. The distance between a part to be processed and the conveying surface 205 should be in a certain range and too large a distance between the part and the conveying surface 205 should be avoided. [0062] Still as shown in Fig. 8, the support bridge 850 further comprises an outer side leg extension portion 821 and a beam extension portion 822, wherein the outer side leg extension portion 821 extends from the bottom of the outer side leg 811 in a direction away from the beam portion 813, and the beam extension portion 822 extends from the inner end of the beam portion 813 in a direction away from the outer side leg 811 . The outer side leg extension portion 821 and the beam extension portion 822 are respectively used to be connected with the conveying belt 228.

[0063] In the present embodiment, the support bridge 850 is made of a metal wire into one piece, the conveying belt 228 is made of a metal mesh, and the support bridge 850 is welded to the conveying belt 228.

[0064] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the conveying belt assembly in a second embodiment of the present application in the widthwise direction. As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the bent portion 871 of the upper step portion 851 of each support bridge in the first group of support bridges 961 forms a first side upper support portion 912, the bent portion 872 of the middle step portion 852 of each support in the first group of support bridges 961 forms a first side middle support portion 913, and the bent portion 873 of the lower step portion 853 of each support bridge in the first group of support bridges

961 forms a first side upper support portion 914. Similarly, the bent portion 871 of the upper step portion 851 of each support bridge in the second group of support bridges

962 forms a second side upper support portion 916, the bent portion 872 of the middle step portion 852 of each support bridge in the second group of support bridges 962 forms a second side middle support portion 917, and the bent portion 873 of the lower step portion 853 of each support bridge in the second group of support bridges 962 forms a second side upper support portion 918. The first side upper support portion 912 and the second side upper support portion 916 are symmetrical structures and can jointly support a part having a width of 200 mm to 210 mm, the first side middle support portion 913 and the second side middle support portion 917 are symmetrical structures and are configured to jointly support a part having a width of 180 mm to 190 mm, and the first side lower support portion 914 and the second side lower support portion 918 are symmetrical structures and are configured to jointly support a part having a width of 160 mm to 170 mm. In one embodiment of the present application, the conveying belt assembly shown in Fig. 9 can support a part having a width of 166 mm, 182 mm or 210 mm. [0065] In the present application, the distance between the first group of support bridges 961 and the second group of support bridges 962 can be adjusted according to the width of a part to be processed. For example, in another embodiment of the present application, the first side upper support portion 912 and the second side upper support portion can jointly support a part having a width of 220 mm to 240 mm, the first side middle support portion 913 and the second side middle support portion 917 are symmetrical structures and are configured to jointly support a part having a width of 200 mm to 210 mm, and the first side lower support portion 914 and the second side lower support portion 918 are symmetrical structures and are configured to jointly support a part having a width of 180 mm to 190 mm.

[0066] Still as shown in Fig. 9, the outer end 832 of the beam portion 813 of each support bridge in the first group of support bridges 961 forms a first side outer edge portion 921 , the outer end 832 of the beam portion 813 of each support bridge in the second group of support bridges 962 forms a second side outer edge portion 922, and the distance between the first side outer edge portion 921 and the second side outer edge portion 922 accounts for more than 90% of the width of the conveying belt 228. In some embodiments, the distance between the first side outer edge portion 921 and the second side outer edge portion 922 is roughly equal to the width of the conveying belt 228. In one embodiment of the present application, the distance between the first side outer edge portion 921 and the second side outer edge portion 922 is greater than 210 mm. In another embodiment of the present application, the distance between the first side outer edge portion 921 and the second side outer edge portion 922 is greater than 230 mm.

[0067] In the present embodiment, the two sides of a part to be processed in the widthwise direction abut against the respective corresponding support portions of the first group of support bridges 961 and the second group of support bridges 962, and a distance is formed between the lower surface of the part and the conveying surface, to avoid contact between the lower surface of the part and the conveying surface 205, which would affect the finish of the lower surface of the part. The width of the part matches the width between the corresponding support portions of the first group of support bridges 961 and the second group of support bridges 962 so that it is difficult for the part to incline on the first group of support bridges 961 and the second group of support bridges 962. [0068] Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the conveying belt assembly in the second embodiment and a part on the conveying belt assembly in the widthwise direction. In Fig. 10, a part 1001 whose width matching the width between the first side lower support portion 914 and the second side lower support portion 918 is used to describe the technical effect of the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 10, the part 1001 is located between the first side lower support portion 914 and the second side lower support portion 918, and thus a certain distance exists between the lower surface of the part and the conveying surface 205. The first side lower support portion 914 comprises a first side lower position-limiting portion 1025 and a first side lower working portion 1027, and the first side lower position-limiting portion 1025 and the first side lower working portion 1027 are made up of the connecting section 845 and the working section 846 of the lower step portion 853 of the plurality of support bridges 850 in the first group of support bridges 961 , respectively. The second side lower support portion 916 comprises a second side lower position-limiting portion 1026 and a second side lower working portion 1028, and the second side lower position-limiting portion 1026 and the second side lower working portion 1028 are made up of the connecting section 845 and the working section 846 of the lower step portion 853 of the plurality of support bridges 850 in the first group of support bridges 962, respectively. The width of the part 1001 is slightly less than the distance between the first side lower position-limiting portion 1025 and the second side lower position-limiting portion 1026. When the part 1001 is conveyed on the conveying belt 228, the first end 1011 and the second end 1012 of the part 1001 in the widthwise direction abut against the first side lower working portion 1027 and the second side lower working portion 1028, respectively, and the part 1001 is roughly parallel to the conveying surface 205. When the part 1001 is conveying on the conveying belt 228, the first end 1011 and the second end 1012 of the part 1001 in the widthwise direction will not incline greatly because they are restricted by the first side lower position-limiting portion 1025 and the second side lower position-limiting portion 1026. Thus, the distance from the lower surface of the part 1001 to the conveying surface 205 is roughly equal during the conveyance of the part 1001 so that the lower surface of the part 1001 can be evenly irradiated by light. Similarly, the first side upper support portion 912 and the second side upper support portion 916 can support a part having a width in a certain range and prevent the part from inclining during conveyance. The first side middle support portion 913 and the second side middle support portion 917 can support a part having a width in a certain range and prevent the part from inclining during conveyance.

[0069] In the embodiment shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the distance between adjacent support bridges in each group of the first group of support bridges 961 and the second group of support bridges 962 is 30 mm to 70 mm. In another embodiment, the preset distance is 35 mm.

[0070] The conveying apparatus in the present application contacts only the edges of a part to be processed, and thus the finish of the lower surface of the part is guaranteed. The conveying apparatus provided by the present application can convey parts in different sizes, and thus parts in different sizes can be processed in a sintering furnace. The design of the structure of the support bridges can guarantee that a reasonable distance is formed between parts in different sizes and the conveying surface, thus guaranteeing that the lower surface of the parts can receive enough light irradiation. In addition, the parts are difficult to slide relative to the conveying apparatus during conveyance. The conveying belt in the present application is applicable to parts having a width in a certain range and prevents the parts from inclining during conveyance.

[0071] Although only some characteristics of the present application are illustrated and described in this document, those skilled in the art can make various improvements and changes. Therefore, it should be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all improvements and changes falling within the spirit and scope of the present application.

Claims

Claims What is claimed is:

1 . A conveying apparatus for conveying parts in a sintering furnace, characterized in that the conveying apparatus comprises: a conveying belt, the conveying belt being a meshed structure and having a conveying surface, the conveying belt having a first side edge and a second side edge extending in the lengthwise direction of the conveying belt and disposed oppositely, and the conveying surface having a first area and a second area respectively close to the first side edge and the second side edge and extending in the lengthwise direction of the conveying belt, and a central area located between the first area and the second area, and a plurality of support bridges, the plurality of support bridges including a first group of support bridges disposed in the first area of the conveying surface and a second group of support bridges disposed in the second area of the conveying surface, the first group of support bridges and the second group of support bridges being respectively disposed in the lengthwise direction of the conveying belt, each of the plurality of support bridges comprising a beam portion and an outer side leg, the beam portion comprising an inner end close to the central area and an outer end away from the central area, the outer side leg connecting the outer end and the conveying belt, and the beam portion inclining from the inner end to the outer end in a direction away from the conveying surface, wherein, the beam portion of each support bridge in the first group of support bridges and the beam portion of each support bridge in the second group of support bridges are configured to jointly support a part having a width in a certain range.

2. The conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the outer end of the beam portion of each support bridge in the first group of support bridges jointly forms a first outer edge portion, the outer end of the beam portion of each support bridge in the second group of support bridges jointly forms a second outer edge portion, and the distance between the first outer edge portion and the second outer edge portion accounts for more than 90% of the width of the conveying belt.

3. The conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the beam portion comprises at least one step portion, the at least one step portion comprises a working section and a connecting section, the connecting section is connected with the top of the working section, and the angle of inclination of the connecting section relative to the conveying surface is greater than the angle of inclination of the working section relative to the conveying surface so that a bent portion is formed between the connecting section and the working section.

4. The conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the angle of inclination of the connecting section relative to the conveying surface is between 80° and 90°.

5. The conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the bent portion of the at least one step portion of each support bridge in the first group of support bridges jointly forms a first side support portion, the bent portion of the at least one step portion of each support bridge in the second group of support bridges jointly forms a second side support portion, the first side support portion and the second side support portion are symmetrically disposed relative to the middle area, and the first side support portion and the second side support portion are configured to jointly support a part to be processed.

6. The conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the at least one step portion comprises an upper step portion, a middle step portion and a lower step portion connected in turn so that the bottom of the working section of the upper step portion is connected with the top of the connecting section of the middle step portion and the bottom of the working section of the middle step portion is connected with the top of the connecting section of the lower step portion; the bent portion of the upper step portion in the first group of support bridges forms a first side upper support portion, the bent portion of the middle step portion in the first group of support bridges forms a first side middle support portion, the bent portion of the lower step portion in the first group of support bridges forms a first side lower support portion, the bent portion of the upper step portion in the second group of support bridges forms a second side upper support portion, the bent portion of the middle step portion in the second group of support bridges forms a second side middle support portion, and the bent portion of the lower step portion in the second group of support bridges forms a second side lower support portion; the first side upper support portion and the second side upper support portion are symmetrically disposed relative to the middle area, the first side middle support portion and the second side middle support portion are symmetrically disposed relative to the central area, and the first side lower support portion and the second side lower support portion are symmetrically disposed relative to the central area.

7. The conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the working section of the upper step portion and the working section of the middle step portion incline at a first angle of inclination relative to the conveying surface, the working section of the lower step portion inclines at a second angle of inclination relative to the conveying surface, and the second angle of inclination is greater than the first angle of inclination.

8. The conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the height the connecting section extends in a direction perpendicular to the conveying surface is no less than a first height.

9. The conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the distance from the top of the working section of the lower step portion to the conveying surface is no less than a first preset distance, and the distance from the top of the working section of the upper step portion to the conveying surface is no greater than a second preset distance.

10. The conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the first side upper support portion and the second side upper support portion are configured to jointly support a part having a width in a first range, the first side middle support portion and the second side middle support portion are configured to jointly support a part having a width in a second range, and the first side lower support portion and the second side lower support portion are configured to jointly support a part having a width in a third range.

11. The conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that each of the plurality of support bridges further comprises an inner side leg, the inner side leg connects the inner end and the conveying belt, and the beam portion is connected between the outer side leg and the inner side leg.

12. The conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the beam portion of each support bridge in the first group of support bridges jointly forms a first side support surface, the beam portion of each support bridge in the second group of support bridges jointly forms a second side support surface, and the first side support surface and the second side support surface can jointly support a part to be processed.

13. The conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the first side support surface has a first inner side portion, the second side support surface has a second inner side portion, and the distance between the first inner side portion and the second inner side portion is less than a third preset distance.

14. The conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the distance between the first inner side portion/second inner side portion and the conveying surface is greater than a fourth preset distance.

15. The conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that an acute angle is formed between the outer side leg and the conveying surface, and an acute angle is formed between the inner side leg and the conveying surface.

16. The conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the support bridges in the first group of support bridges and the support bridges in the second group of support bridges are staggered in the lengthwise direction of the conveying belt.

17. The conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that an included angle is formed between the projection of the beam portion on the conveying surface of the conveying belt and the widthwise direction of the conveying belt.

18. The conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that in the conveying direction of the conveying belt, the outer end of each support bridge of the plurality of support bridges is located before the inner end.

19. The conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that each of the plurality of support bridges is made of a metal wire into one piece, the conveying belt is made of a metal mesh, and each of the plurality of support bridges is welded to the conveying belt.

20. The conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the distance between adjacent support bridges in each group of the first group of support bridges and the second group of support bridges is greater than a fifth preset distance.