Heat treatment apparatus

Abstract

To provide a heat treatment apparatus capable of continuously heat-treating a workpiece.SOLUTION: The heat treatment system includes a conveyance path 10 connected annularly, a plurality of carriers 5 moving along the conveyance path 10, a carry-in station, a carry-out station, one or a plurality of heat treatment stations 11, 12, 13, and a moving means 16 for moving the carriers 5. The plurality of carriers 5 are connected and all the carriers 5 are integrally moved. The heat treatment stations 11, 12, 13 have heat treatment devices 40, 60, 61 and a transfer device 7. A work is mounted on a carrier 5 at a carry-in station, the carrier 5 is moved to heat treatment stations 11, 12, 13, the work is transferred from the carrier 5 to a heat treatment device by a transfer device 7, the work is heat-treated, the work is returned to the carrier 5 by the transfer device 7, the carrier 5 is moved to a discharge station, and the work is carried out.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a heat treatment apparatus capable of continuously heat treating a plurality of workpieces. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, an engine crankshaft has multiple sliding parts, and these sliding parts are hardened. That is, the crankshaft has pin parts that connect to the pistons and journal parts that are held in bearings, and these pin parts and journal parts are hardened. The pins and journals of crankshafts are often hardened by induction hardening.

[0003] A dedicated heat treatment device is used to harden the crankshaft. A heat treatment device for a crankshaft is, for example, a high-frequency induction heating device as disclosed in Patent Document 1, which has multiple induction heating coils arranged in series and induction heats multiple pin portions or journal portions simultaneously. Conventional high-frequency induction heating devices are batch-type machines in which untreated workpieces are transported to a predetermined location using a cart or crane, and one of the workpieces is held by a robot or similar device and placed in the high-frequency induction heating device. After induction hardening in the heat treatment device, the workpiece is removed by the robot or similar device and placed in the predetermined location. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-91946 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Automobiles are mass-produced, and so are the engines for those automobiles. In contrast, as mentioned above, the heat treatment apparatus of the prior art is a batch type apparatus, and the number of treatments per unit time is small. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention focuses on the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and has as its object to provide a heat treatment apparatus capable of continuously heat treating workpieces. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An aspect for solving the above-mentioned problems is a heat treatment apparatus capable of continuously heat-treating a plurality of workpieces, which comprises a circularly connected transport path, a plurality of conveyors that move along the transport path, an input station, an output station, one or more heat treatment stations, and a moving means for moving the conveyors, wherein the plurality of conveyors are connected so that all of the conveyors move integrally, and the heat treatment station comprises a heat treatment apparatus and a transfer device, wherein the workpiece is loaded onto the conveyor at the input station, the conveyor is moved to the heat treatment station, the transfer device transfers the workpiece from the conveyor to the heat treatment apparatus and heat-treats the workpiece, the transfer device then returns the workpiece to the conveyor, the conveyor is moved to another heat treatment station as necessary and heat-treats the workpiece in a similar manner, and the transfer device is moved to a discharge station to remove the workpiece.

[0007] The heat treatment apparatus of this embodiment performs heat treatment such as induction hardening or induction annealing, and has a carry-in station, an unloading station, and one or more heat treatment stations. The carry-in station is a place where untreated or incompletely treated workpieces are carried in. The unloading station is a place where workpieces that have undergone heat treatment are carried out. The heat treatment station is a place where treatment such as hardening or annealing is performed. The heat treatment device of this embodiment further includes a moving means for moving the conveyors. In the heat treatment device of this embodiment, the conveying path is connected in a circular shape. The conveyors are also connected so that all of the conveyors move integrally. Therefore, when one conveyor is moved, all of the conveyors move along the circular conveying path and visit each station. In the heat treatment apparatus of this embodiment, the heat treatment apparatus and the transfer apparatus are arranged in the heat treatment station. In the heat treatment apparatus of this embodiment, the workpieces are loaded onto a carrier at the loading station and transported to each station. That is, the carrier is moved to the heat treatment station, and the workpieces are transferred from the carrier to the heat treatment apparatus by a transfer device, where they are heat-treated. The transfer device then returns the workpieces to the carrier. The carrier is then moved to the discharge station, where the processed workpieces are removed.

[0008] In the above-mentioned aspect, it is desirable to have a carry-in / carry-out station that combines the functions of both the carry-in station and the carry-out station.

[0009] According to this aspect, the workpiece is taken in and out from the same location in the heat treatment device. Therefore, the conveying line for conveying the workpieces can be simplified.

[0010] In each of the above aspects, it is desirable that the moving means feeds the conveyor frame by frame.

[0011] According to this aspect, the predetermined heat treatment steps can be carried out in order.

[0012] In each of the above aspects, it is desirable that the intervals between the stations be the same or be an integer multiple of each other.

[0013] According to this aspect, each transporter can be stopped at the station simultaneously.

[0014] In each of the above aspects, it is desirable that the moving means has a parallel running device that moves from a standby position to a separation position along a portion of the conveying path, and that the parallel running device moves the conveying device by moving to the separation position while engaged with the conveying device, and then disengages from the conveying device at the separation position and returns to the standby position.

[0015] The heat treatment apparatus of this embodiment has a parallel running device that moves from a standby position to a separation position. The parallel running device moves the engaged transporter by moving to the separation position while engaged with the transporter. In the heat treatment apparatus of this embodiment, the transporters are connected, so that all the transporters move together by moving one transporter with the parallel running device. The parallel traveling device disengages from the transporter at the separated position and returns to the standby position, and repeats the same process.

[0016] In each of the above aspects, it is desirable that the parallel traveling device has an engaging member that protrudes toward the transport path, and that the engaging member engages with the transporter.

[0017] According to this aspect, an engaging member such as a pin can be protruded from the parallel-traveling device to engage with the carrier.

[0018] In each of the above aspects, it is desirable that the conveyor has a conveying-side receiving member, which is open at the top, and that the workpiece is released by relatively raising it.

[0019] According to this aspect, for example, the workpiece can be scooped up from below the transfer-side receiving member, and the workpiece can be lowered and placed on the transfer-side receiving member.

[0020] In each of the above-described aspects, it is desirable that the transfer device has a transfer-side support member, and that the transfer-side support member has an open upper side, and that the workpiece is released by relatively raising the workpiece.

[0021] According to this aspect, for example, the workpiece can be scooped up from below the transfer-side support member, and the workpiece can be lowered and placed on the transfer-side support member.

[0022] In each of the above-mentioned aspects, it is desirable that the conveying path is a substantially rectangular track having two long side straight sections, two short side straight sections, and four curved sections connecting the long side straight sections and the short side straight sections, and that the conveying path has a first heat treatment station and a second heat treatment station, both of which are located on one of the long side straight sections, the moving means is located on the other long side straight section, and the loading station and the unloading station are located on the short side straight sections.

[0023] According to this embodiment, the two heat treatment stations for performing heat treatment are located on one straight section, making it easy to arrange the auxiliary devices, and the moving means is located on the other straight section, making it easy to arrange the various components of the moving means.

[0024] In each of the above-mentioned aspects, the transport path is a substantially rectangular track having two long side straight sections, two short side straight sections, and four curved sections connecting the long side straight sections and the short side straight sections, and has a first heat treatment station, a second heat treatment station, and a third heat treatment station, and the area to be treated in the heat treatment performed in the third heat treatment station is narrower in area than the area to be treated in the heat treatment performed in the other heat treatment stations, and it is desirable that both the first heat treatment station and the second heat treatment station are located on one of the long side straight sections, and the third heat treatment station is located on the short side straight section.

[0025] The heat treatment apparatus of this embodiment has three heat treatment stations. In addition, in the heat treatment apparatus of this embodiment, the areas to be treated by the heat treatment performed in the heat treatment stations are different in range, and the range of the treated area varies in size. In the heat treatment apparatus of this embodiment, the heat treatment stations, which have a narrow range of heat treatment area, are arranged on the short side linear portion, so that the space can be used effectively.

[0026] According to this aspect, the two heat treatment stations for performing heat treatment are located on one of the straight sections, making it easy to arrange the auxiliary devices, and the moving means can be easily arranged from the other straight section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0027] According to the heat treatment apparatus of the present invention, workpieces can be continuously heat-treated, resulting in high productivity. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a heat treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the heat treatment apparatus of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the layout inside the heat treatment apparatus of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing devices in the heat treatment apparatus of FIG. [Figure 5] 2 is a plan view showing a state in which a conveyor and a connecting member are attached to a conveying path laid in the heat treatment apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 6] (a) is an oblique view of the conveying path and the conveying device attached to the conveying path, observed from outside the conveying path, showing the state in which no work is loaded on the conveying device, and (b) is an oblique view of the conveying path and the conveying device attached to the conveying path, observed from inside the conveying path, showing the state in which no work is loaded on the conveying device. [Figure 7] (a) is an oblique view of the conveying path and the conveying device attached to the conveying path, observed from outside the conveying path, showing the state in which a workpiece is loaded on the conveying device, and (b) is an oblique view of the conveying path and the conveying device attached to the conveying path, observed from inside the conveying path, showing the state in which a workpiece is loaded on the conveying device. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second heat treatment station. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] 1A and 1B are perspective views of the moving means and the adjacent conveying path, illustrating the operation of the moving means, where FIG. 1A shows the state in which the parallel running device is in the standby position, and FIG. 1B shows the state in which the pin protrudes from the parallel running device. [Figure 11]10A and 10B are perspective views of the moving means and the adjacent conveying path, illustrating the operation of the moving means following that of FIG. 10, in which (c) shows the state in which the parallel running device has moved to the separated position, (d) shows the state in which the pin has been pulled back toward the parallel running device, and (e) shows the state in which the parallel running device has moved back to the standby position. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the workpiece has reached the heat treatment station. [Figure 13] 10(a) and 10(b) are explanatory views illustrating the operation of the transfer device in the heat treatment station. [Figure 14] 14(c) and 14(d) are explanatory views illustrating the operation of the transfer device in the heat treatment station subsequent to FIG. 13. [Figure 15] 14(e) and 14(f) are explanatory views illustrating the operation of the transfer device in the heat treatment station, subsequent to FIG. [Figure 16] 15(g) is an explanatory view illustrating the operation of the transfer device in the heat treatment station subsequent to FIG. [Figure 17] 2(a), (b), and (c) are explanatory views sequentially explaining the overall operation of the heat treatment apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 18] 17(d), (e), and (f) are explanatory views sequentially explaining the overall operation of the heat treatment apparatus of FIG. 1 following FIG. 17. [Figure 19] 18(g), (h), and (i) are explanatory views sequentially explaining the overall operation of the heat treatment apparatus of FIG. 1 following FIG. [Figure 20] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] The following describes embodiments of the present invention, but the invention described in the claims is not limited to the embodiments described below. The heat treatment apparatus 1 of this embodiment has a series of induction hardening lines (hereinafter referred to as hardening lines) 3 constructed inside an outer shell 2. The heat treatment device 1 of this embodiment is used to harden an engine crankshaft 220 as shown in Fig. 20. The crankshaft 220 is installed in a known three-cylinder engine and has three pin portions 201 connected to pistons, four journal portions 202 held in bearings, and a spline portion 203 that extracts output to the outside. The heat treatment device 1 is used to induction harden the pin portions 201, journal portions 202, and spline portion 203.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the quenching line 3 has a circular conveying path 10 on which a conveyor 5 is placed. The conveying path 10 is a known linear guide rail. Eighteen known carriages 30 are engaged with the conveying path 10. Each carriage 30 is connected by a connector 37. One-third of the carriages 30 are provided with a conveying device 5, which will be described later. In this embodiment, six conveying devices 5 are installed at equal intervals.

[0031] The quenching line 3 has three heat treatment stations 11 , 12 , and 13 and a carry-in / carry-out station 15 . The three heat treatment stations 11, 12, and 13 are equipped with induction hardening devices 40, 60, and 61 and a transfer device 7. The carry-in / carry-out station 15 is also equipped with a transfer device 7. It also has moving means 16 for moving the carriage 30.

[0032] For convenience of explanation, the heat treatment station 11 will be referred to as the first heat treatment station 11, the heat treatment station 12 will be referred to as the second heat treatment station 12, and the heat treatment station 13 will be referred to as the third heat treatment station 13. In the first heat treatment station 11, the pin portion 201 of the workpiece 200 is hardened. In the second heat treatment station 12, the journal portion 202 of the workpiece 200 is hardened. In the third heat treatment station 13, the spline portion 203 of the workpiece 200 is hardened. In the quenching line 3 of this embodiment, an untreated workpiece 200 is carried into the carry-in / carry-out station 15 and placed on the conveyor 5, and is quenched at the pin portion 201, journal portion 202, and spline portion 203 as it passes through the first heat treatment station 11, the second heat treatment station 12, and the third heat treatment station 13 in that order. The workpiece 200 then returns to the carry-in / carry-out station 15, and the heat-treated workpiece 200 is removed from the carry-in / carry-out station 15. The following will explain each step in turn.

[0033] (Transport path 10) Next, the conveying path 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. The conveying path 10 of this embodiment has an approximately rectangular layout, and as shown in Figures 3 and 5, has straight sections 20 and 24 on the short sides and straight sections 22 and 26 on the long sides, which are connected by curved sections 21, 23, 25, and 27 that are 90-degree arcs. For convenience of explanation, the plan view of the transport path 10 will be taken, and the transport path will be divided into regions, each of which will be numbered clockwise as in FIGS.

[0034] Specifically, the short side straight section 20 on the right side of the drawing will be referred to as the first straight section 20, the short side straight section 24 on the left side of the drawing will be referred to as the third straight section 24, the long side straight section 22 on the bottom side of the drawing will be referred to as the second straight section 22, and the long side straight section 26 on the top side of the drawing will be referred to as the fourth straight section 26. The curved portions 21, 23, 25, and 27 connecting these are referred to as the first curved portion 21, the second curved portion 23, the third curved portion 25, and the fourth curved portion 27 in the clockwise direction. Therefore, the conveying path 10 is connected in the order of the first straight section 20, the first curved section 21, the second straight section 22, the second curved section 23, the third straight section 24, the third curved section 25, the fourth straight section 26, the fourth curved section 27, and the first straight section 20, forming a ring.

[0035] Eighteen well-known carriages 30 are engaged with the conveying path 10. In this embodiment, adjacent carriages 30 are connected by connectors 37, and each carriage 30 is placed on the conveying path 10 and connected in a circular manner while engaged with the conveying path 10. Therefore, all carriages 30 move integrally. One-third of the carriages 30 are equipped with conveyors 5, which will be described later. Specifically, six carriages 30 are equipped with conveyors 5. The conveyors 5 are installed at equal intervals. As described above, each carriage 30 is placed on the conveying path 10 and is connected in a circular manner while engaged with the conveying path 10, so all of the conveyors 5 are linked and move integrally.

[0036] (Conveyor 5) Next, the conveyor 5 will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. The conveyor 5 has a base 32 and a vertical wall 33. The base 32 is a member having a flat plate portion attached to the upper surface of the carriage 30. The vertical wall portion 33 is provided at a portion closer to one side of the base portion 32 and stands perpendicular to the base portion 32. Four transport-side support members 35 are provided on the vertical wall portion 33. Each transport-side support member 35 is hook-shaped and open at the top. The four transport-side support members 35 are mixed with members with different mounting heights. 6 and 7, the vertical wall portion 33 is located closer to the inside of the annular conveying path 10 and is oriented along the direction of travel of the carriage 30. Therefore, the conveying-side support member 35 protrudes outward from the annular conveying path 10. The inner side surface of the carrier 5 is provided with a pin engagement hole 36 as shown in FIG. 6(b) and FIG. 7(b).

[0037] (Induction hardening devices 40, 60, 61) 8 is a perspective view of the second heat treatment station 12. The second heat treatment station 12 is provided with an induction hardening device 60 as shown in the figure. The induction hardening device 60 is composed of a heating device section 41 and a workpiece holding section 42 as shown in FIG. As described above, the second heat treatment station 12 is a station for hardening the journal portions 202 of the workpiece 200, and the workpiece 200 has four journal portions 202 that are to be subjected to heat treatment. Therefore, the heating equipment section 41 of the induction hardening device 60 installed in the second heat treatment station 12 is provided with hardening units 43 in a number that matches the number of parts to be treated.

[0038] The hardening unit 43 is a combination of a coil unit 45, a transformer 46, and a suspension unit 47. The coil unit 45 is a known one, and is an integrated unit of a high-frequency heating coil 50 and a cooling jacket 51 . The high frequency heating coil 50 is a known semi-open coil. The cooling jacket 51 sprays cooling water onto the workpiece 200.

[0039] The suspension unit 47 is made up of a swing rod 52, a spring 53, and a balance weight 55. The swing rod 52 has a swing center 56 at one end, and swings around the swing center 56. The coil unit 45 and the transformer 46 are suspended from the tip of the swing rod 52. The swing rod 52 also has a lifting mechanism (not shown) that can lift the coil unit 45 side of the swing rod 52. The workpiece holding portion 42 is an electric chuck. As described above, the second heat treatment station 12 is a station for hardening the journal portions 202 at four locations of the workpiece 200, and has four sets of hardening units 43.

[0040] The workpiece 200 is held at both ends by electric chucks of the workpiece holder 42. The workpiece 200 is rotated by a motor (not shown). In this state, the hanging unit 47 is driven to lower the coil unit 45, the high frequency heating coil 50 is placed over the journal portion 202 of the workpiece 200, and current is applied to the high frequency heating coil 50 to heat the journal portion 202 of the workpiece 200. Thereafter, the power supply to the high frequency heating coil 50 is stopped, and cooling water is sprayed onto the workpiece 200 from the cooling jacket 51 to rapidly cool the workpiece 200.

[0041] An induction hardening device 40 is also installed in the first heat treatment station 11. The basic configuration of the induction hardening device 40 is the same as that of the induction hardening device 60 installed in the second heat treatment station 12, and is composed of a heating equipment section 41 and a workpiece holding section 42. However, the first heat treatment station 11 is for hardening the pin portions 201 of the workpiece 200, and has fewer treatment sections, so it has fewer hardening units 43 than the second heat treatment station 12. That is, the first heat treatment station 11 is for hardening the pin portions 201 of the workpiece 200 as described above, and since there are three pin portions 201 on the workpiece 200, the heating equipment section 41 of the induction hardening device in the first heat treatment station 11 has three combinations of a coil unit 45, a transformer 46, and a hanging unit 47.

[0042] The third heat treatment station 13 is also provided with an induction hardening device 61 similar to those in the first heat treatment station 11 and the second heat treatment station 12 . The basic configuration of the induction hardening device 61 is the same as that of the induction hardening devices 40, 60 of the first heat treatment station 11 and the second heat treatment station 12 described above, and is composed of a heating device section 41 and a workpiece holding section . However, since the third heat treatment station 13 has fewer workpiece 200 processing areas, the number of quenching units 43 is fewer than those of the first heat treatment station 11 and the second heat treatment station 12. That is, the third heat treatment station 13 quenches the spline portion 203 of the workpiece 200 as described above, and since there is only one spline portion 203, the heating equipment section 41 of the induction hardening device 61 of the third heat treatment station 13 has one combination of a coil unit 45, a transformer 46, and a hanging unit 47.

[0043] (Transfer device 7) Next, the transfer device 7 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. The transfer device 7 has a base portion 65, a lifting guide 66, a lifting member 67, and a cylinder 68. In addition, a transfer-side support member 70 is provided on the lifting member 67. The base portion 65 is a flat plate-like member that is attached to the floor surface of the outer shell 2. The lift guide 66 is provided at one side of the base 65 and stands perpendicular to the base 32 . The lifting member 67 engages with the lifting guide 66 and moves up and down. A pair of transfer-side support members 70 is provided on the lifting member 67. The transfer-side support members 70 are hook-shaped and open at the top. The cylinder 68 is provided between the base portion 65 and the lifting member 67, and by extending or contracting the cylinder 68, the lifting member 67 moves up and down, and the transfer side receiving member 70 moves up and down.

[0044] (Transportation 16) Next, the moving means 16 will be described with reference to FIGS. The moving means 16 has a parallel track 71 and a parallel device 72 . The parallel track 71 is two rows of straight rails and is installed along a partial area of ​​the transport path 10. A rack 75 is installed parallel to the transport path 10. The parallel traveling device 72 is engaged with the parallel traveling track 71. The parallel traveling device 72 has a travel motor 73, and a gear (not shown) attached to the travel motor 73 is engaged with a rack 75. Therefore, by driving the travel motor 73, the parallel traveling device 72 moves linearly along the parallel traveling track 71. The parallel traveling track 71 is installed along a partial area of ​​the conveying path 10, and therefore the parallel traveling device 72 moves linearly along the partial area of ​​the conveying path 10. In this embodiment, as will be described later, a standby position and a departure position are determined, and the parallel traveling device 72 moves from the standby position to the departure position.

[0045] The parallel traveling device 72 is provided with a protruding pin (engaging member) 80. The protruding pin 80 is protruded and retracted by a cylinder (not shown). The protruding pin 80 protrudes from the side surface of the parallel-traveling device 72 .

[0046] (Quenching Line 3 layout) As mentioned above, the quenching line 3 is constructed within the outer shell 2 . As shown in Figure 2, the quenching line 3 has a circular conveying path 10 in the central region of the outer shell 2, and as shown in Figures 3 and 4, there are three heat treatment stations 11, 12, and 13 and a loading / unloading station 15 at specific locations on the conveying path 10.

[0047] In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the stations 11, 12, 13, and 15 are all constructed on the straight portions 20, 22, and 24 of the conveying path 10. That is, the loading / unloading station 15 is located in the first straight section 20 of the transport path 10. The first heat treatment station 11 and the second heat treatment station 12 are located in the second straight section 22. The third heat treatment station 13 is located in the third straight section 24. That is, the first heat treatment station 11 and the second heat treatment station 12 are located in the long side straight section 22, and the third heat treatment station 13 is located in the short side straight section 24.

[0048] The effective distance between the loading / unloading station 15 and the first heat treatment station 11, the effective distance between the first heat treatment station 11 and the second heat treatment station 12, and the effective distance between the second heat treatment station 12 and the third heat treatment station 13 are equal. The actual distance between the third heat treatment station 13 and the loading / unloading station 15 is three times the distance between the above-mentioned stations. That is, the intervals between the stations are the same or are an integer multiple of each other.

[0049] A transfer device 7 is installed at each of the stations 11, 12, 13, and 15. The transfer devices 7 are all installed outside the circular track of the conveying path 10. The transfer device 7 has a transfer-side support member 35 that protrudes toward the inside of the circular track of the transfer path 10.

[0050] The heat treatment stations 11, 12, and 13 are provided with induction hardening devices 40, 60, and 61. The induction hardening devices 40, 60, and 61 are all installed inside the circular track of the conveying path 10.

[0051] The moving means 16 is installed inside the circular track of the conveying path 10 such that the parallel track 71 of the conveying path 10 is parallel to the fourth straight section 26 of the conveying path 10 .

[0052] (16 functions of transportation) In the heat treatment apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the transporter 5 moves clockwise in a frame-by-frame fashion and stops at each of the stations 15, 11, 12, and 13, where predetermined treatments are performed. The moving means 16 has a function of linearly moving the parallel-traveling device 72 by a fixed distance. The moving means 16 also has a function of making the protruding pin 80 appear and disappear from the parallel-traveling device 72. The parallel traveling device 72 of the moving means 16 is waiting at the waiting position as shown in Figure 10(a) with the protruding pin 80 stored. As shown in Figure 10(a), the waiting position is near the starting end of the parallel traveling track 71.

[0053] In this state, the protruding pin 80 is protruded as shown in FIG. 10(b), and the protruding pin 80 is inserted into the pin engaging hole 36 provided on the side surface of the carrier 5 to engage with it. In this state, the parallel-traveling device 72 is moved linearly to the separated position as shown in Figures 11(c) and 11(d). Therefore, the transporter 5, which engages with the parallel-traveling device 72 via the protruding pin 80, moves from the standby position shown in Figure 10(a) to the separated position shown in Figure 11(d). Thereafter, the protruding pin 80 is pulled in as shown in Figure 11(d), and the protruding pin 80 is removed from the pin engagement hole 36 provided on the side of the transporter 5. Then, the parallel-traveling device 72 moves in the opposite direction and returns to the standby position as shown in Figure 11(e).

[0054] 11(d), the separation position is near the end of the parallel track 71. The distance between the waiting position and the separation position is equal to the effective distance between the loading / unloading station 15 and the first heat treatment station 11, the effective distance between the first heat treatment station 11 and the second heat treatment station 12, and the effective distance between the second heat treatment station 12 and the third heat treatment station 13. Therefore, the distance traveled by the transport vehicle 5 is equal to these intervals, and the transport vehicle 5 that was in the loading / unloading station 15 moves to the adjacent first heat treatment station 11, the transport vehicle 5 that was in the first heat treatment station 11 moves to the adjacent second heat treatment station 12, and the transport vehicle 5 that was in the second heat treatment station 12 moves to the adjacent third heat treatment station 13.

[0055] (Functions of heat treatment stations 11, 12, and 13) The conveyor 5 stops at each of the heat treatment stations 11, 12, and 13, where predetermined portions are hardened. That is, the transporter 5 stops at any one of the heat treatment stations 11, 12, and 13 with the workpiece 200 placed thereon, as shown in Fig. 12. Note that Fig. 12 shows the state in which the transporter 5, with the workpiece 200 placed thereon, has reached the second heat treatment station 12 and stopped there. 13 to 15, the workpiece 200 is transferred to the induction hardening devices 40, 60, and 61 by the transfer device 7.

[0056] In this embodiment, the transfer device 7 is in a standby state with the lifting member 67 (transfer side support member 70) lowered as shown in Figure 13(a), and the transporter 5 carrying the workpiece 200 moves to the heat treatment stations 11, 12, and 13 in this state. In the conveyor 5, the workpiece 200 has the underside of one of its parts held by a hook-shaped transfer-side support member 35. When the conveyor 5 stops at the heat treatment stations 11, 12, and 13, the cylinder 68 of the transfer device 7 is driven to raise the lifting member 67 as shown in FIG. 13(b), thereby raising the transfer-side support member 70. As a result, the transfer-side support member 70 scoops up the workpiece 200 from below, and removes the workpiece 200 from the conveyor 5. That is, the upper side of the transfer-side support member 35 of the conveyor 5 is open. Therefore, there are no members that obstruct the upward movement of the workpiece 200. Therefore, the cylinder 68 of the transfer device 7 is driven to raise the transfer-side support member 70, so that the workpiece 200 moves away from the conveyor 5. That is, by raising the workpiece 200 relative to the transfer-side support member 35, the workpiece 200 moves away from the conveyor 5.

[0057] 14(c), the workpiece 200 is further lifted upward and attached to the workpiece holder 42 as shown in FIG. 14(d). That is, the workpiece holder 42 is an electric chuck, and both ends of the workpiece 200 are supported by the workpiece holder 42. 15(e), the transfer side receiving member 70 is lowered, and the processed portion is quenched by the quenching unit 43.

[0058] Next, as shown in Figure 15(f), the transfer side support member 70 of the transfer device 7 is made to wait below the workpiece 200, the electric chuck of the workpiece holding portion 42 is released to drop the workpiece 200 slightly, and the workpiece 200 is received by the waiting transfer side support member 70. 16(g), the transfer-side receiving member 70 is further lowered, and the workpiece 200 is transferred from the transfer-side receiving member 70 of the transfer device 7 to the transfer-side receiving member 35 of the carrier 5. That is, the upper side of the transfer-side support member 70 of the transfer device 7 is open. Therefore, there is no member that obstructs the relative upward movement of the workpiece 200. Therefore, by driving the cylinder 68 of the transfer device 7 to lower the transfer-side support member 70, the workpiece 200 separates from the transfer-side support member 70 and is handed over to the transport-side support member 35 of the transporter 5.

[0059] (Attached equipment) The heat treatment apparatus 1 is installed in a factory, and the workpiece 200 is transported by a gantry loader. In this embodiment, a rail 210 of the gantry loader is installed above the upper part of the heat treatment apparatus 1, above the loading / unloading station 15. The rail 210 extends approximately parallel to the first straight section 20 of the transport path 10.

[0060] (Overall operation of the heat treatment device 1) In the heat treatment apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the workpiece 200 is carried into the outer shell 2 by a gantry loader and placed on one of the carriers 5. Specifically, any part of the workpiece 200 is supported by the carrier-side receiving member 35 of the carrier 5. The overall operation of the heat treatment apparatus 1 will be described below with reference to FIGS. For ease of explanation, the six conveyors 5 are numbered counterclockwise. At the initial stage, as shown in Fig. 17(a), the first conveyor 5a is waiting at the loading / unloading station 15. Then, as shown in Fig. 17(b), the first unprocessed workpiece 200a is loaded onto the first conveyor 5a. Then, each conveyor 5 is advanced a fixed distance by the moving means 16, and as shown in Figure 17(c), the first conveyor 5a carrying the untreated workpiece 200a is sent to the first heat treatment station 11. Since the distance between each conveyor 5 is equal and the conveyors 5 are connected in a ring, the second conveyor 5b reaches the carry-in / carry-out station 15. Then, another workpiece 200b is loaded onto the second conveyor 5b.

[0061] On the other hand, the workpiece 200a sent to the first heat treatment station 11 together with the first conveyor 5a has its pin portion 201 heat-treated in the first heat treatment station 11. After a certain time has passed, the workpiece 200a that has been heat-treated in the induction hardening device 40 is returned to the first conveyor 5a, and each conveyor 5 is advanced a certain distance by the moving means 16. As shown in Figure 18d, the first conveyor 5a carrying the workpiece 200 that has completed heat treatment of the pin portion 201 is sent to the second heat treatment station 12, where the journal portion 202 is hardened. The workpiece 200b loaded on the second transporter 5b arrives at the first heat treatment station 11 and is heat-treated. The third transporter 5c arrives at the carry-in / carry-out station 15 and another workpiece 200c is loaded onto the third transporter 5c.

[0062] After a certain time has passed, the workpiece 200a that has been heat-treated in the induction hardening device 60 of the second heat treatment station 12 is returned to the first conveyor 5a. Then, each conveyor 5 is advanced a certain distance by the moving means 16, and the first conveyor 5a carrying the workpiece 200a whose journal portion 202 has been heat-treated is sent to the third heat treatment station 13, where the spline portion 203 is hardened, as shown in Figure 18(e). Furthermore, the workpiece 200b, which is loaded on the second transporter 5b and has completed the heat treatment of the journal portion 201 at the first heat treatment station 11, arrives at the second heat treatment station 12 where the journal portion 202 is heat treated. The workpiece 200c loaded on the third transporter 5c arrives at the first heat treatment station 11 where it is heat treated.

[0063] 18(f) and 19(g), the first conveyor 5a is sent to the standby position, and the workpiece 200b loaded on the second conveyor 5b is sent to the third heat treatment station 13 where the spline portion 203 is hardened, and the workpieces 200c and 200d loaded on the subsequent third conveyor 5c and fourth conveyor 5d are also heat treated at the stopped heat treatment stations 11 and 12. In addition, the subsequent fifth conveyor 5e and sixth conveyor 5f, which have arrived at the loading / unloading station 15, are successively loaded with untreated workpieces 200e and 200f, and are heat treated at the stopped heat treatment stations 11, 12, and 13.

[0064] In this embodiment, three pin portions 201 of the workpiece 200 are hardened in the first heat treatment station 11, four journal portions 202 of the workpiece 200 are hardened in the second heat treatment station 12, and one spline portion 203 of the workpiece 200 is hardened in the third heat treatment station 13. As described above, the heat treatment stations 11, 12, and 13 differ in the location and number of workpieces to be quenched. However, the workpieces to be quenched are all of the same shape, and the outer diameters of the workpieces to be quenched do not vary significantly. Therefore, the time required for quenching is the same for each heat treatment station 11, 12, and 13. Therefore, by leaving the transporter 5 at each station for a certain period of time, the required heat treatment can be completed. Therefore, it is acceptable to move each transporter 5 simultaneously.

[0065] 19(h), when the first conveyor 5a makes a circuit of the circular conveying path 10 and arrives at the loading / unloading station 15, the processed workpiece 200 is picked up by the gantry loader and sent to the next process as shown in FIG. 19(i), and the first conveyor 5a becomes temporarily empty. Then, a new workpiece 200 is loaded onto the first conveyor 5a. Thereafter, this process is repeated to successively heat-treat a plurality of workpieces 200.

[0066] The heat treatment apparatus 1 described above has a load-in / load-out station 15 that combines the functions of a load-in station and an load-out station, and the load-in / load-out station 15 is located on the short side straight section 20. Therefore, for example, when adopting a configuration in which the workpiece 200 is transported by a transport device with a traveling rail on the ceiling side, such as a gantry loader, the portion of the traveling rail that passes over the heat treatment apparatus 1 can be shortened or eliminated. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the loading station and the unloading station may be separate, and may be located on the long side straight portions 22 and 26.

[0067] In this embodiment, there are three heat treatment stations, but the number of heat treatment stations is determined depending on the heat treatment locations of the workpiece, and may be less than three or may be four or more.

[0068] In this embodiment, the conveyors 5 move following an external moving body. The means for engaging with the external moving body is not limited to a pin, and may be a structure such as a chuck or a vehicle coupling. Also, some of the conveyors 5 may be powered and self-propelled.

[0069] The heat treatment apparatus 1 of this embodiment has three heat treatment stations 11, 12, and 13. Furthermore, in the heat treatment apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the areas to be treated in the heat treatment performed in the heat treatment stations 11, 12, and 13 are different in range, and the range of the treated areas varies. That is, the treated areas in the first heat treatment station 11 are three pin portions 201 of the workpiece 200, the treated areas in the second heat treatment station 12 are four journal portions 202 of the workpiece 200, and the treated area in the third heat treatment station 13 is one spline portion 203 of the workpiece 200.

[0070] In this embodiment, the processed portion is narrowest in the third heat treatment station 13. In this embodiment, the third heat treatment station 13, which has the narrowest processed portion, is disposed on the short side linear portion 24, so that space can be used effectively. In this embodiment, two heat treatment stations 11, 12 are installed on one second straight section (second straight section 22), making it easy to arrange auxiliary devices such as a power supply. Also, since the moving means is located on the other straight section (fourth straight section 26), it is easy to arrange the various components of the moving means. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1: heat treatment device, 2: outer shell, 3: quenching line, 5: conveyor, 7: Transfer device, 10: Transport path, 11: First heat treatment station, 12: second heat treatment station, 13: third heat treatment station, 15: Loading / unloading station, 16: moving means, 20: first straight section, 22: second straight portion, 24: third straight portion, 26: fourth straight portion, 35: conveying side receiving member, 36: pin engagement hole, 37: connector, 40: high-frequency hardening device, 50: high-frequency heating coil, 51: Cooling jacket, 60: High-frequency hardening device, 61: High-frequency hardening device, 70: Replacing side support member, 71: Parallel running track, 72: Parallel running device, 80: Protruding pin (engagement member)

Claims

1. In a heat treatment apparatus capable of continuously heat treating a plurality of workpieces, The system includes a circularly connected transport path, a plurality of transporters that move along the transport path, a carry-in station, a carry-out station, one or more heat treatment stations, and a moving means for moving the transporters, The plurality of conveyors are connected so that all of the conveyors move together, the heat treatment station includes a heat treatment device and a transfer device; The workpiece is loaded onto a carrier at the loading station, the carrier is moved to a heat treatment station, the workpiece is transferred from the carrier to a heat treatment device by a transfer device, and the workpiece is heat treated, and then the transfer device returns the workpiece to the carrier, If necessary, the transporter is moved to another heat treatment station and heat treatment is carried out in the same way. A heat treatment apparatus characterized in that the conveyor is moved to a discharge station to carry out the workpiece.

2. 2. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a carry-in / carry-out station having the functions of both the carry-in station and the carry-out station.

3. 2. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving means moves the conveyor frame by frame.

4. 2. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the intervals between the stations are equal to or are an integer multiple of each other.

5. the moving means includes a parallel traveling device that moves along a partial area of ​​the conveying path from a standby position to a separation position; 2. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the parallel traveling device moves the transporter by moving to a detached position while engaged with the transporter, and then disengages from the transporter at the detached position and returns to the standby position.

6. 6. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the parallel-traveling device has an engaging member that protrudes toward the transport path, and the engaging member engages with the transporter.

7. 2. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transporter has a transport-side receiving member, the transport-side receiving member having an open upper side, and the workpiece is released by relatively raising the workpiece.

8. 2. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transfer device has a transfer-side support member, the transfer-side support member having an open upper side, and the workpiece is released by relatively lifting the workpiece.

9. the conveying path is a substantially rectangular track having two long-side straight sections, two short-side straight sections, and four curved sections connecting the long-side straight sections and the short-side straight sections; 2. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a first heat treatment station and a second heat treatment station, the first heat treatment station and the second heat treatment station being both located on one of the long side linear sections, the moving means being located on the other long side linear section, and the loading station and the unloading station being located on the short side linear section.

10. the conveying path is a substantially rectangular track having two long-side straight sections, two short-side straight sections, and four curved sections connecting the long-side straight sections and the short-side straight sections; The apparatus has a first heat treatment station, a second heat treatment station, and a third heat treatment station, and the area to be treated by the heat treatment performed in the third heat treatment station is narrower than the area to be treated by the heat treatment performed in the other heat treatment stations, 2. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first heat treatment station and the second heat treatment station are both located on one of the long side linear sections, and the third heat treatment station is located on one of the short side linear sections.

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