Splicing type graphite sagger

Abstract

The invention provides a spliced graphite sagger, and relates to the technical field of graphite sagger manufacturing. The side plates are detachably connected with the adjacent side plates, and the side plates and the adjacent side plates are jointly connected to the bottom plate to define a hollow sagger cavity with an opening in the top; the vertical supporting columns are arranged at the connecting corners of every two adjacent side plates; the transverse supporting columns are arranged at the connecting corners of the side plates and the bottom plate and are connected between every two adjacent vertical supporting columns in an abutting mode; the side plates are connected with the vertical supporting columns through first fastening pieces distributed in the vertical direction, the side plates are connected with the transverse supporting columns through second fastening pieces distributed in the transverse direction, and the bottom plate is connected with the transverse supporting columns through third fastening pieces distributed in the transverse direction. And through a modular splicing structure and a double supporting system, convenient and fast assembly, local replacement and overall stability improvement of the graphite sagger are achieved, and the manufacturing and maintenance cost is remarkably reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of graphite sagger manufacturing technology, specifically to a spliced ​​graphite sagger. Background Technology

[0002] In the sintering process of materials in the metallurgical industry, the materials to be processed are usually placed in a special high-temperature resistant container for heating. Graphite saggers, due to their excellent high-temperature resistance, thermal stability, and chemical inertness, have become widely used containers in this process. Common traditional graphite saggers are monolithic structures, with an internal cavity typically rectangular, formed in one piece by a bottom panel and four side panels, and available in various sizes such as 340×340×210mm. The manufacturing method of this type of sagger mainly involves filling graphite powder into a monolithic mold that matches the final product shape, and then forming it in one piece through high-pressure extrusion. However, this pressed product has significant defects: 1. Delamination and cracks: Obvious delamination occurs in the height direction of the blank, or through-cracks appear on the surface and inside. 2. Dimensional deviations and deformation: The height, inner diameter, outer diameter, and other dimensions of the sagger exceed the tolerance range, or bending occurs in the height direction. 3. Uneven density: Large differences in density exist in different locations inside the sagger, which directly affects its performance and lifespan in subsequent firing processes. 4. Surface defects: 5. Inconvenient handling: The overall structure means that if any part (such as the side plate corner or bottom surface) is damaged during transportation or use, the entire sagger is rendered unusable, greatly increasing usage costs and causing material waste. Furthermore, the mold requires precision machining to create complex internal cavities, and the uniformity of graphite powder and the extrusion process are extremely demanding, resulting in high processing difficulty and expensive molds. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a graphite sagger structure that can reduce manufacturing complexity and improve component replaceability.

[0003] Therefore, this invention proposes a spliced ​​graphite sagger. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention proposes a modular graphite sagger. Through its modular splicing structure and built-in three-dimensional support frame, it enables convenient assembly and partial replacement while fundamentally avoiding defects such as delamination, cracks, and uneven density caused by traditional processes. It also ensures high overall precision and stability, significantly reducing manufacturing and maintenance costs.

[0005] The technical solution of this invention is implemented as follows: A modular graphite sagger includes a base plate; several side plates, each of which is detachably connected to an adjacent side plate and together connected to the base plate to form a hollow sagger cavity with an open top; vertical support columns are disposed at the corner where two adjacent side plates connect; and horizontal support columns are disposed at the corner where the side plates connect to the base plate and abut against the two adjacent vertical support columns; the side plates are connected to the vertical support columns by first fasteners distributed vertically, the side plates are connected to the horizontal support columns by second fasteners distributed horizontally, and the base plate is connected to the horizontal support columns by third fasteners distributed horizontally.

[0006] Preferably, one side of the side panel is provided with a splicing part, and the opposite side is provided with a receiving part that cooperates with the splicing part of the adjacent side panel.

[0007] Preferably, the splicing part is a tenon, and the receiving part is a mortise that matches the tenon.

[0008] Preferably, each of the side plates has a downward-facing groove at the top center, and the grooves of two oppositely positioned side plates form an air guide channel.

[0009] Preferably, each of the side plates has an outwardly protruding protrusion on the outer wall of both sides of the bottom, and the top surfaces of the two protrusions on the same side plate form a protruding surface.

[0010] Preferably, the base plate extends outward to form an extension portion at a position corresponding to the outer wall of the side plate, and the upper surface of the extension portion is flush with the protruding surface.

[0011] Preferably, the bottom surface of the base plate is provided with a downwardly protruding limiting boss.

[0012] Preferably, the first fastener, the second fastener, and the third fastener are screws.

[0013] Preferably, the cross-sections of the vertical support column and the horizontal support column are rectangular.

[0014] Preferably, the hollow crucible cavity has a rectangular cross-section, and the number of side plates is four.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: 1. Fundamentally eliminates internal defects caused by integral pressing: By adopting a modular and detachable connection structure of base plate, side plates, and vertical and horizontal support columns, the integral pressing process of large molds is completely abandoned. Each component is manufactured independently, completely avoiding problems such as blank delamination, internal cracks, and uneven density caused by uneven powder and complex pressing stress in traditional processes, thus ensuring the basic quality and consistency of the product from the source.

[0016] 2. Achieves high precision and excellent dimensional stability: Each module (base plate, side plates, support columns) can be precision machined separately using CNC, with independent control over its shape, flatness, and key mating dimensions (such as splicing surfaces and tenons), achieving a machining accuracy far exceeding that of integral pressing. After assembly, the entire assembly can undergo secondary finishing to ensure that the final product's external dimensions, internal cavity perpendicularity, and other key tolerances meet high standards, solving the problems of large dimensional deviations and easy deformation in traditional products.

[0017] 3. Improved surface quality and durability: Independently processed modules can undergo high-standard surface treatment (such as diamond wheel polishing) before assembly, effectively eliminating surface defects such as pitting, scratches, and peeling. The modular design also allows for the restoration of the overall appearance and performance by replacing individual components when local surfaces are damaged, thus improving the overall durability and lifespan of the product.

[0018] 4. Significantly reduced manufacturing and maintenance costs, avoiding complete scrapping: This structure reduces reliance on expensive, complex, large integral molds, allowing production using miniaturized, standardized processing units, thus significantly reducing mold costs and processing difficulty. Furthermore, when any part (such as a single side plate corner) is damaged by a bump, only the damaged component can be replaced, achieving "point repair." This avoids the enormous waste of scrapping the entire expensive sagger due to minor damage, greatly improving economic efficiency.

[0019] 5. Enhanced Flexibility and Functionality: The unique structural design offers additional advantages. The air guide channels at the top of the side plates facilitate the formation of hot air channels during stacking, improving thermal uniformity within the furnace; the protrusions at the bottom of the side plates, working in conjunction with the base plate extension, reduce thermal expansion stress when placed side-by-side and facilitate handling; the bottom limiting bosses ensure the stability of multi-layer stacking. The modular design itself also supports rapid customization of saggers of different sizes, enhancing production flexibility. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a spliced ​​graphite sagger according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is a front view of a spliced ​​graphite sagger according to the present invention. Figure labels: 1-base plate; 11-extension; 12-limiting boss; 2-side plate; 21-joint part; 22-receiving part; 23-groove; 24-protrusion; 3-vertical support column; 4-horizontal support column; 5-first fastener; 6-second fastener; 7-third fastener. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," and "fourth," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0024] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0025] This embodiment proposes a spliced ​​graphite sagger, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the structure includes: a base plate 1; several side plates 2, each of which is detachably connected to its adjacent side plate 2 and together connected to the base plate 1, forming a hollow sagger cavity with an open top; vertical support columns 3, located at the connecting corners of two adjacent side plates 2; and horizontal support columns 4, located at the connecting corners of the side plates 2 and the base plate 1, and abutting between two adjacent vertical support columns 3. The side plates 2 are connected to the vertical support columns 3 by first fasteners 5 distributed vertically, and the side plates 2 are connected to the horizontal support columns 4 by second fasteners 6 distributed horizontally. The base plate 1 is connected to the horizontal support columns 4 by third fasteners 7 distributed horizontally. This structure completely abandons the traditional one-piece graphite sagger model that relies on large molds for integral extrusion molding, and instead adopts a strategy combining modular design and precision machining. The core concept involves first treating the base plate 1, side plates 2, vertical support columns 3, and horizontal support columns 4 as independent modules. These modules are then precision-milled using CNC milling with graphite-specific tools to ensure the flatness of the joint surfaces, the tolerances of the mortise and tenon joints, and the accuracy of the connecting holes. Subsequently, they are assembled into a rigid whole using a dual method of mechanical fastening and high-temperature adhesive bonding. This design not only breaks down the complex problem of integral molding into the machining of multiple simple standard parts, significantly reducing mold costs, machining difficulty, and reliance on large graphite blanks, thus improving raw material utilization, but also achieves flexible functional configuration. When any module is damaged, it can be replaced individually, avoiding overall scrapping and significantly improving the product's economy, maintainability, and service life. The "modular CNC precision machining + mechanical fastening assembly" technical approach adopted in this embodiment fundamentally avoids the inherent defects of the traditional "integral mold pressing" process. By breaking down the complex overall manufacturing process into high-precision machining of multiple simple geometries, problems such as delamination, cracks, and uneven density caused by uneven powder filling and pressure gradient are effectively eliminated. The dimensions of each module are guaranteed by the machine tool precision, thereby ensuring the accuracy and stability of the final assembly dimensions. Independent surface polishing processes ensure the high quality of each contact surface and appearance surface, avoiding surface defects such as sticking and peeling.

[0026] In this embodiment, one side of the side plate 2 is provided with a splicing part 21, and the opposite side is provided with a receiving part 22 that mates with the splicing part 21 of the adjacent side plate 2. This design provides physical guidance and preliminary positioning for the docking between the side plates 2 before mechanical connection. In specific manufacturing, the splicing part 21 and the receiving part 22 (e.g., tenon and groove) need to be precision milled by CNC to ensure that the groove width, groove depth and fitting tolerance are controlled within ±0.05mm, the flatness of the splicing surface reaches ≤0.05mm / m, and it is polished with a diamond wheel of 1000 grit or higher to make the roughness Ra≤1.6μm. The high-precision mating surface can effectively eliminate the misalignment of the side plates 2 on the horizontal plane, ensuring that the top edge and bottom edge of all side plates 2 are on the same plane, laying a precise foundation for the subsequent installation of fasteners and the final formation of a regular rectangular cavity, and ensuring the tight fit of the splicing surface at high temperature, reducing thermal stress concentration.

[0027] In this embodiment, the splicing part 21 is a tenon, and the receiving part 22 is a mortise that matches the tenon. Specifically, the tenon can be designed with a trapezoidal or rectangular cross-section, protruding from the vertical edge of the side plate 2; the mortise is a recessed part with a matching shape. This tenon-and-mortise joint not only provides the aforementioned positioning function, but also bears part of the shear force to a certain extent, reducing the lateral stress borne by the fastener. During the assembly process, a graphite-specific adhesive with a high temperature resistance of ≥1000℃ can be evenly applied to the finished and polished tenon-and-mortise mating surfaces before assembly. The airtightness and integrity of the connection interface are further enhanced through the curing of the adhesive and subsequent firing.

[0028] In this embodiment, each side plate 2 has a downward-facing groove 23 at its top center, and the grooves 23 of two oppositely positioned side plates 2 form an air guide channel. The cross-sectional shape of the groove 23 can be rectangular, arc-shaped, or V-shaped, and it is also formed by CNC precision milling. Its core function is that when multiple saggers are stacked in the sintering furnace, the corresponding grooves 23 of the upper and lower saggers will naturally align, forming a continuous vertical ventilation channel in the stack. The hot airflow in the furnace can pass more smoothly through these pre-made channels and penetrate the material layer, thereby effectively improving the uniformity of heat transfer, reducing the sintering quality differences caused by uneven heating of the material in the sagger, and overcoming the disadvantage of poor ventilation at the bottom when traditional solid side-walled saggers are stacked.

[0029] In this embodiment, each side plate 2 has outwardly protruding protrusions 24 on the outer walls of both sides of its bottom. The top surfaces of two protrusions 24 on the same side plate 2 form a raised surface. The protrusions 24 are preferably strip-shaped or block-shaped structures integrally formed with the side plate 2 and machined by CNC. When two saggers are placed side by side, they mainly contact each other through the end faces or sides of their respective protrusions 24. This design transforms the traditional surface contact into an approximate line or point contact, greatly reducing the contact area between the side walls of adjacent saggers. It has two advantages: first, it significantly reduces the mutual compressive stress caused by thermal expansion, avoiding deformation or cracking caused by compression; second, it forms a small gap in the contact area, which is conducive to the flow of airflow around the sagger in the furnace, further optimizing the heat field distribution. After assembly, the raised surface can be integrally finished together with the upper surface of the extension 11 of the base plate 1 to ensure coplanarity and facilitate the application of force by handling tools.

[0030] In this embodiment, the base plate 1 extends outward to form an extension 11 at a position corresponding to the outer wall of the side plate 2. The upper surface of the extension 11 is flush with the raised surface. The extension 11 is essentially a widened portion of the periphery of the base plate 1, and its coplanarity with the raised surface is ensured through integral precision milling. This design allows the load-bearing surface of the base plate 1 to extend outward, forming a complete, raised support plane together with the raised surface of the side plate 2. When handling or moving the sagger using tools such as forklifts, the tools can support this combined plane formed by the extension 11 and the raised surface, avoiding direct contact between the tools and the fragile main body of the side plate 2, thus providing protection. At the same time, this combined plane also makes the sagger more stable when placed on the kiln trolley or support.

[0031] In this embodiment, the bottom surface of the base plate 1 is provided with a downwardly protruding limiting boss 12. The limiting boss 12 is arranged around the bottom edge of the base plate 1, and its outer dimensions are precision machined to ensure that it is slightly smaller than the inner cavity size of the opening at the top of the sagger. When two saggers are stacked, the limiting boss 12 of the upper sagger will precisely fit into the top opening of the lower sagger. This concave-convex fit realizes automatic centering and radial limiting during stacking, prevents lateral slippage between the upper and lower saggers, and ensures the stability and safety of high-level stacking. It is particularly suitable for large-scale sintering production that requires multi-layer stacking.

[0032] In this embodiment, the first fastener 5, the second fastener 6, and the third fastener 7 are screws. Screws made of high-temperature resistant alloys are preferred. Screw connections are a reliable way to achieve detachable connections. During installation, the first fastener 5 (vertical screw) passes through the pre-drilled hole on the side plate 2 and is screwed into the threaded hole of the vertical support column 3, tightening the two together; the second fastener 6 (horizontal screw) is screwed horizontally from the outside of the side plate 2, passes through the side plate 2, and is screwed into the threaded hole on the end face of the horizontal support column 4; the third fastener 7 (bottom horizontal screw) is screwed upwards from the bottom plate 1, passes through the through holes on the bottom plate 1 and the horizontal support column 4 in sequence, and is locked with a nut, or is directly screwed into the threaded hole at the bottom of the horizontal support column 4. This multi-directional, multi-point mechanical fastening, combined with the high-temperature adhesive applied to the splicing surfaces, firmly integrates the various components into a single load-bearing unit, ensuring structural reliability under high-temperature conditions.

[0033] In this embodiment, the vertical support column 3 and the horizontal support column 4 have rectangular cross-sections. Compared to circular or other shapes, rectangular cross-sections provide a wider and flatter contact and connection surface, facilitating CNC machining of threaded holes and stable fit with the side plate 2 and the base plate 1. Their angular structure allows for better fit with the rectangular inner corners of the crucible, with no rotational degrees of freedom, a unique and stable installation position, and effective transmission and dispersion of stress in all directions.

[0034] In this embodiment, the hollow sagger cavity has a rectangular cross-section, and there are four side plates 2. The rectangular cavity is the most common and universal shape in metallurgical sintering processes, facilitating material loading and unloading, and offering high space utilization. The four side plates 2 correspond to the four sides of the rectangle, forming the most basic and stable assembly unit. All independent modules (base plate 1, four side plates 2, four vertical support columns 3, and four horizontal support columns 4) can be mass-produced with high precision using standardized CNC processes and flexibly assembled using the splicing and fastening methods. This achieves complete modularization of the product, supporting rapid customization of saggers with different internal cavity sizes and depths according to workpiece specifications without replacing the core mold, greatly improving production flexibility. After all modules are assembled and the adhesive has initially cured, the assembled sagger can undergo final overall finishing, uniformly milling the outer contour, end face, and inner cavity to ensure key dimensions such as outer diameter tolerance ±0.1mm and inner cavity perpendicularity ≤0.05mm, ensuring its compatibility with high-precision sintering equipment and process requirements.

[0035] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A spliced ​​graphite sagger, characterized in that: include Base plate (1); Several side plates (2), each side plate (2) is detachably connected to the adjacent side plate (2), and together connected to the bottom plate (1) to form a hollow sagger cavity with an open top; Vertical support columns (3) are installed at the corners where two adjacent side plates (2) are connected; A transverse support column (4) is provided at the corner where the side plate (2) and the bottom plate (1) are connected, and abuts against the two adjacent vertical support columns (3); The side plate (2) is connected to the vertical support column (3) by a first fastener (5) distributed vertically, the side plate (2) is connected to the horizontal support column (4) by a second fastener (6) distributed horizontally, and the bottom plate (1) is connected to the horizontal support column (4) by a third fastener (7) distributed horizontally.

2. The spliced ​​graphite sagger according to claim 1, characterized in that: One side of the side panel (2) is provided with a splicing part (21), and the opposite side is provided with a receiving part (22) that cooperates with the splicing part (21) of the adjacent side panel (2).

3. A spliced ​​graphite sagger according to claim 2, characterized in that: The splicing part (21) is a tenon, and the receiving part (22) is a mortise that matches the tenon.

4. A spliced ​​graphite sagger according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the side plates (2) has a downwardly oriented groove (23) at the top center, and the grooves (23) of the two oppositely oriented side plates (2) form an air guide channel.

5. A spliced ​​graphite sagger according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the side plates (2) has an outwardly protruding protrusion (24) on the outer wall of both sides of the bottom, and the top surfaces of the two protrusions (24) on the same side plate (2) form a protruding surface.

6. A spliced ​​graphite sagger according to claim 5, characterized in that: The base plate (1) extends outward to form an extension (11) at a position corresponding to the outer wall of the side plate (2), and the upper surface of the extension (11) is flush with the raised surface.

7. A spliced ​​graphite sagger according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom surface of the base plate (1) is provided with a downward protruding limiting boss (12).

8. A spliced ​​graphite sagger according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The first fastener (5), the second fastener (6) and the third fastener (7) are screws.

9. A spliced ​​graphite sagger according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The cross-sections of the vertical support column (3) and the horizontal support column (4) are rectangular.

10. A spliced ​​graphite sagger according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hollow crucible cavity has a rectangular cross-section, and the number of side plates (2) is four.

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