Double-belt press apparatus with guide unit

Abstract

To provide a double-belt press apparatus that can restrict dimensional variability in a width direction of compression processed products.SOLUTION: A double-belt press apparatus 1 comprises an upper belt unit 10, a lower belt unit 12, a pressing unit 14, and a guide unit 16. The guide unit 16 comprises a first guide member 72A and a second guide member 72B. The first guide member 72A includes a first guide surface 74A extending along one lateral edge 18c of an upper endless belt 18. The second guide member 72B includes a second guide surface 74B extending along the other lateral edge 18d of the upper endless belt 18. The first and second guide members 72A, 72B are arranged respectively such that the first and second guide surfaces 74A, 74B seal a gap between the upper endless belt 18 and a lower endless belt 20 from a side of the lateral edge 18c and of the lateral edge 18d.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a double belt press device configured to pass a workpiece through a gap set between an upper endless belt and a lower endless belt and press and process the workpiece between the two endless belts.

Background Art

[0002] A double belt press device is known for pressing a workpiece between a pair of opposing endless belts to bond or adhere members to each other or to produce a molded article from particulate material.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a double belt press device in which pressing bodies are arranged inside each endless belt at a position where the upper endless belt and the lower endless belt face each other, and the workpiece passing between the endless belts is pressed while being heated by these pressing bodies to perform processing of the workpiece.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Generally, when an object to be processed is processed by a double-belt press device, the object to be processed is pressurized in the vertical direction and compressed, thereby extending in the width direction of the belt. In particular, when processing a granular or powdery object to be processed such as resin pellets to produce a plate-shaped molded product, the spread in the width direction is not constant, and the width direction dimensions of the molded product vary, or the molded product may protrude in the width direction from the belt. Therefore, usually, additional processing is performed to cut off a part of the molded product to align its width direction dimensions. Such additional processing not only increases the number of working steps but also causes waste of materials.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a double-belt press device capable of suppressing variations in the width direction dimensions of processed products.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] That is, the present invention a first belt unit having a first endless belt and a first belt driving mechanism for rotationally driving the first endless belt; a second belt unit having a second endless belt arranged side by side in the vertical direction with respect to the first endless belt and a second belt driving mechanism for rotationally driving the second endless belt; a pressurizing unit having a first pressurizing device for supporting the inner peripheral surface of a first opposing running portion of the first endless belt facing the second endless belt and a second pressurizing device for supporting the inner peripheral surface of a second opposing running portion of the second endless belt facing the first endless belt; a guide unit including a first guide member having 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 closing at least a part of the gap between the first opposing running portion and the second opposing running portion from the side of the one side edge, and a second guide member having a second guide surface extending along the other side edge of the at least one running portion and closing at least a part of the gap from the side of the other side edge; Provided is a double-belt press device including

[0008] In the double-belt press device, since the first and second guide members are arranged so as to block the gap between the first endless belt and the second endless belt from the sides of each side edge, the first and second guide members can guide the workpiece in the width direction and limit the spread of the workpiece in the width direction. Thereby, the dimensional variation in the width direction of the workpiece can be suppressed by aligning the dimensional variation in the width direction of the workpiece with the size between the first guide member and the second guide member.

[0009] Also, the first guide member can be arranged such that the first guide surface is pressed against the one side edge, and the second guide member can be arranged such that the second guide surface is pressed against the other side edge.

[0010] By pressing the first and second guide surfaces against each side edge, it becomes possible to prevent a gap from occurring between the first and second guide surfaces and the endless belt having the side edge pressed thereagainst.

[0011] The first guide surface extends along one side edge of the first opposing running portion, and the second guide surface extends along the other side edge of the first opposing running portion. The first and second guide members are held movably in a horizontal plane, and when the first endless belt meanders or moves in the width direction, the first and second guide members can follow the first endless belt and move in the horizontal plane.

[0012] With such a configuration, when the first endless belt meanders or moves in the width direction during the processing operation, it becomes possible to prevent a gap from occurring between the first and second guide surfaces and the first endless belt.

[0013] Furthermore, the guide unit The first and second horizontal actuators are configured to 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 separated from the one side edge. The first and second rotary connecting portions are attached to 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 rotary connecting portion connects the first guide member to the first horizontal actuator such that the first guide member is rotatable relative to the first horizontal actuator about an axis perpendicular to the first opposing traveling portion. The second rotary connecting portion connects the first guide member to the second horizontal actuator such that the first guide member is rotatable relative to the second horizontal actuator about an axis perpendicular to the first opposing traveling portion. The third and fourth horizontal actuators are configured to move the second guide member between a contact position where the second guide surface is pressed against the one side edge and a non-contact position where the second guide surface is separated from the one side edge. The third and fourth rotary connecting portions are attached to the second guide member at positions separated from each other in the traveling direction. The third rotary connecting portion connects the second guide member to the third horizontal actuator such that the second guide member is rotatable relative to the third horizontal actuator about an axis perpendicular to the first opposing traveling portion. The fourth rotary connecting portion connects the second guide member to the fourth horizontal actuator such that the second guide member is rotatable relative to the fourth horizontal actuator about an axis perpendicular to the first opposing traveling portion. It can be configured to include.

[0014] Further, the first pressing device is disposed so as to be displaceable in the width direction of the first endless belt and in the rotational direction around an axis perpendicular to the first opposing running portion of the first endless belt, and can be sandwiched between the first and second guide members and move following the first endless belt together with the first and second guide members.

[0015] With such a configuration, the first pressing device can always maintain a positioned state with respect to the first endless belt, and it becomes possible to continuously press the workpiece passing between the first endless belt and the second endless belt uniformly.

[0016] Also, the guide unit includes a horizontal movement mechanism that moves the first and second guide members between a contact position where the first and second guide surfaces are pressed against the respective side edges and a non-contact position where the first and second guide surfaces are separated from the respective side edges. The first pressing device is disposed so as to be displaceable in the width direction of the first endless belt and in the rotational direction around an axis perpendicular to the first opposing running portion of the first endless belt, and is supported by the inner peripheral surface of the first endless belt so 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 has a predetermined size for pressure processing, and a pressure position and a standby position that is farther away from the second pressing device than the pressure position. It is made movable between them. When the first and second guide members are in the contact position with the first pressing device in the standby position, the first pressing device is sandwiched between the first and second guide members and positioned with respect to the first and second guide members. The first pressing device can be guided by the first and second guide members and move from the standby position to the pressure position.

[0017] With such a configuration, it becomes possible to easily position the first pressing device with respect to the first endless belt.

[0018] Also, the first endless belt is an upper endless belt, and the second endless belt is a lower endless belt disposed below the upper endless belt, the width of the lower endless belt is made larger than the width of the upper endless belt, and the first and second guide members can be brought into contact with each side edge of the first opposing running portion of the upper endless belt in a state of contacting the outer peripheral surface of the second opposing running portion of the lower endless belt.

[0019] Also, the first belt driving mechanism is configured to change its form between a tension applying form for applying tension to the first endless belt and a tension releasing form for releasing the tension of the first endless belt. When the first belt driving mechanism is in the tension releasing form and the first and second guide members are in contact with each side edge of the first endless belt, the first endless belt can be rotationally driven to position the first endless belt in the width direction.

[0020] With such a configuration, the positioning of the first endless belt with respect to the first and second guide members can be easily performed.

[0021] Furthermore, the first guide surface extends along one side edge of the first opposing running portion, and the second guide surface extends along the other side edge of the first opposing running portion, the first belt driving mechanism includes a first roller and a second roller horizontally spaced apart so as to support the inner peripheral surfaces of the first endless belt, at least one of the first and second rollers is displaced inwardly of the first endless belt so that the first belt driving mechanism changes its form from the tension applying form to the tension releasing form. The first and second guide members are movable vertically between a first position in contact with the second endless belt and a second position away from the second endless belt so as to approach the first roller and the second roller. When the first belt driving mechanism is in the tension release mode and the first and second guide members are in contact with the respective side edges of the first endless belt at the second position, the first endless belt can be rotationally driven to position the first endless belt in the width direction.

[0022] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a double belt press apparatus including a guide unit according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4A

Figure 4B

Figure 4C

Figure 4D

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, a double belt press device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an upper belt unit (first belt unit) 10, a lower belt unit (second belt unit) 12, a pressing unit 14, and a guide unit 16. As will be described later, the double belt press device 1 presses a workpiece 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 with the pressing unit 14 to process the workpiece.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the upper belt unit 10 includes an upper belt drive mechanism (first belt drive mechanism) 22 that rotationally drives the upper endless belt 18. The upper belt drive mechanism 22 includes a driven roller (first roller) 24, a drive roller (second roller) 26, and two auxiliary rollers 28A and 28B. The driven roller 24 is rotatably held with respect to its rotation shaft 24a. The rotation shaft 24a has each end connected to a pair of air cylinders 30A and 30B. The driven roller 24 can be moved in the front-rear direction (left-right direction in the figure) by the air cylinders 30A and 30B to adjust the tension applied to the upper endless belt 18. The drive roller 26 is connected to an electric motor 31 and is configured to be rotationally driven by the electric motor 31. The front auxiliary roller 28A 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 rear auxiliary roller 28A is held by a pair of air cylinders 34A and 34B and can be moved in the vertical direction by the air cylinders 34A and 34B. The upper belt unit 10 further includes a support plate 36 disposed in front of the auxiliary roller 28A. This support plate 36 is disposed to support the inner peripheral surface of the upper endless belt 18 at a position in front of the auxiliary roller 28A. The support plate 36 is connected to the air cylinders 32A and 32B by a connecting mechanism (not shown) and is configured to move in the vertical direction while tilting by the air cylinders 32A and 32B in conjunction with the auxiliary roller 28A. In the present embodiment, the support plate 36 is formed of a resin material. In the state shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the inner peripheral surface of the upper endless belt 18 is supported by the driven roller 24, the drive roller 26, and the auxiliary rollers 28A and 28B, and tension is applied to the upper endless belt 18. By rotationally driving the drive roller 26 with tension applied to the upper endless belt 18, the upper endless belt 18 rotates counterclockwise as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 3.

[0026] The lower belt unit 12 includes a lower belt drive mechanism (second belt drive mechanism) 38 that rotationally drives a lower endless belt (second endless belt) 20 arranged side by side below the upper endless belt 18. The lower belt drive mechanism 38 has a driven roller 40 and a drive roller 42. The driven roller 40 is rotatably held with respect to its rotation shaft 40a. The rotation shaft 40a has each of its end portions connected to a pair of air cylinders 44A and 44B. The driven roller 40 can move in the front-rear direction by the air cylinders 44A and 44B to adjust the tension applied to the lower endless belt 20. The drive roller 42 is connected to an electric motor 46 and is adapted to be rotationally driven by the electric motor 46. By rotationally driving the drive roller 42 with the tension applied to the lower endless belt 20 by the air cylinders 44A and 44B, the lower endless belt 20 rotates clockwise as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 3. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4A, the width of the lower endless belt 20 is larger than the width of the upper endless belt 18. The upper endless belt 18 and the lower endless belt 20 in the present embodiment are made of stainless steel, but these endless belts may be provided with various resin films on the surface of the stainless steel belt according to the processing content and the material of the object to be processed, or may be rubber belts.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 3, the pressurizing unit 14 includes an upper pressurizing device (first pressurizing device) 48 and a lower pressurizing device (second pressurizing device) 50 arranged one above the other. The upper pressurizing device 48 is disposed at a position where 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 face each other with a gap D (FIG. 4A) therebetween, and supports the inner peripheral surface 18b of the lower running portion 18a from above. The lower pressurizing device 50 is arranged to support the inner peripheral surface 20b of the upper running portion 20a of the lower endless belt 20 from below. The upper pressurizing device 48 includes a front heating and pressing body 52 and a rear cooling and pressing body 54. The heating and pressing body 52 is attached to the slider 56 so as to be displaceable in the width direction of the upper endless belt 18. Further, the heating and pressing body 52 is also displaceable in the rotational direction around an axis R1 perpendicular to the lower running portion 18a of the upper endless belt 18 by a rotating shaft 58. Furthermore, the heating and pressing body 52 is adapted to move in the vertical direction by four air cylinders 60A, 60B, 60C, 60D (FIG. 2). Similarly, the cooling and pressing body 54 is attached to the slider 62 so as to be displaceable in the width direction of the upper endless belt 18. Also, the cooling and pressing body 54 is displaceable in the rotational direction around an axis R2 perpendicular to the lower running portion 18a of the upper endless belt 18 by a rotating shaft 64. Further, the cooling and pressing body 54 is adapted to move in the vertical direction by two air cylinders 66A, 66B (FIG. 2). The lower pressurizing device 50 includes a front heating and pressing body 68 and a rear cooling and pressing body 70. 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 in alignment so as to face each other in the vertical direction. Also, 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 in alignment so as to face each other in the vertical direction.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 4A, the width of the lower surface 52a of the heating and pressing body 52 of the upper pressing device 48 is substantially the same as the width of the upper endless belt 18. Similarly, the lower surface 54a of the cooling and pressing body 54 is also substantially the same as the width of the upper endless belt 18. Thereby, the heating and pressing body 52 and the cooling and pressing body 54 of the upper pressing device 48 can support the entire upper endless belt 18 in the width direction and uniformly press the object to be processed. On the other hand, the width of the upper surface 68a of the heating and pressing body 68 of the lower pressing device 50 is wider than the width of the lower endless belt 20 which is wider than the upper endless belt 18. Similarly, the upper surface 70a of the cooling and pressing body 70 is also wider than the width of the lower endless belt 20. Thereby, the heating and pressing body 68 and the cooling and pressing body 70 of the lower pressing device 50 can continue to support the entire lower endless belt 20 in the width direction even if the lower endless belt 20 is displaced in the width direction.

[0029] In this embodiment, the heating and pressing body 52 and the heating and pressing body 68 incorporate electric heaters (not shown) as heating means, and the cooling and pressing body 54 and the cooling and pressing body 70 incorporate refrigerant pipes (not shown) as cooling means, but any other arbitrary heating means and cooling means may be employed. Also, the configurations of the upper pressing device 48 and the lower pressing device 50 can be arbitrarily changed according to the processing content. For example, the upper pressing device 48 and the lower pressing device 50 may be configured to include only the heating and pressing body and not include the cooling and pressing body, or the heating and pressing body and the cooling and pressing body may be configured as an integral member. Or, a pressing body having no heating function or cooling function can also be provided. Furthermore, a configuration including a plurality of heating and pressing bodies or cooling and pressing bodies may be adopted. Each of the pressing bodies 52, 54, 68, 70 in this embodiment is constituted by a block-shaped member, but each pressing body may be constituted by a roller-shaped member that rotates together with the upper endless belt 18 and the lower endless belt 20. Also in this case, the number and arrangement of the rollers constituting the heating and pressing body and the cooling and pressing body can be arbitrarily changed.

[0030] The guide unit 16 includes a first guide member 72A and a second guide member 72B disposed at lateral positions of the upper pressing device 48. The first guide member 72A is disposed along one side edge 18c of the lower running portion 18a of the upper endless belt 18. The second guide member 72B is disposed 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-rear direction over the entire lower running portion 18a of the upper endless belt 18 between the auxiliary roller 28A and the auxiliary roller 28B. In the present embodiment, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are formed of a resin material.

[0031] As shown in FIGS. 4A and 5, the first guide member 72A has a first guide surface 74A extending along one side edge 18c of the upper endless belt 18. Similarly, 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 guide surface 74A and the second guide surface 74B extend vertically from the upper running portion 20a to above the lower running portion 18a. The first guide surface 74A closes the entire gap D between the lower running portion 18a and the upper running portion 20a from the side of the side edge 18c. Similarly, the second guide surface 74B closes the entire gap D between the lower running portion 18a and the upper running portion 20a from the side of the side edge 18d. Note that the first and second guide surfaces 74A and 74B may close only a part of the gap D from the sides of the side edges 18c and 18d, for example, by closing the gap D only between the auxiliary roller 28A and the cooling press body 54.

[0032] The guide unit 16 further includes a first rotary coupling portion 76A (FIG. 4A) and a second rotary coupling portion 76B (FIG. 5) that are attached to the first guide member 72A at positions spaced apart from each other in the traveling direction of the lower traveling portion 18a of the upper endless belt 18. The first rotary coupling portion 76A includes a receiving member 78A fixed to the first guide member 72A and a shaft member 80A rotatably held by the receiving member 78A. The first rotary coupling portion 76A is connected to a horizontal air cylinder (first horizontal actuator) 88A via a connecting block 82A, a one-touch joint 84A, and a connecting block 86A. The connecting block 86A is attached to a connecting block 92A via a horizontal slider 90A. The first rotary coupling portion 76A connects the first guide member 72A to the air cylinder 88A such that the first guide member 72A can rotate relative to the air cylinder 88A about an axis perpendicular to the lower traveling portion 18a. Similarly, the second rotary coupling portion 76B includes a receiving member 78B fixed to the first guide member 72A and a shaft member 80B rotatably held by the receiving member 78B. The second rotary coupling portion 76B is connected to a horizontal air cylinder (second horizontal actuator) 88B via a connecting block 82B, a one-touch joint 84B, and a connecting block 86B. The connecting block 86B is attached to a connecting block 92B via a horizontal slider 90B. The second rotary coupling portion 76B connects the first guide member 72A to the air cylinder 88B such that the first guide member 72A can rotate relative to the air cylinder 88B about an axis perpendicular to the lower traveling portion 18a. With such a configuration, a horizontal movement mechanism for moving the first guide member 72A in the horizontal direction is formed. The connecting block 92A is attached so as to be movable in the vertical direction by a vertical slider 94A, and a vertical air cylinder 96A is attached to the connecting block 92A. Similarly, the connecting block 92B is attached so as to be movable in the vertical direction by a vertical slider 94B, and a vertical air cylinder 96B is attached to the connecting block 92B. With such a configuration, a vertical movement mechanism for moving the first guide member 72A in the vertical direction is formed.

[0033] The guide unit 16 further includes a third rotary coupling portion 76C (FIG. 4A) and a fourth rotary coupling portion 76D (FIG. 5) that are attached to the second guide member 72B at positions spaced apart from each other in the traveling direction of the lower traveling portion 18a of the upper endless belt 18. The third rotary coupling portion 76C includes a receiving member 78C fixed to the second guide member 72B and a shaft member 80C rotatably held by the receiving member 78C. The third rotary coupling portion 76C is connected to a horizontal air cylinder (third horizontal actuator) 88C via a connecting block 82C, a one-touch joint 84C, and a connecting block 86C. The connecting block 86C is attached to a connecting block 92C via a horizontal slider 90C. The third rotary coupling portion 76C connects the second guide member 72B to the air cylinder 88C such that the second guide member 72B can rotate relative to the air cylinder 88C about an axis perpendicular to the lower traveling portion 18a. Similarly, the fourth rotary coupling portion 76D includes a receiving member 78D fixed to the second guide member 72B and a shaft member 80D rotatably held by the receiving member 78D. The fourth rotary coupling portion 76D is connected to a horizontal air cylinder (fourth horizontal actuator) 88D via a connecting block 82D, a one-touch joint 84D, and a connecting block 86D. The connecting block 86D is attached to a connecting block 92D via a horizontal slider 90D. The fourth rotary coupling portion 76D connects the second guide member 72B to the air cylinder 88D such that the second guide member 72B can rotate relative to the air cylinder 88D about an axis perpendicular to the lower traveling portion 18a. With such a configuration, a horizontal movement mechanism for moving the second guide member 72B in the horizontal direction is formed. The connecting block 92C is attached so as to be movable in the vertical direction by a vertical air cylinder 96C, and a vertical slider 94C is attached to the connecting block 92C. Similarly, the connecting block 92D is attached so as to be movable in the vertical direction by a vertical slider 94D, and a vertical air cylinder 96D is attached to the connecting block 92D. With such a configuration, a vertical movement mechanism for moving the second guide member 72B in the vertical direction is formed.

[0034] The first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B can be moved in the horizontal and vertical directions as shown in FIGS. 4A-4D by the respective air cylinders 88A-88D, 96A-96D fixed to a device frame (not shown).

[0035] The first guide member 72A is moved between a contact position (FIGS. 4A and 4D) where the first guide surface 74A is pressed against the side edge 18c of the upper endless belt 18 and a non-contact position (FIGS. 4B and 4C) where the first guide surface 74A is separated from the side edge 18c by the horizontal air cylinders 88A and 88B. Similarly, the second guide member 72B is moved between a contact position (FIGS. 4A and 4D) where the second guide surface 74B is pressed against the side edge 18d of the upper endless belt 18 and a non-contact position (FIGS. 4B and 4C) where the second guide surface 74B is separated from the side edge 18d by the horizontal air cylinders 88C and 88D. The first guide member 72A is further moved between a lower position (first position) (FIGS. 4A and 4B) where the lower surface 72Aa of the first guide member 72A contacts the outer peripheral surface 20c of the lower endless belt 20 and an upper position (second position) (FIGS. 4C and 4D) 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 by the vertical air cylinders 96A and 96B. Similarly, the second guide member 72B is further moved between a lower position (first position) (FIGS. 4A and 4B) where the lower surface 72Ba of the second guide member 72B contacts the outer peripheral surface 20c of the lower endless belt 20 and an upper position (second position) (FIGS. 4C and 4D) 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 by the vertical air cylinders 96C and 96D. In this embodiment, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are configured to move in conjunction with each other between the four positions shown in FIGS. 4A-4D.

[0036] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the double-belt press device 1 further includes a first fixed guide member 100A and a second fixed guide member 100B that are respectively arranged on the front sides 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 at positions aligned with the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B (FIG. 4A) that are in contact positions at the lower positions. Further, each of the first fixed guide member 100A and the second fixed guide member 100B is pressed against the outer peripheral surface 20c of the lower endless belt 20 by two springs 102 (FIG. 1). The double-belt press device 1 further includes a third fixed guide member 100C and a fourth fixed guide member 100D that are respectively arranged on the rear sides 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 at positions aligned with the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B (FIG. 4A) that are in contact positions at the lower positions. Further, each of the third fixed guide member 100C and the fourth fixed guide member 100D is pressed against the outer peripheral surface 20c of the lower endless belt 20 by two springs 104 (FIG. 1).

[0037] In this embodiment, when machining a workpiece, the double-belt press device 1 takes the form shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, 4A, and 5. The upper pressing 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 becomes a predetermined size required for the pressing 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 the lower ends thereof coincide 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 pressing 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 so as to apply an appropriate tension to the upper endless belt 18. The first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are at a lower position where their lower surfaces 72Aa and 72Ba contact the outer peripheral surface 20c of the lower endless belt 20, and the first guide surface 74A and the second guide surface 74B are at contact positions where they contact the respective side edges 18c and 18d of the upper endless belt 18. Note that the auxiliary rollers 28A and 28B and the support plate 36 are provided to guide the upper endless belt 18 substantially parallel to the lower surface 52a of the heating pressing body 52 and the lower surface 54a of the cooling pressing body 54 of the upper pressing device 48, but they are not necessarily required. For example, by arranging the lower surface 52a of the heating pressing body 52 and the lower surface 54a of the cooling pressing body 54 to be substantially at the same height as the lower ends of the driven roller 24 and the driving roller 26, the auxiliary rollers 28A and 28B and the support plate 36 can be eliminated.

[0038] As described above, the double-belt press device 1 is set in the form shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, 4A, and 5, the upper endless belt 18 is driven counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 1, and the lower endless belt 20 is driven clockwise. By placing a workpiece to be machined on the lower endless belt 20, the workpiece is machined.

[0039] Here, an example of processing particulate resin pellets to produce a plate-shaped resin molded product will be described. When resin pellets are supplied between a first fixed guide member 100A and a second fixed guide member 100B on a lower endless belt 20, the resin pellets are conveyed by the lower endless belt 20. At this time, it is desirable that the resin pellets be supplied with a uniform thickness across the first fixed guide member 100A and the second fixed guide member 100B. The resin pellets conveyed by the lower endless belt 20 pass through a gap D between the upper endless belt 18 and the lower endless belt 20 while being sandwiched between the upper endless belt 18 and the lower endless belt 20 around the auxiliary roller 28A on the front side. When the resin pellets reach between the heating and pressing body 52 of the upper pressing device 48 and the heating and pressing body 68 of the lower pressing device 50, the resin pellets are vertically pressed while being heated between the heating and pressing body 52 and the heating and pressing body 68. The resin pellets are softened or melted and formed into an integral plate-shaped member while passing between the heating and pressing body 52 and the heating and pressing body 68. Thereafter, the formed member is cooled and cured when passing between the cooling and pressing body 54 of the upper pressing device 48 and the cooling and pressing body 70 of the lower pressing device 50. The integrated and cured plate-shaped resin molded product passes between the upper endless belt 18 and the lower endless belt 20 and is further conveyed by the lower endless belt 20 to reach the product receiving base 106.

[0040] When the resin pellets are sandwiched and pressed between the upper endless belt 18 and the lower endless belt 20, they tend to spread in the width direction of the upper endless belt 18. In particular, when pressed while being heated between the upper pressing device 48 and the lower pressing device 50, the spread of the upper endless belt 18 in the width direction is likely to increase. However, in the double-belt press device 1 according to the present embodiment, since the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are arranged along the side edges 18c and 18d of the upper endless belt 18 so as to block the gap D from the side, the spread of the resin pellets is restricted by the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B. Therefore, the resin molded product does not spread beyond the width of the upper endless belt 18. Further, 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, it is possible to produce a resin molded product having a uniform width. Here, an example of producing a plate-shaped resin molded product from resin pellets has been described. However, the double-belt press device 1 according to the present embodiment can naturally perform other processes as usually performed in a conventional double-belt press device. For example, it is also possible to perform bonding of a plurality of sheet-like materials, rolling of a plate-shaped member, and the like. Also in such other processes, it is possible to restrict the spread of the processed product in the width direction while guiding the processed product by the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B, and make the width direction dimension of the processed product uniform.

[0041] When performing the above-described processing using the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B, it is desirable 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 without any gaps. In the double-belt press apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the air cylinders 88A and 88B apply a force in the direction toward the upper endless belt 18 to the first guide member 72A so that the first guide surface 74A contacts and presses against the side edge 18c. Similarly, the air cylinders 88C and 88D apply a force in the direction toward the upper endless belt 18 to the second guide member 72B so that the second guide surface 74B contacts and presses against the side edge 18d. By pressing the first guide surface 74A and the second guide surface 74B against the side edges 18c and 18d of the upper endless belt 18, it becomes difficult for gaps to occur between the first guide surface 74A and the side edge 18c and between the second guide surface 74B and the side edge 18d, and it becomes possible to appropriately close the gap D between the lower running portion 18a and the upper running portion 20a from the side.

[0042] When the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are pressed against the upper endless belt 18 in this way, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are likely to wear because they slide on the rotating upper endless belt 18. Therefore, in the double-belt press apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, when no processing is being performed, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are moved to a non-contact position (FIG. 4B) away from the upper endless belt 18. When the wear of the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B has progressed to a certain extent or more, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are replaced. In the double-belt press apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, since the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are respectively attached by one-touch joints 84A - 84D, they can be easily removed and replaced with new guide members.

[0043] In the double-belt press device 1 according to the present embodiment, in order to make the first guide surface 74A and the second guide surface 74B appropriately contact the side edge 18c and the side edge 18d, it is also possible to align the upper endless belt 18 using the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B. The alignment operation of the upper endless belt 18 will be described below with reference to FIG. 6.

[0044] The double-belt press device 1 according to the present embodiment is in the form shown in FIG. 6(a) when in a rest state without processing. That is, the heating press body 52 and the cooling press body 54 of the upper pressing device 48 are in standby positions far enough above the heating press body 68 and the cooling press body 70 of the lower pressing device 50, and the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are in upper positions away from the lower endless belt 20 so as to approach the driven roller 24 and the driving roller 26, and non-contact positions away from the upper endless belt 18 and the heating press body 52 and the cooling press body 54 laterally. The auxiliary rollers 28A and 28B are at positions where the lower ends are at substantially the same height as the lower surfaces 52a of the heating press body 52 and the lower surfaces 54a of the cooling press body 54 of the upper pressing device 48 in the standby position. And the driven roller 24 is biased forward (leftward in the figure) by the air cylinders 30A and 30B so as to apply a certain amount of force to the upper endless belt 18 and is in a forward position. In this way, the upper belt drive mechanism 22 is in a tension-applying form that applies tension to the upper endless belt 18. However, in the tension-applying form at this time, a relatively small tension is applied to the upper endless belt 18 so that a frictional force that prevents the upper endless belt 18 from moving unnecessarily in the width direction acts.

[0045] In order to align the upper endless belt 18, the upper belt drive mechanism 22 changes its form from the tension-applying form to the tension-releasing form. Specifically, the driven roller 24 is displaced in the inner direction (rearward) of the upper endless belt 18 to reach the rear position. As a result, the tension applied to the upper endless belt 18 is released, and the upper endless belt 18 becomes slightly slack. Note that the driving roller 26 may be displaced in the inner direction (forward) so as to change its form to the tension-releasing form. Next or simultaneously, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are displaced inward in the width direction at the upper position to reach the contact position. In this state, as shown in FIG. 6(b), the driving roller 26 is rotationally driven. Although the tension of the upper endless belt 18 is released, the upper endless belt 18 rotates as the driving roller 26 rotates because it is placed on the driven roller 24 and the driving roller 26. When the upper endless belt 18 is displaced with respect to the center position in the width direction of the driven roller 24 and the driving roller 26, the upper endless belt 18 is relatively strongly pushed by the guide member on the displaced side of the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B. Therefore, the upper endless belt 18 gradually moves while rotating to a position where it receives equal forces from the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B, that is, to the center position in the width direction. In this way, when the upper endless belt 18 is rotationally driven in a state where the tension is released, it is positioned in the width direction by the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B that are set to the contact position.

[0046] The first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B can also be brought into contact with 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 center position in the width direction at a lower position relatively far from the driven roller 24 and the driving roller 26, distortion in the width direction may occur in the upper endless belt 18, and the upper endless belt 18 may not be sufficiently moved toward the center in the width direction. In the present embodiment, as described above, since the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are in contact with 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, distortion in the width direction hardly occurs in the upper endless belt 18. Therefore, it is possible to more efficiently position the upper endless belt 18 in the width direction.

[0047] In the double-belt press device 1 according to the present embodiment, after the positioning of the upper endless belt 18 by the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B, more accurate positioning of the upper endless belt 18 can be performed. When performing such more accurate positioning, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B move to a lower position at a non-contact position as shown in FIG. 6(c). Next, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B come into contact at the lower position. When the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are in contact, each of the heating pressing body 52 and the cooling pressing body 54 of the upper pressing device 48 is sandwiched between the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B and is positioned with respect to the upper endless belt 18 in the width direction and in the rotational direction around the vertical axes R1, R2 (FIG. 3). Next, the upper pressing device 48 descends from the standby position to the pressing position in a direction approaching the lower pressing device 50. At this time, the heating pressing body 52 and the cooling pressing body 54 descend while being guided by the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B. Therefore, even when the upper pressing device 48 reaches the pressing position, the positioned state with respect to the upper endless belt 18 is maintained. Here, the pressing position is a position where the upper pressing device 48 supports the inner peripheral surface 18b of the upper endless belt 18 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 becomes a predetermined size for pressing. Note that the predetermined size of the gap D can be arbitrarily changed according to the processed molded product to be produced. Therefore, the pressing position of the upper pressing device 48 can also be arbitrarily changed accordingly. However, the pressing position here for positioning the upper endless belt 18 does not necessarily have to be the same position as the position during actual pressing, and it may be set as a temporary position for positioning the upper endless belt 18.

[0048] After or simultaneously with the displacement of the upper pressing device 48 to the pressing position, the auxiliary rollers 28A and 28B are displaced downward. The lower positions of the auxiliary rollers 28A and 28B are positions corresponding to the pressing position of the upper pressing device 48, and when the pressing position is changed, the lower positions are automatically changed as well. Simultaneously with the displacement of the front auxiliary roller 28A to the lower position, the support plate 36 also moves downward while slightly tilting to a position in contact with or close to the upper endless belt 18. Next, the driven roller 24 moves forward to the intermediate position shown in FIG. 6(d) and presses the upper endless belt 18. Thereby, the upper belt driving mechanism 22 becomes a tension applying form for applying tension to the upper endless belt 18. Specifically, when the auxiliary rollers 28A and 28B are in the lower positions and the driven roller 24 is in the intermediate position, the inner peripheral surface of the upper endless belt 18 is strongly pressed by each roller, and a state in which tension is applied to the upper endless belt 18 is achieved. Next, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B come into the contact position. As shown in FIG. 6(d), in this state, the driving roller 26 is driven and the upper endless belt 18 is rotationally driven. The double-belt press device 1 is provided with a position detection sensor (not shown) for detecting the position of the upper endless belt 18 in the width direction. As the position detection sensor, various types can be adopted, 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 press device 1 detects that the upper endless belt 18 is displaced in the width direction by the position detection sensor, it drives the air cylinder 30A or 30B that supports the driven roller 24 to make the force applied to one side in the width direction of the upper endless belt 18 larger than that applied to the other side. Then, the rotating upper endless belt 18 gradually moves from the side where a large force is applied to the side where a small force is applied.For example, when the upper endless belt 18 is displaced to the right as viewed in FIG. 2, the air pressure applied to the right air cylinder 30A is increased to apply a greater force to the right side of the upper endless belt 18. Then, the upper endless belt 18 is induced to the left side. In this way, more precise positioning of the upper endless belt 18 can be achieved. Note that such a more precise positioning operation is not necessarily required when the accuracy of the above-described positioning by the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B is sufficient. Also, the double-belt press device 1 does not necessarily need to have a function of performing such a precise positioning operation.

[0049] After the positioning by the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B in FIG. 6(b) or the completion of the more precise positioning in FIG. 6(d), the double-belt press device 1 takes the form shown in FIG. 7(a). Since the form in FIG. 7(a) is the same as the form in FIG. 6(a) described above, detailed description here is omitted. However, in the state of FIG. 7(a), the alignment of the upper endless belt 18 is completed.

[0050] When performing pressure processing by the double-belt press device 1, first, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are in contact with each other at a lower position. At this time, the heating press body 52 of the upper pressure device 48 is sandwiched between the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B, and is positioned with respect to the upper endless belt 18 in the width direction and the rotational direction around the vertical axis R1 (FIG. 3). Similarly, the cooling press body 54 is sandwiched between the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B, and is positioned with respect to the upper endless belt 18 in the width direction and the rotational direction around the vertical axis R2 (FIG. 3). Next, the driven roller 24 moves from the forward position to the intermediate position, the upper pressure device 48 moves to the pressure position, and the auxiliary rollers 28A and 28B move to the lower position respectively. The upper pressure device 48 descends while being guided by the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B from the standby position to the pressure position. Therefore, even when the upper pressure device 48 reaches the pressure position, the positioned state with respect to the upper endless belt 18 is maintained. In this way, the double-belt press device 1 takes the form shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. In this state, as shown in FIG. 7(c), the drive roller 26 drives the upper endless belt 18 counterclockwise as viewed in the figure, and the drive roller 42 (FIG. 1) drives the lower endless belt 20 clockwise. By placing the workpiece on the lower endless belt 20, the workpiece is processed as described above.

[0051] When there is a relatively short idle time from the end of a certain processing operation to the start of the next processing operation, the rotational drive of the upper endless belt 18 and the lower endless belt 20 may be kept running, and the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B may be temporarily retracted to a non-contact position. By doing so, the time for the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B to slide on the side edges 18c and 18d of the upper endless belt 18 can be shortened, and the wear of the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B can be suppressed.

[0052] The double-belt press device 1 according to this embodiment returns to the form of FIG. 7(d) which is the same as FIG. 7(a) when a series of processing operations are completed.

[0053] In the process described with reference to FIG. 6, the upper endless belt 18 is positioned in the width direction. However, the upper endless belt 18 may be slightly displaced or meander in the width direction while the machining operation continues. In the double-belt press device 1 according to the present embodiment, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are configured to be displaced following the displacement and meandering of the upper endless belt 18 in the width direction. For example, when the upper endless belt 18 that was accurately aligned as shown in FIG. 8(a) is displaced to the right as shown in FIG. 8(b), the first guide member 72A receives a strong force from the upper endless belt 18 in a state where tension is applied. This force is greater than the force of the horizontal air cylinders 88A and 88B holding the first guide member 72A. Therefore, the first guide member 72A is pushed by the upper endless belt 18 and moves to the right. On the other hand, since the second guide member 72B is pressed against the side edge 18c by the horizontal air cylinders 88C and 88D, the second guide member 72B is displaced to the right so as to follow the movement of the upper endless belt 18 to the right. Therefore, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B are displaced to the right following the displacement of the upper endless belt 18 to the right, and the state of contact with the upper endless belt 18 is maintained. Further, when the upper endless belt 18 meanders and becomes diagonal as shown in FIG. 8(c), the air cylinder 88A extends and the air cylinder 88B is retracted, and the first guide member 72A becomes diagonal along the side edge 18c of the upper endless belt 18. As described above, since the first guide member 72A is rotatably connected to the air cylinders 88A and 88B by the first and second rotary connection portions 76A and 76B, the first guide member 72A can be diagonal as shown in the figure. Similarly, the second guide member 72B becomes diagonal along the side edge 18d of the upper endless belt 18. Therefore, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B become diagonal following the meandering of the upper endless belt 18, and the state of contact with the upper endless belt 18 is maintained.

[0054] Note that, for the sake of clarity, FIG. 8 shows the misalignment and meandering emphasized. However, the actual amount of misalignment is usually extremely small, less than 1 mm, typically less than 0.5 mm. Thus, in the double-belt press device 1, since the first and second guide members 72A and 72B are held movably in the horizontal plane, even if the upper endless belt 18 is misaligned or meanders in the width direction during the processing operation, the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B can follow the lower endless belt 20 and move in the horizontal plane. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a gap between each side edge 18c, 18d of the upper endless belt 18 and the first and second guide members 72A, 72B.

[0055] Also, the heating pressing body 52 and the cooling pressing body 54 of the upper pressing device 48 are held displaceably in the width direction and in the rotational direction around the respective perpendicular axes R1, R2. Therefore, they move and rotate in the width direction along with the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B as the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B move and rotate in the width direction. That is, the upper pressing device 48 moves following the meandering and the movement in the width direction of the upper endless belt 18 together with the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B. As a result, the following operation of the first guide member 72A and the second guide member 72B is not obstructed by the upper pressing device 48. Also, since no misalignment occurs between the upper pressing device 48 and the upper endless belt 18, the workpiece passing through the gap D can be uniformly pressed, and the shape of the produced molded article can be stabilized.

[0056] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. For example, the upper configuration and the lower configuration may be interchanged. That is, the first belt drive mechanism that changes its form between the tension application form and the tension release form may be configured as the lower belt drive mechanism. In this case, the first pressing device that moves between the standby position and the processing position may be configured as the lower pressing device. Further, in this case, the first and second guide members can be configured to move to a lower position (second position) away from the upper endless belt (second endless belt) when positioning the lower endless belt (first endless belt) held by the lower belt drive mechanism which is the first belt drive mechanism. Also, the width of the upper endless belt can be made larger than the width of the lower endless belt, and the first and second guide members can be made to contact each side edge of the upper running portion (first opposing running portion) of the lower endless belt in a state of contacting the outer peripheral surface of the lower running portion (second opposing running portion) of the upper endless belt.

[0057] In the above embodiment, an air cylinder is employed as an actuator for moving each member such as the upper pressing device and the guide member, but various other actuators such as a hydraulic cylinder and an electric motor may be employed. Also, 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 in the horizontal direction. However, a biasing structure composed of an elastic member such as a spring or a rubber material may be provided between the first and second guide members and each actuator, and the first and second guide members may be configured to be pressed against the side edges of the upper endless belt by the biasing force of the biasing structure. Alternatively, the first and second guide members do not necessarily have to be moved between the contact position and the non-contact position by an actuator, and may be fixedly arranged. Also, the width of the lower endless belt may be made the same as the width of the upper endless belt, and the first and second guide members may be made to contact both the side edges of the upper endless belt and the side edges of the lower endless belt.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0058] 1 Double Belt Press Device 10 Upper Belt Unit (First Belt Unit) 12 Lower Belt Unit (Second Belt Unit) 14 Pressing Unit 16 Guide Unit 18 Upper Endless Belt (First Endless Belt) 18a Lower Running Part (First Opposite Running Part), 18b Inner Peripheral Surface 18c Side Edge, 18d Side Edge 20 Lower Endless Belt (Second Endless Belt) 20a Upper Running Part (Second Opposite Running Part), 20b Inner Peripheral Surface, 20c Outer Peripheral Surface 22 Upper Belt Driving Mechanism (First Belt Driving Mechanism) 24 Driven Roller (First Roller), 24a Rotation Shaft 26 Driving Roller (Second Roller) 28A, 28B Auxiliary Rollers 30A, 30B Air Cylinders 31 Electric Motor 32A, 32B Air Cylinders 34A, 34B Air Cylinders 36 Support Plate 38 Lower Belt Driving Mechanism (Second Belt Driving Mechanism) 40 Driven Roller, 40a Rotation Shaft 42 Driving Roller 44A, 44B Air Cylinders 46 Electric Motor 48 Upper Pressing Device (First Pressing Device) 50 Lower Pressing Device (Second Pressing Device) 52 Heating Pressing Body, 52a Lower Surface 54 Cooling Pressing Body, 54a Lower Surface 56 Slider 58 Rotation Shaft 60A, 60B, 60C, 60D Air Cylinders 62 Slider 64 Rotation Shaft 66A and 66B air cylinders 68 heating and pressing body, 68a upper surface 70 cooling and pressing body, 70a upper surface 72A first guide member, 72Aa lower surface 72B second guide member, 72Ba lower surface 74A first guide surface 74B second guide surface 76A first rotary connection part 76B second rotary connection part 76C third rotary connection part 76D fourth rotary connection part 78A, 78B, 78C, 78D receiving members 80A, 80B, 80C, 80D shaft members 82A, 82B, 82C, 82D connecting blocks 84A, 84B, 84C, 84D one-touch joints 86A, 86B, 86C, 86D connecting blocks 88A air cylinder (first horizontal actuator) 88B air cylinder (second horizontal actuator) 88C air cylinder (third horizontal actuator) 88D air cylinder (fourth horizontal actuator) 90A, 90B, 90C, 90D sliders 92A, 92B, 92C, 92D connecting blocks 94A, 94B, 94C, 94D sliders 96A, 96B, 96C, 96D air cylinders 100A first fixed guide member 100B second fixed guide member 100C third fixed guide member 100D fourth fixed guide member 102 and 104 springs 106 product receiving base D gap R1 and R2 perpendicular axes

Claims

1. A first belt unit having a first endless belt and a first belt driving mechanism for rotationally driving the first endless belt; A second belt unit having a second endless belt arranged vertically with respect to the first endless belt and a second belt driving mechanism for rotationally driving the second endless belt; A pressing unit having a first pressing device for supporting an inner peripheral surface of a first opposing running portion of the first endless belt facing the second endless belt and a second pressing device for supporting an inner peripheral surface of a second opposing running portion of the second endless belt facing the first endless belt; A guide unit including a first guide member having 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 closing at least a part of a gap between the first opposing running portion and the second opposing running portion from the side of the one side edge, and a second guide member having a second guide surface extending along the other side edge of the at least one running portion and closing at least a part of the gap from the side of the other side edge; A double belt pressing device comprising the above.

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

3. The first guide surface extends along one side edge of the first opposing running portion, and the second guide surface extends along the other side edge of the first opposing running portion, The first and second guide members are held movably in a horizontal plane, and when the first endless belt meanders or moves in the width direction, the first and second guide members are adapted to move in the horizontal plane following the first endless belt. The double belt pressing device according to claim 2.

4. The guide unit is First and second horizontal actuators configured to 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 separated from the one side edge; The first and second rotary connecting portions attached to the first guide member at positions spaced apart from each other in the traveling direction of the first opposing traveling portion of the first endless belt, wherein the first rotary connecting portion connects the first guide member to the first horizontal actuator such that the first guide member is rotatable relative to the first horizontal actuator about an axis perpendicular to the first opposing traveling portion, and the second rotary connecting portion connects the first guide member to the second horizontal actuator such that the first guide member is rotatable relative to the second horizontal actuator about an axis perpendicular to the first opposing traveling portion, the first and second rotary connecting portions; The third and fourth horizontal actuators configured to move the second guide member between a contact position where the second guide surface is pressed against one side edge and a non-contact position where the second guide surface is separated from one side edge; The third and fourth rotary connecting portions attached to the second guide member at positions spaced apart from each other in the traveling direction, wherein the third rotary connecting portion connects the second guide member to the third horizontal actuator such that the second guide member is rotatable relative to the third horizontal actuator about an axis perpendicular to the first opposing traveling portion, and the fourth rotary connecting portion connects the second guide member to the fourth horizontal actuator such that the second guide member is rotatable relative to the fourth horizontal actuator about an axis perpendicular to the first opposing traveling portion, the third and fourth rotary connecting portions; The double-belt pressing device according to claim 3, comprising the above.

5. The double-belt pressing device according to claim 3, wherein the first pressing device is arranged to be displaceable in the width direction of the first endless belt and in the rotational direction about an axis perpendicular to the first opposing traveling portion of the first endless belt, and is sandwiched between the first and second guide members and configured to move following the first endless belt together with the first and second guide members.

6. The guide unit includes a horizontal movement mechanism configured to move the first and second guide members between a contact position where the first and second guide surfaces are pressed against the respective side edges and a non-contact position where the first and second guide surfaces are separated from the respective side edges. The first pressing device is arranged to be displaceable in the width direction of the first endless belt and in the rotational direction around an axis perpendicular to the first opposing running portion of the first endless belt, and the inner peripheral surface of the first endless belt is supported at a pressing position such 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 has a predetermined size for pressing, and is movable between the pressing position and a standby position that is farther from the second pressing device than the pressing position. When the first and second guide members reach the contact position with the first pressing device in the standby position, the first pressing device is sandwiched between the first and second guide members and positioned with respect to the first and second guide members. The first pressing device is guided by the first and second guide members and moves from the standby position to the pressing position, according to the double-belt pressing device of claim 3.

7. The first endless belt is an upper endless belt, and the second endless belt is a lower endless belt disposed below the upper endless belt. The width of the lower endless belt is made larger than the width of the upper endless belt, and the first and second guide members are arranged to contact each side edge of the first opposing running portion of the upper endless belt while contacting the outer peripheral surface of the second opposing running portion of the lower endless belt, according to the double-belt pressing device of claim 1.

8. The first belt driving mechanism is configured to change its form between a tension application form that applies tension to the first endless belt and a tension release form that releases the tension of the first endless belt. When the first belt driving mechanism is in the tension release form and the first and second guide members are in contact with each side edge of the first endless belt, the first endless belt is rotationally driven to position the first endless belt in the width direction, according to the double-belt pressing device of claim 1.

9. The first guide surface extends along one side edge of the first opposing running portion, and the second guide surface extends along the other side edge of the first opposing running portion. The first belt driving mechanism includes a first roller and a second roller that are horizontally spaced apart so as to support the inner peripheral surfaces of the first endless belt respectively. At least one of the first and second rollers is displaced inwardly of the first endless belt so that the first belt driving mechanism changes from the tension application form to the tension release form. The first and second guide members are movable vertically between a first position in contact with the second endless belt and a second position spaced apart from the second endless belt so as to approach the first roller and the second roller. The double belt pressing device according to claim 8, wherein the first endless belt is positioned in the width direction by rotationally driving the first endless belt in a state where the first belt driving mechanism is in the tension release form and the first and second guide members are in contact with each side edge of the first endless belt at the second position.

Images