Drying apparatus

Abstract

A drying apparatus includes a shell body, a first airflow uniformity plate, a filter element, a carrier and a second airflow uniformity plate. The shell body has an airflow inlet, an airflow outlet and a chamber communicating with each other. The airflow inlet and the airflow outlet are located on two opposite sides of the chamber. The first airflow uniformity plate is disposed in the chamber. The first airflow uniformity plate is located in the chamber and is between the airflow inlet and the airflow outlet, and the first airflow uniformity plate is closed to the airflow inlet. The filter element is located in the chamber, and the filter element is between the first airflow uniformity plate and the airflow inlet. The carrier is disposed in the chamber, and the carrier is located between the first airflow uniformity plate and the airflow outlet. The second airflow uniformity plate is disposed in the chamber and located between the carrier and the airflow outlet.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention provides a process equipment, particularly a drying equipment. [Previous Technology]

[0002] Drying steps are included in the manufacturing processes of products in the fields of electronics, optics, semiconductors, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. For example, in the manufacturing process of liquid crystal display panels, a thin film needs to be deposited on a transparent substrate, and then the transparent substrate is dried using drying equipment to ensure that the film is firmly fixed on the transparent substrate. Generally speaking, drying equipment uses high-temperature airflow to dry the moisture on the sample, but some materials are prone to deterioration under high-temperature environments, which can easily lead to structural damage to the sample. Another type of drying equipment uses lower-temperature airflow to dry the moisture on the sample to avoid damage from high temperatures, but this type of drying equipment often has the problem of uneven airflow field, resulting in poor drying efficiency and inconsistent drying rates at different locations of the sample, thus affecting product quality. [Summary of the Invention]

[0003] The present invention provides a drying device to improve drying efficiency by utilizing uniform airflow in a non-high temperature environment.

[0004] To achieve one, some, or all of the above-mentioned objectives, or other objectives, an embodiment of the present invention provides a drying device, including a housing, a first flow equalization plate, a filter element, a platform, and a second flow equalization plate. The housing has an air inlet, an air outlet, and a chamber that communicate with each other. The air inlet and the air outlet are located on opposite sides of the chamber. The first flow equalization plate is disposed within the chamber. The first flow equalization plate is located between the air inlet and the air outlet, and is close to the air inlet. The filter element is disposed within the chamber, and is located between the first flow equalization plate and the air inlet. The platform is disposed within the chamber, and is located between the first flow equalization plate and the air outlet. The second flow equalization plate is disposed within the chamber, and is located between the platform and the air outlet.

[0005] In one embodiment of the present invention, the second flow equalization plate described above may have a plurality of intermediate ventilation holes and a plurality of peripheral ventilation holes. The peripheral ventilation holes surround the intermediate ventilation holes, and the diameter of each intermediate ventilation hole is larger than the diameter of each peripheral ventilation hole.

[0006] In one embodiment of the present invention, the diameter of each intermediate ventilation hole and the diameter of each surrounding ventilation hole are, for example, between 1 mm and 30 mm.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the second flow equalization plate and the platform may be less than the distance between the second flow equalization plate and the air outlet.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the filter element and the first flow equalization plate may be less than the distance between the filter element and the air inlet.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the first flow equalization plate and the filter element may be less than the distance between the first flow equalization plate and the stage.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the drying device described above may further include a third flow equalization plate. The third flow equalization plate is disposed in the chamber and located between the filter element and the air inlet.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the third air distribution plate described above may have a plurality of first ventilation holes and a plurality of second ventilation holes. The first ventilation holes are located at the air inlet, and the second ventilation holes are offset from the air inlet. The diameter of each first ventilation hole may be smaller than the diameter of each second ventilation hole.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the diameter of each of the first ventilation holes and the diameter of each of the second ventilation holes are, for example, between 1 mm and 30 mm.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the third flow equalization plate and the filter element may be less than the distance between the third flow equalization plate and the air inlet.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the drying equipment described above further includes, for example, an airflow circulation device and a guide pipe. The guide pipe is connected to an air inlet, and the airflow circulation device is connected to the guide pipe and an air outlet.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the airflow circulation device described above has a drain hole, and the drain hole is connected to the air outlet.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned drying equipment may further include a heating device, which is disposed between the air outlet and the airflow circulation device.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of ventilation holes of the first flow equalization plate described above are, for example, uniformly distributed.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, the diameter of the ventilation hole may be between 1 mm and 30 mm.

[0019] In the drying apparatus of the present invention, a first flow equalization plate and a second flow equalization plate are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the platform, and a filter element is arranged between the first flow equalization plate and the air inlet. Therefore, after the airflow enters the chamber through the air inlet, impurities can be filtered out by the filter element first, and the airflow field can be initially homogenized. Then, the airflow field passing through the platform is homogenized again by the first and second flow equalization plates. Based on the above, the drying apparatus of the present invention can effectively homogenize the airflow field passing through the platform, thereby improving drying efficiency by utilizing uniform airflow in a non-high-temperature environment.

[0020] In order to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, embodiments are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Implementation Method

[0021] FIG1 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG1, the drying apparatus 100 includes a housing 110, a first flow equalization plate 120, a filter element 130, a platform 140, and a second flow equalization plate 150. The housing 110 has an air inlet I, an air outlet O, and a chamber 111 that communicate with each other. The air inlet I and the air outlet O are located on opposite sides of the chamber 111. The first flow equalization plate 120 is disposed in the chamber 111. The first flow equalization plate 120 is located between the air inlet I and the air outlet O, and is close to the air inlet I. The filter element 130 is disposed in the chamber 111, and is located between the first flow equalization plate 120 and the air inlet I. The platform 140 is disposed in the chamber 111, and is located between the first flow equalization plate 120 and the air outlet O. The second flow equalization plate 150 is disposed in the chamber 111, and is located between the platform 140 and the air outlet O.

[0022] The air inlet I of the housing 110 allows airflow F to enter the chamber 111, while the air outlet O allows airflow F to exit the housing 110. In this embodiment, after the airflow F enters the chamber 111 through the air inlet I, it can sequentially flow through the filter element 130, the first flow equalization plate 120, the platform 140, and the second flow equalization plate 150.

[0023] The filter element 130 can filter impurities in the airflow F and can initially homogenize the flow field of the airflow F. In this embodiment, the distance D1 between the filter element 130 and the first flow equalization plate 120 can be smaller than the distance D2 between the filter element 130 and the air inlet I, so that the filter element 130 is farther away from the air inlet I to receive the airflow F with lower air pressure, thus further improving the effect of the filter element 130 on homogenizing the flow field of the airflow F. Incidentally, the filter element 130 may include HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) grade filter paper. Further, the material of the filter paper may include polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the above-mentioned composite materials of PP and PET, or glass fiber, etc. The grade of the HEPA filter paper may include E10, E11, E12, H13, H14, U15, U16, or U17, etc., but other embodiments are not limited to this.

[0024] In this embodiment, the first flow equalization plate 120 may have a plurality of ventilation holes 121, and the ventilation holes 121 may be uniformly distributed to further improve the effect of the first flow equalization plate 120 on the uniformity of the airflow F. In one embodiment, the aperture R1 of the ventilation hole 121 may be between 1 mm and 30 mm, for example, but not limited to 1 mm, 5 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, 20 mm, 25 mm and 30 mm. In addition, the spacing between two adjacent ventilation holes 121 may be between 1 mm and 100 mm, for example, but not limited to 1 mm, 10 mm, 20 mm, 30 mm, 40 mm, 50 mm, 60 mm, 70 mm, 80 mm, 90 mm and 100 mm, and the present invention does not impose any further limitations on this. In this embodiment, the distance D1 between the first flow equalization plate 120 and the filter element 130 can be smaller than the distance D3 between the first flow equalization plate 120 and the stage 140. Therefore, the first flow equalization plate 120 is closer to the filter element 130 to receive a more uniform airflow F, thereby further improving the effect of the first flow equalization plate 120 on the uniformity of the airflow F. Incidentally, the material of the first flow equalization plate 120 may include metal, such as stainless steel, aluminum, titanium alloy, or iron. In other embodiments, the material of the first flow equalization plate 120 may include engineering plastics, PMMA, PP, phenolic resin (bakelite), etc., and the present invention does not impose further limitations on this.

[0025] The stage 140 of this embodiment can hold the sample S to be dried. In detail, the stage 140 may include a fixed stage, that is, the stage 140 will not move relative to the housing 110. In one embodiment, the stage 140 may include a conveying device or a rotating device, so that the sample S on the stage 140 can reciprocate, rotate or move in a unidirectional direction relative to the housing 110.

[0026] In this embodiment, the second flow equalization plate 150 may be located downstream of the airflow on the platform 140 to further homogenize the flow field of the airflow F passing through the platform 140. Similarly, the distance D4 between the second flow equalization plate 150 and the platform 140 may be smaller than the distance D5 between the second flow equalization plate 150 and the air outlet O. In this way, the second flow equalization plate 150 is closer to the platform 140, thereby further improving the effect of the second flow equalization plate 150 on homogenizing the flow field of the airflow F, so that the airflow F passes through the platform 140 more evenly.

[0027] Compared to conventional technology, in the drying apparatus 100 of this embodiment, a first flow equalization plate 120 and a second flow equalization plate 150 are respectively provided on opposite sides of the stage 140, and a filter element 130 is provided between the first flow equalization plate 120 and the air inlet I. Therefore, after the airflow F enters the chamber 111 through the air inlet I, it can first pass through the filter element 130 to remove impurities and initially homogenize the flow field of the airflow F. Then, it passes through the first flow equalization plate 120 and the second flow equalization plate 150 to homogenize the flow field of the airflow F passing through the stage 140 again. Based on the above, the drying apparatus 100 of this embodiment can effectively homogenize the flow field of the airflow F passing through the stage 140, thereby improving the drying efficiency by utilizing the uniform airflow F in a non-high temperature environment.

[0028] Furthermore, conventional drying equipment evaporates the moisture on the sample S at high temperatures, resulting in internal temperatures as high as 100°C to 180°C. However, many materials are not suitable for such high-temperature environments. In this embodiment, the drying equipment 100 uses a uniform airflow F to dry the moisture on the sample S, rather than evaporating it at high temperatures. This not only allows for wider application to samples S that are not heat-resistant, but also ensures efficient drying. For example, in one embodiment, the temperature inside the chamber 111 can be approximately between 40°C and 50°C, but the invention is not limited to this.

[0029] Incidentally, in this embodiment, the drying device 100 also includes, for example, an airflow circulation device 160 and a guide pipe 170. The guide pipe 170 is connected to the air inlet I, and the airflow circulation device 160 is connected to the air outlet O. Specifically, the airflow circulation device 160 can push air through the guide pipe 170 into the chamber 111, and simultaneously draw air from the chamber 111 out of the air outlet O, thereby continuously generating circulating airflow through the chamber 111. Furthermore, the airflow circulation device 160 has a drain hole H1, which communicates with the air outlet O, to discharge moisture from the chamber 111, thereby further improving the drying efficiency of the drying device 100. In addition, the airflow circulation device 160 may also have an airflow inlet H2 to draw external air into the guide pipe 170. The airflow circulation device 160 may include, for example, a fan FA, and in one embodiment, the airflow circulation device 160 may include an air pump, but the invention is not limited thereto.

[0030] The guide pipe 170 may include multiple branch pipes B. For example, the air inlet I in this embodiment may have two separate regions, and the guide pipe 170 may connect the two regions respectively through two branch pipes B. In one embodiment, the guide pipe 170 may not have branch pipes B, that is, the guide pipe 170 may only have one air outlet, and the housing 110 may only have one air inlet I to connect to the air outlet. In addition, the guide pipe 170 in this embodiment may be provided with regulating valves V, and the guide pipe 170 in this embodiment may be configured with, for example, three regulating valves V, one of which may be close to the airflow circulation device 160, and the other two regulating valves V are respectively connected to the aforementioned two branch pipes B. Incidentally, each regulating valve V may be mechanically or electrically controlled. In one embodiment, the guide pipe 170 may be configured with one regulating valve V located downstream of the airflow of the airflow circulation device 160. In another embodiment, the guide pipe 170 may be configured with two regulating valves V located at two branch pipes B respectively.

[0031] The drying device 100 in this embodiment further includes, for example, a heating device 180, which is disposed between the air outlet O and the airflow circulation device 160 to increase the temperature of the airflow F, thereby further improving the drying efficiency. In this embodiment, the heating device 180 may include an electric heating device 180, but other embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0032] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. The structure and advantages of the drying apparatus 100a in this embodiment are similar to those of the embodiment in Figure 1; only the differences are described below. Referring to Figure 2, the second flow equalization plate 150a may have a plurality of intermediate ventilation holes 151 and a plurality of peripheral ventilation holes 152. The peripheral ventilation holes 152 surround the intermediate ventilation holes 151, and the aperture R2 of each intermediate ventilation hole 151 is larger than the aperture R3 of each peripheral ventilation hole 152. Thus, the intermediate ventilation holes 151 with larger aperture R2 can guide more airflow through the area of ​​the intermediate ventilation hole 151 on the stage, making the airflow field more uniform and thus further improving the drying efficiency of the drying apparatus 100a. In one embodiment, the aperture R2 of each intermediate ventilation hole 151 and the aperture R1 of each peripheral ventilation hole 152 are, for example, between 1 mm and 30 mm, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In another embodiment, the distance between two adjacent intermediate ventilation holes 151 is, for example, between 1 mm and 100 mm, and the distance between two adjacent peripheral ventilation holes 152 can be between 1 mm and 100 mm, but the present invention does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0033] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a drying device according to another embodiment of the present invention. The structure and advantages of the drying device 100b in this embodiment are similar to those of the embodiment in Figure 1; only the differences are described below. Referring to Figure 3, the drying device 100b may further include a third flow equalization plate 190. The third flow equalization plate 190 is disposed in the chamber 111 and located between the filter element 130 and the air inlet I, so as to make the airflow field more uniform, thereby further improving the drying efficiency of the drying device 100b. Similarly, the distance D6 between the third flow equalization plate 190 and the filter element 130 may be smaller than the distance D7 between the third flow equalization plate 190 and the air inlet I, so that the third flow equalization plate 190 is farther away from the air inlet I, so as to receive an airflow with more uniform air pressure.

[0034] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a drying device according to another embodiment of the present invention. The structure and advantages of the drying device 100c in this embodiment are similar to those of the embodiment in Figure 3; only the differences are described below. Referring to Figure 4, the third flow equalization plate 190c may have a plurality of first ventilation holes 191 and a plurality of second ventilation holes 192. The first ventilation holes 191 are located at the air inlet I, and the second ventilation holes 192 are offset from the air inlet I. The aperture R4 of each first ventilation hole 191 may be smaller than the aperture R5 of each second ventilation hole 192. In detail, the area of ​​the third flow equalization plate 190c located at the air inlet I may receive airflow F with higher air pressure. Therefore, the air pressure of airflow F after passing through the third flow equalization plate 190c can be reduced by the first ventilation holes 191 with a smaller aperture R4, while the first ventilation holes 191 with a larger aperture R5 can attract more airflow F to pass through. In this way, the airflow F can pass through the third flow equalization plate 190c with a more uniform flow field, thereby further improving the drying efficiency of the drying device 100c. In one embodiment, the aperture R4 of each first ventilation hole 191 and the aperture R5 of each second ventilation hole 192 are, for example, between 1 mm and 30 mm, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In another embodiment, the spacing between two adjacent first ventilation holes 191 is, for example, between 1 mm and 100 mm, and the spacing between two adjacent second ventilation holes 192 may be between 1 mm and 100 mm, but the present invention does not impose any further limitations on this.

[0035] In summary, in the drying equipment of the present invention, a first flow equalization plate and a second flow equalization plate are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the platform, and a filter element is arranged between the first flow equalization plate and the air inlet. Therefore, after the airflow enters the chamber through the air inlet, it can first pass through the filter element to remove impurities and initially homogenize the airflow field. Then, it passes through the first and second flow equalization plates to homogenize the airflow field through the platform again. Based on the above, the drying equipment of the present invention can effectively homogenize the airflow field through the platform, thereby improving the drying efficiency by utilizing uniform airflow in a non-high-temperature environment. In one embodiment, the drying equipment can also guide more airflow through the platform to the area located at the central ventilation hole of the second flow equalization plate with a larger aperture, making the airflow field more uniform and further improving the drying efficiency of the drying equipment. In another embodiment, a third flow equalization plate can be arranged between the filter element and the air inlet to make the airflow field more uniform and further improve the drying efficiency of the drying equipment. Furthermore, the first ventilation hole on the third flow equalization plate, located opposite the air inlet, can have a small diameter, while the second ventilation hole, located off-center from the air inlet, has a larger diameter. Thus, the smaller diameter of the first ventilation hole reduces the air pressure after the airflow passes through the third flow equalization plate, while the larger diameter attracts more airflow, allowing the airflow to pass through the third flow equalization plate in a more uniform flow field, thereby further improving the drying efficiency of the drying equipment.

[0036] Although the present invention has been disclosed above by way of embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains may make some modifications and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the appended claims. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0037] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A drying apparatus, comprising: A housing having an air inlet, an air outlet, and a chamber that communicate with each other, the air inlet and the air outlet being located on opposite sides of the chamber; a first flow equalization plate disposed within the chamber, the first flow equalization plate being located between the air inlet and the air outlet and close to the air inlet, the first flow equalization plate having a plurality of ventilation holes facing the platform; a filter element disposed within the chamber, located between the first flow equalization plate and the air inlet; a platform disposed within the chamber, located between the first flow equalization plate and the air outlet; and a second flow equalization plate disposed within the chamber, located between the platform and the air outlet.

2. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second flow equalization plate has a plurality of intermediate ventilation holes and a plurality of peripheral ventilation holes surrounding the intermediate ventilation holes, and the diameter of each of the intermediate ventilation holes is larger than the diameter of each of the peripheral ventilation holes.

3. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the diameter of each of the intermediate ventilation holes and the diameter of each of the peripheral ventilation holes are between 1 mm and 30 mm.

4. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distance between the second flow equalization plate and the stage is less than the distance between the second flow equalization plate and the air outlet.

5. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distance between the filter element and the first flow equalization plate is less than the distance between the filter element and the air inlet.

6. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distance between the first flow equalization plate and the filter element is less than the distance between the first flow equalization plate and the stage.

7. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further includes a third flow equalization plate, wherein the third flow equalization plate is disposed in the chamber and located between the filter element and the air inlet.

8. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the third flow equalization plate has a plurality of first ventilation holes and a plurality of second ventilation holes, the first ventilation holes being located at the air inlet and the second ventilation holes being offset from the air inlet, and the diameter of each of the first ventilation holes being smaller than the diameter of each of the second ventilation holes.

9. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the diameter of each of the first ventilation holes and the diameter of each of the second ventilation holes are between 1 mm and 30 mm.

10. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the distance between the third flow equalization plate and the filter element is less than the distance between the third flow equalization plate and the air inlet.

11. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further includes an airflow circulation device and a guide pipe, wherein the guide pipe is connected to the air inlet, and the airflow circulation device is connected to the guide pipe and the air outlet.

12. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the airflow circulation device has a drain hole and the drain hole communicates with the air outlet.

13. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 11 further includes a heating device, wherein the heating device is disposed between the air outlet and the airflow circulation device.

14. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ventilation holes of the first flow equalization plate are uniformly distributed.

15. The drying apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the diameter of the ventilation holes is between 1 mm and 30 mm.

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