Heating apparatus

Abstract

To provide a heating apparatus capable of uniformly and rapidly heating simultaneously a large number of objects to be heated, and also exhibiting excellent cleanliness.SOLUTION: A heating apparatus comprises: a plurality of rectangular heating plates 10 arranged at intervals in a vertical direction; side plates 50L, 50R and a back plate that respectively close left and right side surfaces and a rear surface of a space defined by heating surfaces of the heating plates 10, 10 facing each other in the vertical direction; and metallic partition plates 20 disposed between the heating surfaces of the heating plates 10, 10 facing each other in the vertical direction, and dividing the space into a plurality of small heating spaces 25 in a lateral direction. Each of the plurality of small heating spaces 25 has an opening at its front surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a heating device that simultaneously heats a plurality of objects to be heated. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, as a method for simultaneously heating a large number of objects to be heated, for example, a method of accommodating a large number of objects to be heated in a hot air stove and heating them is known.

[0003] In the heating method using a hot air furnace as described above, it is difficult to heat each object uniformly because hot air is blown onto the object. Also, outgassing and particles generated from the object adhere to the object, making it difficult to maintain a high level of cleanliness. The present applicant has proposed a heating device that can uniformly heat an object to be heated while maintaining cleanliness (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-352306 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the heating device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that the heating speed is relatively slow, and it takes a long time to heat an object having a relatively large capacity. The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a heating device that can uniformly and quickly heat a large number of objects to be heated at the same time and that is excellent in cleanliness. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The heating device of the present invention comprises a plurality of rectangular heating plates arranged at intervals in the vertical direction; Closure plates for closing the left and right sides and the back of a space defined by the heating surfaces of the heating plates facing each other in the vertical direction; a metal partition plate disposed between the heating surfaces of the heating plates facing each other in the vertical direction and dividing the space into a plurality of small heating spaces in the left-right direction; Each of the plurality of small heating spaces has an opening on the front surface.

[0007] The heating plate may have a structure in which a plurality of electrically independent heating sources are built in.

[0008] Preferably, the heating device has a temperature adjusting means for controlling the power supplied to the plurality of heat sources so that the temperature of the heating surface of the heating plate becomes uniform.

[0009] More preferably, the temperature control means controls the heating plates so that the heat generation amount of the heating plate arranged at the top among the plurality of heating plates is relatively reduced and the heat generation amount of the heating plate arranged at the bottom is relatively increased.

[0010] The heating device of the present invention further includes a closing member that opens and closes the opening.

[0011] 2. The heating device of the present invention according to claim 1, further comprising a tray for carrying an object to be heated into and out of each of the plurality of small heating spaces.

[0012] The heating device of the present invention has a gas supply unit that introduces gas from the rear side of each of the plurality of small heating spaces toward the opening.

[0013] The heating device of the present invention may employ a configuration in which a heat insulating layer is formed between the closing plate and the partition plate on the left and right side surfaces.

[0014] The heating device of the present invention may employ a configuration in which a heater is provided on each of the partition plates. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, a heating apparatus is provided which can uniformly and quickly heat a large number of objects to be heated at the same time and which is also highly clean. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view showing a heating device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the heating device shown in FIG. 1 taken along line AA. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a heating plate. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a heating device equipped with a tray. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a heating device equipped with a heating gas supply. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a front view of a heating device showing a modified example of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the heating device 1 has multiple rectangular heating plates 10 arranged at equal intervals in the vertical direction. The left and right ends of the heating plate 10 are supported by left and right side plates 50L, 50R. These side plates 50L, 50R also function as closing plates that close the left and right sides of the space formed between adjacent heating plates 10 in the vertical direction. A back plate 50B is provided on the back side of the space formed between the heating plates 10, and this back plate 50B functions as a closing plate that closes the back side of the space formed between the heating plates 10, 10. A plurality of metal partition plates 20 are provided between adjacent heating plates 10 in the vertical direction. These partition plates 20 divide the space formed between adjacent heating plates 10 in the left-right direction into a plurality of small heating spaces 25. The partition plates 20 are installed by forming shallow grooves in the surfaces of the heating plates 10 and inserting them into the grooves. What is important is that the upper and lower ends of the partition plates 20 contact the surfaces of the heating plates 10, so that heat from the heating plates 10 is reliably transferred to the partition plates 20.

[0018] Openings 25a are formed in front of the plurality of small heating spaces 25. The object W to be heated is carried in through the openings 25a in a carry-in direction B1, and is carried out through the openings 25a in a carry-out direction B2. Providing the openings 25a in each small heating space 25 makes it possible to continuously connect the heat treatment process by the heating device 1 with other processes. The heating device 1 further includes a temperature adjusting device 80 for adjusting the temperature of each heating plate 10 .

[0019] The upper and lower end sides of the side panels 50L, 50R of the heating device 1 are connected by a top panel 71 and a bottom panel 72, respectively. Shorter leg members 73 are attached to the underside of each bottom panel 72, and the lower ends of these leg members 73 are fixed to a middle panel 74. Longer leg members 75 are attached to the underside of each middle panel 74, and the lower ends of these leg members 75 are fixed to a base 76.

[0020] The side plates 50L, 50R, rear plate 50B, top plate 71 and bottom plate 72 have a known heat insulating structure, which prevents heat from the plurality of heating plates 10 from radiating to the outside.

[0021] Here, the heating plate 10 according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the heating plate 10 has a rectangular shape and incorporates a plurality of (five) electrically independent planar heaters 11A to 11E. As shown in Fig. 4, the heating plate 10 has planar heaters 11A to 11E sandwiched between metal plates 15A and 15B made of stainless steel alloy or the like. The metal plates 15A and 15B are joined to each other at their peripheries by welding or the like. The metal plates 15A and 15B constituting both sides of the heating plate 10 have the same temperature distribution.

[0022] As shown in Figure 3, the planar heater 11A is a rectangular central planar heater arranged in the center of the heating plate 10, the planar heaters 11B and 11C are first and second rectangular planar heaters arranged adjacent to both sides of the planar heater 11A, and the planar heaters 11D and 11E are third and fourth planar heaters arranged adjacent to both sides of the planar heater 11A and extending from one end of the heating plate 10 to the other end. Each of the planar heaters 11A to 11E is formed by, for example, wiring a heating wire folded back in a zigzag pattern on a substantially rectangular electrically insulating sheet such as mica. The planar heaters 11A to 11E built into the heating plate 10 may be, for example, planar heaters or strip heaters, which will be described below. Planar heaters are classified into the following two types, for example, depending on the material and shape of the heating wire (heating wire). 1) Wire type (also called dual-wire type) Materials: Ni-Cr (nichrome wire), Fe-Cr-Al (iron-chrome wire), Kanthal wire, etc. For example, a wire-shaped heating wire is wound around an insulator or routed on a flat surface of an insulator. In the case of a type in which the wire is wound around an insulator, it is possible to make the winding loose or tight by changing the winding pitch. In addition, in the case of a type in which the wire is routed on a flat surface of an insulator, it is possible to ensure an intimate contact surface by changing the wire layout. 2) Strip type (also called tape type) Materials: Ni-Cr (nichrome wire), Fe-Cr-Al (iron-chrome wire), stainless steel wire, etc. A heating wire is wound around an insulator, or it is etched from a sheet into a flat surface. In the case of a type where a heating wire is wound around an insulator, it is possible to achieve a tight winding by changing the winding pitch. In addition, in the case of a type formed by etching, it is possible to achieve a coarse or dense surface by changing the pattern layout.

[0023] Each of the sheet heaters 11A to 11E is formed so that the amount of heat generated per unit area is uniform within the surface. Furthermore, the sheet heaters 11A to 11E may be formed so that the heat generation amounts per unit area are equal or different. For example, when disturbances on the left and right sides of the heating plate 10 are very large and disturbances in the central region are small, if the heat generation per unit area is equal among the planar heaters 11A to 11E, it may be impossible to make the temperature uniform across the entire surface of the heating plate 10. For this reason, the heat generation (output) per unit area of the planar heaters 11B and 11C arranged on the left and right can be made larger than the heat generation (output) per unit area of the remaining planar heaters 11A, 11D, and 11E under the same current value.

[0024] Each heating plate 10 is provided with one or more temperature sensors 17. The temperature sensors 17 are, for example, thermocouples. In this embodiment, the temperature sensors 17 are provided in the center of the planar heaters 11A and 11C. The number of temperature sensors 17 is not particularly limited, but at least one is required. When one temperature sensor 17 is used, the temperature distribution on the heating plate 10 may be analyzed in advance, and the temperature at each point on the heating plate 10 may be predicted from the value of the temperature sensor 17 at one point. Although temperature sensors 17 may be provided for all of the planar heaters 11A to 11E, from the viewpoint of cost reduction, it is preferable to have fewer temperature sensors 17. In this embodiment, the planar heaters 11A to 11E are arranged symmetrically on the front, back, left and right sides of the heating plate 10, and therefore the temperatures of the remaining planar heaters 11B, 11D, and 11E are estimated from the temperatures detected by the two temperature sensors 17 provided in the centers of the planar heaters 11A and 11C.

[0025] 3, a plurality of power supply lines 16 are connected to each of the planar heaters 11A to 11E, and these power supply lines 16 are all led out to one end and connected to a temperature adjustment device 40. In addition, some of the power supply lines 16 pass between adjacent planar heaters. With this configuration, it is possible to stack a plurality of heating plates 10 without the power supply lines 16 getting in the way.

[0026] In this embodiment, it is assumed that the left and right sides of the heating plate 10, that is, the areas where the planar heaters 11B and 11C are arranged, are placed in an environment where the temperature is more likely to drop than other areas. The temperature control of each planar heater 11A to 11E may be carried out independently to follow the target temperature, but in this embodiment, from the standpoint of cost reduction, etc., the planar heaters 11A, 11D, and 11E in the central region are grouped together, and the planar heaters 11B and 11C on the left and right are grouped together, and temperature control is carried out independently for each group.

[0027] In this embodiment, the planar heater built into the heating plate 10 is divided into multiple parts in accordance with the environmental disturbances to which the heating plate 10 is subjected, so that the in-plane distribution of the heat generation amount of the heating plate 10 can respond to the disturbances from the environment in which the heating plate 10 is installed. By optimizing the in-plane distribution of the heat generation amount of the heating plate 10 in accordance with the environmental disturbances and combining it with the temperature adjustment device 80 described above, it is possible to achieve high in-plane temperature uniformity of the heating plate 10. Furthermore, when multiple heating plates 10 are stacked, heat rises from the bottom to the top, so the temperature of the heating plates 10 arranged at the top becomes higher than that of the heating plates 10 arranged at the bottom. The temperature adjustment device 80 controls the power supply so that the temperatures of all of the multiple heating plates 10 are uniform by relatively reducing the heat generation amount of each of the planar heaters 11A to 11E of the heating plates 10 arranged at the top and relatively increasing the heat generation amount of each of the planar heaters 11A to 11E of the heating plates 10 arranged at the bottom. The configuration of the heating plate 10 is merely an example, and any configuration that can achieve high in-plane temperature uniformity of the heating plate 10 can be used.

[0028] As described above, when high in-plane temperature uniformity of the heating plate 10 is achieved, the temperature of the partition plate 20 sandwiched between the two heating plates 10 is also the same as that of the heating plate 10, and the temperature within each small heating space 25 is also uniform. As a result, the objects W accommodated in each small heating space 25 can be heated uniformly. Furthermore, since each object W is placed on the heating plate 10, heat is easily transferred to the object W quickly, enabling rapid heating. Furthermore, in the heating device 1, if the size of the opening 25a is relatively small compared to the volume of the small heating space 25, air flow within the small heating space 25 occurs only near the opening 25a, and no large air flow occurs inside the small heating space 25. Therefore, particles do not adhere to the object W, and a high level of cleanliness can be maintained.

[0029] Here, a method for dealing with the case where the size of the opening 25a is relatively large compared to the volume of the small heating space 25 will be described. If the area of the opening 25a is relatively large, hot air is likely to be expelled from the small heating space 25 during heating, and at the same time, ambient air is likely to flow into the small heating space 25 from the outside. As a result, the temperature in the small heating space 25 becomes unstable, and the heating space 25 loses its uniform temperature. To prevent this, a shutter that opens and closes the opening 25a can be provided. Also, as shown in FIG. 5, the object to be heated W can be loaded and unloaded using a metal tray 60 having a blocking portion 60a and a flat portion 60b. The flat portion 60b is placed directly on the surface of the heating plate 10. By blocking the opening 25a with the blocking portion 60a, the heating space 25 can maintain uniform temperature.

[0030] Next, a method for treating outgas from the object to be heated W will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 6, a gas supply pipe 40 is provided on the back panel 50B, and gas G is supplied into each small heating space 25 toward the opening 25a. Heated air or an inert gas is used as the gas G. Outgassing generated during heating of the object W is discharged to the outside by the gas G, preventing contamination of the object W by the outgas. If a blocking member is provided at the opening 25a, a gap or exhaust port for discharging the gas G can be formed in the blocking member. The gas G is heated to prevent a drop in the temperature of the heated object W.

[0031] Next, a method for placing the object to be heated W when heating will be described. If the bottom surface of the object to be heated W is flat, it can be placed directly on the surface of the heating plate 10. If the bottom surface of the object to be heated W is not flat, a small gap is formed between the object to be heated W and the surface of the heating plate 10, and the object to be heated W is heated by the proximity method. This prevents the object to be heated W from being heated uniformly. The same applies when a tray 60 is used.

[0032] In the heating device 1 of the above embodiment, the partition plate 20 is not provided with a heat source, but a heater such as a rubber heater can be provided. For example, if the height direction of the opening 25a is high and the height dimension of the partition plate 20 is large, conductive heat may not be sufficiently transferred, resulting in a drop in temperature. However, by providing a heater on the partition plate 20, it is possible to maintain uniform heating.

[0033] In the heating device 1 of the above embodiment, the small heating spaces 25, 25 located at the left and right ends are configured to face the side panels 50L, 50R, respectively. However, in consideration of heat dissipation to the outside, it is also possible to form an insulating layer consisting of a gap between the side panels 50L, 50R and the partition panels 20, 20, as in the heating device 1A shown in Figure 7.

[0034] The heating device according to the present invention can be widely used in fields where it is necessary to precisely heat a large number of objects to be heated simultaneously to a target temperature while maintaining cleanliness. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 1: Heating device 10: Heating plate 11A~11Q: Planar heater 15A, 15B: Metal plate 16:Power line 17: Temperature sensor 20: Partition 25: Small heating space 25a: Opening 80: Temperature control device 50L,50R: Side plate 50B: Back plate 60: Insulated room 71: Top plate 72: Bottom plate 73: Leg member 74: Middle plate 75: Leg member 76: Foundation W: Heated object

Claims

1. a plurality of rectangular heating plates arranged at intervals in the vertical direction; Closure plates for closing the left and right side surfaces and the back surface of a space defined by the heating surfaces of the heating plates facing each other in the vertical direction; a metal partition plate disposed between the heating surfaces of the heating plates facing each other in the vertical direction and dividing the space into a plurality of small heating spaces in the left-right direction; A heating device, wherein each of the plurality of small heating spaces has an opening on its front surface.

2. The heating device according to claim 1 , wherein the heating plate incorporates a plurality of electrically independent heating sources.

3. 3. The heating device according to claim 2, further comprising a temperature control means for controlling the power supplied to said plurality of heat sources so that the temperature of the heating surface of said heating plate becomes uniform.

4. 4. The heating device according to claim 3, wherein the temperature adjusting means controls the heating plates so that the heat generation amount of the heating plate disposed at an upper position among the plurality of heating plates is relatively reduced and the heat generation amount of the heating plate disposed at a lower position is relatively increased.

5. The heating device according to claim 1 , further comprising a closing member that opens and closes the opening.

6. The heating device according to claim 1 , further comprising a tray for carrying an object to be heated into and out of each of the plurality of small heating spaces.

7. The heating device according to claim 1 , further comprising a gas supply unit that introduces gas from a rear side of each of the plurality of small heating spaces toward the opening.

8. The heating device according to claim 1 , wherein a heat insulating layer is formed between the closing plate and the partition plate on the left and right side surfaces.

9. The heating device according to claim 1 , wherein each of said partition plates is provided with a heater.

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