JP6948408B2 - Heat treatment furnace - Google Patents

Description

The technique disclosed herein relates to a heat treatment furnace that heat-treats an object to be treated.

The object to be treated may be heat-treated using a heat treatment furnace (for example, a roller hers kiln). This type of heat treatment furnace is provided with a plurality of transfer rollers, and transfers the object to be processed by rotating the transfer roller with the object to be processed placed on the transfer roller. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-64189 discloses an example of a heat treatment furnace.

In this type of heat treatment furnace, in order to increase productivity, a plurality of objects to be processed are placed on a transfer roller in a direction perpendicular to and horizontal to the transfer direction (hereinafter, also referred to as the first direction) (hereinafter, also referred to as the second direction). Are placed side by side, and these multiple objects to be processed may be transported at the same time. In such a case, a plurality of objects to be processed are simultaneously carried into the heat treatment furnace in a state of being lined up in the second direction. Then, the plurality of objects to be processed are conveyed in the heat treatment furnace by the transfer roller and carried out from the heat treatment furnace. Since the plurality of objects to be processed arranged side by side in the second direction are conveyed using the same transfer roller, they should ideally be carried out in the state of being carried in from the heat treatment furnace. However, when the object to be processed is placed on the transfer roller, the transfer roller may be bent due to the weight of the object to be processed, and the deflection becomes larger as it is closer to the central portion of the transfer roller. For this reason, the object to be processed placed on the outside of the transport roller tends to tilt inward, and when it is carried out from the heat treatment furnace, it comes into contact with the object to be processed placed on the inside and the object to be processed on the inside. The problem of interfering with the transportation of the heat treatment can occur. If the object to be processed on the outside interferes with the transportation of the object to be processed on the inside, it becomes impossible to carry out the plurality of objects to be processed in an aligned state from the heat treatment furnace. This problem becomes remarkable especially in a heat treatment furnace in which the transport distance of the object to be processed is long.

The present specification discloses a technique for preventing a plurality of objects to be processed, which are placed side by side in a horizontal direction and a direction perpendicular to the transport direction (second direction), from coming into contact with each other when they are carried out from the heat treatment furnace. ..

The heat treatment furnace disclosed in the present specification heat-treats the object to be treated. The heat treatment furnace includes a heat treatment section provided with a space for heat-treating the object to be processed, a carry-out section for carrying out the object to be processed from the heat treatment section, and a plurality of transfer rollers arranged in the heat treatment section to convey the object to be processed. ing. The transport roller can place a plurality of objects to be processed side by side in the second direction which is horizontal and perpendicular to the first direction which is the transport direction. In the carry-out portion, one or two objects to be processed, which are placed on the outside of the plurality of objects to be processed arranged side by side in the second direction, are placed inside the one or two objects to be processed. It is configured to be transported outward with respect to the object to be processed.

In the above heat treatment furnace, the outer object to be processed (the object to be processed arranged on the end side of the transfer roller) is the inner object to be processed (the object to be processed arranged from the center of the transfer roller) in the carry-out portion. ), Therefore, it is possible to prevent the outer object to be processed carried out from the heat treatment furnace from coming into contact with the inner object to be processed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the transport (progress) of the inner object to be processed from being hindered by the outer object to be processed, and it becomes easier to recover the object to be processed after the heat treatment. Further, since it is possible to prevent the inner object to be processed from coming into contact with the outer object to be processed at the carry-out portion, it is possible to prevent the object to be processed from being damaged.

It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the heat treatment furnace which concerns on Example, and is the vertical sectional view when the heat treatment furnace is cut in the plane parallel to the transport direction of the object to be processed. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG. The top view which shows the schematic structure of the carry-out part. The figure for demonstrating the direction in which an object to be processed is conveyed in a heat-treated part.

The main features of the examples described below are listed. It should be noted that the technical elements described below are independent technical elements and exhibit technical usefulness alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. No.

(Feature 1) In the heat treatment furnace disclosed in the present specification, the carry-out portion is provided with a stopper for aligning a plurality of objects to be processed arranged side by side in the second direction so that the positions in the first direction are the same. You may. According to such a configuration, the object to be processed can be aligned in the first direction (that is, the transport direction), so that the object to be processed can be easily collected.

(Feature 2) In the heat treatment furnace disclosed in the present specification, a transport roller for transporting a plurality of objects to be processed to be carried out from the heat treatment section may be installed in the carry-out section. The transport roller installed in the carry-out portion may include a partial transport roller divided into a plurality of parts in the second direction. The partial transfer roller installed on the outside of the divided partial transfer rollers may be arranged so that the object to be processed is conveyed outward. According to such a configuration, by dividing the transport roller of the carry-out portion, the transport direction of the object to be processed in the carry-out portion can be easily adjusted.

(Feature 3) In the heat treatment furnace disclosed in the present specification, the partial transfer roller installed on the outside may have a longer shaft length than the partial transfer roller installed on the inside. According to such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the object to be transported by the partial transport roller arranged on the outside from jumping out of the partial transport roller.

Hereinafter, the heat treatment furnace 10 according to the embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the heat treatment furnace 10 includes a heat treatment section 20, a carry-in section 34, a carry-out section 40, and a transfer device 50. The heat treatment furnace 10 heat-treats the object to be processed 12 while the object to be processed 12 is conveyed in the heat treatment section 20 by the transfer device 50.

Examples of the object 12 to be treated include a laminate in which a ceramic dielectric (base material) and an electrode are laminated, a positive electrode material and a negative electrode material of a lithium ion battery, and the like. When the ceramic laminates are heat-treated using the heat treatment furnace 10, they can be placed on a flat plate-shaped setter and conveyed in the furnace. Further, when the positive electrode material and the negative electrode material of the lithium ion battery are heat-treated using the heat treatment furnace 10, they can be housed in a box-shaped saggar and transported in the furnace. In the heat treatment furnace 10 of this embodiment, a plurality of setters and bowls can be placed and transported in a state of being lined up in the transport direction on the transport rollers 52, 54, 56a, 56b, 58 (described later). Hereinafter, in the present embodiment, the entire combination of the substance to be heat-treated, the setter on which the substance to be heat-treated is placed, and the container containing the heat-treated substance is referred to as "object 12 to be treated". Further, in the following description, the direction in which the object to be processed 12 is conveyed (the direction perpendicular to the YZ plane in FIG. 1) may be referred to as a "transportation direction" or a "first direction", and is horizontal and perpendicular to the first direction. (Direction perpendicular to the XZ plane in FIG. 1) may be referred to as a "second direction".

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

A plurality of transfer rollers 52 and a plurality of heaters 30 and 32 are arranged in the space 24. The heaters 30 are arranged at positions above the transport roller 52 at equal intervals in the transport direction, and the heaters 32 are arranged at positions below the transport roller 52 at equal intervals in the transport direction. The heat generated by the heaters 30 and 32 heats the inside of the space 24. In this embodiment, the heaters 30 and 32 are arranged at equal intervals in the transport direction, but the configuration is not limited to this. The heater may be appropriately changed and arranged at a desired position according to, for example, the type of the object 12 to be processed, the heat treatment conditions of the heat treatment unit 20, and the like. Further, in this embodiment, the heaters 30 and 32 are arranged in the space 24, but the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. It suffices if the space 24 can be heated, and for example, a gas burner or the like may be installed in the space 24.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the heat treatment section 20, a plurality of objects 12 to be processed are conveyed side by side in the second direction. In this embodiment, in the heat treatment section 20 (that is, the entire heat treatment furnace 10), the three objects to be processed 12 are transported side by side in the second direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, the dimension of the heat treatment section 20 in the second direction is larger than the dimension in which three objects 12 to be processed are arranged in the second direction, but the dimension of the heat treatment section 20 in the second direction is larger. , Not particularly limited. The dimension of the heat treatment unit 20 in the second direction may be such that more than three objects 12 to be processed can be arranged and conveyed in the second direction. For example, four objects 12 to be processed are arranged in the second direction. It may be a size that can be transported, a size that can be transported by arranging five, or a size that can be transported by arranging six. Further, the dimension of the heat treatment section 20 in the transport direction is relatively large, about 100 m, but the dimension of the heat treatment section 20 in the transport direction is not particularly limited. For example, the dimension of the heat treatment unit 20 in the transport direction may be smaller than 100 m, 30 m to 100 m, or larger than 100 m. In the following description, when a plurality of objects 12 to be processed are lined up in the second direction, the center side in the second direction is referred to as "inside", and the end side (+ Y direction and) with respect to the center in the second direction. -Y direction) may be referred to as "outside". The object 12 to be processed is continuously carried into the heat treatment unit 20 at predetermined intervals. Therefore, the objects to be processed 12 are arranged side by side not only in the second direction but also in the transport direction.

The carry-in section 34 is located on the upstream side of the heat treatment section 20 (that is, on the upstream side in the transport direction, in the −X direction of the heat treatment section 20 in FIG. 1). The carry-in unit 34 receives the object to be processed 12 carried from the outside of the heat treatment furnace 10 and carries the received object 12 into the space 24 of the heat treatment unit 20. A transfer roller 52 is installed in the carry-in unit 34, and the object 12 to be processed carried from the outside of the heat treatment furnace 10 is conveyed by the transfer roller 52.

The carry-out section 40 is located on the downstream side of the heat treatment section 20 (that is, on the downstream side in the transport direction, and in FIG. 1, in the + X direction of the heat treatment section 20). The carry-out unit 40 carries out the object to be processed 12 from the space 24 of the heat treatment unit 20, and delivers the carried-out object 12 to the outside of the heat treatment furnace 10. Transfer rollers 54, 56a, 56b, 58 are installed in the carry-out portion 40, and the object 12 to be processed is conveyed out of the space 24 by the transfer rollers 54, 56a, 56b, 58. The specific configuration of the carry-out unit 40 will be described in detail later.

The transfer device 50 includes a plurality of transfer rollers 52, 54, 56a, 56b, 58, a drive device 60, and a control device 62. The transport device 50 transports the object to be processed 12 carried to the carry-in section 34 from the carry-in section 34 through the opening 26 into the space 24 of the heat treatment section 20. Further, the transport device 50 transports the object 12 to be processed from the opening 26 to the opening 28 in the space 24. Then, the transport device 50 transports the object 12 to be processed from the space 24 through the opening 28 to the carry-out portion 40. The object 12 to be processed is conveyed from the carry-in portion 34 to the carry-out portion 40 by the transfer rollers 52, 54, 56a, 56b, 58.

The transport rollers 52, 54, 56a, 56b, 58 are cylindrical and all have substantially the same diameter. The transport rollers 52, 54, 56a, 56b, and 58 are rotatably supported around their axes, and rotate by transmitting the driving force of the driving device 60.

A plurality of transfer rollers 52 are installed in the carry-in section 34 and the heat treatment section 20 (see FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 2, the axis of the transfer roller 52 extends in the second direction, and the axial dimension of the plurality of transfer rollers 52 is larger than the dimension of the heat treatment unit 20 in the second direction. Further, the plurality of transport rollers 52 are arranged at equal intervals in the transport direction at a constant pitch (see FIG. 1). The transfer roller 52 installed in the heat treatment unit 20 and the transfer roller 52 installed in the carry-in unit 34 may be arranged at different pitches.

A plurality of transport rollers 54, 56a, 56b, and 58 are arranged in the carry-out portion 40 (see FIG. 3). The axial dimensions of the transport rollers 54, 56a, 56b, and 58 are all smaller than the axial dimensions of the transport roller 52. The configuration of the transfer rollers 54, 56a, 56b, and 58 in the carry-out unit 40 will be described in detail later.

The drive device 60 (see FIG. 1) is a drive device (for example, a motor) that drives the transfer rollers 52, 54, 56a, 56b, 58. The drive device 60 is connected to the transfer rollers 52, 54, 56a, 56b, 58 via a power transmission mechanism. When the driving force of the drive device 60 is transmitted to the transfer rollers 52, 54, 56a, 56b, 58 via the power transmission mechanism, the transfer rollers 52, 54, 56a, 56b, 58 rotate. As the power transmission mechanism, a known one can be used, and for example, a mechanism using a sprocket and a chain is used. The drive device 60 drives each of the transfer rollers 52, 54, 56a, 56b, 58 so that the transfer rollers 52, 54, 56a, 56b, 58 rotate at substantially the same speed. The drive device 60 is controlled by the control device 62.

Here, the configuration of the carry-out unit 40 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 3, the carry-out section 40 is provided with a first transport section 42 and a second transport section 44. Further, a transport roller 54, 56a, 56b, 58 and a stopper 46 are installed in the carry-out portion 40. In FIG. 3, of the three objects 12 to be placed side by side in the second direction, the one placed in the center (inside) of the second direction is defined as the object 12a to be processed, and the + Y direction in the second direction. The object placed on the side is referred to as the object to be processed 12b, and the object placed on the −Y direction side in the second direction is distinguished as the object to be processed 12c. Hereinafter, when it is necessary to distinguish the object 12 to be processed, it is described using alphabets along the characters such as the objects 12a to 12c to be processed, and when it is not necessary to distinguish the object 12 to be processed, it is simply processed. It is described as thing 12.

The first transport unit 42 is located on the upstream side (-X direction side in FIG. 3) of the second transport unit 44. The first transport unit 42 is connected to the heat treatment unit 20 and receives the object to be processed 12 carried out from the heat treatment unit 20. Transport rollers 54, 56a, and 56b are installed in the first transport unit 42. The second transport unit 44 is located on the downstream side (+ X direction side in FIG. 3) of the first transport unit 42. The second transport unit 44 is connected to the first transport unit 42, and receives the object 12 transported by the first transport unit 42. Transport rollers 54 and 58 are installed in the second transport unit 44.

A plurality of transfer rollers 54 are installed in each of the first transfer unit 42 and the second transfer unit 44, that is, a plurality of transfer rollers 54 are installed over the entire area of the carry-out unit 40. The transport roller 54 is arranged substantially in the center of the second direction, and its axis extends parallel to the second direction. Further, the plurality of transport rollers 54 are arranged at regular intervals in the transport direction (X direction in FIG. 3). The pitch at which the transfer rollers 54 are arranged and the pitch at which the transfer rollers 52 installed in the heat treatment unit 20 and the carry-in unit 34 are arranged are the same. The pitch at which the transport rollers 54 are arranged may be different from the pitch at which the transport rollers 52 installed in the heat treatment section 20 and the carry-in section 34 are arranged. As described above, the axial dimension of the transport roller 54 is smaller than the axial dimension of the transport roller 52 (see FIG. 2). When the carry-out portion 40 is viewed in the transport direction, all the transport rollers 54 are arranged so as to substantially match each other. The transfer roller 54 receives the object to be processed 12 (that is, the object to be processed 12a) conveyed at substantially the center of the transfer roller 52 in the carry-in section 34 and the heat treatment section 20 from the heat treatment section 20, and the object to be processed 12a in the carry-out section 40. To transport.

A plurality of transfer rollers 56a and 56b are installed in the first transfer section 42, and a plurality of transfer rollers 56a and 56b are arranged adjacent to both ends of the transfer roller 54 in the second direction (+ Y direction side and −Y direction side in FIG. 3). .. Specifically, the transport roller 56a is arranged on the + Y direction side of the transport roller 54 installed in the first transport unit 42, and the transport roller 56b is the transport roller 54 installed in the first transport unit 42. It is arranged on the −Y direction side. That is, in the first transport unit 42, the transport rollers 56b, 54, and 56a are arranged in the second direction (Y direction) in this order.

The transport roller 56a transports the object to be processed 12 (that is, the object to be processed 12b) transported outside the transport roller 52 (specifically, on the + Y direction side) in the carry-in section 34 and the heat treatment section 20. The axis of the transport roller 56a has its outer end (+ Y direction end) shifted to the upstream side (-X direction side) with respect to the inner end (-Y direction end). , The plurality of transport rollers 56a are all tilted at the same angle with respect to the Y direction. Further, the plurality of transport rollers 56a are arranged in parallel and at equal intervals at a constant pitch. Therefore, the object to be processed 12b conveyed by the transfer roller 56a is conveyed obliquely toward the outside (+ Y direction side) with respect to the transfer direction. Since the object to be processed 12b is obliquely conveyed by the transfer roller 56a, the transfer distance of the object to be processed 12b by the transfer roller 56a is longer than the transfer distance of the object to be processed 12a by the transfer roller 54. Therefore, the pitch at which the transfer rollers 56a are arranged is slightly longer than the pitch at which the transfer rollers 54 are arranged. (The same applies to the transfer roller 56b described later.) Instead of making the pitch at which the transfer roller 56a is arranged longer than the pitch at which the transfer roller 54 is arranged, the pitch at which the transfer roller 56a is arranged is set so that the transfer roller 54 is arranged. The number of transport rollers 56a arranged in the first transport unit 42 may be larger than the number of transport rollers 54 arranged in the first transport unit 42 so as to have the same pitch. Further, the axial dimension of the transport roller 56a is smaller than the axial dimension of the transport roller 52 (see FIG. 2) and larger than the axial dimension of the transport roller 54. Although the details will be described later, the object to be processed 12b transported by the transport roller 56a may be tilted as compared with the state in which the object to be processed 12b is placed on the transport roller 52 by the carry-in portion 34. Therefore, especially when the outer circumference of the object to be processed 12 is rectangular, when the object to be processed 12b is placed obliquely on the transfer roller 56a, the length of the object to be processed 12b to come into contact with one transfer roller 56a. Becomes larger. Since the axial dimension of the transport roller 56a is larger than the axial dimension of the transport roller 54, it is possible to prevent the object to be processed 12b from being placed so as to protrude from the transport roller 56a.

Further, the transport roller 56b transports the object to be processed 12 (that is, the object to be processed 12c) transported outside the transport roller 52 (specifically, on the −Y direction side) in the carry-in section 34 and the heat treatment section 20. The axis of the transport roller 56b has its outer end (-Y direction end) shifted to the upstream side (-X direction side) with respect to the inner end (+ Y direction end). , The plurality of transport rollers 56 b are all tilted at the same angle with respect to the Y direction. As is clear from FIG. 3, the directions in which the transport rollers 56a and 56b are tilted are one in the clockwise direction and the other in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. However, the inclination angles (absolute values) of the transport rollers 56a and 56b are the same. Further, the plurality of transport rollers 56b are arranged in parallel and at equal intervals at a constant pitch. Therefore, the object to be processed 12c transported by the transport roller 56b is transported obliquely toward the outside (−Y direction side) with respect to the transport direction. Further, the axial dimension of the transport roller 56b is smaller than the axial dimension of the transport roller 52 (see FIG. 2) and larger than the axial dimension of the transport roller 54. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the object to be processed 12c from being placed so as to protrude from the transport roller 56b. In this way, in the first transport unit 42, the objects to be processed 12b and 12c (that is, the objects to be processed 12b and 12c placed on the outside) conveyed by the transfer rollers 56a and 56b are conveyed outward, respectively. Therefore, while the first transport unit 42 is being transported, the objects to be processed 12b and 12c placed on the outside are the objects to be processed 12a (that is, the inside) to be transported by the transport roller 54 installed inside. It is separated from the object to be processed 12a) placed on the surface, and the distance between them is increased.

A plurality of transfer rollers 58 are installed in the second transfer section 44, and a plurality of transfer rollers 58 are arranged at both ends of the transfer roller 54 in the second direction (+ Y direction side and −Y direction side in FIG. 3). The axes of the plurality of transport rollers 58 extend parallel to the second direction. Further, the plurality of transport rollers 58 are arranged at equal intervals at the same pitch as the transport rollers 54 in the transport direction (X direction in FIG. 3). Specifically, the transfer roller 58 is installed on the same axis as the transfer roller 54. The transport roller 58 transports the objects to be processed 12b, 12c transported by the transport rollers 56a, 56b in the first transport unit 42. The axial dimension of the transport roller 58 is smaller than the axial dimension of the transport roller 52 (see FIG. 2) and larger than the axial dimension of the transport roller 54. As described above, the objects to be processed 12b and 12c transported by the transport rollers 56a and 56b in the first transport unit 42 may be transported in an obliquely inclined state. Since the axial dimension of the transport roller 58 is larger than the axial dimension of the transport roller 54, it is possible to prevent the objects 12b and 12c to be processed from being placed so as to protrude from the transport roller 58. .. The transfer rollers 54, 56a, 56b, and 58 are examples of "partial transfer rollers".

The stopper 46 is installed in the second transport unit 44. The stopper 46 has a flat plate shape and is installed perpendicular to the transport direction. The stopper 46 is installed at a position where it overlaps with the transport roller 54 and the two transport rollers 58 when viewed from the transport direction (that is, the heat treatment unit 20 side), and the three stoppers 46 are on the same straight line in the second direction. Is located in. The stopper 46 is movable in the vertical direction, and can be moved between the lower end position where the stopper 46 comes into contact with the object 12 to be processed and the upper end position where the stopper 46 does not come into contact with the object 12 to be processed. .. When the stopper 46 is located at the lower end position, the stopper 46 and the object to be processed 12 come into contact with each other, and further transportation of the object to be processed 12 is restricted. On the other hand, when the stopper 46 is located at the upper end position, the stopper 46 and the object to be processed 12 are not in contact with each other, and the object to be processed 12 can be further conveyed. When the transport rollers 54, 58, 58 rotate while the stopper 46 is located at the lower end position, the object 12 to be transported to the second transport portion 44 first comes into contact with the entire front end surface in the transport direction. Will be transported until When the transport rollers 54, 58, 58 further rotate while the object to be processed 12 is in contact with the stopper 46, the stopper 46 corrects the inclination of the object to be processed 12. Further, the objects 12a to 12c to be processed, which are placed side by side in the second direction in the carry-in unit 34, continue to rotate the transfer rollers 54, 58, 58 until all three are aligned by the stopper 46. That is, the stopper 46 can align (align) the positions of the objects to be processed 12a to 12c placed side by side in the second direction in the transport direction. When the positions of the objects to be processed 12a to 12c in the transport direction are aligned by the stopper 46, the stopper 46 moves to the upper end position. By further rotating the transfer rollers 54, 58, 58 in this state, the objects to be processed 12a to 12c can be carried out from the heat treatment furnace 10. In this embodiment, since all the objects to be processed 12a to 12c placed side by side in the second direction can be aligned by the stopper 46, a plurality of objects 12 to be processed can be simultaneously placed outside the heat treatment furnace 10 from the carry-out unit 40. It can be easily carried out. In this embodiment, the stopper 46 is configured to come into contact with the object to be processed 12 at the lower end position and not to come into contact with the object 12 to be processed at the upper end position, but the stopper 46 is to be processed at the upper end position. It may be configured so as to come into contact with the object 12 and not to come into contact with the object 12 to be processed at the lower end position. Further, in this embodiment, three stoppers 46 are installed, but the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, one stopper having a length extending over the entire second direction of the transport rollers 58, 54, 58 may be installed.

Further, a sensor (not shown) for detecting that the object to be processed 12 is aligned by the stopper 46 is installed in the second transport unit 44. For example, an optical sensor can be used as the sensor. In this case, the sensor is arranged below or above the transport rollers 54 and 58, and on the surface where the stopper 46 comes into contact with the object 12 to be processed (the surface on the −X direction side in FIG. 3), the front end surface of the object 12 to be processed. By detecting that the optical path is blocked by the size, it is possible to detect that the objects to be processed 12 are aligned. The sensor may be any as long as it can detect that the objects 12 to be processed are aligned by the stopper 46, and the type of the sensor is not limited. For example, a pressure sensor may be used as the sensor. The sensor is connected to the control device 62, and a signal from the sensor is input to the control device 62.

Next, the operation of the heat treatment furnace 10 when the object 12 to be treated is heat-treated will be described. In order to heat-treat the object 12 to be processed, first, the heaters 30 and 32 are operated to set the ambient temperature of the space 24 to a set temperature. Next, the object to be processed 12 is moved from the outside of the heat treatment furnace 10 onto the transfer roller 52 installed in the carry-in portion 34. At this time, three objects 12 to be processed are placed side by side in the second direction. Next, the drive device 60 is operated to convey the three objects 12 to be processed arranged in the second direction from the carry-in portion 34 through the opening 26 into the space 24 of the heat treatment portion 20. The object 12 to be conveyed in the space 24 is conveyed in the space 24 from the opening 26 to the opening 28. As a result, the object 12 to be treated is heat-treated. Then, the heat-treated object 12 to be processed is conveyed to the carry-out section 40 through the opening 28, and the object to be processed 12 placed side by side in the carry-in section 34 is aligned in the transport direction by the stopper 46 at the carry-out section 40. NS. The aligned object 12 to be processed is carried out from the carry-out unit 40.

In the carry-in unit 34, the three objects 12 to be processed are placed on the transfer roller 52 in a state of being arranged in the second direction. Then, since the three objects 12 to be processed are conveyed by the same transfer roller 52, they are conveyed from the carry-in section 34 to the heat treatment section 20 in a state of being arranged in the second direction. However, as shown in FIG. 2, when the object to be processed 12 is placed on the transfer roller 52, the transfer roller 52 bends due to the weight of the object to be processed 12. In this embodiment, since three objects 12 to be processed are arranged in the second direction, the axial dimension of the transport roller 52 is relatively long, and the central portion (that is, the inside) of the transport roller 52 is relative to the outside. The deflection increases. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the object to be processed 12 placed on the outside of the transport roller 52 is easily tilted inward and transported. In particular, since the heat treatment furnace 10 of this embodiment has a relatively long dimension in the transport direction of the heat treatment section 20, the inward inclination of the object to be processed 12 placed on the outside of the transport roller 52 conveys the heat treatment section 20. It tends to grow while it is being used.

The transportation of the object 12 to be processed by the carry-out unit 40 will be described in more detail. As shown in FIG. 3, of the three objects to be processed 12 transported from the heat treatment unit 20 to the unloading unit 40, the object to be processed 12a placed inside is transported to the unloading unit 40 with almost no inclination. .. In the carry-out portion 40, the object to be processed 12a is conveyed to the stopper 46 by the transfer roller 54, and when it is slightly tilted, the inclination is corrected by the stopper 46.

On the other hand, the objects to be processed 12b and 12c placed on the outside may be tilted inward while being conveyed by the heat treatment unit 20. In the first transport section 42 of the carry-out section 40, the transport rollers 56a and 56b arranged on the outside are installed so as to be inclined toward the outside, so that the objects to be processed 12b and 12c are transported toward the outside, respectively. .. As a result, the objects to be processed 12b and 12c placed on the outside are separated from the objects to be processed 12a placed on the inside, and the distance between them is widened. The objects 12b and 12c to be processed are conveyed to the first conveying section 42 and the second conveying section 44 while being tilted inward. Then, when it is conveyed to the stopper 46, the inclination of the objects to be processed 12b and 12c is corrected by the front end faces of the objects to be processed 12b and 12c coming into contact with the stopper 46.

At this time, the timing at which the inclination of the three objects 12a to 12c is corrected by the stopper 46 may be different from each other. In such a case, the rotation of the transport rollers 54 and 58 for transporting the object 12 whose inclination has been corrected may be stopped. For example, when the inclination of the object to be processed 12a is first corrected by the stopper 46, the object to be processed 12a is conveyed from the time the inclination of the object 12a is corrected until the inclination of the objects 12b and 12c is corrected. The rotation of the roller 54 is stopped. If the transport roller 54 is continuously rotated even after the inclination of the object to be processed 12 is corrected by the stopper 46, friction occurs between the object to be processed 12a and the transfer roller 54, and the transfer roller 54 is worn. Wear of the transport rollers 54, 58 by stopping the rotation of the transport rollers 54, 58 for transporting the object to be processed 12 whose inclination has been corrected first until the inclination of the other object to be processed 12 is corrected. Can be suppressed.

In this embodiment, in the first transport section 42 of the carry-out section 40, the transport rollers 56a and 56b installed on the outside are installed at an angle toward the outside. As a result, the objects to be processed 12b and 12c placed on the outside are conveyed outward at the carry-out portion 40. As described above, when the objects to be processed 12a to 12c are placed side by side in the second direction, the objects to be processed 12b and 12c placed on the outside are likely to be inclined inward while the heat treatment unit 20 is being conveyed. If the objects to be processed 12b and 12c placed on the outside are tilted inward, the objects to be processed 12b and 12c placed on the outside may interfere with the transportation of the objects to be processed 12a placed on the inside. Then, the object to be processed 12a placed inside cannot reach the stopper 46, and the plurality of objects to be processed 12a to 12c arranged in the second direction cannot be aligned. The heat treatment furnace 10 of this embodiment is configured such that the objects to be processed 12b and 12c placed on the outside are conveyed outward in the carry-out section 40. Therefore, the objects to be processed 12b and 12c placed on the outside and the objects to be processed 12a placed on the inside can be separated from each other, and the objects to be processed 12b and 12c placed on the outside can be placed inside. It is possible to avoid hindering the transport of the object to be processed 12a.

In the embodiment, the transport rollers 52, 54, 56a, 56b, and 58 all have the same diameter, but the configuration is not limited to this. For example, the diameter of the transport roller installed in the heat treatment section 20 may be different from the diameter of the transport roller installed in the carry-in section 34 and the carry-out section 40, and the diameter of the transport roller may be different from that of the type of the object 12 to be processed. It may be changed as appropriate according to the conditions of heat treatment and the like. Further, in the present embodiment, the drive device 60 drives each of the transfer rollers 52, 54, 56a, 56b, 58 so that the transfer rollers 52, 54, 56a, 56b, 58 rotate at substantially the same speed. However, it is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the heat treatment furnace 10 includes a plurality of drive devices having different driving forces, and the transfer roller 52 installed in the heat treatment unit 20 by the plurality of drive devices is a transfer roller installed in the carry-in section 34 and the carry-out section 40. It may be configured to rotate at a different speed than 52, 54, 56a, 56b, 58.

Further, in this embodiment, the axes of the transport rollers 56a and 56b installed in the first transport portion 42 of the carry-out portion 40 are all tilted at the same angle with respect to the Y direction, but the configuration is limited to such a configuration. Not done. For example, when viewed in a plan view, the locus connecting the center points of the transport rollers 56a and 56b may be installed so as to be a smooth curve, for example, a spline curve. In such a case, the transport rollers 56a and 56b are installed so as to be orthogonal to the spline curve. By installing the transfer rollers 56a and 56b in this way, adjacent transfer rollers are provided at the boundary portion between the heat treatment section 20 and the first transport section 42 and the boundary portion between the first transport section 42 and the second transport section 44. The difference in the angle of the axial lines between them can be reduced, and the objects to be processed 12b and 12c can be smoothly conveyed.

Further, in the present embodiment, the transport rollers 54 and 58 are installed in the second transport portion 44 of the carry-out portion 40, but the configuration is not limited to this. For example, a transport roller 52 may be installed in the second transport unit 44. The objects to be processed 12b and 12c placed on the outside are transported toward the outside by the first transport unit 42. Therefore, even if the transport roller is not divided in the second direction in the second transport portion 44, the dimension of the carry-out portion 40 in the transport direction is small, so that the transport roller is placed inside by the object 12 placed on the outside. It is possible to avoid hindering the transport of the object 12 to be processed.

Further, in the present embodiment, the transport rollers 54, 56a, 56b, 58 divided in the second direction are installed in the carry-out portion 40, but the configuration is not limited to this. It suffices that the objects to be processed 12b and 12c placed on the outside in the carry-out portion 40 are conveyed toward the outside. For example, transfer rollers having different roller diameters are installed in one transfer roller. You may. Specifically, the first transport unit 42 may be provided with a transport roller in which the roller diameter of the portion for transporting the objects to be processed 12b and 12c placed on the outside becomes smaller toward the outside. .. By using such a roller, the distance to convey the objects to be processed 12b and 12c is larger on the inner side with respect to the outer side, and the objects to be processed 12b and 12c are conveyed obliquely toward the outer side.

Further, in this embodiment, the three objects to be processed 12a to 12c are placed side by side in the second direction, but the configuration is not limited to this. The carry-out portion 40 may be configured such that the object to be processed 12 placed on the outside is conveyed outward to the object to be processed 12 placed on the inside, and is covered in the second direction. More than three processed objects 12 may be placed side by side. For example, when four objects 12 to be processed are placed side by side in the second direction, two objects 12 to be processed are placed on a transfer roller (corresponding to a transfer roller 54 in FIG. 3) installed in the center of the carry-out unit 40. Are placed side by side in the second direction, and the objects to be processed 12 may be placed one by one on the transport rollers (corresponding to the transport rollers 56a, 56b, 58 in FIG. 3) installed on the outside. .. When five objects 12 to be processed are placed side by side in the second direction, one object 12 to be processed is placed on a transfer roller (corresponding to the transfer roller 54 in FIG. 3) installed in the center. Two objects to be processed 12 may be placed side by side in the second direction on the transfer rollers (corresponding to the transfer rollers 56a, 56b, 58 in FIG. 3) installed on the outside. When six objects to be processed 12 are placed side by side in the second direction, the two objects to be processed 12 are placed in the second direction on a transfer roller (corresponding to the transfer roller 54 in FIG. 3) installed in the center. The objects to be processed 12 may be placed side by side on the transport rollers (corresponding to the transport rollers 56a, 56b, 58 in FIG. 3) installed on the outside side by side in the second direction. With such a configuration, in the carry-out portion 40, the 1 or 2 object to be processed 12 placed on the outside and the 1 or 2 object to be processed 12 placed on the inside can be separated from each other. It is possible to prevent the object to be processed 12 placed on the outside from being hindered by the object to be processed 12 placed on the inside.

Although specific examples of the techniques disclosed in the present specification have been described in detail above, these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of claims. The techniques described in the claims include various modifications and modifications of the specific examples illustrated above. In addition, the technical elements described in the present specification or the drawings exhibit technical usefulness alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing.

Claims (3)

A heat treatment furnace that heat-treats an object to be processed.
A heat treatment section provided with a space for heat-treating the object to be treated,
A carry-out part for carrying out the object to be treated from the heat-treated part, and a carry-out part.
It is provided with a plurality of transport rollers arranged in the heat treatment section and transports the object to be processed.
The transfer roller can place a plurality of objects to be processed side by side in a second direction that is horizontal and perpendicular to the first direction, which is the transfer direction.
In the carry-out portion, one or two objects to be processed, which are placed on the outside of the plurality of objects to be processed arranged side by side in the second direction, are placed inside the one or two objects to be processed. It is configured to be transported outward with respect to the object to be placed .
A transport roller for transporting a plurality of objects to be processed to be carried out from the heat treatment section is installed in the carry-out section.
The transport roller installed in the carry-out portion includes a partial transport roller divided into a plurality of parts in the second direction.
The partial transport roller installed on the outside of the divided partial transport rollers is arranged so that the object to be processed is transported outward.
The partial transfer rollers installed on the outside of the divided partial transfer rollers are arranged so that the locus connecting the center points of the partial transfer rollers becomes a spline curve when the plurality of transfer rollers are viewed in a plan view. It has been, heat treatment furnace. The heat treatment furnace according to claim 1, wherein the carry-out portion includes a stopper for aligning the plurality of objects to be processed arranged side by side in the second direction so that the positions in the first direction are the same. .. The heat treatment furnace according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the partial transfer roller installed on the outside has a longer shaft length than the partial transfer roller installed on the inside.

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