Processing equipment

Abstract

To provide a treatment device which can suitably carry carrying racks into a treatment tank.SOLUTION: A treatment device includes a treatment tank body, a carry-in side door, a carry-out side door, carrying means, and control means. The treatment tank body includes a carry-in port through which carrying racks are carried thereinto and a carry-out port through which the carrying racks are carried out thereof. The carry-out side door is configured so as to restrict movement of the carrying racks toward the carry-out port in a closed state. The control means sequentially executes carry-in step S1 of carrying the carrying racks into the treatment tank body with the carrying means in a state of the carry-in side door being opened and the carry-out side door being closed; carry-in side door closing step S2 of closing the carry-in side door; treatment step S4 of treating matter to be treated; carry-out side door opening step S5 of opening the carry-out side door; and carry-out step S6 of carrying out the carrying racks. The control means further executes rack position adjustment step S3 of moving the carrying racks toward the carry-in port with the carrying means between the carry-in step S1 and the carry-out side door opening step S5.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing apparatus used for heating or cooling an object to be processed. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are treatment devices that store objects to be treated in a treatment tank and perform treatments such as heating and cooling. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a treatment device that includes a transport device (carry-in / carry-out device) that can transport a holding cart (transport rack) loaded with trays on which objects to be treated are placed, and that can carry objects into and out of a sterilizer (treatment tank) with the press of a button. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Registered Utility Model No. 2594921 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The processing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 has only one door, and the transport rack is loaded and unloaded from the same side of the processing tank, but to efficiently proceed to the next process, it is also possible to provide a pair of doors, one at the front and one at the back, and to load and unload the transport rack by the transport device from different sides of the processing tank. In such a configuration, it is necessary to stop the transport rack during loading, but if a separate stopper is provided to stop the transport rack, it will be necessary to release the stopper when the transport rack is unloaded, which makes the configuration complicated.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a processing apparatus that allows a transport rack to be properly carried into a processing tank. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to the present invention, a processing apparatus for processing objects loaded on a transport rack comprises a processing tank main body, an inlet door, an outlet door, a transport means, and a control means, the processing tank main body is configured to be able to accommodate the transport rack and is provided with an inlet for transporting the transport rack and an outlet for transporting the transport rack, the inlet door is configured to be able to open and close the inlet, the outlet door is configured to be able to open and close the outlet and is configured to restrict movement of the transport rack towards the outlet when in a closed state, the transport means is configured to be able to transport the transport rack along a transport path passing through the inlet and the outlet, and the control means controls the opening and closing operation of the outlet door and the movement of the transport rack by the transport means. and a control means for sequentially executing a loading step in which the loading door is opened and the unloading door is closed while the transport means moves the transport rack toward the unloading outlet to load the transport rack into the processing tank body, a loading door closing step in which the loading door is closed, a processing step in which the object to be processed is processed, a unloading door opening step in which the unloading door is opened to unload the transport rack, and a unloading step in which the transport rack is moved toward the unloading outlet with the unloading door open to unload the transport rack, and the control means further executes a rack position adjustment step in which the transport means moves the transport rack toward the loading entrance between the loading step and the unloading door opening step.

[0007] According to the present invention, by keeping the exit door closed during the load-in process of loading the transport rack, the exit door can be used as a stopper to hold the transport rack in the processing tank body, and the transport rack can be positioned at an appropriate position within the processing tank without providing a separate stopper. Furthermore, according to the processing apparatus of the present invention, the control means executes a rack position adjustment process in which the transport means moves the transport rack toward the exit port between the load-in process and the load-out door opening process, thereby preventing the transport rack from pressing against the load-out door and making it difficult to open.

[0008] Various embodiments of the present invention will be described below as examples, and the embodiments shown below can be combined with each other.

[0009] Preferably, the treatment tank body is configured to be able to accommodate a plurality of the transport racks in series along the transport path.

[0010] Preferably, the transport means includes a plurality of transport units arranged along the transport path, and in the loading step and the unloading step, the plurality of transport racks are transported sequentially in the direction of the unloading port by the plurality of transport units.

[0011] Preferably, the apparatus further comprises an engagement means that engages with the unloading door, and the unloading door is locked by the engagement means and the unloading door engaging in a direction along the transport path.

[0012] Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a method for processing workpieces loaded on a transport rack, the method comprising a load-in step, a load-in door closing step, a processing step, an output-side door opening step, and a load-out step, wherein in the load-in step, the load-in door is opened and the output-side door is closed, and the transport rack is moved toward the output port by a transport means to transport the transport rack into the processing tank body, and further movement of the transport rack toward the output port is restricted by the output-side door, the load-in door closing step closes the load-in door, and in the processing step, the workpieces are processed, the output-side door opening step opens the output-side door to transport the transport rack, and in the load-out step, the transport rack is moved toward the output port with the output-side door open to transport it out, and the method further comprises a rack position adjustment step between the load-in step and the output-side door opening step, in which the transport rack is moved toward the load port by the transport means. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view schematically showing the inside of a sterilizer 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing the inside of the sterilization apparatus 1 of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the sterilization apparatus 1 of FIG. 1 as seen from the discharge side. [Figure 4] 4 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the unloading door 4 is opened from the state shown in FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 5] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the discharge port 21 of the treatment tank main body 2 and the discharge side door 4 are opposed to each other, and Figure 5B is a side view schematically showing the inside of the treatment tank main body 2 and the discharge side door 4 in the state of Figure 5A. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 7] 7A and 7B are explanatory views showing the operation of the ring member 63 that engages with the body-side flange 23 of the treatment tank body 2 and the door-side flange 40 of the discharge door 4. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8A is an enlarged view showing the conveying means 7 of the sterilization apparatus 1 of FIG. 1, and FIG. 8B is an enlarged view of the X portion of FIG. 8A. [Figure 9] 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of sterilizing an object to be treated by the sterilization device 1 of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The following describes embodiments of the present invention. The various features shown in the following embodiments can be combined with each other. Furthermore, each feature can be an independent invention.

[0015] 1. Configuration of sterilization device 1 A sterilization apparatus 1 as a processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus for heat sterilizing objects to be processed that are loaded on a transport rack R. There is no particular restriction on the type of object to be processed, but it is suitably used for foods, particularly packaged foods such as canned foods, retort pouch foods, molded container foods, and bottled foods.

[0016] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the sterilization apparatus 1 of this embodiment comprises a treatment tank main body 2, an inlet door 3, an outlet door 4, an inlet door opening / closing means 5, an outlet door opening / closing means 6, a conveying means 7, and a control means 8.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 3, the treatment tank body 2 is a cylindrical container configured to be able to store multiple transport racks R loaded with materials to be treated inside. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the treatment tank body 2 has an inlet 20 at one end in the longitudinal direction for carrying in the transport racks R, and an outlet 21 at the other end for carrying out the transport racks R. A transport path 22 is configured between the inlet 20 and the outlet 21 of the treatment tank body 2. The sterilization apparatus 1 of this embodiment is configured so that the transport racks R are carried in and out from different sides of the treatment tank body 2. Furthermore, the treatment tank body 2 of this embodiment is configured to be able to store nine transport racks R in a line along the transport path 22.

[0018] The processing tank body 2 includes a body-side flange 23 around each of the inlet 20 and the outlet 21 (FIG. 5A shows the body-side flange 23 facing the outlet 21 door 4). As shown in FIG. 6, an engagement groove 23a is formed in the outer peripheral surface of the body-side flange 23 along the circumferential direction. The portion of the body-side flange 23 closer to the outlet than the engagement groove 23a has a circumferentially uneven shape, similar to the door-side flange 40 (see FIG. 4), which will be described later. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 6, an annular groove 23b is formed in the surface of each body-side flange 23 facing the inlet door 3 and the outlet door 4, and an annular seal member 24 is disposed in this groove 23b. In this embodiment, when the inlet door 3 and the outlet door 4 are closed, the seal member 24 expands due to air supplied from an air supply source (not shown), and adheres tightly to the inlet door 3 and the outlet door 4, thereby providing a high level of sealing performance.

[0019] The loading door 3 and the unloading door 4 are configured so that the loading entrance 20 and the unloading exit 21 of the treatment tank main body 2 can be opened and closed by the loading door opening / closing means 5 and the unloading door opening / closing means 6. The loading door 3 and the unloading door 4 are each formed in a spherical shape on the side opposite to the treatment tank main body 2.

[0020] Since the loading side door 3, the unloading side door 4, the loading side door opening / closing means 5 and the unloading side door opening / closing means 6 have the same configuration, only the configuration of the unloading side door 4 and the unloading side door opening / closing means 6 will be described below.

[0021] As shown in Figs. 4 and 5A, the discharge door 4 has a door-side flange 40 at a position surrounding the spherical portion thereof. The outer peripheral surface of the door-side flange 40 has an uneven shape in the circumferential direction to correspond to the outer peripheral surface of the main body-side flange 23. Also, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a pair of arm portions 41 are fixed to the spherical portion of the discharge door 4. The pair of arm portions 41 are formed so as to extend horizontally from both the left and right sides of the discharge door 4. Note that the arm portions 41 are not shown in Fig. 5A.

[0022] Furthermore, a stopper 42 is formed on the processing tank body 2 side of the unloading door 4, more specifically, on the inner surface of the spherical portion thereof, extending toward the processing tank body 2. The stopper 42 is a member for restricting movement of the transport rack R toward the unloading outlet when the unloading door 4 is in a closed state. The stopper 42 may have any shape as long as it can restrict movement of the transport rack R toward the unloading outlet.

[0023] The unloading-side door opening / closing means 6 is a means for opening and closing the unloading-side door 4. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the unloading-side door opening / closing means 6 includes an elevation guide 60, an elevation motor 61, a drive shaft 62, a ring member 63 as an engagement means, and a ring member rotation means 64.

[0024] The lifting guide 60 is disposed to extend in the vertical direction, holds the arm portion 41 of the ejection door 4, and moves the ejection door 4 up and down by the driving force of the lifting motor 61. The lifting motor 61 transmits the driving force for lifting and lowering the ejection door 4 to each of the left and right lifting guides 60 via the drive shaft 62.

[0025] When the discharge door 4 is lowered, i.e., when the discharge door 4 is in a position that closes the discharge exit 21, the lifting guide 60 holds the arm 41 so that the discharge door 4 can move horizontally along the conveying path 22. Preferably, when the discharge door 4 is in the open position shown in FIG. 4 , the lifting guide 60 holds the discharge door 4 at a position slightly away from the treatment tank main body 2 along the conveying path 22. When the discharge door 4 is lowered, the lifting guide 60 guides the discharge door 4 toward the main body flange 23 of the treatment tank main body 2, for example, by driving an air cylinder. This movement of the discharge door 4 along the conveying path 22 when lowered occurs when a recess on the ring member 63 (described later) faces a protrusion on the door flange 40. However, the discharge door opening / closing means 6 may have any configuration as long as it can open and close the discharge door 4, and any conventionally known configuration may be used.

[0026] The ring member 63 is used to engage with the door-side flange 40 of the discharge door 4 to lock the discharge door 4. As shown in FIG. 6 , the ring member 63 includes a circular portion 63a, multiple door-side protrusions 63b, and multiple main body-side protrusions 63c. The circular portion 63a is formed in an annular shape, and its inner diameter is configured to be slightly larger than the outer diameters of the main body-side flange 23 of the treatment tank main body 2 and the door-side flange 40 of the discharge door 4. The multiple door-side protrusions 63b protrude radially inward at equal intervals around the circumferential direction from the discharge-side end of the circular portion 63a. The multiple door-side protrusions 63b form an uneven shape around the circumferential direction of the inner peripheral surface of the ring member 63 on the discharge side (see FIGS. 4 , 7A, and 7B ). The uneven shape formed by the multiple door-side protrusions 63b corresponds to the uneven shape formed on the outer peripheral surface of the door-side flange 40. Similarly to the door-side protrusions 63b, the multiple body-side protrusions 63c also protrude radially inward at equal intervals along the circumferential direction from the end of the annular portion 63a on the loading side. Due to the multiple body-side protrusions 63c, the inner circumferential surface of the ring member 63 on the loading side has an uneven shape along the circumferential direction, similar to the inner circumferential surface on the unloading side. The uneven shape formed by the multiple body-side protrusions 63c corresponds to the uneven shape formed on the body-side flange 23 closer to the unloading side than the engagement groove 23a, making it possible to attach the ring member 63 to the body-side flange 23.

[0027] When the ejection-side door 4 is closed, the recess on the ring member 63 side and the protrusion on the door-side flange 40 side, and the protrusion on the ring member 63 side and the recess on the door-side flange 40 side are positioned opposite each other, allowing the ejection-side door 4 to move in the direction along the conveying path 22 (see FIG. 7A). On the other hand, the recess on the ring member 63 side and the recess on the door-side flange 40 side, and the protrusion on the ring member 63 side and the protrusion on the door-side flange 40 side are positioned opposite each other, so that the protrusions engage with each other, restricting movement of the ejection-side door 4 in the direction along the conveying path 22 (see FIGS. 6 and 7B).

[0028] The ring member rotating means 64 rotates the ring member 63 around the body flange 23 of the treatment tank body 2 and the door flange 40 of the discharge door 4. Rotating the ring member 63 locks and unlocks the discharge door 4. The ring member rotating means 64 is, for example, an air cylinder, but any means capable of rotating the ring member 63 may be used. The ring member rotating means 64 can also be configured to be rotated manually. The discharge door 4 of this embodiment is pressed toward the discharge outlet by the internal pressure of the treatment tank body 2 and the expansion of the seal member 24, causing the door flange 40 of the discharge door 4 to engage with the multiple door protrusions 63b (see FIG. 6 ) of the ring member 63.

[0029] The transport means 7 is configured to be able to transport the transport rack R along a transport path 22 that passes through an inlet 20 and an outlet 21. In this embodiment, the transport means 7 is made up of a plurality of transport units 7U (six in FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0030] As shown in FIG. 8A, each transport unit 7U includes a chain conveyor 70, a drive motor 71, and a rotating shaft 72. The chain conveyor 70 is provided at the bottom of the treatment tank main body 2. In this embodiment, three sets of chain conveyors 70 are provided in parallel along the transport path 22. A transport rack R is placed on the upper surfaces of these three sets of chain conveyors 70, and the transport rack R is transported by the three sets of chain conveyors 70 rotating in synchronization. However, only one set of chain conveyors 70 may be provided along the transport path 22, or two or four or more sets of chain conveyors 70 may be provided. Note that, as shown in FIG. 1, the length of the chain conveyor 70 in the direction along the transport path 22 in this embodiment is longer than the length of the transport rack R in the direction along the transport path 22.

[0031] The drive motor 71 drives the chain conveyor 70 via a rotating shaft 72. Each transport unit 7U is provided with a speed reduction mechanism (not shown) between the drive motor 71 and the rotating shaft 72, and a clutch (not shown) that blocks the transmission of driving force from the drive motor 71 to the chain conveyor 70. The chain conveyor 70 of this embodiment is rotatable in both directions, and can transport the transport rack R in both the carry-in direction and the carry-out direction.

[0032] The control means 8 controls the above-mentioned entrance door opening / closing means 5, exit door opening / closing means 6, and transport means 7 to perform transport operations (loading and unloading operations) of the transport rack R. Specifically, the control means 8 can be configured, for example, as an information processing device equipped with a CPU, memory (e.g., flash memory), input section, and output section. Processing by each of the above-mentioned components of the control means 8 configured as an information processing device is performed by the CPU reading and executing a program stored in the memory. As the information processing device, for example, a personal computer, a PLC (programmable logic controller), or a microcomputer is used. However, some functions of the control means 8 may be configured to be executed on a cloud connected by any communication means.

[0033] 2. Operation of Sterilizer 1 Next, the operation of the sterilization apparatus 1 of this embodiment will be described. The sterilization apparatus 1 of this embodiment operates under the control of the control means 8. The control means 8 controls the loading-side door opening / closing means 5, the unloading-side door opening / closing means 6, and the conveying means 7 in accordance with a predetermined procedure (program) to perform loading and unloading operations. Specifically, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 9, the control means 8 sequentially executes a loading step S1, a loading-side door closing step S2, a rack position adjusting step S3, a sterilization step S4 as a processing step, an unloading-side door opening step S5, and a unloading step S6. Each step will be described in more detail below. Before the loading step S1 is started, the loading-side door 3 is open and the unloading-side door 4 is closed. When the loading-side door 3 is closed, the control means 8 controls the loading-side door opening / closing means 5 to open the loading-side door 3. Furthermore, when the unloading door 4 is open, the control means 8 controls the unloading door opening / closing means 6 to close the unloading door 4. At this time, the ring member rotating means 64 rotates the ring member 63 to lock the unloading door 4.

[0034] <Delivery process S1> The carry-in step S1 is a step of moving the transport rack R toward the unloading port 21 to load the transport rack R into the processing tank main body 2. In the carry-in step S1, the control means 8 controls the transport means 7 to transport the transport rack R, which has been carried to the carry-in port 20 by a user or another transport device, toward the unloading port. Specifically, the control means 8 drives the drive motor 71 of each transport unit 7U. This rotates the chain conveyor 70 of each transport unit 7U, and the transport rack R is transported sequentially from the transport unit 7U on the loading side to the transport unit 7U on the unloading side. The control means 8 drives the drive motor 71 of each transport unit 7U for a predetermined time and then stops the drive motor 71. Here, the predetermined time is the time required for the transport rack R to reach the unloading port 21 from the loading port 20. However, instead of transporting the transport rack R to the unloading port 21 in a single operation, the transport rack R may be transported little by little each time it is loaded. In this case, the predetermined time may be short.

[0035] When the transport rack R reaches the carry-out exit 21, it abuts against a stopper 42 (see FIG. 5B) of the carry-out door 4, thereby restricting further movement. When the drive motor 71 rotates while the movement of the transport rack R is restricted, a clutch (not shown) blocks the transmission of drive force from the drive motor 71 to the chain conveyor 70. This prevents wear on the transport rack R due to friction generated between the bottom surface of the transport rack R and the chain conveyor 70.

[0036] When a second or subsequent transport rack R is being loaded, the control means 8 also drives the drive motor 71 of each transport unit 7U for a predetermined time until the transport rack R abuts against the previously loaded transport rack R. This causes the chain conveyor 70 of each transport unit 7U to rotate, and the transport rack R is transported sequentially from the load-side transport unit 7U to the unload-side transport unit 7U. When the transport rack R being loaded abuts against the previous transport rack R, further movement is restricted. However, if the drive motor 71 rotates in this state, as described above, the clutch (not shown) acts to interrupt the transmission of drive force from the drive motor 71 to the chain conveyor 70, preventing wear on the transport rack R. Depending on the number of transport racks R already loaded, it may be preferable to operate only the load-side transport unit 7U rather than all transport units 7U.

[0037] Then, when the last transport rack R (the ninth transport rack R in the illustrated example) is carried in, the carrying-in step S1 is completed.

[0038] <Loading door closing process S2> The loading-side door closing step S2 is a step of closing the loading-side door 3. In the loading-side door closing step S2, the control means 8 closes the loading-side door 3 using the loading-side door opening / closing means 5. This causes the treatment tank body 2 to be sealed.

[0039] <Rack position adjustment process S3> The rack position adjustment step S3 is a step in which the transport means 7 moves the transport racks R in the direction of the carry-in entrance. In the rack position adjustment step S3, the control means 8 controls the transport means 7 to move each transport rack R slightly in the direction of the carry-in entrance 20. Specifically, the control means 8 drives the drive motors 71 of each transport unit 7U in the opposite direction to the carry-in step S1, thereby reversing the rotation of the chain conveyor 70 and moving each transport rack R. The distance each transport rack R is moved needs only to release the abutment between the leading transport rack R and the stopper 42 of the unloading door 4, and can be a short distance. Note that, as long as the transport rack R is moved, it is not necessary to drive the drive motors 71 of all transport units 7U.

[0040] <Sterilization process S4> The sterilization step S4 is a step for treating the objects to be treated. In the sterilization step S4, the objects to be treated loaded on the transport rack R are subjected to a heat sterilization treatment. The specific operations of this step are performed using a conventionally known configuration and method, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. Note that it is also possible to perform a cooling treatment after the heat sterilization.

[0041] <Exit door opening process S5> The unloading-side door opening step S5 is a step of opening the unloading-side door 4 to unload the transport rack R. In the unloading-side door opening step S5, the control means 8 controls the unloading-side door opening / closing means 6 to open the unloading-side door 4. This makes it possible to unload the transport rack R from the unloading opening 21. <Export process S6> The unloading step S6 is a step of moving the transport rack R in the direction of the unloading opening 21 while the unloading door 4 is open, and unloading it. In the unloading step S6, the control means 8 controls the transport means 7 to transport each transport rack R housed in the treatment tank main body 2 in the direction of the unloading opening. Specifically, the control means 8 drives the drive motor 71 of each transport unit 7U. This rotates the chain conveyor 70 of each transport unit 7U, and each transport rack R is sequentially unloaded from the unloading opening 21 and transported to the next step.

[0042] 3. Effects As described above, in the sterilization apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the discharge door 4 is provided with the stopper 42, and by keeping the discharge door 4 closed in the loading step S1, the stopper 42 formed on the discharge door 4 can be used as a stopper that holds the transport rack R in the treatment tank main body 2. This makes it possible to position the transport rack R at an appropriate position in the treatment tank main body 2 without providing a separate stopper for switching between moving and restricting the movement of the transport rack R.

[0043] However, in a configuration in which the movement of the transport rack R is restricted by the stopper 42 of the unloading door 4, when the unloading door 4 is pressed toward the unloading port by the transport rack R, the door-side flange 40 of the unloading door 4 and the door-side protrusion 63b of the ring member 63 tightly engage in the direction along the transport path 22, increasing friction between them. This increases the load on the ring member rotating means 64 that rotates the ring member 63, and there is a risk that the ring member 63 will not rotate properly. Moreover, even if the ring member 63 rotates, the operation of the ring member 63 will not be smooth.

[0044] However, in the sterilization apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the control means 8 executes a rack position adjustment step S3 of moving the transport rack R toward the carry-in entrance during the period from when the transport rack R is accommodated inside the treatment tank body 2 in the carry-in step S1 until when the carry-out door opening step S5 is executed. This prevents the transport rack R from pressing against the carry-out door 4, making it difficult to open the carry-out door 4.

[0045] 4. Variations The present invention can also be implemented in the following aspects.

[0046] The sterilization apparatus 1 of the above embodiment is configured to perform the rack position adjustment step S3 before the sterilization step S4. However, the rack position adjustment step S3 may be performed at any timing as long as it is after all of the transport racks R have been carried into the treatment tank body 2 and before the outlet door 4 is opened after the sterilization step S4.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the loading step S1, the loading door closing step S2, the rack position adjusting step S3, the sterilizing step S4, the unloading door opening step S5, and the unloading step S6 are configured to be performed automatically under the control of the control means 8. However, some of these steps may be configured to be performed manually at the instruction of the user. For example, the loading door closing step S2 and the unloading door opening step S5 may be performed manually.

[0048] The sterilization apparatus 1 of the above embodiment is provided with a ring member 63 as an engagement means for engaging with the discharge door 4. Here, the ring member 63 is configured to prevent the discharge door 4 from moving in a direction away from the treatment tank body 2 due to the internal pressure of the treatment tank body 2 and the pressure of the seal member 24 to which air is supplied in the sterilization step S4. However, the engagement means for engaging with the discharge door 4 may be provided with a member that locks the discharge door 4 by pressing the discharge door 4 in a direction toward the treatment tank body 2.

[0049] In the above embodiment, the stopper 42 is formed on the processing tank body 2 side of the unloading door 4, but the stopper 42 is not essential for the unloading door 4. Even if the stopper 42 is not provided, the movement of the transport rack R toward the unloading exit can be restricted by the transport rack R abutting against the surface of the unloading door 4 on the processing tank body 2 side.

[0050] In the above embodiment, the transport means 7 is configured to include a chain conveyor 70. However, the configuration for transporting the transport rack R is not limited to the chain conveyor 70. For example, a roller-type transport means 7 may also be used.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the treatment tank body 2 is capable of accommodating multiple transport racks R. However, it is also possible for the treatment tank body 2 to be capable of accommodating only one transport rack R. However, when multiple transport racks R are loaded in multiple batches, the first transport rack R will inevitably hit the exit door 4 when the second and subsequent transport racks R are loaded to the back, and this is why the present invention is particularly effective.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the transport means 7 is made up of a plurality of transport units 7U, but the transport means 7 may be made up of one set of chain conveyors 70 and one drive motor 71.

[0053] In the above embodiment, the loading door 3 and the unloading door 4 are configured to move up and down to open and close the loading entrance 20 and the unloading exit 21, respectively. However, the loading door 3 and the unloading door 4 may be, for example, a swing type.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the sterilization device 1 that sterilizes the object to be treated has been described as an example of a processing device for processing the object to be treated, but the processing device is not limited to the sterilization device 1. For example, the processing device may be a cooling device that cools the object to be treated loaded on a transport rack R in the processing tank main body 2. With this configuration, it is possible to provide a cooling device that can properly load the transport rack R into the processing tank main body 2. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 1: Sterilization equipment (processing equipment) 2: Treatment tank body 3: Loading door 4: Exit door 5: Carry-in door opening / closing means 6: Exit door opening / closing means 7: Means of transportation 7U: Transport unit 8: Control means 20: Loading entrance 21: Exit 22: Transport path 23: Body side flange 23a: Engagement groove 23b: Groove 24: Sealing material 40: Door side flange 41: Arm part 42: Stopper 60: Lifting guide 61: Lifting motor 62: Drive shaft 63: Ring member (engagement means) 63a: Annular part 63b: Door side protrusion 63c: Main body side protrusion 64: Ring member rotating means 70: Chain conveyor 71: Drive motor 72: Rotation axis R: Transport rack S1: Delivery process S2: Carry-in door closing process S3: Rack position adjustment process S4: Sterilization process (processing process) S5: Exit door opening process S6: Unloading process

Claims

1. A processing device that processes objects to be processed loaded on a transport rack, The treatment tank comprises a treatment tank body, an inlet door, an outlet door, a transport means, and a control means, the treatment tank body is configured to be able to accommodate the transport rack, and includes an inlet for carrying the transport rack in and an outlet for carrying the transport rack out; The carry-in door is configured to be able to open and close the carry-in entrance, the unloading-side door is configured to be able to open and close the unloading outlet, and is configured to restrict movement of the transport rack toward the unloading outlet when in a closed state; the transport means is configured to be able to transport the transport rack along a transport path that passes through the inlet and the outlet, the control means is configured to be able to control the opening and closing operation of the unloading door and the transport operation of the transport rack by the transport means, the control means sequentially executes a carry-in process in which the carry-in door is opened and the carry-out door is closed, and the carry-in rack is moved in the direction of the carry-out outlet by the carry-in means, thereby carrying the carry-in rack into the treatment tank body; a carry-in door closing process in which the carry-in door is closed; a treatment process in which the object to be treated is treated; a carry-out door opening process in which the carry-out door is opened to carry out the transport rack; and a carry-out process in which the carry-out door is opened, and the transport rack is moved in the direction of the carry-out outlet, thereby carrying out the transport rack; The control means further executes a rack position adjustment step of moving the transport rack toward the transport entrance by the transport means between the carry-in step and the carry-out door opening step.

2. 2. The processing device according to claim 1, The processing apparatus is configured so that the processing tank body can accommodate a plurality of the transport racks in series along the transport path.

3. 3. The processing device according to claim 2, the conveying means includes a plurality of conveying units along the conveying path, In the carrying-in step and the carrying-out step, the plurality of transport racks are transported sequentially in the direction of the transport outlet by the plurality of transport units.

4. The processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, an engaging means for engaging with the ejection door, The processing apparatus wherein the engaging means and the unloading door are engaged in a direction along the transport path, thereby locking the unloading door.

5. A method for processing objects loaded on a transport rack, comprising: The method includes a carry-in step, a carry-in door closing step, a processing step, an unloading door opening step, and a carry-out step, In the carrying-in step, the carrying-in door is opened and the carrying-out door is closed, and the transport rack is moved toward the carrying-out port by the transport means to carry the transport rack into the treatment tank body, and the carrying-out door is used to restrict further movement of the transport rack toward the carrying-out port; In the carrying-in door closing step, the carrying-in door is closed, In the processing step, the object to be processed is processed, In the unloading door opening step, the unloading door is opened to unload the transport rack, In the carrying-out step, the transport rack is moved toward the carry-out port while the carry-out door is open, and is carried out. The method further comprises, between the carrying-in step and the unloading-side door opening step, a rack position adjusting step of moving the transport rack toward the loading entrance by the transport means.

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