Calcination cooling system

Abstract

To provide a highly productive calcination cooling system.SOLUTION: A calcination cooling system 10 is provided with: a calcination furnace 11 transporting calcination containers C in which objects to be baked are put stacked in a predetermined number of layers and arranged side by side laterally in a predetermined number of rows to bake the objects to be baked; a first transportation device 12 transporting in a row calcination containers placed at an exit of the calcination furnace; a destacking device 13 arranged on the first transportation device; a cooling device 14; and a first reflector device 15. The cooling device 14 is provided with a plurality of cooling passage arranged along a height direction. The cooling passage is configured to cool destacked calcination containers in the predetermined number as being arranged side by side to be transported.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to baking cooling systems. [Background technology]

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2019-184211 discloses a firing furnace that fires a fired object from a firing target. The firing furnace disclosed in this publication includes a supply section that supplies the fired object to a setter on which the fired object is placed, a discharge section that discharges the fired object fired in the firing furnace from the setter, and a conveying section that conveys the setter. The conveying section moves the setter in the order of the supply section, firing furnace, and discharge section, allowing for continuous firing of fired objects. The supply section includes a heating mechanism that heats the fired object and supplies the heated object to the setter. With this configuration, the preheated fired object is supplied to the high-temperature setter and then to the firing furnace. This is said to shorten the time required to heat the fired object and the setter.

[0003] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-85436 discloses a device for reversing a powder container for a heating furnace, which is related to a so-called roller hearth kiln.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2022-150899 discloses a continuous firing system relating to a so-called roller hearth kiln and equipped with a circulation line through which firing vessels circulate.

[0005] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-154856 relates to a so-called roller hearth kiln and discloses devices for changing the number of tiers of firing containers, such as a stacking device and a tiering device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-184211 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-85436 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-150899 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-154856 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, there is no known technology for a processing system that cools the object to be fired A after firing it. We would like to propose a highly productive system for such a system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The baking and cooling system disclosed herein comprises: a firing furnace that stacks firing containers containing objects to be fired in a predetermined number of stages and transports the containers side by side in a predetermined number of rows, and fires the objects to be fired; a first conveying device that is disposed at an outlet of the firing furnace and conveys the firing containers stacked in the predetermined number of tiers in a single line; a tiering device provided on the first conveying device and configured to tier-by-tier disassemble the stacked firing containers; a cooling device disposed downstream of the first transport device relative to the destacking device; a first lifter disposed at an inlet of the cooling device; Equipped with The cooling device includes a plurality of cooling paths arranged along a height direction, The first lifter is configured to arrange the firing containers transported by the first transport device side by side in a predetermined number, lift them up and down to match the height of the cooling path, and introduce the firing containers arranged side by side in a predetermined number into the cooling path, The cooling path is configured to cool a predetermined number of the firing containers while transporting them side by side.

[0009] According to this firing and cooling system, the objects are fired while being transported side by side in a stacked state, and then cooled while being unstacked and transported side by side, thereby enabling efficient firing and cooling of the objects to be fired and improving productivity. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a baking and cooling system 10. As shown in FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view schematically showing the cooling device 14. As shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a side view schematically showing the second transfer device 18. As shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] A typical embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, components and parts that perform the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals. Furthermore, the dimensional relationships (length, width, thickness, etc.) in each drawing do not reflect the actual dimensional relationships.

[0012] <Firing and Cooling System 10> Fig. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a firing and cooling system 10. As shown in Fig. 1, the firing and cooling system 10 includes a firing furnace 11, a first conveying device 12, a destacking device 13, a cooling device 14, a first lifter 15, a second lifter 16, a carry-out device 17, a second conveying device 18, a third conveying device 19, a stacking device 20, and an alignment device 21.

[0013] In this embodiment, the firing and cooling system 10 is configured so that a firing container C containing an object to be fired A circulates through a firing furnace 11, a first conveying device 12, a cooling device 14, a second conveying device 18, and a third conveying device 19. The second conveying device 18 is equipped with a removal device 30 that removes the object to be fired A fired in the firing furnace 11, and a supply device 50 that supplies new object to be fired A, and removes the object to be fired A from the container circulating between the firing furnace 11 and the cooling device 14, or places the object to be fired A into the firing container C. In addition, the second conveying device 18 is provided with a maintenance processing unit 40 that performs maintenance on the firing container C. Each component of the firing and cooling system 10 will be described below.

[0014] <Object to be fired A> The material to be fired A can be, for example, a powder. A typical example of the material to be fired A is, for example, a positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery. A lithium composite metal oxide is used as the positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery. The lithium composite metal oxide is produced by firing a material to be fired, which is a mixture of raw materials, under required conditions. Such a lithium composite metal oxide is generally produced by placing the material to be fired, which is a mixture of raw materials, in a box-shaped setter, also known as a box sagger or sagger, and firing it.

[0015] <Firing vessel C> When firing a formed raw material that has been shaped into a fired object, a plate-shaped setter or an H-shaped setter (a plate-shaped setter with a slightly raised edge) may be used instead of a box-shaped setter. The fired object contains lithium as the positive electrode active material for lithium-ion secondary batteries. Therefore, box-shaped setters and plate-shaped setters (hereinafter collectively referred to as "setters") are required to be corrosion-resistant to lithium.

[0016] In the firing / cooling system 10 shown in FIG. 1, a box-type setter is used as the firing container C. The box-type setter may be a setter (a dense ceramic box-type setter) made of ceramics such as high-purity alumina or alumina mixed with ZrO2, SiO2, MgO, Si3N4, etc. Such a dense ceramic box-type setter has high corrosion resistance even against lithium. The firing container C may also be a lidded container to which a lid can be attached.

[0017] <Kiln 11> The firing furnace 11 is a device that stacks firing containers C containing objects A in a predetermined number of layers and transports them side by side in a predetermined number of rows, firing the objects A. The firing furnace 11 is a linear tunnel-type heating furnace that runs along the transport direction W1. In FIG. 1, a portion of the tunnel-type heating furnace is partially cut away to expose the interior of the firing furnace 11. The firing furnace 11 has rollers (not shown) arranged intermittently perpendicular to the transport direction. This firing furnace 11 may be referred to as a "roller hearth kiln." In this embodiment, the firing furnace 11 is configured to transport the firing containers C stacked in a predetermined number of layers, side by side in a predetermined number of rows in the width direction. The size of the firing space of the firing furnace 11 is determined appropriately depending on the size of the firing containers C to be transported and the number of layers and rows when transporting. For example, a total of 10 containers can be transported side by side in 2 rows x 5 columns with the same timing. Note that the size of the baking containers C to be transported and the number of rows and columns when transporting are not limited to 2 rows x 5 columns.

[0018] Although not shown in the drawings, in this embodiment, the firing furnace 11 is equipped with a heater and has several partitions arranged along the conveying direction W1. The firing furnace 11 is connected to a gas supply pipe for supplying atmospheric gas and a gas exhaust pipe for exhausting internal gas. As a result, several zones are formed in the firing furnace 11 along the conveying direction W1, and a required firing temperature and required firing atmosphere are formed in each zone.

[0019] <Inlet side exchange chamber 11a, outlet side exchange chamber 11b> The firing furnace 11 has replacement chambers 11a and 11b arranged on the entrance and exit sides, respectively. An entrance-side transfer space 11c surrounded by a hood is provided between the entrance of the firing furnace 11 and the entrance-side replacement chamber 11a. An exit-side transfer space 11d surrounded by a hood is provided between the exit of the firing furnace 11 and the exit-side replacement chamber 11b. The replacement chambers 11a and 11b adjust the atmosphere on the entrance and exit sides of the firing furnace 11. The entrance-side replacement chamber 11a adjusts the atmosphere of the material A to be fired without exposing it to the outside air before it is introduced into the firing furnace 11. The exit-side replacement chamber 11b adjusts the atmosphere of the material A to be fired without exposing it to the outside air before it is transported out of the firing furnace 11.

[0020] <First horizontal transfer conveyor 61> In this embodiment, a first horizontal transfer conveyor 61 is provided at the entrance of the entrance-side replacement chamber 11a. A third transfer device 19 is connected to the first horizontal transfer conveyor 61. The entrance-side replacement chamber 11a has shutters on the side where the materials are carried in from the third transfer device 19 (the side of the first horizontal transfer conveyor 61) and on the side where the materials are carried in to the firing furnace 11. With the shutter on the side where the materials are carried out to the firing furnace 11 closed, the side where the materials are carried in from the third transfer device 19 (the side of the first horizontal transfer conveyor 61) is open, and a predetermined number of firing containers C stacked in a predetermined number of layers and lined up side by side are carried in to the entrance-side replacement chamber 11a.

[0021] The first horizontal transfer conveyor 61 is equipped with an alignment device 21 that aligns a predetermined number of baking containers C. Here, the baking containers C are stacked in a predetermined number of layers. The first horizontal transfer conveyor 61 also has a traverser 22 that discharges the baking containers in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction W4 of the third transfer device 19. The traverser 22 is composed of a roller conveyor oriented in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction W4 of the third transfer device 19.

[0022] In the entrance-side replacement chamber 11a, after the firing container C is carried in from the first horizontal transfer conveyor 61, the shutter on the side where it is carried in from the third transfer device 19 (the side of the first horizontal transfer conveyor 61) is closed, and the atmosphere is replaced to an atmosphere appropriate for the interior of the firing furnace 11. Then, after the atmosphere is replaced in the entrance-side replacement chamber 11a, the shutter on the side where it is carried out to the firing furnace 11 is opened, and the firing container C is introduced into the entrance-side transfer space 11c on the entrance side of the firing furnace 11. The entrance-side transfer space 11c is surrounded by a hood, and an atmosphere appropriate for the interior of the firing furnace 11 is maintained. In this embodiment, the first horizontal transfer conveyor 61 is provided with a mechanism for aligning the firing containers C at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the firing furnace 11. Furthermore, the entrance-side transfer space 11c surrounded by the hood is provided with a mechanism 11c1 for aligning the firing containers C at predetermined intervals along the transfer direction of the firing furnace 11, although specific illustration is omitted. The mechanism 11c1 for aligning the firing containers C can be any of various mechanisms for aligning the firing containers C on the conveying device. A sensor is attached to the portion where the firing containers C are conveyed from the inlet-side replacement chamber 11a to the inlet-side conveying space 11c. The firing container C conveyed from the inlet-side replacement chamber 11a is detected by the sensor and is fast-forwarded a predetermined distance so that the distance between it and the previously conveyed firing container C is constant.

[0023] The material to be baked A placed in the baking container C in this manner is introduced into the baking furnace 11 from the first horizontal transfer conveyor 61 through the entrance-side replacement chamber 11a. In this embodiment, a total of 10 baking containers C arranged horizontally in 2 tiers x 5 rows are introduced from the third transfer device 19 into the first horizontal transfer conveyor 61. Next, the baking containers C are arranged at a predetermined interval by the alignment device 21. Then, the atmosphere of the 2 tiers x 5 rows of baking containers C arranged at a predetermined interval by the alignment device 21 is adjusted in the entrance-side replacement chamber 11a. After that, in the entrance-side transfer space 11c surrounded by a hood, they are aligned at a predetermined interval in the transfer direction and introduced into the baking furnace 11.

[0024] <Kiln 11> The firing furnace 11 is a tunnel-type heating furnace with multiple rollers arranged along the conveying direction W1. The rotation axis of each roller is arranged perpendicular to the conveying direction W1. The firing furnace 11 is a so-called roller hearth kiln, in which firing containers C are transported by the multiple rollers arranged in this manner. In this embodiment, the firing furnace 11 transports multiple firing containers C containing the object to be fired A in a horizontal row with a predetermined number of tiers. In this case, the transported firing containers C are transported horizontally with space between them. The rollers can be ceramic rollers. Although ceramic rollers are cylindrical, they are subject to deflection and distortion. For this reason, the firing containers C transported horizontally with space between them tend to shift slightly forward and backward during transport. The firing containers C transported from the firing furnace 11 are introduced into the outlet-side transport space 11d of the firing furnace 11. The outlet-side transfer space 11d is a space surrounded by a hood, and an atmosphere corresponding to that inside the firing furnace 11 is maintained.

[0025] The exit-side conveying space 11d of the firing furnace 11 may be provided with an alignment mechanism 11e that aligns the firing containers C containing the object to be fired A in the front-to-back and width directions for each horizontal row. The alignment mechanism 11e may be composed of, for example, a stopper and a width-aligning device. The stopper is a device that aligns the front-to-back positions of multiple firing containers C containing the object to be fired A for each horizontal row. The width-aligning device is a device that aligns multiple firing containers C containing the object to be fired A to a predetermined position in the width direction for each horizontal row. The width-aligning device may be composed of a push-out arm configured to advance in the width direction of the firing furnace 11. In this way, by providing the alignment mechanism 11e in the exit-side conveying space 11d, the firing containers C can be smoothly transported out, reducing transport problems.

[0026] The exit-side conveying space 11d may also be provided with a mechanism for correcting any front-to-rear misalignment of the firing containers C that occurs in the firing furnace 11. The mechanism for correcting any front-to-rear misalignment of the firing containers C that occurs in the firing furnace 11 may be, for example, a mechanism using rollers of different diameters. The exit-side conveying space 11d is also provided with a mechanism for fast-forwarding a row of firing containers C along the width direction, separating them from the row of firing containers C behind them, and introducing them row by row into a width alignment device.

[0027] In this embodiment, an outlet-side replacement chamber 11b is provided downstream of the outlet-side transfer space 11d. In the outlet-side replacement chamber 11b, the atmospheric gas corresponding to the inside of the calcination furnace 11 is replaced with an appropriate atmospheric gas. Furthermore, a second horizontal transfer conveyor 62 is provided at the exit of the outlet-side replacement chamber 11b. The second horizontal transfer conveyor 62 is connected to the first transfer device 12. The outlet-side replacement chamber 11b has shutters on the exit side of the calcination furnace 11 and on the side that is carried out to the first transfer device 12 (the side of the second horizontal transfer conveyor 62). With the shutter on the side that is carried out to the first transfer device 12 (the side of the second horizontal transfer conveyor 62) closed, calcination containers C stacked in a predetermined number of layers (two layers in this embodiment) and lined up side by side are carried into the outlet-side replacement chamber 11b from the calcination furnace 11. Then, the shutter on the exit side of the calcination furnace 11 is closed, and the atmosphere in the outlet-side replacement chamber 11b is replaced. After the atmosphere is replaced in the outlet-side replacement chamber 11b, the shutter on the outlet side of the outlet-side replacement chamber 11b is opened, and the firing container C is carried out to the second horizontal transfer conveyor 62.

[0028] The conveying direction W2 of the first conveying device 12 is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the outlet-side replacement chamber 11b (the conveying direction W1 of the calcination furnace 11) by the second horizontal transfer conveyor 62. The second horizontal transfer conveyor 62 is equipped with a traverser for changing the direction of the calcination containers C stacked in a predetermined number of layers (two layers in this embodiment) along the conveying direction W2 of the first conveying device 12 and conveying them out. The first conveying device 12 is composed of a roller conveyor. The calcination containers C stacked in a predetermined number of layers (two layers in this embodiment) are conveyed in a single file from the second horizontal transfer conveyor 62 to the first conveying device 12. In this way, the exit side of the calcination furnace 11 is connected to the first conveying device 12 via the outlet-side transfer space 11d surrounded by a hood, the outlet-side replacement chamber 11b, and the second horizontal transfer conveyor 62.

[0029] <First conveyance device 12> The first conveying device 12 is disposed at the exit of the firing furnace 11 and conveys firing containers C stacked in a predetermined number of layers in a single row. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the firing containers C are conveyed in a single row of 2 layers x 5 rows in the firing furnace 11. The first conveying device 12 conveys the firing containers C in a single row while maintaining the same number of layers when conveyed through the firing furnace 11. In this manner, at the exit of the firing furnace 11, the number of layers of firing containers C when conveyed by the first conveying device 12 is the same as the number of layers when conveyed through the firing furnace 11. In this embodiment, the conveying direction W2 of the first conveying device 12 is configured to be perpendicular to the conveying direction W1 of the firing furnace 11.

[0030] <Destacking device 13> The de-stacking device 13 is provided in the first conveying device 12. The de-stacking device 13 is a device that separates stacked firing containers C into individual layers. Here, the de-stacking device 13 separates the firing containers C, which are stacked in a predetermined number of layers when transported by the first conveying device 12, into individual layers at the outlet of the firing furnace 11. For example, in the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the first conveying device 12 transports the firing containers C in a line in a two-layered state at the outlet of the firing furnace 11. The de-stacking device 13 separates the firing containers C into individual layers. Downstream of the de-stacking device 13, the stacked state of the firing containers C is dissolved, and they are transported in a line in a single layer.

[0031] Various other devices may be arranged in the first conveying device 12. For example, in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the first conveying device 12 is provided with a lid removing device 13a and a crushing device 13b.

[0032] <Cover removal device 13a> Here, the firing containers C transported through the firing furnace 11 are stacked as described above, but a lid may be attached to the topmost firing container C. In this case, it is preferable that the lid is removed before the firing container is sent to the cooling device 14. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a lid removing device 13a is provided upstream of the de-stacking device 13. The lid removing device 13a is an existing known technology, and various lid removing devices suitable for the firing container C can be used.

[0033] <Crushing device 13b> Furthermore, the material A to be baked in the baking furnace 11 may go from a powder state to a state in which the powder sticks together due to baking. The crusher 13b is a device that loosens the material A to be baked baked in the baking furnace 11. Existing publicly known technology is available for the crusher 13b, and an appropriate device can be used depending on the state of the material A to be baked baked in the baking container C. For example, a method can be used in which a plate with needles, like a pin holder, is used to break up lumps of the material A to be baked.

[0034] <First Traverser 51> In this embodiment, a first traverser 51 is provided at the end of the first conveying device 12. The first traverser 51 is a device that changes the direction of the baking container C that has been conveyed by the first conveying device 12 and moves it toward the cooling device 14. The first traverser 51 may be equipped with a mechanism that moves the baking container C in a direction perpendicular to the first conveying device 12. The mechanism of the first traverser 51 may be embodied, for example, by a roller conveyor arranged in a direction perpendicular to the first conveying device 12.

[0035] <Cover 12a> In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the firing / cooling system 10 includes a cover 12a that encloses the transport space for the firing container C from the exit of the firing furnace 11 to the cooling device 14. In this embodiment, the exit of the firing furnace 11 includes an exit-side transport space 11d and an exit-side replacement chamber 11b, both of which are enclosed by a hood. A cover 12a is provided from the exit of the exit-side replacement chamber 11b to the second horizontal transfer conveyor 62 and the first transport device 12. The cover 12a is also attached to the first traverser 51 and the first lifter 15, which are devices on the entrance side of the cooling device 14. The cover 12a is preferably configured to keep the transport space for the firing container C airtight. This prevents the material A placed in the firing container C from being exposed to the outside air between the exit of the firing furnace 11 and the cooling device 14. By providing such a cover 12a, the transfer space of the firing container C can be adjusted to an appropriate atmosphere from the exit of the firing furnace 11 to the cooling device 14. Although not shown, a gas adjustment pipe for adjusting the atmospheric gas may be connected to the space surrounded by such a cover 12a from the exit of the firing furnace 11 to the cooling device 14. The gas adjustment pipe may, for example, supply the atmospheric gas from below to the space surrounded by the cover 12a. Furthermore, a cooling gas may be introduced into the transfer space of the firing container C.

[0036] <Cooling device 14> The cooling device 14 is disposed downstream of the first conveying device 12 relative to the de-stacking device 13. FIG. 2 is a side view schematically illustrating the cooling device 14. The cooling device 14 includes a plurality of cooling paths 14a, 14b arranged along the height direction. The plurality of cooling paths 14a, 14b are each a conveying path for the firing containers C in the cooling device 14. In this embodiment, the conveying direction W3 of the plurality of cooling paths 14a, 14b is parallel to and opposite to the conveying direction W1 of the firing furnace 11. The cooling device 14 may have a structure in which, for example, cooling pipes 14c for passing a refrigerant (water or gas) are inserted through the internal space of the cooling paths 14a, 14b. The cooling pipes 14c may be configured as fin pipes (also referred to as fin tubes) having fins on the outer periphery within the internal space of the cooling paths 14a, 14b. By passing the cooling pipe 14c through the cooling paths 14a and 14b, the atmosphere of the cooling paths 14a and 14b is cooled by heat dissipation from the cooling pipe 14c, and the baking object A placed in the baking container C being transported is cooled. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the cooling pipe 14c, which passes a refrigerant (water or gas) through the internal space of the cooling paths 14a and 14b, is arranged upstream of the cooling paths 14a and 14b. Although not shown, in this embodiment, the cooling paths 14a and 14b are further connected to pipes that introduce refrigerant gas into each of the spaces of the cooling paths 14a and 14b (the spaces through which the baking container C is transported). By introducing refrigerant gas into the spaces through which the baking container C is transported in the cooling paths 14a and 14b, the baking object A in the baking container C can be directly cooled.

[0037] <1st Lifter 15> The first lifter 15 is a lifter disposed at the entrance of the cooling device 14. The first lifter 15 is equipped with a lifting mechanism 15a and a conveyor mechanism 15b. The first lifter 15 accommodates the baking containers C transported by the first transport device 12, arranged side by side in a predetermined number. The first lifter 15 then raises and lowers the baking containers C to match the height of the cooling paths 14a and 14b, and introduces the baking containers C, arranged side by side in a predetermined number, into the cooling paths 14a and 14b. The first lifter 15 lifts the baking containers C transported by the first transport device 12 in a predetermined number and supplies them to the cooling paths 14a and 14b of the cooling device 14 in sequence. Note that the first lifter 15 basically supplies the baking containers C to the cooling paths 14a and 14b of the cooling device 14 in sequence, but is not limited to this. For example, there may be a case where one of the cooling paths 14a and 14b of the cooling device 14 is unable to supply the firing containers C due to a problem. In such a case, the first lifter 15 may be configured to supply the firing containers C only to one of the cooling paths 14a and 14b that is capable of supplying the firing containers C.

[0038] Thus, in this embodiment, at the end of the first conveying device 12, the number of firing containers C conveyed side by side in a row along the cooling paths 14a and 14b are transferred to the first lifter 15 by the first traverser 51. Furthermore, the firing containers C are sequentially supplied to the cooling paths 14a and 14b of the cooling device 14 by the first lifter 15. The first conveying device 12, the first traverser 51, and the first lifter 15 may be controlled, for example, by a predetermined sequence control.

[0039] <Cooling path 14a, 14b> The cooling paths 14a and 14b are each configured to cool a predetermined number of firing containers C while transporting them in a horizontally arranged state. In this embodiment, the cooling paths 14a and 14b are each configured to transport five firing containers C in a horizontally arranged state. In this way, in the cooling paths 14a and 14b, the stacked firing containers C are cooled while being transported in a horizontally arranged state.

[0040] For example, when baking containers C are stacked, the refrigerant will reach the baking object A placed in the upper baking container C differently from the baking container C placed in the lower baking container C. Furthermore, when baking containers C are stacked, the lower baking containers C tend to retain heat and are therefore more difficult to cool. In contrast, in the configuration shown in FIG. 2, the baking containers C are transported in a disassembled state along the multiple cooling paths 14a and 14b. Therefore, the baking object A placed in the baking containers C is uniformly exposed to cool air. Therefore, the cooling device 14 can uniformly cool the baking object A placed in the baking containers C by dissipating heat. Furthermore, the cooling device 14 can cool a predetermined number of baking containers C while transporting them side by side. This shortens the lead time for the process of cooling the baking containers C.

[0041] The conveying direction W2 of the cooling paths 14a and 14b of the cooling device 14 is arranged parallel to the conveying direction W1 of the firing furnace 11. Therefore, the firing furnace 11 can be configured compactly as a whole.

[0042] The number of cooling paths 14a, 14b in the cooling device 14 corresponds to, for example, the predetermined number of rows of firing containers C in the firing furnace 11. Furthermore, the number of firing containers C arranged horizontally in the cooling paths 14a, 14b in the cooling device 14 corresponds to the predetermined number of rows in the firing furnace 11 (in other words, the number of rows in which firing containers C are arranged horizontally in the firing furnace 11). In this case, it is easy to match the number of processes per row in the firing furnace 11 with the number of processes per row in the cooling device 14. It is easy to match the number of firing containers C per row and the processing time between the firing process and the cooling process. Note that the number of firing containers C arranged horizontally and the number of rows are not limited to the numbers exemplified here unless otherwise specified.

[0043] In this embodiment, a second lifter 16, a carry-out device 17, and a second transport device 18 are provided at the outlet of the cooling device 14.

[0044] <2nd Lifter 16> The second lifter 16 is a device that introduces the firing containers C, which have been lined up in a predetermined number of rows and come out of the multiple cooling paths 14a, 14b, into the carry-out device 17. In this embodiment, the second lifter 16 is equipped with a lifting mechanism 16a and a conveyor mechanism 16b. The second lifter 16 receives the firing containers C, which have been lined up in a predetermined number of rows and come out of the multiple cooling paths 14a, 14b. The second lifter 16 then moves up and down to match the height of the carry-out device 17, and carries the firing containers C out to the carry-out device 17. In this way, the second lifter 16 is a device that vertically transports the firing containers C, which have been lined up in a predetermined number of rows and come out of the multiple cooling paths 14a, 14b, and carries them out to the carry-out device 17.

[0045] <Export device 17> The carry-out device 17 is a device that carries out the baking containers C, which are introduced from the second lifter 16 and arranged horizontally in a predetermined number, one by one to the second conveying device 18. In this embodiment, the carry-out device 17 is configured to be able to arrange the baking containers C horizontally in a predetermined number. The second conveying device 18 is connected to one end of the carry-out device 17. The carry-out device 17 is provided with a conveyor 17a and a traverser 17b. The conveyor 17a is a mechanism that moves the baking containers C toward the end connected to the second conveying device 18. The traverser 17b is a mechanism that transports the baking containers C one by one from the carry-out device 17 to the second conveying device 18. The conveyor 17a and the traverser 17b are each composed of a roller conveyor. The second lifter 16 and the carry-out device 17 may be controlled, for example, by a predetermined sequence control.

[0046] <Second conveying device 18> 3 is a side view schematically showing the second conveying device 18. In the second conveying device 18, the firing containers C are conveyed one by one in a line. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the second conveying device 18 includes a removal device 30, a maintenance processing unit 40, and a supply device 50.

[0047] <Ejecting device 30> The second conveying device 18 is equipped with a take-out device 30. The take-out device 30 is a device that removes the carry-out device 17 from the baking container C. In this embodiment, lifters 32 and 33 are provided before and after the take-out device 30, and a conveying path 34 that conveys the baking container C is provided at a high position. The conveying path 34, which is provided at this high position, is provided with an inversion mechanism 36 that inverts the baking container C upside down, and a collection unit 37 that collects the baking object A, which is the content of the baking container C, below the position where the baking container C is inverted. In this embodiment, the conveying path 34 is provided with two units: an inversion mechanism 36, a collection unit 37, and a collection container 38. The baking container C is sent to each unit one by one, and the baking object A is removed from each unit. This adjusts the lead time of the process.

[0048] <Maintenance processing unit 40> The maintenance processing unit 40 is a processing unit that performs maintenance on the circulating firing containers C, such as cleaning and inspecting the firing containers C and replacing them if any defects are found. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the maintenance processing unit 40 includes a cleaning device 42, a container inspection device 44, a container discharge device 45, and a container insertion device 46.

[0049] <Cleaning device 42> The cleaning device 42 is a device that cleans the firing container C. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, two cleaning devices 42 are provided in the second conveying device 18 downstream of the take-out device 30. The cleaning devices 42 may be devices that suction the inside of the firing container C or apply a brush.

[0050] <Container Inspection Device 44> The container inspection device 44 is a device that inspects the firing container C for damage. Damage to the firing container C may be checked, for example, by checking whether the firing container C is damaged based on an image taken by a camera. The determination of whether the firing container C is damaged may be made using, for example, a determination device incorporating AI (Artificial Intelligence) that has been trained in advance by machine learning.

[0051] <Container discharge device 45, container input device 46> As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the container discharge device 45 is a device that discharges the baking container C from the second conveying device 18. The container discharge device 45 is a device that discharges the baking container C into a container discharge path 45a that branches off from the second conveying device 18. The container discharge device 45 is configured to eject a baking container C that is determined to be damaged by the container inspection device 44 into the container discharge path 45a. The container discharge device 45 may, for example, be equipped with a roller conveyor that sends the baking container C toward the container discharge path 45a. The container insertion device 46 is a device that inserts the baking container C into the second conveying device 18. When the baking container C is ejected into the container discharge path 45a by the container discharge device 45, the container insertion device 46 inserts the baking container C from the container insertion path 46a into the second conveying device 18. In this way, in this firing cooling system 10, the firing containers C are circulated, and are inspected as appropriate. If a defect is found, the firing container C is discharged into the container discharge path 45a, and a new firing container C is introduced. This allows the quality of the firing containers C to be maintained high, and defects caused by the firing containers C to be reduced. Although not shown, the container introduction device 46 may be connected to a stockyard where firing containers C are stocked.

[0052] <Feeding device 50> The supply device 50 is a device that supplies the baking material A to the baking container C. The supply device 50 is provided to supply the baking material. As shown in FIG. 3, the supply device 50 may include a hopper 61, a feeder 62, and the like. In this manner, the second conveying device 18 supplies the baking material A to the baking container C. In addition, the second conveying device 18 is provided with a slitting device 54 downstream of the supply device 50. The slitting device 54 is, for example, a device that presses a pressing member having a plate shape or a predetermined shape against the surface of the baking material A (powder) placed in the baking container C. The slitting device 54 can be a device that uses the pressing member to make multiple ridges or depressions in the surface of the baking material A (powder) to increase the surface area of ​​the baking material A (powder). These multiple ridges are made on the surface of the baked object A so that the baked object can be easily crushed or so that heat can be uniformly applied to the baked object. Although not shown in the figure, a leveling device may be provided upstream of the slitting device 54. The leveling device may be, for example, a device that uses a brush or the like to level the surface of the baked object A placed in the baking container C.

[0053] In this embodiment, the terminal end of the second conveying device 18 extends to a position opposite the first horizontal transfer conveyor 61 arranged on the entrance side of the firing furnace 11. A second traverser 52 is provided at the terminal end of the second conveying device 18. The terminal end of the second conveying device 18 is connected to the third conveying device 19 via the second traverser 52. The second traverser 52 is a device that conveys from the terminal end of the second conveying device 18 toward the third conveying device 19. In this embodiment, the conveying direction W4 of the third conveying device 19 is configured to be perpendicular to the conveying direction W3 of the second conveying device 18. The second traverser 52 is provided with a roller conveyor aligned with the conveying direction of the second conveying device 18 and a roller conveyor that sends out the firing container C toward the conveying direction of the third conveying device 19. In this way, the second traverser 52 that changes the orientation of the firing container C is provided at the connection between the terminal end of the second conveying device 18 and the third conveying device 19.

[0054] <Third conveying device 19> The third conveying device 19 is configured to change direction from the second conveying device 18 and convey the firing containers C from the terminal end of the second conveying device 18 toward the first horizontal transfer conveyor 61. Here, a roller conveyor is installed in the third conveying device 19. In this embodiment, as described above, the third conveying device 19 is a device that conveys the firing containers C stacked in a predetermined number of layers in a single file onto the first horizontal transfer conveyor 61 arranged at the entrance of the firing furnace 11.

[0055] <Stacking device 20> The third conveying device 19 is equipped with a stacking device 20. The stacking device 20 is a device that stacks the firing containers C in a predetermined number of layers. As an example, the device disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-154856 can be used as the stacking device 20. In this embodiment, the firing containers C are stacked in two layers in the third conveying device 19 and introduced into the first horizontal transfer conveyor 61 located on the entrance side of the firing furnace 11. As described above, the first horizontal transfer conveyor 61 is equipped with the alignment device 21 and traverser 22, and the firing containers C are arranged in two layers x five rows at predetermined intervals. Then, after being partitioned by shutters and the atmosphere is adjusted, the firing containers C are introduced into the firing furnace 11 through the entrance-side replacement chamber 11a of the firing furnace 11.

[0056] <Lid attachment device 20a> Here, the firing containers C transported through the firing furnace 11 are stacked as described above, and a lid may be attached to the topmost firing container C. In this case, it is preferable that the lid be attached after the containers are stacked by the stacking device 20 and before they are sent to the firing furnace 11. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a lid attachment device 20a is provided downstream of the stacking device 20. The lid attachment device 20a is a known technology. In this firing and cooling system 10, various lid removal devices can be used depending on the firing container C. Although not shown, the firing and cooling system 10 may also include a transfer device that sends the lids removed by the lid removal device 13a to the lid attachment device 20a. The transfer device that sends the lids removed by the lid removal device 13a to the lid attachment device 20a may also be provided with a device for cleaning the lids, a device for inspecting the lids, a device for replacing the lids, and the like. In this embodiment, the stacking device 20 and the lid attachment device 20a are arranged on the conveying path of the third conveying device 19, but unless otherwise specified, this is not limiting. For example, the stacking device 20 and the lid attachment device 20a may be located downstream of the slitting device 54, or may be arranged on the conveying path of the second conveying device 18.

[0057] As described above, in the firing and cooling system 10 shown in FIG. 1, in the firing furnace 11, firing containers C containing the object A to be fired are transported side by side in two tiers x five rows, while the object A is fired. After leaving the firing furnace 11, the firing containers C containing the object A to be fired are transported in a line, stacked in two tiers, through the first conveying device 12. The first conveying device 12 is provided with a tiering device 13. The tiers are separated by the tiering device 13, and the firing containers C are transported in a line, one tier x one row. In the cooling device, the firing containers C are turned around by the second conveying device 18 and introduced into the cooling paths 14a and 14b in a state where five containers are arranged side by side in one tier (one tier x five rows). After leaving the cooling paths 14a and 14b, the firing containers C are introduced into the second conveying device 18 via the traverser 22. Then, in the second conveying device 18, the baking containers C are again conveyed lined up in one row by one tier. The second conveying device 18 is provided with a removal device 30 that removes the baking object A from the baking container C and a maintenance processing unit 40 that cleans, inspects, and replaces the baking container C. In the second conveying device 18, the baking object A is supplied to the baking container C after the maintenance processing. Then, the baking containers C are stacked and introduced into the baking furnace 11 by the third conveying device 19. In this way, in the baking and cooling system 10, the baking containers C are circulated between the baking furnace 11 and the cooling device 14, and the baking object A is baked. Here, the number of tiers and rows of the baking containers C conveyed in the baking furnace 11 of the baking and cooling system 10, the number of cooling paths 14a, 14b, and the number of rows of the baking containers C conveyed are not limited to those described above.

[0058] In the firing and cooling system 10 disclosed herein, as described above, in the firing furnace 11, firing containers C containing the object A are stacked in a predetermined number of layers and transported side by side in a predetermined number of rows, while firing the object A. Therefore, the firing process is performed on the firing containers C containing the object A in a stacked state. In the cooling device 14, the firing containers C containing the object A are separated layer by layer and introduced into the cooling paths 14a and 14b in a side by side state. On the other hand, in the cooling device 14, the firing containers C containing the object A are introduced into the cooling paths 14a and 14b separated layer by layer. Therefore, heat is not trapped and cooling can be performed in a shorter time. This shortens the lead time for the firing process. That is, according to the firing and cooling system 10, the firing containers C are stacked in layers and transported side by side in the firing furnace 11, and then unstacked and cooled in the cooling paths 14a and 14b while being transported side by side. This allows the firing and cooling processes of the firing object to be performed efficiently, improving productivity.

[0059] Here, the cooling paths 14a, 14b and the firing furnace 11 are preferably arranged in parallel. Furthermore, the first conveying device 12 provided with the de-stacking device 13 is preferably arranged in a direction perpendicular to the cooling paths 14a, 14b and the firing furnace 11. The cooling paths 14a, 14b and the firing furnace 11 necessarily require a required length, taking into account factors such as firing time. In contrast, the first conveying device 12 provided with the de-stacking device 13 does not require a long distance. Furthermore, the firing containers C are de-stacking and transported in a row along the multiple cooling paths 14a, 14b. This allows the firing / cooling system 10 as a whole to be configured compactly.

[0060] Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the second conveying device 18 is preferably arranged parallel to the conveying direction W1 of the firing furnace 11, and the third conveying device 19 is preferably arranged perpendicular to the conveying direction W1 of the firing furnace 11. Therefore, the entire system 10 has a rectangular circulation path in a plan view, resulting in a compact overall configuration. Here, a destacker 13 is provided at a position where the firing containers C are transferred from the firing furnace 11 to the cooling paths 14a and 14b. The first conveying device 12 provided with the destacker 13 is arranged perpendicular to the cooling paths 14a and 14b and the firing furnace 11, but this is not a limitation. For example, the first conveying device 12 provided with the destacker 13 may be provided parallel to the cooling paths 14a and 14b and the firing furnace 11.

[0061] Furthermore, it is preferable that the number of cooling paths 14a, 14b matches the predetermined number of rows of firing containers C in the firing furnace 11, and the number of firing containers C arranged side by side in the cooling paths 14a, 14b matches the predetermined number of rows of firing containers C in the firing furnace 11. This makes the total number of processes in one row of the multiple cooling paths 14a, 14b in the cooling device 14 match the number of processes in one row in the firing furnace 11. This makes it easier to align the lead time of the cooling device 14 and the lead time of the firing furnace 11. This makes it easier to control the firing / cooling system 10 as a whole.

[0062] At the exit of the cooling device 14, a second lifter 16, a carry-out device 17, and a second conveying device 18 are provided. The second lifter 16 is a device that introduces the firing containers C, which are arranged horizontally in groups of a predetermined number and come out of the multiple cooling paths 14a, 14b, into the carry-out device 17. The carry-out device 17 is a device that carries the firing containers C, which are arranged horizontally in groups of a predetermined number and come out of the second lifter 16, one by one to the second conveying device 18. With this configuration, the firing containers C are transported in a single line after leaving the cooling device 14. This simplifies the configuration of the second conveying device 18 that transports the firing containers C.

[0063] The second conveying device 18 may be provided with a removal device 30, a maintenance processing unit 40, and a supplying device 50 for placing the material to be sintered A into the sintering container C. The second conveying device 18 is connected downstream of the supplying device 50 to a third conveying device 19 that transports the sintering container C toward the sintering furnace 11. The third conveying device 19 may be provided with a stacking device 20 for stacking the sintering containers C. This allows the sintering containers C to be circulated through the sintering furnace 11, the first conveying device 12, the cooling device 14, the second conveying device 18, and the third conveying device 19, allowing the material to be sintered A to be continuously sintered, cooled, removed, and supplied, thereby improving the productivity of the sintering process. This sintering process may be suitably employed, for example, for sintering powders such as the positive electrode active material (lithium-containing composite oxide) of lithium-ion secondary batteries. Although the firing and cooling system 10 is illustrated as being used to fire powder such as a positive electrode active material (lithium-containing composite oxide) for lithium-ion secondary batteries, it can also be used suitably for other applications, such as negative electrode materials for secondary batteries, alumina powder, ceramic powder, and carbon powder.

[0064] Furthermore, in the form shown in Figure 1, a rectangular circulation path for the firing container C is formed when viewed in a plane, but unless otherwise specified, the rectangular circulation path for the firing container C is not limited to such a form.

[0065] For example, the firing furnace 11 may be installed on the first floor of the facility, and the cooling device 14 may be installed on an upper floor of the facility. In this case, a transport path may be configured such that the firing container C is transported by a lifter from the outlet-side replacement chamber 11b provided at the exit of the firing furnace 11 to the upper floor, where it is de-staged and introduced into the cooling paths 14a, 14b of the cooling device 14. Alternatively, the firing object A may be removed from the firing container C cooled in the cooling paths 14a, 14b of the cooling device 14, and then the firing object A may be placed in the firing container C, lowered downstairs, stacked, and introduced into the inlet-side replacement chamber 11a provided at the entrance of the firing furnace 11. In this way, the firing and cooling system 10 may have a three-dimensional circulation path configured, including in the height direction.

[0066] Although the invention disclosed herein has been described in detail above, these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. Furthermore, the disclosure herein can be modified in various ways, and as long as no particular problem arises, each component and each process mentioned herein can be omitted or combined as appropriate.

[0067] This specification includes inventions identified in the following sections:

[0068] Section 1: a firing furnace that stacks firing containers containing objects to be fired in a predetermined number of stages and transports the containers side by side in a predetermined number of rows, and fires the objects to be fired; a first conveying device that is disposed at an outlet of the firing furnace and conveys the firing containers stacked in the predetermined number of tiers in a single line; a tiering device provided on the first conveying device and configured to tier-by-tier disassemble the stacked firing containers; a cooling device disposed downstream of the first transport device relative to the destacking device; a first lifter disposed at an inlet of the cooling device; Equipped with The cooling device includes a plurality of cooling paths arranged along a height direction, The first lifter is configured to arrange the firing containers transported by the first transport device side by side in a predetermined number, lift them up and down to match the height of the cooling path, and introduce the firing containers arranged side by side in a predetermined number into the cooling path, The cooling path is configured to cool a predetermined number of the firing containers while transporting them side by side. Firing cooling system.

[0069] Section 2: The cooling passage and the firing furnace are arranged in parallel, and Item 2. The firing and cooling system according to item 1, wherein the first conveying device is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the cooling path of the cooling device and the firing furnace.

[0070] Section 3: The number of the cooling passages corresponds to a predetermined number of stages of firing containers in the firing furnace, and 3. The firing and cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the number of firing containers arranged side by side in the cooling path of the cooling device matches the predetermined number of rows of firing containers in the firing furnace.

[0071] Section 4: a second lifter, a carrying-out device, and a second conveying device are provided at the outlet of the cooling device; The second lifter is a device for introducing the firing containers, which have come out of the plurality of cooling paths and are arranged side by side in predetermined numbers, into the carrying-out device; The carrying-out device a device that carries out the firing containers, which are introduced from the second lifter and arranged side by side in a predetermined number, one by one to the second transport device; 4. A baking and cooling system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

[0072] Section 5: The second conveying device is A removal device is provided for removing the object to be baked from the baking container. 5. The baking and cooling system of claim 4.

[0073] Item 6: Item 6. The firing and cooling system according to item 5, wherein the second transport device is provided with a maintenance processing unit that performs maintenance on the firing container downstream of the removal device.

[0074] Section 7: The maintenance processing unit Item 7. The firing and cooling system according to item 6, further comprising a cleaning device for cleaning the firing vessel.

[0075] Section 8: The maintenance processing unit Item 6 or 7, the firing cooling system including a container inspection device that inspects the firing container for damage.

[0076] Section 9: 9. The firing and cooling system according to claim 6, wherein the second transport device includes a supply device that puts the object to be fired into the firing container downstream of the maintenance processing section.

[0077] Section 10: Item 10. The firing and cooling system according to item 9, wherein the second conveying device is connected to a third conveying device downstream of the supplying device, which conveys the firing container toward the firing furnace.

[0078] Section 11: 11. The firing and cooling system according to claim 10, wherein the third transport device includes a stacking device that stacks the firing containers in a predetermined number of stages.

[0079] Section 12: The cooling path and the firing furnace are arranged in parallel, The first conveying device is arranged so that the cooling path of the cooling device and the firing furnace are perpendicular to each other, The second conveying device is arranged parallel to the firing furnace, and Item 11. The firing and cooling system according to item 10, wherein the third conveying device is disposed in a direction perpendicular to the firing furnace.

[0080] Section 13: Item 13. The firing and cooling system according to item 11 or 12, wherein the third conveying device is provided with an alignment device that arranges the firing containers stacked in a predetermined number of tiers by the stacking device at the entrance of the firing furnace in a predetermined number of rows.

[0081] Section 14: 14. The firing and cooling system according to any one of items 10 to 13, wherein the firing furnace, the first conveying device, the plurality of cooling paths of the cooling device, the second conveying device, and the third conveying device are arranged so that a rectangular circulation path through which firing containers circulate is formed by the firing furnace, the first conveying device, the plurality of cooling paths of the cooling device, the second conveying device, and the third conveying device.

[0082] Section 15: 15. A firing and cooling system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the inlet side of the firing furnace is provided with an inlet side replacement chamber and an inlet side transport space surrounded by a hood, and the inlet side transport space is provided with a mechanism for aligning firing containers at predetermined intervals along the firing direction of the firing furnace.

[0083] Section 16: Item 16. A firing and cooling system according to any one of items 1 to 15, wherein the exit side of the firing furnace is provided with an exit side transport space surrounded by a hood and an exit side replacement chamber, and the exit side transport space is provided with an alignment processing mechanism that aligns multiple firing containers in rows.

[0084] Section 17: Item 17. The firing and cooling system according to any one of items 1 to 16, further comprising a cover enclosing a transport path for the firing container from the outlet of the firing furnace to the cooling device.

[0085] Section 18: Item 18. The firing and cooling system according to any one of items 1 to 17, wherein a gas adjustment pipe is connected to a space surrounded by a cover that surrounds the transport path of the firing container from the outlet of the firing furnace to the cooling device.

[0086] Section 19: Item 19. The firing and cooling system according to any one of items 1 to 18, wherein the cooling path has a cooling pipe passing through a space in which the firing container is transported.

[0087] Section 20: Item 19. The firing cooling system according to item 19, wherein the cooling piping is a fin pipe having fins on the outer periphery.

[0088] Section 21: 21. The firing / cooling system according to any one of items 1 to 20, wherein the cooling path includes a pipe for introducing a refrigerant gas into a space where the firing container is transported. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 10 Firing and cooling system 11 Kiln 11a Entrance side exchange room 11b Exit side exchange chamber 11c Inlet side transport space 11d Exit side transport space 11e Alignment processing mechanism 12 First conveying device 12a Cover 13 Destacking device 14 Cooling device 14a,14b Cooling path 14c Cooling pipe 15 First Lifter 15a Lifting mechanism 15b Conveyor mechanism 16 Second Lifter 16a Lifting mechanism 16b Conveyor mechanism 17 Unloading device 17a Conveyor 17b Traversa 18 Second conveying device 19 Third conveying device 20 Stacking device 21 Alignment device 22 Traversa 30 Removal device 32,33 Lifter 34 Transport Route 36 Reversal mechanism 37 Collection Department 38 Collection Container 40 Maintenance Processing Section 42 Cleaning equipment 44 Container inspection equipment 45 Container discharge device 45a Container outlet 46 Container loading device 46a Container input path 50 Feeding device 51 First Traverser 52 Second Traverser 54 Slitting device 61 First horizontal transfer conveyor 62 Second horizontal transfer conveyor A Object to be fired C. Firing vessel W1: Transport direction of the firing furnace 11 W2: Conveying direction of the first conveying device 12 W3: Conveying direction of the cooling paths 14a, 14b and the second conveying device 18 W4: Conveying direction of the third conveying device 19

Claims

1. a firing furnace that stacks firing containers containing objects to be fired in a predetermined number of stages and transports the containers side by side in a predetermined number of rows, and fires the objects to be fired; a first conveying device that is disposed at an outlet of the firing furnace and conveys the firing containers stacked in the predetermined number of stages in a single line; a tiering device provided on the first conveying device and configured to tier-by-tier disassemble the stacked firing containers; a cooling device disposed downstream of the first transport device relative to the destacking device; a first lifter disposed at an inlet of the cooling device; Equipped with The cooling device includes a plurality of cooling paths arranged along a height direction, The first lifter is configured to arrange a predetermined number of the firing containers transported by the first transport device side by side, lift them up and down to match the height of the cooling path, and introduce the predetermined number of the firing containers arranged side by side into the cooling path, The cooling path is configured to cool a predetermined number of the firing containers while transporting them side by side. Firing cooling system.

2. The cooling passage and the firing furnace are arranged in parallel, and The baking and cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein the first conveying device is disposed in a direction perpendicular to the cooling path of the cooling device and the baking furnace.

3. The number of the cooling passages corresponds to a predetermined number of stages of firing containers in the firing furnace, and The firing and cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein the number of firing containers arranged side by side in the cooling passage of the cooling device corresponds to a predetermined number of rows of firing containers in the firing furnace.

4. a second lifter, a carrying-out device, and a second transport device are provided at an outlet of the cooling device; The second lifter is a device for introducing the firing containers, which have come out of the plurality of cooling paths and are arranged side by side in predetermined numbers, into the carrying-out device; The carrying-out device is a device for carrying out the firing containers, which are introduced from the second lifter and arranged side by side in a predetermined number, one by one to the second transport device; 10. The baking and cooling system of claim 1.

5. The second conveying device is A removal device is provided for removing the object to be baked from the baking container.

5. The baking and cooling system of claim 4.

6. The baking and cooling system according to claim 5 , wherein the second transport device includes a maintenance processing unit downstream of the unloading device for performing maintenance on the baking container.

7. The maintenance processing unit The baking and cooling system of claim 6 , further comprising a cleaning device for cleaning the baking vessel.

8. The maintenance processing unit The baking and cooling system according to claim 6 , further comprising a container inspection device for inspecting the baking container for damage.

9. The baking and cooling system according to claim 6 , wherein the second transport device includes a supply device that puts the baking object into the baking container downstream of the maintenance processing section.

10. The firing and cooling system according to claim 9 , wherein the second conveying device is connected to a third conveying device downstream of the supplying device, the third conveying device feeding the firing container toward the firing furnace.

11. The baking and cooling system according to claim 10 , wherein the third transport device includes a stacking device that stacks the baking containers in a predetermined number of stages.

12. The cooling path and the firing furnace are arranged in parallel, The first conveying device is arranged so that the cooling path of the cooling device and the firing furnace are perpendicular to each other, The second conveying device is arranged parallel to the firing furnace, and The baking and cooling system according to claim 10 , wherein the third transfer device is disposed in a direction perpendicular to the baking furnace.

13. The firing and cooling system according to claim 11, wherein the third transport device is provided with an alignment device that arranges the firing containers stacked in a predetermined number of tiers by the stacking device at the entrance of the firing furnace in a predetermined number of rows.

14. 11. The firing and cooling system according to claim 10, wherein the firing furnace, the first conveying device, the plurality of cooling paths of the cooling device, the second conveying device, and the third conveying device are arranged so that a circulation path through which firing containers circulate is formed by the firing furnace, the first conveying device, the plurality of cooling paths of the cooling device, the second conveying device, and the third conveying device.

15. 2. The firing and cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the inlet side of the firing furnace is provided with an inlet side replacement chamber and an inlet side transport space surrounded by a hood, and the inlet side transport space is provided with a mechanism for aligning firing containers at predetermined intervals along the firing direction of the firing furnace.

16. 2. The firing and cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the exit side of the firing furnace is provided with an exit side transport space surrounded by a hood and an exit side replacement chamber, and the exit side transport space is provided with an alignment processing mechanism that aligns multiple firing containers in rows.

17. The firing and cooling system according to claim 1 , further comprising a cover enclosing a transport path for the firing container from an outlet of the firing furnace to the cooling device.

18. 2. The firing and cooling system according to claim 1, wherein a gas regulating pipe is connected to a space surrounded by a cover that surrounds a transport path for the firing container from an outlet of the firing furnace to the cooling device.

19. The firing and cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling path includes a cooling pipe passing through a space in which the firing container is transported.

20. 20. The firing and cooling system according to claim 19, wherein the cooling pipe is a fin pipe having fins on its outer periphery.

21. The firing and cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling path includes a pipe for introducing a refrigerant gas into a space through which the firing container is transported.

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