Heat treatment device

Abstract

The heat treatment apparatus includes a furnace body, a door, and a pipe. The furnace body has therein a processing space in which an object to be processed is heat-processed, and has an opening formed therein. The door blocks the opening of the furnace body. A refrigerant flows through the piping. A seal is provided in a region of the door that overlaps the peripheral edge of the opening of the furnace body when the door is closed. The piping is attached to the periphery of a region of the furnace body against which the seal abuts.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a heat treatment apparatus. Background Art

[0002] A heat treatment apparatus including an unwinding section, a heat treatment section, a cooling section, and a winding section is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 7285360. In the heat treatment section, a strip-shaped object to be treated unwound from an unwinding reel provided in the unwinding section is heat-treated while being conveyed.

[0003] Prior Art Documents

[0004] Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 7285360 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The inventor of the present invention desires to maintain airtightness in a heat treatment apparatus having a door configured to be openable and closable.

[0007] The heat treatment apparatus disclosed herein includes a furnace body, a door, and piping. The furnace body has a treatment space inside for heat-treating an object to be treated, and an opening is formed. The door closes the opening of the furnace body. A refrigerant flows through the piping. A seal is provided in a region of the door that overlaps with the peripheral edge of the opening of the furnace body when the door is closed. The piping is installed around a region of the furnace body against which the seal abuts. In this heat treatment apparatus, the airtightness of the heat treatment apparatus can be maintained. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008] Figure 1 is a schematic view showing a heat treatment apparatus 10.

[0009] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the heat treatment section 40 in a state where the door 46 is open.

[0010] Figure 3 is a plan view of the heat treatment section 40 in a state where the door 46 is closed.

[0011] Figure 4 is a schematic view of the hinge 48. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, while referring to the attached Figure 1One of the embodiments in the present disclosure will be described in detail. It should be noted that in the following drawings, components and parts that perform the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals for description. In addition, the dimensional relationships (length, width, thickness, etc.) in each drawing do not reflect the actual dimensional relationships. The orientations of up, down, left, right, front, and back are represented by the arrows of U, D, L, R, F, and Rr in the drawings. Here, the orientations of up, down, left, right, front, and back are only defined for the convenience of description, and the invention of this application is not limited as long as it is not particularly mentioned.

[0013] <Heat treatment apparatus 10>

[0014] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the heat treatment apparatus 10. The heat treatment apparatus 10 is a device for heat-treating a strip-shaped (sheet-shaped) object to be treated A. In this embodiment, the heat treatment apparatus 10 is a device for continuously drying a strip-shaped object to be treated while transporting it in a so-called roll-to-roll manner. The object to be treated A is not particularly limited as long as it is a strip-shaped member such as an electrode sheet of a secondary battery in which electrode materials are respectively coated on both sides of a sheet substrate, a flexible copper clad laminate FCCL (Flexible Copper Clad Laminate), a polyimide sheet, etc. The heat treatment apparatus 10 can be used for treating various strip-shaped (sheet-shaped) objects to be treated.

[0015] It should be noted that the heat treatment apparatus disclosed herein is not limited to a roll-to-roll type apparatus for heat-treating a strip-shaped object to be treated A, and can be applied to various heat treatment apparatuses. The structure of the heat treatment apparatus disclosed herein can also be applied to, for example, a so-called roller hearth furnace that transports an object to be treated using a plurality of transport rollers arranged along the transport direction. The structure of the heat treatment apparatus disclosed herein is not limited to a continuous heat treatment apparatus such as a roll-to-roll type heat treatment apparatus or a roller hearth furnace. The structure of the heat treatment apparatus disclosed herein can also be applied to a so-called batch type heat treatment apparatus that heat-treats an object to be treated in a state where the object to be treated is stationary in a furnace.

[0016] As Figure 1 shown, the heat treatment apparatus 10 includes an unwinding unit 30, a heat treatment unit 40, a cooling unit 50, and a winding unit 60.

[0017] The strip-shaped object to be treated A is transported and treated in the order of the unwinding unit 30, the heat treatment unit 40, the cooling unit 50, and the winding unit 60. The object to be treated A is unwound from an unwinding reel A1 provided in the unwinding unit 30, heat-treated by the heat treatment unit 40, cooled by the cooling unit 50, and then wound by a winding reel A2 provided in the winding unit 60.

[0018] <Transport devices 20, 22>

[0019] The conveying devices 20 and 22 are devices for conveying the object to be processed A. The object to be processed A is conveyed along a pre-determined conveying path. The conveying devices 20 and 22 are respectively devices for rotationally driving the unwinding shaft 32 equipped with the unwinding reel A1 of the unwinding section 30 and the winding shaft 62 equipped with the winding reel A2 of the winding section 60. The conveying devices 20 and 22 can be constituted by a device for controlling the conveyance of the object to be processed A. As the conveying devices 20 and 22, for example, a motor and an inverter can be used, or a servo motor etc. can also be used.

[0020] In addition, the conveying devices 20 and 22 can also include a device for controlling the tension acting on the object to be processed A. As the device for controlling the tension, for example, a magnetic powder clutch can be used. The conveying devices 20 and 22 can also be realized by a series of devices in which a device for controlling the conveying speed and a device for controlling the tension cooperate with each other.

[0021] The unwinding shaft 32 is connected to the conveying device 20. The unwinding shaft 32 is rotationally driven by the conveying device 20, and the object to be processed A is unwound from the unwinding reel A1. The winding shaft 62 is connected to the conveying device 22. The winding shaft 62 is rotationally driven by the conveying device 22, and the object to be processed A is wound by the winding reel A2. The conveying devices 20 and 22 can be respectively arranged in an air box provided in a space surrounded by the outer walls 31 and 61. The conveying devices 20 and 22 can also be respectively arranged outside the outer walls 31 and 61.

[0022] In order to improve the processing efficiency of the object to be processed A, the heat treatment device 10 can be configured to be able to convey the object to be processed A at a relatively high speed. Although not particularly limited, the conveying speed of the object to be processed A can be set to about 1 m / minute to 200 m / minute. In this embodiment, the conveying speed of the object to be processed A is set to about 100 m / minute.

[0023] In the heat treatment device 10, the conveying speed of the object to be processed A is controlled by a control device (not shown).

[0024] The control device controls the conveyance speed of the object A to be processed, the tension applied to the object A to be processed, etc., so as to convey the object A to be processed according to predetermined conveyance conditions. The control device separately controls the unwinding tension when the object A to be processed is unwound, the in-furnace tension applied to the object A to be processed that is being processed, and the winding tension when winding the object A to be processed after the winding process. The control device is connected to the conveyance devices 20 and 22. Additionally, the control device may also be connected to the tension detection roller 35b, the feed roller 35c, the tension adjustment roller 35d, the tension detection roller 65c, etc. The control device feeds back the unwinding tension detected by the tension detection roller 35b to the conveyance device 20 to control the torque of the unwind shaft 32. Thereby, the unwinding tension is adjusted. Additionally, the control device feeds back the in-furnace tension detected by the tension detection roller 35b on which the object A to be processed is hung to the tension adjustment roller 35d. The tension adjustment roller 35d moves according to the detected in-furnace tension. Thereby, the in-furnace tension is adjusted. It should be noted that the rotation speed of the feed roller 35c is controlled so that the position of the tension adjustment roller 35d returns to the reference position in a state where the in-furnace tension is constant. Additionally, the control device feeds back the winding tension detected by the tension detection roller 65c to the conveyance device 22 to control the torque of the winding shaft 62. Thereby, the winding tension is adjusted.

[0025] <Unwinding section 30>

[0026] The unwinding section 30 is a device for unwinding the object A to be processed. The unwinding section 30 houses an unwind reel A1 in a state where the object A to be processed before heat treatment is wound around it.

[0027] The unwinding section 30 has an outer wall 31 that surrounds the internal device and the unwind reel A1. An unwind shaft 32 and a plurality of rollers 35 are provided inside the unwinding section 30. The unwind shaft 32 is a shaft on which the unwind reel A1 wound with the object A to be processed before heat treatment is installed. In this embodiment, by rotationally driving the unwind shaft 32, the object A to be processed is unwound from the unwind reel A1 installed on the unwind shaft 32.

[0028] A plurality of rollers 35 for setting the conveyance path of the object A to be processed are provided in the space surrounded by the outer wall 31 of the unwinding section 30. The object A to be processed unwound from the unwind reel A1 is wound around the plurality of rollers 35 in a predetermined order and is conveyed toward the heat treatment section 40.

[0029] The plurality of rollers 35 include a guide roller 35a, a tension detection roller 35b, a feed roller 35c, and a tension adjustment roller 35d. The tension detection roller 35b is a roller for detecting the tension acting on the object to be processed A. A tension detector (not shown) is installed on the tension detection roller 35b. The tension adjustment roller 35d is configured to be movable within a predetermined range. The tension of the object to be processed A is adjusted by moving the tension adjustment roller 35d. The feed roller 35c is rotationally driven by a drive device (not shown). The position of the tension adjustment roller 35d is adjusted by controlling the rotation of the feed roller 35c.

[0030] <Heat treatment unit 40>

[0031] The heat treatment unit 40 is a device that heat-treats the strip-shaped object to be processed A while transporting it. The heat treatment unit 40 is connected to the unwinding unit 30 via a connection unit 70. An exit of the unwinding unit 30 and an entrance of the heat treatment unit 40 are provided in the connection unit 70. A passage for the object to be processed A to pass through is formed in the connection unit 70. The object to be processed A is transported from the unwinding unit 30 to the heat treatment unit 40 through the connection unit 70. The passage of the object to be processed A formed in the connection unit 70 is set to a size slightly larger than the width and thickness of the object to be processed A. Thus, the atmosphere of the heat treatment unit 40 and the atmosphere of the unwinding unit 30 are not easily interfered with each other.

[0032] The heat treatment unit 40 includes an outer wall 41 (furnace body 41), a heater 42, and guide rollers 45 (45a to 45d). The outer wall 41 has a processing space 40a inside for the object to be processed A to be processed while being transported. The outer wall 41 surrounds the processing space 40a in which the heater 42 and the guide rollers 45 are arranged.

[0033] <Guide roller 45>

[0034] The guide rollers 45 are provided inside the processing space 40a. The guide rollers 45 are rollers for guiding the object to be processed A. The transport path for transporting the object to be processed A is set by the guide rollers 45. The guide rollers 45 are configured to rotate idly as the object to be processed A is transported. In this embodiment, the guide rollers 45 are substantially cylindrical rollers. The guide roller 45a is provided near the entrance (connection unit 70) of the heat treatment unit 40. A plurality of guide rollers 45b are arranged at a predetermined interval from the entrance to the exit below the heat treatment unit 40. A plurality of guide rollers 45c are arranged above the heat treatment unit 40 with a half pitch offset from the plurality of guide rollers 45b. The guide roller 45d is provided near the exit (connection unit 72) of the heat treatment unit 40.

[0035] The object to be processed A is hung on the guide roller 45a near the entrance of the heat treatment unit 40 and transported downward. After that, the object to be processed A is alternately wound around the upper and lower guide rollers 45b and 45c in turn from the entrance toward the exit. Thus, in the heat treatment unit 40, the object to be processed A advances while moving up and down from the entrance toward the exit.

[0036] <Heater 42>

[0037] The heater 42 is a device for heating the object to be processed A. In this embodiment, the heater 42 is disposed around the object to be processed A that advances from the entrance toward the exit while turning back up and down. The heater 42 is also arranged in the gap of the object to be processed A that is hung on the guide rollers 45b and 45c and turns back up and down. The heater 42 is arranged in a manner facing the object to be processed A. The heater 42 can also be fixed by, for example, a heater bracket and a support column.

[0038] In this embodiment, as the heater 42, a far-infrared heating type plate-shaped heater is used. As the heater 42, various heaters can be used according to the heating temperature, heating atmosphere, etc. As the heater 42, for example, in addition to the plate-shaped heater, a cylindrical heater can also be used. The material of the heater 42 is not particularly limited, and a sheathed heater, a ceramic heater, a lamp heater, etc. can also be used. In addition, the heater 42 is not limited to the far-infrared heating type heater. In the case of an atmosphere furnace, as the heater 42, a hot air heating type heater that blows hot air to the object to be processed, an infrared heating type lamp heater can also be used. The object to be processed A after heat treatment is transported out toward the cooling unit 50 through the guide roller 45d provided near the exit.

[0039] <Cooling unit 50>

[0040] The cooling unit 50 is a device that cools the object to be processed A while transporting it, which has been heat-treated by the heat treatment unit 40. The cooling unit 50 is connected to the heat treatment unit 40 via the connection part 72. The exit of the heat treatment unit 40 and the entrance of the cooling unit 50 are provided in the connection part 72.

[0041] Although detailed illustrations are omitted, the cooling unit 50 can include cooling rollers, a plurality of guide rollers, and an outer wall 51. A plurality of cooling rollers can also be provided in the cooling unit 50. The outer wall 51 surrounds the processing space where a plurality of cooling rollers and a plurality of guide rollers are arranged. In the cooling unit 50, the plurality of cooling rollers and the plurality of guide rollers set a transport path for transporting the object to be processed A.

[0042] The cooling roller is a roller configured to allow a refrigerant to flow inside. The object to be processed A is cooled by contacting the surface of the cooling roller. A drive device (not shown) can also be connected to the cooling roller. The cooling roller can rotate along the transport direction in accordance with the set transport speed.

[0043] In this embodiment, the object to be processed A is cooled to about room temperature in the cooling unit 50. The temperature of the cooled object to be processed A is not particularly limited. It should be noted that the structure of the cooling unit 50 such as the guide roller and the cooling roller is not particularly limited.

[0044] The cooled object to be processed A is transported to the winding unit 60 through the connecting unit 74. It should be noted that the cooling unit 50 may not necessarily be provided in the heat treatment apparatus 10.

[0045] The cooling unit 50 is connected to the winding unit 60 via the connecting unit 74. The connecting unit 74 has an outlet of the cooling unit 50 and an inlet of the winding unit 60. The cooled object to be processed A is transported to the winding unit 60 through the connecting unit 74.

[0046] <Winding unit 60>

[0047] The winding unit 60 is a device for winding the object to be processed A. The winding unit 60 houses a winding reel A2 for winding the object to be processed A cooled by the cooling unit 50.

[0048] The winding unit 60 has an outer wall 61 surrounding the internal device and the winding reel A2. A winding shaft 62 and a plurality of rollers 65 are provided in the winding unit 60. The winding reel A2 is mounted on the winding shaft 62, and the object to be processed A heat-treated by the heat treatment unit 40 and cooled by the cooling unit 50 is wound on the winding reel A2. The object to be processed A is wound on the winding reel A2 by rotationally driving the winding shaft 62.

[0049] A plurality of rollers 65 for setting the transport path of the object to be processed A are provided in the space surrounded by the outer wall 61 of the winding unit 60. The plurality of rollers 65 set the transport path for transporting the object to be processed A in the winding unit 60. After the object to be processed A transported from the cooling unit 50 is hung on the roller 65 near the inlet (connecting unit 74) of the winding unit 60, it is wound around the plurality of rollers 65 in a predetermined order and wound by the winding reel A2. The plurality of rollers 65 include a guide roller 65a, a tension adjusting roller 65b, a tension detecting roller 65c, and a feed roller 65d. The tension adjusting roller 65b is configured to be movable within a predetermined range. The tension adjusting roller 65b can move, for example, to ensure the required extra length of the object to be processed A when replacing the winding reel A2. A tension detector (not shown) is mounted on the tension detecting roller 65c. The feed roller 65d feeds out the extra length required for pasting when pasting the object to be processed A on the replaced winding reel A2 when replacing the winding reel A2.

[0050] <Vacuum pump 80>

[0051] The heat treatment apparatus 10 is equipped with a vacuum pump 80. The spaces inside the above-mentioned unwinding unit 30, heat treatment unit 40, cooling unit 50, and winding unit 60 are respectively surrounded by outer walls 31, 41, 51, and 61. Each of the unwinding unit 30, heat treatment unit 40, cooling unit 50, and winding unit 60 has a space that is separated from the external space by the outer walls 31, 41, 51, and 61 respectively. The spaces inside the outer walls 31, 41, 51, and 61 are connected during the treatment of the object to be treated A. The vacuum pump 80 is connected to the outer walls 31, 41, 51, and 61 of each part respectively.

[0052] The vacuum pump 80 decompresses the spaces inside the unwinding unit 30, heat treatment unit 40, cooling unit 50, and winding unit 60 (the treatment space 40a in the heat treatment unit 40). In this embodiment, the object to be treated A is treated in a predetermined vacuum atmosphere lower than the atmospheric pressure.

[0053] It should be noted that the connection method of the vacuum pump 80 is not particularly limited. It may be that multiple vacuum pumps 80 are provided, and the multiple vacuum pumps 80 are respectively connected to each of the unwinding unit 30, heat treatment unit 40, cooling unit 50, and winding unit 60. It may also be that pipes are branched from one vacuum pump 80 to decompress the interiors of multiple parts among the unwinding unit 30, heat treatment unit 40, cooling unit 50, and winding unit 60.

[0054] Vacuum valves 81 to 84 are provided in the pipes of the vacuum pump 80 for adjusting the vacuum degree of each part.

[0055] The vacuum valves 81 to 84 are configured to be able to switch the connection between each part and the vacuum pump 80 and the disconnection between each part and the vacuum pump 80. When not adjusting the vacuum degree of each part, on-off valves may be used instead of the vacuum valves 81 to 84.

[0056] A door 70a is provided at the entrance of the heat treatment unit 40 (the connection part 70 in this embodiment). The door 70a is closed when replacing the unwinding reel A1 or the like. By closing the door 70a when replacing the unwinding reel A1 or the like, the atmosphere of the heat treatment unit 40 (the decompressed state in this embodiment) can be maintained. The door 70a may also be closed when replacing the unwinding reel A1 or the like and when the object to be treated A is passing through the connection part 70. When the remaining amount of the object to be treated A wound around the unwinding reel A1 becomes small, the unwinding reel A1 is replaced with a new unwinding reel A1. The end of the object to be treated A on the replaced unwinding reel A1 and the end of the object to be treated A before replacement are joined together. The unwinding reel A1 can be replaced while keeping the object to be treated A in the treatment space 40a and maintaining the atmosphere of the heat treatment unit 40, and the recovery of the apparatus after replacing the unwinding reel A1 becomes faster.

[0057] In addition, a door 74a is provided at the outlet of the cooling unit 50 (the connecting portion 74 in this embodiment). Similar to the door 70a, by closing the door 74a when replacing the take-up reel A2 or the like, the atmosphere of the cooling unit 50 (the reduced-pressure state in this embodiment) can be maintained. The door 74a can also be closed when the object to be processed A is passing through the connecting portion 74 when replacing the take-up reel A2 or the like. When the amount of the object to be processed A wound around the take-up reel A2 increases, the take-up reel A2 is replaced with a new one. The end of the replaced take-up reel A2 and the end of the object to be processed A are joined together. The take-up reel A2 can be replaced while maintaining the atmosphere of the cooling unit 50 with the object to be processed A left in the processing space, and the recovery of the apparatus after the replacement of the take-up reel A2 is accelerated.

[0058] In addition, for feeding a strip-shaped object to be processed along a transport path or for performing maintenance on the inside of the furnace body, etc., an opening is sometimes formed in the furnace body of the heat treatment apparatus. Hereinafter, the heat treatment apparatus disclosed herein will be described by taking the structure of the heating treatment unit 40 as an example.

[0059] Figure 2 It is a perspective view of the heating treatment unit 40 in the upper state where the door 46 is open. In Figure 2 the illustration of the heater 42, guide roller 45, etc. inside the heating treatment unit 40 is omitted. Figure 3 It is a plan view of the heating treatment unit 40 in the state where the door 46 is closed. In Figure 3 the plane of the heating treatment unit 40 when viewed from the left is schematically shown.

[0060] As Figure 2 shown, the heating treatment unit 40 includes a furnace body 41, a door 46, and a pipe 47.

[0061] The furnace body 41 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The furnace body 41 has a processing space 40a inside for heating and treating the object to be processed A. A heater 42, a guide roller 45, etc. (refer to Figure 1 ) are provided in the processing space 40a inside the furnace body 41. Members for supporting the heater 42, guide roller 45, etc. can also be provided in the processing space 40a. The furnace body 41 is not particularly limited as long as it can block the internal atmosphere. The furnace body 41 can be made of a metal plate (such as a stainless steel plate) having a required thickness. The furnace body 41 can also include a heat insulating material. The furnace body 41 can also have an inner side made of a heat insulating material and an outer side made of a metal plate.

[0062] The structure such as the material and thickness of the furnace body 41 is appropriately set according to the processing temperature, pressure, etc. of the object to be processed A targeted. In addition, the furnace body 41 can also include a reinforcing member for strengthening the furnace body 41.

[0063] Openings 41a and 41b are formed in the furnace body 41. In this embodiment, two openings 41a and 41b are formed in the side surface portion 41c on the right side of the furnace body 41. The openings 41a and 41b are opened in a substantially rectangular shape with a central portion 41c1 of the side surface portion 41c interposed therebetween. The opening 41a is formed on the rear side of the heat treatment section 40, and the opening 41b is formed on the front side of the heat treatment section 40. Most of the side surface portion 41c is an opening except for the central portion 41c1, the upper portion 41c2, the lower portion 41c3, the front portion 41c4, and the rear portion 41c5. The opening areas of the openings 41a and 41b are not particularly limited, and may be 80% or more, or 90% or more, of the area from the outer edge to the inner side of the position corresponding to the processing space 40a in the side surface portion 41c.

[0064] The heat treatment section 40 includes doors 46a and 46b respectively corresponding to the openings 41a and 41b. The doors 46a and 46b block the openings 41a and 41b of the furnace body 41. In the case of heat treatment of the object to be processed A or the like, the openings 41a and 41b are closed by the doors 46a and 46b. The door 46a is provided on the rear side of the heat treatment section 40, and the door 46b is provided on the front side of the heat treatment section 40. When feeding the object to be processed A along the transport path or performing maintenance on the inside of the furnace body 41, the doors 46a and 46b are opened. The larger the areas of the openings 41a and 41b are, the better the workability of feeding, maintenance, etc. is. The doors 46a and 46b are opened and closed with the vertical direction as the axis.

[0065] <Doors 46a and 46b>

[0066] The doors 46a and 46b are substantially rectangular plate-like members that are each one size larger than the openings 41a and 41b. The thicknesses of the doors 46a and 46b are substantially the same as the thickness of the furnace body 41 so as to be able to insulate the inside and outside of the furnace. Seals 46c are provided on the inner side surfaces 46a1 and 46b1 of the doors 46a and 46b. As the seals 46c, for example, sealing gaskets such as carbon fiber-based ones, rubber seals such as silicone-based ones, O-rings such as fluororubber and EPDM can be used. The seals 46c can be disposed in recesses (for example, recesses having a dovetail groove cross section) provided on the inner side surfaces 46a1 and 46b1 of the doors 46a and 46b. The seals 46c are continuously provided at the peripheral portions of the doors 46a and 46b. By providing the seals 46c at the boundary of the opening and closing portions (in this embodiment, the doors 46a and 46b) of the heat treatment apparatus 10, it is easy to maintain the atmosphere inside the processing space 40a.

[0067] The seal 46c is continuously formed in a substantially rectangular shape. The seal 46c is disposed in a region R that overlaps with the peripheral portions of the openings 41a and 41b of the furnace body 41 when the doors 46a and 46b are closed. The seal 46c is continuously disposed in the circumferential direction at a position surrounding the openings 41a and 41b. By the seal 46c being continuous in the circumferential direction, when the doors 46a and 46b are closed, the seal 46c is pressed against the furnace body 41 around the openings 41a and 41b. Thereby, it is easy to maintain the airtightness of the processing space 40a.

[0068] As Figure 3 shown, the furnace body 41 and the doors 46a and 46b are connected via hinges 48. Although not particularly limited, two hinges 48 are provided above and below with respect to the doors 46a and 46b respectively. By the doors 46a and 46b being respectively mounted on a plurality of hinges 48, the opening and closing of the doors 46a and 46b are stable.

[0069] Handles 46d are provided on the doors 46a and 46b. The handles 46d are provided on the front side (right side of the drawing) of the door 46a and the rear side (left side of the drawing) of the door 46b. Locks 46e are provided above and below the handles 46d. By locking the locks 46e, the sealing performance of the doors 46a and 46b can be enhanced. In addition, when the heat treatment unit 40 is a vacuum furnace, it is possible to prevent the doors 46a and 46b from being unintentionally opened due to the time lag of the supply stop of the pressure recovery gas in the processing space 40a during pressure recovery. Electromagnetic locks 46f are provided on the upper parts of the doors 46a and 46b respectively. The electromagnetic locks 46f are safety devices that are released when conditions such as the furnace internal pressure, furnace internal temperature, and transport stop are all satisfied. An operation box 46g is provided between the doors 46a and 46b. The operation box 46g is composed of a selection switch for locking or releasing the electromagnetic lock 46f after the above conditions are satisfied, an emergency stop button, and the like. The upper ends of the doors 46a and 46b and the upper part 41c2 of the furnace body 41 may also be connected via door closers 46h. By connecting the doors 46a and 46b and the furnace body 41 via the door closers 46h, the momentum when the doors 46a and 46b are closed is weakened. Thereby, the damage to the seal 46c can be reduced.

[0070] When the doors 46a and 46b are closed, the seal 46c is abutted against the periphery of the openings 41a and 41b formed in the side surface portion 41c. In the furnace body 41, a pipe 47 is installed around the region R where the seal 46c abuts.

[0071] <Pipe 47>

[0072] The pipe 47 is a pipe through which the refrigerant flows. The refrigerant is supplied to the pipe 47 by a refrigerant supply device (not shown). Although not particularly limited, water or the like can be used as the refrigerant. The temperature of the refrigerant supplied to the inside of the pipe 47 is, for example, a temperature lower than the atmosphere temperature of the processing space 40a, such as normal temperature. The type and temperature of the refrigerant are not particularly limited and can be appropriately set according to the atmosphere temperature of the processing space 40a or the like. Refrigerant supply devices can be connected to the pipes 47a and 47b respectively. The pipes 47a and 47b can also be connected to a common refrigerant supply device.

[0073] In this embodiment, the pipe 47 is installed around the doors 46a and 46b. The pipe 47 includes a pipe 47a installed around the door 46a and a pipe 47b installed around the door 46b. The pipes 47a and 47b are continuously arranged in a substantially rectangular shape around the doors 46a and 46b respectively. The pipe 47a is installed at the lower part 41c3, the central part 41c1, the upper part 41c2, and the rear part 41c5 of the side surface part 41c. The pipe 47b is installed at the lower part 41c3, the central part 41c1, the upper part 41c2, and the front part 41c4 of the side surface part 41c. At the central part 41c1, the pipes 47a and 47b are bundled together. At the central part 41c1, the pipes 47a and 47b are bent rearward in a substantially arc shape so as not to interfere with the lock 46e. The refrigerant flows in the pipes 47a and 47b along the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 3 .

[0074] When the object to be processed A is heat-treated, the object to be processed A is heated in the processing space 40a with the doors 46a and 46b closed. At this time, the refrigerant is supplied to the pipes 47a and 47b. The supply of the refrigerant starts, for example, before the heater 42 (refer to Figure 1 ) is started.

[0075] In the above-described embodiment, the heat treatment apparatus 10 includes a furnace body 41, doors 46a and 46b, and a pipe 47. The furnace body 41 has a processing space 40a inside for heating and processing the object to be processed A, and openings 41a and 41b are formed. The doors 46a and 46b block the openings 41a and 41b of the furnace body 41. A refrigerant flows in the pipe 47. A seal 46c is provided in a region R of the doors 46a and 46b that overlaps the peripheral portions of the openings 41a and 41b of the furnace body 41 when the doors 46a and 46b are closed. The seal 46c is indirectly cooled by the refrigerant flowing in the adjacent pipe 47. Thus, even if the temperature in the processing space 40a rises, the rise in the temperature of the portion of the furnace body 41 that the seal 46c contacts is reduced. As a result, the deterioration of the seal 46c is reduced, and it is easy to maintain the airtightness in the processing space 40a of the heat treatment apparatus 10. Further, in the heat treatment apparatus 10, the pipe 47 is installed around the region R of the furnace body 41 against which the seal 46c abuts. By providing the pipe 47 supplied with the refrigerant on the furnace body 41 side rather than on the driven doors 46a and 46b side, the installation structure of the pipe 47 becomes simple, and the maintainability during replacement of the pipe 47 and the like is improved. Further, regardless of the thickness of the doors 46a and 46b, it is easy to shorten the distance between the pipe 47 through which the refrigerant flows and the seal 46c.

[0076] In the above-described embodiment, the pipe 47 is installed around the doors 46a and 46b. Thus, even if the doors 46a and 46b are opened and closed, interference between the pipe 47 and the doors 46a and 46b can be prevented. Further, the installation structure of the furnace body 41 and the pipe 47 can be simplified.

[0077] In the heat treatment apparatus 10, a vacuum pump 80 for decompressing the processing space 40a is connected to the furnace body 41. In the decompressed state, the sealing property between the seal 46c and the furnace body 41 is improved. As a result, the cooling efficiency of the seal 46c can be improved.

[0078] Note that the installation structure of the pipe 47 with respect to the furnace body 41 is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the pipe 47 is provided adjacent to the doors 46a and 46b around the doors 46a and 46b. In the heat treatment apparatus 10, the pipe 47 is provided at a position that passes through the space surrounded by the furnace body 41, the doors 46a and 46b, and the hinge 48 when the doors 46a and 46b are closed.

[0079] <hinge 48>

[0080] Figure 4 is a schematic view of the hinge 48. In Figure 4In the figure, a cross-section is shown when observing the part where the furnace body 41 and the door 46b are connected from above. The structure of the part where the furnace body 41 and the door 46a are connected can be made the same as that of the part where the furnace body 41 and the door 46b are connected, so detailed description is omitted. The hinge 48 includes a first member 48a, a second member 48b, a third member 48c, a first shaft 48d, and a second shaft 48e. As Figure 4 shown, the hinge 48 is a so-called multi-axis hinge having a plurality of shaft members. Thereby, the door 46b can be easily pressed well-balancedly around the opening 41b. As a result, it is easy to maintain the airtightness within the processing space 40a (refer to Figure 1 ). It should be noted that the hinge 48 is not limited to a multi-axis hinge.

[0081] The first member 48a is a member connected to the furnace body 41. The first member 48a includes a portion 48a1 connected to the furnace body 41 and a portion 48a2 connected to the first shaft 48d. The first member 48a is connected to the front portion 41c4 of the side surface portion 41c of the furnace body 41 by bolts 48a3. The first member 48a is connected to the furnace body 41 with a spacer 49 interposed therebetween. The second member 48b is a member connected to the door 46b. A recess 46b3 for housing the second member 48b is provided on the side surface 46b2 of the door 46b. In the recess 46b3, a substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped space is formed. The second member 48b is attached to the inner peripheral surface 46b4 on the furnace body 41 side in the recess 46b3 by bolts 46b5.

[0082] The third member 48c is a member connecting the first member 48a and the second member 48b. The third member 48c is connected to the first member 48a and the second member 48b via the first shaft 48d and the second shaft 48e. The first shaft 48d is a shaft member connecting the first member 48a and the third member 48c. The second shaft 48e is a shaft member connecting the second member 48b and the third member 48c. The first shaft 48d and the second shaft 48e are substantially cylindrical shaft members. The first shaft 48d is inserted through the substantially central portion of the portion 48a2 of the first member 48a and the third member 48c. The second shaft 48e is inserted through the substantially central portion of the second member 48b and the third member 48c.

[0083] In the above-described embodiment, the pipe 47 is provided at a position passing through the space surrounded by the furnace body 41, the door 46b, and the hinge 48 when the door 46b is closed. With this structure, the pipe 47 can be closer to the door 46b. As a result, the cooling efficiency for cooling the seal 46c is improved, and the seal 46c is not easily deteriorated. In addition, the pipe 47 and the door 46b do not interfere with each other when the door 46b is opened and closed.

[0084] In the above-described embodiment, a spacer 49 is provided between the hinge 48 and the furnace body 41. In this way, the hinge 48 is mounted on the furnace body 41 or the door 46b with the spacer 49 therebetween, and it is easy to provide a space through which the pipe 47 passes.

[0085] As described above, specific embodiments have been described in detail by way of example, but they are merely illustrative and do not limit the claims. Thus, the technology described in the claims includes technologies obtained by various modifications and changes to the embodiments described above.

[0086] It should be noted that this specification includes the following items 1 to 6. The following items 1 to 6 are not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0087] Item 1: A heat treatment apparatus, comprising:

[0088] A furnace body having a processing space inside for heat-treating an object to be processed and formed with an opening;

[0089] A door for closing the opening of the furnace body; and

[0090] A pipe through which a refrigerant flows,

[0091] A seal is provided in a region of the door that overlaps a peripheral portion of the opening of the furnace body when the door is closed,

[0092] The pipe is installed around a region of the furnace body against which the seal abuts.

[0093] Item 2: The heat treatment apparatus according to Item 1, wherein

[0094] The furnace body and the door are connected via a hinge,

[0095] The pipe passes through a space surrounded by the furnace body, the door, and the hinge when the door is closed.

[0096] Item 3: The heat treatment apparatus according to Item 2, wherein

[0097] The hinge includes a first member connected to the furnace body, a second member connected to the door, a third member connecting the first member and the second member, a first shaft connecting the first member and the third member, and a second shaft connecting the second member and the third member.

[0098] Item 4: The heat treatment apparatus according to any one of Items 1 to 3, wherein

[0099] The seal is continuously provided in the circumferential direction at a position surrounding the opening.

[0100] Item 5: The heat treatment apparatus according to any one of Items 1 to 4, wherein

[0101] The piping is installed around the door.

[0102] Item 6: The heat treatment apparatus according to any one of Items 1 to 5, wherein

[0103] A vacuum pump for decompressing the processing space is connected to the furnace body.

Claims

1. A heat treatment apparatus, comprising: A furnace body having a processing space inside for heat-treating an object to be processed, and formed with an opening; A door for closing the opening of the furnace body; and A pipe through which a refrigerant flows, A seal is provided in a region of the door that overlaps with a peripheral portion of the opening of the furnace body when the door is closed, The pipe is installed around a region of the furnace body where the seal abuts.

2. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The furnace body and the door are connected via a hinge, The pipe passes through a space surrounded by the furnace body, the door, and the hinge when the door is closed.

3. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 2, wherein The hinge includes a first member connected to the furnace body, a second member connected to the door, a third member connecting the first member and the second member, a first shaft connecting the first member and the third member, and a second shaft connecting the second member and the third member.

4. The heat treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The seal is continuously provided in the circumferential direction at a position surrounding the opening.

5. The heat treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The pipe is installed around the door.

6. The heat treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein A vacuum pump for decompressing the processing space is connected to the furnace body.

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