Heat treatment apparatus

Abstract

The present invention provides a heat treatment apparatus that prevents a unit that tightly fits a door to the front surface of the body and the door from protruding. The heat treatment apparatus (1) includes a body (11), a door (12), a rod (27), and a force-sharing unit (28). The body (11) is filled with gas and constitutes a treatment chamber for heat treating an object (10). The door (12) opens and closes an opening (22) provided in the body (11). The rod (27) is arranged to extend along the surface of the body (11) where the opening (22) is provided, and moves in a direction different from the pressing direction that presses the door (12) toward the body (11). The force-sharing unit (28) generates a force that tightly fits the door (12) to the body (11) by dividing the force of the operating force of the rod (27) along the moving direction of the rod (27) when the door (12) is closed (22).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a heat treatment apparatus for heat-treating a workpiece. Background Technology

[0002] In heat treatment apparatus used for heat treatment of workpieces, depending on the type of workpiece, it is required to perform heat treatment while maintaining the airtightness of the treatment chamber filled with gas. To ensure such airtightness, in addition to locking the door of the main body relative to the main body constituting the treatment chamber, it is also necessary to ensure that the door fits tightly against the main body to prevent gas leakage.

[0003] As a structure for tightly fitting a door to the main body in a heat treatment apparatus, for example, as described in Patent Document 1, a structure is known that includes a locking handle and a horizontal handle on the door. The locking handle is configured to include: an operating part that protrudes from the front surface of the door and is operated by a worker; and a mechanism for engaging the door with the main body side in conjunction with the operation of the operating part. Similarly, the horizontal handle is configured to include: an operating part that is located on the front surface of the main body and is operated by a worker; and a mechanism for pressing the door by operating the operating part. In the structure described in Patent Document 1, the worker manually tightens the locking handle and the horizontal handle, pressing the door against the main body, thereby tightly fitting the door to the main body.

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-351585

[0005] In the structure disclosed in Patent Document 1, such as the locking handle and the horizontal handle, the operating part, which is operated by the worker, is provided in a protruding manner on the front surface of the main body and the door. Therefore, there are sometimes problems where the worker may bump their body into the operating part, or the worker's clothing may get caught on the operating part, thus hindering the worker's work. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the above, the present invention aims to provide a heat treatment apparatus that prevents a unit that fits tightly against the body side in a manner that prevents gas leakage from protruding from the front surface of the body and the door.

[0007] (1) In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a heat treatment apparatus of one aspect of the present invention comprises: a main body filled with gas, the main body constituting a treatment chamber for heat treatment of a workpiece; a door for opening and closing an opening provided in the main body; a rod arranged to extend along the surface of the main body where the opening is provided, and moving in a direction different from the pressing direction of pressing the door toward the main body; and a force-sharing unit that generates a force that causes the door to press against the main body by dividing the force of the operating force of the rod in the moving direction of the rod when the door is closed and the opening is closed, the force-sharing unit comprising: a cam member mounted on the rod; an elastic body that suppresses the amount of movement of the cam member relative to the rod; and a cam follower provided in the door and transmitting the force obtained from the force-sharing of the operating force to the door by abutting against the cam member.

[0008] According to this structure, the unit that tightly fits the door against the main body when the opening is closed consists of a rod and a force-sharing unit. The rod moves in a direction different from the pressing direction of the door, and the force-sharing unit distributes the operating force in the direction of the rod's movement. Furthermore, the rod is arranged to extend along the surface of the main body where the opening is located, and the force-sharing unit is positioned near the rod when the door is closed, so that it operates in tandem with the movement of the rod. Therefore, the rod and the force-sharing unit, as the unit that tightly fits the door against the main body, do not protrude from the front surfaces of the main body and the door. This ensures that the unit that tightly fits the door against the main body without gas leakage does not protrude from the front surfaces of the main body and the door. Moreover, in cases where there are dimensional errors in components such as the cam component and the cam follower, or assembly errors during the assembly of these components, the positional accuracy of the cam component on the rod side and the cam follower on the door side is not constant, resulting in deviations. Therefore, high-precision adjustment of the positioning of the cam component and the cam follower is required. However, according to the above structure, the cam component on the rod side, which abuts against the cam follower on the door side to distribute the operating force of the rod, can suppress the amount of movement through an elastic body. Therefore, when the rod moves and the cam component abuts against the cam follower, even if there are dimensional and assembly errors in the components, the errors will be absorbed by the deformation of the elastic body. Thus, the positioning of the cam component and the cam follower can be adjusted with high precision solely by the amount of operation in the direction of rod movement. Therefore, according to the above structure, in a heat treatment apparatus that ensures the unit of the door is tightly fitted to the main body side in a way that prevents gas leakage, and does not protrude from the front surface of the main body and the door, the positioning of the cam component and the cam follower can be adjusted with high precision solely by the amount of operation in the direction of rod movement.

[0009] (2) Sometimes, the heat treatment apparatus has a plurality of the force-sharing units, and the plurality of the force-sharing units respectively have the cam component, the elastic body and the cam follower.

[0010] For example, even when an adjustment unit is provided, which adjusts the position of each cam component arranged on the axis of the rod via a screw portion provided on the rod and a nut screwed into the screw portion, it is difficult to align the cam components with high precision on the axis of the rod if there are multiple cam components. However, according to this structure, the individual errors present in each component force unit can be absorbed by the elastic body provided in each component force unit. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the positioning of the cam component and the cam follower with high precision in each of the multiple component force units that operate at the same time as the rod moves.

[0011] (3) Sometimes, the door is configured as a swing door mounted to the body via a hinge, and among the multiple elastic bodies of the multiple force-shaping units, the elastic force of the elastic body disposed on the side away from the hinge side is set to be greater than the elastic force of the elastic body disposed on the hinge side.

[0012] According to this structure, among the multiple elastic bodies, the elastic force of the elastic body located on the side furthest from the hinge is set to be greater than that of the elastic body located on the hinge side. Therefore, in the force component unit located on the side furthest from the hinge, the force exerted by the cam component on the cam follower can be increased. Normally, when internal pressure is applied, the door will open. Even if the sealing pressure of the seal is ensured on the hinge side, the sealing pressure of the seal decreases further away from the hinge. Therefore, the elastic body located further away needs to have a stronger elastic force. However, even when it is desired to make the sealing pressure of the seal uniform, but the sealing pressure of the seal is uneven due to the shape of the door, the arrangement relationship with the door locking unit, etc., the sealing pressure of the seal can be made uniform by the above configuration.

[0013] (4) Sometimes, the cam follower is provided on the edge of the door, and the main body is provided with a recess on the edge of the opening. The recess receives the cam follower when the door closes the opening. When the door closes the opening and the cam follower is received in the recess, the cam component abuts against the cam follower by moving the rod along the moving direction.

[0014] According to this structure, when the door is closed, the cam follower on the door side is housed in the recess of the edge portion of the opening of the main body, thus allowing the door to close while the cam follower is positioned inside the main body in a manner that does not interfere with the main body. Therefore, when the door is closed, it is possible to prevent the cam follower from being positioned on the front surface side of the main body. Furthermore, after the door is closed, the rod provided on the main body side moves, causing the cam component to abut against the cam follower, thereby transmitting the force obtained from the operating force component of the rod to the cam follower, thereby enabling the door to fit tightly against the main body side. Therefore, according to the above structure, by providing a simple structure with a recess in the edge portion of the opening, it is easy to construct a structure that prevents the force component unit that causes the door to fit tightly against the main body from being positioned on the front surface side of the main body.

[0015] (5) Sometimes, the amount of operation of the lever along the direction of movement is set to be a predetermined amount greater than the predetermined distance between the cam component and the cam follower in the direction of movement before the door closes the opening and the lever moves.

[0016] According to this structure, the amount of lever operation is set to be a predetermined amount larger than the set distance between the cam component and the cam follower in the state before the lever moves after the door is closed. Therefore, when the lever moves and the cam component comes into contact with the cam follower, even in the presence of component dimensional errors and assembly errors, the errors can be absorbed more reliably through the deformation of the elastomer.

[0017] (6) Sometimes, the elastomer is disposed on the outer periphery of the rod.

[0018] According to this structure, the combined structure of the rod and the elastic body can be made shorter in the axial direction of the rod without having to arrange the rod and the elastic body continuously in the coaxial direction.

[0019] According to the present invention, in a heat treatment apparatus that prevents the unit of the door from protruding from the front surface of the body and the door in a way that ensures a tight fit without gas leakage, the positioning of the cam component and the cam follower can be adjusted with high precision solely by the amount of operation in the direction of rod movement. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the heat treatment apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 It is a perspective view of the heat treatment apparatus, showing the door in the closed state.

[0022] Figure 3 It is Figure 1 A magnified view of a portion of the heat treatment apparatus is shown.

[0023] Figure 4The diagram shows the door and the tight-fitting mechanism of the heat treatment apparatus, and it also shows the state as viewed from the inside of the heat treatment apparatus.

[0024] Figure 5 It is Figure 4 The diagram showing the tight-fitting mechanism is enlarged and illustrated.

[0025] Figure 6 (A) is a diagram showing the door and the tight-fitting mechanism of the heat treatment apparatus as viewed from above. Figure 6 (B) is to Figure 6 A portion of (A) is enlarged and shown in the figure.

[0026] Figure 7 (A) is a diagram showing the door and the tight-fitting mechanism of the heat treatment apparatus as viewed from above. Figure 7 (B) is to Figure 7 A portion of (A) is enlarged and shown in the figure.

[0027] Figure 8 (A) Figure 8 (B) and Figure 8 (C) is a diagram used to illustrate the setting of the operating amount of the lever of the tight-fitting mechanism.

[0028] Figure 9 (A) Figure 9 (B) Figure 9 (C) Figure 9 (D) Figure 9 (E) and Figure 9 (F) is a diagram used to illustrate the setting of the elastic force of the elastic body of the tight-fitting mechanism.

[0029] Figure 10 (A) Figure 10 (B) and Figure 10 (C) is a diagram used to illustrate the setting of the elastic force of the elastic body of the tight-fitting mechanism.

[0030] Figure 11 (A) Figure 11 (B) Figure 11 (C) and Figure 11 (D) is a diagram used to illustrate the setting of the elastic force of the elastic body of the tight-fitting mechanism.

[0031] Figure 12 (A) Figure 12 (B) and Figure 12 (C) is a diagram used to illustrate the configuration of the force-shaping units of the close-fitting mechanism.

[0032] Figure 13This is a perspective view of the heat treatment apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 14 This is a perspective view of the heat treatment apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 15 This is a diagram illustrating a heat treatment apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. Figure 15 (A) is a perspective view of the heat treatment apparatus. Figure 15 (B) is a top view of the heat treatment apparatus.

[0035] Figure 16 It is used for Figure 15 The diagram illustrates the operation of the tight-fitting mechanism in the heat treatment apparatus. Figure 16 (A) is a diagram showing the state of the close-fitting mechanism before it performs its action. Figure 16 (B) is a diagram showing the state in which the close-fitting mechanism has been activated.

[0036] Figure 17 This is a diagram illustrating a heat treatment apparatus according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. Figure 17 (A) is a perspective view of the heat treatment apparatus. Figure 17 (B) is a top view of the heat treatment apparatus.

[0037] Figure 18 It is used for Figure 17 The diagram illustrates the operation of the tight-fitting mechanism in the heat treatment apparatus. Figure 18 (A) is a diagram showing the state of the close-fitting mechanism before it performs its action. Figure 18 (B) is a diagram showing the state in which the close-fitting mechanism has been activated.

[0038] Figure 19 (A) Figure 19 (B) Figure 19 (C) and Figure 19 (D) is a diagram showing an example of the shape of the cam component and cam follower of the force-shaping unit of the close-fitting mechanism of the heat treatment apparatus.

[0039] Figure 20 (A) Figure 20 (B) and Figure 20 (C) is a diagram showing an example of the shape of the elastic body of the force component of the tight-fitting mechanism of the heat treatment apparatus.

[0040] Label Explanation

[0041] 1, 2, 3, 4, 5: Heat treatment device; 10: The object to be treated; 11: Main body; 12: Door; 14, 14a, 14b: Tight fitting mechanism; 22: Opening; 27: Rod; 28: Component force unit; 29: Cam component; 30: Cam follower; 31: Elastic body. Detailed Implementation

[0042] Hereinafter, the methods for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0043] (First Embodiment)

[0044] [Structure of the heat treatment apparatus]

[0045] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the heat treatment apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 The diagram shows the state in which door 12 is open in the heat treatment apparatus 1. Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the heat treatment apparatus 1, showing the closed state of the door 12.

[0046] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The heat treatment apparatus 1 is configured to perform heat treatment on the workpiece 10. Examples of heat treatment using the heat treatment apparatus 1 include heating treatment where the workpiece 10 is placed in a gas-filled chamber and the workpiece 10 is heated, and cooling treatment where the workpiece 10 is cooled. Examples of heat treatment using the heat treatment apparatus 1 include carburizing, quenching, tempering, annealing, degreasing, and sintering. Furthermore, the heat treatment apparatus 1 can be used, for example, to perform heat treatment on workpieces 10 that are made of metal.

[0047] The heat treatment apparatus 1 is configured to include a main body 11, a door 12 for opening and closing the main body 11, a locking unit 13 for locking the main body 11 and the door 12, a tight-fitting mechanism 14 for tightly fitting the door 12 to the main body 11, and a control unit 15.

[0048] The main body 11 is filled with gas, and this main body 11 constitutes a processing chamber for processing the workpiece 10. The gas filling the main body 11 can be a gas such as nitrogen or air, or a gas as steam such as superheated steam. Moreover, as a method of filling the main body 11 with gas, it is possible to introduce gas into the main body 11 from the outside, but it is not limited to this method. That is, it is also possible to fill the main body 11 with gas without introducing gas into the main body 11 from the outside. Specifically, it is also possible to implement a method in which air is present in the main body 11 when the workpiece 10 is moved into the main body 11, without introducing gas into the main body 11 from the outside, thereby filling the main body 11 with gas as air, and thus performing heat treatment on the workpiece 10.

[0049] The main body 11 includes a front wall 16, a rear wall 17, side walls 18 and 19, a top wall 20, and a bottom wall 21, and is formed as a cuboid box-shaped structure with a hollow area internally divided to house the workpiece 10. An opening 22 is provided in the front wall 16 of the main body 11, opening the hollow area of ​​the main body 11 to the outside. The opening 22 is shaped to correspond to the outer periphery of the door 12 and extends through the front wall 16. A heat-resistant seal 49 is provided around the periphery of the opening 22 to ensure airtightness between it and the door 12.

[0050] The object to be processed 10 is moved into the interior of the main body 11 through the opening 22. The object to be processed 10 is moved into the interior of the main body 11 through the opening 22, for example, in a state in which multiple objects are housed in a thin, box-shaped shell 10a. In addition, the shell 10a is constructed in such a way that the surrounding gas can pass through and flow with substantially no resistance, for example, it is formed of a mesh component.

[0051] Furthermore, when the heat treatment apparatus 1 is configured to perform heat treatment, for example, a heater (not shown) for heating the workpiece 10 is provided inside the main body 11. Moreover, when the heat treatment apparatus 1 is configured to heat the workpiece 10 using a heating gas such as superheated steam, the main body 11 is provided with a supply and exhaust system for supplying and exhausting the heating gas relative to the interior of the main body 11. Furthermore, when the heat treatment apparatus 1 is configured to cool the workpiece 10 using a cooling gas, the main body 11 is provided with a supply and exhaust system for supplying and exhausting the cooling gas relative to the interior of the main body 11.

[0052] Door 12 is configured to open and close an opening 22 provided on the front wall 16 of the main body 11. Door 12 is shaped to completely close the opening 22 of the main body 11; in this embodiment, it is configured as a door with a rectangular shape. Door 12 is configured as a swing door mounted on the main body 11 via multiple hinges 23. In this embodiment, door 12 is configured to open laterally relative to the front wall 16 of the main body 11 via two hinges 23. That is, door 12 is mounted on the front wall 16 at one end in the horizontal direction via two hinges 23 arranged vertically along the front wall 16, allowing it to rotate horizontally relative to the main body 11 around the hinges 23. Furthermore, a handle 25 for operation by a worker is provided on the side of door 12 opposite to the hinge 23 side when door 12 is opened or closed.

[0053] Furthermore, the door 12 is provided with an outer portion 12a facing the outer side of the main body 11 when the opening 22 is closed, and an inner portion 12b facing the inner side of the main body 11. Both the outer portion 12a and the inner portion 12b are plate-shaped portions and are integrally formed in a manner that overlaps in the thickness direction of the door 12. Moreover, the outer periphery of the inner portion 12b is formed to be smaller than the outer periphery of the outer portion 12a. Therefore, the inner portion 12b is configured as a plate-shaped portion that protrudes in a stepped manner relative to the outer portion 12a. Furthermore, the edge portion of the opening 22 in the main body 11 is provided with an outer edge portion 23a that is recessed in a stepped manner and an inner edge portion 23b that opens in a manner that slightly tapers towards the inner side from the outer edge portion 23a. Furthermore, the door 12 is configured such that when the opening 22 is closed, the outer peripheral edge of the outer portion 12a of the door 12 abuts against the outer edge 23a of the opening 22 to close the opening 22, and the outer peripheral edge of the inner portion 12b of the door 12 is embedded in the inner edge 23b of the opening 22.

[0054] The locking unit 13 is configured to lock the door 12 relative to the main body 11 when the door 12 is in the closed opening 22 state. Multiple locking units 13 are provided; in this embodiment, for example, two are provided. In this embodiment, when the door 12 is in the closed opening 22 state, the two locking units 13 are positioned relative to the door 12 on the side opposite to the hinge 23 side. Furthermore, the two locking units 13 are arranged vertically along the front wall 16 when the door 12 is in the closed opening 22 state.

[0055] Each locking unit 13 is configured to have a hook 13a provided on the door 12 and a hook holding portion 13b provided on the front wall 16 of the main body 11. The hook 13a is provided on the end side of the door 12 opposite to the hinge 23 side and is formed in the shape of a claw protruding from the outer portion 12a of the door 12. The hook 13a is provided in such a way that it protrudes from the outer portion 12a toward the inner side of the main body 11 when the door 12 is closed at the opening 22.

[0056] The hook retaining part 13b is configured to engage with the hook 13a when the door 12 is closed (opening 22), thereby retaining the hook 13a. The hook retaining part 13b is located at the edge of the opening 22 in the front wall 16 of the main body 11, thus being located at the outer edge 23a. Furthermore, the hook retaining part 13b is located on the side opposite to the hinge 23 side of the outer edge 23a, across the opening 22. The hook retaining part 13b is configured, for example, to have an insertion hole that opens in the outer edge 23a and allows the hook 13a to be inserted when the door 12 is closed (opening 22), and an engaging pin (not shown) that engages with the hook 13a inserted into the insertion hole. The engaging pin is configured, for example, to be driven by a solenoid (not shown) that operates according to a control command from the control unit 15. When the opening 22 is closed by the door 12 and the hook 13a is inserted into the insertion hole of the hook retainer 13b, the locking pin, driven by the solenoid that operates according to the control command from the control unit 15, moves, thereby engaging the hook 13a with the locking pin. As a result, the hook 13a is held by the hook retainer 13b, and the door 12, in the closed state of the opening 22, is locked relative to the main body 11.

[0057] The control unit 15 is configured as a control device to control the operation of the locking unit 13, the tight-fitting mechanism 14, and the heat treatment mechanism provided on the main body 11. The control unit 15 is configured to include a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory), an operation panel operated by a user, and interface circuitry. The memory of the control unit 15 stores a program for generating control instructions for controlling the operation of the locking unit 13, the tight-fitting mechanism 14, and the heat treatment mechanism provided on the main body 11. For example, when operated by an operator via the operation panel, the program is read from the memory and executed by the hardware processor. This generates the control instructions, and based on these instructions, the locking unit 13, the tight-fitting mechanism 14, and the heat treatment mechanism provided on the main body 11 operate accordingly.

[0058] [Structure of the tightly fitting mechanism]

[0059] Figure 3 It is Figure 1 A portion of the heat treatment apparatus 1 shown is enlarged and illustrated in the figure. Figure 4 The diagram shows the door 12 and the tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 1, and is a diagram showing the state as viewed from the inside side of the heat treatment apparatus 1. Figure 5 Yes Figure 4 An enlarged view of the tightly fitting mechanism 14 is shown. Figure 6(A) is a diagram showing the door 12 and the tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 1 as viewed from above. Figure 6 (B) is a Figure 6 A portion of (A) is enlarged and shown in the diagram. Additionally, in Figure 4 and Figure 5 The illustrations of elements other than the door 12 and the tight-fitting mechanism 14 in the heat treatment apparatus 1 are omitted. Furthermore, in Figure 6 (A) and Figure 6 In (B), the illustrations of elements other than the door 12, the tight-fitting mechanism 14, and a portion of the front wall 16 of the main body 11 in the heat treatment apparatus 1 are omitted. A portion of the front wall 16 is shown as a sectional view.

[0060] Reference Figures 1 to 5 , Figure 6 (A) and Figure 6 (B) The tight-fitting mechanism 14 is configured to ensure that the door 12 is tightly fitted to the main body 11 when the door 12 is in the closed opening 22 state. Multiple tight-fitting mechanisms 14 are provided; in this embodiment, two are provided. In this embodiment, two tight-fitting mechanisms 14 are provided: tight-fitting mechanism 14a and tight-fitting mechanism 14b. Tight-fitting mechanism 14a is positioned on the upper side of the door 12 when the door 12 is in the closed opening 22 state. Tight-fitting mechanism 14b is positioned on the lower side of the door 12 when the door 12 is in the closed opening 22 state.

[0061] The two tight-fitting mechanisms 14 are each configured to include a drive mechanism 26, a lever 27, and a force-sharing unit 28. Specifically, tight-fitting mechanism 14a is configured to include the drive mechanism 26, lever 27, and force-sharing unit 28, and tight-fitting mechanism 14b is also configured to include the drive mechanism 26, lever 27, and force-sharing unit 28. Furthermore, except that the lever 27 and force-sharing unit 28 are in opposite vertical positions, the tight-fitting mechanism 14a, located on the upper side of the door 12, and the tight-fitting mechanism 14b, located on the lower side of the door 12, are configured similarly when the door 12 is closed (opening 22). In tight-fitting mechanism 14a, lever 27 is located above force-sharing unit 28, and in tight-fitting mechanism 14b, lever 27 is located below force-sharing unit 28.

[0062] [Drive mechanism]

[0063] The drive mechanism 26 is configured to drive and operate the rod 27 in a cylinder mechanism that moves the rod 27 along its axial direction. The drive mechanism 26 is, for example, a pneumatic cylinder mechanism, and has a pair of pressure chambers (not shown) for supplying and discharging compressed air, and a piston 26a connected to the rod 27. Furthermore, the drive mechanism 26 is configured to reciprocate by displacing the piston 26a by supplying and discharging compressed air to the pair of pressure chambers. That is, the drive mechanism 26 is configured to operate in conjunction with the supply and discharge of compressed air, driving the rod 27 in the direction pulled in by the drive mechanism 26 or in the direction pushed out by the drive mechanism 26. Moreover, the drive mechanism 26 is fixed to the inside of the main body 11, for example, fixed to the inside of the front wall 16.

[0064] Furthermore, the drive mechanism 26 is activated according to control commands from the control unit 15, thereby moving the lever 27. More specifically, a solenoid valve (not shown) installed in the compressed air supply and discharge system connecting the compressed air supply source (not shown) and the drive mechanism 26 is activated according to control commands from the control unit 15, thereby supplying or discharging compressed air to a pair of pressure chambers in the drive mechanism 26, thus activating the drive mechanism 26. As a result, the lever 27 is operated to move in the direction pulled in by the drive mechanism 26 or in the direction pushed out by the drive mechanism 26.

[0065] Furthermore, this embodiment illustrates a configuration of the drive mechanism 26 as a pneumatic cylinder mechanism, but this is not always the case. The drive mechanism 26 may also be configured as a hydraulic cylinder mechanism or an electromagnetic solenoid mechanism. Moreover, the drive mechanism 26 may be configured as a mechanism other than a cylinder mechanism. For example, it may be configured as a mechanism with an electric motor and a rack and pinion, or a mechanism with an electric motor and a ball screw, etc.

[0066] [pole]

[0067] The rod 27 is configured as a linearly extending component with an axial direction, for example, it is configured as a component extending along the axial direction with a circular cross-section. The rod 27 is disposed inside the main body 11 and is connected at one end to a drive mechanism 26 fixed to the main body 11. Moreover, the rod 27 is disposed inside the main body 11 on the inner side of the front wall 16. Furthermore, the rod 27 is configured to extend along the surface 16a of the front wall 16 in the main body 11 where the opening 22 is provided. That is, the rod 27 is disposed on the inner side of the front wall 16 in the state of extending along the surface 16a of the main body 11 where the opening 22 is provided with the axial direction of the rod 27. In addition, the state in which the rod 27 extends along the surface 16a of the main body 11 where the opening 22 is provided is not limited to the state in which the rod 27 extends parallel to the surface 16a where the opening 22 is provided, but also includes the state in which it is slightly inclined relative to the surface 16a where the opening 22 is provided.

[0068] Furthermore, the rod 27 is configured to extend along the surface of the main body 11 where the opening 22 is provided, and extends horizontally along the edge of the opening 22. Additionally, the rod 27 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14a located on the upper side of the door 12 is configured to extend horizontally along the edge of the upper side of the opening 22, and the rod 27 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14b located on the lower side of the door 12 is configured to extend horizontally along the edge of the lower side of the opening 22.

[0069] Furthermore, the rod 27 is configured to move along its axial direction via a driven mechanism 26. Moreover, the rod 27 is configured to move in a right-angle direction via the driven mechanism 26, which is different from the pressing direction when the door 12 is pressed towards the body 11 with the opening 22 closed. The pressing direction when the door 12 is pressed towards the body 11 with the opening 22 closed is perpendicular to the surface 16a of the front wall 16 and is a direction that presses the door 12, which closes the opening 22, towards the body 11 in a way that is tightly fitted against the body 11. Regarding the pressing direction when the door 12 is pressed towards the body 11, in… Figure 6 (A) and Figure 6 In (B), this is indicated by arrow X1. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the pressing direction that presses the door 12 towards the body 11 is perpendicular to the pressing direction, and it is the direction of movement of the rod 27, which is moved by the drive mechanism 26 in a manner that the rod 27, operated by the drive mechanism 26, is pulled in along its axial direction. Additionally, regarding the direction perpendicular to the pressing direction that presses the door 12 towards the body 11, i.e., the direction of movement of the rod 27 operated by the drive mechanism 26, in... Figure 6 (A) and Figure 6(B) is indicated by arrow X2. As described above, lever 27 is operated by driven mechanism 26, which pulls it in, thereby moving it in a right-angle direction along the pressing direction that presses the door 12 toward the body 11. In addition, lever 27 is configured to be operated in the opposite direction along the axis of lever 27, starting from the state in which it is pulled in along driven mechanism 26, thereby moving it in the direction in which it is pushed out from driven mechanism 26.

[0070] [Component Force Unit]

[0071] The force-sharing unit 28 is configured to distribute the force of the operating lever 27 along the movement direction of the lever 27 when the door 12 is in the closed opening 22 state, thereby making the door 12 fit tightly against the main body 11. The tight-fitting mechanism 14 includes multiple force-sharing units 28. That is, each of the tight-fitting mechanisms 14a and 14b includes multiple force-sharing units 28. In this embodiment, each of the tight-fitting mechanisms 14a and 14b includes four force-sharing units 28.

[0072] The multiple force-sharing units 28 in the tight-fitting mechanism 14 each have a cam component 29, a cam follower 30, and an elastic body 31. The cam component 29 and the elastic body 31 are provided on the main body 11 side and mounted on the rod 27. The cam follower 30 is provided on the door 12 side. Moreover, the force-sharing unit 28 is configured such that when the rod 27 operated by the drive mechanism 26 moves in the state where the door 12 is closed at the opening 22, the cam component 29 abuts against the cam follower 30, thereby dividing the force from the operating force of the rod 27 in the moving direction into a force component from the cam component 29 toward the cam follower 30. Furthermore, the force-sharing unit 28 is configured to transmit the force divided from the operating force of the rod 27 from the cam component 29 to the cam follower 30, thereby pressing the door 12, on which the cam follower 30 is provided, toward the main body 11 side and making the door 12 fit tightly against the main body 11 side. Hereinafter, the structure of the cam component 29, the elastic body 31, and the cam follower 30 will be described in more detail.

[0073] Cam components 29 are respectively provided in multiple force-component units 28 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14. In this embodiment, four cam components 29 are provided in the tight-fitting mechanism 14. All four cam components 29 in the tight-fitting mechanism 14 are mounted on the rod 27 and arranged in a manner along the axial direction of the rod 27. Furthermore, the cam components 29 mounted on the rod 27 are wedge-shaped. Each cam component 29 has a conical surface 38, which extends in a direction inclined relative to the movement direction of the rod 27 based on the operation of the drive mechanism 26 when the cam component 29 is mounted on the rod 27. Moreover, the conical surface 38 is configured to extend in a direction that extends in both the vertical direction and the direction inclined relative to the axial direction of the rod 27.

[0074] Furthermore, the cam component 29 is mounted to the rod 27 via the mounting component 32. More specifically, the cam component 29 is fixed to the mounting component 32, thereby the mounting component 32, on which the cam component 29 is fixed, is mounted to the rod 27, and thus the cam component 29 is mounted to the rod 27. The mounting component 32 is configured to have an integrally provided rod through insertion portion 32a and cam base portion 32b. The rod through insertion portion 32a is configured as a plate-shaped portion having a through insertion hole through which the rod 27 passes along the axial direction and is supported so as to be able to slide relative to the rod 27 and be displaced relative to the rod 27 along the axial direction of the rod 27. In addition, the rod 27 is provided with a cam position defining portion 33 that abuts against the rod through insertion portion 32a, which is able to slide relative to the rod 27 and be displaced relative to the rod 27. The cam position defining portion 33 is configured to limit the displacement of the mounting component 32, on which the cam component 29 is fixed, in one of the axial directions of the rod 27 by abutting against the rod through insertion portion 32a, thereby defining the position of the cam component 29 together with the mounting component 32. The cam position specification part 33 is, for example, configured as a ring-shaped component that engages with and is fixed to the rod 27.

[0075] The cam base portion 32b is a plate-shaped portion extending parallel to the axial direction of the rod 27, and a cam member 29 is fixed thereon. Furthermore, the cam base portion 32b is supported so that it can slide freely relative to a track 34 located inside the front wall 16 of the main body 11 when the mounting member 32 and the cam member 29 move along with the rod 27. The track 34 is fixed to the front wall 16 inside the front wall 16 of the main body 11 and extends parallel to the axial direction and the direction of movement of the rod 27. Moreover, the same number of tracks 34 as the force-distributing units 28 are provided in the main body 11, and each track 34 is located at a position corresponding to the mounting member 32 in each force-distributing unit 28. Additionally, the mounting member 32 mounted on the rod 27 is configured to slide freely relative to the track 34, thereby supporting the rod 27 to slide freely relative to the track 34.

[0076] Cam followers 30 are respectively provided in multiple force-component units 28 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14. In this embodiment, four cam followers 30 are provided in the tight-fitting mechanism 14. The four cam followers 30 in the tight-fitting mechanism 14 are all provided on the edge portion of the door 12 and on the edge portion of the outer side portion 12a of the door 12. In addition, the four cam followers 30 in the tight-fitting mechanism 14a are provided on the upper edge portion of the door 12 and are arranged at approximately equal intervals along the upper edge portion of the door 12. Moreover, the four cam followers 30 in the tight-fitting mechanism 14b are provided on the lower edge portion of the door 12 and are arranged at approximately equal intervals along the lower edge portion of the door 12.

[0077] The cam follower 30, located on the edge of the door 12, is a low-height cylindrical roller-shaped component. More specifically, the cam follower 30 is mounted on the edge of the door 12 in a rotatable manner about a vertically extending central axis, and is a cylindrical component with a circular cross-section perpendicular to the central axis, the height of which is smaller than the diameter of the circular cross-section. Furthermore, the cam follower 30 is configured to abut against the cam component 29, which moves together with the rod 27, when the door 12 is closed at the opening 22 and the drive mechanism 26 operates in a direction that pulls the rod 27 inward. Moreover, the cam follower 30 is configured to transmit the force obtained from the operating force component of the drive mechanism 26 on the rod 27 to the door 12 by abutting against the cam component 29.

[0078] Figure 7 (A) is a diagram showing the door 12 and the tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 1 as viewed from above. Figure 7 (B) is a Figure 7 A portion of (A) is enlarged and shown in the diagram. Additionally, Figure 7 (A) and Figure 7 (B) is with Figure 6 (A) and Figure 6 The corresponding figure (B) shows the state in which the lever 27 is operated by the drive mechanism 26 in a pulling direction. Figure 7 (A) and Figure 7 As shown in (B), when the door 12 is closed and the opening 22 is closed, when the lever 27 moves in the direction pulled in by the driven mechanism 26, the cam follower 30 abuts against the cam member 29, which moves together with the lever 27. At this time, the conical surface 38 of the cam member 29 abuts against the outer peripheral surface 39 of the cylindrical cam follower 30, thereby abutting the cam member 29 against the cam follower 30.

[0079] When the cam component 29 abuts against the cam follower 30, a portion of the operating force of the drive mechanism 26 on the lever 27 is transmitted from the cam component 29, which moves together with the lever 27 that is moved by the driven mechanism 26, to the cam follower 30. That is, through the contact between the cam component 29 and the cam follower 30, the operating force component of the drive mechanism 26 on the lever 27 in the direction in which the lever 27 moves (i.e., the direction of movement of the lever 27) is converted into a force from the cam component 29 toward the cam follower 30, and this force is transmitted to the cam follower 30. When the force obtained from the operating force component of the lever 27 is transmitted from the cam component 29 to the cam follower 30, it is further transmitted from the cam follower 30 provided on the door 12 to the door 12. Thus, in the pressing direction that presses the door 12 toward the body 11 (in... Figure 7 (A) and Figure 7In (B) in the direction indicated by arrow X1, the door 12 is subjected to force, thereby pressing the door 12, which closes the opening 22, against the body 11 in a way that it fits tightly against the side of the body 11. As described above, the cam follower 30 is configured to transmit the force obtained from the operating force component of the lever 27 to the door 12 by abutting against the cam member 29.

[0080] Furthermore, the cam follower 30 is configured such that, when the door 12 is in the closed opening 22 state, it is positioned inside the front wall 16 of the main body 11 and does not protrude outward from the front wall 16. Specifically, as Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the main body 11 has a recess 37 at the edge of the opening 22 to accommodate the cam follower 30 when the door 12 closes the opening 22. The recess 37 is formed by partially cutting the front wall 16 at the edge of the opening 22 in the front wall 16 of the main body 11, so as to be recessed toward the inside of the front wall 16. Moreover, the same number of recesses 37 as cam followers 30 are provided, and they are provided at the edge of the opening 22 in the front wall 16 at positions corresponding to the cam followers 30 when the door 12 closes the opening 22. In addition, multiple recesses 37 corresponding to the multiple cam followers 30 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14a are provided at the upper edge of the opening 22 in the front wall 16, and are arranged in a manner that runs along the upper edge of the opening 22. Furthermore, a plurality of recesses 37 corresponding to the plurality of cam followers 30 of the close-fitting mechanism 14b are provided on the lower edge of the opening 22 in the front wall 16, and are arranged in such a way as to be arranged along the lower edge of the opening 22.

[0081] When the door 12 closes the opening 22, the outer periphery of the outer portion 12a of the door 12 abuts against the outer edge 23a of the opening 22, sealing the opening 22, and the cam follower 30 is retracted into the recess 37. When the door 12 closes the opening 22, and the lever 27 does not move in the direction pulled in by the driven mechanism 26, as... Figure 1 as well as Figure 3 As shown, the cam member 29 is located inside the front wall 16 in a position where it does not protrude from the recess 37. Furthermore, the rod 27 is also configured to extend inside the front wall 16, above the recess 37, in a position where it does not protrude from the recess 37. Moreover, when the door 12 is closed at the opening 22 and the cam follower 30 is retracted into the recess 37, the rod 27 moves in the direction pulled in by the drive mechanism 26, thereby causing the cam member 29 to move toward and abut against the cam follower 30.

[0082] Multiple force-component units 28 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14 are respectively provided with elastic bodies 31. In this embodiment, four elastic bodies 31 are provided in the tight-fitting mechanism 14. The four elastic bodies 31 in the tight-fitting mechanism 14 are all mounted on the rod 27 and arranged in a manner along the axial direction on the outer periphery of the rod 27. Moreover, the elastic bodies 31 mounted on the rod 27 are provided as elastic components, and in this embodiment, they are provided as metal helical springs.

[0083] Furthermore, the elastic body 31 is mounted on the rod 27 in a state of being embedded in the axis of the rod 27. That is, the elastic body 31, which is configured as a coil spring, is inserted into the inner side of the coil spring through the rod 27, and is mounted on the rod 27 such that the elastic deformation direction of the coil spring extends in the same direction as the axial direction of the rod 27. Therefore, the elastic body 31 is arranged on the axis of the rod 27. Moreover, the plurality of elastic bodies 31 in the close-fitting mechanism 14 are arranged in a manner that they are aligned on the axis of the rod 27.

[0084] Furthermore, the elastic body 31 is mounted on the rod 27 in a state where it is adjacent to and arranged with the rod-through insertion portion 32a of the mounting member 32 in the axial direction of the rod 27. Moreover, the rod 27 is provided with an elastic body position-defining portion 35, which abuts against the end of the elastic body 31 on the side opposite to the rod-through insertion portion 32a relative to the elastic body 31, thereby defining the position of the elastic body 31 in the axial direction of the rod 27. The elastic body position-defining portion 35 is, for example, a ring-shaped component that engages with and is fixed to the rod 27.

[0085] Furthermore, spacers 36 are provided between the plurality of elastic bodies 31 arranged along the axial direction of the rod 27. The spacers 36 are installed on the rod 27 between adjacent elastic bodies 31 along the axial direction of the rod 27, and between the cam position defining portion 33 and the elastic body position defining portion 35. The spacers 36 are cylindrical components through which the rod 27 is inserted, with one end abutting against the cam position defining portion 33 and the other end abutting against the elastic body position defining portion 35. Therefore, the distance between the cam position defining portion 33 and the elastic body position defining portion 35 fixed to the rod 27 is reliably maintained at a constant distance.

[0086] The elastic body position defining part 35, the elastic body 31, the rod through insertion part 32a of the mounting member 32, and the cam position defining part 33 are arranged sequentially along the axial direction of the rod 27. Furthermore, the elastic body 31 is mounted on the rod 27 such that one end of its position relative to the rod 27 is defined by the elastic body position defining part 35, and its other end abuts against the rod through insertion part 32a, thereby applying force to the rod through insertion part 32a. Moreover, when the rod 27 is not operated in the direction pulled in by the drive mechanism 26, the rod through insertion part 32a, which is applied force by the elastic body 31, abuts against the cam position defining part 33.

[0087] The elastic body 31 abuts against the elastic body position defining part 35 and the rod through insertion part 32a. Therefore, when the rod 27 moves while the rod through insertion part 32a is abutting against the cam position defining part 33, the elastic body 31 moves with the rod 27 in a manner that maintains the same length without changing the amount of elastic deformation. However, if... Figure 7 (A) and Figure 7 As shown in (B), when the lever 27 is operated in the direction pulled in by the driven mechanism 26 to bring the cam component 29 into contact with the cam follower 30, the movement of the cam component 29 along the axial direction of the lever 27 is restricted.

[0088] As the lever 27 moves, the cam member 29 abuts against the cam follower 30, thus restricting the movement of the cam member 29. A force is applied to the elastic body 31 from the rod-through insertion portion 32a of the mounting member 32, which holds the cam member 29, towards the elastic body position-defining portion 35. Therefore, even if the lever 27 moves, the elastic body 31 elastically deforms in the compression direction, thereby absorbing the movement of the mounting member 32 and the cam member 29 along the axial direction of the lever 27. That is, the amount of movement of the mounting member 32 and the cam member 29 along the axial direction of the lever 27 is suppressed proportionally to the amount of movement of the lever 27. Furthermore, when the cam member 29 abuts against the cam follower 30, and the amount of movement of the cam member 29 and the mounting member 32 is suppressed relative to the amount of movement of the lever 27, the rod-through insertion portion 32a of the mounting member 32 and the cam position-defining portion 33 are separated in the axial direction of the lever 27.

[0089] As described above, the elastic body 31 is configured to elastically deform under the force from the mounting member 32, which is fixed to the cam member 29 that abuts against the cam follower 30, when the rod 27 moves, thereby suppressing the amount of movement of the cam member 29 relative to the amount of movement of the rod 27.

[0090] [Setting the lever's operating amount]

[0091] In the heat treatment apparatus 1, the drive mechanism 26 operates according to control commands from the control unit 15, thereby actuating the lever 27. The lever 27 moves in the direction pulled in by the drive mechanism 26, causing the cam member 29 to abut against the cam follower 30, and the door 12 is pressed tightly against the side of the main body 11. At this time, the amount of operation of the lever 27 in the direction of movement (i.e., the stroke of the lever 27 in the direction of movement) is set to be a predetermined amount larger than the predetermined distance between the cam member 29 and the cam follower 30 in the direction of movement of the lever 27 before the door 12 closes the opening 22 and the lever 27 moves. Therefore, the amount of operation of the lever 27 in the direction of movement is set such that even if there are dimensional errors in components such as the cam member 29 and the cam follower 30, as well as assembly errors when assembling these components, the positioning of the cam member 29 and the cam follower 30 can be controlled with high precision. Hereinafter, the setting of the amount of operation of the lever 27 when it is operated in such a way that the lever 27 moves in the direction pulled in by the drive mechanism 26 will be explained in more detail.

[0092] Figure 8 (A) Figure 8 (B) and Figure 8 (C) is a diagram illustrating the setting of the operating amount Y of the lever 27 in the tight-fitting mechanism 14. Additionally, in Figure 8 In (A) to (C), the close-fitting mechanism 14 is shown to have four cam members 29, namely cam member 29a, cam member 29b, cam member 29c and cam member 29d, and four cam followers 30, namely cam follower 30a, cam follower 30b, cam follower 30c and cam follower 30d, and four elastic bodies 31, namely elastic body 31b, elastic body 31c and elastic body 31d.

[0093] In setting the operating amount Y of lever 27, firstly, a setting distance X is determined as a reference value for setting the operating amount Y of lever 27. Then, after determining the setting distance X as the reference value, a predetermined amount of movement, i.e., an amount added to the setting distance X, is determined. Finally, the operating amount Y of lever 27 is determined as the value obtained by adding the predetermined amount to the setting distance X.

[0094] Reference Figure 8In step (A), when setting the operating amount Y of the lever 27, firstly, a setting distance X is determined as a reference value for setting the operating amount Y of the lever 27. The setting distance X is the setting distance between the cam member 29 and the cam follower 30 in the direction of movement of the lever 27 before the door 12 closes the opening 22 and the lever 27 moves. The setting distance X is equivalent to the distance between the position of the portion of the cam member 29 that abuts against the cam follower 30 and the position of the portion of the cam follower 30 that abuts against the cam member 29, assuming no dimensional or assembly errors in the cam member 29 and the cam follower 30. Furthermore, the setting distance X is equivalent to the amount of movement of the cam member 29 when the lever 27 is moved in the direction pulled in by the driven mechanism 26, assuming no dimensional or assembly errors in the cam member 29 and the cam follower 30. The setting distance X is determined by steps 1 to 5 described below.

[0095] First, in step 1, based on the airtightness of the door 12 and the force required to overcome the internal pressure exerted on the door 12 by the gas filling the body 11 when the door 12 is closed at the opening 22, thereby ensuring the door 12 fits tightly against the body 11, a pressing force is set to specify the intensity at which the door 12 is pressed against the body 11. Next, in step 2, based on the pressing force of the door 12 set in step 1, the pressing force of each cam member 29 is set. Specifically, the quotient obtained by dividing the pressing force of the door 12 set in step 1 by the number of cam members 29 included in the heat treatment apparatus 1 is set as the pressing force of each cam member 29.

[0096] In step 3, the maximum allowable load of the cam follower 30 is set to have a force capable of withstanding the pressing force of each cam component 29 set in step 2, thereby selecting the cam follower 30. In step 3, by selecting the cam follower 30, the diameter of the cam follower 30 is also determined.

[0097] In step 4, the tilt angle of the cam component 29, which is a wedge-shaped part, is set. That is, the tilt angle of the cam component 29 is set by the angle at which the conical surface 38 of the cam component 29 tilts relative to the axial direction of the rod 27. In order to reduce the thrust of the drive mechanism 26, the tilt angle of the cam component 29 needs to be set to a gentler angle. On the other hand, when the tilt angle is set to a gentle angle, the length of the cam component 29 becomes longer. Therefore, in order to suppress the increase in the length of the cam component 29, the tilt angle needs to be set to a steeper angle. Therefore, taking into account both the viewpoint of reducing the thrust of the drive mechanism 26 and the viewpoint of suppressing the increase in the length of the cam component 29, the tilt angle of the cam component 29 is set to the most suitable tilt angle.

[0098] In step 5, the cam component 29 is set to a position where it is not in contact with the cam follower 30, which is the starting position of the movement of the cam component 29. The starting position of the movement of the cam component 29 is the position of the cam component 29 before the lever 27 is operated and moves in the direction pulled in by the drive mechanism 26, and it is the position where the cam component 29 begins to move when the lever 27 is operated. Moreover, in step 5, the position after the cam component 29 has moved until the door 12 is pressed is set, which is the ending position of the movement of the cam component 29. The ending position of the movement of the cam component 29 is the position where the cam component 29 abuts against the cam follower 30, the movement of the cam component 29 ends, and the force obtained from the operating force component of the lever 27 is transmitted to the cam follower 30. The ending position of the movement of the cam component 29 is set according to the diameter of the cam follower 30 determined in step 3 and the tilt angle of the cam component 29 set in step 4. Furthermore, in step 5, a set distance X is determined based on the starting position and ending position of the cam component 29. That is, the set distance X is determined as the amount of stroke required for the cam component 29 to move between the starting position and the ending position of the cam component 29.

[0099] After determining the set distance X, the next step is to determine the amount of movement of lever 27, which is the specified amount, to add to the set distance X. The specified amount is determined as the sum of the compression of the elastic body 31 when it elastically deforms along the compression direction when the cam component 29 is pressed against the cam follower 30, and the maximum value of the deviation caused by the dimensional errors and assembly errors of the components such as the cam component 29 and the cam follower 30. This specified amount can also be further multiplied by a safety factor (safety rate). The compression of the elastic body 31 is determined based on the pressing force of each cam component 29 and the elastic coefficient of the selected elastic body 31, as set in step 2 of the process of determining the set distance X. The maximum value of the deviation caused by the dimensional errors and assembly errors of the components is the maximum value of the actual dimensional deviation of the distance corresponding to the set distance X when the cam component 29 and the cam follower 30 are set in the heat treatment apparatus 1.

[0100] Here, the maximum values ​​of deviations caused by component dimensional errors and component assembly errors are explained in more detail. For example... Figure 8As shown in (A), if there are no dimensional or assembly errors in components such as cam component 29 and cam follower 30, the distance between the position of the part of cam component 29 that abuts against cam follower 30 and the position of the part of cam follower 30 that abuts against cam component 29, i.e., the distance between abutting positions, becomes a set distance X. That is, the distance between the abutting positions of cam component 29a and cam follower 30a, the distance between the abutting positions of cam component 29b and cam follower 30b, the distance between the abutting positions of cam component 29c and cam follower 30c, and the distance between the abutting positions of cam component 29d and cam follower 30d all become set distance X. However, when cam component 29 and cam follower 30 are actually installed in heat treatment apparatus 1, the actual size of the distance corresponding to set distance X, i.e., the distance between abutting positions, deviates.

[0101] Figure 8 (B) shows the state in which the cam component 29 and the cam follower 30 are actually installed in the heat treatment apparatus 1. Figure 8 In the state shown in (B), the distance between the contact positions of cam component 29a and cam follower 30a is Xa, the distance between the contact positions of cam component 29b and cam follower 30b is Xb, the distance between the contact positions of cam component 29c and cam follower 30c is Xc, and the distance between the contact positions of cam component 29d and cam follower 30d is Xd. Furthermore, the deviation caused by the dimensional errors and assembly errors of the components is the magnitude (absolute value) of the difference between the set distance X and the distance between the contact positions of cam component 29 and cam follower 30. Therefore, the deviation caused by the dimensional error and assembly error of the components is |X-Xa| for cam component 29a and cam follower 30a, |X-Xb| for cam component 29b and cam follower 30a, |X-Xc| for cam component 29c and cam follower 30c, and |X-Xd| for cam component 29d and cam follower 30d. Furthermore, the maximum value of the deviation caused by the dimensional error and assembly error of the components is the largest among |X-Xa|, |X-Xb|, |X-Xc|, and |X-Xd|.

[0102] After determining the maximum value of the compression amount of the elastomer 31 and the deviation amount caused by the dimensional error and assembly error of the component, the movement amount of the lever 27, which is the amount added to the set distance X, is determined as their sum, i.e., the specified amount. After determining the specified amount, the operating amount Y of the lever 27 is finally determined as the value obtained by adding the specified amount to the set distance X, thereby setting the operating amount Y of the lever 27 in the heat treatment apparatus 1.

[0103] Here, we will explain the case where the operating amount Y of the set lever 27 is specified, and the lever 27 is operated in a manner that moves according to the set operating amount Y. (Refer to...) Figure 8 In (B), before the door 12 closes the opening 22 and the lever 27 moves, the distances between the contact positions of each cam component 29a-29d and each cam follower 30a-30d are Xa-Xd, respectively. Figure 8 Starting from the state shown in (B), operate lever 27 in a manner that moves according to the operating amount Y. Thus, referring to... Figure 8 (C) The lever 27 moves according to the amount of movement Y, and the cam position specification part 33 fixed to the lever 27 also moves toward the cam follower 30 according to the amount of movement Y.

[0104] On the other hand, when lever 27 moves according to the operating amount Y, each cam component 29a-29d moves a distance Xa-Xd between its contact positions toward each cam follower 30a-30d, thereby contacting each cam follower 30a-30d. Furthermore, the movement of each cam component 29a-29d along the axis of lever 27 stops while in contact with each cam follower 30a-30d. Moreover, after the movement of each cam component 29a-29d stops, lever 27 continues to move until the movement of operating amount Y ends. Therefore, the cam position defining portion 33 on the lever 27 side and the lever through insertion portion 32a on the cam component 29 side, which were in contact with each cam component 29a-29d before contact with each cam follower 30a-30d, move away along the axis of lever 27. Furthermore, each elastic body 31a-31d elastically deforms in the compression direction, thereby applying force to each cam component 29a-29d via mounting member 32. As a result, each cam follower 30a to 30d is pressed by each cam component 29a to 29d, thereby pressing the door 12 so that it fits tightly against the side of the main body 11.

[0105] When the movement of the lever 27 by the amount Y ends, the lever insertion part 32a adjacent to the elastic body 31a and the cam position defining part 33 separate by a distance Da (Da=Y-Xa), which is the difference between the operation amount Y and the distance Xa between the contact positions. The elastic body 31a is then compressed by a distance Da from its state before the movement of the lever 27. Similarly, the lever insertion part 32a adjacent to the elastic body 31b and the cam position defining part 33 separate by a distance Db (Db=Y-Xb), which is the difference between the operation amount Y and the distance Xb between the contact positions. The elastic body 31b is then compressed by a distance Db from its state before the movement of the lever 27. Finally, the lever insertion part 32a adjacent to the elastic body 31c and the cam position defining part 33 separate by a distance Dc (Dc=Y-Xc), which is the difference between the operation amount Y and the distance Xc between the contact positions. The elastic body 31c is then compressed by a distance Dc from its state before the movement of the lever 27. Furthermore, the rod through insertion portion 32a adjacent to the elastic body 31d and the cam position setting portion 33 are separated by a distance Dd (Dd=Y-Xd) that is the difference between the operating amount Y and the distance Xd between the contact position. The elastic body 31d is compressed by a distance Dd from the state before the movement of the rod 27.

[0106] [Setting the elasticity of the elastomer]

[0107] The tight-fitting mechanism 14 includes multiple force-sharing units 28, and each of the multiple force-sharing units 28 includes an elastic body 31. Furthermore, in the tight-fitting mechanism 14, among the multiple elastic bodies 31 in the multiple force-sharing units 28, the elastic force of the elastic body 31 positioned on the side away from the hinge 23 with the door 12 in the closed opening 22 state as a reference is set to be greater than the elastic force of the elastic body 31 positioned on the hinge 23 side with the door 12 in the closed opening 22 state as a reference. Additionally, by setting the elastic coefficient of the elastic body 31 to be larger, the elastic force of the elastic body 31 is set to be greater. The setting of the elastic force of the elastic body 31 will be explained in more detail below.

[0108] Figure 9 (A) Figure 9 (B) Figure 9 (C) Figure 9 (D) Figure 9 (E) and Figure 9 Figure (F) is used to explain the setting of the elastic force of the elastic body 31 in the tight-fitting mechanism 14. Additionally, Figure 9 Figure (A) shows the arrangement of the elastomers 31a to 31d in the tight-fitting mechanism 14. Figure 9As shown in (A), the elastic bodies 31a to 31d are all configured as helical springs. Hereinafter, elastic bodies 31a, 31b, 31c and 31d will also be referred to as spring a, spring b, spring c and spring d, respectively. Figure 9 Figures (B) to (E) show examples of the spring force settings for springs a to d, and are diagrams showing the magnitude of the spring force for each spring a to d. Furthermore, springs a to d are arranged in the order of spring d, spring c, spring b, and spring a, with reference to the door 12 in the closed opening 22 state, from the hinge 23 side towards the end side of the door 12, opposite to the hinge 23 side.

[0109] exist Figure 9 In the example of setting the elastic force of springs a to d shown in (B), the elastic force is set to increase in the order of spring d, spring c, spring b, and spring a, with the elastic force of spring d set to the minimum and the elastic force of spring a set to the maximum. In this example, among the multiple springs a to d, the elastic force of spring a, located on the side furthest from hinge 23, i.e., the end side of door 12, is set to be greater than the elastic force of spring d, located on the side furthest from hinge 23. Furthermore, in this example, among the multiple springs a to d, the elastic force of spring a, located on the side furthest from hinge 23, is set to be the maximum.

[0110] Figure 9 The example shown in (C) illustrates the setting of the spring forces of springs a to d, where the locking unit 13 is positioned relative to the door 12 at its upper and lower ends, rather than at the end of the door 12 opposite to the hinge 23 side. Furthermore, the locking unit 13 is positioned at a location corresponding to spring b. In this example, among the multiple springs a to d, the spring force of spring a, located at the end of the door 12 away from the hinge 23 side, is set to be greater than that of springs d, c, and b located on the hinge 23 side. Moreover, in this example, among the multiple springs a to d, the spring force of spring b, located at the position corresponding to the locking unit 13, is set to be the smallest, and the spring force of spring a, located furthest from the hinge 23 side, is set to be the largest.

[0111] exist Figure 9 In the example of setting the elastic force of springs a to d shown in (D), the elastic force of spring d is set to the minimum, and the elastic force of spring a is set to the maximum. Furthermore, the elastic forces of springs c and b are set to the same magnitude, greater than the elastic force of spring d but less than the elastic force of spring a. In this example, among the multiple springs a to d, the elastic force of spring a, located on the side furthest from hinge 23 (i.e., the end side of door 12), is set to be greater than the elastic force of spring d, located on the side furthest from hinge 23. Moreover, in this example, among the multiple springs a to d, the elastic force of spring a, located on the side furthest from hinge 23, is set to be the maximum.

[0112] Figure 9 The example of setting the elastic force of springs a to d shown in (E) is an example of setting in which the door 12 is formed to locally extend vertically at the position corresponding to spring b. Figure 9 Figure (F) schematically illustrates the form of a door 12 that is partially extended vertically at a position corresponding to spring b. In this example, among the multiple springs a to d, the spring b located on the side away from the hinge 23, i.e., the end side of the door 12, has a greater spring force than the spring c located on the hinge 23 side. Moreover, in this example, among the multiple springs a to d, the spring b located at the position corresponding to the partially extended portion of the door 12 has the greatest spring force.

[0113] In the tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 1, there are four elastic bodies 31. However, even when the number of elastic bodies 31 in the tight-fitting mechanism 14 is three, two, or five or more, the elastic force of the elastic bodies 31 can be set in the same way as when there are four elastic bodies 31. That is, even when there are multiple elastic bodies 31 other than four, the elastic force of the elastic body 31 located on the side away from the hinge 23 with reference to the door 12 in the closed opening 22 state can be set to be greater than the elastic force of the elastic body 31 located on the hinge 23 side with reference to the door 12 in the closed opening 22 state.

[0114] Figure 10 (A) Figure 10 (B) and Figure 10 Figure (C) is used to explain the setting of the elastic force of the elastic body 31 in the tightly fitting mechanism 14 of the modified example having three elastic bodies 31. Additionally, Figure 10 Figure (A) is a diagram showing the arrangement of the three elastic bodies 31a to 31c in the modified example of the tight-fitting mechanism 14. Figure 10 In the modified example shown in (A), the tight-fitting mechanism 14 has three force-component units 28, and each of the three force-component units 28 has an elastic body 31. Figure 10 As shown in (A), the elastic bodies 31a to 31c are all configured as helical springs. Hereinafter, elastic bodies 31a, 31b and 31c will also be referred to as spring a, spring b and spring c, respectively. Figure 10 (B) and Figure 10 (C) is a diagram showing an example of the spring force settings of springs a to c, and it is a diagram showing the magnitude of the spring force of each spring a to c. In addition, springs a to c are arranged in the order of spring c, spring b, and spring a, with reference to the door 12 in the closed opening 22 state, from the hinge 23 side to the side opposite to the hinge 23 side, i.e., the end side of the door 12.

[0115] exist Figure 10 In the example of setting the elastic force of springs a to c shown in (B), the elastic force is set to increase in the order of spring c, spring b, and spring a, so that the elastic force of spring c is set to be the smallest and the elastic force of spring a is set to be the largest. In this example, among the multiple springs a to c, the elastic force of spring a, which is located on the side furthest from hinge 23, i.e., the end side of door 12, is set to be greater than the elastic force of spring c, which is located on the side furthest from hinge 23. Moreover, in this example, among the multiple springs a to c, the elastic force of spring a, which is located on the side furthest from hinge 23, is set to be the largest.

[0116] Figure 10 The example shown in (C) illustrates the setting of the spring forces of springs a to c, where the locking unit 13 is positioned relative to the door 12 at its upper and lower ends, rather than at the end of the door 12 opposite to the hinge 23 side. Furthermore, the locking unit 13 is positioned at a location corresponding to spring b. In this example, among the multiple springs a to c, the spring a positioned at the end of the door 12, away from the hinge 23 side, has a greater spring force than the springs c and b positioned on the hinge 23 side. Moreover, in this example, among the multiple springs a to c, the spring b positioned at the location corresponding to the locking unit 13 has the smallest spring force, and the spring a positioned furthest from the hinge 23 side has the largest spring force.

[0117] Figure 11 (A) Figure 11 (B) Figure 11 (C) and Figure 11 Figure (D) is used to explain the setting of the elastic force of the elastic body 31 in the tightly fitting mechanism 14 of the modified example having two elastic bodies 31. Additionally, Figure 11 (A) and Figure 11 Figure (B) is a diagram showing an example configuration of the two elastic bodies 31a and 31b in the modified close-fitting mechanism 14. Figure 11 (A) and Figure 11 In the modified example of the tight-fitting mechanism 14 shown in (B), two force-component units 28 are provided, and each of the two force-component units 28 is equipped with an elastic body 31. Furthermore, in Figure 11 The tight-fitting mechanism 14 shown in (A) and Figure 11 In the tight-fitting mechanism 14 shown in (B), the distance between the elastic body 31a and the elastic body 31b is different. More specifically, Figure 11 The tight-fitting mechanism 14 shown in (B) is relative to Figure 11 As shown in (A), the tight-fitting mechanism 14 has an elastomer 31b positioned closer to the elastomer 31a.

[0118] like Figure 11 (A) and Figure 11 As shown in (B), both elastic bodies 31a and 31b are configured as helical springs. Hereinafter, elastic bodies 31a and 31b will also be referred to as spring a and spring b, respectively. Figure 11 (C) is shown Figure 11 The diagram (A) shows an example of setting the elastic force of springs a and b in the tight-fitting mechanism 14, and is a diagram showing the magnitude of the elastic force of springs a and b. Figure 11 (D) is shown Figure 11 The diagram (B) shows an example of the setting of the elastic forces of springs a and b in the tight-fitting mechanism 14, illustrating the magnitude of the elastic forces of springs a and b. Additionally, in Figure 11 The tight-fitting mechanism 14 shown in (A) and Figure 11 In any of the tight-fitting mechanisms 14 shown in (B), with the door 12 in the closed opening 22 state as a reference, spring b is disposed on the hinge 23 side, and spring a is disposed on the side opposite to the hinge 23 side, away from the hinge 23 side, i.e., the end side of the door 12.

[0119] exist Figure 11 In the example of setting the elastic force of springs a and b shown in (C), among the multiple springs a to b, the elastic force of spring a, which is located on the side away from hinge 23, i.e., the end side of door 12, is set to be greater than the elastic force of spring b, which is located on the side of hinge 23. Furthermore, as... Figure 11 As shown in (C), spring b is positioned much further away from the hinge 23 side relative to spring a located at the end of door 12. Figure 11 In the tight-fitting mechanism 14 shown in (A), the elastic force of spring b is set to be quite small relative to the elastic force of spring a, for example, less than half the size.

[0120] exist Figure 11 In the example of setting the elastic force of springs a and b shown in (D), among the multiple springs a to b, the elastic force of spring a, which is located on the side away from hinge 23, i.e., the end side of door 12, is set to be greater than the elastic force of spring b, which is located on the side of hinge 23. Furthermore, as... Figure 11 As shown in (C), the spring b disposed on the hinge 23 side is positioned closer to the end side of the door 12 than the spring a disposed on the end side of the door 12. Figure 11 In the tight-fitting mechanism 14 shown in (A), the elastic force of spring b is set to be slightly smaller than that of spring a.

[0121] [Configuration of Component Units]

[0122] In the heat treatment apparatus 1, tight-fitting mechanisms 14a and 14b, which serve as tight-fitting mechanisms 14, are respectively provided on the upper and lower ends of the door 12 when the opening 22 is closed. Furthermore, each of the tight-fitting mechanisms 14a and 14b includes four force-sharing units 28, each having abutting cam members 29 and cam followers 30. Each of the four force-sharing units 28 in the tight-fitting mechanism 14a on the upper end of the door 12 and each of the four force-sharing units 28 in the tight-fitting mechanism 14b on the lower end of the door 12 are arranged vertically. Thus, the heat treatment apparatus 1 is configured to press the door 12 tightly against the body 11 at four positions on the upper and lower sides of the door 12 using the corresponding force-sharing units 28 arranged vertically.

[0123] As described above, in the heat treatment apparatus 1, the door 12 is pressed toward the body 11 by means of force-sharing units 28 arranged in the vertical direction at four positions above and below the door 12. However, it is not limited to this example, and it is also possible to implement a method in which the door 12 is pressed toward the body 11 by means of force-sharing units 28 arranged in different positions above and below the door 12 than those of the heat treatment apparatus 1.

[0124] Figure 12 (A) Figure 12 (B) and Figure 12 Figure (C) is used to illustrate the arrangement of the force-component units 28 in the tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 1a-1c in the modified examples. Furthermore, Figure 12 (A) is a front view of the heat treatment apparatus 1a of the modified example. Figure 12 (B) is the front view of the heat treatment apparatus 1b of the modified example. Figure 12 (C) is the front view of heat treatment apparatus 1c. Furthermore, in the description of the modified heat treatment apparatuses 1a to 1c, structures identical to or corresponding to those in heat treatment apparatus 1 are marked with the same reference numerals or used in the accompanying drawings, thus omitting redundant descriptions.

[0125] exist Figure 12 In the heat treatment apparatus 1a of the modified example shown in (A), the tight-fitting mechanism 14a and tight-fitting mechanism 14b, which are tight-fitting mechanisms 14, are respectively provided on the upper and lower ends of the door 12 when the opening 22 is closed. Moreover, the tight-fitting mechanism 14a and tight-fitting mechanism 14b each have a force-sharing unit 28 having a cam member 29 and a cam follower 30 that abut against each other.

[0126] The force-sharing unit 28 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14a is disposed on the upper end side of the door 12 when the opening 22 is closed. Furthermore, the force-sharing unit 28 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14a is disposed at the end side of the door 12, opposite to the hinge 23 side, based on the door 12 with the opening 22 closed. Furthermore, the force-sharing unit 28 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14b is disposed on the lower end side of the door 12 when the opening 22 is closed. Furthermore, the force-sharing unit 28 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14b is disposed at the end side of the door 12, opposite to the hinge 23 side, based on the door 12 with the opening 22 closed. Therefore, one force-sharing unit 28 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14a on the upper end side of the door 12 and one force-sharing unit 28 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14b on the lower end side of the door 12 are arranged vertically. Thus, the heat treatment apparatus 1a is configured to press the door 12 so that the door 12 is tightly fitted to the side of the main body 11 by means of force-sharing units 28 arranged in the vertical direction at one position above and one position below the door 12.

[0127] Furthermore, in the heat treatment apparatus 1a, the force-shaping units 28 of the tight-fitting mechanisms 14a and 14b are positioned relative to the door 12 with the opening 22 closed, closer to the end side of the door 12 than the hinge 23 side, but this is not always the case. For example, the force-shaping units 28 of the tight-fitting mechanisms 14a and 14b may also be positioned in the middle between the hinge 23 side and the end side of the door 12.

[0128] exist Figure 12 In the heat treatment apparatus 1b of the modified example shown in (B), the tight-fitting mechanism 14a and tight-fitting mechanism 14b, which are tight-fitting mechanisms 14, are respectively provided on the upper and lower ends of the door 12 when the opening 22 is closed. Moreover, the tight-fitting mechanism 14a and tight-fitting mechanism 14b each have two force-sharing units 28 having cam members 29 and cam followers 30 that abut against each other.

[0129] The two force-sharing units 28 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14a are disposed on the upper end side of the door 12 in the closed opening 22 state. Furthermore, based on the closed opening 22 state of the door 12, one of the two force-sharing units 28 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14a is disposed in the middle portion between the hinge 23 side and the end side of the door 12, and the other of the two force-sharing units 28 is disposed on the end side of the door 12. Similarly, the two force-sharing units 28 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14b are disposed on the lower end side of the door 12 in the closed opening 22 state. Also, based on the closed opening 22 state of the door 12, one of the two force-sharing units 28 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14b is disposed in the middle portion between the hinge 23 side and the end side of the door 12, and the other of the two force-sharing units 28 is disposed on the end side of the door 12. Furthermore, each of the two force-shaping units 28 in the tight-fitting mechanism 14a on the upper side of the door 12 and each of the two force-shaping units 28 in the tight-fitting mechanism 14b on the lower side of the door 12 are arranged in the vertical direction. Thus, the heat treatment device 1b is configured to press the door 12 tightly against the body 11 side at two positions, one above and one below, by the corresponding force-shaping units 28 arranged in the vertical direction.

[0130] exist Figure 12 In the heat treatment apparatus 1c of the modified example shown in (C), tight-fitting mechanisms 14a and 14b, which are tight-fitting mechanisms 14, are respectively provided on the upper and lower ends of the door 12 when the opening 22 is closed. Moreover, tight-fitting mechanisms 14a and 14b each have three force-sharing units 28 having cam members 29 and cam followers 30 that abut against each other.

[0131] The three force-sharing units 28 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14a are arranged on the upper end side of the door 12 in the closed opening 22 state, and are arranged at approximately equal intervals along the edge of the upper end side of the door 12. Furthermore, based on the door 12 in the closed opening 22 state, one of the three force-sharing units 28 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14a is arranged on the hinge 23 side, another of the three force-sharing units 28 is arranged in the middle between the hinge 23 side and the end side of the door 12, and the remaining one of the three force-sharing units 28 is arranged on the end side of the door 12. Moreover, the three force-sharing units 28 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14b are arranged on the lower end side of the door 12 in the closed opening 22 state, and are arranged at approximately equal intervals along the edge of the lower end side of the door 12. Furthermore, taking the door 12 with the opening 22 closed as a reference, one of the three force-shaping units 28 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14b is disposed on the hinge 23 side, another of the three force-shaping units 28 is disposed in the middle between the hinge 23 side and the end side of the door 12, and the remaining one of the three force-shaping units 28 is disposed on the end side of the door 12. Moreover, each of the three force-shaping units 28 in the tight-fitting mechanism 14a on the upper end side of the door 12 and each of the three force-shaping units 28 in the tight-fitting mechanism 14b on the lower end side of the door 12 are arranged vertically. Thus, the heat treatment device 1c is configured to press the door 12 at three positions, one above and one below, using the corresponding force-shaping units 28 arranged vertically, to ensure that the door 12 is tightly fitted against the body 11 side.

[0132] Furthermore, not limited to the heat treatment apparatus 1 described above and its variations 1a to 1c, it is also possible to implement a method in which the door 12 is pressed toward the body 11 by further arranging force-shaping units 28 at different positions above and below the door 12. For example, it is also possible to implement a method in which the door 12 is pressed toward the body 11 by arranging force-shaping units 28 correspondingly in the vertical direction at five or more positions above and below the door 12.

[0133] [Operation of the heat treatment apparatus]

[0134] Next, an example of the processing operation of the heat treatment apparatus 1 will be described. When the processing operation of the heat treatment apparatus 1 begins, firstly, with the door 12 open at opening 22, the workpiece 10 housed in the housing 10a is moved in through opening 22 and placed inside the main body 11. When the moving of the workpiece 10 into the main body 11 is complete, the door 12 is closed, thereby sealing the opening 22. When the door 12 is closed, the cam follower 30 provided on the upper and lower edge portions of the door 12 is housed in the recess 37 provided on the edge portion of opening 22 in the main body 11. When the door 12 is closed, the locking unit 13 is activated according to the control command from the control unit 15, thereby locking the door 12 relative to the main body 11.

[0135] With door 12 closed and locked by locking unit 13, the drive mechanism 26 is activated according to control commands from control unit 15, and lever 27 is operated, moving in the direction pulled in by drive mechanism 26. Furthermore, as lever 27 moves, multiple cam members 29 abut against multiple cam followers 30, pressing the multiple cam followers 30 towards the main body 11, thereby pressing door 12 tightly against the main body 11. While door 12 is pressed tightly against the main body 11, the workpiece 10 disposed within the main body 11 is subjected to heat treatment.

[0136] When the heat treatment of the workpiece 10 is completed, the workpiece 10 is removed from the main body 11. At this time, the drive mechanism 26 is activated according to the control command from the control unit 15, thereby operating the lever 27 to move in the direction pushed out from the drive mechanism 26. As the lever 27 moves in the direction pushed out from the drive mechanism 26, the multiple cam members 29 that abut against the multiple cam followers 30 on the door 12 side move away from the multiple cam followers 30 on the door 12 side. As a result, the state in which the door 12 is tightly fitted against the main body 11 side is released.

[0137] When the tight fit between the door 12 and the main body 11 is released, the locking unit 13 operates according to the control command from the control unit 15, thereby releasing the lock on the door 12 relative to the main body 11. With the lock on the door 12 released, the door 12 is opened, thus opening the opening 22. Furthermore, the workpiece 10 housed in the housing 10a is removed from the opening 22 and taken out of the main body 11. Thus, the processing operation of the heat treatment apparatus 1 ends.

[0138] In the above embodiments, an example was described in which the cam member 29, which moves together with the rod 27, abuts against the cam follower 30 when the drive mechanism 26 pulls the rod 27 in, thereby transmitting the force obtained from the operating force component of the drive mechanism 26 on the rod 27 to the door 12. However, it is also possible to configure the cam member 29, which moves together with the rod 27, abuts against the cam follower 30 when the drive mechanism 26 pushes the rod 27 out, thereby transmitting the force obtained from the operating force component of the drive mechanism 26 on the rod 27 to the door 12.

[0139] That is, it can also be configured such that when the drive mechanism 26 operates the lever 27 in a manner that moves in the direction pushed out from the drive mechanism 26, the cam component 29 that moves together with the lever 27 abuts against the cam follower 30.

[0140] [Effects of this implementation method]

[0141] As explained above, in the heat treatment apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the unit that tightly fits the door 12, which closes the opening 22 of the main body 11, against the side of the main body 11 consists of a rod 27 that moves in a direction different from the pressing direction of the door 12, i.e., a right-angle direction, and a force-sharing unit 28 that distributes the force of the operating force in the moving direction of the rod 27. Furthermore, the rod 27 is arranged to extend along the surface 16a of the front wall 16 in the main body 11 where the opening 22 is provided, and the force-sharing unit 28 is arranged near the rod 27 when the door 12 is in the closed opening 22 state, so that it operates in tandem with the movement of the rod 27. Therefore, the rod 27 and the force-sharing unit 28, which serve as the unit for tightly fitting the door 12 against the side of the main body 11, do not protrude from the front surface of the main body 11 and the door 12. Thus, according to this embodiment, a heat treatment apparatus 1 is provided that prevents the unit for tightly fitting the door 12 against the side of the main body 11 in a way that prevents gas leakage from protruding from the front surface of the main body 11 and the door 12.

[0142] When there are dimensional errors in components such as the cam component 29 and the cam follower 30, or assembly errors during assembly, the positional accuracy of the cam component 29 on the rod 27 side and the cam follower 30 on the door 12 side is not constant, resulting in deviations. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the positioning of the cam component 29 and the cam follower 30 with high precision. However, according to the heat treatment apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the cam component 29 on the rod 27 side, which abuts against the cam follower 30 on the door 12 side and exerts a component of the operating force on the rod 27, has its movement suppressed by the elastic body 31. Therefore, when the rod 27 moves and the cam component 29 abuts against the cam follower 30, even in the case of dimensional errors and assembly errors, the errors are absorbed by the deformation of the elastic body 31. As a result, the positioning of the cam component 29 and the cam follower 30 can be adjusted with high precision solely by adjusting the amount of operation in the direction of movement of the rod 27.

[0143] For example, even when an adjustment unit is provided to adjust the position of each cam member 29 arranged on the axis of the rod 27, it is difficult to accurately align the cam members 29 on the axis of the rod 27 when there are multiple cam members 29, due to the screw portion provided on the rod 27 and the nut screwed into the screw portion. However, according to the heat treatment apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the elastic body 31 provided on each force component unit 28 can absorb the individual errors present in each force component unit 28. Therefore, in each of the multiple force component units 28 that operate at the same time as the rod 27 moves, the positioning of the cam member 29 and the cam follower 30 can be adjusted with high precision.

[0144] Furthermore, according to the heat treatment apparatus 1 of this embodiment, among the plurality of elastic bodies 31, the elastic force of the elastic body 31 disposed on the side away from the hinge 23 is set to be greater than that of the elastic body 31 disposed on the hinge 23 side. Therefore, in the force-sharing unit 28 disposed on the side away from the hinge 23 side among the plurality of force-sharing units 28, the force exerted by the cam member 29 on the cam follower 30 can be increased. Normally, when internal pressure is applied, the door 12 needs to be opened. Even if the sealing pressure of the seal 49 is ensured on the hinge 23 side, the sealing pressure of the seal 49 will decrease further away from the hinge 23. Therefore, the further away the elastic body 31 is disposed, the more its elastic force needs to be strengthened. However, considering the desire to make the sealing pressure of the seal 49 uniform, but due to the shape of the door 12, the arrangement relationship with the locking unit 13 of the door 12, etc., the sealing pressure of the seal 49 is not uniform. However, by configuring it as in this embodiment, the sealing pressure of the seal 49 can be made uniform.

[0145] Furthermore, according to the heat treatment apparatus 1 of this embodiment, when the door 12 is closed, the cam follower 30 on the door 12 side is housed in the recess 37 at the edge of the opening 22 of the main body 11. Therefore, the door 12 can be closed while the cam follower 30 is disposed inside the main body 11 in a manner that does not interfere with the main body 11. Thus, it is possible to prevent the cam follower 30 from being disposed on the front surface side of the main body 11 when the door 12 is closed. Moreover, after the door 12 is closed, the rod 27 provided on the main body 11 side moves, thereby causing the cam member 29 to abut against the cam follower 30. The force obtained from the operating force component of the rod 27 is transmitted to the cam follower 30, enabling the door 12 to fit tightly against the main body 11 side. Therefore, according to the heat treatment apparatus 1 of this embodiment, by providing a simple structure with a recess 37 at the edge of the opening 22, it is possible to easily construct a structure that prevents the force component unit 28 that causes the door 12 to fit tightly against the main body 11 from being disposed on the front surface side of the main body 11.

[0146] Furthermore, according to the heat treatment apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the operating amount of the lever 27 is set to be a predetermined amount larger than the predetermined distance between the cam member 29 and the cam follower 30 in the state before the lever 27 moves after the door 12 is closed. Therefore, when the lever 27 moves and the cam member 29 comes into contact with the cam follower 30, even in the presence of component size errors and assembly errors, the errors can be absorbed more reliably by the deformation of the elastic body 31.

[0147] Furthermore, according to the heat treatment apparatus 1 of this embodiment, by means of an elastic body 31 disposed on the axis of the rod 27, and by means of a simple structure in which the elastic body 31 is installed in a manner that is embedded in the outer periphery of the axis of the rod 27, the combined structure of the rod 27 and the elastic body 31 can be constructed to be shorter in the axial direction of the rod, without having to arrange the rod 27 and the elastic body 31 continuously in the coaxial direction.

[0148] (Second Implementation)

[0149] Next, the heat treatment apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 13 This is a perspective view of the heat treatment apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The heat treatment apparatus 2 of the second embodiment, like the heat treatment apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, is configured as an apparatus for heat treating the workpiece 10. Furthermore, in the following description of the second embodiment, the differences from the aforementioned first embodiment will be explained. Structures identical or corresponding to those in the first embodiment will be marked with the same reference numerals in the drawings, or the same reference numerals will be used, thereby omitting repeated descriptions.

[0150] Figure 13 The heat treatment apparatus 2 shown is similar to the heat treatment apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, comprising a main body 11, a door 12 for opening and closing the main body 11, a locking unit 13 for locking the main body 11 and the door 12, a tight-fitting mechanism 14 for tightly fitting the door 12 to the main body 11, and a control unit 15. However, the configuration of the locking unit 13 and the tight-fitting mechanism 14 differs between the heat treatment apparatus 2 and the heat treatment apparatus 1.

[0151] In the heat treatment apparatus 2, the door 12, like the door 12 of the heat treatment apparatus 1, is configured to open and close the opening 22 provided on the front wall 16 of the main body 11, and is configured as a swing door that is opened laterally relative to the main body 11 via multiple hinges 23. Multiple locking units 13 are provided to lock the door 12 relative to the main body 11 when the opening 22 is closed; in the second embodiment, for example, two are provided.

[0152] In the second embodiment, with the door 12 closed at the opening 22, the two locking units 13 are disposed on the upper and lower ends of the door 12. That is, one locking unit 13 is disposed on the upper end of the door 12, and the other locking unit 13 is disposed on the lower end of the door 12. Furthermore, each locking unit 13 is disposed in the middle portion between the hinge 23 side and the side opposite to the hinge 23 side, i.e., the end side of the door 12, with the door 12 in the closed opening 22 state as a reference. Moreover, the two locking units 13 are arranged vertically along the front wall 16 with the door 12 in the closed opening 22 state. Alternatively, each locking unit 13 may be disposed on the end side of the door 12 with the door 12 in the closed opening 22 state as a reference.

[0153] Each locking unit 13 of the heat treatment apparatus 2 is configured similarly to the locking unit 13 of the heat treatment apparatus 1, having a hook 13a provided on the door 12 and a hook holding portion 13b provided on the front wall 16 of the main body 11. The hook 13a, formed as a claw protruding from the door 12, is respectively provided on the upper and lower ends of the door 12, and is configured to protrude from the outer portion 12a of the door 12 toward the inner side of the main body 11. The hook holding portion 13b, which engages with and holds the hook 13a when the door 12 is closed at the opening 22, is provided at the edge of the opening 22 in the front wall 16 of the main body 11, thereby being provided on the outer edge 23a. Furthermore, the hook holding portion 13b is provided on the upper and lower ends of the opening 22 in the outer edge 23a.

[0154] The heat treatment apparatus 2 is equipped with a locking unit 13 as described above. When the door 12, which is a horizontally opening swing door, is closed at the opening 22, the door 12 is locked relative to the main body 11 by the locking unit 13 located above and below the door 12.

[0155] In the heat treatment apparatus 2, a tight-fitting mechanism 14 is provided to ensure that the door 12 is tightly fitted to the main body 11 when the door 12 is closed at the opening 22. Moreover, the tight-fitting mechanism 14 is disposed on the side opposite to the hinge 23 side, i.e., the end side of the door 12, when the door 12 is closed at the opening 22.

[0156] The tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 2 is configured in the same way as the tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 1, including a drive mechanism 26, a rod 27 and a force-sharing unit 28.

[0157] The rod 27 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 2 is disposed inside the main body 11 and is connected at one end to the drive mechanism 26 fixed to the main body 11. Furthermore, the rod 27 is disposed inside the main body 11 on the inner side of the front wall 16. Moreover, the rod 27 is configured to extend along the surface 16a of the front wall 16, where the opening 22 is provided in the main body 11. That is, the rod 27 is disposed on the inner side of the front wall 16, extending along the surface 16a of the front wall 16, with the axial direction of the rod 27. Furthermore, the rod 27 is configured to extend along the surface of the main body 11 where the opening 22 is provided, and on the side of the door 12 opposite to the hinge 23 side (the end side of the door 12 with the opening 22 closed), it extends vertically along the edge of the opening 22.

[0158] Furthermore, the lever 27 is configured to move vertically along its axial direction via the driven mechanism 26. Moreover, the lever 27 is configured to move vertically along its axial direction via the driven mechanism 26, and to move at a right angle to the pressing direction in which the door 12 is pressed towards the main body 11 when the opening 22 is closed by the door 12. The pressing direction in which the door 12 is pressed towards the main body 11 when the opening 22 is closed by the door 12 is perpendicular to the surface 16a of the front wall 16, and is the direction in which the door 12, which closes the opening 22, is pressed towards the main body 11 in a way that it fits tightly against the main body 11. Furthermore, the right angle to the pressing direction in which the door 12 is pressed towards the main body 11 is perpendicular to the pressing direction, and is the direction in which the lever 27, operated by the driven mechanism 26, moves along its axial direction as if pulled in by the driven mechanism 26.

[0159] The force-sharing unit 28 of the heat treatment apparatus 2 is similar to that of the force-sharing unit 28 of the heat treatment apparatus 1, and is configured to distribute the force of the operating rod 27 along the moving direction of the rod 27 when the door 12 is closed at the opening 22, and to make the door 12 fit tightly against the main body 11. Moreover, multiple force-sharing units 28 are provided in the tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 2. In the second embodiment, two force-sharing units 28 are provided in the tight-fitting mechanism 14.

[0160] The multiple force-shaping units 28 in the tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 2, like the force-shaping units 28 in the tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 1, each have a cam member 29, a cam follower 30, and an elastic body 31. Thus, in the second embodiment, the tight-fitting mechanism 14 has two of each of the cam member 29, the cam follower 30, and the elastic body 31.

[0161] Two cam members 29 in the tight-fitting mechanism 14 are mounted on the rod 27 and arranged in a manner that follows the axis of the rod 27, which extends vertically. Two elastic bodies 31 in the tight-fitting mechanism 14 are mounted on the rod 27 and configured to suppress the movement of the cam members 29 relative to the movement of the rod 27. Furthermore, the two elastic bodies 31 are arranged along the axis of the rod 27 and are coaxial with the rod 27. Two cam followers 30 in the tight-fitting mechanism 14 are provided on the edge portion of the door 12, on the side opposite to the hinge 23 side, i.e., on the end side of the door 12. Moreover, the two cam followers 30 are provided on the edge portion of the outer portion 12a of the door 12 and arranged in a vertically oriented manner.

[0162] The force-shaping unit 28 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 2 operates in the same manner as the force-shaping unit 28 of the heat treatment apparatus 1. That is, when the lever 27 operated by the drive mechanism 26 moves while the door 12 is in the closed opening 22 state, the cam member 29 abuts against the cam follower 30, thereby the force-shaping unit 28 of the heat treatment apparatus 2 outputs a force from the cam member 29 toward the cam follower 30 from the operating force component of the lever 27 along the moving direction. Moreover, the force-shaping unit 28 transmits the force obtained from the operating force component of the lever 27 from the cam member 29 to the cam follower 30, thereby pressing the door 12, on which the cam follower 30 is provided, toward the main body 11 and making the door 12 fit tightly against the main body 11.

[0163] The heat treatment apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment described above, similarly to the heat treatment apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, comprises a rod 27 that moves perpendicular to the pressing direction of the door 12 in the closed state of the main body 11 and a force-sharing unit 28 that distributes the force of the operating force in the moving direction of the rod 27. Furthermore, the rod 27 is arranged to extend along the surface 16a of the front wall 16 in the main body 11 where the opening 22 is provided, and the force-sharing unit 28 is arranged near the rod 27 when the door 12 is in the closed state of the opening 22. Therefore, the rod 27 and the force-sharing unit 28, which are the units for tightly fitting the door 12 to the main body 11, do not protrude from the front surface of the main body 11 and the door 12. Thus, according to the second embodiment, a heat treatment apparatus 2 is provided that prevents the unit for tightly fitting the door 12 to the main body 11 in a way that prevents gas leakage from protruding from the front surface of the main body 11 and the door 12.

[0164] (Third implementation)

[0165] Next, the heat treatment apparatus 3 according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 14 This is a perspective view of the heat treatment apparatus 3 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The heat treatment apparatus 3 of the third embodiment, like the heat treatment apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, is configured as an apparatus for heat treating the workpiece 10. Furthermore, in the following description of the third embodiment, the differences from the aforementioned first embodiment will be explained. Structures identical or corresponding to those in the first embodiment will be labeled with the same reference numerals in the drawings, or the same reference numerals will be used, thereby omitting repeated descriptions.

[0166] Figure 14The heat treatment apparatus 3 shown is similar to the heat treatment apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, comprising a main body 11, a door 12 for opening and closing the main body 11, a locking unit 13 for locking the main body 11 and the door 12, a tight-fitting mechanism 14 for tightly fitting the door 12 to the main body 11, and a control unit 15. However, the heat treatment apparatus 3 differs from the heat treatment apparatus 1 in the opening and closing direction of the door 12 and the arrangement of the locking unit 13 and the tight-fitting mechanism 14.

[0167] In the heat treatment apparatus 3, the door 12 is configured to open and close the opening 22 provided on the front wall 16 of the main body 11, and is configured to have a rectangular shape that closes the entire opening 22. The door 12 is configured as a swing door mounted on the main body 11 via a plurality of hinges 23. In the third embodiment, the door 12 is configured to open longitudinally relative to the front wall 16 of the main body 11 via two hinges 23. That is, when the opening 22 is closed, the upper end of the door 12 is mounted on the front wall 16 via two hinges 23 arranged horizontally along the front wall 16, in a manner that allows it to rotate vertically relative to the main body 11 about the hinges 23.

[0168] In the heat treatment apparatus 3, multiple locking units 13 are provided to lock the door 12 relative to the main body 11 when the door 12 is closed at the opening 22. In the third embodiment, for example, two units are provided. In the third embodiment, when the door 12 is closed at the opening 22, the two locking units 13 are disposed on the side opposite to the hinge 23 side relative to the door 12, and are disposed on the lower end side relative to the door 12. Moreover, the two locking units 13 are arranged horizontally along the front wall 16 when the door 12 is closed at the opening 22.

[0169] Each locking unit 13 of the heat treatment apparatus 3 is configured similarly to the locking unit 13 of the heat treatment apparatus 1, having a hook 13a provided on the door 12 and a hook holding portion 13b provided on the front wall 16 of the main body 11. The hook 13a, which is formed as a claw protruding from the door 12, is provided on the end side of the door 12 opposite to the hinge 23 side of the door 12, and is provided on the lower end side of the door 12 when the door 12 is closed at the opening 22. Furthermore, the hook 13a is provided in such a way that it protrudes from the outer portion 12a of the door 12 toward the inner side of the main body 11. The hook holding portion 13b, which engages with and holds the hook 13a when the door 12 is closed at the opening 22, is provided on the edge portion of the opening 22 in the front wall 16 of the main body 11, and is provided on the outer edge portion 23a. Moreover, the hook holding portion 13b is provided on the lower end side of the opening 22 at the outer edge portion 23a.

[0170] The heat treatment apparatus 3 is equipped with a locking unit 13 as described above. When the door 12, which is a vertically opening swing door, is closed at the opening 22, the locking unit 13 located on the end side of the door 12 and the lower end side of the door 12, opposite to the hinge 23 side of the door 12, locks the door 12 relative to the body 11.

[0171] In the heat treatment apparatus 3, multiple tight-fitting mechanisms 14 are provided to ensure that the door 12 is tightly fitted to the main body 11 when the door 12 is closed and the opening 22 is closed. In the third embodiment, two tight-fitting mechanisms 14 are provided. In the third embodiment, tight-fitting mechanism 14a and tight-fitting mechanism 14b are provided as the two tight-fitting mechanisms 14. When the door 12 is closed and the opening 22 is closed, tight-fitting mechanism 14a is disposed on one end side in the horizontal direction and on the side wall 18 side of the main body 11, relative to the door 12 and the opening 22. When the door 12 is closed and the opening 22 is closed, tight-fitting mechanism 14b is disposed on the other end side in the horizontal direction and on the side wall 19 side of the main body 11, relative to the door 12 and the opening 22.

[0172] The two tight-fitting mechanisms 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 3 are configured similarly to those of the heat treatment apparatus 1, each including a drive mechanism 26, a rod 27, and a force-sharing unit 28. Specifically, tight-fitting mechanism 14a is configured to include a drive mechanism 26, a rod 27, and a force-sharing unit 28, and tight-fitting mechanism 14b is configured to include a drive mechanism 26, a rod 27, and a force-sharing unit 28. Furthermore, except that the horizontal positions of the rod 27 and the force-sharing unit 28 are opposite, tight-fitting mechanism 14a, which is positioned relative to the door 12 on the side wall 18 side when the door 12 is closed (opening 22), and tight-fitting mechanism 14b, which is positioned relative to the door 12 on the side wall 19 side, are configured similarly. In tight-fitting mechanism 14a, the rod 27 is positioned relative to the force-sharing unit 28 on the side wall 18 side, and in tight-fitting mechanism 14b, the rod 27 is positioned relative to the force-sharing unit 28 on the side wall 19 side.

[0173] The rod 27 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 3 is disposed inside the main body 11 and is connected at one end to the drive mechanism 26 fixed to the main body 11. The rod 27 is disposed inside the main body 11, on the inner side of the front wall 16. Furthermore, the rod 27 is configured to extend along the surface 16a of the front wall 16, where the opening 22 is provided in the main body 11. That is, the rod 27 is disposed inside the front wall 16, extending along the surface 16a of the front wall 16, with the axial direction of the rod 27. Moreover, the rod 27 is configured to extend along the surface 11 where the opening 22 is provided, and also extends vertically along the edge of the opening 22. Additionally, the rod 27 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14a is configured to extend vertically along the edge of one end of the opening 22 in the horizontal direction and the edge of the side wall 18. The rod 27 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14b is configured as the edge portion on the other end side along the horizontal direction of the opening 22 and the edge portion on the side of the sidewall 19 extends in the vertical direction.

[0174] Furthermore, the lever 27 is configured to move vertically along its axial direction via a driven mechanism 26. Moreover, the lever 27 is configured such that the driven mechanism 26 moves vertically along the axial direction of the lever 27, thereby moving in a direction perpendicular to the pressing direction in which the door 12 is pressed towards the body 11 when the opening 22 is closed by the door 12. This pressing direction, in which the door 12 is pressed towards the body 11 when the opening 22 is closed by the door 12, is perpendicular to the surface 16a of the front wall 16 and presses the door 12, which closes the opening 22, towards the body 11 in a way that it is tightly fitted against the body 11. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the pressing direction in which the door 12 is pressed towards the body 11 is perpendicular to the pressing direction and is the direction in which the lever 27, operated by the driven mechanism 26, moves in a manner that allows it to be pulled in along its axial direction by the driven mechanism 26.

[0175] The force-sharing unit 28 of the heat treatment apparatus 3, like that of the heat treatment apparatus 1, is configured to distribute the force of the operating lever 27 along the moving direction of the lever 27 when the door 12 is in the closed opening 22 state, and to make the door 12 tightly adhere to the main body 11 side. Furthermore, multiple force-sharing units 28 are provided in the tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 3. That is, multiple force-sharing units 28 are provided in either the tight-fitting mechanism 14a or the tight-fitting mechanism 14b. In the third embodiment, three force-sharing units 28 are provided in either the tight-fitting mechanism 14a or the tight-fitting mechanism 14b.

[0176] The multiple force-shaping units 28 in the tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 3, like the force-shaping units 28 in the tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 1, each have a cam member 29, a cam follower 30, and an elastic body 31. Thus, in the third embodiment, the tight-fitting mechanism 14 has three cam members 29, three cam followers 30, and three elastic bodies 31.

[0177] Three cam members 29 in the tight-fitting mechanism 14 are mounted on the rod 27 and arranged in a manner along the axis of the rod 27, which extends vertically. Three elastic bodies 31 in the tight-fitting mechanism 14 are mounted on the rod 27 and configured to suppress the movement of the cam members 29 relative to the rod 27. Furthermore, the three elastic bodies 31 are arranged along the axis of the rod 27 and are coaxial with the rod 27. Three cam followers 30 in the tight-fitting mechanism 14 are respectively provided on the edge portion of the door 12 at one end and the other end in the horizontal direction. Moreover, the three cam followers 30 are provided on the edge portion of the outer portion 12a of the door 12 and are arranged vertically when the door 12 is closed at the opening 22.

[0178] The force-shaping unit 28 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 3 operates in the same manner as the force-shaping unit 28 of the heat treatment apparatus 1. That is, when the lever 27 operated by the drive mechanism 26 moves while the door 12 is in the closed opening 22 state, the cam member 29 abuts against the cam follower 30, thereby the force-shaping unit 28 of the heat treatment apparatus 3 outputs a force from the cam member 29 toward the cam follower 30 from the operating force component of the lever 27 in the moving direction. Moreover, the force-shaping unit 28 transmits the force obtained from the operating force component of the lever 27 from the cam member 29 to the cam follower 30, thereby pressing the door 12, on which the cam follower 30 is provided, toward the main body 11 and making the door 12 fit tightly against the main body 11.

[0179] According to the heat treatment apparatus 3 of the third embodiment described above, similarly to the heat treatment apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, the unit that tightly fits the door 12, with the opening 22 of the main body 11 closed, against the side of the main body 11 is composed of a rod 27 that moves in a right-angle direction along the pressing direction of the door 12 and a force-sharing unit 28 that distributes the force of the operating force in the moving direction of the rod 27. Furthermore, the rod 27 is arranged to extend along the surface 16a of the front wall 16 in the main body 11 where the opening 22 is provided, and the force-sharing unit 28 is arranged near the rod 27 when the door 12 is in the closed opening 22 state, so that it operates in tandem with the movement of the rod 27. Therefore, the rod 27 and the force-sharing unit 28, which serve as the unit for tightly fitting the door 12 against the side of the main body 11, do not protrude from the front surface of the main body 11 and the door 12. Thus, according to the third embodiment, a heat treatment apparatus 3 can be provided that prevents the unit for tightly fitting the door 12 against the side of the main body 11 in a way that prevents gas leakage from protruding from the front surface of the main body 11 and the door 12.

[0180] (Fourth implementation)

[0181] Next, the heat treatment apparatus 4 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 15 This is a diagram illustrating the heat treatment apparatus 4 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. Figure 15 (A) is a perspective view of heat treatment apparatus 4. Figure 15 (B) is a top view of the heat treatment apparatus 4. The heat treatment apparatus 4 of the fourth embodiment is configured similarly to the heat treatment apparatus 1 of the first embodiment as an apparatus for heat treating the workpiece 10. Furthermore, in the following description of the fourth embodiment, the differences from the aforementioned first embodiment will be explained. Structures identical or corresponding to those in the first embodiment will be labeled with the same reference numerals in the drawings, or the same reference numerals will be used, thereby omitting repeated descriptions.

[0182] Figure 15 The heat treatment apparatus 4 shown is similar to the heat treatment apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, comprising a main body 11, a door 12 for opening and closing the main body 11, a locking unit 13 for locking the main body 11 and the door 12, a tight-fitting mechanism 14 for tightly fitting the door 12 to the main body 11, and a control unit 15. However, the structure of the main body 11 and the tight-fitting mechanism 14 differs from that of the heat treatment apparatus 1.

[0183] In the heat treatment apparatus 4, the main body 11 includes a front wall 16, a rear wall 17, side walls 18 and 19, a top wall 20, and a bottom wall 21, and is formed as a box-shaped structure that divides the interior into hollow areas where the workpiece 10 is disposed. The main body 11 has an opening 22 in the front wall 16 that opens the hollow area inside the main body 11 to the outside. The opening 22 is shaped to correspond to the outer periphery of the door 12 and extends through the front wall 16.

[0184] In the main body 11, side walls 18 and 19, extending vertically, are arranged parallel to each other, and top wall 20 and bottom wall 21, extending horizontally, are also arranged parallel to each other. Furthermore, in the main body 11, the rear wall 17, extending vertically, is arranged in a direction perpendicular to any one of the side walls 18, 19, 20, and 21. On the other hand, the front wall 16, extending vertically, is arranged in a direction inclined relative to any one of the side walls 18, 19, and 17. Therefore, the main body 11 is formed into a trapezoidal shape when viewed from above. Moreover, in the main body 11, the horizontal length of the side wall 19 is longer than the horizontal length of the side wall 18. Additionally, in… Figure 15 In (A), a hypothetical surface 17a, extending parallel to the rear wall 17 from the end of the shorter side wall 18 in the horizontal direction, is shown by a double-dotted line. The front wall 16 is configured such that the end side that joins the side wall 19 in the horizontal direction protrudes forward more than the end side that joins the side wall 18 in the horizontal direction. Moreover, the front wall 16 is configured to protrude obliquely towards the front relative to the hypothetical surface 17a.

[0185] In the heat treatment apparatus 4, multiple tight-fitting mechanisms 14 are provided to ensure that the door 12 is tightly fitted to the main body 11 when the door 12 is closed at the opening 22. In the fourth embodiment, two tight-fitting mechanisms are provided. One of the two tight-fitting mechanisms 14 is located on the upper side of the door 12 when the door 12 is closed at the opening 22. The other of the two tight-fitting mechanisms 14 is located on the lower side of the door 12 when the door 12 is closed at the opening 22.

[0186] The two tight-fitting mechanisms 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 4 are configured in the same way as the tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 1, each having a drive mechanism 26, a rod 27, and a force-sharing unit 28.

[0187] The drive mechanism 26 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 4 is disposed inside the main body 11 and is fixed to the side wall 19. Furthermore, the rod 27 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 4 is disposed inside the main body 11 and is connected at one end to the drive mechanism 26 fixed to the side wall 19 of the main body 11. Moreover, the rod 27, inside the main body 11, is configured to extend horizontally along the surface 16a of the front wall 16 where the opening 22 is provided. That is, the rod 27 is disposed inside the main body 11 in a horizontal direction along the surface 16a of the front wall 16 where the opening 22 is provided, with the axial direction of the rod 27. Additionally, in the tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 4, the rod 27 is arranged to extend along the surface 16a where the opening 22 is provided, in a state of inclination relative to the surface 16a of the main body 11.

[0188] Figure 16 It is used for Figure 15 The diagram illustrates the operation of the tight-fitting mechanism 14 in the heat treatment apparatus 4. Figure 16 (A) is a diagram showing the state of the close-fitting mechanism 14 before it operates. Figure 16 (B) is a diagram showing the state in which the close-fitting mechanism 14 has been activated. (Refer to...) Figure 15 as well as Figure 16 The lever 27 is configured to move horizontally along its axial direction via a driven mechanism 26. Furthermore, the lever 27 is configured to move in a direction inclined at a right angle to a pressing direction that is different from the pressing direction that presses the door 12 toward the body 11 when the opening 22 is closed by the door 12.

[0189] With the opening 22 closed by the door 12, the pressing direction of the door 12 towards the body 11 is perpendicular to the surface 16a of the front wall 16 and is such that the door 12, which closes the opening 22, is pressed towards the body 11 in a way that it is tightly fitted against the body 11. Furthermore, regarding the pressing direction of the door 12 towards the body 11, in... Figure 15 (B) Figure 16 (A) and Figure 16 (B) is indicated by arrow X1.

[0190] Furthermore, the right angle direction of the pressing direction that presses the door 12 towards the body 11 is perpendicular to the horizontal direction of the pressing direction and is the direction towards the side of the rod 27 operated by the driven mechanism 26 being pulled in along its axial direction by the driven mechanism 26 and the side wall 19. Additionally, regarding the right angle direction of the pressing direction that presses the door 12 towards the body 11, in Figure 15 (B) Figure 16 (A) and Figure 16 It is indicated by arrow X3 in (B).

[0191] Furthermore, the direction inclined at a right angle to the pressing direction, which is different from the pressing direction that presses the door 12 towards the body 11, is the direction that extends obliquely at a right angle to the pressing direction, and is the direction of movement of the rod 27 operated by the drive mechanism 26, which is moved in such a way that the rod 27 is pulled in along its axial direction by the drive mechanism 26. Furthermore, regarding the direction inclined at a right angle to the pressing direction that presses the door 12 towards the body 11, i.e., the direction of movement of the rod 27 operated by the drive mechanism 26, in Figure 15 (B) Figure 16 (A) and Figure 16 (B) is indicated by arrow X2.

[0192] As described above, the lever 27 is operated by the driven mechanism 26, which pulls it in and moves it in a direction inclined at a right angle to the pressing direction, which is different from the pressing direction that presses the door 12 toward the body 11. Furthermore, the angle between the right angle to the pressing direction that presses the door 12 toward the body 11 (indicated by arrow X3) and the direction inclined relative to this right angle, i.e., the direction in which the lever 27 moves in such a way as to be pulled in by the driven mechanism 26 (indicated by arrow X2), is set so that it is not too large. Specifically, the angle between the right angle to the pressing direction of the door 12 and the direction in which the lever 27 moves in such a way as to be pulled in by the driven mechanism 26 in a direction inclined relative to this right angle is set, for example, to 15°. This angle is set because, in the overall structure of the heat treatment apparatus, there are situations where the door 12 must be arranged at an angle relative to the body due to certain circumstances; the angle is set according to these situations. Therefore, the lever 27 can be arranged to extend along the surface 16a of the front wall 16 inside the body 11.

[0193] The force-sharing unit 28 of the heat treatment apparatus 4, like that of the heat treatment apparatus 1, is configured to distribute the force of the operating lever 27 along the moving direction of the lever 27 when the door 12 is in the closed opening 22 state, and to make the door 12 tightly fit against the main body 11 side. The tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 4 includes one force-sharing unit 28. Furthermore, the force-sharing unit 28 in the tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 4 includes a cam member 29 and a cam follower 30.

[0194] The cam component 29 of the force-sharing unit 28 is mounted on the rod 27, specifically at the end of the rod 27 opposite to the end connected to the drive mechanism 26. The cam component 29 is fixedly mounted to the rod 27, for example, at the end opposite to the end connected to the drive mechanism 26. The cam component 29 mounted on the rod 27 is wedge-shaped. The cam component 29 has a tapered surface 38, which, when mounted on the rod 27, extends in a direction inclined relative to the movement direction of the rod 27 based on the operation of the drive mechanism 26. Furthermore, the tapered surface 38 is configured to extend in a direction inclined both vertically and horizontally relative to the axis of the rod 27.

[0195] The cam follower 30 of the force-sharing unit 28 is respectively provided on the upper edge portion and the lower edge portion of the door 12. Additionally, the cam follower 30 of one of the two tight-fitting mechanisms 14 is provided on the upper edge portion of the door 12, and the cam follower 30 of the other of the two tight-fitting mechanisms 14 is provided on the lower edge portion of the door 12. The cam follower 30 provided on the edge portion of the door 12 is a low-height cylindrical roller-shaped component, and is mounted on the edge portion of the door 12 in a state that allows it to rotate freely about a central axis extending vertically. Furthermore, the outer peripheral surface 39 of the cylindrical roller-shaped cam follower 30 is configured to abut against the cam component 29.

[0196] like Figure 15 (B) and Figure 16 As shown in (A), with the door 12 closed at the opening 22, the rod 27 is operated in a manner that moves in the direction pulled in by the driven mechanism 26, thereby actuating the force-sharing unit 28 of the heat treatment apparatus 4. When the rod 27 is moved by the driven mechanism 26 with the door 12 closed at the opening 22, as... Figure 16 As shown in (B), the cam member 29, which moves together with the lever 27, abuts against the cam follower 30. At this time, the cam member 29 abuts against the outer peripheral surface 39 of the cam follower 30 through the conical surface 38 of the cam member 29. When the cam member 29 abuts against the cam follower 30, a force is generated from the cam member 29 toward the cam follower 30 by the component of the operating force of the lever 27 in the direction of movement. Moreover, the force obtained from the component of the operating force of the lever 27 is transmitted from the cam member 29 to the cam follower 30, thereby pressing the door 12, on which the cam follower 30 is provided, toward the body 11, so that the door 12 fits tightly against the body 11.

[0197] According to the heat treatment apparatus 4 of the fourth embodiment described above, similarly to the heat treatment apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, the unit that tightly fits the door 12, when the opening 22 of the main body 11 is closed, against the side of the main body 11 is composed of a rod 27 that moves in a direction inclined at a right angle relative to the pressing direction of the door 12, and a force-sharing unit 28 that distributes the force of the operating force in the moving direction of the rod 27. Furthermore, the rod 27 is arranged to extend along the surface 16 of the front wall 16 in the main body 11 where the opening 22 is provided, and the force-sharing unit 28 is arranged near the rod 27 when the door 12 is closed. Therefore, the rod 27 and the force-sharing unit 28, which serve as the unit for tightly fitting the door 12 against the side of the main body 11, can be prevented from protruding from the front surfaces of the main body 11 and the door 12. Thus, according to the fourth embodiment, a heat treatment apparatus 4 can be provided that prevents the unit for tightly fitting the door 12 against the side of the main body 11 from protruding from the front surfaces of the main body 11 and the door 12 in a way that ensures a tight fit without gas leakage.

[0198] (Fifth implementation)

[0199] Next, the heat treatment apparatus 5 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 17 This is a diagram illustrating the heat treatment apparatus 5 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. Figure 17 (A) is a perspective view of the heat treatment apparatus 5. Figure 17 (B) is a top view of the heat treatment apparatus 5. The heat treatment apparatus 5 of the fifth embodiment is configured similarly to the heat treatment apparatus 1 of the first embodiment as an apparatus for heat treating the workpiece 10. Furthermore, in the following description of the fifth embodiment, the differences from the aforementioned first embodiment will be explained. Structures identical or corresponding to those in the first embodiment will be labeled with the same reference numerals in the drawings, or the same reference numerals will be used, thereby omitting repeated descriptions.

[0200] Figure 17 The heat treatment apparatus 5 shown is similar to the heat treatment apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, comprising a main body 11, a door 12 for opening and closing the main body 11, a locking unit 13 for locking the main body 11 and the door 12, a tight-fitting mechanism 14 for tightly fitting the door 12 to the main body 11, and a control unit 15. However, the structure of the main body 11 and the tight-fitting mechanism 14 differs between the heat treatment apparatus 5 and the heat treatment apparatus 1.

[0201] In the heat treatment apparatus 5, the main body 11 includes a front wall 16, a rear wall 17, side walls 18 and 19, a top wall 20, and a bottom wall 21, and is formed as a box-shaped structure that divides the interior into hollow areas where the workpiece 10 is disposed. The main body 11 has an opening 22 in the front wall 16 that opens the hollow interior area of ​​the main body 11 to the outside. The opening 22 is shaped to correspond to the outer periphery of the door 12 and extends through the front wall 16.

[0202] In the main body 11, side walls 18 and 19, extending vertically, are arranged parallel to each other, and top wall 20 and bottom wall 21, extending horizontally, are also arranged parallel to each other. Furthermore, in the main body 11, the rear wall 17, extending vertically, is arranged in a direction perpendicular to any one of the side walls 18, 19, 20, and 21. On the other hand, the front wall 16, extending vertically, is arranged in a direction inclined relative to any one of the side walls 18, 19, and 17. Therefore, the main body 11 is formed into a trapezoidal shape when viewed from above. Moreover, in the main body 11, the horizontal length of the side wall 18 is longer than the horizontal length of the side wall 19. Additionally, in… Figure 17 In (A), a hypothetical surface 17a extending parallel to the rear wall 17 from the end of the shorter side wall 19 in the horizontal direction is shown by a double-dotted line. The front wall 16 is configured such that the end side that joins the side wall 18 in the horizontal direction protrudes forward more than the end side that joins the side wall 19 in the horizontal direction. Moreover, the front wall 16 is configured to protrude obliquely towards the front relative to the hypothetical surface 17a.

[0203] In the heat treatment apparatus 4, multiple tight-fitting mechanisms 14 are provided to ensure that the door 12 is tightly fitted to the main body 11 when the door 12 is closed at the opening 22. In the fifth embodiment, two tight-fitting mechanisms 14 are provided. One of the two tight-fitting mechanisms 14 is located on the upper end side of the door 12 when the door 12 is closed at the opening 22. The other of the two tight-fitting mechanisms 14 is located on the lower end side of the door 12 when the door 12 is closed at the opening 22.

[0204] The two tight-fitting mechanisms 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 5 are configured in the same way as the tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 1, each having a drive mechanism 26, a rod 27, and a force-sharing unit 28.

[0205] The drive mechanism 26 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 5 is disposed inside the main body 11 and is fixed to the side wall 19. Furthermore, the rod 27 of the tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 5 is disposed inside the main body 11 and is connected at one end to the drive mechanism 26 fixed to the side wall 19 of the main body 11. The rod 27 is disposed inside the main body 11 such that it extends horizontally along the surface 16a of the front wall 16 where the opening 22 is provided. That is, the rod 27 is disposed inside the main body 11 in a horizontal direction along the surface 16a of the front wall 16 where the opening 22 is provided, with the axial direction of the rod 27. In contrast, in the tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 4, the rod 27 is disposed at an angle relative to the surface 16a of the main body 11 where the opening 22 is provided, extending along the surface 16a where the opening 22 is provided.

[0206] Figure 18 It is used for Figure 17 The diagram illustrates the operation of the tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 5. Figure 18 (A) is a diagram showing the state of the close-fitting mechanism 14 before it operates. Figure 18 (B) is a diagram showing the state in which the close-fitting mechanism 14 has been activated. (Refer to...) Figure 17 and Figure 18 The lever 27 is configured to move horizontally along its axial direction by being operated by the driven mechanism 26. Furthermore, the lever 27 is configured to move in a direction inclined at a right angle to the pressing direction, which is different from the pressing direction that presses the door 12 toward the body 11 side when the opening 22 is closed by the door 12.

[0207] With the opening 22 closed by the door 12, the pressing direction of the door 12 towards the body 11 is perpendicular to the surface 16a of the front wall 16 and is such that the door 12, which closes the opening 22, is pressed towards the body 11 in a way that it is tightly fitted against the body 11. Furthermore, regarding the pressing direction of the door 12 towards the body 11, in... Figure 17 (B) Figure 18 (A) and Figure 18 (B) is indicated by arrow X1.

[0208] Furthermore, the right-angle direction of the pressing direction that presses the door 12 towards the body 11 is a direction perpendicular to the pressing direction in the horizontal direction, and is the direction towards the side where the rod 27 operated by the driven mechanism 26 is pulled in along its axial direction by the driven mechanism 26 and the side wall 19. Additionally, regarding the right-angle direction of the pressing direction that presses the door 12 towards the body 11, in Figure 17 (B) Figure 18 (A) and Figure 18 It is indicated by arrow X3 in (B).

[0209] Furthermore, the direction inclined at a right angle to the pressing direction, which is different from the pressing direction that presses the door 12 towards the body 11, is the direction that extends obliquely at a right angle to the pressing direction, and is the direction of movement of the rod 27 operated by the drive mechanism 26, which is moved in such a way that the rod 27 is pulled in along its axial direction by the drive mechanism 26. Furthermore, regarding the direction inclined at a right angle to the pressing direction that presses the door 12 towards the body 11, i.e., the direction of movement of the rod 27 operated by the drive mechanism 26, in Figure 17 (B) Figure 18 (A) and Figure 18 (B) is indicated by arrow X2.

[0210] As described above, the lever 27 is operated by the driven mechanism 26, which pulls it in and moves it in a direction inclined at a right angle to the pressing direction, which is different from the pressing direction that presses the door 12 toward the body 11. Furthermore, the angle between the right angle of the pressing direction that presses the door 12 toward the body 11 (indicated by arrow X3) and the direction inclined relative to this right angle, i.e., the direction in which the lever 27 moves in such a way as to be pulled in by the driven mechanism 26 (indicated by arrow X2), is set so that the angle between them is not too large. Specifically, the angle between the right angle of the pressing direction of the door 12 and the direction in which the lever 27 moves in such a way as to be pulled in by the driven mechanism 26 in such a way as to be inclined relative to this right angle is, for example, set to 15°. This angle is set because, in the overall structure of the heat treatment apparatus, there are situations where the door 12 must be arranged at an angle relative to the body due to certain circumstances; the angle is set according to these situations. Therefore, the lever 27 can be arranged to extend along the surface 16a of the front wall 16 inside the body 11.

[0211] The force-sharing unit 28 of the heat treatment apparatus 5, like that of the heat treatment apparatus 1, is configured to distribute the force of the operating lever 27 along the moving direction of the lever 27 when the door 12 is in the closed opening 22 state, and to make the door 12 tightly fit against the body 11 side. One force-sharing unit 28 is provided in the tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 5. Furthermore, the force-sharing unit 28 in the tight-fitting mechanism 14 of the heat treatment apparatus 5 has a cam member 29 and a cam follower 30.

[0212] The cam component 29 of the force-sharing unit 28 is mounted on the rod 27. The end of the rod 27 opposite to the end connected to the drive mechanism 26 is mounted to the rod 27 via a connecting rod 27a that extends in a manner bent relative to the axial direction of the rod 27. The cam component 29 is fixedly mounted to the rod 27, for example, via the connecting rod 27a located at the end of the rod 27 opposite to the end connected to the drive mechanism 26. The cam component 29 mounted on the rod 27 is configured as a wedge-shaped component. The cam component 29 is provided with a conical surface 38, which extends along the direction of movement of the rod 27 relative to the operation of the drive mechanism 26 when the cam component 29 is mounted on the rod 27. Furthermore, the conical surface 38 is configured to extend along a direction that is inclined in both the vertical direction and the axial direction relative to the rod 27.

[0213] The cam follower 30 of the force-sharing unit 28 is respectively provided on the upper edge portion and the lower edge portion of the door 12. Additionally, the cam follower 30 of one of the two tight-fitting mechanisms 14 is provided on the upper edge portion of the door 12, and the cam follower 30 of the other of the two tight-fitting mechanisms 14 is provided on the lower edge portion of the door 12. The cam follower 30 provided on the edge portion of the door 12 is a low-height cylindrical roller-shaped component, and is mounted on the edge portion of the door 12 in a state that allows it to rotate freely about a central axis extending vertically. Furthermore, the outer peripheral surface 39 of the cylindrical roller-shaped cam follower 30 is configured to abut against the cam component 29.

[0214] like Figure 17 (B) and Figure 18 As shown in (A), with the door 12 closed at the opening 22, the rod 27 is operated in a manner that moves in the direction pulled in by the driven mechanism 26, thereby actuating the force-sharing unit 28 of the heat treatment apparatus 5. When the rod 27 is moved by the driven mechanism 26 with the door 12 closed at the opening 22, as... Figure 18 As shown in (B), the cam member 29, which moves together with the lever 27, abuts against the cam follower 30. At this time, the conical surface 38 of the cam member 29 abuts against the outer peripheral surface 39 of the cam follower 30, thereby abutting the cam member 29 against the cam follower 30. When the cam member 29 abuts against the cam follower 30, a force component from the cam member 29 toward the cam follower 30 is generated from the operating force component of the lever 27 in the direction of movement. Moreover, the force obtained from the operating force component of the lever 27 is transmitted from the cam member 29 to the cam follower 30, thereby pressing the door 12, on which the cam follower 30 is provided, toward the body 11, so that the door 12 fits tightly against the body 11.

[0215] According to the heat treatment apparatus 5 of the fifth embodiment described above, similarly to the heat treatment apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, the unit that tightly fits the door 12, when the opening 22 of the main body 11 is closed, against the side of the main body 11 is composed of a rod 27 that moves in a direction inclined at a right angle relative to the pressing direction of the door 12, and a force-sharing unit 28 that distributes the force of the operating force in the moving direction of the rod 27. Furthermore, the rod 27 is arranged to extend along the surface 16a of the front wall 16 in the main body 11 where the opening 22 is provided, and the force-sharing unit 28 is arranged near the rod 27 when the door 12 is closed. Therefore, the rod 27 and the force-sharing unit 28, which are the units that tightly fit the door 12 against the side of the main body 11, can be prevented from protruding from the front surfaces of the main body 11 and the door 12. Thus, according to the fifth embodiment, a heat treatment apparatus 5 can be provided that prevents the unit that tightly fits the door 12 against the side of the main body 11 in a way that prevents gas leakage from protruding from the front surfaces of the main body 11 and the door 12.

[0216] (Modified example)

[0217] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of the claims. For example, the following variations may also be implemented.

[0218] (1) In the aforementioned embodiment, the example described is that the cam component of the force unit is set as a wedge-shaped component and the cam follower of the force unit is set as a cylindrical roller-shaped component. However, this may not be the case, and the cam component and the cam follower may have other shapes. Figure 19 (A) Figure 19 (B) Figure 19 (C) and Figure 19 (D) is a diagram showing an example of the shape of the cam component and cam follower of the force-shaping unit of the close-fitting mechanism of the heat treatment apparatus.

[0219] Figure 19 The shape example shown in (A) is an example of the shape of the cam member 29 and the cam follower 30 in the aforementioned embodiment, and it is an example of a shape in which a conical surface abuts against a curved surface. In this example, the cam member 29 on the main body 11 side is a wedge-shaped member, and the cam follower 30 on the door 12 side is a cylindrical roller-shaped member. The cam member 29 is provided with a conical surface 38 that is inclined relative to the moving direction of the rod 27, and the cam follower 30 is provided with a cylindrical outer peripheral surface 39. Moreover, as the rod 27 moves, the cam member 29 moves along the... Figure 19The cam component 29 moves in the direction indicated by arrow X2 in (A), thereby abutting the tapered surface 38 of the cam component 29 against the outer peripheral surface 39 of the cam follower 30. Furthermore, the force obtained from the operating force component of the lever 27 through the abutment of the cam component 29 against the cam follower 30 travels along the... Figure 19 In (A), the direction indicated by arrow X1 is transmitted from the cam follower 30 to the door 12, so that the door 12 is pressed toward the body 11 in a close fit.

[0220] Figure 19 The shape example shown in (B) is an example of a cam member 40 and a cam follower 41 formed with the same shape, and is an example of a shape in which curved surfaces abut against each other. In this example, the cam member 40 on the body 11 side is configured to have a curved surface 40a that extends in a manner that bends while changing the radius of curvature. The curved surface 40a is, for example, configured to extend as part of an arc forming an ellipse. The cam follower 41 on the door 12 side is also configured to have a curved surface 41a that extends in a manner that bends while changing the radius of curvature, similar to the cam member 40. The curved surface 41a is, for example, configured to extend as part of an arc forming an ellipse. The cam member 40 and the cam follower 41, and the curved surface 40a of the cam member 40 and the curved surface 41a of the cam follower 41 are arranged opposite each other in the axial direction of the rod 27 at a position offset in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rod 27. Moreover, as the rod 27 moves, the cam member 40 moves along the axial direction of the rod 27. Figure 19 (B) moves in the direction indicated by arrow X2, so that the curved surface 40a of the cam member 40 abuts against the curved surface 41a of the cam follower 41. Furthermore, the force obtained from the operating force component of the lever 27 through the abutment of the cam member 40 against the cam follower 41 travels along the... Figure 19 In (B), the direction indicated by arrow X1 is transmitted from the cam follower 41 to the door 12, so that the door 12 is pressed toward the body 11 in a tightly fitting manner.

[0221] Figure 19 The shape example shown in (C) is an example of a cam member 42 and a cam follower 43 formed with the same shape, and is an example of a shape in which the conical surfaces abut against each other. In this example, the cam member 42 on the body 11 side is configured as a member having a conical surface 42a that is inclined relative to the moving direction of the rod 27. The cam follower 43 on the door 12 side is also configured as a member having a conical surface 43a that is inclined relative to the moving direction of the rod 27. The cam member 42 and the cam follower 43 are arranged such that the conical surface 42a of the cam member 42 and the conical surface 43a of the cam follower 43 are opposite each other in the axial direction of the rod 27. Moreover, as the rod 27 moves, the cam member 42 moves along the axis of the rod 27. Figure 19The cam component 42 moves in the direction indicated by arrow X2 in (C), thereby abutting the tapered surface 42a of the cam component 42 against the tapered surface 43a of the cam follower 43. Furthermore, the force obtained from the operating force component of the lever 27 through the abutment of the cam component 42 against the cam follower 43 travels along the [path / path]. Figure 19 In (C), as indicated by arrow X1, the transmission is from the cam follower 43 to the door 12, so that the door 12 is pressed toward the body 11 in a tightly fitting manner.

[0222] Figure 19 The shape example shown in (D) is an example of a cam member 44 and a cam follower 45 formed with different shapes from each other, and is an example of curved surfaces abutting each other. In this example, the cam member 44 on the main body 11 side is configured to have an arc surface 44a that extends as a curved surface that is curved and concave in an arc shape. The arc surface 44a is configured to extend as part of an arc forming a circle with a certain radius of curvature. The cam follower 45 on the door 12 side is configured to be a cylindrical roller-shaped member, and is provided with an outer peripheral surface 45a of an arc forming a circle with a certain radius of curvature. Moreover, the radius of curvature of the outer peripheral surface 45a of the cam follower 45 is set to be smaller than the radius of curvature of the arc surface 44a of the cam member 44. The cam member 44 and the cam follower 45 are arranged such that the arc surface 44a of the cam member 44 and the outer peripheral surface 45a of the cam follower 45 are opposite each other in the axial direction of the rod 27. Moreover, as lever 27 moves, cam component 44 moves along... Figure 19 The cam component 44 moves in the direction indicated by arrow X2 in (D), so that the arc surface 44a of the cam component 44 abuts against the outer peripheral surface 45a of the cam follower 45. Furthermore, the force obtained from the operating force component of the lever 27 through the abutment between the cam component 44 and the cam follower 45 travels along the... Figure 19 In (D), as indicated by arrow X1, the transmission is from the cam follower 45 to the door 12, so that the door 12 is pressed toward the body 11 in a tightly fitting manner.

[0223] (2) In the above-described embodiment, the elastic body is set as a helical spring as an example, but it is not necessary to do so. The elastic body may be configured as an elastic body other than a helical spring. Figure 20 (A) Figure 20 (B) and Figure 20 (C) is a diagram showing an example of the shape of the elastic body of the force component of the tight-fitting mechanism of the heat treatment apparatus.

[0224] Figure 20 The example shown in (A) is an example of the form of the elastic body 31 in the aforementioned embodiment, and is an example of a form configured as a metal helical spring. The elastic body 31 configured as a helical spring... Figure 20The spring 31, which is configured as a helical spring, is mounted on the rod 27 in the direction indicated by the arrow in (A), thereby being mounted on the rod 27 in a manner that is embedded in the shaft of the rod 27. Therefore, the spring 31 is mounted on the rod 27 in a state where it is arranged on the axis of the rod 27 on the outer periphery of the rod 27.

[0225] Figure 20 The example shown in (B) is an example of the form of the elastic body 47 configured as a metal leaf spring. The elastic body 47 is configured as a leaf spring, which is formed by integrally arranging inclined plate portions 47a formed in an alternating inclined and bent manner. Each inclined plate portion 47a arranged in series is provided with a through hole 47b. Moreover, the elastic body 47 configured as a leaf spring along the... Figure 20 The spring is installed on the rod 27 in the direction indicated by the arrow in (B), so that the rod 27 is inserted through the through hole 47b of each inclined plate portion 47a and is installed on the rod 27 in a manner that it is embedded in the shaft of the rod 27. Therefore, the elastic body 47, which is configured as a leaf spring, is installed on the rod 27 in a state where it is arranged on the axis of the rod 27 on the outer periphery of the rod 27.

[0226] Figure 20 The example shown in (C) is an example of an elastomer 48 configured as a heat-resistant rubber component. The elastomer 48 is configured as a cylindrical heat-resistant rubber component and has a through hole 48a extending along the cylindrical axis. Furthermore, the elastomer 48 configured as a heat-resistant rubber component extends along... Figure 20 The elastomer 48, which is a heat-resistant rubber component, is installed on the rod 27 in the direction indicated by the arrow in (C), and is installed on the rod 27 in such a way that it is embedded in the shaft of the rod 27 with the rod 27 inserted through the through hole 48a. Therefore, the elastomer 48, which is a heat-resistant rubber component, is installed on the rod 27 in a state where it is arranged on the axis of the rod 27 on the outer periphery of the rod 27.

[0227] (3) In the aforementioned embodiments, the example described is a door with a rectangular shape that closes the opening of the main body. However, this is not the case. The shape of the door is not limited to a rectangle and can be any shape. For example, it is also possible to implement a main body with a circular opening and a door with a circular shape that closes the circular opening of the main body. Moreover, the door can be any shape that closes the overall shape of the opening of the main body, and it is also possible to implement a door with a shape that is different from the shape of the door.

[0228] (4) In the foregoing embodiments, the example described is a door that closes the opening of the main body by means of a hinge, but it is not limited to this and may also be a sliding door. For example, it may be implemented as a door that closes the opening of the main body by sliding horizontally, or it may be implemented as a door that closes the opening of the main body by sliding vertically.

[0229] (5) In the aforementioned embodiment, the example described was that the cam component of the force-distributing unit was a wedge-shaped component, and the cam follower of the force-distributing unit was a cylindrical roller-shaped component. However, it is also possible to implement them in the opposite relationship. That is, it is also possible to implement that the cam component of the force-distributing unit is a cylindrical roller-shaped component, and the cam follower of the force-distributing unit is a wedge-shaped component. In this case, the cylindrical roller-shaped cam component is rotatably mounted on the rod via a mounting component, and the wedge-shaped cam follower is fixedly provided on the edge portion of the door. Thus, it is also possible to implement that the cylindrical roller-shaped cam component is provided on the main body side, and the wedge-shaped cam follower is provided on the door side.

[0230] Industrial availability

[0231] This invention can be widely applied to heat treatment apparatuses for heat treatment of materials.

Claims

1. A heat treatment apparatus comprising: The main body, which is filled with gas, constitutes a treatment chamber for heat treatment of the object being treated. A door, which opens and closes an opening provided in the main body; A rod, which is arranged to extend along the surface of the body where the opening is provided, and moves in a direction different from the pressing direction that presses the door toward the body; and The force-sharing unit generates a force that causes the door to press tightly against the main body by dividing the force of the rod operated in the direction of movement of the rod when the door is closed and the opening is closed. The force-sharing unit has: A cam component, which is mounted on the rod; An elastomer, whose movement relative to the rod inhibits the movement of the cam component; and A cam follower is disposed on the door and transmits a force obtained from the operating force component to the door by abutting against the cam component.

2. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The heat treatment apparatus includes multiple force-distributing units. Each of the plurality of force-component units has the cam component, the elastic body, and the cam follower.

3. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, The door is configured as a hinged door mounted to the main body via hinges. In the plurality of elastic bodies of the plurality of force-shaping units, the elastic force of the elastic body disposed on the side away from the hinge side is set to be greater than the elastic force of the elastic body disposed on the hinge side.

4. The heat treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The cam follower is disposed on the edge portion of the door. The main body has a recess at the edge of the opening, which accommodates the cam follower when the door closes the opening. With the door closed and the cam follower retracted into the recess, the cam component abuts against the cam follower by moving the rod along the moving direction.

5. The heat treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The amount of operation of the lever along the direction of movement is set to be a predetermined amount greater than the predetermined distance between the cam component and the cam follower in the direction of movement before the door closes the opening and the lever moves.

6. The heat treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The elastomer is disposed on the outer periphery of the rod.

Images