Dual-belt pressure device with guide unit

Abstract

The present invention provides a double-belt pressing device capable of suppressing variation in the width-direction dimension of a pressed product. A double-belt pressing device (1) is provided with an upper belt unit (10), a lower belt unit (12), a pressing unit (14), and a guide unit (16). The guide unit (16) is provided with a first guide member (72A) and a second guide member (72B). The first guide member (72A) has a first guide surface (74A) extending along one side edge (18c) of the upper endless belt (18). The second guide member (72B) has a second guide surface (74B) extending along the other side edge (18d) of the upper endless belt (18). The first and second guide members (72A, 72B) are disposed so that the first and second guide surfaces (74A, 74B) block the gap between the upper endless belt (18) and the lower endless belt (20) from the side edge (18c) and the side edge (18d), respectively.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a double-belt pressing device, which allows a workpiece to pass through a gap between an upper and lower endless belts and presses the workpiece between the two endless belts for processing. Background Art

[0002] A double-belt pressing device is known that presses a workpiece between a pair of opposing endless belts to bond or adhere components to each other or to produce a molded product from a granular material.

[0003] For example, patent document 1 discloses a double-belt pressing device, in which pressing bodies are arranged on the inner side of each annular belt at a position where the upper annular belt and the lower annular belt are opposite to each other. These pressing bodies are used to heat and pressurize the processing object passing through the annular belts, thereby processing the processing object.

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 5936217 Summary of the Invention

[0007] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0008] Typically, when a double-belt press is used to process an object, it is compressed vertically, stretching across the width of the belts. In particular, when processing granular or powdery objects such as resin pellets to produce plate-shaped molded products, this expansion in the width direction is inconsistent, sometimes causing deviations in the width dimension of the molded product or causing the product to protrude from the belts. Therefore, additional processing is often performed, such as cutting off a portion of the molded product to make its width dimension uniform. This additional processing not only increases the number of steps but also can result in material waste.

[0009] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a double-belt press device capable of suppressing dimensional variations in the width direction of a processed product.

[0010] Means for solving problems

[0011] That is, the present invention provides a double-belt pressing device, wherein:

[0012] The double-belt pressing device comprises:

[0013] a first belt unit comprising a first endless belt and a first belt driving mechanism for driving the first endless belt to rotate;

[0014] a second belt unit including a second endless belt arranged in an up-down direction relative to the first endless belt and a second belt driving mechanism driving the second endless belt to rotate, wherein the second endless belt has a width greater than that of the first endless belt;

[0015] a pressurizing unit having a first pressurizing device supporting an inner peripheral surface of a first opposing traveling portion of the first endless belt opposing the second endless belt, and a second pressurizing device supporting an inner peripheral surface of a second opposing traveling portion of the second endless belt opposing the first endless belt; and

[0016] The guide unit includes a first guide member and a second guide member, wherein the first guide member has a first guide surface, which extends along one side edge of the first opposing travel portion and blocks at least a portion of a gap between the first opposing travel portion and the second opposing travel portion from the side of the one side edge, and the second guide member has a second guide surface, which extends along the other side edge of the first opposing travel portion and blocks at least a portion of the gap from the side of the other side edge. The first guide member is configured to contact the first guide surface with the one side edge when the first guide member is in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the second opposing travel portion, and the second guide member is configured to contact the second guide surface with the other side edge when the second guide member is in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the second opposing travel portion, and when the first endless belt and the second endless belt are driven to rotate, the first guide surface slides with the one side edge and the second guide surface slides with the other side edge.

[0017] In this double-belt press, the first and second guide members are arranged to close the gap between the first and second endless belts from the side edges. Therefore, the first and second guide members guide the workpiece in the width direction, limiting its widthwise expansion. This ensures that the width dimension of the workpiece is aligned with the size of the first and second guide members, thus suppressing any variation in the width dimension.

[0018] Furthermore, the first guide member may be configured so that the first guide surface is pressed against the one side edge, and the second guide member may be configured so that the second guide surface is pressed against the other side edge.

[0019] Since the first guide surface and the second guide surface are pressed against the side edges, it is possible to prevent a gap from being generated between the first guide surface and the second guide surface and the endless belt having the pressed side edges.

[0020] It may be that the first guide surface extends along one side edge of the first opposing travel portion, and the second guide surface extends along the other side edge of the first opposing travel portion.

[0021] The first guide member and the second guide member are held so as to be movable in a horizontal plane. When the first endless belt meanders or moves in the width direction, the first guide member and the second guide member follow the first endless belt and move in the horizontal plane.

[0022] With this configuration, when the first endless belt meanders or moves in the width direction during the machining operation, it is possible to prevent a gap from being generated between the first guide surface, the second guide surface, and the first endless belt.

[0023] And, it can be,

[0024] The guiding unit comprises:

[0025] a first horizontal actuator and a second horizontal actuator that move the first guide member between a contact position where the first guide surface is pressed against the one side edge and a non-contact position where the first guide surface is away from the one side edge;

[0026] a first rotating connection portion and a second rotating connection portion, which are mounted on the first guide member at positions separated from each other in the travel direction of the first opposing travel portion of the first endless belt, the first rotating connection portion connecting the first guide member to the first horizontal direction actuator in such a manner that the first guide member can rotate relative to the first horizontal direction actuator around an axis perpendicular to the first opposing travel portion, and the second rotating connection portion connecting the first guide member to the second horizontal direction actuator in such a manner that the first guide member can rotate relative to the second horizontal direction actuator around an axis perpendicular to the first opposing travel portion;

[0027] a third horizontal actuator and a fourth horizontal actuator that move the second guide member between a contact position where the second guide surface is pressed against the other side edge and a non-contact position where the second guide surface is away from the other side edge; and

[0028] A third rotating connection portion and a fourth rotating connection portion are installed on the second guide member at positions separated from each other in the travel direction. The third rotating connection portion connects the second guide member to the third horizontal direction actuator in a manner that the second guide member can rotate relative to the third horizontal direction actuator around an axis perpendicular to the first opposing travel portion. The fourth rotating connection portion connects the second guide member to the fourth horizontal direction actuator in a manner that the second guide member can rotate relative to the fourth horizontal direction actuator around an axis perpendicular to the first opposing travel portion.

[0029] In addition, it may be that the first pressure device is configured to be freely displaced in the width direction of the first annular belt and in the rotation direction around the axis perpendicular to the first opposing travel portion of the first annular belt, and the first pressure device is clamped by the first guide member and the second guide member and follows the movement of the first annular belt together with the first guide member and the second guide member.

[0030] With this configuration, the first pressurizing device can be maintained in a state of being always positioned relative to the first endless belt, and the workpiece passing between the first and second endless belts can be uniformly and continuously pressurized.

[0031] Alternatively, it could be,

[0032] The guide unit includes a horizontal movement mechanism that moves the first guide member and the second guide member between a contact position where the first guide surface and the second guide surface are pressed against the side edges and a non-contact position where the first guide surface and the second guide surface are separated from the side edges.

[0033] The first pressing device is configured to be freely displaceable in the width direction of the first endless belt and in the rotation direction around an axis perpendicular to the first opposing running portion of the first endless belt, and is capable of moving between a pressing position and a standby position, wherein the pressing position is a position that supports the inner peripheral surface of the first endless belt in such a manner that the gap between the first opposing running portion of the first endless belt and the second opposing running portion of the second endless belt becomes a prescribed size for pressurizing processing, and the standby position is a position farther away from the second pressing device than the pressing position.

[0034] When the first pressurizing device is located at the standby position and the first guide member and the second guide member are in the contact position, the first pressurizing device is sandwiched by the first guide member and the second guide member and positioned relative to the first guide member and the second guide member.

[0035] The first pressurizing device moves from the standby position to the pressurizing position while being guided by the first guide member and the second guide member.

[0036] With this structure, the first pressing device can be easily positioned relative to the first endless belt.

[0037] Alternatively, it could be,

[0038] The first annular belt is an upper annular belt, and the second annular belt is a lower annular belt arranged below the upper annular belt.

[0039] The width of the lower annular belt is larger than that of the upper annular belt, and the first guide member and the second guide member are in contact with the side edges of the first opposing travel portion of the upper annular belt while being in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the second opposing travel portion of the lower annular belt.

[0040] Alternatively, the first belt drive mechanism may change its configuration between a tension-applying configuration in which tension is applied to the first endless belt and a tension-releasing configuration in which the tension of the first endless belt is released. When the first belt drive mechanism is in the tension-releasing configuration and the first guide member and the second guide member are in contact with the side edges of the first endless belt, the first endless belt is driven to rotate, thereby positioning the first endless belt in the width direction. With this configuration, the first endless belt can be easily positioned relative to the first guide member and the second guide member.

[0041] And, it can be,

[0042] The first belt driving mechanism includes a first roller and a second roller that are arranged to be spaced apart in the horizontal direction so as to respectively support the inner peripheral surface of the first endless belt.

[0043] By displacing at least one of the first roller and the second roller in the inner direction of the first endless belt, the first belt driving mechanism changes its state from the tension applying state to the tension releasing state.

[0044] The first guide member and the second guide member are movable in the vertical direction between a first position in contact with the second endless belt and a second position away from the second endless belt so as to be close to the first roller and the second roller.

[0045] The first endless belt is rotated when the first belt driving mechanism is in the tension release state and the first guide member and the second guide member are in contact with the side edges of the first endless belt at the second position, thereby positioning the first endless belt in the width direction.

[0046] Furthermore, the present invention provides a double-belt pressing device, wherein:

[0047] The double-belt pressing device comprises:

[0048] a first belt unit comprising a first endless belt and a first belt driving mechanism for driving the first endless belt to rotate;

[0049] a second belt unit including a second endless belt arranged in an up-down direction relative to the first endless belt and a second belt driving mechanism for rotating the second endless belt;

[0050] a pressurizing unit having a first pressurizing device supporting an inner peripheral surface of a first opposing traveling portion of the first endless belt opposing the second endless belt, and a second pressurizing device supporting an inner peripheral surface of a second opposing traveling portion of the second endless belt opposing the first endless belt; and

[0051] The guide unit includes a first guide member and a second guide member, wherein the first guide member has a first guide surface extending along one side edge of at least one of the first opposing running portion and the second opposing running portion, and blocking at least a portion of a gap between the first opposing running portion and the second opposing running portion from the side of the one side edge, and the second guide member has a second guide surface extending along the other side edge of the at least one running portion and blocking at least a portion of the gap from the side of the other side edge, the first guide member is configured so that the first guide surface contacts the one side edge, and the second guide member is configured so that the second guide surface contacts the other side edge, and when the first endless belt and the second endless belt are driven to rotate, the first guide surface slides with the one side edge, and the second guide surface slides with the other side edge,

[0052] The first belt driving mechanism changes its form between a tension applying form for applying tension to the first annular belt and a tension releasing form for releasing the tension of the first annular belt, and the first annular belt is positioned in the width direction by driving the first annular belt to rotate when the first belt driving mechanism is in the tension releasing form and the first guide member and the second guide member are in contact with the side edges of the first annular belt.

[0053] Hereinafter, embodiments of a double-belt pressing device including a guide unit according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0054] Figure 1 This is a schematic side view of a double-belt pressing device including a guide unit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic top view of a double-belt pressing device.

[0056] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Cross-sectional view at line AA.

[0057] Figure 4A yes Figure 3 The cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which the first guide member and the second guide member are in the lower position and in contact with each other.

[0058] Figure 4B yes Figure 3 The cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which the first guide member and the second guide member are in the lower position and the non-contact position.

[0059] Figure 4C yes Figure 3 The cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which the first guide member and the second guide member are in an upper position and a non-contact position.

[0060] Figure 4D yes Figure 3 The cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which the first guide member and the second guide member are in an upper position and in contact with each other.

[0061] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 Cross-sectional view at line CC.

[0062] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the positioning operation of the upper endless belt.

[0063] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the processing operation by the double-belt pressing device.

[0064] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing the following operation of the first guide member, the second guide member, and the upper pressing device with respect to the movement and meandering of the upper endless belt in the width direction.

[0065] Description of reference numerals:

[0066] 1 Double belt pressing device

[0067] 10 Upper belt unit (first belt unit)

[0068] 12 Lower belt unit (second belt unit)

[0069] 14 Pressurization unit

[0070] 16 guide units

[0071] 18 Upper annular belt (first annular belt)

[0072] 18a lower running portion (first opposing running portion), 18b inner peripheral surface

[0073] 18c side edge, 18d side edge

[0074] 20 Lower annular belt (second annular belt)

[0075] 20a upper running portion (second opposing running portion), 20b inner circumference, 20c outer circumference

[0076] 22 Upper belt drive mechanism (first belt drive mechanism)

[0077] 24 driven roller (first roller), 24a rotating shaft

[0078] 26 driving roller (second roller)

[0079] 28A, 28B auxiliary rollers

[0080] 30A, 30B cylinders

[0081] 31 Electric Motor

[0082] 32A, 32B cylinders

[0083] 34A, 34B cylinders

[0084] 36 support plate

[0085] 38 Lower belt drive mechanism (second belt drive mechanism)

[0086] 40 driven roller, 40a rotating shaft

[0087] 42 drive roller

[0088] 44A, 44B cylinders

[0089] 46 Electric Motor

[0090] 48 Upper side pressurizing device (first pressurizing device)

[0091] 50 Lower side pressurizing device (second pressurizing device)

[0092] 52 heating pressing body, 52a lower surface

[0093] 54 cooling pressing body, 54a lower surface

[0094] 56 Slide

[0095] 58 Rotation Axis

[0096] 60A, 60B, 60C, 60D cylinders

[0097] 62 Slide

[0098] 64 Rotation Axis

[0099] 66A, 66B cylinders

[0100] 68 heating pressing body, 68a upper surface

[0101] 70 cooling pressing body, 70a upper surface

[0102] 72A first guide member, 72Aa lower surface

[0103] 72B Second guide member, 72Ba Lower surface

[0104] 74A First guide surface

[0105] 74B Second guide surface

[0106] 76A First rotating connection

[0107] 76B Second rotating connection

[0108] 76C Third rotating connection

[0109] 76D Fourth rotating connection

[0110] 78A, 78B, 78C, 78D receiving components

[0111] 80A, 80B, 80C, 80D shaft components

[0112] 82A, 82B, 82C, 82D connecting blocks

[0113] 84A, 84B, 84C, 84D straight pipe fittings

[0114] 86A, 86B, 86C, 86D connecting blocks

[0115] 88A cylinder (first horizontal actuator)

[0116] 88B cylinder (second horizontal actuator)

[0117] 88C cylinder (third horizontal direction actuator)

[0118] 88D cylinder (fourth horizontal actuator)

[0119] 90A, 90B, 90C, 90D slides

[0120] 92A, 92B, 92C, 92D connecting blocks

[0121] 94A, 94B, 94C, 94D Slides

[0122] 96A, 96B, 96C, 96D cylinders

[0123] 100A First fixed guide member

[0124] 100B Second fixed guide member

[0125] 100C Third fixed guide member

[0126] 100D Fourth fixed guide member

[0127] 102, 104 Spring

[0128] 106 Product receiving platform

[0129] D Gap

[0130] R1 and R2 are perpendicular axes. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0131] like Figure 1 As shown, a double-belt pressing device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an upper belt unit (first belt unit) 10, a lower belt unit (second belt unit) 12, a pressurizing unit 14, and a guide unit 16. As will be described later, the double-belt pressing device 1 is a device that processes an object passing between an upper endless belt (first endless belt) 18 of the upper belt unit 10 and a lower endless belt (second endless belt) 20 of the lower belt unit 12 by applying pressure to the object using the pressurizing unit 14.

[0133] like Figures 1 to 3As shown, the upper belt unit 10 includes an upper belt drive mechanism (first belt drive mechanism) 22 that drives the upper endless belt 18 for rotation. The upper belt drive mechanism 22 includes a driven roller (first roller) 24, a driving roller (second roller) 26, and two auxiliary rollers 28A and 28B. The driven roller 24 is held so as to rotate freely about its rotation axis 24a. Each end of the rotation axis 24a is connected to a pair of air cylinders 30A and 30B. The driven roller 24 is moved in the front-to-back direction (left-to-right direction when viewed in the figure) by the air cylinders 30A and 30B, thereby adjusting the tension applied to the upper endless belt 18. The driving roller 26 is connected to an electric motor 31 and is driven to rotate by the electric motor 31. The auxiliary roller 28A on the front side is held by a pair of air cylinders 32A and 32B and can be moved in the vertical direction by the air cylinders 32A and 32B. Similarly, the auxiliary roller 28B on the rear side is held by a pair of cylinders 34A, 34B and can be moved in the up-down direction by the cylinders 34A, 34B. The upper belt unit 10 also has a support plate 36 arranged in front of the auxiliary roller 28A. The support plate 36 is configured to support the inner circumference of the upper annular belt 18 in front of the auxiliary roller 28A. The support plate 36 is connected to the cylinders 32A, 32B through a connecting mechanism not shown in the figure, and moves in the up-down direction while tilting in conjunction with the auxiliary roller 28A through the cylinders 32A, 32B. In the present embodiment, the support plate 36 is formed of a resin material. Figures 1 to 3 In the state shown, the inner circumference of the upper endless belt 18 is supported by the driven roller 24, the driving roller 26 and the auxiliary rollers 28A and 28B, and tension is applied to the upper endless belt 18. The driving roller 26 is driven to rotate while tension is applied to the upper endless belt 18, so that the upper endless belt 18 is Figure 1 and Figure 3 Observe the counterclockwise rotation.

[0134] The lower belt unit 12 has a lower belt driving mechanism (second belt driving mechanism) 38 for driving the lower endless belt (second endless belt) 20 arranged on the lower side of the upper endless belt 18 to rotate. The lower belt driving mechanism 38 has a driven roller 40 and a driving roller 42. The driven roller 40 is maintained so as to be able to rotate freely relative to its rotating shaft 40a. Each end of the rotating shaft 40a is connected to a pair of cylinders 44A, 44B. The driven roller 40 is moved in the front-to-back direction by the cylinders 44A, 44B, and the tension applied to the lower endless belt 20 can be adjusted. The driving roller 42 is connected to the electric motor 46 and is driven to rotate by the electric motor 46. The driving roller 42 is driven to rotate while tension is applied to the lower endless belt 20 by the cylinders 44A, 44B, thereby the lower endless belt 20 is rotated. Figure 1 and Figure 3 In this embodiment, if Figure 4AAs shown, the width of the lower endless belt 20 is greater than that of the upper endless belt 18. In this embodiment, the upper endless belt 18 and the lower endless belt 20 are made of stainless steel, but these endless belts can be provided with various resin films on the surface of the stainless steel belts according to the processing content and the material of the processing object, or they can also be rubber belts.

[0135] like Figure 3 As shown, the pressurizing unit 14 includes an upper pressurizing device (first pressurizing device) 48 and a lower pressurizing device (second pressurizing device) 50 arranged in a vertical arrangement. The upper pressurizing device 48 is arranged so as to be spaced apart from the lower running portion (first opposing running portion) 18a of the upper endless belt 18 and the upper running portion (second opposing running portion) 20a of the lower endless belt 20 by a gap D ( Figure 4A ) and is positioned opposite to it, supporting the inner circumferential surface 18b of the lower traveling portion 18a from above. The lower side pressurizing device 50 is configured to support the inner circumferential surface 20b of the upper traveling portion 20a of the lower side annular belt 20 from below. The upper side pressurizing device 48 includes a heating pressing body 52 on the front side and a cooling pressing body 54 on the rear side. The heating pressing body 52 is installed so as to be freely displaceable in the width direction of the upper side annular belt 18 through a sliding member 56. In addition, the heating pressing body 52 is also freely displaceable in the rotation direction around the axis R1 perpendicular to the lower traveling portion 18a of the upper side annular belt 18 through the rotating shaft 58. Moreover, the heating pressing body 52 is controlled by four cylinders 60A, 60B, 60C, and 60D ( Figure 2 ) moves in the vertical direction. Similarly, the cooling pressing body 54 is installed so as to be displaceable in the width direction of the upper endless belt 18 via the slide 62. In addition, the cooling pressing body 54 is also displaceable in the rotation direction around the axis R2 perpendicular to the lower running portion 18a of the upper endless belt 18 via the rotating shaft 64. Moreover, the cooling pressing body 54 is displaceable by two cylinders 66A and 66B ( Figure 2 ) moves in the vertical direction. The lower pressurizing device 50 includes a heating and pressing body 68 on the front side and a cooling and pressing body 70 on the rear side. The heating and pressing body 52 of the upper pressurizing device 48 and the heating and pressing body 68 of the lower pressurizing device 50 are arranged so as to face each other in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the cooling and pressing body 54 of the upper pressurizing device 48 and the cooling and pressing body 70 of the lower pressurizing device 50 are arranged so as to face each other in the vertical direction.

[0136] like Figure 4AAs shown, the width of the lower surface 52a of the heating and pressing body 52 of the upper pressurizing device 48 is approximately the same as the width of the upper endless belt 18. Similarly, the lower surface 54a of the cooling and pressing body 54 is approximately the same as the width of the upper endless belt 18. Thus, the heating and pressing bodies 52 and 54 of the upper pressurizing device 48 can support the entire width of the upper endless belt 18 and uniformly pressurize the workpiece. Meanwhile, the width of the upper surface 68a of the heating and pressing body 68 of the lower pressurizing device 50 is wider than the width of the lower endless belt 20, which is wider than the width of the upper endless belt 18. Similarly, the upper surface 70a of the cooling and pressing body 70 is wider than the width of the lower endless belt 20. Thus, even if the lower endless belt 20 shifts in position in the width direction, the heating and pressing bodies 68 and 70 of the lower pressurizing device 50 can continue to support the lower endless belt 20 throughout its entire width.

[0137] In this embodiment, the heating and pressing bodies 52 and 68 are equipped with electric heaters (not shown) as heating mechanisms, and the cooling and pressing bodies 54 and 70 are equipped with refrigerant pipes (not shown) as cooling mechanisms. However, any other heating and cooling mechanisms may be employed. Furthermore, the structures of the upper and lower pressurizing devices 48 and 50 can be modified arbitrarily depending on the processing requirements. For example, the upper and lower pressurizing devices 48 and 50 may be configured to include only heating and pressing bodies without cooling bodies, or the heating and cooling bodies may be formed as a single component. Alternatively, a pressing body may be provided that lacks either heating or cooling functions. Furthermore, a configuration may be configured to include multiple heating and cooling bodies. While the pressing bodies 52, 54, 68, and 70 in this embodiment are block-shaped, they may also be roller-shaped components that rotate with the upper and lower endless belts 18 and 20. In this case, the number and arrangement of the rollers constituting the heating and pressing members and the cooling and pressing members can also be arbitrarily changed.

[0138] The guide unit 16 includes a first guide member 72A and a second guide member 72B, which are positioned to the sides of the upper pressure device 48. The first guide member 72A is positioned along one side edge 18c of the lower running portion 18a of the upper endless belt 18. The second guide member 72B is positioned along the other side edge 18d of the lower running portion 18a of the upper endless belt 18. The first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B extend in the front-to-back direction over the entire lower running portion 18a of the upper endless belt 18 between the auxiliary rollers 28A and 28B. In this embodiment, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are formed of a resin material.

[0139] like Figure 4A and Figure 5As shown, the first guide member 72A includes a first guide surface 74A extending along one side edge 18c of the upper endless belt 18. Similarly, the second guide member 72B includes a second guide surface 74B extending along the other side edge 18d of the upper endless belt 18. The first and second guide surfaces 74A, 74B extend vertically from the upper running portion 20a to a position above the lower running portion 18a. The first guide surface 74A blocks the entire gap D between the lower running portion 18a and the upper running portion 20a from the side edge 18c. Similarly, the second guide surface 74B blocks the entire gap D between the lower running portion 18a and the upper running portion 20a from the side edge 18d. It should be noted that the first and second guide surfaces 74A, 74B may also block only a portion of the gap D from the side edges 18c, 18d, for example, blocking only the gap D between the auxiliary roller 28A and the cooling press 54.

[0140] The guide unit 16 further includes a first rotation coupling portion 76A ( Figure 4A ) and the second rotation connection portion 76B ( Figure 5). The first rotating connection part 76A is composed of a receiving member 78A fixed to the first guide member 72A and a shaft member 80A held in a rotatable manner on the receiving member 78A. The first rotating connection part 76A is connected to the horizontal cylinder (first horizontal actuator) 88A via a connecting block 82A, a push-in pipe joint 84A and a connecting block 86A. The connecting block 86A is mounted on the connecting block 92A via a horizontal sliding member 90A. The first rotating connection part 76A connects the first guide member 72A to the cylinder 88A in such a way that the first guide member 72A can rotate relative to the cylinder 88A around an axis perpendicular to the lower travel part 18a. Similarly, the second rotating connection part 76B is composed of a receiving member 78B fixed to the first guide member 72A and a shaft member 80B held in a rotatable manner on the receiving member 78B. The second rotating connection 76B is connected to a horizontal cylinder (second horizontal actuator) 88B via a connecting block 82B, a push-in pipe joint 84B, and a connecting block 86B. The connecting block 86B is mounted to the connecting block 92B via a horizontal slide 90B. The second rotating connection 76B connects the first guide member 72A to the cylinder 88B so that the first guide member 72A can rotate relative to the cylinder 88B about an axis perpendicular to the lower travel portion 18a. This structure forms a horizontal movement mechanism for moving the first guide member 72A horizontally. The connecting block 92A is mounted so that it can move vertically via a vertical slide 94A, and a vertical cylinder 96A is mounted on the connecting block 92A. Similarly, the connecting block 92B is mounted so that it can move vertically via a vertical slide 94B, and a vertical cylinder 96B is mounted on the connecting block 92B. With such a structure, a vertical movement mechanism for moving the first guide member 72A in the vertical direction is formed.

[0141] The guide unit 16 further includes a third rotation connection portion 76C ( Figure 4A ) and the fourth rotation connection portion 76D ( Figure 5). The third rotating connection part 76C is composed of a receiving member 78C fixed to the second guide member 72B and a shaft member 80C held in a rotatable manner on the receiving member 78C. The third rotating connection part 76C is connected to the horizontal cylinder (third horizontal actuator) 88C via a connecting block 82C, a push-in pipe joint 84C and a connecting block 86C. The connecting block 86C is mounted on the connecting block 92C via a horizontal sliding member 90C. The third rotating connection part 76C connects the second guide member 72B to the cylinder 88C in such a way that the second guide member 72B can rotate relative to the cylinder 88C around an axis perpendicular to the lower travel part 18a. Similarly, the fourth rotating connection part 76D is composed of a receiving member 78D fixed to the second guide member 72B and a shaft member 80D held in a rotatable manner on the receiving member 78D. The fourth rotating connection 76D is connected to a horizontal cylinder (fourth horizontal actuator) 88D via a connecting block 82D, a push-in pipe joint 84D, and the connecting block 86D. The connecting block 86D is mounted to the connecting block 92D via a horizontal slide 90D. The fourth rotating connection 76D connects the second guide member 72B to the cylinder 88D so that the second guide member 72B can rotate relative to the cylinder 88D about an axis perpendicular to the lower travel portion 18a. This structure forms a horizontal movement mechanism for horizontally moving the second guide member 72B. The connecting block 92C is mounted so that it can move vertically via a vertical slide 94C, and a vertical cylinder 96C is mounted to the connecting block 92C. Similarly, the connecting block 92D is mounted so that it can move vertically via a vertical slide 94D, and a vertical cylinder 96D is mounted to the connecting block 92D. With such a structure, a vertical movement mechanism for moving the second guide member 72B in the vertical direction is formed.

[0142] like Figures 4A-4D As shown, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are movable in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction by cylinders 88A-88D and 96A-96D fixed to the device frame (not shown).

[0143] The first guide member 72A is pressed against the contact position ( ) of the side edge 18c of the upper endless belt 18 on the first guide surface 74A by the horizontal air cylinders 88A and 88B. Figure 4A 、 Figure 4D ) and the first guide surface 74A are at a non-contact position away from the side edge 18c ( Figure 4B 、 Figure 4C ) between. Similarly, the second guide member 72B is pressed against the contact position ( ) of the side edge 18d of the upper endless belt 18 on the second guide surface 74B by the horizontal cylinders 88C and 88D. Figure 4A 、 Figure 4D) and the second guide surface 74B is at a non-contact position away from the side edge 18d ( Figure 4B 、 Figure 4C The first guide member 72A can also be moved between the lower position (first position) where the lower surface 72Aa of the first guide member 72A contacts the outer peripheral surface 20c of the lower endless belt 20 by the vertical cylinder 96A and the cylinder 96B ( Figure 4A 、 Figure 4B ) and the upper position (second position) where the lower surface 72Aa of the first guide member 72A is separated upward from the outer peripheral surface 20c of the lower endless belt 20 ( Figure 4C 、 Figure 4D ) between. Similarly, the second guide member 72B can also be moved by the vertical cylinder 96C and the cylinder 96D to the lower position (first position) where the lower surface 72Ba of the second guide member 72B contacts the outer peripheral surface 20c of the lower side endless belt 20 ( Figure 4A 、 Figure 4B ) and the upper position (second position) where the lower surface 72Ba of the second guide member 72B is separated upward from the outer peripheral surface 20c of the lower endless belt 20 ( Figure 4C 、 Figure 4D In this embodiment, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are linked to each other. Figures 4A-4D Move between the four positions shown.

[0144] like Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, the double-belt pressing device 1 further includes a first fixed guide member 100A and a second fixed guide member 100B respectively arranged in front of the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B. The first fixed guide member 100A and the second fixed guide member 100B are fixedly arranged in contact with the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B at the lower position ( Figure 4A ) are arranged in a straight line. In addition, the first fixed guide member 100A and the second fixed guide member 100B are respectively supported by two springs 102 ( Figure 1 ) is pressed against the outer peripheral surface 20c of the lower endless belt 20. The double-belt pressing device 1 further includes a third fixed guide member 100C and a fourth fixed guide member 100D, which are respectively arranged on the rear side of the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B. The third fixed guide member 100C and the fourth fixed guide member 100D are fixedly arranged on the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B ( Figure 4A ) are arranged in a straight line. In addition, the third fixed guide member 100C and the fourth fixed guide member 100D are respectively supported by two springs 104 ( Figure 1 ) is pressed against the outer peripheral surface 20c of the lower annular belt 20.

[0145] In this embodiment, when processing the object to be processed, the double belt pressing device 1 becomes Figures 1 to 3 、 Figure 4A and Figure 5 The upper pressurizing device 48 is adjusted in height by four air cylinders 60A, 60B, 60C, and 60D so that the gap D between the lower running portion 18a of the upper endless belt 18 and the upper running portion 20a of the lower endless belt 20 reaches the specified size required for the pressurizing process. The two auxiliary rollers 28A and 28B are positioned by a pair of air cylinders 32A and 32B and a pair of air cylinders 34A and 34B so that their respective lower ends align with the lower surface 52a of the heating pressing body 52 and the lower surface 54a of the cooling pressing body 54 of the upper pressurizing device 48. At this time, as the front auxiliary roller 28A moves, the support plate 36 also moves to a position corresponding to the position of the auxiliary roller 28A. The driven roller 24 is pressed against the upper endless belt 18 by a pair of air cylinders 30A and 30B, applying appropriate tension to the upper endless belt 18. The first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are positioned below the position where their lower surfaces 72Aa and 72Ba contact the outer circumferential surface 20c of the lower endless belt 20, forming the contact position where the first guide surface 74A and the second guide surface 74B contact the side edges 18c and 18d of the upper endless belt 18. It should be noted that the auxiliary rollers 28A and 28B and the support plate 36 are provided to guide the upper endless belt 18 approximately parallel to the lower surface 52a of the heating and pressing body 52 and the lower surface 54a of the cooling and pressing body 54 of the upper pressurizing device 48, but this is not essential. For example, the auxiliary rollers 28A and 28B and the support plate 36 can be eliminated by arranging the lower surface 52a of the heating and pressing body 52 and the lower surface 54a of the cooling and pressing body 54 at approximately the same height as the lower ends of the driven roller 24 and the drive roller 26.

[0146] As described above, the double belt pressing device 1 is set to Figures 1 to 3 、 Figure 4A and Figure 5 The form shown in Figure 1 As seen in the figure, the upper endless belt 18 is driven counterclockwise, while the lower endless belt 20 is driven clockwise. An object to be processed is placed on the lower endless belt 20, thereby processing the object. At this time, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are stationary in the travel directions of the lower travel portion 18a of the upper endless belt 18 and the upper travel portion 20a of the lower endless belt 20, and the rotating upper and lower endless belts 18 and 20 slide relative to the first and second guide members 72A and 72B.

[0147] Here, an example of processing granular resin pellets to produce a plate-shaped resin molded product is described. When resin pellets are supplied between the first fixed guide member 100A and the second fixed guide member 100B on the lower endless belt 20, the resin pellets are transported by the lower endless belt 20. At this time, the resin pellets are preferably supplied with a uniform thickness throughout the entire area between the first fixed guide member 100A and the second fixed guide member 100B. The resin pellets transported by the lower endless belt 20 are sandwiched between the upper endless belt 18 and the lower endless belt 20 near the front auxiliary roller 28A and pass through the gap D between the upper endless belt 18 and the lower endless belt 20. When the resin pellets reach between the heating and pressing body 52 of the upper pressurizing device 48 and the heating and pressing body 68 of the lower pressurizing device 50, the resin pellets are heated and vertically pressurized between the heating and pressing bodies 52 and 68. The resin pellets soften or melt while passing between the heated pressing body 52 and the heated pressing body 68, forming a unified plate-shaped member. The formed member is then cooled and solidified while passing between the cooled pressing body 54 of the upper press 48 and the cooled pressing body 70 of the lower press 50. The unified and solidified plate-shaped resin molded product passes between the upper endless belt 18 and the lower endless belt 20, and is then conveyed by the lower endless belt 20 to the product receiving station 106.

[0148] If the resin particles are sandwiched between the upper endless belt 18 and the lower endless belt 20 and pressurized, they will expand in the width direction of the upper endless belt 18. In particular, when the upper endless belt 18 is heated and pressurized between the upper pressurizing device 48 and the lower pressurizing device 50, the expansion of the upper endless belt 18 in the width direction tends to increase. However, in the double-belt pressing device 1 of this embodiment, since the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are arranged along the side edge 18c and the side edge 18d of the upper endless belt 18 in a manner that blocks the gap D from the side, the expansion of the resin particles is limited by the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B. Therefore, the resin molded product will not expand beyond the width of the upper endless belt 18. In addition, since the side surface of the resin molded product is formed while being guided along the first guide surface 74A and the second guide surface 74B, a resin molded product with a uniform width can be produced. It should be noted that while this example illustrates the production of plate-shaped resin molded products from resin pellets, the double-belt press apparatus 1 of this embodiment is also capable of performing other processes commonly performed by conventional double-belt press apparatuses. For example, it can also perform lamination of multiple sheet materials or rolling of plate-shaped components. Even during these other processes, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B can be utilized to guide the product while limiting its widthwise expansion, thereby ensuring uniform widthwise dimensions.

[0149] When performing the above-described processing using the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B, it is preferable that the first guide surface 74A and the second guide surface 74B are in contact with the side edges 18c and 18d of the upper endless belt 18, respectively, without any gap. In the double-belt pressing device 1 of this embodiment, the air cylinders 88A and 88B apply a force toward the upper endless belt 18 to the first guide member 72A, causing the first guide surface 74A to contact and press against the side edge 18c. Similarly, the air cylinders 88C and 88D apply a force toward the second guide member 72B, causing the second guide surface 74B to contact and press against the side edge 18d. By pressing the first guide surface 74A and the second guide surface 74B against the side edge 18c and the side edge 18d of the upper annular belt 18, it is difficult to generate a gap between the first guide surface 74A and the side edge 18c and between the second guide surface 74B and the side edge 18d, and the gap D between the lower traveling portion 18a and the upper traveling portion 20a can be appropriately blocked from the side.

[0150] In this way, when the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are pressed against the upper endless belt 18, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B slide against the rotating upper endless belt 18, and thus are easily worn. Therefore, in the double-belt pressing device 1 of this embodiment, when not working, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are moved to a non-contact position away from the upper endless belt 18 ( Figure 4B If wear of the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B progresses beyond a certain level, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are replaced. In the double-belt pressing device 1 of this embodiment, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are attached via push-in fittings 84A-84D, respectively, and thus can be easily removed and replaced with new guide members.

[0151] In the double belt pressing device 1 of this embodiment, the upper endless belt 18 may be positioned by the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B so that the first guide surface 74A and the second guide surface 74B are in proper contact with the side edge 18c and the side edge 18d. Figure 6 The positioning operation of the upper endless belt 18 will be described.

[0152] The double belt pressing device 1 of this embodiment becomes a resting state when not performing processing. Figure 6The configuration shown in (a) of FIG. Specifically, the heating and pressing members 52 and cooling and pressing members 54 of the upper pressurizing device 48 are in a standby position, sufficiently separated upward from the heating and pressing members 68 and cooling and pressing members 70 of the lower pressurizing device 50. The first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are in an upper position, separated upward from the lower endless belt 20 by approaching the driven roller 24 and the drive roller 26, and in a non-contact position separated laterally from the upper endless belt 18 and the heating and pressing members 52 and cooling and pressing members 54. The lower ends of the auxiliary rollers 28A and 28B are located at approximately the same height as the lower surfaces 52a, 54a of the heating and pressing members 52 and cooling and pressing members 54 of the upper pressurizing device 48 in the standby position. Furthermore, the driven roller 24 is urged forward (to the left as viewed in the figure) by the air cylinders 30A and 30B to exert a certain degree of force on the upper endless belt 18, thereby being in the forward position. Thus, the upper belt driving mechanism 22 is in a tensioning mode for applying tension to the upper endless belt 18. However, in this tensioning mode, relatively small tension is applied to the upper endless belt 18, so that frictional force acts to such an extent that the upper endless belt 18 does not move unnecessarily in the width direction.

[0153] In order to align the upper side annular belt 18, the shape of the upper side belt driving mechanism 22 is changed from a tension applying shape to a tension releasing shape. Specifically, the driven roller 24 is displaced in the inner direction (rearward) of the upper side annular belt 18 and becomes a rear position. As a result, the tension applied to the upper side annular belt 18 is released, and the upper side annular belt 18 becomes slightly relaxed. It should be noted that the shape can also be changed to a tension releasing shape by displacing the driving roller 26 in the inner direction (front). Then or at the same time, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are displaced inward in the width direction from the upper position and become a contact position. In this state, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 As shown in (b), the drive roller 26 is driven and rotated. The tension in the upper endless belt 18 is released, but since it rests on the driven roller 24 and the drive roller 26, it rotates as the drive roller 26 rotates. If the upper endless belt 18 is displaced relative to the widthwise center of the driven roller 24 and the drive roller 26, the upper endless belt 18 is pressed relatively strongly by the guide member on the displaced side of the first and second guide members 72A, 72B. Consequently, while rotating, the upper endless belt 18 gradually moves to a position where it receives equal force from the first and second guide members 72A, 72B, i.e., its widthwise center. Thus, when the upper endless belt 18 is driven and rotated with its tension released, it is positioned in the widthwise direction by the first and second guide members 72A, 72B, which are in contact.

[0154] The first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B can also contact the side edges 18c and 18d of the upper endless belt 18 at a lower position. However, when the upper endless belt 18 is pushed toward the widthwise center position at a lower position relatively far from the driven roller 24 and the driving roller 26, the upper endless belt 18 may be deformed in the widthwise direction, making it impossible to fully move the upper endless belt 18 toward the widthwise center. In this embodiment, as described above, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B contact the side edges 18c and 18d of the upper endless belt 18 at an upper position relatively close to the driven roller 24 and the driving roller 26, making it difficult for the upper endless belt 18 to deform in the widthwise direction. Therefore, the upper endless belt 18 can be positioned more efficiently in the widthwise direction.

[0155] In the double belt pressing device 1 of this embodiment, after the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B position the upper endless belt 18, it is possible to perform more accurate positioning of the upper endless belt 18. When performing such more accurate positioning, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are as follows. Figure 6 As shown in (c), the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B move from the non-contact position to the lower position. Then, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are in contact at the lower position. As the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are in contact, the heating pressing body 52 and the cooling pressing body 54 of the upper pressure device 48 are clamped by the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B, respectively, in the width direction and around the vertical axes R1 and R2 ( Figure 3 ) is positioned relative to the upper annular belt 18 in the direction of rotation. Next, the upper pressurizing device 48 descends from the standby position toward the lower pressurizing device 50 to the pressurizing position. At this time, the heating press body 52 and the cooling press body 54 descend while being guided by the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B. Therefore, when the upper pressurizing device 48 reaches the pressurizing position, it is also maintained in a positioned state relative to the upper annular belt 18. The pressurizing position here refers to the position where the upper pressurizing device 48 supports the inner circumferential surface 18b of the upper annular belt 18 in such a way that the gap D between the lower running portion 18a of the upper annular belt 18 and the upper running portion 20a of the lower annular belt 20 becomes a predetermined size for pressurizing processing. It should be noted that the predetermined size of the gap D can be arbitrarily changed according to the processed product being manufactured. Therefore, the pressurizing position of the upper pressurizing device 48 can also be arbitrarily changed accordingly. However, the pressurizing position for positioning the upper endless belt 18 does not necessarily have to be the same position as the position at the time of actual pressurizing, and may be set as a temporary position for positioning the upper endless belt 18 .

[0156] After or at the same time as the upper pressure device 48 moves to the pressure position, the auxiliary rollers 28A and 28B move to the lower position. It should be noted that the lower position of the auxiliary rollers 28A and 28B corresponds to the pressure position of the upper pressure device 48. When the pressure position changes, the lower position also changes automatically. When the auxiliary roller 28A on the front side moves to the lower position, the support plate 36 also moves downward while slightly tilting, and becomes a position in contact with or close to the upper endless belt 18. Then, the driven roller 24 moves forward to Figure 6 The upper endless belt 18 is pressed at the middle position shown in (d). As a result, the upper belt driving mechanism 22 is in a tension applying state in which tension is applied to the upper endless belt 18. Specifically, the auxiliary rollers 28A and 28B are in the lower position and the driven roller 24 is in the middle position, so that the inner peripheral surface of the upper endless belt 18 is strongly pressed by each roller, and tension is applied to the upper endless belt 18. Then, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are in the contact position. As shown Figure 6 As shown in (d), in this state, the driving roller 26 is driven, and the upper endless belt 18 is driven to rotate. The double-belt pressing device 1 is provided with a position detection sensor (not shown) that detects the widthwise position of the upper endless belt 18. As the position detection sensor, various sensors can be used, such as an edge sensor that optically detects the position of one side edge 18c or the other side edge 18d of the upper endless belt 18, an optical camera that detects the position of one side edge 18c or the other side edge 18d from an image, or a mechanical switch that mechanically contacts one side edge 18c or the other side edge 18d to detect its position. When the double-belt pressing device 1 detects that the position of the upper endless belt 18 is offset in the widthwise direction through the position detection sensor, it drives the cylinder 30A or 30B supporting the driven roller 24 so that the force applied to one side of the upper endless belt 18 in the widthwise direction is greater than that applied to the other side. As a result, the rotating upper endless belt 18 gradually moves from the side to which a larger force is applied to the side to which a smaller force is applied. For example, when the upper endless belt 18 is Figure 2 If the upper endless belt 18 is displaced to the right when viewed from the center, the air pressure applied to the right cylinder 30A is increased, causing a greater force to act on the right side of the upper endless belt 18. This guides the upper endless belt 18 to the left. This allows for more precise positioning of the upper endless belt 18. It should be noted that this more precise positioning action is not necessarily necessary if the positioning accuracy of the first and second guide members 72A, 72B described above is sufficient. Furthermore, the double-belt pressing device 1 does not necessarily need to be able to perform this precise positioning action.

[0157] exist Figure 6 (b) Positioning of the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B or Figure 6After the more accurate positioning of (d) is completed, the double belt pressing device 1 becomes Figure 7 The form shown in (a). Figure 7 The form of (a) is similar to the above Figure 6 The form of (a) is the same as that of (b), so the detailed description is omitted here. Figure 7 In the state of (a), the positioning of the upper endless belt 18 is completed.

[0158] When performing the press processing based on the double belt press device 1, first, Figure 7 As shown in (b), the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are in contact at the lower position. At this time, the heating and pressing body 52 of the upper pressure device 48 is clamped by the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B in the width direction and around the vertical axis R1 ( Figure 3 ) is positioned relative to the upper endless belt 18 in the rotation direction. Similarly, the cooling pressing body 54 is clamped by the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B, and is positioned in the width direction and around the vertical axis R2 ( Figure 3 ) is positioned relative to the upper endless belt 18 in the direction of rotation. Then, the driven roller 24 moves from the front position to the middle position, and the upper pressure device 48 moves to the pressure position, and the auxiliary rollers 28A and 28B move to the lower position. It should be noted that the upper pressure device 48 is guided by the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B while descending from the standby position to the pressure position. Therefore, when the upper pressure device 48 becomes the pressure position, it is also maintained in a state of being positioned relative to the upper endless belt 18. In this way, the double-belt pressing device 1 becomes Figures 1 to 3 In this state, as shown in Figure 7 As shown in (c), the upper endless belt 18 is driven counterclockwise in the figure by the driving roller 26, and the upper endless belt 18 is driven counterclockwise by the driving roller 42 ( Figure 1 ) The lower endless belt 20 is driven clockwise. By placing the object to be processed on the lower endless belt 20, the object to be processed is processed as described above.

[0159] When there is a relatively short idle time between the end of one processing operation and the start of the next processing operation, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B may be temporarily retracted to the non-contact position while the upper and lower endless belts 18 and 20 continue to be rotated. This shortens the time that the first and second guide members 72A, 72B slide against the side edges 18c and 18d of the upper endless belt 18, thereby reducing wear on the first and second guide members 72A, 72B.

[0160] The double belt pressing device 1 of this embodiment returns to the Figure 7(a) the same Figure 7 The morphology of (d).

[0161] By reference Figure 6 In the process described above, the upper endless belt 18 is positioned in the width direction, but the upper endless belt 18 may slightly shift or meander in the width direction during the continuous processing operation. In the double-belt pressing device 1 of this embodiment, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are displaced to follow the position shift and meandering of the upper endless belt 18 in the width direction. For example, in the case of Figure 8 The upper annular belt 18 is positioned accurately as shown in (a). Figure 8 When the position is shifted to the right as shown in (b), the first guide member 72A receives a strong force from the upper annular belt 18 in a state where tension is applied. This force is greater than the force of the horizontal cylinders 88A and 88B that maintain the first guide member 72A. Therefore, the first guide member 72A is pushed to the right by the upper annular belt 18. On the other hand, the second guide member 72B is pressed against the side edge 18d by the horizontal cylinders 88C and 88D. Therefore, when the upper annular belt 18 moves to the right, the second guide member 72B is displaced to the right in a manner following the upper annular belt 18. Therefore, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are displaced to the right following the displacement of the upper annular belt 18 to the right, maintaining a state of contact with the upper annular belt 18. In addition, the upper annular belt 18 is meandering like Figure 8 When tilted as shown in (c), cylinder 88A extends, cylinder 88B is pulled in, and the first guide member 72A tilts along the side edge 18c of the upper endless belt 18. It should be noted that, as described above, the first guide member 72A is rotatably connected to the cylinders 88A and 88B via the first and second rotating connecting portions 76A and 76B, allowing the first guide member 72A to tilt as shown. Similarly, the second guide member 72B tilts along the side edge 18d of the upper endless belt 18. Therefore, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B tilt to follow the winding of the upper endless belt 18, maintaining contact with the upper endless belt 18.

[0162] It should be noted that Figure 8While positional deviation and meandering are emphasized for ease of understanding, the actual deviation is typically less than 1 mm, and typically a very small deviation of less than 0.5 mm. Thus, in this double-belt pressing device 1, since the first and second guide members 72A and 72B are held movable within the horizontal plane, even if the upper endless belt 18 shifts or meanders in the width direction during processing, the first and second guide members 72A and 72B can still follow the upper endless belt 18 and move within the horizontal plane. Consequently, the formation of gaps between the side edges 18c and 18d of the upper endless belt 18 and the first and second guide members 72A and 72B can be suppressed.

[0163] Furthermore, the heating and cooling pressing bodies 52 and 54 of the upper pressure device 48 are maintained so as to be displaceable in the width direction and in the rotational direction about the perpendicular axes R1 and R2. Therefore, as the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B move and rotate in the width direction, the upper pressure device 48 moves and rotates together with the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B. That is, the upper pressure device 48 moves together with the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B, following the winding and width-direction movement of the upper endless belt 18. Thus, the following movement of the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B is not hindered by the upper pressure device 48. Furthermore, by preventing positional offset between the upper pressure device 48 and the upper endless belt 18, uniform pressure can be applied to the workpiece passing through the gap D, and the shape of the resulting molded product can be stabilized.

[0164] While the above describes embodiments of the present invention, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. For example, the upper and lower structures may be interchanged. That is, the first belt drive mechanism that changes configuration between a tension-applying configuration and a tension-releasing configuration may be configured as a lower belt drive mechanism. In this case, the first pressure device that moves between a standby position and a processing position may also be configured as a lower pressure device. Furthermore, in this case, the first and second guide members may be configured so that, when positioning the lower endless belt (first endless belt) held by the lower belt drive mechanism serving as the first belt drive mechanism, they move to a lower position (second position) separated downward from the upper endless belt (second endless belt). Alternatively, the width of the upper endless belt may be greater than that of the lower endless belt, and the first and second guide members may contact the side edges of the upper running portion (first opposing running portion) of the lower endless belt while in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the upper endless belt.

[0165] In addition, in the above embodiment, a pneumatic cylinder is used as the actuator for moving the upper pressure device, guide member, and other components, but various other actuators such as a hydraulic cylinder or an electric motor may also be used. In the above embodiment, the first and second guide members are pressed against the side edges of the upper endless belt by an actuator that moves the first and second guide members horizontally. However, a configuration may also be employed in which a force-applying structure composed of an elastic member such as a spring or rubber material is provided between the first and second guide members and the actuators, with the force of the force-applying structure pressing the first and second guide members against the side edges of the upper endless belt. Alternatively, the first and second guide members do not necessarily need to be moved between a contact position and a non-contact position by an actuator and may be fixed in a fixed position. Alternatively, the width of the lower endless belt may be the same as that of the upper endless belt, with the first and second guide members contacting both the side edges of the upper and lower endless belts.

Claims

1. A double belt pressing device, wherein: The double belt pressing device comprises: A first belt unit having a first endless belt and a first belt driving mechanism that drives the first endless belt to rotate; a second belt unit including a second endless belt arranged in a vertical direction relative to the first endless belt and a second belt driving mechanism for driving the second endless belt to rotate, wherein the width of the second endless belt is greater than that of the first endless belt; A pressurizing unit having a first pressurizing device supporting an inner peripheral surface of a first opposing running portion of the first endless belt opposing the second endless belt and a second pressurizing device supporting an inner peripheral surface of a second opposing running portion of the second endless belt opposing the first endless belt; as well as The guide unit comprises a first guide member and a second guide member, the first guide member having a first guide surface extending along a side edge of the first opposing traveling portion and blocking at least a portion of a gap between the first opposing traveling portion and the second opposing traveling portion from the side of the one side edge, and the second guide member having a second guide surface extending along the other side edge of the first opposing traveling portion and blocking at least a portion of the gap from the side of the other side edge, the first guide member being configured so that the first guide surface contacts the one side edge when the first guide member contacts an outer peripheral surface of the second opposing traveling portion, and the second guide member being configured so that the second guide surface contacts the other side edge when the second guide member contacts an outer peripheral surface of the second opposing traveling portion, and when the first endless belt and the second endless belt are driven to rotate, the first guide surface slides with the one side edge, and the second guide surface slides with the other side edge.

2. The double belt pressing device according to claim 1, wherein: The first guide member is configured such that the first guide surface is pressed against the one side edge, and the second guide member is configured such that the second guide surface is pressed against the other side edge.

3. The double belt pressing device according to claim 2, wherein: The first guide surface extends along one side edge of the first opposing travel portion, and the second guide surface extends along the other side edge of the first opposing travel portion. The first guide member and the second guide member are held so as to be movable in a horizontal plane, and when the first endless belt meanders or moves in the width direction, the first guide member and the second guide member follow the first endless belt and move in the horizontal plane.

4. The double belt pressing device according to claim 3, wherein: The guiding unit comprises: a first horizontal actuator and a second horizontal actuator that move the first guide member between a contact position where the first guide surface is pressed against the one side edge and a non-contact position where the first guide surface is away from the one side edge; a first rotating connection portion and a second rotating connection portion, which are mounted on the first guide member at positions separated from each other in the traveling direction of the first opposing traveling portion of the first endless belt, the first rotating connection portion connecting the first guide member to the first horizontal direction actuator in a manner that the first guide member can rotate relative to the first horizontal direction actuator around an axis perpendicular to the first opposing traveling portion, and the second rotating connection portion connecting the first guide member to the second horizontal direction actuator in a manner that the first guide member can rotate relative to the second horizontal direction actuator around an axis perpendicular to the first opposing traveling portion; a third horizontal actuator and a fourth horizontal actuator that move the second guide member between a contact position where the second guide surface is pressed against the other side edge and a non-contact position where the second guide surface is away from the other side edge; as well as A third rotating connection portion and a fourth rotating connection portion are installed on the second guide member at positions separated from each other in the travel direction, the third rotating connection portion connects the second guide member to the third horizontal direction actuator in a manner that the second guide member can rotate relative to the third horizontal direction actuator around an axis perpendicular to the first opposing travel portion, and the fourth rotating connection portion connects the second guide member to the fourth horizontal direction actuator in a manner that the second guide member can rotate relative to the fourth horizontal direction actuator around an axis perpendicular to the first opposing travel portion.

5. The double belt pressing device according to claim 3, wherein: The first pressurizing device is configured to be freely displaceable in the width direction of the first endless belt and in the rotation direction around an axis perpendicular to the first opposing traveling portion of the first endless belt, and the first pressurizing device is clamped by the first guide member and the second guide member to follow the movement of the first endless belt together with the first guide member and the second guide member.

6. The double belt pressing device according to claim 3, wherein: The guide unit includes a horizontal movement mechanism that moves the first guide member and the second guide member between a contact position where the first guide surface and the second guide surface are pressed against the side edges and a non-contact position where the first guide surface and the second guide surface are away from the side edges. The first pressurizing device is configured to be freely displaceable in the width direction of the first endless belt and in the rotation direction around an axis perpendicular to the first opposing running portion of the first endless belt, and is capable of moving between a pressurizing position and a standby position, wherein the pressurizing position is a position that supports the inner peripheral surface of the first endless belt in such a way that the gap between the first opposing running portion of the first endless belt and the second opposing running portion of the second endless belt becomes a prescribed size for pressurizing processing, and the standby position is a position that is farther away from the second pressurizing device than the pressurizing position. When the first pressurizing device is located at the standby position and the first guide member and the second guide member are in the contact position, the first pressurizing device is sandwiched by the first guide member and the second guide member and is positioned relative to the first guide member and the second guide member. The first pressurizing device moves from the standby position to the pressurizing position while being guided by the first guide member and the second guide member.

7. The double belt pressing device according to claim 1, wherein: The first endless belt is an upper endless belt, and the second endless belt is a lower endless belt arranged below the upper endless belt.

8. The double belt pressing device according to claim 1, wherein: The first belt driving mechanism changes its form between a tension applying form for applying tension to the first annular belt and a tension releasing form for releasing the tension of the first annular belt, and the first annular belt is positioned in the width direction by driving the first annular belt to rotate when the first belt driving mechanism is in the tension releasing form and the first guide member and the second guide member are in contact with the side edges of the first annular belt.

9. The double belt pressing device according to claim 8, wherein: The first belt driving mechanism includes a first roller and a second roller which are arranged to be separated from each other in the horizontal direction so as to support the inner peripheral surface of the first endless belt, respectively. By displacing at least one of the first roller and the second roller in the inner direction of the first endless belt, the state of the first belt driving mechanism changes from the tension applying state to the tension releasing state. The first guide member and the second guide member are movable in the up-down direction between a first position in contact with the second endless belt and a second position away from the second endless belt in a manner close to the first roller and the second roller. The first endless belt is rotated when the first belt driving mechanism is in the tension release state and the first guide member and the second guide member are in contact with the side edges of the first endless belt at the second position, thereby positioning the first endless belt in the width direction.

10. A double belt pressing device, wherein: The double belt pressing device comprises: A first belt unit having a first endless belt and a first belt driving mechanism that drives the first endless belt to rotate; a second belt unit including a second endless belt arranged in a vertical direction relative to the first endless belt and a second belt driving mechanism driving the second endless belt to rotate; A pressurizing unit having a first pressurizing device supporting an inner peripheral surface of a first opposing running portion of the first endless belt opposing the second endless belt and a second pressurizing device supporting an inner peripheral surface of a second opposing running portion of the second endless belt opposing the first endless belt; as well as The guide unit includes a first guide member and a second guide member, the first guide member having a first guide surface extending along a side edge of at least one of the first opposing traveling portion and the second opposing traveling portion, and blocking at least a portion of a gap between the first opposing traveling portion and the second opposing traveling portion from the side of the one side edge, and the second guide member having a second guide surface extending along the other side edge of the at least one traveling portion, and blocking at least a portion of the gap from the side of the other side edge, the first guide member is configured so that the first guide surface contacts the one side edge, and the second guide member is configured so that the second guide surface contacts the other side edge, and when the first endless belt and the second endless belt are driven to rotate, the first guide surface slides with the one side edge, and the second guide surface slides with the other side edge, The first belt driving mechanism changes its form between a tension applying form for applying tension to the first annular belt and a tension releasing form for releasing the tension of the first annular belt, and the first annular belt is positioned in the width direction by driving the first annular belt to rotate when the first belt driving mechanism is in the tension releasing form and the first guide member and the second guide member are in contact with the side edges of the first annular belt.

Images