JPH0229188B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to aging equipment for performing a so-called aging test on various manufactured electrical devices before shipping.

Manufactured electrical equipment must be exposed to environments worse than the normal usage environment, such as high temperatures (approximately 60°C), before being shipped.
So-called aging is performed in which electricity is continuously applied for a long period of time (for example, about 24 hours) in an atmosphere to check whether any abnormalities occur in the various electrical components used. Conventionally, for this aging, equipment has been used in which a rack for storing the product is installed in a large furnace. Such conventional aging equipment has the drawback of having a large amount of wasted heating space, resulting in poor thermal efficiency and high running costs. There was also the problem that it took a lot of time and effort to bring in and take out the products.

The present invention aims to provide an aging facility that can solve the conventional problems as described above.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached illustrative drawings.

In Figures 1 and 2, 1 is a furnace-like building 2
It is an endless circulation path set within a large number of aging furnace-like racks 3, in the illustrated example, No. 01 to No.
49 racks 3 up to No. 49 and maintenance rack 4 No. 50 are supported so as to be movable in an endless row. 5 is an endless exhaust duct arranged above each rack 3 along the endless circulation route 1; 6 is arranged at a location surrounded by the endless circulation route 1; This is a straight main duct. 7 is an exhaust means connected to the main duct 6. Reference numeral 8 is an entrance for carrying in and out of products, and is equipped with an opening/closing door.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, all the racks 3 and 4 are equipped with two grooved caster wheels 9 at a distance in the direction of movement on the back side of the bottom. By fitting into the guide rail 10 arranged along the endless circulation path 1,
In addition to being supported, two guide rollers 11 are rotatably supported by vertical shafts at intervals in the moving direction on the back side of the upper part, and each of these guide rollers 11 is arranged in a groove shape along the endless circulation path 1. rail 12
It is held in a vertical position by fitting into the

All the racks 3, 4 are connected to each other at the bottom by an endless drive chain 13, and at the top by a connecting link 14. The chain 13 is
One center link pair 13 between each rack 3,4
a is arranged and the vertical axis of the guide roller 11 and the vertical axis of each inter-link roller shaft 13b are aligned, and the upper link of each side link pair 13c is fixed to the bottom of the racks 3 and 4. . The connecting link 14 is pivoted between adjacent racks 3, 4 by the vertical axes of the guide rollers 11 adjacent to each other. A frame 15 for pivotally supporting the guide roller 11 is installed on the top of the aging furnace-like rack 3, and the grooved wheel 9 and the driving endless chain 1 are installed on the bottom of the aging furnace-like rack 3.
A frame 16 is attached as a mounting seat for No. 3.

Reference numeral 17 denotes a power supply unit attached to the bottom of each aging furnace-like rack 3 in front of the grooved wheel 9, and is connected to a means for heating the inside of the furnace chamber 18 in this rack 3 to a predetermined temperature. power supply voltage and
Supplies DC power supply voltage and pulse signals to products undergoing a using test. Reference numeral 19 denotes a detection unit disposed at the upper front corner of the rack 3, which includes a detector for detecting the open state of the door 20 for opening and closing the furnace chamber 18, and a detector for detecting an abnormal rise in temperature within the furnace chamber 18. This includes detectors, etc.

Inside the furnace chamber 18 of the rack 3, an ascending air passage 21 is provided along the back side for generating circulating air within the oven chamber 18, and a circulation fan is positioned at the upper end of this ascending air passage 21. 22 is attached. This fan 22 is attached to a vertical rotating shaft 24 of a motor 23 supported on the upper part of the rack 3, but as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the fan 22 can be removed from the ceiling of the rack 3. A diameter opening 25 is provided, which opening 25
The motor 23 is supported by a removable cover 26 that closes the motor 2.
3 and the fan 22, the fan 22 is attached to and detached from the furnace chamber 18.

Reference numeral 27 denotes an exhaust pipe installed above the rack 3, which communicates with an opening 28 provided in the vicinity of the outlet of the rising air passage 21, and is equipped with a forced exhaust fan 29 at an intermediate position. , an endless slit 3 provided below the endless exhaust duct 5
0 and fits into the duct 5. This duct 5 is provided with an upwardly protruding portion 5a at a suitable location, and as shown in FIG.
The endless exhaust duct 5 and the main duct 6 are communicated with each other via a pipe 5b interposed between the exhaust duct 5 and the main duct 6.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, along the endless circulation path 1, there are three inner endless power supply rails 31.
and two outer endless signal transmission/reception rails 32 are installed above the rack 3 via a support bracket 50. Then, among the racks 3, specific racks (in Fig. 1, five racks 3 are considered as one group), and specific racks 3a of No. 01, No. 06, ... No. 46 at one end of each group have the following: A current collector 33 that is in sliding contact with the power supply rail 31 and a current collector 34 that is in sliding contact with the signal exchange rail 32 are provided, and the input terminal of the power supply unit 17 of this particular rack 3a and the current collector 33 are electrically connected. At the same time, the signal transfer terminal of the detection unit 19 and the current collector 34 are electrically connected. In addition, power is supplied from the specific rack 3a side to the power supply unit 17 of other racks 3 in the same rack group by means of a cable 35 that is stretched between the lower parts of the racks 3. The detection unit 19 of the rack 3 and the collector 3 on the specific rack 3a
4 is connected to the rack 3 via a cable 36 which is stretched between the upper parts of the rack 3. Note that the pulse transmitter, which is a pulse signal source, is connected to a certain rack 3 (the specific rack 3) within one rack group.
It is installed in the power supply unit 17 of the rack (which may be a), and necessary pulse signals are supplied to other racks 3 in the same rack group via the cable 35.

Cable 35 stretched between the lower parts of the rack
hangs down between the racks 3, and its central portion is connected to the center link pair 13 located between the racks of the endless drive chain 13, as shown in FIG.
The cable 36, which is supported by the groove-shaped receiver 37 attached to the upper part of the rack a and is stretched between the upper parts of the racks, hangs down between the racks 3.
Its central portion is suspended by a clip 38 attached to the connecting link 14 between the racks.

6 and 7, reference numeral 39 denotes a guide wheel that hangs the endless drive chain 13 at the U-turn portion of the endless circulation path 1 adjacent to the product loading/unloading entrance 8 shown in FIG. , roller shaft 1 between each link of the endless drive chain 13
3b, and a positioning recess 41.
It is equipped with Each positioning recess 41 is disposed so as to be positioned exactly opposite to the rack 3, 4 when the rack 3, 4 is at the stop position facing the product loading/unloading entrance 8. 42
is a positioning device that includes the positioning recess 41, and guides the movable body 44 via a movable body 44 that moves in and out by a cylinder unit 43 and a guide roller 44a that is pivotally supported on the movable body 44. the slide guide 45 and the movable body 44
It is equipped with a positioning roller 46 that is pivotally supported at the tip. The entrance of the positioning recess 41 is open in the shape of a flap, and the inner part is connected to the roller 46.
It is formed to a width that allows for just the right fit.

Next, how to use it will be explained.

Although not shown, at the U-turn portion of the endless circulation path 1 on the side opposite to the product loading/unloading entrance 8, a driving wheel (similar to the guide roller 39, However, the racks 3 and 4, which are connected in an endless manner, can be connected to the guide roll 10 by driving the racks 3 and 4 (which do not have the positioning recess 41) by a motor and rotating the endless drive chain 13.
and rotates on the endless circulation path 1 while being guided by the grooved rails 12.

When each rack 3 reaches a position facing the product loading/unloading entrance 8, the driving of the endless drive chain 18 is stopped, and the movable body 44 of the positioning device 42 is advanced and moved by the cylinder unit 43. The roller 46 at the tip is then entered into the positioning recess 41 of the opposing guide wheel 39. At this time, even if the stop position of the rack 3 is slightly shifted, since the entrance of the positioning recess 41 is open like a flap, the roller 46 presses against the slope of the entrance of the recess 41 and the guide wheel 39 is moved. Rotate it to move the rack 3 to its normal stopping position. By fitting the roller 46 to the innermost part of the positioning recess 41, the guide wheel 39 and, by extension, the rack 3 are locked at a predetermined stopping position.

As mentioned above, the rack 3 is accurately stopped and locked at the predetermined stop position facing the product loading/unloading entrance 8, so that the work of transporting the aged product from the furnace chamber 18 in the rack 3 is easy. ,
The work of transporting the products to be aged into the furnace chamber 18 of the empty rack 3 can be carried out automatically and safely using a transporting device.

The inside of the furnace chamber 18 of the rack 3 is heated by the sliding contact between the power supply rail 31 and the current collector 33, which is always operated by the power supplied via the power supply unit 17 regardless of the rotational position of the rack 3. An atmosphere at a predetermined temperature is forcedly circulated by the means and a circulation fan 22 driven by a motor 23 operated by the electric power. The product to which the DC voltage supplied to the product is applied is subjected to an aging test for a predetermined period of time, for example, within the time required for the rack 3 to make one round intermittently around the endless circulation path 1.

If the atmospheric temperature in the furnace chamber 18 exceeds the set temperature while performing the aging test as described above, or if the opening/closing door 20 opens for some reason, such an abnormality may occur. An abnormal temperature detection signal or an open door state detection signal is transmitted from the detection unit 19 of the cable rack 3, and this signal is transmitted to the cable 3.
6 or directly from the collector 34 to the signal exchange rail 32.
2 sends the detection signal to the control device, and in order to stop the aging of the rack 3 in the abnormal state, a power supply unit control signal is sent from the signal exchange rail 32 to the rack 3 in the abnormal state via the current collector 34. Aging of rack 3 that is transmitted and is in an abnormal state is automatically stopped. Of course, even if this abnormal condition occurs, the intermittent circulation movement of each rack 3, 4 will continue as usual.

In the rack 3 after the predetermined time required for aging has elapsed, the atmosphere heating action in the furnace chamber 18 is terminated, and the forced exhaust fan 29 is operated while the circulation fan 22 continues to operate. As a result, the high temperature atmosphere in the furnace chamber 18 is rapidly discharged from the exhaust pipe 27 into the endless exhaust duct 5, and the furnace chamber 18
8 is rapidly cooled down. At this time, as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 4, the exit of the rising air passage 21 can be switched between position a, where the rising air is forcibly guided to the exhaust pipe 27, and position b, where it is circulated into the furnace chamber 18. By providing a damper 47, the furnace chamber 18 can be evacuated more quickly. Moreover, by using such a damper 47, the forced exhaust fan 29
It is also possible to forcibly exhaust the air by the action of the circulation fan 22 without using the circulation fan 22. The high-temperature exhaust gas discharged into the endless exhaust duct 5 is sucked into the main duct 6 through the piping 5b by the suction action of the exhaust means 7, and does not leak out of the duct 5 through the slit 30 of the duct 5.

As explained above, the aged product is transported out of the rack while the rack 3 housing the product is accurately stopped at a predetermined position opposite the product loading/unloading entrance 8. .

The guide rail 10, the grooved rail 12, the endless exhaust duct 5, the power supply rail 31, the signal exchange rail 32, etc. are inspected regularly. in this case,
The maintenance worker drives the endless drive chain 13 while riding on the maintenance rack 4, and moves each rack 3 and 4 in the same manner as during aging work.
By moving on the endless circulation path 1,
A worker on the maintenance rack 4 can inspect each part along the endless circulation path 1 from above the maintenance rack 4. Therefore, the maintenance rack 4 is
As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 3, it is desirable to construct a frame structure with safety handrails erected on the floor board 4a so that a worker standing on the floor board 4a can freely look around in all directions. Moreover, this maintenance rack 4 is provided with an emergency stop switch 48, and the endless drive chain 13 can be turned off at any location.
It can be configured to be able to stop and restart driving.

When each rack 3 rotates through both U-turns of the endless circulation path 1, the adjacent racks 3 spread out in a fan shape, and the cables 35 and 36 that are stretched between these racks 3 are A groove-shaped receiver 37 attached to the endless driving chain 13 whose length does not change between adjacent racks 3.
and a clip 38 attached to the same connecting link 14, so that even when the rack 3 rotates in a fan-shaped manner through the U-turn, the cables 35, 36 are not unduly disconnected. I don't feel like I'm being held back.

The present invention can be implemented and used as described above, and includes a large number of aging furnace-like racks each equipped with an opening/closing door and means for maintaining the internal atmosphere in a predetermined state on an endless circulation path. The racks are supported so that they can circulate in an endless row, and are provided with drive means for circulating the racks and a power supply rail for supplying power to each rack, so that the racks can be placed in a large furnace. Compared to a fixed installation, there is no wasted heating space, resulting in higher thermal efficiency and lower running costs.In addition, since the aging furnace-like rack circulates through an endless circulation path,
As shown in the embodiment, products can be carried in and carried out at one location, and the work of carrying in and carrying out products can be carried out extremely efficiently. In addition, it is also possible to heat only the furnace chamber in the rack where the products are stored to an aging atmosphere, which is different from conventional equipment in which the entire furnace must be heated to an aging atmosphere regardless of the number of products stored. Compared to , running costs can be kept to a minimum.

Moreover, according to the present invention, each rack is provided with an exhaust pipe protruding from the internal furnace chamber, and an endless exhaust duct having an endless slit into which the tip of the exhaust pipe is fitted is connected to the endless circulation. Since they are arranged along the route, the exhaust gas generated from the furnace chamber inside each rack can be collected in one place via the endless exhaust duct and treated, thereby reducing the environment around the aging equipment. It can be kept in good condition.

In particular, as shown in the embodiment, the means for collecting current from the power supply rail is not provided in all aging furnace racks, but only in a specific rack, and the cable is connected from this specific rack to other racks. According to the second aspect of the present invention, in which power is supplied through the rack, in addition to the above-mentioned effects, the equipment cost can be significantly reduced compared to the case where all the racks are provided with current collecting means.

Further, when carrying out the second invention, as shown in FIG. 1, a preliminary current collector 49 is connected to one rack group in parallel with the current collector 33 of the specific rack 3a via the cable 35. By providing second specific racks 3b (racks No. 05, No. 10... No. 49) equipped with
Even if a situation arises in which the current collection function from 3 becomes impossible,
The backup current collector 49 allows current collection to continue without any hindrance.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is an overall plan view, Figure 2 is a vertical side view, Figure 3 is an enlarged partially cutaway front view of important parts, Figure 4 is a vertical side view, and Figure 5 is an aging furnace. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the positioning device, and FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional side view of the rack. 1... Endless circulation path, 3... Furnace-like rack for aging, 4... Rack for maintenance, 5... Endless exhaust duct, 6... Main duct, 7... Exhaust means, 8... For carrying in and out of products. Doorway, 9...
Grooved wheel, 10... Guide rail, 11...
...Guide wheel, 12...Slotted rail, 13...
... Endless chain for driving, 14 ... Link for connection,
17...power supply unit, 18...furnace chamber, 19...
Detection unit, 20... Opening/closing door, 22... Circulation fan, 27... Exhaust pipe, 29... Forced exhaust fan, 30... Slit, 31... Power supply rail,
32... Signal transfer rail, 33, 34... Current collector, 35, 36... Cable, 37... Grooved receiver, 38... Clip, 39... Endless drive chain guide wheel, 41... Positioning recess, 42... Positioning device, 43... Cylinder unit, 44... Movable body, 46... Positioning roller, 48... Emergency stop switch.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A number of aging furnace-like racks, each equipped with an opening/closing door and means for maintaining the internal atmosphere in a predetermined state, are circulated in an endless row on an endless circulation path. A driving means is provided to support the racks so as to circulate the racks, and a power supply rail to supply power to each rack.Each rack is provided with an exhaust pipe protruding from the internal furnace chamber. An aging facility comprising an endless exhaust duct having an endless slit into which the tip fits, along the endless circulation path. 2. A large number of aging furnace-like racks each equipped with an opening/closing door and means for maintaining the internal atmosphere in a predetermined state are supported so as to be able to circulate in an endless line on an endless circulation path, A driving means for circulating each rack and a power supply rail for supplying power to each rack are provided, and each rack is provided with an exhaust pipe protruding from the internal furnace chamber, and a slit into which the tip of the exhaust pipe is fitted is provided. An endless exhaust duct having an endless exhaust duct is disposed along the endless circulation path, and a current collecting means for collecting current from the power supply rail is provided only in a specific rack, not in all racks, and Aging equipment that supplies power from the rack to other racks via cables.