JP6737574B2 - High frequency induction heating device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a high-frequency dielectric heating device that heats a dielectric or semiconductor processing object such as wood, plastic, food, ceramics, fibers, paper, rubber, and silicon by using high frequency (1 MHz to 1000 MHz).

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a high-frequency dielectric heating device that heats an object by utilizing a dielectric heating phenomenon by high frequency and further performs a drying process, a sterilization process, a thawing process, an adhesive process and the like through the heating. The high-frequency dielectric heating device supplies high-frequency electric power in a state where an object is sandwiched between opposing electrode plates of a predetermined size to heat the object by dielectric heating. There are many regular objects such as rectangular parallelepipeds and columnar objects to be heated, but there are also objects having a complicated shape. In particular, it is not easy to heat the latter object.

Patent Document 1 describes a high-frequency defrosting device that includes a lower electrode plate and an upper electrode plate of a predetermined size in a defrosting chamber, and applies a high-frequency electric field to a frozen food placed on the lower electrode plate from a high-frequency oscillator and a control unit. Has been done. In this high-frequency defroster, when the distance to the defrosted product is short, the electric field concentrates on the site, the dielectric constant increases, and heating and its concentration tend to proceed further. Therefore, during thawing, temperature is detected by the thawing state detection means, and based on the detected output, at least a small upper electrode plate is moved in the front-rear, left-right direction or up-down direction by the electrode plate driving means to perform uniform thawing. The uniform thawing is achieved in a short time regardless of the shape of the frozen food.

JP, 2002-359064, A

However, the high-frequency thawing device described in Patent Document 1 merely slides the small-sized upper electrode plate in the region immediately above the frozen food in the thawing chamber to the front, rear, left, and right, and also vertically slides. , It does not correspond to the surface shape of frozen food. Therefore, in such a slide method, there is a certain limit to uniform thawing. On the other hand, conventionally, it has been known that the thawed product is reversed and rotated to alleviate the partial heating, but the configuration and control for that are further required.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and changes the position and orientation of the electrode plate according to the surface shape of the object to be processed to realize more uniform dielectric heating of the object to be processed. Is provided.

The present invention, in a high-frequency dielectric heating device for performing dielectric heating by interposing a three-dimensional object to be processed between positive and negative electrode plates, a high-frequency generator that generates high-frequency power supplied between the positive and negative electrode plates, A robot arm having a mounting portion for mounting a first electrode plate, which is at least one of the electrode plates, in which the position and orientation of the first electrode plate can be changed, and the robot arm is driven to drive the first electrode plate. And a drive control unit for changing the position and orientation of the object according to the surface shape of the object to be processed.

According to the present invention, dielectric heating is performed by applying high-frequency power with a three-dimensional object to be processed interposed between the positive and negative electrode plates. The first electrode plate, which is one of the electrode plates, is attached to the robot arm via the attachment portion at the tip of the robot arm, and the drive control unit determines the position and orientation (orientation) according to the surface shape of the three-dimensional processing target object. Is change-controlled. Therefore, even if the shape of the object to be treated is complicated, the position and orientation of the first electrode plate are set according to the surface shape, for example, in contact with or in close proximity to the surface shape. Therefore, more uniform dielectric heating is possible. In consideration of a mode in which the shape of the object to be processed is previously input as data, for example, a distance sensor for detecting the surface shape is not essential.

Further, among the positive and negative electrode plates, the first electrode plate is smaller in size than the other second electrode plate. According to this configuration, since the position and orientation of the first electrode plate on the small size side can be changed by the robot arm with respect to the surface shape of the object to be processed, it is possible to suppress uneven distribution of the heating portion. ..

Further, if the first electrode plate is the negative electrode, it is sufficient to simply ground the robot arm to which the first electrode plate is attached, so that the high voltage insulating structure as in the case of the positive electrode is not required.

Further, the high frequency generator includes a high frequency oscillator and a matching unit, and the matching unit is attached to the robot arm. According to this configuration, the distance between the matching unit and the load side can be shortened, so that impedance matching with the load side is stabilized and energy loss is suppressed.

The drive control unit changes a position and an orientation of the first electrode plate according to a detection result of the shape detection unit. With this configuration, the position and orientation of the first electrode plate can be set according to the surface shape of the processing target object. In particular, it is effective when the surface shape of the object to be treated changes as the heat treatment progresses or as a result of abutting the first electrode plate.

Further, a force sensor for detecting a reaction force to the first electrode plate at the time of contact with the object to be processed is provided, and the drive controller is configured to detect the first electrode according to a detection result of the force sensor. Change the position and orientation of the board. According to this structure, the first electrode plate can be brought into contact with the surface of the object to be processed with a predetermined pressing force, so that more uniform heat treatment is expected.

Further, the temperature sensor includes a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the processing target, and the drive control unit changes the position and orientation of the first electrode plate according to the detection result of the temperature sensor. According to this configuration, it is possible to detect a region where the heating operation is insufficient, so that a more uniform heating process is expected.

When the mounting portion has a configuration in which electrode plates of a plurality of shapes are replaceably mounted, the size and shape of the object to be treated, or an electrode plate of a suitable type (size, shape, etc.) during heat treatment can be used. It will be possible to replace them, and it is expected that the heating efficiency will be improved. In particular, since the configuration is such that not only the position of the electrode plate but also the direction is set, a structure that allows replacement according to the position and application is preferable.

Moreover, when the attachment part includes a support part that supports the object to be processed, a shape change or the like may occur due to the heat treatment depending on the type of the object to be processed, and in such a case, the configuration to support the object to be processed. By providing the heat treatment, stable heat treatment can be achieved.

Further, when the attachment portion further attaches the second electrode plate, the object to be treated is gripped by the tip portion of the robot arm, so that the orientation of the robot arm is changed and the object to be treated is changed. By adjusting the posture of the object as well, more suitable heat treatment becomes possible.

Further, the robot arm has first and second robot arms, the first robot arm is attached with the first electrode plate as a positive electrode, and the second robot arm is provided on the other side. The second electrode plate, which is an electrode plate, is attached as a negative electrode, and the drive control unit drives the first and second robot arms. According to this configuration, the positive electrode side and the negative electrode side electrode plates are changed in position and orientation with respect to the object to be treated, and thus more uniform and effective heat treatment can be performed.

Further, the robot arm includes first and second robot arms, and the first electrode plate includes a first electrode plate for the first robot arm and a first electrode plate for the second robot arm. Becomes
The first electrode plate for the first robot arm is attached to the first robot arm and is one of a negative electrode and a positive electrode, and the first electrode plate for the second robot arm is attached to the second robot arm. And has the same pole as the first electrode plate for the first robot arm, and the drive control unit drives the first and second robot arms. According to this structure, since the heat treatment is performed by using the two electrode plates together, a more uniform and effective heat treatment can be performed.

According to the present invention, the object to be processed can be more uniformly dielectrically heated by changing the position and the direction of the electrode plate according to the surface shape of the object to be processed.

It is a block diagram of one Embodiment of the high frequency dielectric heating device which concerns on this invention, (a) is a general|schematic external view, (b) is a perspective view which shows the structure of a 1st electrode part. It is the whole block diagram including the control system of a high frequency dielectric heating device. It is a partial view showing an example of the wiring structure of the composition of the 1st electrode part. It is a partial view showing an example of the wiring structure of the composition of the 1st electrode part. It is a figure which shows an example of the attitude|position change of the 1st electrode part with respect to a to-be-processed object. It is a figure which shows local heating and a heating state in case a 1st electrode plate is a smaller size than a to-be-processed object. It is a block diagram which detects a heating state non-contact, (a) is the figure which attached the radiation thermometer to another part, (b), (c) is the figure which attached the radiation thermometer to the 1st electrode part. (A) is a figure explaining the exchangeable structure to another kind of 1st electrode plate, (b) (c) is a figure in the state where the different-sized 1st electrode plate was attached. It is a figure when the shape of a 1st electrode plate changes, (a) is a state of a flat plate at the time of normal, (b) is a figure of the state which contact|abutted to the surface of the processing object Ma, and was deformed. FIG. 3 is a structural diagram of an electrode plate for surface heating in which positive and negative electrode plates are integrally formed. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration in which positive and negative electrode plates are integrated and a first electrode plate is movable or pressable with respect to the other second electrode plate. It is a block diagram of the 1st electrode part provided with the clamping part which clamps a to-be-processed object. It is a block diagram of the 1st electrode part provided with the adsorption|suction part which hold|maintains a to-be-processed object. It is a figure which shows the wiring which makes a 1st electrode part a negative electrode. It is a figure which shows the circuit structure which made the robot arm itself the negative electrode. It is a figure which shows the structure which made the 1st electrode part the positive electrode. It is a block diagram in which each 1st electrode part of two robot arms is a positive and negative electrode plate, and a mounting part is an insulator. It is a block diagram in which each 1st electrode part of two robot arms is an electrode plate of a negative electrode, and a mounting part is a positive electrode. It is a block diagram explaining the structure which reciprocates a to-be-processed object with respect to a 1st electrode plate. It is a block diagram explaining the structure which reciprocates a robot arm itself with respect to a process target object. It is a block diagram in the state which attached the matching device and the high frequency oscillator to the robot arm. FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram in which a robot arm is supported by a negative electrode frame and one electrode portion is a positive electrode. It is a figure explaining the aspect which heat-processes a to-be-processed object indirectly, (a) is a case where two or more to-be-processed objects are accommodated in a container, and (b) is a case where one is accommodated. It is a figure explaining the aspect which produces a to-be-processed object by heat processing, (a) is a figure which shows the relationship between a to-be-processed object and a counter electrode, (b) is a figure which shows a heating part.

1A and 1B are configuration diagrams showing an embodiment of a high-frequency dielectric heating device according to the present invention, FIG. 1A is an overall external view, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing the configuration of one electrode plate side. FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram including a control system of the high frequency dielectric heating device.

In FIG. 1, a high-frequency dielectric heating device 1 includes a robot arm 10 which is an articulated robot, and a first electrode portion, which is one of positive and negative electrode plates that applies high-frequency dielectric heating to an object Ma to be processed. 20, a second electrode section 30 on the other electrode plate side, a high frequency generating section 40, a sensor section 50, a control section 60, a workbench on which the robot arm 10 is mounted, a work frame, and the like. The mounting part 70 is provided.

In the present embodiment, the robot arm 10 is, for example, a multi-joint robot arm having 6 degrees of freedom, and includes a base portion 11 fixed to the mounting portion 70 and a plurality of links 14 and 16 for transmitting displacement and force. , 18 are included. The plurality of links 14, 16, 18 are pivotally or rotatably connected to each other by a plurality of joints 13, 15, 17. Note that the base portion 11 may also have a structure that is rotatable around the axis. The robot arm 10 is also provided with an encoder (not shown) that detects the rotation angle of the rotation shafts provided in the joints 13, 15, 17 and an actuator that drives the joints, as is known. As these actuators, those having power corresponding to the required torque are adopted, and are driven based on a command from the control unit 60. The robot arm 10 has a structure in which the distal end of the link 18 at the distal end serves as a mounting portion, and the first electrode portion 20 is mounted therein as an end effector. The attachment portion at the tip of the link 18 may be screwed, for example, between the first electrode plate 20 and a shield plate 21 described later.

The control unit 60 includes a control device 61 and a robot control unit 62. The control device 61 is a well-known PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) using a microcomputer for sequence control, and executes sequence control according to a control program set in the ROM. The controller 61 also controls the operation of the high frequency oscillator 41 of the high frequency generator 40. The robot control unit 62 is a robot based on the detection output of the encoder and the surface shape data of the processing target that is input in advance and registered in a memory (not shown), and based on the detection outputs of various sensors and sequences described below. By operating the actuators of the joints 13, 15, 17 of the arm 10, the position and posture (direction) of the tip of the link 18, that is, the first electrode portion 20 is controlled. Further, the calibration of the various sensors 50, in particular, the relative positional relationship between the sensor position and the position of the first electrode plate 23 of the first electrode portion 20 attached to the robot arm 10 depends on the position and orientation of the first electrode plate 23. The information on the relative positional relationship may be acquired at the time of calibration because it is necessary for control.

The high-frequency generator 40 includes a high-frequency oscillator 41 that generates high-frequency power of the MHz order that is adopted to secure a half-power depth, and a matching unit 42. The high-frequency oscillator 41 has an oscillation circuit inside and converts and generates high-frequency power from a DC power source (not shown). The matching unit 42 is connected between the high frequency oscillator 41 and the object Ma to be processed such as a dielectric or a semiconductor which is a load to be dielectrically heated, and impedance matching between the high frequency oscillator 41 and the load side impedance including the object Ma to be processed. This is to stabilize the power transfer efficiency. In the present embodiment, the high frequency oscillator 41 and the matching unit 42 are connected by a power line 43 such as a coaxial cable, and the output side of the matching unit 42 is a coaxial cable or a power line 44 made of a strip-shaped copper wire. It consists of a cable. The power line 44 extends from the matching unit 42 and is guided to the first electrode unit 20 via a predetermined number of fasteners 441 made of an insulating material and attached along the surface of the robot arm 10. There are various dielectrics, semiconductors, and the like as the processing object Ma that is a load that is dielectrically heated, and here frozen meat foods such as livestock meat, fish meat, and minced meat can be exemplified.

The first electrode portion 20 and the second electrode portion 30 form an electrode portion. The object Ma to be processed is sandwiched between the first electrode section 20 and the second electrode section 30 in a contact or non-contact manner, or a high frequency electric field is applied to the object Ma to irradiate the object Ma to be dielectrically heated. The first electrode section 20 shows an example structure thereof in FIG. The first electrode unit 20 is connected to the tip of the robot arm 10, and the sensor unit 50 is attached at an appropriate position. In the example of FIG. 1, a force sensor 51, a distance sensor 52, and a temperature sensor 53 are provided as sensors. The force sensor 51 detects pressure, and in the present embodiment, detects a reaction force when the first electrode portion 20 contacts the processing object Ma. The distance sensor 52 functions as a shape detection unit that partially detects the surface shape of the processing object Ma, and uses a propagation medium such as ultrasonic waves or infrared rays to remotely detect the surface shape of the processing object Ma. To measure. Further, the shape detecting means may be a means for remotely measuring the surface shape of the processing object Ma by a known distance measuring device using an image sensor. Instead of the surface shape, the relative distance between each portion of the processing object Ma and the first electrode portion 20 may be measured. The temperature sensor 53 is a remote radiation thermometer, for example, and measures the surface temperature (surface temperature distribution) of the processing object Ma including the measurement target site. Note that the distance sensor 52 and the temperature sensor 53 may be attached to an appropriate place of the work frame of the mounting unit 70, for example, other than the first electrode unit 20, depending on the mode. Further, one distance sensor 52 is provided in the first electrode unit 20, and the measurement operation is continuously performed while the first electrode unit 20 is moving, so that the distance data to the surface of the processing object Ma is used to calculate the surface shape. On the other hand, in the aspect in which a plurality of them are provided, the surface shape can be measured more finely and quickly. Further, when the processing object Ma is changed in shape due to progress of heating or due to pressing by the first electrode portion 20, measurement data during processing is required in addition to the initial measurement data.

The first electrode portion 20 is attached to the tip of the link 18 via a force sensor 51. The first electrode portion 20 includes a shield plate 21 as a substrate attached to the force sensor 51, columns 22 made of an insulating material having a predetermined length and provided upright at four positions on the back surface of the shield plate 21, and a column 22. Has a plate-shaped first electrode plate 23 attached in parallel with the shield plate 21 at the tip thereof. The shield plate 21 has a size in which various sensor units 50 can be mounted. Further, the power line 44 is inserted into the shield plate 21 via a coaxial cable connector (not shown) provided at a proper position, and a power supply lead wire 45 made of a conductive material is further welded to the first electrode plate 23 for alignment. The container 42 and the first electrode plate 23 are connected to each other. The size or shape of the first electrode plate 23 is determined corresponding to the processing object Ma, and there are square plates and circular plates as the shape, and a square plate is adopted in the present embodiment. The first electrode plate 23 has a size smaller than that of the processing object Ma.

The second electrode portion 30 includes a flat plate-shaped second electrode plate 31 that faces the first electrode plate 23 of the first electrode portion 20, and in the present embodiment, the wiring 32 is set in the negative potential side. Grounded through. As the second electrode plate 31, as shown in FIG. 1A, one having a larger size than the processing object Ma is adopted. The position and orientation of the first electrode plate 23 is controlled with respect to the processing object Ma placed on the second electrode plate 31, and the processing object Ma is brought into contact with (contacted with) or approached the processing object Ma at a required pressure. Dielectric heating is applied in the state.

FIG. 3 is a partial view showing an example of the wiring structure of the first electrode section 20. A metal coaxial connector bracket 211 is attached to the shield plate 21 between the shield plate 21 and the first electrode plate 23 of the first electrode portion 20. A shield portion of the coaxial connector 46 is attached to the coaxial connector bracket 211, and the tip end side of the power line 44, which is a coaxial cable extended from the matching unit 42, is connected to the coaxial connector 46. In the coaxial connector 46, the tip of the power supply lead wire 45 surrounded by the insulator 221 is electrically connected to the first electrode plate 23.

FIG. 4 is a partial view showing an example of the wiring structure of the first electrode section 20. The power line 44 and the power supply lead wire 45 are strip-shaped metal wires, and are applied to a mode that outputs a high frequency higher than the withstand voltage of the coaxial cable. A support plate 212 is integrally laminated on the shield plate 21 if necessary. A notch 213 is formed in a part of the shield plate 21. The power supply lead wire 45 extending from the matching unit 42 on the tip side of the power line 44 is connected to the first electrode plate 23 via the notch 213. In order to insulate the power supply lead wire 45 from the shield plate 21, an insulating support column 24 having a height about the middle of the shield plate 21 and the first electrode plate 23 is provided at the top of the shield plate 21 and the first electrode plate 23. Alternatively, the power supply lead wire 45 may be supported (via) and connected to the first electrode plate 23. Alternatively, both the notch 213 and the insulating support 24 may be adopted.

In FIG. 5, the robot control unit 62 outputs a command to drive the robot arm 10 to control the position and orientation of the first electrode plate 23 of the first electrode unit 20, which is an end effector, and thereby the processing target object. Partial heating can be performed by contacting Ma at an appropriate position with an appropriate posture and a required pressure. Since the size of the first electrode plate 23 is smaller than the processing object Ma, the surface shape of the processing object Ma is continuously measured by the distance sensor 52 to obtain the surface shape, that is, the distance information to the surface. While confirming the surface temperature with the temperature sensor 53, the heating state is acquired, and the surface of the object Ma to be processed is heated more uniformly using these information so that the surface of the object Ma is kept in contact with or temporarily separated. Meanwhile, the contact position and the posture are repeatedly changed to continue the intended heat treatment. In the aspect in which the object Ma to be processed is heated in proximity (non-contact) to the object Ma, the force sensor 51 is not necessary, and the position and orientation of the first electrode plate 23 are determined by using the distance information from the distance sensor 52. To control. In this case, the force sensor 51 can also be used for detecting erroneous contact.

When there are a plurality of processing objects Ma and they have the same shape, the shape information may be input in advance and the heating operation may be performed based on the detected temperature information. On the other hand, when the shapes of the processing objects Ma are not the same (including the case where there is no guarantee that they are the same), it is possible to individually perform the heating processing by performing the above processing.

As shown in FIG. 6, the temperature sensor 53 is used to prevent the first electrode portion 20 from being heated on the surface of the processing object Ma, and the distance sensor 52 is used to delay the first electrode portion 20. The entire surface is uniformly heated by moving to the surface of and contacting the surface of the material and performing appropriate heat treatment. The controller 61 or the robot controller 62 refers to the temperature distribution (Tma: the view seen from the upper surface side) of the processing object Ma detected by the temperature sensor 53, and once the temperature is low, once the heating operation is performed. Suspending, moving the first electrode unit 20 to the upper part of the low temperature part, and changing the posture so that the first electrode part 20 comes into contact with the surface of the low temperature part in parallel with a predetermined pressure based on the detection results of the distance sensor 52 and the force sensor 51. .. Then, the heating operation is restarted. Such processing is the same in other embodiments. In addition, in FIG. 6, the 1st electrode part 20 has shown the state which heats the right part of the to-be-processed object Ma at a certain time, moves at another time, and is heating the left part.

7A and 7B are configuration diagrams for detecting a heating state in a non-contact manner. FIG. 7A is a diagram in which a radiation thermometer is attached to another part, FIG. 7B is a diagram in which a radiation thermometer is attached to the first electrode portion, and FIG. 8] is a diagram in which a radiation thermometer is attached to the center of the first electrode portion. FIG. 7A is attached to an appropriate place of the mounting portion 70, that is, a frame at a ceiling portion in this embodiment, facing downward, and measures the temperature distribution of the temperature of the entire area of the lower second electrode plate 31. Since the second electrode plate 31 corresponds to the size of the processing object Ma, the area is subdivided to measure the temperature. The first electrode unit 20 performs the heat treatment while moving along the surface of the processing object Ma. Then, for example, after the heat treatment is uniformly performed, if there is a portion lower than the preset heating temperature, the first electrode portion 20 is moved to the surface of the low temperature portion and the heat treatment is performed.

In FIG. 7B, a radiation thermometer that is a temperature sensor 53 is attached to the shield plate 21 of the first electrode unit 20. In FIG. 7C, a radiation thermometer which is a temperature sensor 53 is attached to the shield plate 21 at the center of the first electrode section 20. Further, a circular hole 230, for example, is bored at approximately the center of the first electrode plate 23, which is the direction of the temperature sensor 53, so that the temperature can be measured from the center. In any of the embodiments, the measurement area of the temperature sensor 53 is set to be narrow, and the temperature measurement is performed by separating the first electrode plate 23 of the first electrode portion 20 from the processing object Ma.

FIG. 8A is a diagram for explaining a structure in which the first electrode plate can be replaced with another type, and FIGS. 8B and 8C are diagrams in which first electrode plates of different sizes are attached. .. A flat magnet plate 25, which is an example of a lock structure of the first electrode plate 23, is attached in parallel to the shield plate 21 at the tip of the pillar 22 made of an insulating material that is erected from the shield plate 21. The first electrode plate 23 of a required size is attracted to the surface of the magnet plate 25 (the lower surface side in FIG. 8) by magnetic force. As shown in FIGS. 8B and 8C, the first electrode plate 23 is replaced with a first electrode plate 231 having a size corresponding to the second electrode plate 31 to a first electrode plate 232 having a small size. It is possible, and by this, it can be replaced depending on the type of the processing object Ma or during the heat treatment, and the workability can be improved.

9A and 9B are diagrams when the shape of the first electrode plate is variable, FIG. 9A is a state of a flat plate in a normal state, and FIG. 9B is a diagram of a state in which the surface of the object Ma to be processed is contacted and deformed. .. In this embodiment, there may be one pair of columns 22b in the depth direction of the drawing, and in that case, the columns 22b are composed of a total of four columns. Each pair of support columns 22b is coupled to the shield plate 21 via a hinge 221b on the base end side. Further, the tip ends of the columns 22b are connected to the first electrode plate 23b via hinges 232b or simply by being coupled. The first electrode plate 23b is made of a thin metal plate so as to have flexibility, or has a plate-like shape in which an upper surface side is laminated with a flexible resin plate for reinforcement. In this way, the first electrode plate 23b is configured to be changeable in shape, and the first electrode plate 23b is deformed along the surface of the processing object Ma, so that uniform heating is possible. In this case, the force sensor 51 may contact with a predetermined reaction force.

FIG. 10 is a structural diagram of an electrode plate for heating the surface layer, in which positive and negative electrode plates are integrally formed. That is, in the electrode part according to the present embodiment, the first electrode part 20c and the second electrode part 30c are integrally configured in FIG. 10(a), and the first electrode part 20d and the first electrode part 20d are configured in FIG. 10(b). The two electrode portions 30d are integrally formed, and the shape of the entire electrode portion may be a circular ring shape or a square ring shape in plan view.

In FIG. 10A, a positive first electrode plate 23c is provided in the center, and a second electrode plate 31c is concentrically arranged outside the first electrode plate 23c. The first electrode plate 23c and the second electrode plate 31c may be integrated with each other via an insulating member or the like. In FIG. 10B, there is a negative second electrode plate 31d in the center, a first electrode plate 23d is arranged with a gap immediately outside thereof, and a second electrode plate with a gap further outside thereof. A plate 31e is provided. The first electrode plate 23d and the second electrode plates 31d and 31e may be parallel rod-shaped (strip-shaped) or concentric with each other, and may be integrated with each other through an insulating member or the like. With this configuration, the object Ma to be processed can be dielectrically heated by the electric field generated in the surface layer portion indicated by the arrow. Then, the position and the posture of the electrode portion are controlled by the robot arm 10 so as to approach the surface of the object Ma to be processed in parallel or contact the surface of the object Ma. In addition,
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration in which positive and negative electrode plates are integrated and the first electrode plate is movable or pressable with respect to the second electrode plate. At the tip of the link 18 of the robot arm 10, a frame 26 made of a metal material and having a U-shaped cross section is attached. A second electrode plate 31f is attached to the base end of the frame 26 so as to face the upper arm 261 of the frame 26. Further, an air cylinder 27 that is long in the direction of the second electrode plate 31f is fitted to the upper arm portion 261 of the frame 26 via a through hole (not shown). The cylinder shaft 271 of the air cylinder 27 moves in and out toward the second electrode plate 31f side by controlling the air pressure. The first electrode portion 20e is attached to the tip of the cylinder shaft 271. Therefore, by moving the cylinder shaft 271 back and forth, the distance between the first electrode plate 23e and the second electrode plate 31f can be adjusted. By changing the posture of the second electrode plate 31f by the robot arm 10, for example, inclining the second electrode plate 31f, the shape of the easily deformable object Ma or the sealed object Ma having viscosity or fluidity can be appropriately changed. By closely contacting or pressing the first electrode plate 23e, it is possible to heat the object Ma of this type more uniformly. Although the air cylinder 27 is used in the embodiment, a hydraulic cylinder or an electric cylinder may be used.

FIG. 12 is a configuration diagram of the first electrode unit including the holding unit 19 that holds the processing object Ma. A holding portion 19 is attached to the tip of the link 18 of the robot arm, and a first electrode portion 20 is attached to the tip side thereof. The holding unit 19 has a pair of hands 192 facing each other, and is configured to be opened and closed by a drive unit such as a motor or a cylinder (not shown). The pair of hands 192 are provided so as to sandwich the first electrode portion 20, and when the hand 192 is closed, the processing object Ma is sandwiched to stabilize the position. Therefore, even when the shape changes due to the heat treatment, the heat treatment is performed while maintaining the shape. Further, the processing object Ma can be sandwiched and conveyed by the holding section 19.

FIG. 13 is a configuration diagram of the first electrode unit including the holding unit 19a that holds the processing target Ma. A holding portion 19a is attached to the tip of the link 18 of the robot arm 10, and the first electrode portion 20 is attached to the tip side of the link 18 via the substrate 190a. The holding portion 19a has a pair of opposed cylinders 191a, and also has a suction portion 192a that is driven to move up and down in the vertical direction by the cylinder 191a and that can perform a suction operation with, for example, a vacuum pump (not shown). When holding the processing object Ma, the cylinder 191a is advanced downward from the first electrode plate 23, and the surface portion of the processing object Ma is adsorbed and held by the adsorption portion 192a, and the robot arm 10 uses the second electrode. The plate 31 is moved to a predetermined position. By holding and moving the processing object Ma by the suction unit 192a, the processing object Ma can be positioned and uniform heat treatment can be performed.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a wiring in which the first electrode portion 20 is a negative electrode. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration in which the robot arm itself has a negative polarity. First, in the configuration shown in FIG. 14, a plurality of columns 34 made of an insulating material and having a predetermined length are erected on the back surface side of the second electrode plate 31 on which the processing object Ma is mounted, and the tips of the columns 34 are provided. A metal substrate 35 is arranged on the side. Further, the substrate 35 and the first electrode plate 23 are connected. Further, the positive electrode side of high frequency output is connected to the second electrode plate 31, and the negative electrode side of high frequency output is connected to the substrate 35. The configuration shown in FIG. 15 is different from the configuration in FIG. 14 in that the substrate 35 is connected to the first electrode plate 23 via the casing of the robot arm 10 or each link. By setting the first electrode portion 20 connected to the robot arm 10 to the negative electrode side as described above, a structure for insulating the robot arm 10 from the ground is unnecessary, and the operability of the robot arm 10 is maintained. In addition, the simplicity of the structure is maintained.

FIG. 16: is a figure which shows the structure which made the 1st electrode part 20f the positive electrode. The first electrode portion 20f has a connecting member 28 attached to the tip of the robot arm 10 and made of an insulating material, and the first electrode plate 23f is attached to the tip side thereof. Further, the positive electrode side of the high frequency output is connected to the first electrode plate 23f, and the negative electrode side is connected to the second electrode plate 31. According to this configuration, the first electrode portion 20f can be set to the positive electrode side through the connecting member 28, the operability of the robot arm 10 is maintained, and the structural simplicity is also maintained.

FIG. 17 is a configuration diagram in which one of the two robot arms is provided with the first electrode portion and the other is provided with the second electrode portion. In this embodiment, the first electrode portion 20A is attached to the robot arm 10A, while the second electrode portion 30B is attached to the robot arm 10B. The robot arms 10A and 10B have the same structure. The first electrode portion 20A and the first electrode plate 23A have the same shape as the first electrode portion 20 and the first electrode plate 23, and the first electrode plate 23A is connected to the positive electrode side in this embodiment. There is. On the other hand, a second electrode portion 30B as an end effector is attached to the tip of the robot arm 10B. In the embodiment of FIG. 17, the second electrode portion 30B has a second electrode plate 31B and is connected to the negative electrode side. The second electrode plate 31B may have the same size and shape as the first electrode plate 23A, but an appropriate size and shape can be adopted according to the processing object Ma. The shield plate of the first electrode portion 20A and the second electrode plate 30B of the second electrode portion 30B are electrically connected (not shown). Therefore, the electric field is generated between the first electrode plate 23A of the first electrode portion 20A and the second electrode plate 31B of the second electrode portion 30B. According to this structure, the electric field can be generated at any position and orientation within the processing object Ma, and more uniform heating can be performed. In this case, the control unit 60 may control the operation of the two robot arms 10A and 10B in cooperation with each other.

FIG. 18 is a configuration diagram in which each of the first electrode portions of the two robot arms is a negative electrode plate, and the mounting portion is a positive electrode. In this embodiment, the robot arm 10C has the first electrode portion 20C attached thereto, while the robot arm 10D has the first electrode portion 20D attached thereto. The robot arms 10C and 10D have the same structure. However, the first electrode plate 23C and the first electrode plate 23D do not have to have the same shape. Then, the negative electrode side of the high frequency output is connected to the first electrode plate 23C and the second electrode plate 23D via the substrate 35 connected to the ground, and the positive electrode side is connected to the second electrode plate 31 serving as a common electrode plate. There is. Therefore, the electric field is generated between the first electrode plate 23C of the first electrode portion 20C and the second electrode plate 31, and between the first electrode plate 23D of the first electrode portion 20D and the second electrode plate 31, respectively. To be done. Similar to the configuration shown in FIG. 14, a plurality of columns 34 made of an insulating material and having a predetermined length are erected on the back surface side of the second electrode plate 31 on which the processing object Ma is mounted, and the tip side of the columns 34. The metal substrate 35 is arranged in the. According to such a configuration, when the processing object Ma is large or has an irregular shape, the heating process can be more effectively and quickly performed. Further, the control unit 60 may control the operation of the two robot arms 10A and 10B individually or in cooperation with each other.

FIG. 19 is a configuration diagram illustrating a configuration in which the processing target object reciprocates with respect to the first electrode plate. In the present embodiment, the second electrode plate 31 has a configuration capable of moving relative to the first electrode plate 23. A slide portion 80 is provided on the back surface side of the second electrode plate 31 on which the processing object Ma is mounted. The slide portion 80 includes a pillar 81 provided upright on the back surface of the second electrode plate 31, a horizontally long slide plate 82 attached to the tip of the pillar 81, and the slide plate 82 integrated with the second electrode plate 31. And a drive source 83 such as a motor for moving in the left-right direction. With such a configuration, both the first electrode plate 23 and the second electrode plate 31 can be made movable, which is effective in the case of the processing object Ma having a size exceeding the operation range of the robot arm 10.

FIG. 20 is a configuration diagram illustrating a configuration in which the robot arm 10 itself reciprocates with respect to a processing object. In the present embodiment, the first electrode portion 20 is configured to be displaced and changed in posture with respect to the second electrode plate 31, and relatively movable in the left-right direction indicated by the arrow by the slide portion 80b. The slide portion 80b slidably supports the base portion 11 of the robot arm 10. The slide portion 80b includes an insulative laterally long slide plate 81b on which the base portion 11 is mounted, and a drive source 82b such as a motor that moves the slide plate 81b integrally with the base portion 11 in the left-right direction indicated by the arrow. There is. According to this configuration, the robot arm 10 itself can be moved in addition to the position change of the first electrode plate 23, so that it is possible to perform the heating process on the processing object Ma having a size exceeding the operation range of the robot arm 10. ..

FIG. 21 is a configuration diagram of a state in which the matching device and the high frequency oscillator are attached to the robot arm. If the power line circuit up to the load of high frequency signals is unnecessarily lengthened, the factors that affect the impedance matching increase accordingly. In addition, it causes energy loss due to radiation of electromagnetic energy from the power line side circuit. Therefore, it is preferable to shorten the high frequency output circuit portion as much as possible and guide the high frequency output to the first electrode portion 20. In this embodiment, the matching device 42 is attached to the robot arm 10 near the tip thereof. The high frequency oscillator 41 is also attached to the robot arm 10. A coaxial cable 43 is connected between the high frequency oscillator 41 and the matching device 42.

FIG. 22 is a configuration diagram in which a robot arm is supported by a negative electrode frame and the first electrode portion is used as a positive electrode. For example, it is applied when there is not enough space for placing the robot arm 10 in the lower area. In the present embodiment, the mounting portion 70b includes a ceiling portion 71b, a bottom plate portion 72b that also serves as a second electrode plate, and a side wall portion 73b that integrates them. The circuit parts 41 and 42 and the control parts 61 and 62 are attached using the ceiling part 71b and the side wall part 73b. The robot arm 10 has a base portion 11 attached to the back surface side of the ceiling portion 71b, is vertically hung down, and has a first electrode portion 20 attached to the tip thereof. According to such a configuration, it is possible to secure a desired atmospheric environment inside the mounting portion 70b, and a suitable heat treatment environment can be set according to the type of the processing object Ma, or heating separated from the outside can be performed. Processing becomes possible.

Next, FIG. 23 and FIG. 24 are diagrams showing an example of indirectly performing heat treatment on the processing object Ma. First, FIG. 23 is a diagram for explaining a mode of indirectly performing heat treatment on an object to be treated. (a) shows a case where a plurality of objects to be treated are accommodated in a container, and (b) accommodates one. That is the case. The robot arm 10 is omitted in the figure. The shape of the processing object Ma (Ma1, Ma2) in the container BOX may be known or may be detected by the distance sensor 52 in real time. In FIG. 23A, since the processing object Ma accommodated on the left side of the container BOX is lower in volume than the processing object Ma2 on the right side, the first electrode portion 20 is above the left part of the container BOX, and Heating is performed while moving in a horizontal position at a position close to the container BOX1, for example, from left to right. Then, when it reaches the position of the processing object Ma2, for example, it moves diagonally upward while maintaining a horizontal posture, and when it reaches a predetermined height, it switches to horizontal movement, and thereafter, the processing object Ma2 moves. Heating. In addition, in FIG. 23B, the first electrode portion 20 is inclined so as to be parallel to the surface shape of the upper portion of the processing target Ma that is accommodated, and is directed to one side, here, from the left side to the right direction. Heat treatment is performed while moving. As described above, even when the processing object Ma (Ma1, Ma2) is housed in the container BOX due to its nature or handling, the processing object is indirectly heated via the container BOX. It becomes possible to process.

24A and 24B are views for explaining a mode in which the object to be processed is produced by heat treatment, FIG. 24A is a view showing the relationship between the object to be processed and the counter electrode, and FIG. The robot arm 10 is omitted in the figure. The processing object Ma is, for example, a container 90 made by assembling wood. In the container 90, an adhesive such as a thermosetting resin is applied to the end portions of the side plates 911 on the four sides having predetermined vertical and horizontal differences and thickness to form a connecting portion of the frame body. In this state, the first and second electrodes are formed. The plates 23 and 31 are brought into contact with each other so as to sandwich the upper and lower edges of the side plate 911 coated with the adhesive, and heating is performed. In this embodiment, the processing object Ma is manufactured by directly heating the processing object Ma and by heating the adhesive which is a manufacturing component. In this way, by adopting the robot arm 10 and controlling the position and the posture in a wide range, it becomes possible to apply the manufacturing target Ma of various forms to the fabrication, machining, and processing.

In the present embodiment, the frozen food for thawing is exemplified as the processing object Ma, but as the processing object Ma, processed wood or the like that heats and bonds the adhesive layer interposed between the laminated members, or the like. It is also applicable to dry materials such as ceramics and wood to be dried, drinkable or medicinal fluids to be heat-sterilized, powders, solids, and other processed materials by heating.

1 High-frequency dielectric heating device 10 Robot arm 18 Link (part of mounting part)
19 Clamping part (support part)
19a Holding part (supporting part)
20 1st electrode part 23 1st electrode plate 23C 1st electrode plate (1st electrode plate for 1st robot arms)
23D First electrode plate (first electrode plate for second robot arm)
25 Magnet plate (mounting part)
30 2nd electrode part 31 2nd electrode plate 40 High frequency generation part 43 Matching device 50 Measurement sensor 51 Force sensor 52 Distance sensor (shape detection means)
53 temperature sensor 60 control unit 61 control device 62 robot control unit 70 mounting unit Ma processing target

Claims (8)

In a high frequency dielectric heating device that performs dielectric heating by interposing a three-dimensional object to be processed between the positive and negative electrode plates,
A high-frequency generator that generates high-frequency power supplied between the positive and negative electrode plates;
A robot arm having a mounting portion for mounting a first electrode portion having a positive electrode plate of the positive and negative electrodes at a tip thereof, the position and orientation of the first electrode portion being changeable,
A drive control unit that drives the robot arm to change the position and orientation of the first electrode unit according to the surface shape of the processing target;
The first electrode portion is provided between the shield plate attached to the attachment portion of the robot arm, the positive electrode plate arranged in parallel with the shield plate, and the shield plate and the positive electrode plate. A pillar made of an insulating material interposed in the
The high-frequency dielectric heating device , wherein the shield plate includes at least one of a force sensor interposed between the shield plate and the mounting portion, a shape detection unit mounted on the shield plate, and a temperature sensor . The high frequency dielectric heating device according to claim 1, wherein the positive electrode plate is smaller in size than the negative electrode plate. The high frequency generator includes a high frequency oscillator and a matching unit,
The high frequency dielectric heating device according to claim 1, wherein the matching unit is attached to the robot arm. The force sensor detects a reaction force to the electrode plate of the positive electrode at the time of contact with the processing object,
The drive control unit, high-frequency dielectric heating apparatus according to claim 1, Ru is change the position and orientation of the first electrode portion in accordance with a detection result of the force sensor. The shape detection means detects the surface shape of the processing object ,
The high frequency dielectric heating device according to claim 1 , wherein the drive control unit changes a position and an orientation of the first electrode unit according to a detection result of the shape detection unit . The temperature sensor measures the temperature of the processing object ,
The high frequency dielectric heating device according to claim 1 , wherein the drive control unit changes a position and an orientation of the first electrode unit according to a detection result of the temperature sensor . The first electrode portion, the magnet plate is attached to the distal end of the strut, the positive electrode of the electrode plate is attracted to the magnet plate of claim 1, wherein that you have attached to the post The high-frequency dielectric heating device according to any one of claims. The mounting portion, the high-frequency dielectric heating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, Ru provided with a support portion that supports the processing object.