Environmental test equipment

Abstract

To provide an environment test device capable of rapidly putting a test object into / out of a test chamber.SOLUTION: An environment test device 100 includes a test chamber 101 for performing an actuation test under a low-temperature environment with respect to a test object WK. Two conveyance shafts 130 are mutually extended in parallel in order to put in / out the test object WK in the test chamber 101. Each one of the conveyance shafts 130 is extended in a rod-shape and arranged in a state where a pin-shape pressure body 133 is projected on an outer front surface. Each one of the pressure bodies 133 is formed to have a length to be brought into contact with a side surface of a work pallet 200 on which the test object WK is placed in an upward erecting state. The conveyance shaft 130 is supported so as to be reciprocatively rotated around an axial line by each rotation mechanism 135 and also to advance / retreat in an axial direction by an advance / retreat mechanism 136.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an environmental test apparatus that includes a test chamber for accommodating a test object to form a sealed space and performs a test on the test object in the environment within the test chamber.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been an environmental test apparatus that includes a test chamber for accommodating a test object to form a sealed space and performs a test on the test object in the environment within the test chamber. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses an inspection apparatus that arranges an electronic component as a test object in a low-temperature bath as a test chamber having an atmosphere of 0°C or lower and inspects the operation of this electronic component.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

[0004] However, in the inspection apparatus described in Patent Document 1 above, since the test object is taken in and out of the low-temperature bath using a chain conveyor, there is a problem that the test object cannot be taken in and out quickly and the working efficiency is low.

Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention has been made to address the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an environmental test apparatus capable of quickly taking a test object in and out of a test chamber.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, a feature of the present invention is an environmental test apparatus that includes a test chamber for accommodating a test object and performs a test on the test object in the environment in the test chamber, and has an access opening provided to open to the test chamber for taking the test object in and out, a pushing body for pushing the test object toward the access opening side, a transport shaft formed to extend in a rod shape and having the pushing body on an outer peripheral portion thereof, a rotation mechanism for rotating the transport shaft around an axis, and a forward and backward mechanism for moving the transport shaft forward and backward with respect to the access opening 、 A closing body that can freely open and close the access opening and and includes 、 The transport shaft is arranged in a state of always straddling the access opening, and the closing body has a transport shaft fitting portion into which a portion of the transport shaft straddling the access opening fits. Here, the environment in the test chamber is at least one of the temperature, humidity, pressure, and gas concentration in the test chamber.

[0007] According to this, in the environmental test apparatus, since the transport shaft that supports the pressing body for pressing the test object rotates around the axis by the rotation mechanism and moves forward and backward with respect to the access opening by the forward and backward mechanism, the test object can be quickly taken in and out of the test chamber. Also, according to the present invention, Since the environmental test apparatus includes a closing body that can freely open and close the access opening, it is possible to suppress a change in the environment in the test chamber and perform a stable and accurate environmental test. Also, according to the present invention, Since the environmental test apparatus has a transport shaft fitting portion into which a portion of the transport shaft straddling the access opening fits in the closing body, the closing body can be opened and closed with the transport shaft straddling the access opening without removing the transport shaft from the access opening, and the work of taking the test object in and out can be efficiently performed.

[0008] Another feature of the present invention is that, in the environmental test apparatus, two or more transport shafts are provided.

[0009] According to this, since two or more transport shafts are provided in the environmental test apparatus, the test object can be stably taken in and out of the access opening by the two or more transport shafts.

[0010] Further, another feature of the present invention is that, in the environmental test apparatus, the transport shaft is made of a material having a lower thermal conductivity than the materials constituting the portions before and after the portion straddling the loading / unloading port.

[0011] According to this, since the portion of the transport shaft straddling the loading / unloading port in the environmental test apparatus is made of a material having a lower thermal conductivity than the materials constituting the portions before and after the portion straddling the loading / unloading port, heat transfer between the inside and the outside of the test chamber can be suppressed, and the accuracy of the environmental test can be efficiently improved.

[0012] Further, another feature of the present invention is that, in the environmental test apparatus, there is further a work support for supporting the object to be tested at positions before and after the loading / unloading port, and the transport shaft is provided in a non-contact state with respect to the object to be tested.

[0013] According to this, since the transport shaft of the environmental test apparatus is provided in a non-contact state with respect to the object to be tested, it is possible to prevent the position of the object to be tested from changing as the transport shaft moves, and the transport accuracy of the object to be tested and the accuracy of the environmental test can be improved.

[0014] Also, the environmental test device is, An environmental test apparatus including a test chamber for accommodating an object to be tested and performing a test on the object to be tested in the environment within this test chamber, the apparatus comprising: a loading / unloading port provided to open to the test chamber for loading / unloading the object to be tested; a pushing body for pushing the object to be tested toward the loading / unloading port side; a transport shaft formed to extend in a rod shape and having the pushing body provided on an outer peripheral portion thereof; a rotation mechanism for rotating the transport shaft around an axis; and a reciprocating mechanism for reciprocating the transport shaft with respect to the loading / unloading port it may beHere, the environment in the test chamber refers to at least one of the temperature, humidity, pressure, and gas concentration in the test chamber. According to this, in the environmental test apparatus, the transport shaft that supports the pressing body for pressing the object under test rotates around the axis by the rotation mechanism and advances and retreats with respect to the loading / unloading port by the advancing / retreating mechanism, so that the object under test can be quickly loaded and unloaded into and out of the test chamber.

[0015] Also, the environmental test device is, An environmental test apparatus that includes a test chamber for accommodating an object under test and performs a test on the object under test in the environment in this test chamber, including a loading / unloading port provided to open in the test chamber for loading and unloading the object under test, a pressing body for pressing the object under test toward the loading / unloading port side, a transport shaft formed to extend in a rod shape and having the pressing body on its outer peripheral portion, a rotation mechanism for rotating the transport shaft around the axis, and an advancing / retreating mechanism for advancing and retreating the transport shaft with respect to the loading / unloading port 、 Two or more transport shafts are provided. it may be According to this, in the environmental test apparatus, since two or more transport shafts are provided, the object under test can be stably loaded and unloaded into and out of the loading / unloading port by the two or more transport shafts.

[0016] Also, the environmental test device is, An environmental test apparatus that includes a test chamber for accommodating an object under test and performs a test on the object under test in the environment in this test chamber, including a loading / unloading port provided to open in the test chamber for loading and unloading the object under test, a pressing body for pressing the object under test toward the loading / unloading port side, a transport shaft formed to extend in a rod shape and having the pressing body on its outer peripheral portion, a rotation mechanism for rotating the transport shaft around the axis, and an advancing / retreating mechanism for advancing and retreating the transport shaft with respect to the loading / unloading port 、 It is provided with a closing body that can freely open and close the loading / unloading port. it may be According to this, in the environmental test apparatus, since it is provided with a closing body that can freely open and close the loading / unloading port, it is possible to suppress a change in the environment in the test chamber and perform a stable and accurate environmental test.

[0017] Also, the environmental test device is, An environmental test apparatus that has a test chamber for accommodating an object to be tested and performs a test on the object to be tested in the environment within this test chamber, comprising: an access opening provided to open into the test chamber for taking the object to be tested in and out; a pushing body for pushing the object to be tested toward the access opening side; a transport shaft formed to extend in a rod shape and having the pushing body provided on its outer peripheral portion; a rotation mechanism for rotating the transport shaft around its axis; and a reciprocating mechanism for reciprocating the transport shaft with respect to the access opening 、 Furthermore, it has a work support body that supports the object to be tested at positions before and after with respect to the access opening, and the transport shaft is provided in a non-contact state with respect to the object to be tested it may be According to this, in the environmental test apparatus, since the transport shaft is provided in a non-contact state with respect to the object to be tested, it is possible to prevent the position of the object to be tested from changing as the transport shaft moves, and it is possible to improve the transport accuracy of the object to be tested and the accuracy of the environmental test

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

Figure 1

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the environmental test apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic of the external configuration of the main part of the environmental test apparatus 100 according to the present invention from the input side of the object to be tested WK. Further, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic of the external configuration of the main part of the environmental test apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 from the discharge side of the object to be tested WK. Further, FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a control system for controlling the operation of the environmental test apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, in order to clarify the shape of the transport bearing 105, a part of one of the two transport shafts 130 is omitted and shown.

[0020] This environmental test device 100 is a device that places a test object WK composed of an electronic circuit board in an atmosphere of 0°C or lower to confirm the electrical operation of the test object WK. In this specification, since the configuration and operation for confirming the operation of the test object WK are not directly related to the present invention, the descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0021] (Configuration of the environmental test device 100) The environmental test device 100 includes a test chamber 101. The test chamber 101 is a container that hermetically houses the test object WK and generates a low-temperature environment, and is formed in a box shape extending in the horizontal direction. More specifically, the test chamber 101 is configured by assembling metal plates in a rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in the horizontal direction. In this case, the inner wall surface of the test chamber 101 is covered with a heat insulating material (not shown), and leakage of the cold air inside the test chamber 101 to the outside is suppressed.

[0022] In this test chamber 101, a cooling device (not shown) for setting the inside of the test chamber 101 to a predetermined temperature environment and a work test device (not shown) for performing a predetermined electrical test on the test object WK arranged in the test chamber 101 are respectively provided. Here, the cooling device is a mechanical device for supplying cold air into the test chamber 101, and is configured to include a compressor, a condenser, an expansion mechanism, an evaporator, a blower, etc. not shown. Further, the work test device includes, in addition to connection terminals electrically connected to the test object WK, an approach mechanism for connecting or separating these connection terminals to / from the test object WK.

[0023] Since these cooling device and work test device are not directly related to the present invention, detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted. Further, in the test chamber 101, an input side opening 102 and a discharge side opening 103 are respectively formed in both side surfaces 101a and 101b in the longitudinal direction.

[0024] Here, the longitudinal direction of the test chamber 101 is the direction in which the object under test WK is conveyed horizontally with respect to the test chamber 101. Also, the width direction of the test chamber 101 is the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction within the same plane.

[0025] The input side opening 102 is an opening for putting the object under test WK into the test chamber 101, and is formed by opening in a rectangular shape on one side surface 101a of the two side surfaces 101a and 101b in the longitudinal direction of the test chamber 101. This input side opening 102 is configured to be openable and closable by an input side closing body 110 described later. Also, an input side work support 140 is provided in front of the input side opening 102.

[0026] The discharge side opening 103 is an opening for taking the object under test WK in the test chamber 101 out of the test chamber 101, and is formed by opening in a rectangular shape on the other side surface 101b of the two side surfaces 101a and 101b in the longitudinal direction of the test chamber 101. This discharge side opening 103 is configured to be openable and closable by a discharge side closing body 120 described later. Also, a discharge side work support 150 is provided behind the discharge side opening 103. Further, an indoor side work support 104 and a conveyance bearing 105 are respectively provided inside the test chamber 101.

[0027] The indoor side work support 104 is a component for guiding the work pallet 200 on which the object under test WK is placed in the test chamber 101 from the input side opening 102 side to the discharge side opening 103 side while supporting it. Specifically, the indoor side work support 104 is formed of a metal material into a rod shape with an L-shaped cross section. This indoor side work support 104 is attached in a horizontally extending posture between the input side opening 102 and the discharge side opening 103 on the inner surfaces of the two side surfaces 101c and 101d facing each other in the width direction of the test chamber 101. That is, in the width direction of the test chamber 101, two indoor side work supports 104 are configured as a pair. In FIGS. 1 and 2, only a part of one of the pair of indoor side work supports 104 is shown.

[0028] The transfer bearing 105 is a component for receiving two transfer shafts 130, which will be described later, from below inside the laboratory 101 to prevent each transfer shaft 130 from dropping downward. More specifically, the transfer bearing 105 is formed on a plate-like body extending in the width direction of the laboratory 101 so as to be able to receive the two transfer shafts 130 respectively. This transfer bearing 105 is provided at positions adjacent to the input-side opening 102 and the discharge-side opening 103 inside the laboratory 101 respectively. Also, on the upper surface of each transfer bearing 105, two sliding fitting portions 105a are formed along the longitudinal direction of the laboratory 101.

[0029] The sliding fitting portion 105a is a portion for slidably receiving the two transfer shafts 130 respectively, and is formed in a groove shape into which each lower half of each transfer shaft 130 is fitted. This transfer bearing 105 may be made of any material as long as it can support the transfer shaft 130 slidably, but it is preferably made of a material with a low thermal conductivity such as a resin material. Note that this transfer bearing 105 may receive the transfer shafts 130 in a state of being in contact with them, or may receive them in a state of receiving a load (that is, a supporting state) from the transfer shafts 130.

[0030] The input-side closing body 110 is a component for closing the input-side opening 102, and is formed in a plate shape large enough to cover the input-side opening 102. In the present embodiment, the input-side closing body 110 is configured by attaching resin-made plate-like bodies to both sides of a metal-made plate. This input-side closing body 110 is supported on the outer surface of the side surface of the laboratory 101 where the input-side opening 102 opens in a state capable of sliding displacement in the vertical direction. More specifically, the input-side closing body 110 is supported by a closing body driving mechanism 111.

[0031] The closing body driving mechanism 111 is a mechanical device for slidingly displacing the input-side closing body 110 in the vertical direction with respect to the input-side opening 102, and mainly includes a guide body 112, a vertical driving device 113, and a connector 114 respectively.

[0032] The guide body 112 is a component for guiding the input-side closing body 110 in the vertical direction and pressing the input-side closing body 110 against the side surface 101a. Specifically, the guide body 112 is configured by forming two long-hole-shaped guide grooves 112a in series in a plate-shaped body made of metal extending in the vertical direction shown in the figure. In this case, the two guide grooves 112a are each formed to linearly extend in the vertical direction and have an approaching portion 112b whose lower end portion is bent toward the side surface 101a side.

[0033] These two guide grooves 112a are through-holes into which two rollers 110a provided on both side surfaces of the input-side closing body 110 are rotatably or slidably fitted. And this guide body 112 is respectively attached to both sides of the input-side opening 102 on the outer surface of the side surface 101a. That is, the guide body 112 is configured by a pair of two guide bodies 112 in the width direction of the test chamber 101 with respect to the input-side closing body 110.

[0034] Therefore, when the roller 110a is located at a position other than the approaching portion 112b in the guide groove 112a, the guide body 112 guides the input-side closing body 110 to be located at a position separated from the side surface 101a (see FIG. 1). Also, as shown in FIG. 4, when the roller 110a is located at the approaching portion 112b in the guide groove 112a, the guide body 112 guides the input-side closing body 110 to be located at a position approaching and adhering to the side surface 101a.

[0035] The vertical drive device 113 is an actuator for displacing the input-side closing body 110 in the vertical direction, and its operation is controlled by a control device 160 described later. In the present embodiment, the vertical drive device 113 is configured by an air cylinder. This vertical drive device 113 is attached to the upper surface of the test chamber 101 and is connected to the input-side closing body 110 via a coupler 114. Note that the vertical drive device 113 may be configured by an actuator that can move the input-side closing body 110 up and down, so it can also be configured by an actuator other than an air cylinder, for example, a hydraulic cylinder or an electric motor.

[0036] The connecting member 114 is a hinge-like joint that rotatably connects the input-side closing body 110 to the tip of the piston of the vertical driving device 113. Specifically, the connecting member 114 is formed in a hinge shape that rotatably connects the tip of the piston of the vertical driving device 113 and the upper surface of the input-side closing body 110. Thereby, when the input-side closing body 110 descends to close the input-side opening 102, the connecting member 114 displaces the input-side closing body 110 toward the side surface 101a, and when the input-side closing body 110 ascends to open the input-side opening 102, the connecting member 114 allows the input-side closing body 110 to displace to the side away from the side surface 101a. Further, two conveying shaft fitting portions 115 are respectively formed at the lower end of the input-side closing body 110.

[0037] Each conveying shaft fitting portion 115 is a portion for avoiding physical interference with the two conveying shafts 130 when the input-side closing body 110 descends to close the input-side opening 102. Specifically, each conveying shaft fitting portion 115 is formed in an inverted U shape that opens downward so that each conveying shaft 130 can enter and fit.

[0038] In this case, the upper end portion of each conveying shaft fitting portion 115 is formed in a concave curved surface shape that closely adheres to the convex curved surface shape of each conveying shaft 130, suppressing a decrease in airtightness when the input-side closing body 110 closes the input-side opening 102. Further, each conveying shaft fitting portion 115 extends in the vertical direction and a long hole-shaped adjustment hole 115a is formed. The vertical position can be adjusted for the input-side closing body 110 by a bolt 115b passing through the adjustment hole 115a. Also, each conveying shaft fitting portion 115 may be made of any material as long as it is formed in a shape that allows the conveying shaft 130 to escape, but it is preferably made of a material with a low thermal conductivity such as a resin material. Further, each conveying shaft fitting portion 115 can be directly formed instead of being configured to be attached to the input-side closing body 110.

[0039] The discharge-side closing body 120 is a component for closing the discharge-side opening 103, similar to the input-side closing body 110, and is formed in a plate shape with a size capable of covering the discharge-side opening 103. In the present embodiment, the discharge-side closing body 120 is configured by attaching plate-shaped bodies made of resin to both sides of a plate-shaped body made of metal. This discharge-side closing body 120 is supported in a state where it can slide in the vertical direction on the outer surface of the side surface of the laboratory 101 where the discharge-side opening 103 opens. More specifically, the discharge-side closing body 120 is supported by a closing body drive mechanism 121.

[0040] The closing body drive mechanism 121 is a mechanical device for sliding the discharge-side closing body 120 in the vertical direction with respect to the discharge-side opening 103, similar to the closing body drive mechanism 111, and mainly includes a guide body 122, a vertical drive device 123, and a coupler 124.

[0041] The guide body 122 is a component for guiding the discharge-side closing body 120 in the vertical direction and pressing the discharge-side closing body 120 against the side surface 101b, similar to the guide body 112. Specifically, the guide body 122 is configured by forming two long hole-shaped adjustment holes 125a in series in a plate-shaped body made of metal extending in the vertical direction as shown in the figure. In this case, the two guide grooves 122a are each formed to extend linearly in the vertical direction and have an approaching portion 122b whose lower end portion is bent toward the side surface 101b.

[0042] These two guide grooves 112a are through holes into which rollers 120a provided in pairs on both side surfaces of the discharge-side closing body 120 are rotatably or slidably fitted. And this guide body 122 is attached to both sides of the discharge-side opening 103 on the outer surface of the side surface 101b, respectively. That is, the guide body 122 is configured by a pair of two guide bodies 122 in the width direction of the laboratory 101 with respect to the discharge-side closing body 120.

[0043] Therefore, similar to the guide body 112, when the roller 120a is located at a position other than the approaching portion 122b in the guide groove 122a, the guide body 122 guides the discharge-side closing body 120 to be located at a position spaced apart from the side surface 101b (see FIG. 2). Further, when the roller 120a is located at the approaching portion 122b in the guide groove 122a, the guide body 122 guides the discharge-side closing body 120 to be located at a position close to and in close contact with the side surface 101b.

[0044] Similar to the vertical drive device 113, the vertical drive device 123 is an actuator for displacing the discharge-side closing body 120 in the vertical direction, and its operation is controlled by the control device 160. In the present embodiment, the vertical drive device 123 is constituted by an air cylinder. This vertical drive device 123 is attached to the upper surface of the test chamber 101 and is connected to the discharge-side closing body 120 via a connector 124. Note that the vertical drive device 123 may be constituted by an actuator capable of moving the discharge-side closing body 120 in the vertical direction, and thus may be constituted by an actuator other than an air cylinder, for example, a hydraulic cylinder or an electric motor.

[0045] Similar to the connector 114, the connector 124 is a hinge-like joint that rotatably connects the discharge-side closing body 120 to the tip of the piston of the vertical drive device 123. Specifically, the connector 124 is formed in a hinge shape that rotatably connects the tip of the piston of the vertical drive device 123 and the upper surface of the discharge-side closing body 120. Thereby, when the discharge-side closing body 120 descends to close the discharge-side opening 103, the connector 124 displaces the discharge-side closing body 120 toward the side surface 101b, and when the discharge-side closing body 120 ascends to open the discharge-side opening 103, the connector 124 allows the discharge-side closing body 120 to be displaced to the side separated from the side surface 101b. Further, two transport shaft fitting portions 125 are respectively formed at the lower end of the discharge-side closing body 120.

[0046] Each conveying shaft fitting portion 125 is a portion for avoiding physical interference with the two conveying shafts 130 when the discharge-side closing body 120 descends to close the discharge-side opening 103, similar to the respective conveying shaft fitting portions 115. Specifically, each conveying shaft fitting portion 125 is formed in an inverted U shape that opens downward so that each conveying shaft 130 can enter and fit therein.

[0047] In this case, the upper end portion of each conveying shaft fitting portion 125 is formed in a concave curved surface shape that closely adheres to the convex curved surface shape of each conveying shaft 130, suppressing a decrease in airtightness when the discharge-side closing body 120 closes the discharge-side opening 103. Also, each conveying shaft fitting portion 125 has an adjustment hole 125a formed in a long hole shape extending in the vertical direction, and is configured such that the vertical position of the discharge-side closing body 120 can be adjusted by a bolt 125b passing through the adjustment hole 125a. Further, each conveying shaft fitting portion 125 may be made of any material as long as it is formed in a shape that allows the conveying shaft 130 to escape, but it is preferably made of a material with a low thermal conductivity such as a resin material. Also, each conveying shaft fitting portion 125 can be formed directly instead of being configured to be attached to the discharge-side closing body 120.

[0048] The conveying shaft 130 is a component for moving the object under test WK in and out of the test chamber 101, and is formed in a rod shape extending in the longitudinal direction of the test chamber 101. In this case, the conveying shaft 130 is formed to have a length that penetrates the test chamber 101 in the longitudinal direction. Also, in the present embodiment, the conveying shaft 130 is formed in a round bar shape with a circular cross-sectional shape. This conveying shaft 130 is composed of main body portions 131a, 131b, 131c and heat insulating portions 132a, 132b.

[0049] The main body parts 131a to 131c are parts that ensure the rigidity of the conveying shaft 130 and are composed of metal pipe materials. Among these main body parts 131a to 131c, the main body part 131a is mainly the part arranged inside the test chamber 101, and the main body part 131a is mainly the part arranged outside the input side opening 102 with respect to the test chamber 101. The main body part 131b is mainly the part arranged outside the discharge side opening 103 with respect to the test chamber 101. And these main body parts 131a to 131c are connected via two heat insulation parts 132a and 132b to form a single conveying shaft 130.

[0050] The heat insulation parts 132a and 132b are parts for suppressing heat conduction between the main body part 131a and the main body parts 131b and 131c, and are composed of materials with relatively low heat conductivity compared to the materials constituting the main body parts 131a to 131c. In the present embodiment, the heat insulation parts 132a and 132b are composed of resin pipe materials. These heat insulation parts 132a and 132b are arranged such that the heat insulation part 132a is between the main body part 131a and the main body part 131b, and the heat insulation part 132b is between the main body part 131a and the main body part 131c. That is, the heat insulation part 132a is arranged at a position straddling the input side opening 102 in the test chamber 101, and the heat insulation part 132b is arranged at a position straddling the discharge side opening 103 in the test chamber 101.

[0051] Two conveying shafts 130 are provided in parallel with each other at a position below the indoor side work support 104 provided in a pair in the test chamber 101. In this case, the two conveying shafts 130 are respectively fitted into two sliding fitting parts 105a formed on the upper surface of the conveying bearing 105. That is, the two conveying shafts 130 are provided at positions where they do not contact the object under test WK conveyed on the indoor side work support 104. Pressing bodies 133 are respectively formed on the outer peripheral surfaces of the two conveying shafts 130.

[0052] The pressing body 133 is a component for pressing the work pallet 200 on which the object under test WK is placed, and is composed of thin round bar-shaped pins. In this case, the pressing body 133 may be composed of a material with a low thermal conductivity such as a resin material, or may be composed of a metal material with emphasis on rigidity.

[0053] This pressing body 133 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of each conveying shaft 130 in a state of standing upright radially outward. In this case, the pressing body 133 is formed to have a length that contacts the side surface of the work pallet 200 on which the object under test WK is placed in a state of standing upright upward. Further, the pressing body 133 is provided on the downstream side with respect to the conveying direction (pressing direction) of the work pallet 200 with respect to the pressing portion on the side surface of the work pallet 200.

[0054] Also, the pressing bodies 133 are provided in a number corresponding to the number of work pallets 200 conveyed simultaneously. In the present embodiment, four pressing bodies 133 are formed on each of the two conveying shafts 130. Each conveying shaft 130 has an end portion on the side protruding from the discharge side opening 103 supported by a shaft support 134.

[0055] The shaft support 134 is a component that supports each of the two conveying shafts 130 in a state of being rotatable around its axis, and is formed of a metal material in a plate shape. One end portion of each conveying shaft 130 penetrates through the shaft support 134, and a rotation mechanism 135 is attached in a state of being connected to these penetrated end portions.

[0056] The rotation mechanism 135 is a mechanical device for rotating each conveying shaft 130 around its axis. Specifically, the rotation mechanism 135 is configured such that the tip of the piston of an air cylinder that reciprocates in the vertical direction is connected to the conveying shaft 130 via a hinge joint. That is, the rotation mechanism 135 can reciprocally rotate the conveying shaft 130 around its axis by the vertical movement of the piston of the air cylinder.

[0057] As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the pusher body 133 can selectively assume two posture states: an upright posture standing upward and an inclined posture inclined outward on each of the transport shafts 130 that form a pair in the width direction of the test chamber 101. It goes without saying that the inclined postures of the pair of pusher bodies 133 may be postures in which at least one of the pair of transport shafts 130 is inclined inward.

[0058] This rotation mechanism 135 is provided for each of the two transport shafts 130. Also, the air cylinder that constitutes the rotation mechanism 135 is controlled in its operation by the control device 160. Note that the actuator that rotationally drives the transport shaft 130 in the rotation mechanism 135 can also be constituted by an actuator other than an air cylinder, for example, a hydraulic cylinder or an electric motor. The shaft support 134 is supported by the advance / retreat mechanism 136.

[0059] The advance / retreat mechanism 136 is a mechanical device for reciprocally displacing the shaft support 134 along the longitudinal direction of the test chamber 101. In the present embodiment, the advance / retreat mechanism 136 is mainly constituted by a linear guide actuator including a guide 137 and an actuator 138.

[0060] The guide 137 is a component that supports the shaft support 134 and holds it reciprocally slidable along the longitudinal direction of the test chamber 101. Specifically, the guide 137 includes a feed screw mechanism extending along the longitudinal direction of the test chamber 101 and a housing covering this feed screw mechanism, respectively. Here, the feed screw mechanism is connected to the upper surface of the shaft support 134 and holds this shaft support 134 reciprocally slidable along the longitudinal direction of the test chamber 101. This guide 137 is supported by a support member (not shown) in the environmental test device 100.

[0061] The actuator 138 is a drive source for reciprocally displacing the transport shaft 130 along the axial direction of the transport shaft 130 (the longitudinal direction of the test chamber 101). More specifically, the actuator 138 is constituted by an electric motor for driving the feed screw mechanism in the guide 137. The operation of this actuator 138 is controlled by the control device 160. Further, this actuator 138 is supported by a support member on the guide 137.

[0062] The input-side work support 140 is a component for guiding the object under test WK with respect to the test chamber 101. Specifically, the input-side work support 140 is constituted by a pair of rod-shaped bodies formed with an L-shaped cross section, and slidably supports a work pallet 200 on which the object under test WK is placed by these two rod-shaped bodies. This input-side work support 140 is formed at the same height position as the above-described indoor-side work support 104.

[0063] In this case, one end of the input-side work support 140 extends to a position immediately before the input-side opening 102 of the test chamber 101, but is not connected in a separated manner to the tip of the indoor-side work support 104. On the other hand, on the other end side of the input-side work support 140, a work supply device (not shown) for supplying the work pallet 200 on which the object under test WK is placed onto the input-side work support 140 is provided. This input-side work support 140 has leg members and is installed on the floor surface on which the environmental test device 100 is installed.

[0064] The discharge-side work support 150 is a component for guiding the object under test WK discharged from the test chamber 101 to the next process. Specifically, the discharge-side work support 150 is constituted by a pair of rod-shaped bodies formed with an L-shaped cross section, similar to the input-side work support 140, and slidably supports a work pallet 200 on which the object under test WK is placed by these two rod-shaped bodies. This discharge-side work support 150 is formed at the same height position as the above-described indoor-side work support 104 and the input-side work support 140.

[0065] In this case, the discharge-side work support 150 has one end extending to a position immediately before the discharge-side opening 103 of the test chamber 101, but is not connected to the tip of the indoor-side work support 104 while being spaced apart therefrom. On the other hand, a work discharge device (not shown) for supplying the work pallet 200 on which the object under test WK is placed to the next process is provided on the other end side of the discharge-side work support 150. The discharge-side work support 150 has leg members and is installed on the floor surface on which the environmental test device 100 is installed.

[0066] The control device 160 is composed of a microcomputer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, etc., and controls the operations of the vertical drive device 113, the vertical drive device 123, the rotation mechanism 135, and the advance / retreat mechanism 136 (actuator 138). Further, the control device 160 also controls the operations of the above-described cooling device and work test device. That is, the control device 160 comprehensively controls the overall operation of the environmental test device 100. In this case, the control device 160 includes an operation panel 161 composed of a liquid crystal touch display for inputting instructions from an operator and displaying the operation state of the control device 160, and performs an environmental test on the object under test WK by executing a control program (not shown) according to the support from the operator.

[0067] Note that the environmental test device 100 includes, in addition to a power supply unit for supplying the electric power introduced from the power supply to various electrical devices such as the vertical drive device 113, the vertical drive device 123, the rotation mechanism 135, the advance / retreat mechanism 136 (actuator 138), the cooling device, the work test device, and the control device 160, a defroster for defrosting in the cooling device, etc. However, since these are not directly related to the present invention, the description thereof is omitted.

[0068] The work pallet 200 is a component for stably holding the object under test WK that enters and exits the test chamber 101, and is formed in a flat plate shape on which the object under test WK can be placed. The work pallet 200 mainly includes a main body portion 201, a placement portion 202, and a pressure receiving portion 203.

[0069] The main body part 201 is a part arranged on the indoor-side work support 104, the input-side work support 140, and the discharge-side work support 150 described above, and is formed by forming a material with a low thermal conductivity such as a resin material into a flat plate shape. In the present embodiment, the main body part 201 is formed into a rectangular frame body having a rectangular through-hole in a plan view.

[0070] The placement part 202 is a part on which the object under test WK is placed and supported, and is formed to protrude on the upper surface of the main body part 201. Specifically, the placement part 202 is formed in a resin block shape having concave parts into which the four corners of the object under test WK are respectively fitted, and is attached on the upper surface of the main body part 201.

[0071] The pressure-receiving part 203 is a part against which the pressing body 133 is pressed, and is formed by forming a material having wear resistance such as a metal material into a plate shape. This pressure-receiving part 203 is attached at the position where the pressing body 133 is pressed in the main body part 201 placed on the indoor-side work support 104, the input-side work support 140, and the discharge-side work support 150, respectively.

[0072] (Operation of the environmental test device 100) Next, the operation of the environmental test device 100 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 12. In FIGS. 6 to 12, only the configurations directly necessary for explaining the operation of the environmental test device 100 are illustrated, and the configurations not directly related to the operation explanation are appropriately omitted from the illustration. This environmental test device 100 is installed on the floor surface in the manufacturing factory of the printed wiring board which is the object under test WK.

[0073] An operator who conducts an environmental test on the object under test WK activates the control device 160 by turning on a power switch (not shown) in the environmental test apparatus 100. As a result, the control device 160 starts operating by executing a control program pre-stored in a storage device such as a ROM and enters a standby state waiting for instructions from the operator. In this case, the control device 160 sets the test chamber 101 to the basic state. Here, the basic state is a closed state in which the heat insulation parts 132a of the pair of transfer shafts 130 are located directly below the input side opening 102 and the heat insulation part 132b is located directly below the discharge side opening 103, and the input side closing body 110 and the discharge side closing body 120 are closed respectively, closing the test chamber 101.

[0074] First, the control device 160 controls the operations of the vertical drive devices 113 and 123 to raise the input side closing body 110 and the discharge side closing body 120 respectively, opening the input side opening 102 and the discharge side opening 103 respectively, and controls the operation of the rotation mechanism 135 to set each pressing body 133 on the pair of transfer shafts 130 to an inclined posture. Next, the control device 160 controls the operation of the reciprocating mechanism 136 (actuator 138) to move the pair of transfer shafts 130 forward and backward, positioning the heat insulation parts 132a on each transfer shaft 130 directly below the input side opening 102 and the heat insulation part 132b directly below the discharge side opening 103.

[0075] Next, the control device 160 controls the operations of the vertical drive devices 113 and 123 to lower the input side closing body 110 and the discharge side closing body 120 respectively, closing the input side opening 102 and the discharge side opening 103 respectively. In this case, the transfer shaft fitting parts 115 and 125 of the input side closing body 110 and the discharge side closing body 120 are respectively fitted to the upper half of the transfer shaft 130. Also, the input side closing body 110 and the discharge side closing body 120 are strongly pressed against the side surfaces 101a and 101b of the test chamber 101 respectively by being guided by the rollers 110a and 120a to the approaching parts 112b and 122b formed at the lower ends of the guide grooves 112a and 122a respectively.

[0076] As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the laboratory 101 is in a closed state in which leakage of cold air inside the laboratory 101 to the outside is suppressed and high airtightness is ensured. Note that the closed state of the laboratory 101 may be a completely airtight state, or may be an airtight state that allows slight air circulation between the inside and outside of the laboratory 101.

[0077] Next, the operator sets the inside of the laboratory 101 to a temperature environment for performing an environmental test on the object under test WK. Specifically, the operator operates the operation panel 161 to set the temperature inside the laboratory 101 for the control device 160. Thereby, the control device 160 controls the operation of the cooling device to introduce cooling air into the laboratory 101 as cold air and cool the inside of the laboratory 101. In the present embodiment, the control device 160 sets the inside of the laboratory 101 to -40°C.

[0078] Next, when the inside of the laboratory 101 is set to a predetermined temperature environment, the operator supplies the object under test WK to the laboratory 101. Specifically, the operator instructs the control device 160 via the operation panel 161 to start a series of operations for the environmental test of the object under test WK. In response to this instruction, the control device 160 starts operating by executing a control program stored in advance in a storage device such as a ROM. Specifically, the control device 160 waits for the supply of the object under test WK to the input-side work support 140.

[0079] Next, the operator starts the operation of the work supply device to start supplying the object under test WK to the input-side work support 140. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7(A), the work supply device supplies the work pallet 200 on which the object under test WK is placed to the input area E1 of the object under test WK on the input-side work support 140. Here, the input area E1 is an area on the work supply device side of the input-side work support 140.

[0080] When the control device 160 detects the supply of the object under test WK to the input-side work support 140 with a sensor (not shown), it executes a positioning process for the object under test WK in the test chamber 101. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7(B), the control device 160 controls the operations of the vertical drive device 113 and the vertical drive device 123 to raise the input-side closing body 110 and the discharge-side closing body 120 respectively, and open the input-side opening 102 and the discharge-side opening 103 respectively.

[0081] Next, as shown in FIG. 7(C), the control device 160 controls the operation of the rotation mechanism 135 to set each pushing body 133 on the pair of transfer shafts 130 in an upright posture, and then controls the operation of the advancing / retreating mechanism 136 (actuator 138) to displace the transfer shafts 130 toward the test chamber 101 side. As a result, the work pallet 200 placed on the input-side work support 140 slides on the input-side work support 140 as the pair of pushing bodies 133 press the pressure receiving portion 203 and is displaced toward the test chamber 101 side.

[0082] In this case, the work pallet 200 moves from the input-side work support 140 onto the indoor-side work support 104 in the area before and after the input-side opening 102. Further, as shown in FIG. 8(A), the control device 160 controls the operation of the advancing / retreating mechanism 136 (actuator 138) so as to position the work pallet 200 in a predetermined test area E2 where an environmental test is performed in the test chamber 101. As a result, the work pallet 200 is positioned in the test area E2 where an environmental test is performed in the test chamber 101.

[0083] Next, the control device 160 controls the operation of the rotation mechanism 135 to set each pushing body 133 on the pair of transfer shafts 130 in an inclined posture. Then, the control device 160 controls the operation of the advancing / retreating mechanism 136 (actuator 138) to displace the transfer shafts 130 toward the work supply device side. In this case, the control device 160 controls the operation of the advancing / retreating mechanism 136 (actuator 138) so that the heat insulating portion 132a on the transfer shaft 130 is located directly below the input-side opening 102 and the heat insulating portion 132b is located directly below the discharge-side opening 103.

[0084] Then, the control device 160 controls the operations of the vertical drive device 113 and the vertical drive device 123 to lower the input-side closing body 110 and the discharge-side closing body 120 respectively, thereby closing the input-side opening 102 and the discharge-side opening 103. That is, the environmental test device 100 can suppress the leakage of cold air and the entry of moisture in the test chamber 101 by minimizing the time during which the input-side closing body 110 and the discharge-side closing body 120 are open respectively. As a result, the test chamber 101 becomes a closed state in which the leakage of cold air from the test chamber 101 to the outside is suppressed and high airtightness is ensured.

[0085] Next, the control device 160 controls the operation of the work test device to perform an environmental test on the object under test WK. Here, the environmental test is to confirm the electrical operation content of the object under test WK in an atmosphere of -40°C. Since the test content of this environmental test is set as appropriate according to the specifications of the object under test WK and is a known one, its description is omitted.

[0086] Next, when the environmental test of the object under test WK is completed, the control device 160 takes out the object under test WK from the test chamber 101. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8(B), the control device 160 controls the operations of the vertical drive device 113 and the vertical drive device 123 to raise the input-side closing body 110 and the discharge-side closing body 120 respectively, thereby opening the input-side opening 102 and the discharge-side opening 103. In this case, a new object under test WK is supplied to the input area E1 during the environmental test of the object under test WK in the test chamber 101.

[0087] Next, the control device 160 controls the operation of the rotation mechanism 135 to set each pressing body 133 on the pair of transport shafts 130 in an upright posture, and then controls the operation of the advance / retreat mechanism 136 (actuator 138) to displace the transport shafts 130 toward the work discharge device side. As a result, the work pallet 200 placed on the indoor-side work support 104 slides on the indoor-side work support 104 and is displaced toward the discharge-side opening 103 side when the pair of pressing bodies 133 press the pressure-receiving portion 203.

[0088] In this case, the work pallet 200 transfers from the indoor work support 104 to the discharge side work support 150 in the regions before and after the discharge side opening 103. Further, the control device 160 controls the operation of the advance / retreat mechanism 136 (actuator 138) so as to position the work pallet 200 at the gripping position of the work pallet 200 by the work discharge control device on the discharge side work support 150. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 8(C), the work pallet 200 is positioned in the discharge area E3 which is the gripping position of the work pallet 200 by the work discharge control device on the discharge side work support 150. In this case, the work pallet 200 arranged in the loading area E1 is positioned in the standby area E4 immediately before the test area E2 in the test chamber 101.

[0089] Next, the control device 160 controls the operation of the rotation mechanism 135 to incline each pusher 133 on the pair of transport shafts 130. Then, the control device 160 controls the operation of the advance / retreat mechanism 136 (actuator 138) to displace the transport shaft 130 toward the work supply device side. In this case, since each pusher 133 is in an inclined posture, the transport shaft 130 does not displace the work pallets 200 placed on the indoor work support 104 and the discharge side work support 150, respectively.

[0090] Then, as shown in FIG. 9(A), the control device 160 controls the operation of the advance / retreat mechanism 136 (actuator 138) so that the heat insulation part 132a on the transport shaft 130 is positioned directly below the loading side opening 102 and the heat insulation part 132b is positioned directly below the discharge side opening 103. Thereby, a state is obtained in which a new object to be tested WK can be arranged in the loading area E1. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9(B), when a new work pallet 200 is immediately arranged in the loading area E1 by the work supply device, the control device 160 controls the operation of the rotation mechanism 135 to make each pusher 133 on the transport shaft 130 stand upright, and then controls the operation of the advance / retreat mechanism 136 (actuator 138) to displace the transport shaft 130 toward the work discharge device side.

[0091] That is, as shown in FIG. 9(C), the control device 160 transfers the work pallet 200 existing in the loading area E1 to the standby area E4, and transfers the work pallet 200 existing in the standby area E4 to the test area E2. Next, as shown in FIG. 10, the control device 160 controls the operation of the rotation mechanism 135 to incline each pusher 133 on the transfer shaft 130, and then controls the operation of the reciprocating mechanism 136 (actuator 138) to displace the transfer shaft 130 toward the work supply device side. In this case, the control device 160 controls the operation of the reciprocating mechanism 136 (actuator 138) so that the heat insulation part 132a on the transfer shaft 130 is positioned directly below the input side opening 102 and the heat insulation part 132b is positioned directly below the discharge side opening 103.

[0092] Then, the control device 160 controls the operations of the vertical drive device 113 and the vertical drive device 123 to lower the input side closing body 110 and the discharge side closing body 120 respectively, to close the test chamber 101, and then executes an environmental test on the object under test WK in the test area E2. On the other hand, in the emptied loading area E1, a new work pallet 200 is supplied by the work supply device. Also, in the discharge area E3, the work pallet 200 on which the object under test WK that has undergone the environmental test is placed is removed from the discharge side work support 150. The object under test WK removed from the discharge side work support 150 is guided to the next process.

[0093] After that, every time the control device 160 executes an environmental test on the object under test WK in the test area E2, it performs operations such as supplying the work pallet 200 to the loading area E1, transferring the work pallet 200 in the loading area E1 to the standby area E4, transferring the work pallet 200 in the standby area E4 to the test area E2, transferring the work pallet 200 in the test area E2 to the discharge area E3, and removing the work pallet 200 in the discharge area. Thereby, the control device 160 can intermittently supply the object under test WK into the test chamber 101 and perform an environmental test.

[0094] As can be understood from the above operation description, according to the above embodiment, the transport shaft 130 that supports the pushing body 133 for pushing the object under test WK rotates around its axis by the rotation mechanism 135 and moves forward and backward with respect to the input side opening 102 and the discharge side opening 103 by the forward and backward mechanism 136 (actuator 138). Therefore, the object under test WK can be quickly taken in and out of the test chamber 101. In particular, in the environmental test device 100 that performs a low-temperature test, suppressing the leakage of cold air in the test chamber 101 and the entry of moisture into the test chamber 101 can greatly improve the efficiency and accuracy of the test work.

[0095] Furthermore, in the implementation of the present invention, it is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the object of the present invention.

[0096] For example, in the above embodiment, the test chamber 101 is provided with an input side opening 102 and a discharge side opening 103 respectively, and is configured such that the object under test WK passes through the test chamber 101 in one direction. That is, the input side opening 102 and the discharge side opening 103 correspond to the access ports in the present invention. However, the test chamber 101 can also be configured to take in and out the object under test WK through an access port composed of one opening. In this case, since there is one access port, the input side closing body 110 and the discharge side closing body 120 can be composed of one closing body that opens and closes one access port. Also, in this case, since the transport shaft 130 moves back and forth with respect to the test chamber 101 to take in and out the work pallet 200, it is preferable to provide the pushing body 133 so as to sandwich the work pallet 200 on both sides in the reciprocating displacement direction of the transport shaft 130 with respect to the work pallet 200.

[0097] Also, in the above embodiment, the environmental test apparatus 100 is configured to support the work pallet 200 by including the indoor work support 104, the input work support 140, and the discharge work support 150. However, the environmental test apparatus 100 can also be configured to directly support the work pallet 200 by the transport shaft 130, omitting the indoor work support 104, the input work support 140, and the discharge work support 150. In this case, the work pallet 200 will always reciprocate and displace integrally with the transport shaft 130. Also, when the transport shaft 130 rotates around its axis, it will slide with respect to the work pallet 200.

[0098] Also, in the above embodiment, the indoor work support 104, the input work support 140, and the discharge work support 150 are respectively arranged before and after the input opening 102 and the discharge opening 103 and configured in a non-connected state with each other. However, the indoor work support 104, the input work support 140, and the discharge work support 150 can also be integrally connected and configured as one work support. In this case, the input closing body 110 and the discharge closing body 120 may be provided with concave fitting portions such as the transport shaft fitting portions 115 and 125 in order to avoid physical interference with the integrated work support.

[0099] Also, in the above embodiment, the transport shaft 130 is configured in a non-contact arrangement relationship with respect to the work pallet 200. Thereby, the environmental test apparatus 100 can prevent the position of the work pallet 200 from changing as the transport shaft 130 moves, and can improve the transport accuracy of the object under test WK and the accuracy of the environmental test. However, the transport shaft 130 can also be configured in a contact arrangement relationship with respect to the work pallet 200.

[0100] In the above-described embodiment, the environmental test apparatus 100 is configured to include two transport shafts 130 in the width direction of the work pallet 200. Thereby, the environmental test apparatus 100 can stably transport the work pallet 200 in the transport direction. However, the environmental test apparatus 100 only needs to be configured to include at least one transport shaft 130. Note that the environmental test apparatus 100 can improve the transport stability of the work pallet 200 by being configured to include at least two or more transport shafts 130.

[0101] In the above-described embodiment, the transport shaft 130 is composed of three main body parts 131a, 131b, 131c and two heat insulation parts 132a, 132b. In this case, the heat insulation parts 132a, 132b are made of a material (resin material) having a lower thermal conductivity than the material (metal material) constituting the main body parts 131a to 131c. For this reason, the transport shaft 130 can suppress heat transfer between the inside and the outside of the test chamber 101, and can efficiently improve the accuracy of the environmental test. However, the transport shaft 130 can also be integrally formed as a single rod shape with one material such as a metal material or a resin material.

[0102] In the above-described embodiment, the test chamber 101 is configured to be openable and closable by including an input side closing body 110 and an output side closing body 120. However, the test chamber 101 can also be configured to always be in an open state by omitting the input side closing body 110 and the output side closing body 120, respectively.

[0103] In the above-described embodiment, the input side closing body 110 and the output side closing body 120 are formed in a plate shape that is displaced in the vertical direction. However, the input side closing body 110 and the output side closing body 120 may be configured to be slidably displaced in the horizontal direction, or may be configured to open and close like a door with each side of the input side closing body 110 and the output side closing body 120 as a rotation center. Further, the input side closing body 110 and the output side closing body 120 can be made of a single material such as only a metal material or only a resin material, or can also be made of one or a plurality of sheet bodies.

[0104] Further, in the above-described embodiment, the input-side closing body 110 and the discharge-side closing body 120 are configured to each include a conveyance shaft fitting portion 115, 125. Thereby, the input-side closing body 110 and the discharge-side closing body 120 can open and close the input-side closing body 110 and the discharge-side closing body 120 in a state where the conveyance shaft 130 straddles the input-side opening 102 and the discharge-side opening 103 without removing the conveyance shaft 130 from the input-side opening 102 and the discharge-side opening 103, and the work of taking in and out the object under test WK can be efficiently performed. However, the input-side closing body 110 and the discharge-side closing body 120 can also be configured by omitting the conveyance shaft fitting portions 115, 125, respectively. In this case, the input-side closing body 110 and the discharge-side closing body 120 can be closed until the lower end portions come into contact with the conveyance shaft 130 or a position immediately before contact. Further, the input-side closing body 110 and the discharge-side closing body 120 can also be made of a material that elastically deforms when contacting the conveyance shaft 130.

[0105] Further, in the above-described embodiment, the rotation mechanism 135 is configured to reciprocally rotate the pusher 133 around the axis of the conveyance shaft 130. However, the rotation mechanism 135 can also rotate the pusher 133 in one direction around the axis of the conveyance shaft 130.

[0106] Further, in the above-described embodiment, the advancing / retreating mechanism 136 is constituted by a linear guide actuator. However, the advancing / retreating mechanism 136 only needs to be configured so that the conveyance shaft 130 can be reciprocally displaced in the conveyance direction of the object under test WK. Therefore, the advancing / retreating mechanism 136 can be constituted by a belt feeding mechanism, a linear guide feeding mechanism, an air cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, or the like instead of the feed screw mechanism.

[0107] Further, in the above-described embodiment, the environmental test apparatus 100 is configured to place the object under test WK on the work pallet 200 and perform conveyance and environmental tests. However, the environmental test apparatus 100 can also be configured to directly perform conveyance and environmental tests without using the work pallet 200 for the object under test WK.

[0108] Also, in the above-described embodiment, the environmental test apparatus 100 is configured to perform an environmental test on the object under test WK in an atmosphere of -40°C. However, the environmental test apparatus 100 may be configured to perform an environmental test on the object under test WK in a high-temperature atmosphere, or may be configured to perform a test in an environment other than the temperature environment, for example, at least one environment among humidity, pressure, and gas concentration.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0109] WK... Object under test, E1... Loading area, E2... Test area, E3... Discharge area, E4... Standby area, 100... Environmental test apparatus, 101... Test chamber, 101a, 101b, 101c, 101d... Sides, 102... Loading side opening, 103... Discharge side opening, 104... Indoor work support, 105... Conveyor bearing, 105a... Sliding fitting portion, 110... Loading side closing body, 110a... Roller, 111... Closing body drive mechanism, 112... Guide body, 112a... Guide groove, 112b... Approaching portion, 113... Vertical drive device, 114... Connector, 115... Conveyor shaft fitting portion, 115a... Adjustment hole, 115b... Bolt, 120... Discharge side closing body, 120a... Roller, 121... Closing body drive mechanism, 122... Guide body, 122a... Guide groove, 122b... Approaching portion, 123... Vertical drive device, 124... Connector, 125... Conveyor shaft fitting portion, 125a... Adjustment hole, 125b... Bolt, 130... Conveyor shaft, 131a, 131b, 131c... Main body portion, 132a, 132b... Heat insulating portion, 133... Pushing body, 134... Shaft support, 135... Rotating mechanism, 136... Advancing and retracting mechanism, 137... Guide, 138... Actuator, 140... Loading side work support, 150... Discharge side work support, 160... Control device, 161... Operation panel, 200... Work pallet, 201... Main body portion, 202... Placing portion, 203... Pressure receiving portion.

Claims

1. An environmental test apparatus that includes a test chamber for accommodating a test object and performs a test on the test object in the environment within the test chamber, an access opening provided in the test chamber for inserting and removing the test object, a pushing body for pushing the test object toward the access opening side, a transport shaft formed to extend in a rod shape and having the pushing body on its outer peripheral portion, a rotation mechanism for rotating the transport shaft around its axis, a reciprocating mechanism for reciprocating the transport shaft with respect to the access opening, and a closing body for closably closing the access opening, wherein the transport shaft is arranged in a state always straddling the access opening, and the closing body has a transport shaft fitting portion into which the portion of the transport shaft straddling the access opening fits. The environmental test apparatus is characterized by this.

2. In the environmental test apparatus according to Claim 1, the transport shaft is provided in two or more. The environmental test apparatus is characterized by this.

3. In the environmental test apparatus according to Claim 1, the transport shaft is composed of a material having a lower thermal conductivity than the materials constituting the portions before and after the portion straddling the access opening. The environmental test apparatus is characterized by this.

4. In the environmental test apparatus according to Claim 1, further, it has a work support for supporting the test object at positions before and after the access opening, and the transport shaft is provided in a non-contact state with respect to the test object. The environmental test apparatus is characterized by this.

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