JP7673038B2 - Heating Furnace - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a heating furnace.

Regarding heating furnaces, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-295978 discloses a firing furnace equipped with a flue (exhaust passage) formed integrally with the furnace wall and an exhaust duct connected to the flue. In this firing furnace, the flue includes an outlet hole, a horizontal passage, a cleaning hole, and a lid member. The outlet hole is formed through the furnace wall. The horizontal passage is connected to the outlet hole and is formed to a predetermined length along the furnace wall. The cleaning hole is provided through the side wall that constitutes the horizontal passage. The lid member is removably attached to the cleaning hole. The publication states that this means that the inside of the flue can be cleaned by removing the lid member even during operation of the firing furnace, eliminating the need to stop operation of the firing furnace for long periods of time to clean the flue.

JP 2002-295978 A

Heating furnaces are used in the firing process in the manufacture of ceramic products. In the manufacture of ceramic products, a binder removal process may be performed before the firing process, in which the workpiece is heated at a temperature lower than the firing temperature. This removes the binder from the workpiece and suppresses cracks during firing. This binder removal process generates exhaust gas containing the binder. The binder in the exhaust gas may adhere to the inner walls of the exhaust gas flow path. For this reason, in heating furnaces that perform binder removal processes, maintenance (inspection and cleaning) of the exhaust gas flow path is performed periodically.

The inventors wish to improve the maintainability of the exhaust gas flow path in such heating furnaces.

The heating furnace disclosed herein includes a furnace body having a furnace wall surrounding a heating space in which the workpiece is heated, an exhaust duct attached to the upper part of the furnace body, and an exhaust passage unit. The furnace body has a first exhaust passage formed in the furnace wall and communicating with the heating space, a second exhaust passage formed in the furnace wall and communicating with the exhaust duct, a storage space formed inside the furnace wall in which the exhaust passage unit is housed and communicating with the first exhaust passage and the second exhaust passage, and an outlet formed in the furnace wall and communicating with the storage space. The exhaust passage unit is a case body disposed in the storage space, has a cavity therein, and has a first opening communicating with the first exhaust passage and a second opening communicating with the second exhaust passage. In addition, the exhaust passage unit is provided so as to be replaceable with the exhaust duct attached to the furnace wall through the outlet. With this configuration, the maintainability of the exhaust gas flow passage in the heating furnace can be improved.

The exhaust passage unit may include a case having an opening, a bottom wall facing the opening, and a side wall extending from the bottom wall toward the opening, with a first opening provided in the bottom wall, and a lid body that closes the opening of the case and has a second opening provided in the lid body.

The first opening and the second opening may be provided on different axes and may not overlap each other.

The case may have a first member and a second member that are attached so as to be separable from each other and that bisect the bottom wall and the side wall. The first member may have a first crank portion having a crank shape to which the second member is attached. The second member may have a second crank portion that corresponds in shape to the first crank portion to which the first member is attached.

The storage space may be sized to allow the exhaust path unit to move along the bottom of the storage space. The exhaust path unit may be configured to be inserted into the storage space from the outlet, moved along the bottom from the outlet side to the exhaust duct side, communicated with the first exhaust path through the first opening, communicated with the second exhaust path through the second opening, and moved along the bottom from the exhaust duct side to the outlet side, and taken out of the storage space from the outlet.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a heating furnace 1 . FIG. 2 is a plan view of the exhaust path unit 60. As shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the heating furnace 1.

The following describes preferred embodiments of the technology disclosed herein. Note that matters other than those specifically mentioned in this specification that are necessary for implementing the technology disclosed herein can be understood as design matters for a person skilled in the art based on the prior art in the relevant field. The technology disclosed herein can be implemented based on the contents disclosed in this specification and common technical knowledge in the relevant field.

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the heating furnace 1. The symbols "L", "R", "U", and "D" shown in the drawing represent "left", "right", "upper", and "lower", respectively. As shown in Figure 1, the heating furnace 1 comprises a furnace body 10, an exhaust duct 100, and an exhaust path unit 60. Each component will be described below.

(1) Heating furnace 1
The heating furnace 1 is, for example, a furnace for heating the workpiece A. In this embodiment, the heating furnace is a continuous heating furnace that continuously heats the workpiece A while transporting it in a predetermined direction (from the front side to the back side in FIG. 1). The heating furnace 1 is, for example, a roller hearth kiln equipped with a plurality of transport rollers 20. The heating furnace 1 is equipped with, for example, a tunnel-shaped furnace body 10 extending along the direction in which the workpiece A is transported (hereinafter, also simply referred to as the "transport direction"). The plurality of transport rollers 20 are continuously arranged along the transport direction of the workpiece A so that, for example, the positions in the vertical direction are aligned. As shown in FIG. 1, the workpiece A is placed on the plurality of transport rollers 20. The workpiece A is transported in a predetermined direction, for example, by rotating each of the transport rollers 20. Note that the mechanism for rotating the transport rollers 20 can adopt a conventionally known configuration without particular limitation, and does not limit the technology disclosed herein, so that a description thereof will be omitted.

Figure 1 also shows the binder removal area of the heating furnace 1. In this binder removal area, the workpiece A is heated at a lower temperature than the firing area described below. This removes the binder from the workpiece A. This heating process (binder removal process) generates exhaust gas containing the binder from the workpiece A. Here, in the binder removal area of the heating furnace 1, multiple heaters 30 are arranged along the transport direction to heat the workpiece A. These heaters 30 are arranged at a predetermined interval along the transport direction of the workpiece A. The temperature of the heating space 10i in the binder removal area is adjusted appropriately according to the type of workpiece A so that the binder can be properly removed.

After passing through the binder removal area, the workpiece A is further transported downstream in the transport direction. Although not shown, a firing area is provided in front of the binder removal area. In the firing area, the workpiece A is transported while being fired at a predetermined temperature. This allows the desired ceramic product to be manufactured. The heating temperature in the firing area can be changed as appropriate depending on the type of desired ceramic product. In addition, this type of continuous heating furnace may also have areas other than the binder removal area and firing area (such as a cooling area). However, the structure of the areas other than the binder removal area can be any conventionally known configuration without particular restrictions, and is not intended to limit the technology disclosed herein, so a description will be omitted.

(2) Furnace body 10
The furnace body 10 is a portion where the workpiece A is heated. As shown in FIG. 1, the furnace body 10 has a furnace wall 12. The furnace wall 12 is a member that surrounds the heating space 10i. In this embodiment, the furnace wall 12 has a first wall 13, a second wall 15, and a third wall 17 from the inside (here, the heating space 10i) to the outside. The furnace wall 12 is made of, for example, a heat insulating material. The furnace wall 12 may be made of, for example, ceramic fiber boards formed into a predetermined shape stacked on top of each other. The ceramic fiber board is, for example, a plate material formed into a plate shape by adding an inorganic filler and an inorganic/organic binding material to so-called bulk fiber. The ceramic fiber boards constituting the furnace wall 12 may be stacked, for example, in the thickness direction. The number of stacked ceramic fiber boards is not particularly limited, and can be set appropriately depending on, for example, the heating temperature of the workpiece A. In addition, the material of the ceramic fiber board can be changed appropriately depending on, for example, the arrangement position in the furnace wall 12. For example, a ceramic fiber board having a relatively high density and compactness may be arranged on the heating space 10i side of the furnace wall 12, and a ceramic fiber board having a relatively low density and compactness (high porosity) may be arranged on the outer side of the furnace wall 12.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the first wall 13 and the second wall 15 form a two-layer structure, and a third wall 17 is provided along the upper surface of the second wall 15. In this embodiment, the first wall 13 forms the innermost surface of the furnace wall 12. As shown in FIG. 1, the first wall 13 is provided with a through hole 13h. The first wall 13 is made of, for example, a ceramic fiber board that has a relatively high density and compactness from the viewpoint of improving the durability of the furnace wall 12. Although not shown in the figure, the first wall 13 may be made by stacking and assembling a plurality of ceramic fiber boards.

The second wall 15 is provided outside the first wall 13. Here, the second wall 15 is provided so as to cover the outer surface of the first wall 13. As shown in FIG. 1, the second wall 15 is provided with a through hole 15h. The through hole 15h may be provided, for example, large enough to accommodate the exhaust path unit 60 described below. The second wall 15 is made of a ceramic fiber board that is relatively highly porous, for example, from the viewpoint of making it easier to control the temperature of the heating space 10i. Although not shown in the figure, the second wall 15 may be made by stacking and assembling a plurality of ceramic fiber boards.

The third wall 17 constitutes the uppermost surface of the furnace wall 12. In this embodiment, the third wall 17 can function as a lid that covers a part of the through hole 15h of the second wall 15. On the other hand, the third wall 17 is provided with a first through hole 17h1 and a second through hole 17h2. As shown in FIG. 1, the first through hole 17h1 overlaps with a part of the through hole 15h to form an outlet S2. As shown in FIG. 1, the second through hole 17h2 has an exhaust duct 100 inserted therethrough. The third wall 17 is made of a ceramic fiber board that is relatively highly porous, similar to the second wall 15, from the viewpoint of making it easier to control the temperature of the heating space 10i. Although not shown, the third wall 17 may be made by stacking and assembling a plurality of ceramic fiber boards.

1, the furnace body 10 has a first exhaust passage 40, a second exhaust passage 50, a storage space S1, and an outlet S2. The first exhaust passage 40 is formed, for example, in the furnace wall 12 and communicates with the heating space 10i. As shown in FIG. 1, the first exhaust passage 40 extends upward from the inner wall surface of the furnace wall 12 (here, the inner surface of the first wall 13). In this embodiment, the first exhaust passage 40 is inside the through hole 13h of the first wall 13. The second exhaust passage 50 is formed in the furnace wall 12 and communicates with the exhaust duct 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the second exhaust passage 50 extends upward from the inner wall surface of the storage space S1 (here, the lower surface of the third wall 17). In this embodiment, the second exhaust passage 50 is inside the second through hole 17h2 of the third wall 17. In this embodiment, the exhaust duct 100 is inserted into the second through hole 17h2 (here, the second exhaust path 50). This allows communication between the second exhaust path 50 and the exhaust duct 100. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the first exhaust path 40 and the second exhaust path 50 are provided on different axes. In addition, the first exhaust path 40 and the second exhaust path 50 are provided so as not to overlap each other.

The storage space S1 is, for example, a space formed inside the furnace wall 12, and is a space in which the exhaust path unit 60 is stored. In this embodiment, the first wall 13, the second wall 15, and the third wall 17 are configured so that the through hole 15h of the second wall 15 becomes a space inside the furnace wall 12, and further the storage space S1 is formed. As shown in FIG. 1, the storage space S1 is a space in which the outer surface of the first wall 13 is the bottom S1a, the inner wall surface of the through hole 15h of the second wall 15 is the side wall S1b, and the lower surface of the third wall 17 is the ceiling S1c.

In this embodiment, the storage space S1 communicates with the first exhaust path 40 and the second exhaust path 50. In FIG. 1, the bottom S1a of the storage space S1 has a through hole 13h in the first wall 13. Therefore, the storage space S1 communicates with the first exhaust path 40. In addition, the ceiling S1c of the storage space S1 has a second through hole 17h2 in the third wall 17, so that the storage space S1 communicates with the second exhaust path 50.

The outlet S2 is, for example, an opening for taking out the exhaust path unit 60 to the outside of the furnace wall 12. Here, the outlet S2 is formed in the furnace wall 12 and communicates with the storage space S1. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the first through hole 17h1 of the third wall 17 constitutes the outlet S2. In this embodiment, the through hole 15h of the second wall 15 and the first through hole 17h1 (outlet S2) of the third wall 17 partially overlap. Therefore, the exhaust path unit 60 can be taken out to the outside of the furnace wall 12 or put into the storage space S1 from the overlapping portion of the through hole 15h and the first through hole 17h1 (outlet S2). A sealing member 70 is attached to the outlet S2.

(3) Exhaust duct 100
The exhaust duct 100 is, for example, a hollow cylindrical member that communicates the heating space 10i with the outside (see FIG. 1). In this embodiment, the exhaust duct 100 is superimposed on the second opening 60h2 of the exhaust path unit 60, so that the exhaust duct 100 communicates with the exhaust path unit 60 and, by extension, with the heating space 10i. As shown in FIG. 1, the upper end of the exhaust duct 100 is open to the outside. The exhaust duct 100 may be made of the same material as the first wall 13.

(4) Exhaust passage unit 60
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the exhaust path unit 60. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 2. The exhaust path unit 60 is, for example, a member that communicates with the first exhaust path 40 and the second exhaust path 50. Here, the exhaust path unit 60 is a case body having a cavity 60s therein (see FIG. 1). As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the exhaust path unit 60 includes a case 60A and a cover body 60B. In this embodiment, the case 60A is hexahedral in shape and has a rectangular bottom wall 6A1 and an opening 6AH. In this embodiment, the bottom wall 6A1 is provided with a first opening 60h1. The opening 6AH faces the bottom wall 6A1. The case 60A includes, for example, a pair of opposing first side walls 6A2 and a pair of opposing second side walls 6A3. The first side walls 6A2 extend from opposing long sides of the bottom wall 6A1. The second side walls 6A3 extend from opposing short sides of the bottom wall 6A1.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the case 60A includes a first member 61 and a second member 62. In this embodiment, the first member 61 and the second member 62 are configured to be separable from each other. Here, the first member 61 and the second member 62 divide the bottom wall 6A1 and the first side wall 6A2 of the case 60A in half. For example, the case 60A can be obtained by combining the first member 61 and the second member 62 with each other.

2 and 3, the first member 61 constitutes a part of the left side of the case 60A. Here, the first member 61 has a part of the bottom wall 6A1 (the part on the left side in the figure), a part of the first side wall 6A2 (the part on the left side in the figure), and one of the second side walls 6A3 (the second side wall 6A3 on the left side in the figure). As shown in FIG. 3, the first member 61 has a first opening 60h1 in the bottom wall 6A1. The first member 61 has, for example, an end 601 on the opposite side to the second side wall 6A3 (the right side in FIG. 2) to which the second member 62 is attached. As shown in FIG. 2 and 3, the cross section of the bottom wall 6A1 at the end 601 is superimposed on the cross section of the bottom wall 6A1 at the end 602 of the second member 62.

The first member 61 also has a first crank portion 61a at the end 601. Here, the end shape of the first side wall 6A2 at the end 601 is crank-shaped. The first crank portion 61a is, for example, composed of an intermediate surface 61a1, a first surface 61a2, and a second surface 61a3. As shown in FIG. 3, the intermediate surface 61a1 is a surface that is substantially parallel to the bottom wall 6A1. The first surface 61a2 is a surface that extends from the intermediate surface 61a1 toward the opening 6AH at a substantially right angle. Here, the first surface 61a2 protrudes outward from the intermediate surface 61a1. The second surface 61a3 is a surface that extends from the intermediate surface 61a1 toward the bottom wall 6A1 at a substantially right angle. Here, the second surface 61a3 is provided inside the intermediate surface 61a1 (on the second side wall 6A3 side).

Here, the second member 62 has a part of the bottom wall 6A1 (the remaining part on the right side in the figure), a part of the first side wall 6A2 (the remaining part on the right side in the figure), and one of the second side walls 6A3 (the second side wall 6A3 on the right side in the figure). The second member 62 has, for example, an end 602 on the opposite side to the second side wall 6A3 (the left side in FIG. 2) to which the first member 61 is attached. The second member 62 also has a second crank portion 62a on the end 602. Here, the end shape of the first side wall 6A2 at the end 602 is crank-shaped. The second crank portion 62a has a crank shape corresponding to the shape of the first crank portion. The second crank portion 62a is, for example, composed of an intermediate surface 62a1, a first surface 62a2, and a second surface 62a3. As shown in FIG. 3, the intermediate surface 62a1 is a surface that is approximately parallel to the bottom wall 6A1. The first surface 62a2 is a surface that extends from the intermediate surface 62a1 toward the opening 6AH at approximately a right angle. Here, the first surface 62a2 is provided on the inside (the second side wall 6A3 side) of the intermediate surface 62a1. The second surface 62a3 is a surface that extends from the intermediate surface 62a1 toward the bottom wall 6A1 at approximately a right angle. Here, the second surface 62a3 protrudes outward from the intermediate surface 62a1.

When the second member 62 is attached to the first member 61, the first crank portion 61a is overlapped with the second crank portion 62a of the second member 62. At this time, the intermediate surface 62a1 of the second crank portion 62a is overlapped with the intermediate surface 61a1. Furthermore, the first surface 62a2 of the second crank portion 62a is overlapped with the first surface 61a2. Furthermore, the second surface 62a3 of the second crank portion 62a is overlapped with the second surface 61a3.

The lid body 60B is, for example, a plate-shaped member that closes the opening 6AH. In this embodiment, the lid body 60B has a first lid body 65 and a second lid body 66. Here, the first lid body 65 and the second lid body 66 close the entire opening 6AH. The first lid body 65 is placed, for example, on the entire upper end of the first member 61 of the case 60A and a part of the upper end of the second member 62. Here, the first lid body 65 is not provided with a through hole, a recess, a protrusion, etc. The second lid body 66 is placed, for example, on the entire upper end of the second member 62 of the case 60A. Here, the second lid body 66 is provided with a second opening 60h2. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the first lid body 65 and the second lid body 66 are placed on the opening 6AH in a state where two of them are stacked on top of each other, and are arranged in the storage space S1. In addition, from the viewpoint of suppressing leakage of heat from the exhaust path unit 60, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the upper second cover 66 (in FIG. 1, the side of the ceiling S1c of the storage space S1) of the two stacked second cover bodies 66 may be larger than the lower second cover body 66 (in FIG. 1, the side of the opening 6AH). Here, the length of the upper second cover body 66 along the long side direction of the opening 6AH is larger than the length of the lower second cover body 66 along the same direction. Also, the upper second cover body 66 covers the boundary between the lower second cover body 66 and the first cover body 65.

The exhaust path unit 60 communicates with the first exhaust path 40 and the second exhaust path 50. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the first opening 60h1 of the exhaust path unit 60 is arranged to overlap the through hole 13h of the first wall 13. This allows the exhaust path unit 60 to communicate with the first exhaust path 40. Also, in FIG. 1, the exhaust duct 100 is arranged to overlap the second opening 60h2 of the exhaust path unit 60. This allows the exhaust path unit 60 to communicate with the second exhaust path 50. In this embodiment, the exhaust path unit 60 has a cavity 60s inside. As described above, the first opening 60h1 communicates with the first exhaust path 40, and the second opening 60h2 communicates with the second exhaust path 50, so that the cavity 60s of the exhaust path unit 60 serves as an exhaust path for exhaust gas.

The exhaust path unit 60 is provided replaceably with the exhaust duct 100 attached to the furnace wall 12 through the outlet S2. As shown in FIG. 1, the exhaust path unit 60 is preferably large enough to be accommodated in the accommodation space S1 and to be movable within the accommodation space S1. For example, the bottom wall 6A1 of the exhaust path unit 60 is preferably smaller than the bottom S1a of the accommodation space S1. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 1, when the exhaust path unit 60 is accommodated in the accommodation space S1, a gap is generated. When the heating furnace 1 is operated, a block 80 is preferably accommodated in this gap as shown in FIG. 1. The block 80 is preferably a block made of the same material as the ceramic fiber board of the second wall 15, for example.

Here, the replacement of the exhaust path unit 60 will be described. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the heating furnace 1. FIG. 4 shows one process of accommodating the exhaust path unit 60 in the accommodation space S1. When accommodating the exhaust path unit 60 in the accommodation space S1, for example, first, the second member 62 is put into the accommodation space S1 from the outlet S2. Next, the second member 62 is moved in the direction of the arrow T and moved toward the side wall portion S1b on the exhaust duct 100 side. Next, the two second lid bodies 66 are put into the accommodation space from the outlet S2 and placed on the upper end of the second member 62 (see FIG. 1 and FIG. 4). At this time, as shown in FIG. 1, the second opening 60h2 and the exhaust duct 100 are overlapped to connect the second exhaust path 50 and the second opening 60h2. Next, the first member 61 is put into the accommodation space from the outlet S2. Next, the second member 62 is moved in the direction of the arrow T, and the first crank portion 61a and the second crank portion 62a are fitted together to integrate the first member 61 and the second member 62 (see FIG. 3). At this time, the first opening 60h1 and the through hole 13h of the first wall 13 are overlapped to connect the first exhaust path 40 and the first opening 60h1. Next, the two first lid bodies 65 are inserted into the storage space from the outlet S2 and placed on the upper end of the first member 61 (see FIG. 1). Next, the block 80 is stored in the gap that is generated when the exhaust path unit 60 is stored (see FIG. 1). Then, the sealing member 70 is attached to the outlet S2, completing the storage of the exhaust path unit 60 in the storage space S1.

When removing the exhaust path unit 60 from the storage space S1, first remove the sealing member 70 from the outlet S2 and then remove the block 80 to provide a gap that allows each component of the exhaust path unit 60 to move within the storage space S1. Next, for example, the first lid 65, first member 61, second lid 66, and second member 62 are moved from the side wall S1b on the exhaust duct 100 side to the side wall S1b on the outlet S2 side, in that order, and then removed from the outlet S2 to the outside of the storage space S1.

The exhaust path unit 60 may be made of a highly porous ceramic material. For example, the exhaust path unit 60 may be made of the same material as the ceramic fiberboard of the second wall 15. The exhaust path unit 60 may be made of, for example, a combination of ceramic plates of a predetermined shape. Note that each component of the exhaust path unit 60 may be made of the same material or different materials.

As described above, the heating furnace 1 includes a furnace body 10, an exhaust duct 100, and an exhaust path unit 60. The furnace body 10 has a furnace wall 12 that surrounds a heating space 10i in which the workpiece A is heated. The exhaust duct 100 is attached to the upper part of the furnace body 10. The furnace body 10 also has a first exhaust path 40, a second exhaust path 50, a storage space S1, and an outlet S2. The first exhaust path 40 is formed in the furnace wall 12 and communicates with the heating space 10i. The second exhaust path 50 is formed in the furnace wall 12 and communicates with the exhaust duct 100. The storage space S1 is formed inside the furnace wall 12, contains the exhaust path unit 60, and communicates with the first exhaust path 40 and the second exhaust path 50. The outlet S2 is formed in the furnace wall 12 and communicates with the storage space S1. The exhaust path unit 60 is a case body that is disposed in the storage space S1 and has a cavity 60s therein, a first opening 60h1 that communicates with the first exhaust path 40, and a second opening 60h2 that communicates with the second exhaust path 50. The exhaust path unit 60 is replaceably installed with the exhaust duct 100 attached to the furnace wall 12 through the outlet S2.

In the heating furnace 1, the first exhaust path 40 and the second exhaust path 50 are connected by a replaceable exhaust path unit 60. Therefore, cleaning between the first exhaust path 40 and the second exhaust path 50 can be easily performed by replacing the existing exhaust path unit 60 with a new exhaust path unit 60. In addition, the exhaust path unit 60 can be replaced with the exhaust duct 100 attached. Therefore, cleaning of the exhaust gas flow path is performed by only replacing the exhaust path unit 60 without the need to remove the exhaust duct 100. This improves the maintainability of the exhaust gas flow path in the heating furnace 1.

In this embodiment, the exhaust path unit 60 includes a case 60A and a cover 60B. The case 60A has an opening 6AH. The case 60A has an opening 6AH, a bottom wall 6A1 facing the opening 6AH, and side walls (here, a first side wall 6A2 and a second side wall 6A3) extending from the bottom wall 6A1 toward the opening 6AH. In addition, a first opening 60h1 is provided in the bottom wall 6A1 of the case 60A. The cover 60B is a member that closes the case 60A. A second opening 60h2 is provided in the cover 60B. In other words, the exhaust path unit 60 is separated into the case 60A in which the first opening 60h1 is provided and the cover 60B in which the second opening 60h2 is provided. Therefore, when replacing the exhaust passage unit 60, the case 60A and the lid 60B can be inserted and removed independently from the outlet S2. This further improves the ease of maintenance of the exhaust gas passage.

In this embodiment, the first opening 60h1 and the second opening 60h2 are provided on different axes. In addition, the first opening 60h1 and the second opening 60h2 do not overlap with each other. In this case, it becomes easier to capture binders in the exhaust gas within the exhaust path unit 60. This makes it possible to prevent dirt from adhering to the exhaust duct 100.

The case 60A also has a first member 61 and a second member 62 that are attached so as to be separable from each other and divide the bottom wall 6A1 and the side wall (here, the first side wall 6A2) in half. The first member 61 has a first crank portion 61a having a crank shape to which the second member 62 is attached. The second member 62 has a second crank portion 62a to which the first member 61 is attached and that corresponds to the shape of the first crank portion 61a. In other words, the first member 61 and the second member 62 are integrated by fitting the first crank portion 61a and the second crank portion 62a together to form the case 60A. Therefore, the first member 61 and the second member 62 are separable from each other, while realizing a structure in which the shape of the case 60A is stably maintained within the storage space S1.

In this embodiment, the storage space S1 is provided with a size that allows the exhaust path unit 60 to move along the bottom S1a of the storage space S1. The exhaust path unit 60 is inserted into the storage space S1 from the outlet S2, and is moved along the bottom S1a from the outlet S2 side to the exhaust duct 100 side, and is configured to be connected to the first exhaust path 40 through the first opening 60h1 and to be connected to the second exhaust path 50 through the second opening 60h2. The exhaust path unit 60 is moved along the bottom S1a from the exhaust duct 100 side to the outlet S2 side, and is configured to be taken out of the storage space S1 from the outlet S2. This makes it relatively easy to replace the exhaust path unit 60 in the storage space S1.

One embodiment of the technology disclosed herein has been described above. However, the above-described embodiment is not intended to limit the technology disclosed herein. Other embodiments of the technology disclosed herein will be described below.

As described above, in the above embodiment, the heating furnace 1 is a roller hearth kiln. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the technology disclosed herein can be applied to a pusher furnace that pushes out and transports the workpiece placed on a rail, a mesh belt furnace that transports the workpiece with a metal mesh belt, a cart furnace that transports a cart on which the workpiece is placed, and the like. The heating furnace disclosed herein is not limited to continuous heating furnaces such as roller hearth kilns and pusher furnaces. For example, the heating furnace may be a batch furnace having a sealable box-shaped furnace body. In this type of batch furnace, the workpiece is placed inside a sealed furnace body, and the debindering process and the firing process are performed by changing the temperature inside the furnace body. Even in such a batch furnace, exhaust gas containing the binder is generated. For this reason, the technology disclosed herein can also be applied to the exhaust path of the batch furnace.

In addition, in the embodiment, the configuration of the binder removal area of the furnace body 10 is described. However, this is not limited to this. For example, exhaust gas containing binder may flow to an area other than the binder removal area. Binder in the exhaust gas may also adhere to an exhaust passage connected to an area other than the binder removal area. For this reason, the technology disclosed here can also be applied to an exhaust passage connected to an area other than the binder removal area (e.g., a firing area).

-Modes included in the technology disclosed herein-
The technology disclosed herein also encompasses the aspects described in items 1 to 5 below.

<Item 1>
A furnace body having a furnace wall surrounding a heating space in which the object to be treated is heated;
An exhaust duct attached to an upper portion of the furnace body;
An exhaust passage unit,
The furnace body is
A first exhaust passage formed in the furnace wall and communicating with the heating space;
A second exhaust passage formed in the furnace wall and communicating with the exhaust duct;
an accommodation space formed inside the furnace wall, accommodating the exhaust path unit and communicating with the first exhaust path and the second exhaust path;
An outlet formed in the furnace wall and communicating with the storage space,
The exhaust passage unit includes:
a case body that is disposed in the accommodation space, has a cavity therein, and has a first opening that communicates with the first exhaust path and a second opening that communicates with the second exhaust path,
The heating furnace is provided in a replaceable state in which the exhaust duct is attached to the furnace wall through the outlet.

<Item 2>
The exhaust passage unit includes:
a case having an opening, a bottom wall facing the opening, and a side wall extending from the bottom wall toward the opening, the first opening being provided in the bottom wall;
a cover that closes the opening of the case, the cover having the second opening;
2. The heating furnace according to item 1, comprising:

<Item 3>
3. The heating furnace according to item 1 or 2, wherein the first opening and the second opening are provided on different axes and do not overlap with each other.

<Item 4>
The case includes a first member and a second member that are detachably attached to each other and divide the bottom wall and the side wall in half,
the first member has a first crank portion having a crank shape to which the second member is attached,
3. The heating furnace according to claim 2, wherein the second member has a second crank portion corresponding to a shape of the first crank portion to which the first member is attached.

<Item 5>
The accommodation space is provided with a size that allows the exhaust path unit to move along a bottom portion of the accommodation space,
The exhaust passage unit includes:
The exhaust pipe is inserted into the accommodation space through the outlet, moved along the bottom from the outlet side to the exhaust duct side, and communicated with the first exhaust passage through the first opening and with the second exhaust passage through the second opening; and
The air is moved from the exhaust duct side to the outlet side along the bottom portion, and is taken out from the outlet to the outside of the storage space.
5. The heating furnace according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the heating furnace is configured as follows:

Although specific embodiments have been given above, these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. In this way, the technology described in the claims includes various modifications and variations of the embodiments described above.

Reference Signs List 1 Heating furnace 10 Furnace body 10i Heating space 12 Furnace wall 20 Conveyor roller 30 Heater 40 First exhaust path 50 Second exhaust path 60 Exhaust path unit 70 Sealing member 80 Block 100 Exhaust duct A Workpiece S1 Storage space S2 Take-out port

Claims (5)

A furnace body having a furnace wall surrounding a heating space in which the object to be treated is heated;
An exhaust duct attached to an upper portion of the furnace body;
An exhaust passage unit,
The furnace body is
A first exhaust passage formed in the furnace wall and communicating with the heating space;
A second exhaust passage formed in the furnace wall and communicating with the exhaust duct;
an accommodation space formed inside the furnace wall, accommodating the exhaust path unit and communicating with the first exhaust path and the second exhaust path;
An outlet formed in the furnace wall and communicating with the storage space,
The exhaust passage unit includes:
a case body that is disposed in the accommodation space, has a cavity therein, and has a first opening that communicates with the first exhaust path and a second opening that communicates with the second exhaust path,
The heating furnace is provided in a replaceable state in which the exhaust duct is attached to the furnace wall through the outlet. The exhaust passage unit includes:
a case having an opening, a bottom wall facing the opening, and a side wall extending from the bottom wall toward the opening, the first opening being provided in the bottom wall;
a cover that closes the opening of the case, the cover having the second opening;
The furnace of claim 1 , comprising: The heating furnace according to claim 1, wherein the first opening and the second opening are provided on different axes and do not overlap each other. The case includes a first member and a second member that are detachably attached to each other and divide the bottom wall and the side wall in half,
the first member has a first crank portion having a crank shape to which the second member is attached,
3. The furnace of claim 2, wherein the second member has a second crank portion corresponding in shape to the first crank portion to which the first member is attached. The accommodation space is provided with a size that allows the exhaust path unit to move along a bottom portion of the accommodation space,
The exhaust passage unit includes:
The exhaust pipe is inserted into the accommodation space through the outlet, moved along the bottom from the outlet side to the exhaust duct side, and communicated with the first exhaust passage through the first opening and with the second exhaust passage through the second opening; and
The air is moved from the exhaust duct side to the outlet side along the bottom portion, and is taken out from the outlet to the outside of the storage space.
5. A heating furnace as claimed in claim 1, configured as follows:

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