Heating device

Abstract

The present invention provides a heating device with improved heating capacity while suppressing deformation in the infrared reflection mechanism. [Solution] The heating device 1 comprises a reflector 82 whose reflector body 100 is made of aluminum, and an infrared heater 80 which is positioned adjacent to the reflector body 100 and generates infrared rays by electric power. At least a portion of the outer surface of the reflector body 100 is black and has been treated with black anodizing. The heating device 1 also includes a blower 6 that blows air onto the outer surface of the reflector body 100.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a heating device for heating a heating target.

Background Art

[0002] As a heating device, a mold heating device described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2016-78112 (Patent Document 1) is known. This mold heating device includes a main body 2 having a through space 8, an infrared heater 3 disposed in the through space 8, and a plate-like closing member 5 vertically provided downward so as to surround an opening 14 on the lower surface of the main body 2. The infrared heater 3 includes a carbonaceous heating element 21 that emits infrared rays and a quartz glass tube 20 that covers the carbonaceous heating element 21. A lower mold 50 is disposed below this mold heating device, and an upper mold 51 is disposed above the lower mold 50 at a predetermined distance from the lower mold 50. The closing member 5 is placed on the opening edge of the first cavity 53 of the lower mold 50, and the upper part of the first cavity 53 is closed. Further, the upper mold 51 approaches the mold heating device with the upper surface of the main body 2 facing each other. By the operation of the infrared heater 3 in such an arrangement state, the lower mold 50 and the upper mold 51 are heated. At this time, a closed space is formed by the closing member 5 and the first cavity 53 of the lower mold 50, and the first cavity 53 is efficiently heated. On the other hand, no closed space is formed between the main body 2 and the upper mold 51, and since the space between the main body 2 and the upper mold 51 is open, heat does not accumulate in the infrared heater 3 itself.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003] ​​​​​​​​​​​​​Generally, only one object is heated per heating process, or if there are multiple objects, they are often only placed on one side. In the above mold heating device, when only one object or only one side is heated, the object is placed only on the lower or upper side of the device, and heat is wasted as it escapes from the side where the object is not heated. To suppress such waste, a reflector that reflects infrared rays may be placed on the side where the object to be heated is not located. In this case, the reflector is made of aluminum to obtain sufficient infrared reflectivity. Unless otherwise specified herein, aluminum may include aluminum alloys. Recently, infrared heaters have become more advanced, enabling heating above 300°C, which is the softening temperature of typical aluminum. In this case, an aluminum reflector may deform if placed directly next to the infrared heater. To suppress the deformation of the reflector, the output of the infrared heater must be reduced or the reflector moved away from the infrared heater, but doing so would reduce the heating capacity.

[0005] The main objective of this disclosure is to provide a heating device in which heating capacity is improved while suppressing the occurrence of deformation in the infrared reflection mechanism. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] This specification discloses a first heating device, which may include a reflector that is at least partly made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy. The heating device may also include an infrared heater positioned adjacent to the reflector that generates infrared radiation by electric power. At least part of the outer surface of the reflector may be black. Furthermore, this specification discloses a second heating device, which may include a reflector that is at least partly made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy. The heating device may include an infrared heater positioned adjacent to the reflector that generates infrared radiation by electric power. The heating device may also include a fan that blows air onto the outer surface of the reflector. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The main effect of this disclosure is to provide a heating device in which heating capacity is improved while suppressing the occurrence of deformation in the infrared reflection mechanism. In particular, the black coating on the outer surface of the reflector is applied to improve heat dissipation and increase infrared emissivity. On the other hand, black anodizing treatment on the outer surface of the reflector has the effect of improving heat dissipation and infrared emissivity, as well as improving at least one of heat resistance and durability, enabling stable heating performance over a long period of time. Furthermore, if air is blown onto the outer surface of the reflector by the air blower, the reflector will be cooled by the airflow, and deformation of the reflector will be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] These are perspective views of the top, front, and left side of the heating device of the first embodiment of the present disclosure, in the open state. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows perspective views of the heating device in the closed lid state, including the bottom, rear, and right sides. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 1. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view along line BB in Figure 1. [Figure 5] Figure 1 shows perspective views of the heater unit of the heating device, specifically the bottom, rear, and right sides. [Figure 6] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the heater unit from the center. [Figure 7] Figure 7A is a perspective view of the top, rear, and right side of the second embodiment of the heating device according to this disclosure, and Figure 7B is a right side view of the heating device shown in Figure 7A. [Figure 8] This image shows the model and analysis results related to the thermal fluid simulation in Example 1. [Figure 9] This image shows the model and analysis results related to the optical simulation in Example 2. [Figure 10]It is a graph showing the surface temperature distribution on the X-axis in the XY plane where the distance from the lower end of the reflector main body is 50 mm in Example 3 and Study Example 3. [Figure 11] It is a graph showing the surface temperature distribution on the X-axis in the XY plane where the distance from the lower end of the reflector main body is 100 mm in Example 3 and Study Example 3. [Figure 12] It is a graph showing the surface temperature distribution on the X-axis in the XY plane where the distance from the lower end of the reflector main body is 150 mm in Example 3 and Study Example 3. [Figure 13] It is a graph showing the change over time of the maximum temperature of the reflector main body (reflector) and the change over time of the maximum temperature of the workpiece in Example 4 and Study Example 4. [Figure 14] It is a graph showing the change over time of the maximum temperature of the reflector main body (reflector) and the change over time of the maximum temperature of the workpiece in Example 5 and Study Example 5. [Figure 15] It is an image showing the analysis result related to the thermal fluid simulation of Example 6. [Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments and modification examples according to the present disclosure will be described as appropriate based on the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the following forms and modification examples.

[0010] [First Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the upper surface, front surface, and left side showing the open lid state of the heating device 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lower surface, rear surface, and right side showing the closed lid state of the heating device 1 in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 1. Note that screws are omitted in each figure. The heating device 1 of the first embodiment includes a housing 2, a plurality (here, six) of heater units 4, a blower unit 6, and a terminal block portion 8. Note that the number of heater units 4 may be one or more and five or less, or seven or more. For convenience, the various directions in the heating device 1 are as shown in each figure. However, these directions may be changed as appropriate by at least one of the following: movement due to the driving of a component or part, and / or its relationship with other devices. Heating device 1 heats the object to be heated, which is located on the lower side. Heating device 1 is a single-sided heating type that can only heat the lower side.

[0011] The housing 2 is made of metal, is a box-shaped body that is open at the bottom, and has a main frame 20, a rear lower cover 22, a front lower cover 24, and an upper cover 26.

[0012] The main frame 20 includes a left plate 30, a right plate 32, a rear beam 34, multiple (in this case, 2) rear angles 36, a front beam 38, multiple (in this case, 2) front angles 40, multiple (in this case, 8) upper angles 42, a stop beam 44, a rear mounting beam 46, and a front mounting beam 48.

[0013] The left plate 30 is a plate-shaped component that extends in all directions (up, down, left, and right). The right plate 32 is a plate-shaped member that extends in all directions (up, down, left, and right), and is positioned to the right of the left plate 30.

[0014] The rear beam 34 is a horizontal, elongated plate-like member that spans between the upper rear of the left plate 30 and the upper rear of the right plate 32. The rear beam 34 has multiple screw holes extending vertically. The left end of the rear beam 34 is bent vertically downward and has screw holes extending horizontally, and is screwed to the left plate 30. The right end of the rear beam 34 is bent vertically downward and has screw holes extending horizontally, and is screwed to the right plate 32. The left rear angle bracket 36 is screwed to the right side of the lower rear of the left plate 30 via screw holes extending from left to right, and also has screw holes extending from front to back. The right rear angle bracket 36 is screwed to the left side of the lower rear of the right plate 32 via screw holes extending from left to right, and also has screw holes extending from front to back.

[0015] The front beam 38 is a horizontal, elongated plate-shaped member that spans between the front upper part of the left plate 30 and the front upper part of the right plate 32. The front beam 38 has multiple screw holes extending vertically. The left end of the front beam 38 is bent vertically downwards and has screw holes extending horizontally, and is screwed to the left plate 30. The right end of the front beam 38 is bent vertically downwards and has screw holes extending horizontally, and is screwed to the right plate 32. The left front angle bracket 40 is screwed to the right side of the lower front of the left plate 30 via screw holes extending from left to right, and also has screw holes extending from front to back. The right front angle bracket 40 is screwed to the left side of the lower front of the right plate 32 via screw holes extending from left to right, and also has screw holes extending from front to back.

[0016] Each upper angle 42 is a bent plate with an "L"-shaped cross-section, and is arranged front to back on the right side of the upper edge of the left plate 30, and also on the left side of the upper edge of the right plate 32. The upper angles 42 on the left side are interposed between the left plate 30 and the upper cover portion 26. The upper angles 42 on the right side are interposed between the right plate 32 and the upper cover portion 26.

[0017] The stop beam 44 is a horizontal, elongated plate-shaped member that spans between the rear upper part of the left plate 30 and the rear upper part of the right plate 32. The stop beam 44 is positioned in front of the rear beam 34. The left end of the stop beam 44 is bent vertically upward and has screw holes extending to the left and right, and is screwed to the left plate 30. The right end of the stop beam 44 is bent vertically upward and has screw holes extending to the left and right, and is screwed to the right plate 32.

[0018] The rear mounting beam 46 is a horizontal, elongated plate-shaped member that spans between the rear upper part of the left plate 30 and the rear upper part of the right plate 32. The rear mounting beam 46 is positioned in front of the stop beam 44. The post-mounted beam 46 has a post-mounted beam main body 50, a post-mounted beam intermediate plate 52, and a post-mounted beam lower plate 54. The post-mounted beam 46 has a three-layer structure stacked in the vertical direction. The left end of the rear-mounted beam body 50 is bent vertically downward and has screw holes extending to the left and right, and is screwed to the left plate 30. The right end of the rear-mounted beam body 50 is bent vertically downward and has screw holes extending to the left and right, and is screwed to the right plate 32. The intermediate plate section 52 of the post-mounted beam is provided below the main body section 50 of the post-mounted beam, with multiple (seven in this case) plate-like sections arranged side by side with spacing between them. The lower plate section 54 of the post-installed beam is provided below the intermediate plate section 52 of the post-installed beam, with multiple (seven in this case) plate-like sections arranged side by side with spacing between them. The width of each plate-like section of the lower plate section 54 in the left-right direction is greater than the width of each plate-like section of the intermediate plate section 52. Each plate-like section of the lower plate section 54 is positioned below the corresponding plate-like section of the intermediate plate section 52. The spacing between each plate-like section in the lower plate section 54 is smaller than the spacing between each plate-like section in the intermediate plate section 52. The main body portion 50 of the rear-mounted beam, the intermediate plate portion 52 of the rear-mounted beam, and the lower plate portion 54 of the rear-mounted beam are integrated by multiple screws extending in the vertical direction. Each screw passes through the main body portion 50 of the rear-mounted beam, the intermediate plate portion 52 of the rear-mounted beam, and the lower plate portion 54 of the rear-mounted beam. Such a three-layered, post-installation beam 46 has multiple (six) T-grooves 56 arranged on the left and right sides.

[0019] The front mounting beam 48 is a horizontal, elongated plate-shaped member that spans between the front upper part of the left plate 30 and the front upper part of the right plate 32. The front mounting beam 48 is positioned behind the front beam 38. The front mounting beam 48 has a front mounting beam main body 60, a front mounting beam intermediate plate 62, and a front mounting beam lower plate 64. Similar to the rear mounting beam 46, the front mounting beam 48 has a three-layer structure stacked in the vertical direction and has multiple (six) T-grooves 66.

[0020] The rear lower cover portion 22 is a folded plate with an "L" shape in cross-section. The rear lower cover portion 22 has a rear plate portion and a lower plate portion. The rear plate portion of the rear lower cover portion 22 constitutes the rear surface of the housing 2, and the lower plate portion of the rear lower cover portion 22 constitutes the rear lower surface of the housing 2. The rear lower cover portion 22 is detachably fixed to the main frame 20. The rear lower cover portion 22 is fastened to the rear beam 34 and each rear angle 36 of the main frame 20 with multiple screws extending in the front-rear direction. Multiple slits for heat dissipation (ventilation) are provided in the rear plate portion of the rear lower cover portion 22. Each slit extends to the left and right.

[0021] The front lower cover portion 24 has a front lower cover portion body 70 and a locking plate portion 72. The front lower cover body 70 is a folded plate with an "L"-shaped cross-section. The front lower cover body 70 has a front plate portion and a lower plate portion. The front plate portion of the front lower cover body 70 constitutes the front part of the housing 2. The lower plate portion of the front lower cover body 70 constitutes the front part of the lower surface of the housing 2. The front lower cover body 70 is detachably fixed to the main body frame 20. The front lower cover body 70 is fastened to the front beam 38 and each front angle 40 of the main body frame 20 with multiple screws extending in the front-rear direction. Multiple slits for heat dissipation (ventilation) are provided in the front plate portion of the front lower cover body 70. Each slit extends to the left and right. The locking plate portion 72 is a "Π"-shaped bent plate and is integrated with the front lower cover body 70. The locking plate portion 72 has a locking plate body portion 74 that extends to the left and right, and locking plate leg portions 76 that extend downward and inward in the left and right directions from both ends thereof. The portions of each locking plate leg portion 76 that extend inward in the left and right directions are fixed to the upper rear edge of the lower plate portion of the front lower cover body 70 by screws that extend vertically.

[0022] The top cover portion 26 is a horizontal, plate-shaped member. The top cover portion 26 is detachably fixed to the main frame 20. The top cover portion 26 is fastened to each upper angle 42 of the main frame 20 by multiple screws extending in the vertical direction. The top cover portion 26 constitutes the upper surface of the housing 2. Furthermore, the configuration of housing 2 may be other than those described above. For example, the main frame 20 and the rear lower cover 22 may be integrated in a way that makes separation difficult. Also, the arrangement of at least one of the rear mounting beam 46 and the front mounting beam 48 may be changed, or either the rear mounting beam 46 or the front mounting beam 48 may be omitted, or in addition to the rear mounting beam 46 and the front mounting beam 48, one or more mounting beams having T-grooves 56, 66 may be provided, or at least one of the T-grooves 56, 66 may be changed to another groove such as a dovetail groove.

[0023] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the bottom, rear, and right side of one heater unit 4. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the center of the heater unit 4. Each heater unit 4 includes an infrared heater 80 and a reflector 82. Note that the infrared heater 80 is not shown in Figures 1 to 4. Each heater unit 4 is similar to the others. Unless otherwise specified, one heater unit 4 will be described as representative. Furthermore, some heater units 4 may differ from other heater units 4. Also, some or all heater units 4 may have multiple infrared heaters 80 for one reflector 82, or one or more infrared heaters 80 for multiple reflectors 82. Some or all heater units 4 may have heaters other than infrared heaters 80 in place of, or together with, infrared heaters 80.

[0024] The infrared heater 80 includes a quartz glass tube 90, a carbonaceous heating element 92, and a plurality (in this case, two) of heater terminals 94. The infrared heater 80 is a long, slender component in which its length in the front-to-back direction is greater than its width in the left-to-right direction.

[0025] The quartz glass tube 90 is made of quartz glass and is translucent. The quartz glass tube 90 is cylindrical, extending from front to back. The front and rear ends of the quartz glass tube 90 are sealed. At least one of the quartz glass tubes 90 may have a shape other than cylindrical, such as a rectangular tube. An inert gas such as argon gas is sealed inside the quartz glass tube 90 to suppress the deterioration of the carbonaceous heating element 92 due to oxidation. However, the sealing of the inert gas may be omitted.

[0026] The carbonaceous heating element 92 is a plate-shaped member that extends in the front-to-back direction and spreads out in the front-to-back, left-to-right, and rear-to-back directions. The carbonaceous heating element 92 is a carbonaceous plate. The orientation of the carbonaceous heating element 92 is horizontal. However, the orientation of the carbonaceous heating element 92 may be other than horizontal. Also, the shape of the carbonaceous heating element 92 may be other than a plate. The carbonaceous heating element 92 is held inside the quartz glass tube 90. The front end of the carbonaceous heating element 92 is connected to the front heater terminal 94. The rear end of the carbonaceous heating element 92 is connected to the rear heater terminal 94. The carbonaceous heating element 92 generates heat by emitting infrared radiation when current is passed through the circuit consisting of the front heater terminal section 94, the carbonaceous heating element 92, and the rear heater terminal section 94. From the viewpoint of heating efficiency, the infrared radiation is preferably mid-infrared. However, at least one of near-infrared and far-infrared radiation may be used as the infrared radiation instead of mid-infrared, or together with mid-infrared. Each carbonaceous heating element 92 is lighter than a metal of the same size, and therefore the infrared heater 80 is lighter than a heater using a metal heating element of similar size. Furthermore, since the carbonaceous heating element 92 emits infrared rays and heats the object to be heated by infrared rays, the infrared heater 80 can efficiently heat objects even from a distance, and can heat high-temperature objects while suppressing the reduction in heat transfer. In addition, since the carbonaceous heating element 92 instantly emits light (red-hot) in response to power application, the object to be heated begins to heat up immediately, and the user can easily understand the operating status of the infrared heater 80. The amount of infrared radiation emitted from the top and bottom surfaces of the carbonaceous heating element 92 is greater than the amount of infrared radiation emitted from the front, back, left, and right surfaces, which are the thicker surfaces of the carbonaceous heating element 92. In other words, the infrared radiation from each carbonaceous heating element 92 is mainly emitted from the top and bottom surfaces, and the thermal radiation from each carbonaceous heating element 92 is directional. Furthermore, the number of carbonaceous heating elements 92 per infrared heater 80 may be multiple. If multiple infrared heaters 80 exist, the number of carbonaceous heating elements 92 in some infrared heaters 80 may differ from the number of carbonaceous heating elements 92 in other infrared heaters 80. Also, the heating elements in at least one of the infrared heaters 80 may be tungsten, iron-chromium, molybdenum disilide, and silicon carbide, etc., instead of or together with the carbonaceous heating elements 92. In addition, the heater terminal section 94 may be provided only on the front side with two terminals, or it may have three or more terminals. Moreover, at least one of a sheathed heater and a cartridge heater may be used as the infrared heater 80. The sheathed heater is an infrared heater that has a metal tube instead of a quartz glass tube 90 and has heater terminal sections 94 on both sides. Furthermore, the cartridge heater is an infrared heater that has a metal tube instead of a quartz glass tube 90 and has a heater terminal section 94 on one side.

[0027] The reflector 82 reflects infrared rays with high reflectivity. The reflector 82 is adjacent to the infrared heater 80. The reflector 82 has a reflector body 100, a front heater support 102, and a rear heater support 104. Note that the front heater support 102 and the rear heater support 104 are not shown in Figures 1 to 4.

[0028] The reflector body 100 is made of aluminum (including aluminum alloy) and is a long, elongated member extending from front to back, having a length similar to that of the quartz glass tube 90 of the infrared heater 80. The reflector body 100 is an extruded aluminum material formed by extrusion. The reflector body 100 has a symmetrical shape, except for the contact portions 114L and 114R described below. The reflector body 100 may be formed by methods other than extrusion. Furthermore, the shape of the reflector body 100 may be perfectly symmetrical, or it may not be symmetrical except for the contact portions 114L and 114R. The reflector body portion 100 includes a base portion 110, a thick portion 112, a pair of left and right contact portions 114L, 114R, left and right and upper heater support portion mounting portions 116L, 116R, 116U, a pair of left and right wire receiving portions 118L, 118R, and a pair of left and right fin portions 120L, 120R. Furthermore, at least one of the following may be omitted: the thickened portion 112, the pair of left and right contact portions 114L, 114R, the left and right and upper heater support mounting portions 116L, 116R, 116U, the pair of left and right wire receiving portions 118L, 118R, and the pair of left and right fin portions 120L, 120R.

[0029] The base portion 110 has a bell-shaped cross-section and is open to the bottom. The shape of the inner surface of the base portion 110, which extends in the vertical, horizontal, and vertical directions, includes multiple (in this case, two) parabolas. The cross-sectional shapes of the lower left PL and lower right PR on the inner surface of the base portion 110 follow a first parabola. The cross-sectional shape of the upper PU on the inner surface of the base portion 110 follows a second parabola. The cross-sectional shape of the left middle portion ML on the inner surface, which is the part between the lower left PL and upper PU on the inner surface, is a straight line. The cross-sectional shape of the right middle portion MR on the inner surface, which is the part between the lower right PR and upper PU on the inner surface, is a straight line. The lower left PL and upper PU on the inner surface are connected by the planar left middle portion ML. The lower right PR and upper PU on the inner surface are connected by the planar right middle portion MR. The cross-sectional shapes of part or all of the left middle portion ML and the right middle portion MR may follow a third parabola. The focus of the first parabola and the focus of the second parabola coincide. The absolute value of the coefficient of the quadratic term in the equation for the first parabola is greater than the absolute value of the coefficient of the quadratic term in the equation for the second parabola. In other words, the opening of the first parabola is narrower than the opening of the second parabola. Note that the first and second parabolas do not have to be at the same focus. Also, the opening of the first parabola may be the same as the opening of the second parabola, or it may be wider than the opening of the second parabola. The inner surface of the reflector body 100 can be considered the side surface of the adjacent infrared heater 80. The upper, left, and right sides of the adjacent infrared heater 80 are surrounded by the reflector body 100. However, the adjacent infrared heater 80 does not necessarily have to be surrounded by the reflector body 100.

[0030] The thickened portion 112 is located above the base portion 110 and protrudes upward from the upper surface of the base portion 110. The thickened portion 112 is thicker than the base portion 110. The thickened portion 112 has a protruding portion 122 and an internal hole 124. The protruding portion 122 is located at the upper end of the thickened portion 112 and protrudes outward in the left-right direction relative to the other parts of the thickened portion 112. The internal hole 124 is a hole located inside the thickened portion 112 that extends in the front-to-back direction. Because the thickened portion 112 is thicker than other parts of the reflector body 100, it has a correspondingly larger heat capacity. Therefore, even if heat is concentrated on the upper part of the reflector body 100 due to infrared rays directed upward, the thickened portion 112 with its large heat capacity can adequately withstand such heat. Consequently, the durability of the heater unit 4, and by extension the heating device 1, is improved. Furthermore, the thickened portion 112 contains an air pocket due to the presence of an internal hole 124. Therefore, the heat resistance of the reflector body 100 having the thickened portion 112 with the internal hole 124 is improved compared to the case where the internal hole 124 is not provided. In addition, the reflector body 100 can be cooled by water cooling by flowing cooling water through the internal hole 124. Furthermore, at least one of the protruding portion 122 and the inner hole 124 may be omitted. Alternatively, a projection having a T-shaped or trapezoidal cross-section and a protruding portion may be provided on the housing 2, and the reflector body portion 100 may have a T-groove or dovetail groove to receive the protruding portion.

[0031] The left contact portion 114L is a protruding portion that extends semi-cylindrically to the left relative to the adjacent portion, and is located on the lower left outer side of the reflector body portion 100. The left contact portion 114L can be considered a contact protrusion. The right contact portion 114R is a groove-shaped portion that is recessed in a semi-cylindrical shape to the left relative to the adjacent portion, and is located on the lower right outer side of the reflector body portion 100. The shape of the left contact portion 114L matches the shape of the right contact portion 114R. The right contact portion 114R can be considered as a contact recess. The right contact portion 114R can be considered as the portion that is contacted by the left contact portion 114L. Furthermore, the left contact portion 114L may be considered as the part that is contacted by the right contact portion 114R. Also, the contact portions 114L and 114R do not have to be semi-cylindrical indentations or protrusions. The contact portions 114L and 114R do not have to be identical in shape as long as they make contact with each other. Contact at the contact portions 114L and 114R may be simply touching, or the left contact portion 114L may be fitted into the right contact portion 114R.

[0032] The left heater support mounting portion 116L is located on the upper right side of the left contact portion 114L. The cross-section of the left heater support mounting portion 116L is a "C" shape, open to the upper left. The inner surface shape of the left heater support mounting portion 116L is cylindrical. The right heater support mounting portion 116R is located on the upper left side of the right contact portion 114R. The cross-section of the right heater support mounting portion 116R is a "C" shape, open to the upper right. The inner surface shape of the right heater support mounting portion 116R is cylindrical. The upper heater support mounting portion 116U is provided on the upper part of the base portion 110. The cross-section of the upper heater support mounting portion 116U is a "C" shape that is open downwards. The inner surface shape of the upper heater support mounting portion 116U is a cylindrical surface shape.

[0033] The left wire receiving section 118L is located on the upper right side of the left heater support mounting section 116L. The cross-section of the left wire receiving section 118L is a "C" shape with an opening to the upper left. The inner surface shape of the left wire receiving section 118L is cylindrical. The right wire receiving section 118R is located on the upper left side of the right heater support mounting section 116R. The cross-section of the right wire receiving section 118R is a "C" shape, open to the upper right. The inner surface shape of the right wire receiving section 118R is cylindrical. The left and right wire receiving sections 118L and 118R are each capable of receiving wires, and the forward wires connected to the heater terminal section 94 at the rear are inserted into them.

[0034] The left fin section 120L is located on the upper right side of the left wire receiving section 118L. The left fin section 120L has multiple fins that extend in the front, back, left, and right directions. Each fin protrudes to the left from the left surface of the base section 110 or the thickened section 112. The right fin section 120R is located on the upper right side of the right wire receiving section 118R. The right fin section 120R has multiple fins that extend in the front, back, left, and right directions. Each fin protrudes to the right from the right surface of the base section 110 or the thickened section 112.

[0035] The outer surface of the reflector body portion 100 in the reflector 82 is black. More specifically, the outer surface of the reflector body portion 100 is black from the left side of the left contact portion 114L, to the left heater support mounting portion 116L, the left wire receiving portion 118L, the left fin portion 120L, the outer surface of the thick portion 112, the outer surface of the right fin portion 120R, the right wire receiving portion 118R, the right heater support mounting portion 116R, and the right side of the right contact portion 114R. The outer surface of the reflector body 100 is treated with black anodizing. The outer surface of the reflector body 100 becomes black due to the black anodizing treatment. Here, black is a functional color applied to improve heat dissipation and increase infrared emissivity, and it may or may not strictly conform to a specific color standard. The outer surface of the reflector body 100 can be considered the side opposite to the adjacent infrared heater 80. Furthermore, it is not necessary for a part of the outer surface of the reflector body 100 to be black, for example, if at least one of the inner surfaces of the wire receiving parts 118L and 118R, and the contact parts 114L and 114R are not black. Also, the outer surface of the reflector body 100 may be made black by means other than black anodizing, such as by applying black heat-resistant paint.

[0036] The reflector body 100 is formed by black anodizing. The configuration of the reflector body 100 may be determined by the manufacturing method used to form it, but even if this is the case, such determination is considered permissible because it would be impossible or impractical. In other words, although the composition of the outer surface of the reflector body 100 obtained by such formation is microscopically different from the composition before treatment, its composition cannot be easily determined. Therefore, it is not practical to directly identify the black anodized reflector body 100 by its structure. Furthermore, analyzing the composition of the outer surface of the reflector body 100 would require the use of an extremely expensive microscope for an extended period of time. Moreover, due to the varying characteristics of the outer surface of the reflector body 100 each time, numerous microscopes would need to be used. Therefore, exploring the structure of the outer surface of the reflector body 100 would require a great deal of equipment and time, making it virtually impossible or impractical. Therefore, even if the reflector body portion 100 is considered to be identified by the manufacturing method described above, such identification should be permissible.

[0037] The front heater support portion 102 has an end plate portion 130 and a terminal support portion 132. The end plate portion 130 is a plate-shaped member that extends in all directions (up, down, left, and right). When viewed from the front to the rear, the shape of the end plate portion 130 is similar to the shape of the base portion 110, contact portions 114L and 114R, and heater support mounting portions 116L, 116R, and 116U of the reflector body portion 100 combined, with a slit extending upward from the center of the lower edge. The end plate portion 130 is fixed to the front end of the reflector body portion 100 via the heater support mounting portions 116L, 116R, and 116U by multiple (3) screws extending in the front and rear directions. The terminal support portion 132 is a bent plate with an "L"-shaped cross-section. The rear portion of the terminal support portion 132, which extends in the up, down, left, and right directions, has screw holes in the front-to-back direction and is screwed to the lower front of the end plate portion 130. The rear portion of the terminal support portion 132 covers the lower part of the slit in the end plate portion 140. The front protruding portion of the terminal support portion 132, which extends in the front, back, left, and right directions, supports the heater terminal portion 94 in front of the infrared heater 80. The front end of the infrared heater 80 passes over the upper part of the slit in the end plate portion 130, and above the rear surface of the terminal support portion 132.

[0038] The rear heater support portion 104 has an end plate portion 140 and a terminal support portion 142. The shapes of the end plate portion 140 and the terminal support portion 142 are symmetrical with respect to the end plate portion 130 and the terminal support portion 132. The end plate portion 140 is fixed to the rear end of the reflector body portion 100 via heater support mounting portions 116L, 116R, and 116U by a plurality (3) of screws extending in the front and rear directions. The rearward protruding surface portion of the terminal support portion 142, which extends in the front, back, left, and right directions, supports the heater terminal portion 94 behind the infrared heater 80. The rear end of the infrared heater 80 passes over the upper part of the slit in the end plate portion 140, which is above the front surface of the terminal support portion 142. Furthermore, at least one of the front heater support portion 102 and the rear heater support portion 104 may have a part or all of its outer surface painted black.

[0039] The infrared heater 80 is positioned between the front heater support 102 and the rear heater support 104. The infrared heater 80 is positioned so as to include a focal point common to the first parabola and the second parabola, relating to the inner surface of the reflector body 100. The infrared rays from the infrared heater 80 are reflected by the inner surface of the base portion 110 of the reflector body portion 100. Since this inner surface is not treated with black and is a normal aluminum reflective surface, it reflects infrared rays with high reflectivity. The reflected infrared rays are directed downward along the vertical direction due to the shapes of the lower left PL and lower right PR on the inner surface along the first parabola and the upper PU on the inner surface along the second parabola. Therefore, the infrared rays from the infrared heater 80 are emitted downward in a state aligned in the vertical direction by the reflector 82. Consequently, the heating of the object to be heated by infrared rays is more sufficiently achieved. The inner surface of the reflector body 100 has a left lower PL and a right lower PR that follow the first parabola, as well as a left middle section ML and a right middle section MR, and an upper section PU that follows the second parabola. Therefore, the upper section PU of the inner surface is further away from the infrared heater 80 compared to the case where the cross-sectional shape of the inner surface follows only the first parabola. Thus, the reflector 82 is protected from excessive action by the infrared heater 80 while ensuring sufficient heating of the object to be heated.

[0040] Each heater unit 4 is attached to the housing 2 via a front mounting beam 48 and a rear mounting beam 46. Each heater unit 4 is installed by removing the front lower cover 24 of the housing 2 and sequentially sliding the thickened portion 112 of the reflector body 100 of the reflector 82 into the corresponding T-grooves 56 and 66 on the front mounting beam 48 and rear mounting beam 46, starting from the front and moving towards the rear. Each heater unit 4 stops when the rear surface of the thickened portion 112 hits the front edge of the stop beam 44. With each heater unit 4 mounted on the front mounting beam 48 and rear mounting beam 46, when the front lower cover 24 is attached to the main body frame 20, the rear edge of the locking plate body 74 of the locking plate 72 of the front lower cover 24 hits the front surface of the thickened portion 112. Thus, each heater unit 4 is positioned and fixed between the stop beam 44 and the locking plate 72. When each heater unit 4 is mounted on the front mounting beam 48 and the rear mounting beam 46, the protruding portion 122 of the thickened portion 112 fits into the expanded portion above the T-grooves 56 and 66. Therefore, the sliding for mounting each heater unit 4 is stable, and it is easy to attach and detach each heater unit 4 to the housing 2. In addition, the positioning of each mounted heater unit 4 is stable, especially in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the detachment of each mounted heater unit 4 is suppressed. The thickened portion 112 serves as both the mounting portion to the housing 2 and a highly durable portion with a large heat capacity. Therefore, the configuration of the reflector 82 becomes more efficient.

[0041] When each heater unit 4 is attached to the housing 2, the inner surfaces of each infrared heater 80 and each reflector 82 are exposed through the lower opening of the housing 2 between the lower surface of the rear lower cover 22 and the lower surface of the front lower cover 24. In the heating device 1, multiple infrared heaters 80 are held adjacent to each other, so that the upper and lower surfaces of each carbonaceous heating element 92 within each quartz glass tube 90 are aligned in the left-right direction. Thus, a virtual plate-shaped heating surface is formed that extends in the front, back, left, and right directions. Infrared rays are mainly emitted upward and downward from the heating surface. The infrared rays mainly emitted upward are reflected downward by the reflector 82. Furthermore, when each heater unit 4 is attached to the housing 2, the left contact portion 114L of the reflector 82 adjacent to the right of the reflector 82 enters the right contact portion 114R of the reflector 82, causing the contact portions 114L and 114R to come into contact with each other. The contact portions 114L and 114R come into contact with each other over the entire length of the reflector 82.

[0042] The blower unit 6 has one or more (in this case, two) fans 150. Note that there may be one fan 150 or three or more fans 150. The blower unit 6 may also have other blowing mechanisms besides the fans 150, such as blower ducts, either in place of the fans 150 or together with the fans 150. Each fan 150 is similar to the others. Unless otherwise specified, one fan 150 will be described as representative. In cases where the air blower 6 has multiple fans 150, some fans 150 may be of a different type than the others.

[0043] Fan 150 is an axial flow fan. Fan 150 is electric and directs airflow, i.e., wind, downwards. Fan 150 draws in uncompressed air from above to generate wind. The fan 150 is mounted in the center of the top cover 26 in the front-to-back direction. The top cover 26 is provided with airflow holes. The fans 150 are arranged side by side. Furthermore, some or all of the fans 150 may be of other types, such as sirocco fans. Also, some or all of the fans 150 may be located in places other than the center of the top cover 26. The fans 150 may be arranged in a front-to-back configuration.

[0044] The terminal block section 8 includes a heater terminal block 160, a fan terminal block 162, and a temperature sensor terminal block 164.

[0045] The heater terminal block 160 is connected to the wires from each heater terminal 94 of each infrared heater 80. Additionally, the heater terminal block 160 is connected to wires from a power supply (not shown). Power from the power supply is supplied to each infrared heater 80 via the heater terminal block 160.

[0046] The fan terminal block 162 is connected to the wires from each fan 150. Additionally, the fan terminal block 162 is connected to the wires from the power supply. Power from the power supply is supplied to each fan 150 via the fan terminal block 162. Furthermore, the heating device 1 may be equipped with a switch to turn the power on and off. The power supply may be switchable separately for each infrared heater 80 and each fan 150. In addition, the circuit of the heating device 1 can be modified in various ways, such as omitting the heater terminal block 160 and connecting each infrared heater 80 directly to the power supply, or connecting each fan 150 to the power supply via the heater terminal block 160, or including a control unit such as a CPU to control various parts.

[0047] The temperature sensor terminal block 164 receives the wires from one or more (in this case, one) temperature sensors. The temperature sensor is a thermocouple. The temperature sensor detects the temperature in the front-to-back direction at the top of the central reflector 82 in the left-to-right direction, specifically at the top of the thickened portion 112 of the third or fourth reflector 82 from the left. A recording device, such as a computer, is connected to the temperature sensor terminal block 164 to record the detected temperature. Furthermore, multiple temperature sensors may be provided, and they may be other than thermocouples. The temperature detection position of the temperature sensor may be other than the central part mentioned above. The temperature sensor terminal block 164 and the temperature sensor may be omitted. The infrared heater 80 may be controlled by the control unit based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

[0048] An example of the operation of such a heating device 1 is described below. The user places the object to be heated below the heating device 1.

[0049] Next, the user activates the infrared heater 80 and the air blower 6 to produce airflow. The airflow from each fan 150 strikes the center of the outer surface of each reflector 82 and flows back and forth, cooling each reflector 82. Since the adjacent contact points 114L and 114R of each reflector 82 are in contact, the passage of air below the reflector 82 is suppressed. Therefore, the decrease in the cooling efficiency of each reflector 82 due to the airflow is suppressed. In addition, the decrease in the heating efficiency of the heated object due to air leaking downwards is suppressed. Furthermore, the airflow from each fan 150 strikes the horizontal fin sections 120L and 120R that intersect with the direction of the airflow. Therefore, the cooling efficiency by airflow is improved compared to the case where fins are provided along the direction of the airflow from the air blower 6. Furthermore, the airflow that hits each reflector 82 and flows back and forth cools the front mounting beam 48 and rear mounting beam 46 to which the reflectors 82 are attached. As a result, deformation of the front mounting beam 48 and rear mounting beam 46 due to the effects of heat is suppressed. Consequently, even if high heat is generated by each high-output infrared heater 80, the mounting accuracy of each infrared heater 80 is maintained, and the detachment of each infrared heater 80 is suppressed. The airflow that hits each reflector 82 and flows back and forth is discharged to the outside of the heating device 1 through the slits in the front lower cover 24 and the rear lower cover 22.

[0050] Furthermore, the heat dissipation from the outer surface of each reflector 82 is more efficient than in the case of a non-black surface because the emissivity of the outer surface is improved due to the black color. Therefore, even if air cooling by each fan 150 is used instead of cooling by compressed air or cooling water, the increase in heat of each reflector 82 is sufficiently suppressed without reducing the output of the infrared heater 80. Consequently, while maintaining a high output of the infrared heater 80, the occurrence of malfunctions due to the effects of heat on each reflector 82 and, consequently, the heating device 1 is suppressed. Moreover, if the output of the infrared heater 80 is suppressed to a certain extent, air cooling by the blower 6 becomes unnecessary, and the configuration of the heating device 1 becomes simpler. Furthermore, the outer surface of each reflector 82 is strengthened compositionally by black anodizing compared to when black anodizing is not performed. Therefore, the heat resistance of the outer surface of each reflector 82 is improved. Consequently, even if the output of the infrared heater 80 in the heating device 1 is maintained at a high level, the occurrence of malfunctions due to the effects of heat is suppressed.

[0051] In addition, due to the inner surface shapes of each reflector 82 that follow the first and second parabolas, infrared rays are emitted downwards while their spread in the front, back, left, and right directions is suppressed. As a result, the amount of infrared rays directed toward the object to be heated increases, and the heating efficiency of the object is improved.

[0052] The heating device 1 described above provides the following effects. Specifically, the heating device 1 comprises six reflectors 82, the reflector body 100 of which is made of aluminum, and six infrared heaters 80, which are arranged adjacent to the reflector body 100 and generate infrared rays by electric power. At least a portion of the outer surface of the reflector body 100 is black. Thus, the heating device 1 is provided in which the occurrence of deformation in the reflectors 82 as an infrared reflection mechanism is suppressed by improved heat dissipation and improved infrared emissivity, thereby improving heating capacity. Furthermore, at least a portion of the outer surface of the reflector body 100 is blackened by black anodizing. Therefore, while blackening the outer surface, the composition of the outer surface is strengthened, further suppressing the occurrence of deformation in the reflector 82.

[0053] Furthermore, the heating device 1 is equipped with a blower 6 that blows air onto the outer surface of the reflector body 100. Therefore, deformation of the reflector 82 is further suppressed. Alternatively, the heating device 1 comprises a reflector 82, at least in part, made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy; an infrared heater 80, positioned adjacent to the reflector 82 and generating infrared rays by electric power; and a blower 6, which blows air onto the outer surface of the reflector 82. Thus, the heating device 1 is provided in which the heating capacity is improved while the deformation of the reflector 82, which acts as an infrared reflective mechanism, is suppressed by blower cooling. Furthermore, the reflector body 100 has fin sections 120L and 120R that include fins protruding from adjacent sections, and the direction of the fin protrusions intersects with the direction of the wind from the air blower 6. As a result, the cooling efficiency of the reflector body 100 is improved, and deformation of the reflector 82 is suppressed. In addition, in the air blower 6, the airflow is generated from uncompressed air. Therefore, noise and costs are reduced compared to when the airflow is generated from compressed air.

[0054] Furthermore, multiple reflector body sections 100 are provided. Therefore, the heating capacity is efficiently improved while the deformation of each reflector body section 100 is suppressed. Furthermore, each reflector body 100 is elongated. Each reflector body 100 has a right contact portion 114R. Each reflector body 100 has a left contact portion 114L that contacts the right contact portion 114R over its entire length. Thus, each reflector body 100 is divided into an inner side, i.e., the lower side, and an outer side, i.e., the upper side. When the air blower 6 is positioned on the outer side, leakage of air from the air blower 6 to the inner side is suppressed. Furthermore, the heating device 1 includes a housing 2 for attaching the reflector 82. The housing 2 has T-grooves 56 and 66. The reflector 82 has a protruding portion 122. The reflector 82 is attached to the housing 2 by inserting the protruding portion 122 into the T-grooves 56 and 66. Therefore, the reflector 82 can be easily attached with excellent precision, regardless of whether heating is performed or not. In addition, the reflector body 100 has a thickened portion 112. Therefore, a greater heat capacity is secured in the thickened portion 112, and the weight is reduced in the parts other than the thickened portion 112. Thus, the reflector 82 achieves both heat resistance and ease of handling through an efficient configuration.

[0055] Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape of the inner surface of the reflector body 100 includes a parabola. Therefore, the reflector 82 can guide infrared rays from the infrared heater 80 in a more concentrated manner toward the object to be heated. Consequently, the heating capacity of the heating device 1 is improved. Furthermore, the infrared heater 80 generates mid-infrared rays. Therefore, in the heating device 1, industrial products or their parts made of commonly used materials such as metals and heat-resistant synthetic resins are heated more efficiently.

[0056] [Second form] Next, a second embodiment of the heating device 201, which has an air blower 6 similar to the first embodiment of the heating device 1, will be described. The heating device 201 is installed adjacent to a conveying device such as a belt conveyor, and heats the conveyed objects as they are being transported by the conveying device. Furthermore, the various modifications described above for the heating device 1 of the first embodiment may be applied to the heating device 201 as appropriate. In addition, parts or all of the heating device 1 of the first embodiment and parts or all of the heating device 201 of the second embodiment may be combined as appropriate.

[0057] Figure 7A is a perspective view of the top, rear, and right side of the second embodiment of the heating device 201. Figure 7B is a right side view of the heating device 201. The heating device 201 includes a plurality of infrared heaters (five in this case) not shown, a case 202 acting as a reflector, and a blower unit 6. The blower unit 6 is the same as the blower unit 6 of the first embodiment, with each fan 150 housed inside in the heating device 201, and is therefore given the same reference numerals, and its description is omitted as appropriate.

[0058] Case 202 is made of aluminum. However, Case 202 does not necessarily have to be made of aluminum. The case 202 has multiple (in this case, five) infrared heater housings 204 and a direction changing unit 206.

[0059] Each infrared heater housing 204 is a hole surrounded by a cylindrical surface extending front to back, and houses an infrared heater. A gap exists between the cylindrical surface of each infrared heater housing 204 and the infrared heater housed inside. This gap absorbs the thermal expansion of the case 202. A blower unit 6 is positioned above the rear of each infrared heater housing 204. The blower unit 6 blows air to the rear of each infrared heater housing 204. The air is then directed forward within each infrared heater housing 204. Each infrared heater and the case 202 are cooled by this airflow. Note that the air does not need to hit the infrared heaters. Alternatively, the air does not need to hit the case 202.

[0060] The direction changing unit 206 is positioned in front of each infrared heater housing 204. The direction changing unit 206 converts the direction of the airflow from each infrared heater housing 204 downwards. The direction changing unit 206 is a slanted plate with a forward-sloping orientation.

[0061] Below the heating device 201, the conveyed material is being transported from front to back. The conveyed object is first exposed to airflow from the direction-changing unit 206. This airflow exchanges heat with the case 202, which acts as a reflector and is heated by each infrared heater, thus heating the case itself. The conveyed object is preheated by this heated airflow. Next, the transported object reaches below each infrared heater and is heated by infrared radiation. The transported material is then moved to the rear of the heating device 201.

[0062] Furthermore, in the heating device 201, the air from the air blower 6 hits the infrared heater and case 202 before being directed at the object to be heated. In other words, in the heating device 201, the air used to cool the infrared heater and case 202 is also used for preheating the object to be heated. Therefore, the heat transferred to the airflow for cooling the infrared heater is not wasted but is used to heat the object being heated. Consequently, preheating with airflow reduces the power consumption of the infrared heater. Thus, a heating device 201 is provided that is energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, such as by reducing CO2 gas emissions. [Examples]

[0063] Next, Examples 1 to 6 of the present invention will be described. Examples 1 to 6 will correspond as appropriate to the embodiments described above. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0064] [Example 1] As Example 1, a computer-based thermal fluid simulation was performed. Figure 8 is an image showing the model and analysis results related to the thermal fluid simulation in Example 1. In this thermal fluid simulation, the aluminum reflector body 100 was modeled to have a realistic computational complexity while allowing sufficient observation of various characteristics. As shown in the upper part of Figure 8, it has a base portion 110 with an isosceles triangular cross-section and a thickness of 2 mm, a pentagonal thickened portion 112 with a thickness of an additional 4 mm compared to the base portion 110, and two horizontal fins on each side, each 2 mm thick. In such a model, the effects of the orientation of the thickened portion 112 and the fins are mainly analyzed. Furthermore, in this thermal fluid simulation, the model of the air blower 6 was created as a white square shape in the upper lower part of Figure 8, which blows air downwards from directly above the thickened portion 112 of the reflector body 100. The air mainly hits each fin perpendicularly. The distance between the lower edge of the air blower 6 and the top of the thickened portion 112 is 90 mm. The airflow rate is 1 m3 It is / min. Furthermore, in this thermal fluid simulation, a model of the infrared heater 80 was created, although not shown in Figure 8, that corresponds to the infrared heater 80 of the first embodiment of the heating device 1. The heating capacity of the infrared heater 80 is 3 kW. Then, based on this model, the air blower 6 and infrared heater 80 were virtually activated, and the distribution of wind force around the air blower 6 and the reflector body 100 was calculated.

[0065] As a result of this thermal fluid simulation, as shown in the lower part of Figure 8, the thickened portion 112 and the fins oriented perpendicular to the wind direction demonstrate that the reflector body 100 has sufficient cooling performance. The lower part of Figure 8 shows the distribution of wind force (Velocity: Magnitude (m / s), 0.0~8.0), with blue indicating weaker wind force and red indicating stronger wind force. According to the lower part of Figure 8, it can be seen that the wind is particularly strong on the thickened section 112 and the upper fin.

[0066] [Example 2] As Example 2, a computer-based optical simulation was performed. Figure 9 is an image showing the model and analysis results related to the optical simulation in Example 2. In this optical simulation, a model (development product) of the aluminum reflector body 100 was created, having the shape of the reflector body 100 for the first embodiment of the heating device 1, as shown in the upper left of Figure 9. The opening width at the lower end of the reflector body 100 was set to 48 mm. The length of the reflector body 100, i.e., the size in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 9, was set to 590 mm. Furthermore, in this optical simulation, a model of the infrared heater 80 was created, as shown in the upper left of Figure 9, which corresponds to the carbonaceous heating element 92 in the infrared heater 80 of the first embodiment of the heating device 1. The infrared radiation capacity of the carbonaceous heating element 92 is 3 kW. In such a model, the reflection of infrared rays on the inner surface of the reflector body 100 is mainly analyzed. Then, based on this model, the carbonaceous heating element 92 was virtually activated, and the infrared radiation irradiation conditions below the reflector body 100 were calculated.

[0067] The results of this optical simulation are shown on the left and right sides of Figure 9. As shown by numerous straight lines on the left side of Figure 9, the inner surface of the reflector body 100, whose cross-sectional shape follows the first parabola and the second parabola, directs most of the infrared radiation reflected by the reflector body 100 downwards. Furthermore, the right side of Figure 9 shows the distribution of infrared radiation on hypothetical horizontal planes at distances of 50 mm, 100 mm, and 150 mm from the lower end of the reflector body 100. As shown in the upper right of Figure 9, the size of these horizontal planes is 550 mm in the X-axis direction along the width direction of the reflector body 100 and 550 mm in the Y-axis direction along the longitudinal direction of the reflector body 100, with the origin of the XY plane taken directly below the center of the reflector body 100. Points within the horizontal plane indicate the locations through which infrared radiation passes. The color of these points represents the cumulative intensity (W / m²) of the infrared radiation that has passed through. 2 The bluer the number, the weaker the number (minimum 50,000), and the redder the number, the stronger it is (maximum 1,000,000). As can be seen on the right side of Figure 9, the reflector body 100 reflects infrared rays from the infrared heater in a way that concentrates them directly downwards.

[0068] [Example 3] In Example 3, an aluminum reflector body 100 was actually extruded to a length of 590 mm, and its outer surface was anodized to a black finish. An infrared heater 80 with a light emission length of 470 mm was then held in the position shown in Figure 6 relative to the reflector body 100 and turned on. Twenty minutes after the start of illumination, the surface temperature distribution on a hypothetical horizontal plane directly below the center of the reflector body 100 was measured. Because the infrared heater 80 lacks the air blower 6, it was lit at a reduced output relative to its maximum output. Furthermore, the virtual horizontal plane is the same XY plane as in Example 2, and the distance between the virtual horizontal plane and the lower end of the reflector body 100 is 50 mm, 100 mm, and 150 mm, as in Example 2. On the other hand, as Study Example 3, a sample identical to Example 3 was actually manufactured, except that anodizing treatment was not performed. Note that Study Examples 1 and 2 are omitted.

[0069] Figure 10 is a graph showing the surface temperature distribution on the X-axis in the XY plane at a distance of 50 mm for Example 3 and Study Example 3. Figure 11 is a graph showing the surface temperature distribution on the X-axis in the XY plane at a distance of 100 mm for Example 3 and Study Example 3. Figure 12 is a graph showing the surface temperature distribution on the X-axis in the XY plane at a distance of 150 mm for Example 3 and Study Example 3. As shown in Figures 10 to 12, Example 3, which has a reflector body 100 with a black outer surface, can perform heating comparable to Study Example 3, which has a reflector body 100 with an unblack outer surface. Furthermore, it can be seen that it can perform better heating than Study Example 3 at a distance of 150 mm. It is thought that in Example 3, by making the outer surface of the reflector body 100 black, the heat dissipation was improved, minute deformation of the inner surface was suppressed, and the dissipation of infrared rays reflected by the reflector body 100 was suppressed.

[0070] [Example 4] In Example 4, the same reflector body 100 and infrared heater 80 as in Example 3 were manufactured. Furthermore, in Study Example 4, the same reflector body 100 and infrared heater 80 as in Study Example 3 were manufactured. Then, a black square aluminum plate was placed 100 mm below the lower end of Example 4 as the heating target (workpiece), and the infrared heater 80 was turned on. The time-dependent changes in the maximum temperature of the reflector body 100 and the maximum temperature of the workpiece were measured. The workpiece was 550 mm on each side and 20 mm thick. The center of the workpiece was positioned directly below the center of the reflector body 100. The workpiece was positioned horizontally. The infrared heater 80 was turned on at an output of 3 kW, which was suppressed from its maximum output. Furthermore, when the reflector body 100 reached 250°C, the reflector body 100 was air-cooled by blowing air. The airflow was 1 m³ 3 The value is / min. Note that 250°C is slightly below 300°C, which corresponds to the typical softening temperature of aluminum. Similarly, for Study Example 4, the time-dependent change in the maximum temperature of the reflector body 100 and the time-dependent change in the maximum temperature of the workpiece were measured.

[0071] Figure 13 is a graph showing the time-dependent changes in the maximum temperature of the reflector body 100 and the maximum temperature of the workpiece for Example 4 and Study Example 4. According to Figure 13, in Example 4, which has a reflector body 100 with a black outer surface, the elapsed time from the start of illumination until the maximum temperature of the reflector body 100 reached 250°C was 17.9 minutes, which is longer than the elapsed time of 8.9 minutes in Study Example 4, which has a reflector body 100 with an unblack outer surface. Therefore, it can be seen that the heat resistance of the reflector body 100 with a black outer surface is higher. Furthermore, the change in the maximum temperature of the workpiece over time in Example 4 is comparable to the change in the maximum temperature of the workpiece over time in Study Example 4, and it can be said that the heating capacity of Example 4 is the same as that of Study Example 4.

[0072] [Example 5] In Example 5, the same reflector body 100 and infrared heater 80 as in Example 3 were manufactured. Furthermore, in Study Example 5, the same reflector body 100 and infrared heater 80 as in Study Example 3 were manufactured. Furthermore, the time-dependent changes in the maximum temperature of the reflector body 100 and the maximum temperature of the workpiece in Example 5 and Study Example 5 were measured in the same manner as in Example 4 and Study Example 4. However, in Example 5 and Study Example 5, each infrared heater 80 was 150 kW / m 2 It was considered to have high output.

[0073] Figure 14 is a graph showing the time-dependent changes in the maximum temperature of the reflector body 100 and the maximum temperature of the workpiece for Example 5 and Study Example 5. According to Figure 14, in Study Example 5, which has a reflector body 100 whose outer surface is not black, the maximum temperature of the reflector body 100 is 150 kW / m² when the output of each infrared heater 80 is 150 kW / m². 2 Therefore, even if it is air-cooled after reaching 250°C, it will be maintained at a value slightly below 250°C. In contrast, in Embodiment 5, which has a reflector body 100 with a black outer surface, the maximum temperature of the reflector body 100 is 150 kW / m² when the output of each infrared heater 80 is 150 kW / m². 2 However, after reaching 250°C, it is air-cooled, keeping the temperature below 200°C. Therefore, deformation of the reflector body 100, which is black on its outer surface, is sufficiently suppressed by air cooling without the use of compressed air, even when combined with a high-output infrared heater 80.

[0074] [Example 6] As Example 6, a thermal fluid simulation similar to Example 1 was performed, modeling a configuration in which six reflectors were in contact with the reflector body 100 having the shape shown in Figure 6 of the heating device 1 of the first embodiment. The wind force range is from 0.0 on the blue side to 5.0 on the red side. Figure 15 is an image showing the analysis results related to the thermal fluid simulation of Example 6. Figure 15 shows that the contact between adjacent contact portions 114L and 114R sufficiently suppresses the downward movement of air from each reflector body portion 100. Furthermore, the upper surface of each reflector body portion 100 has an uneven shape, and the air hits each recessed area strongly, resulting in improved cooling efficiency for each reflector body portion 100 by airflow. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0075] 1...Heating device 2. Housing 6. Air blower 56, 66...T groove 80-inch infrared heater 82·Reflector 100··Reflector body 112·Thick part 114L, 114R... Contact area (either one can be considered the contacted area) 120L, 120R... Fin section (including fins) 122. Protruding section

Claims

1. A reflector that is made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, An infrared heater is positioned adjacent to the aforementioned reflector and generates infrared rays using electricity, It is equipped with, At least a portion of the outer surface of the reflector is black. A heating device characterized by the following features.

2. At least a portion of the outer surface of the reflector is black due to black anodizing treatment. The heating apparatus according to feature 1.

3. The reflector is equipped with a fan that blows air onto its outer surface. The heating apparatus according to feature 1.

4. A reflector that is made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, An infrared heater is positioned adjacent to the aforementioned reflector and generates infrared rays using electricity, A fan unit that blows air onto the outer surface of the reflector, It is equipped with A heating device characterized by the following features.

5. The reflector has fins that protrude from adjacent portions, The direction in which the fins protrude intersects with the direction of the wind. The heating apparatus according to claim 3 or 4.

6. The aforementioned wind is generated from uncompressed air. The heating apparatus according to claim 3 or 4.

7. The aforementioned wind, after hitting the reflector, is directed towards the object to be heated. The heating apparatus according to claim 3 or 4.

8. Multiple reflectors are provided. A heating device according to claim 1 or 4.

9. Each of the aforementioned reflectors is elongated in shape, Some of the aforementioned reflectors have a contact portion, Some of the other reflectors have a contact portion that contacts the contacted portion over its entire length. The heating apparatus according to feature 8.

10. Furthermore, it is equipped with a housing for attaching the reflector, The housing and the reflector have at least one of a T-groove and a dovetail groove. The other of the housing and the reflector has a protruding portion. The reflector is attached to the housing by inserting the protruding portion into at least one of the T-groove and the dovetail groove. A heating device according to claim 1 or 4.

11. The reflector has a thickened portion. A heating device according to claim 1 or 4.

12. The cross-sectional shape of the inner surface of the reflector includes a parabola. A heating device according to claim 1 or 4.

13. The infrared heater generates mid-infrared rays. A heating device according to claim 1 or 4.

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