Multistage pressurizing device and pressurizing method

Abstract

This invention provides a new multi-stage pressurizing device and pressurizing method that can suppress variations in the pressurizing conditions of a workpiece. [Solution] The multi-stage pressurizing device 1 according to the present invention comprises a plurality of pressurizing units U, a lifting device 4 capable of raising and lowering the pressurizing units, and a plurality of fixing members 24a to 24d fixed in absolute positions. The pressurizing unit comprises a first mold 9 arranged in a first direction toward the workpiece, a second mold 7 arranged in a second direction toward the workpiece, a mold plate 6 to which the second mold is attached, and a plate lifting unit 11 capable of raising and lowering the mold plate. Of the plurality of pressurizing units, the first mold of the pressurizing unit arranged adjacent to the upper pressurizing unit in the downward direction is attached to the mold plate of the upper pressurizing unit. The plate lifting unit is attached to the fixing member and, when the workpiece is pressurized, before the lifting device raises and lowers the pressurizing unit, it raises and lowers the mold plate so that the distance between the first mold and the second mold becomes the pre-pressurizing distance Lb.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a multistage pressurizing apparatus and a pressurizing method.

Background Art

[0002] Among pressurizing apparatuses that pressurize a workpiece from the vertical direction by a pressurizing unit provided with upper and lower molds arranged in the vertical direction of the workpiece, a multistage pressurizing apparatus that collectively pressurizes a plurality of workpieces by a plurality of pressurizing units is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this pressurizing apparatus, the respective pressurizing units are arranged side by side in the vertical direction so as to be able to move up and down along support columns. A cylinder is disposed below the lowermost pressurizing unit. When the workpieces are pressurized, the cylinder continuously raises all the pressurizing units in order starting from the lowermost pressurizing unit.

[0003] At this time, in the lowermost pressurizing unit, the space between the molds narrows and the workpiece is pressurized, and then in the pressurizing unit one stage above (the next stage), the space between the molds narrows and the workpiece is pressurized. In this manner, the respective pressurizing units pressurize the workpieces in order starting from the lowermost stage. Therefore, the pressurizing conditions of the workpieces (for example, pressurizing time, heating time, etc.) vary (differ) for each pressurizing unit. In addition, since the workpieces are pressurized without the molds stopping in the respective pressurizing units, workpiece defects (for example, lamination misalignment of the workpieces, positional misalignment of the workpieces, deformation of the workpieces, etc.) are prone to occur.

[0004] As a technique for solving such a technical problem, a multistage pressurizing apparatus is known that is provided with a cylinder (hereinafter referred to as a "restriction cylinder") that is disposed between the upper and lower movable members of the respective pressurizing units and restricts the rising of the lower movable member (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

[0006] In this pressurizing device, the regulating cylinder is positioned on the upper surface of the lower movable member, and the amount of protrusion of the piston rod of the regulating cylinder is adjusted so that the distance between the molds is predetermined. As a result, each pressurizing unit rises while maintaining the predetermined distance between the molds. Then, when the hydraulic cylinder starts pressurizing the workpiece, the regulating cylinder retracts its piston rod, so that each pressurizing unit can pressurize the workpiece almost simultaneously. Therefore, in this pressurizing device, variations in the pressurizing conditions of the workpiece for each pressurizing unit are suppressed.

[0007] However, the regulating cylinder supports the mass of all the pressurizing units (movable members) positioned above it. Generally, the mass of each pressurizing unit in a multi-stage pressurizing device can be several hundred kilograms. Therefore, as the pressurizing units move to lower stages, the load on the regulating cylinder increases, and the size of the regulating cylinder increases. As a result, the size of the pressurizing device becomes larger. In addition, by setting a predetermined distance so that the upper mold touches the workpiece before the workpiece is pressurized, the occurrence of workpiece defects can be suppressed. However, the raising of each pressurizing unit is performed by a single hydraulic cylinder, and there are dimensional errors between each pressurizing unit. Therefore, setting the distance between each pressurizing unit is important. accuracy It is low.

[0008] The present invention aims to provide a novel multi-stage pressurizing device and pressurizing method that can suppress variations in the pressurizing conditions of a workpiece. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A multi-stage pressurizing device in one embodiment of the present invention is a multi-stage pressurizing device for pressurizing a plurality of workpieces, comprising: a plurality of pressurizing units arranged in a vertical direction for pressurizing corresponding workpieces; a lifting device capable of raising and lowering all of the pressurizing units for pressurizing the workpieces; and a plurality of fixing members fixed in predetermined absolute positions in the multi-stage pressurizing device, wherein one of the upward and downward directions is the first direction, and the direction opposite to the first direction is the second direction, and each of the pressurizing units comprises: a first mold arranged in the first direction of the corresponding workpiece and capable of pressurizing the corresponding workpiece; a second mold arranged in the second direction of the corresponding workpiece and capable of pressurizing the corresponding workpiece; and The pressurizing device comprises a mold plate arranged in the second direction of the mold and to which the second mold is attached, and a plate lifting unit capable of raising and lowering the mold plate, wherein, among the plurality of pressurizing units, the pressurizing unit arranged adjacent to one of the pressurizing units in the upward direction is an upper pressurizing unit, the first mold of the pressurizing unit arranged adjacent to the upper pressurizing unit in the downward direction is attached to the mold plate of the upper pressurizing unit, and the plate lifting unit is attached to the fixing member, and when the workpiece is pressurized, the lifting device raises and lowers the mold plate so that the distance between the first mold and the second mold becomes a predetermined pre-pressurizing distance before raising and lowering the pressurizing unit.

[0010] A pressurizing method in one embodiment of the present invention is a pressurizing method performed by a multi-stage pressurizing device for pressurizing a plurality of workpieces, wherein the multi-stage pressurizing device comprises a plurality of pressurizing units arranged in a vertical direction for pressurizing corresponding workpieces, a lifting device capable of raising and lowering all of the pressurizing units when the workpieces are pressurized, and a plurality of fixing members arranged in predetermined absolute positions in the multi-stage pressurizing device, wherein one of the upward and downward directions is the first direction, the opposite direction of the first direction is the second direction, and each of the pressurizing units comprises a first mold arranged in the first direction of the corresponding workpiece and capable of pressurizing the corresponding workpiece, a second mold arranged in the second direction of the corresponding workpiece and capable of pressurizing the corresponding workpiece, and a second mold arranged in the second direction of the second mold The pressurizing method comprises a mold plate to which the second mold is fixed, and a plate lifting unit capable of raising and lowering the mold plate, wherein, among the plurality of pressurizing units, the pressurizing unit arranged adjacent to one of the pressurizing units in the upward direction is an upper pressurizing unit, the first mold of the pressurizing unit arranged adjacent to the upper pressurizing unit in the downward direction is attached to the mold plate of the upper pressurizing unit, and the plate lifting unit is attached to the fixing member, and the pressurizing method includes a plate lifting process in which the plate lifting unit raises and lowers the mold plate so that the distance between the first mold and the second mold becomes a predetermined pre-pressurizing distance, and a pressurizing process in which the lifting device raises and lowers all of the pressurizing units in the first direction so that all of the workpieces are pressurized. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The present invention provides a novel multi-stage pressurizing device and pressurizing method that can suppress variations in the pressurizing conditions of a workpiece. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a multi-stage pressurizing device according to the present invention, showing an embodiment of the said multi-stage pressurizing device. [Figure 2] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the pressurizing unit of the multi-stage pressurizing device described above. [Figure 3] It is a schematic side view of the above pressurizing unit as viewed in the +Y direction. [Figure 4] It is a schematic side view of the above pressurizing unit as viewed in the -Y direction. [Figure 5] It is a schematic view showing an example of the arrangement of the regulating device of the above multistage pressurizing apparatus. [Figure 6] It is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the above multistage pressurizing apparatus. [Figure 7] It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the above multistage pressurizing apparatus, showing a state where the mold plate of the multistage pressurizing apparatus is raised. [Figure 8] It is a partially enlarged schematic view of the above multistage pressurizing apparatus in the state of Fig. 7. [Figure 9] It shows a state where the housing chamber of the above multistage pressurizing apparatus is depressurized. It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the above multistage pressurizing apparatus. [Figure 10] It is a partially enlarged schematic view of the above multistage pressurizing apparatus in the state of Fig. 9. [Figure 11] It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the above multistage pressurizing apparatus, showing a state where each workpiece is being fully pressurized. [Figure 12] It is a partially enlarged schematic view for explaining the function of the biasing member of the above multistage pressurizing apparatus in the state of Fig. 11. [Figure 13] It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the above multistage pressurizing apparatus taken along line AA in Fig. 1. [Detailed Description of the Invention]

[0013] Embodiments of the multistage pressurizing apparatus according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "the present apparatus") and the pressurizing method according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "the present method") are described below. In the following description, the respective drawings are referred to as appropriate. In the respective drawings, the same members and elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are omitted. Further, the dimensional ratios of the respective elements may be exaggerated for convenience of explanation, and are not limited to the ratios shown in the respective drawings.

[0014] In the following description and drawings, when three axes mutually orthogonal in space are defined as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, the X-axis and Y-axis are parallel to the horizontal direction, and the Z-axis is parallel to the vertical direction. The "X direction" is the direction along the X-axis, the "+X direction" is one direction along the X direction, and the "-X direction" is the other direction along the X direction. The "Y direction" is the direction along the Y-axis, the "+Y direction" is one direction along the Y direction, and the "-Y direction" is the other direction along the Y direction. The "Z direction" is the direction along the Z-axis, which is the vertical direction. The "+Z direction" is the upward direction, and the "-Z direction" is the downward direction. The "XY direction" is the direction along the X direction and the Y direction, and the "XY plane" is a virtual plane parallel to the XY direction (horizontal direction). The "horizontal direction" is a direction parallel to the floor surface and parallel to the XY direction. In addition, the horizontal direction includes not only a perfectly horizontal orientation but also a slight inclination of the floor surface. The upward direction is an example of the first direction in the present invention, and the downward direction is an example of the second direction in the present invention.

[0015] In the following description, the lower surface is a surface that faces the downward direction and is parallel to the XY direction. The upper surface is a surface that faces the upward direction and is parallel to the XY direction. That is, the shapes of the lower surface and the upper surface are planar.

[0016] ● Multi-stage Pressurizing Apparatus ● ● Configuration of Multi-stage Pressurizing Apparatus ● Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the present apparatus, showing an embodiment of the present apparatus.

[0017] The present apparatus 1 pressurizes a plurality of workpieces W all at once. The present apparatus 1 includes a housing 2, a control device 3, an elevating device 4, a pressure reduction unit 5, and three pressurizing units U1, U2, U3. In the following description, when the pressurizing units U1, U2, U3 are not particularly distinguished, each of the pressurizing units U1, U2, U3 is collectively referred to as the pressurizing unit U.

[0018] The "workpiece W" is the object to be pressurized in the present apparatus 1 (that is, the object to be pressurized), and is, for example, a sheet-shaped base material (such as a ceramic green sheet), an electronic component, a substrate on which a circuit or the like is mounted, or the like.

[0019] The housing 2 houses the control device 3, the lifting device 4, the depressurization unit 5, and the pressurization unit U. The shape of the housing 2 is, for example, a hollow rectangular parallelepiped along the XY direction when viewed from above. The housing 2 comprises a lower bolster 21, an upper bolster 22, a support plate 23, and four support columns 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d (see also Figures 3 and 4; the same applies hereafter).

[0020] The lower bolster 21 supports the columns 24a to 24d and the lifting device 4, and also supports the pressurizing unit U and the upper bolster 22 via the columns 24a to 24d. The lower bolster 21 is made of a metal with high rigidity (e.g., carbon steel). The shape of the lower bolster 21 is, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped along the XY direction when viewed from above.

[0021] The upper bolster 22 is a member that receives the applied pressure P0 (described later; see Figure 12; the same applies hereafter). The upper bolster 22 is made of, for example, a metal with high rigidity (e.g., carbon steel). The shape of the upper bolster 22 is, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped along the XY direction when viewed from above. The upper bolster 22 is positioned above the lower bolster 21.

[0022] The support plate 23 supports the upper mold 9 and side wall unit 10 of the pressurizing unit U1 (both described later; see Figure 2; the same applies hereafter). The support plate 23 is made of a metal with high rigidity (e.g., carbon steel). The shape of the support plate 23 is, for example, a rectangular plate along the XY direction when viewed from above. The support plate 23 is attached to the lower surface of the upper bolster 22.

[0023] The support columns 24a to 24d support the upper bolster 22 and the pressurizing unit U, and also guide the raising and lowering of the pressurizing unit U. The support columns 24a to 24d are made of, for example, a metal with high rigidity (e.g., carbon steel). The shape of the support columns 24a to 24d is, for example, cylindrical with an axis along the vertical direction. In an upward view, the support columns 24a to 24d are positioned at the four corners of the lower bolster 21. The support columns 24a to 24d are positioned between the lower bolster 21 and the upper bolster 22 and are fixed to the lower bolster 21 and the upper bolster 22. That is, in this device 1, the support columns 24a to 24d are immovable members fixed in a predetermined absolute position. The support columns 24a to 24d are an example of a fixed member in the present invention. In the following description, "raising and lowering" means vertical movement, mainly vertical movement along the support columns 24a to 24d.

[0024] The control device 3 controls the operation of the entire device 1. The control device 3 includes, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), volatile memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory) that functions as the CPU's workspace, and non-volatile memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores various information such as control programs. The control device 3 is implemented, for example, by a PC (Personal Computer) or a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller).

[0025] The lifting device 4 raises and lowers the pressurizing unit U. The lifting device 4 is, for example, a known hydraulic cylinder. The lifting device 4 is located on the upper surface of the lower bolster 21.

[0026] The depressurization unit 5 reduces the pressure in the containment chamber Ra (described later; see Figure 7; the same applies hereafter). The depressurization unit 5 includes a pump 51 and piping 52. The pump 51 is, for example, a known vacuum pump. The piping 52 is connected to the exhaust port 10a (described later; the same applies hereafter) and the pump 51.

[0027] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the pressurizing unit U. In the following description, Figure 1 will be referred to together with Figure 2 as appropriate.

[0028] The pressurizing unit U pressurizes the corresponding workpiece W. The pressurizing units U1 to U3 are arranged vertically in order from top to bottom. Specifically, pressurizing unit U1 is positioned above pressurizing unit U2, and pressurizing unit U2 is positioned above pressurizing unit U3. That is, pressurizing unit U1 is positioned at the top, and pressurizing unit U3 is positioned at the bottom. Pressurizing unit U2 is positioned one position above pressurizing unit U3, and pressurizing unit U1 is positioned one position above pressurizing unit U2. That is, pressurizing unit U1 functions as an upper pressurizing unit in this invention with respect to pressurizing unit U2. Pressurizing unit U2 functions as an upper pressurizing unit in this invention with respect to pressurizing unit U3. Each of the pressurizing units U1 to U3 comprises a mold plate 6, a lower mold 7, a mounting plate 8, an upper mold 9, a side wall unit 10, and a plate lifting unit 11.

[0029] The mold plate 6 supports the lower mold 7. The mold plate 6 is made of a metal with high rigidity (e.g., carbon steel). The shape of the mold plate 6 is, for example, a rectangular plate oriented along the XY direction when viewed from above. The mold plate 6 has four through holes (not shown; the same applies hereinafter).

[0030] The through-holes are through-holes that penetrate the mold plate 6 in the vertical direction. The shape of the through-holes is, for example, circular. The through-holes are located at the four corners of the mold plate 6. Support columns 24a to 24d are inserted through the through-holes. The mold plate 6 can move up and down along the support columns 24a to 24d.

[0031] The lower mold 7 presses the corresponding workpiece W upward. The lower mold 7 is made of a metal with high rigidity (e.g., carbon steel). The shape of the lower mold 7 is, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped along the XY direction when viewed from above. The lower mold 7 is mounted on the upper surface of the mold plate 6. The lower mold 7 includes a heater (not shown) located inside the lower mold 7. The lower mold 7 is an example of a second mold in the present invention.

[0032] The mounting plate 8 is the component on which the workpiece W is placed. The mounting plate 8 is made of, for example, graphite or a metal with high thermal conductivity (for example, a copper alloy). The shape of the mounting plate 8 is a rectangular plate that is aligned in the XY direction when viewed from above. When the workpiece W is pressed, the mounting plate 8 is placed on the upper surface of the lower mold 7.

[0033] The upper mold 9 applies downward pressure to the corresponding workpiece W. The upper mold 9 is made of a metal with high rigidity (e.g., carbon steel). The shape of the upper mold 9 is, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped along the XY direction when viewed from above. The upper mold 9 is positioned above the lower mold 7 (or the mounting plate 8 when the mounting plate 8 is placed on it). The upper mold 9 of the pressurizing unit U1 is attached to the lower surface of the support plate 23. The upper molds 9 of the pressurizing units U2 and U3 are attached to the lower surface of the mold plate 6 of the pressurizing unit U1 and U2 one level higher. The upper mold 9 includes a heater (not shown) located inside the upper mold 9. The upper mold 9 is an example of the first mold in the present invention.

[0034] The side wall unit 10 partitions the space (storage chamber Ra) in which the workpiece W is housed. The side wall unit 10 is positioned above the lower mold 7 (or the mounting plate 8 when the mounting plate 8 is placed on it). The side wall unit 10 comprises a first side wall 101, a second side wall 102, three sealing members 103, 104, and 105, a plurality of biasing members 106, and an exhaust hole 10a.

[0035] The first side wall 101 and the second side wall 102 are rectangular cylindrical shapes aligned with the XY direction when viewed from above. The first side wall 101 of pressurizing unit U1 is attached to the lower surface of the support plate 23. The first side wall 101 of pressurizing units U2 and U3 are attached to the lower surface of the mold plate 6 of the pressurizing units U1 and U2 one level above. In each of pressurizing units U1 to U3, the first side wall 101 is arranged to surround the entire circumference of the upper mold 9 in the horizontal direction. The second side wall 102 of pressurizing unit U1 is attached to the lower surface of the support plate 23. The second side wall 102 of pressurizing units U2 and U3 are attached to the lower surface of the mold plate 6 of the pressurizing units U1 and U2 one level above via the biasing member 106. In the horizontal direction, the second side wall 102 is arranged to surround the entire circumference of the first side wall 101. The exhaust port 10a is a through-hole that penetrates the second side wall 102. The first side wall 101 and the second side wall 102 are examples of side walls in the present invention.

[0036] The sealing members 103 to 105 are, for example, known O-rings. The sealing member 103 is positioned between the mold plate 6 (support plate 23) and the first side wall 101. The sealing member 104 is positioned between the first side wall 101 and the second side wall 102. The sealing member 105 is attached to the lower surface of the second side wall 102.

[0037] The biasing member 106 supports the second side wall 102 and corrects the pressing force P0 (upward force) of the lifting device 4. The biasing member 106 is attached to the mold plate 6 (support plate 23) and the second side wall 102, and supports the second side wall 102 so that it can move up and down relative to the mold plate 6 (support plate 23). The biasing member 106 is, for example, a known coil spring. The biasing force P26 of the biasing member 106 of the pressurizing unit U2 is set to be greater than the biasing force of the biasing member 106 of the pressurizing unit U1. The biasing force P36 of the biasing member 106 of the pressurizing unit U3 is set to be less than the biasing force P26 of the biasing member 106 of the pressurizing unit U2. These settings can be achieved, for example, by selecting biasing members 106 with different biasing forces (spring constants) or by changing the number of biasing members 106. Details of the biasing forces P26, P36, and corrections will be described later.

[0038] Figure 3 is a schematic side view of the pressurizing unit U in the +Y direction. Figure 4 is a schematic side view of the pressurizing unit U in the -Y direction. In the following explanation, Figures 1 and 2 will be referred to as appropriate along with Figures 3 and 4.

[0039] The plate lifting unit 11 raises and lowers the mold plate 6. In the pressurizing unit U1, the plate lifting unit 11 is positioned between the mold plate 6 and the support plate 23. In pressurizing units U2 and U3, the plate lifting unit 11 is positioned between the mold plate 6 and the mold plate 6 of the pressurizing unit U1 or U2 one level higher. The plate lifting unit 11 comprises two holding members 121, 122, four plate lifting devices 131, 132, 133, 134, two restricting devices 141, 142, and an air unit 15.

[0040] The retaining members 121 and 122 hold the corresponding plate lifting devices 131 to 134 and the corresponding regulating devices 141 and 142. The retaining members 121 and 122 are made of a metal with high rigidity (e.g., carbon steel). The shape of the retaining members 121 and 122 is, for example, a rectangular plate shape with a longitudinal direction along the XY direction and an X direction when viewed from above. The retaining members 121 and 122 are positioned opposite the mold plate 6. The retaining member 121 is attached to the support columns 24a and 24b so as to span across them. The retaining member 122 is attached to the support columns 24c and 24d so as to span across them.

[0041] Plate lifting devices 131-134 raise and lower the mold plate 6. Plate lifting devices 131-134 are, for example, known air cylinders. Plate lifting devices 131 and 132 are arranged side by side in the X direction and are held by a holding member 121. Plate lifting devices 133 and 134 are arranged side by side in the X direction and are held by a holding member 122. In each of the pressurizing units U1-U3, the piston rods 13a of the plate lifting devices 131-134 are attached to the mold plate 6. The air cylinders (plate lifting devices 131-134) are examples of first air cylinders in the present invention.

[0042] The restricting devices 141 and 142 restrict the raising of the mold plate 6 by the plate lifting devices 131 to 134. The restricting devices 141 and 142 are, for example, known air cylinders. Restricting device 141 is positioned between the plate lifting devices 131 and 132 and is held by the holding member 121. Restricting device 142 is positioned between the plate lifting devices 133 and 134 and is held by the holding member 122. The piston rods 14a of the restricting devices 141 and 142 extend toward the upper surface of the mold plate 6. The air cylinders (restricting devices 141 and 142) are examples of second air cylinders in the present invention.

[0043] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the arrangement of regulatory devices 141 and 142. In the following description, Figures 1 to 4 will be referred to as appropriate along with Figure 5.

[0044] In the pressurizing unit U1, the vertical distance L1 between the piston rod 14a and the upper surface of the mold plate 6 is set to a predetermined first distance. This first distance is the same as the vertical distance L11 between the mounting plate 8 and the second side wall 102 (sealing member 105).

[0045] In the pressurizing unit U2, the vertical distance L2 between the piston rod 14a and the upper surface of the mold plate 6 is set to a predetermined second distance. The second distance is the same as the sum of the vertical distance L12 between the mounting plate 8 and the second side wall 102 (sealing member 105) and the distance L11.

[0046] In the pressurizing unit U3, the vertical distance L3 between the piston rod 14a and the upper surface of the mold plate 6 is set to a predetermined third distance. This third distance is the same as the sum of the vertical distance L13 between the mounting plate 8 and the second side wall 102 (sealing member 105), distance L11, and distance L12.

[0047] In the following description, Figure 1 will be the primary reference. The air unit 15 supplies air for the operation of the plate lifting devices 131-134 and the regulating devices 141, 142, respectively, and releases (exhausts) the supplied air. The air unit 15 comprises, for example, a known compressor, piping, and valves. The air unit 15 is connected to the plate lifting devices 131-134 and the regulating devices 141, 142.

[0048] In pressurizing units U1 and U2, the mold plate 6, lower mold 7, and mounting plate 8, as well as the upper mold 9 and side wall unit 10 of the lower pressurizing units U2 and U3, are movable members configured to move up and down along the support columns 24a to 24d in accordance with the raising and lowering of the mold plate 6. The lower mold 7 is positioned below the mounting plate 8, and the mold plate 6 is positioned below the lower mold 7. The upper mold 9 and side wall unit 10 of the lower pressurizing units U2 and U3 are positioned below the mold plate 6. The upper mold 9 and side wall unit 10 are positioned above the lower mold 7 and mounting plate 8, and are separated from the lower mold 7 and mounting plate 8.

[0049] Similarly, in the pressurizing unit U3, the mold plate 6, the lower mold 7, and the mounting plate 8 are movable members configured to move up and down along the support columns 24a to 24d in accordance with the raising and lowering of the mold plate 6. The lower mold 7 is positioned below the mounting plate 8, and the mold plate 6 is positioned below the lower mold 7. A lifting device 4 is positioned below the mold plate 6.

[0050] On the other hand, the plate lifting unit 11 is a non-movable member attached to the support columns 24a to 24d and configured to be immovable in the vertical (and horizontal) direction.

[0051] ● Operation of the multi-stage pressurizing device Next, the operation of this device 1 (i.e., this method) will be explained. Figures 1 to 5 will be referred to as appropriate in the following explanation of the operation.

[0052] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the device 1 (this method).

[0053] First, multiple workpieces W are loaded into the apparatus 1 (ST1). Specifically, the workpieces W are placed on the upper surface of the corresponding mounting plate 8. Next, the mounting plate 8 on which the workpieces W are placed is loaded into the corresponding pressurizing units U1 to U3 and placed on the corresponding lower mold 7. Here, the loading of the workpieces W may be performed automatically by the control device 3 or manually by the user of the apparatus 1. In each of the pressurizing units U1 to U3, the lower mold 7 is positioned below the corresponding workpiece W, and the upper mold 9 is positioned above the corresponding workpiece W. At this time, each workpiece W is heated (preheated) by the lower mold 7 at approximately the same time. Therefore, the start time of heating by the lower mold 7 for each workpiece W is approximately the same.

[0054] Next, the control device 3 controls the operation of the plate lifting unit 11 to raise the mold plates 6 of each of the pressurizing units U1 to U3 (ST2: plate lifting process). Process (ST2) is an example of the plate lifting process in the present invention.

[0055] Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the apparatus 1 showing the state in which the mold plate 6 is raised. Figure 8 is a partially enlarged schematic view of the apparatus 1 in the state shown in Figure 7.

[0056] Specifically, the air unit 15 supplies air to the plate lifting devices 131-134, causing the plate lifting devices 131-134 to raise the mold plate 6. At this time, in each of the pressurizing units U1-U3, the movable members (mold plate 6, lower mold 7, and mounting plate 8, as well as the upper mold 9 and side wall unit 10 of the lower pressurizing units U2 and U3) rise together with the workpiece W. The movement of the mold plate 6 is restricted by the mold plate 6 contacting the piston rods 14a of the restricting devices 141 and 142. At this time, in the pressurizing units U1-U3, the mounting plate 8 is in contact with the sealing member 105 (second side wall 102). In pressurizing unit U1, the mounting plate 8, upper mold 9, side wall unit 10, and support plate 23 are in contact with the housing chamber Ra in which the corresponding workpiece W is housed. sectionIn the pressurizing units U2 and U3, the mounting plate 8, the upper mold 9, the side wall unit 10, and the mold plate 6 one level above each partition the storage chamber Ra in which the corresponding workpiece W is housed.

[0057] Here, in pressurizing unit U1, the distance traveled by the mold plate 6 is the same as the distance L11. In pressurizing unit U2, the distance traveled by the mold plate 6 is the same as the sum of the distances L11 and L12, because the mold plate 6 of pressurizing unit U1 rises by the same distance as the distance L11. In pressurizing unit U3, the distance traveled by the mold plate 6 is the same as the sum of the distances L11, L12, and L13, because the mold plate 6 of pressurizing unit U2 rises by the same distance as the sum of the distances L11 and L12. In pressurizing units U1 to U3 after processing (ST2), the distance between the upper surface of the lower mold 7 and the lower surface of the upper mold 9 is set to a predetermined distance (hereinafter referred to as "pre-pressurizing distance Lb"). "Pre-pressurizing distance Lb" is, for example, the distance at which the workpiece W can come into contact with the lower surface of the upper mold 9 in the processing (ST3) described later (for example, about 1 to 2 mm). The pre-pressure gap Lb is preset based on the thickness of the mounting plate 8 and the workpiece W.

[0058] Here, these movable members are heavy objects, with masses of, for example, several hundred kilograms. Therefore, most of the force of the plate lifting devices 131-134 (the force that pulls up the piston rod 13a) is used to raise the movable members, and the raising of the movable members can be restricted by a relatively weak force (resistance force). Consequently, the force of the restricting devices 141 and 142 (the force that pushes out the piston rod 14a) is sufficiently less than the force of the plate lifting devices 131-134 (the force that pulls back the piston rod 13a), and smaller devices (e.g., air cylinders) than the plate lifting devices 131-134 can be used for the restricting devices 141 and 142.

[0059] Next, the control device 3 controls the operation of the depressurization unit 5 to reduce the pressure in the containment chamber Ra (ST3: depressurization process). As a result, the mounting plate 8 is attached to the second side wall 102 by the pressure difference (vacuum pressure) between the containment chamber Ra and the space outside the containment chamber Ra. Consequently, in the pressurization unit U1, the support plate 23, mounting plate 8, upper mold 9, and side wall unit 10, with the containment chamber Ra, form an immovable chamber unit CU1. In the pressurization unit U2, the mold plate 6, mounting plate 8, upper mold 9, and side wall unit 10 of the pressurization unit U1 above form a chamber unit CU2 with the containment chamber Ra, which can be raised and lowered by the plate lifting unit 11 of the pressurization unit U1 above. Similarly, in the pressurizing unit U3, the mold plate 6, mounting plate 8, upper mold 9, and side wall unit 10 of the pressurizing unit U2 one level above it form a chamber unit CU3 equipped with a housing chamber Ra that can be raised and lowered by the plate lifting unit 11 of the pressurizing unit U2 one level above it.

[0060] Figure 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the apparatus 1 showing the state in which the containment chamber Ra is depressurized. Figure 10 is a partially enlarged schematic view of the apparatus 1 in the state shown in Figure 9.

[0061] At this time, in each of the pressurizing units U1 to U3, the sealing member 105 and the biasing member 106 contract slightly in the vertical direction. Therefore, the mounting plate 8 moves slightly upward and away from the lower mold 7. As a result, a small gap G (for example, about 1 to 2 mm) is formed between the lower mold 7 and the mounting plate 8. The lower surface of the upper mold 9 is in contact with the workpiece W, and the workpiece W is held between the upper surface of the mounting plate 8 and the lower surface of the upper mold 9. As a result, the workpiece W is slightly pressurized (pre-pressurized) by the pressure corresponding to the vacuum pressure. The pressure of the pre-pressurization is sufficiently smaller than the pressure P0 of the main pressurization (described later). Each workpiece W simultaneously comes into contact with the corresponding upper mold 9 and is heated by the upper mold 9. Therefore, the heating start time by the upper mold 9 for each workpiece W is the same.

[0062] Here, the upward speed of the mounting plate 8 can be changed by changing the depressurization rate of the containment chamber Ra. Therefore, when the depressurization rate is set to a low speed, the mounting plate 8 approaches the upper mold 9 at a low speed, and the workpiece W comes into contact with the upper mold 9 at a low speed. As a result, this apparatus 1 can suppress the occurrence of defects in the workpiece W (for example, misalignment of the stacking of the workpiece W, misalignment of the workpiece W, deformation of the workpiece W, etc. The same applies hereinafter).

[0063] Next, the control device 3 controls the operation of the lifting device 4 to raise it until it is close to (for example, about 1-2 mm from) or in contact with the mold plate 6 of the pressurizing unit U3 (ST4: Lifting device raising process).

[0064] Next, the control device 3 controls the operation of the plate lifting unit 11 in each of the pressurizing units U1 to U3 so that the plate lifting devices 131 to 134 and the restricting devices 141 and 142 do not restrict (or interfere with) the upward movement of the mold plate 6 (ST5: restriction release process). Specifically, the air unit 15 stops supplying air to the plate lifting devices 131 to 134 and the restricting devices 141 and 142, and releases the air supplied to the plate lifting devices 131 to 134 and the restricting devices 141 and 142. As a result, the piston rods 13a and 14a become able to move vertically not by the supplied air, but by the external force applied to the piston rods 13a and 14a. In other words, the restriction by the restricting devices 141 and 142 is released. In this case, each mold plate 6 (movable member) can move downward, but the distance it moves is a small distance (for example, a few mm) determined by the gap between the lifting device 4 and the mold plate 6 of the pressurizing unit U3, and each gap G. In this case, the movable members of the pressurizing units U1 to U3 are supported by the lifting device 4.

[0065] Next, the control device 3 controls the operation of the lifting device 4 to raise it until a predetermined main pressurizing force P0 (for example, several tens of MPa) is applied to each workpiece W (ST6: pressurizing process). At this time, all movable members of the pressurizing units U1 to U3 rise simultaneously. Therefore, each workpiece W is simultaneously pressurized by the pressurizing force P0. At this time, the workpiece W is flat-pressed by the upper surface of the mounting plate 8 and the lower surface of the upper die 9.

[0066] Figure 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the apparatus 1 showing each workpiece W under pressure. Figure 12 is a partially enlarged schematic diagram illustrating the function of the biasing member 106 in the state shown in Figure 11.

[0067] As described above, the pressurizing units U1 to U3 are equipped with movable members. When each workpiece W is pressurized, the mass of each movable member of the pressurizing units U1 to U3 is seemingly supported by the member positioned below it and the workpiece W.

[0068] Specifically, the masses of the mold plate 6 and lower mold 7 of the pressurizing unit U1, and the upper mold 9 and first side wall 101 (the member colored light gray in Figure 12) of the pressurizing unit U2, are seemingly supported from below by the biasing member 106 and the workpiece W of the pressurizing unit U2. In other words, in the pressurizing unit U2, the downward force (load: hereinafter referred to as "first load Pw1") based on these masses can be applied not only to the biasing member 106 but also to the workpiece W. Here, the biasing member 106 of the pressurizing unit U2 biases the mold plate 6 of the pressurizing unit U1 upward in order to counteract the first load Pw1. Specifically, for example, the biasing force P26 of the biasing member 106 of the pressurizing unit U2 is set to bias the mold plate 6 of the pressurizing unit U1 upward with the same force as the first load Pw1 applied from the mold plate 6 of the pressurizing unit U1. In other words, the biasing member 106 of the pressurizing unit U2 functions to compensate for (correct) the upward force applied from the lifting device 4 to the mold plate 6 of the pressurizing unit U1. As a result, in the pressurizing unit U2, the first load Pw1 is canceled out by the biasing force P26 of the biasing member 106 and is not applied to the workpiece W. Therefore, only the pressing force P0 is applied to the workpiece W. On the other hand, in the pressurizing unit U2, the biasing member 106 is supported by the mounting plate 8 via the second side wall 102. In other words, in the pressurizing unit U2, the biasing member 106 is supported in the area of ​​the pressurizing unit U2 that is not in contact with the workpiece W (hereinafter referred to as the "non-contact area R1"; see Figure 13; the same applies hereinafter), excluding the surface of the pressurizing unit U2 that is in contact with the workpiece W (the lower surface of the upper mold 9 and the upper surface of the mounting plate 8, the surface facing the lower surface). Therefore, in the pressurizing unit U2, the first load Pw1 applied to the biasing member 106 is not applied to the workpiece W, but is applied to the mounting plate 8 via the biasing member 106 and the second side wall 102.

[0069] Similarly, the masses of the mold plate 6, lower mold 7, mounting plate 8, and second side wall 102 of the pressurizing unit U2, as well as the upper mold 9 and first side wall 101 of the pressurizing unit U3 (the parts colored dark gray in Figure 12), are seemingly supported from below by the biasing member 106 and workpiece W of the pressurizing unit U3. In other words, in the pressurizing unit U3, the downward force (load: hereinafter referred to as "second load Pw2") based on these masses can be applied not only to the biasing member 106 but also to the workpiece W. Furthermore, as mentioned above, the mounting plate 8 of the pressurizing unit U2 is subjected to the first load Pw1 as well as the second load Pw2. Here, the biasing member 106 of the pressurizing unit U3 biases the mold plate 6 of the pressurizing unit U2 upward so as to cancel out the first load Pw1 and the second load Pw2. Specifically, for example, the biasing force P36 of the biasing member 106 of the pressurizing unit U3 is set to bias the mold plate 6 of the pressurizing unit U2 upward with the same force as the sum of the first load Pw1 and the second load Pw2 applied from the mold plate 6 of the pressurizing unit U2. In other words, the biasing member 106 of the pressurizing unit U3 functions to compensate for (correct) the upward force applied to the mold plate 6 of the pressurizing unit U2 from the lifting device 4. As a result, in the pressurizing unit U3, the first load Pw1 and the second load Pw2 are canceled out by the biasing force P36 of the biasing member 106 and are not applied to the workpiece W. Therefore, only the pressurizing force P0 is applied to the workpiece W. On the other hand, in the pressurizing unit U3, the biasing member 106 is supported in the non-contact region R1 via the second side wall 102. Therefore, in the pressurizing unit U3, the first load Pw1 and the second load Pw2 applied to the biasing member 106 are not applied to the workpiece W, but are applied to the mounting plate 8 via the biasing member 106 and the second side wall 102. As a result, the lifting device 4 pressurizes each of the pressurizing units U1 to U3 with a force equal to the sum of the pressurizing force P0, the first load Pw1, and the second load Pw2, so that a pressurizing force P0 is applied to each workpiece W.

[0070] Here, "same" in the biasing forces P26 and P36 does not mean exactly the same, but also includes errors (e.g., around ±5%) including the mass of the workpiece W and the dimensional errors of each component. Furthermore, when the (average) mass of the movable member that applies load to the biasing member 106 is "M", the biasing force P(n+1)6 of the biasing member 106 of the pressurizing unit U n (where n is an integer of 1 or more) positions below the top is set, for example, based on the following equation (1).

[0071] P(n+1)6 = n × M (1)

[0072] Figure 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the apparatus 1 along line AA in Figure 1. For ease of explanation, the upper mold 9 is colored white in this figure, and the non-contact area R1 is colored light gray.

[0073] In this embodiment, the non-contact region R1 of the pressurizing unit U2 is the region excluding the region where the upper mold 9 of the pressurizing unit U2 is located, when viewed from above. Similarly, the non-contact region R1 of the pressurizing unit U3 is the region excluding the region where the upper mold 9 of the pressurizing unit U3 is located, when viewed from above.

[0074] In the following explanation, Figures 1 and 6 will be primarily referenced. Next, after a predetermined pressurization time has elapsed, the control device 3 controls the operation of the lifting device 4 to lower it (ST7). As a result, the main pressurization of the workpiece W is completed. At this time, each movable member descends together with the lifting device 4.

[0075] Next, the control device 3 controls the operation of the plate lifting unit 11 to raise the mold plate 6 until the lower mold 7 contacts the mounting plate 8 (ST8).

[0076] Next, the control device 3 controls the operation of the decompression unit 5 to release the containment chamber Ra into the atmosphere (ST9).

[0077] Next, the control device 3 controls the operation of the plate lifting unit 11 to lower the mold plate 6 into the plate lifting devices 131-134 (ST10). Specifically, the air unit 15 stops supplying air to the plate lifting devices 131-134 and releases the air supplied to the plate lifting devices 131-134. As a result, in the pressurizing units U1 and U2, the piston rod 13a descends due to the mass of the corresponding movable member. Similarly, in the pressurizing unit U3, the piston rod 13a descends due to the mass of the corresponding movable member. At this time, the mounting plate 8 separates from the second side wall 102, and the mounting plate 8 and workpiece W become available for removal from the pressurizing units U1-U3.

[0078] In this manner, in each of the pressurizing units U1 to U3, the plate lifting devices 131 to 134 individually raise the corresponding mold plate 6 before the lifting device 4 rises. Therefore, before the workpiece W is pressurized, the distance between the lower mold 7 and the upper mold 9 is shortened to a predetermined pre-pressurization distance Lb. As a result, the start time of main pressurization and the start time of heating of the workpiece W are simultaneous (or nearly simultaneous), and variations in the pressurization conditions (pressurization time, heating time, etc.) of each workpiece W are greatly suppressed. In addition, the plate lifting devices 131 to 134 and the regulating devices 141 and 142 are arranged for each of the pressurizing units U1 to U3. The regulating devices 141 and 142 restrict the raising of the mold plate 6 when the distance between the lower mold 7 and the upper mold 9 is the pre-pressurization distance Lb. Therefore, in each of the pressurizing units U1 to U3, the raising and lowering of the mold plate 6 (workpiece W) can be controlled with high precision. As a result, the control device 3 can also control the workpiece W to come into contact with the upper mold 9 slowly (lightly). Therefore, sudden contact between the upper mold 9 and the workpiece W, which would cause defects in the workpiece W, can be avoided. Furthermore, the specifications (size, output, etc.) of the plate lifting devices 131 to 134 can be standardized for each of the pressurizing units U1 to U3, and the size of the plate lifting devices 131 to 134 can also be reduced. As a result, the size increase of this device 1 is suppressed compared to conventional pressurizing devices (hereinafter referred to as "conventional devices") in which a regulating cylinder is located on the upper surface of the lower movable member.

[0079] Furthermore, the biasing member 106 of the pressurizing unit U2 biases the mold plate 6 of the pressurizing unit U1 upward so as to counteract the first load Pw1 (to compensate for the force of the lifting device 4). Similarly, the biasing member 106 of the pressurizing unit U3 biases the mold plate 6 of the pressurizing unit U2 upward so as to counteract the combined load of the first load Pw1 and the second load Pw2 (to compensate for the force of the lifting device 4). Therefore, neither the first load Pw1 nor the second load Pw2 is applied to the workpiece W, and only the pressing force P0 is applied. Consequently, the pressing force P0 applied to the workpiece W in pressurizing units U1 to U3 is the same (almost the same). In this device 1, the biasing member 106 supporting the second side wall 102 also has the function of compensating for the force of the lifting device 4. Therefore, a dedicated member for compensating for the force of the lifting device 4 is not required, and the additional space and structure for its placement are also not required. As a result, the size of this device 1 will not increase.

[0080] ●Summary In the above description, the apparatus 1 comprises pressurizing units U1 to U3, a lifting device 4, and support columns 24a to 24d. The lifting device 4 can raise and lower all of the pressurizing units U1 to U3 in order to pressurize the workpiece W. In the apparatus 1, the support columns 24a to 24d are fixed in predetermined absolute positions. Each of the pressurizing units U1 to U3 comprises a mold plate 6, a lower mold 7, an upper mold 9, and a plate lifting unit 11. The mold plate 6 is positioned below the lower mold 7. The lower mold 7 is positioned below the corresponding workpiece W and is attached to the mold plate 6, and can indirectly pressurize the corresponding workpiece via a mounting plate 8. The upper mold 9 is positioned above the corresponding workpiece W and can directly pressurize the corresponding workpiece W. The plate lifting unit 11 is attached to the support columns 24a to 24d. When the workpiece W is pressurized, the lifting device 4 raises (moves) the mold plate 6 so that the distance between the lower mold 7 and the upper mold 9 becomes a predetermined pre-pressurization distance Lb before raising (moving) the pressurization units U1 to U3. With this configuration, even if the movable members of each of the pressurization units U1 to U3 move up and down, the plate lifting unit 11 does not move up or down. Therefore, the load on the plate lifting unit 11 in each of the pressurization units U1 to U3 is only the load necessary for the raising and lowering of the corresponding movable member, and is almost the same. For this reason, the specifications (size, output, etc.) of the plate lifting unit 11 can be standardized. Consequently, the size of this device 1 is not increased compared to conventional devices. In addition, each plate lifting unit 11 is arranged for each of the pressurization units U1 to U3. Therefore, the raising and lowering (movement) of the mold plate 6 (workpiece W) in each of the pressurization units U1 to U3 can be controlled with high precision. As a result, the control device 3 can also control the workpiece W to come into slow (gentle) contact with the upper mold 9. Therefore, sudden contact between the workpiece W and the upper mold 9, which can cause defects in the workpiece W, can be avoided. Furthermore, before the workpiece W is pressurized, the distance between the lower mold 7 and the upper mold 9 is shortened to the pre-pressure distance Lb. Therefore, variations in the pressurization conditions of the workpiece W are suppressed.

[0081] In the above description, the plate lifting unit 11 is equipped with restricting devices 141 and 142. The restricting devices 141 and 142 restrict the upward movement of the mold plate 6 when the distance between the lower mold 7 and the upper mold 9 is the pre-pressure distance Lb. In this configuration, the distance between the lower mold 7 and the upper mold 9 can be controlled to reliably become the pre-pressure distance Lb with each operation of the device 1. Therefore, variations in the pressurization conditions of the workpiece W are further suppressed.

[0082] In the above description, the support columns 24a to 24d guide the movement of the pressurizing units U1 to U3. The plate lifting unit 11 comprises holding members 121 and 122, plate lifting devices 131 to 134, and restricting devices 141 and 142. The holding member 121 is attached to the support columns 24a and 24b and holds the plate lifting devices 131 and 132 and the restricting device 141. The holding member 122 is attached to the support columns 24c and 24d and holds the plate lifting devices 133 and 134 and the restricting device 142. The plate lifting devices 131 to 134 and the restricting devices 141 and 142 are air cylinders. The holding members 121 and 122, the plate lifting devices 131 to 134, and the restricting devices 141 and 142 are positioned above the mold plate 6. When the workpiece W is pressurized, the air supplied to the plate lifting devices 131-134 and the regulating devices 141 and 142 is released. With this configuration, even if the plate lifting unit 11 is positioned above the mold plate 6, the piston rods 13a and 14a can rise in accordance with the rise of the lifting device 4. In other words, the plate lifting unit 11 does not interfere with the rise of the movable member and is not damaged. Also, in an upward view, since the plate lifting unit 11 is not positioned to the side of the movable member, the size of the device 1 does not increase due to the plate lifting unit 11.

[0083] In the above explanation, among the pressurizing units U1 to U3, the pressurizing units U1 and U2, which are positioned adjacent to each other above pressurizing units U2 and U3, are upper pressurizing units. The upper molds 9 of the pressurizing units U2 and U3, which are positioned adjacent to the upper pressurizing units (pressurizing units U1 and U2) below, are attached to the mold plates 6 of the upper pressurizing units (pressurizing units U1 and U2). With this configuration, the upper molds 9 of the pressurizing units U2 and U3 become movable members that move vertically together with the mold plates 6 of the pressurizing units U1 and U2.

[0084] In the above description, the apparatus 1 comprises a mounting plate 8 and a pressure reduction unit 5. The mounting plate 8 is mounted on the corresponding lower mold 7. Each of the pressurizing units U1 to U3 comprises a first side wall 101 and a second side wall 102. In pressurizing units U2 and U3, the first side wall 101 and the second side wall 102 are arranged horizontally to surround the upper mold 9 and are attached to the mold plate 6 of the upper pressurizing unit (pressurizing units U1 and U2). When the distance between the lower mold 7 and the upper mold 9 is the pre-pressurizing distance Lb, the first side wall 101 and the second side wall 102, together with the mounting plate 8, partition the containment chamber Ra. The pressure reduction unit 5 is connected to the second side wall 102 so that the containment chamber Ra can be depressurized. When the containment chamber Ra is depressurized, the mounting plate 8 moves upward based on the pressure difference and is fixed to the second side wall 102. At this time, the workpiece W is in contact with the upper mold 9. In this configuration, at least chamber units CU2 and CU3 are formed in pressurizing units U2 and U3, respectively. Therefore, after the chamber units CU2 and CU3 are formed in pressurizing units U2 and U3, a dedicated mold for heating or cooling can be inserted (positioned) below each of the chamber units CU2 and CU3 by lowering the movable member. In other words, rapid heating and / or rapid cooling using a dedicated mold can be performed in this apparatus 1. Furthermore, the workpiece W is held between the mounting plate 8 and the upper mold 9 by the pressure difference, and the position of the workpiece W is fixed before pressurization. Therefore, when the workpiece W is pressurized, the occurrence of defects in the workpiece W is suppressed.

[0085] In the above description, each of the pressurizing units U2 and U3 is equipped with a biasing member 106. When the workpiece W is pressurized, the biasing members 106 of each of the pressurizing units U2 and U3 are supported in the non-contact region R1. The biasing member 106 of pressurizing unit U2 biases the mold plate 6 upward so as to cancel out the first load Pw1 applied from the mold plate 6 of pressurizing unit U1. The biasing member 106 of pressurizing unit U3 biases the mold plate 6 upward so as to cancel out the combined load of the first load Pw1 and the second load Pw2 applied from the mold plate 6 of pressurizing unit U2. With this configuration, the pressurizing force P0 applied to the workpiece W in each of the pressurizing units U1 to U3 is the same (or approximately the same).

[0086] In the above description, in the pressurizing unit U2, the biasing member 106 is attached to the mold plate 6 of the pressurizing unit U1 so that it can move up and down relative to the mold plate 6 of the pressurizing unit U1, with the second side wall 102 attached to the mold plate 6 of the pressurizing unit U2, with the second side wall 102 attached to the mold plate 6 so that it can move up and down relative to the mold plate 6 of the pressurizing unit U2. With this configuration, the biasing member 106 that supports the second side wall 102 also has the function of compensating for the force of the lifting device 4. Therefore, a dedicated member for compensating for the force of the lifting device 4 is not required, and the space and structure for its placement are not required. As a result, the size of the device 1 is not increased.

[0087] ●Other Embodiments● In the present invention, the components described in each embodiment may be combined with or substituted for each other, to the extent that the present invention can be constructed.

[0088] In the present invention, the apparatus 1 does not necessarily have to include a pressure reduction unit 5 and a side wall unit 10. In this case, the pre-pressure gap Lb may be set to a distance such that the workpiece W is in (light) contact with the lower surface of the upper mold 9. That is, when the distance between the lower mold 7 and the upper mold 9 is the pre-pressure gap Lb, the upper mold 9 may be in contact with the workpiece W. In this configuration, sudden contact between the upper mold 9 and the workpiece W that would cause defects in the workpiece W can be avoided.

[0089] In the present invention, the housing 2 does not have a support plate 23, and the upper bolster 22 may function as a support plate 23.

[0090] In the present invention, the lower mold 7 and / or the upper mold 9 do not need to be equipped with heaters.

[0091] In the present invention, the plate lifting unit 11 does not necessarily have to be equipped with restricting devices 141 and 142. In this case, the plate lifting devices 131 to 134 may be configured to freely change the position of the mold plate 6 in the vertical direction. Alternatively, the second side wall 102 and the biasing member 106 may function as restricting devices in the present invention.

[0092] In the present invention, the apparatus 1 may, instead of the plate lifting unit 11, comprise column members arranged laterally to each mold plate 6 (for example, in the +X and -X directions), a plurality of movable members (for example, electric actuators) that can move up and down along the column members, and arm members attached to each of the movable members. The arm members extend downward from the mold plate 6, and the mold plate 6 is mounted on the arm members so as to be spaced apart. In this case, the column members function as fixed members in the present invention, and the movable members and arm members function as the plate lifting unit in the present invention.

[0093] In the present invention, the apparatus 1 only needs to be capable of performing the method, and the plate lifting devices 131-134 and the restricting devices 141,142 are not limited to air cylinders. That is, for example, the plate lifting devices 131-134 and the restricting devices 141,142 may be electric actuators. In this case, for example, when the workpiece W is pressurized, the plate lifting devices 131-134 and the restricting devices 141,142 may be configured to move away from the mold plate 6.

[0094] In the present invention, the stroke length of the piston rods 13a and 14a increases as you move down the row. For example, in an upward view, the holding members 121 and 122 of the lowest pressurizing unit U3 may be formed to be longer in the X direction so that the plate lifting devices 131-134 and the restricting devices 141 and 142 are positioned laterally than the mold plate 6 of the pressurizing unit U2 one row above. In this case, in the X direction, the mold plate 6 of the pressurizing unit U3 is formed to be larger than the mold plate 6 of the pressurizing unit U2. In this configuration, the size of the device 1 is larger in the X direction but smaller in the vertical direction compared to the previously described embodiment.

[0095] In the present invention, the biasing member 106 is not limited to a coil spring.

[0096] In the present invention, the biasing members 106 of each of the pressurizing units U2 and U3 do not necessarily have to function to compensate for the force of the lifting device 4. In this case, the device 1 does not need to be equipped with a biasing member for compensating for the force of the lifting device 4, or it may be equipped with a dedicated biasing member for compensating for the force of the lifting device 4 separately from the biasing member 106. The biasing member is supported in the non-contact area R1 when the workpiece W is pressed, and is arranged to bias the mold plates 6 of each of the pressurizing units U1 and U2 upward.

[0097] In the present invention, the biasing forces P26 and P36 of the biasing members 106 of the pressurizing units U2 and U3 only need to be set to be able to cancel out to some extent the forces (first load Pw1, second load Pw2) applied to the workpiece W in the second direction, and do not need to be set to completely cancel out the same forces.

[0098] In the present invention, the number of pressurizing units U is not limited to "3". That is, for example, the number of pressurizing units U may be "4 or more". In this case, pressurizing unit U1 is arranged at the top, pressurizing unit U3 is arranged at the bottom, and multiple pressurizing units U2 are arranged in between them.

[0099] In the present invention, the pressurizing unit U may include a known elastic body that deforms to conform to the shape of the surface of the workpiece W when the workpiece W is pressurized, thereby uniformly pressurizing the workpiece W. The elastic body is, for example, positioned below the upper mold 9 and adjacent to the upper mold 9.

[0100] In the present invention, the upper mold 9 of the pressurizing unit U is not limited to a mold for flat pressing having a flat lower surface. That is, for example, the upper mold 9 may be a known mold comprising a plurality of individual molds that move up and down individually.

[0101] In the present invention, the configuration of the pressurizing unit U is not limited to the configuration described in the above-described embodiment, as long as the apparatus 1 is configured to perform the present method.

[0102] In the present invention, the apparatus 1 may be provided with a second lifting device positioned between the upper bolster 22 and the support plate 23, capable of pressurizing the pressurizing unit U downwards. In this case, for example, when the workpiece W is pressurized, the lifting device 4 may be stopped at the processing (ST4) position, and the second lifting device may lower each of the pressurizing units U1 to U3 to pressurize the workpiece W. The upward direction is an example of the second direction in the present invention, and the downward direction is an example of the first direction in the present invention. The lower mold 7 is an example of the first mold in the present invention, and the upper mold 9 is an example of the second mold in the present invention.

[0103] In the present invention, the lifting device 4 is positioned between the upper bolster 22 and the support plate 23, and may pressurize the pressurizing unit U downwards. In this case, for example, the plate lifting unit 11 may be configured to lower the mold plate 6 of the pressurizing unit U one level higher (for example, by releasing the air supplied to the plate lifting devices 131 to 134) before the workpiece W is pressurized. Alternatively, the support plate 23 may be supported by columns 24a to 24d so as to be able to move up and down, and the mold plate 6 of the pressurizing unit U3 may be supported (fixed) by columns 24a to 24d so as not to move up and down, and positioned on the upper surface of the lower bolster 21.

[0104] In the present invention, the plate lifting unit 11 may be positioned below the mold plate 6. In this case, the plate lifting devices 131 to 134 extend the piston rod 13a when raising the mold plate 6. Furthermore, the plate lifting unit 11 does not need to be equipped with restricting devices 141 and 142.

[0105] In the processes of the present invention (ST2, ST6), the lower mold 7 and / or upper mold 9 do not need to be heated.

[0106] In the process (ST2) of the present invention, the control device 3 may raise each of the mold plates 6 at individual timings. In this configuration, the preheating time can be changed individually for each workpiece W.

[0107] In this invention, the pre-pressure gap Lb may be set to a distance such that the workpiece W is in (light) contact with the lower surface of the upper mold 9. With this configuration, the occurrence of defects in the workpiece W is suppressed.

[0108] In the present invention, the pressurizing unit U may include two lower molds 7 that can be transported horizontally, and a transport mechanism for the lower molds 7. In this case, for example, one lower mold 7 functions as a cooling mold capable of cooling the workpiece W, and the other lower mold 7 functions as a heating mold capable of heating the workpiece W. In process (ST1), the workpiece W is placed on the cooling mold and transported onto the mold plate 6. Then, for example, between process (ST3) and process (ST4), the mold plate 6 and cooling mold are lowered by the plate lifting unit 11, the cooling mold and heating mold are swapped by the transport mechanism, and the mold plate 6 and heating mold are raised by the plate lifting unit 11. In this case, in the following processes (ST5) and (ST6), the workpiece W is rapidly heated by the heating mold contacting the mounting plate 8. As a result, a gap G is formed between the mold plate 6 and the heating mold until immediately before process (ST6), and in process (ST6), the start time of heating of the workpiece W by the heating mold is the same (approximately the same). Next, between processes (ST7) and (ST8), a transfer mechanism performs a process to swap the heating mold and the cooling mold. In this case, in the next process (ST8), the workpiece W is rapidly cooled when the cooling mold comes into contact with the mounting plate 8. As a result, the start time of cooling by the cooling mold for the workpiece W in process (ST8) is the same (approximately the same). In this configuration, rapid heating and rapid cooling of the workpiece W can be performed simultaneously (approximately simultaneously) while suppressing variations in the pressurization conditions of the workpiece W.

[0109] ●Embodiments of the present invention● Next, embodiments of the present invention as understood from the embodiments described above will be described below, with reference to the terms and reference numerals described in each embodiment.

[0110] A first embodiment of the present invention is a multi-stage pressurizing device (e.g., this device 1) for pressurizing a plurality of workpieces (e.g., workpieces W), comprising: a plurality of pressurizing units (e.g., pressurizing units U1 to U3) arranged in a vertical direction for pressurizing corresponding workpieces; a lifting device (e.g., lifting device 4) capable of raising and lowering all of the pressurizing units for pressurizing the workpieces; and a plurality of fixing members (e.g., support columns 24a to 24d) fixed in predetermined absolute positions in the multi-stage pressurizing device, wherein one of the upward and downward directions is a first direction (e.g., the upward direction), and the direction opposite to the first direction is a second direction (e.g., the downward direction), and each of the pressurizing units comprises a first mold (e.g., upper mold 9) arranged in the first direction of the corresponding workpiece and capable of pressurizing the corresponding workpiece, and a second mold (e.g., lower mold 7) arranged in the second direction of the corresponding workpiece and capable of pressurizing the corresponding workpiece, and The multi-stage pressurizing device comprises a mold plate (e.g., mold plate 6) arranged in the second direction of the second mold to which the second mold is attached, and a plate lifting unit (e.g., plate lifting unit 11) capable of raising and lowering the mold plate, wherein among the plurality of pressurizing units, the pressurizing units (e.g., pressurizing units U1, U2) arranged adjacent to one of the pressurizing units (e.g., pressurizing units U2, U3) in the upward direction are upper pressurizing units, the first mold of the pressurizing unit arranged adjacent to the upper pressurizing unit in the downward direction is attached to the mold plate of the upper pressurizing unit, and the plate lifting unit is attached to the fixing member, and when the workpiece is pressurized, the plate lifting unit raises and lowers the mold plate so that the distance between the first mold and the second mold becomes a predetermined pre-pressurizing distance (e.g., pre-pressurizing distance Lb) before the lifting device raises and lowers the pressurizing unit. This configuration suppresses variations in the pressure conditions of the workpiece.

[0111] A second embodiment of the present invention is a multi-stage pressurizing device in which, in the first embodiment, the plate lifting unit is equipped with a restricting device (for example, restricting devices 141, 142) that restricts the lifting and lowering of the mold plate when the interval is the pre-pressurizing interval. This configuration further suppresses variations in the pressure conditions of the workpiece.

[0112] A third embodiment of the present invention is a multi-stage pressurizing device in which, in the second embodiment, the fixing member is a support column that guides the movement of the pressurizing unit, the plate lifting unit comprises a plurality of first air cylinders capable of lifting the mold plate, a plurality of second air cylinders that function as regulating devices, and at least one holding member (e.g., holding members 121, 122) attached to the fixing member and holding at least one of the first air cylinders and at least one of the second air cylinders, wherein in the vertical direction, the first air cylinders, the second air cylinders and the holding member are each positioned in the first direction relative to the mold plate, and when the workpiece is pressurized, the air supplied to the first air cylinders and the second air cylinders is released. With this configuration, the plate lifting unit does not interfere with the upward movement of the movable member and is not damaged.

[0113] A fourth embodiment of the present invention, in any one of the first to third embodiments, comprises a plurality of mounting plates (e.g., mounting plate 8) on which the corresponding workpiece is placed, and a depressurization unit (e.g., depressurization unit 5) connected to each of the plurality of pressurization units, wherein each of the plurality of mounting plates is placed on the second mold of the corresponding pressurization unit, and each of the plurality of pressurization units is arranged horizontally to surround the entire circumference of the first mold and attached to the mold plate of the upper pressurization unit. The multi-stage pressurizing device comprises side walls (for example, a first side wall 101, a second side wall 102), wherein when the distance is the pre-pressurizing distance, the side walls, together with the aforementioned mounting plate, demarcate a housing chamber (for example, housing chamber Ra) in which the workpiece is housed, the depressurizing unit is connected to the side walls so as to be able to depressurize the housing chamber, and when the housing chamber is depressurized by the depressurizing unit, the aforementioned mounting plate moves in the first direction based on the pressure difference between the housing chamber and the space outside the housing chamber and is fixed to the side walls, and the first mold contacts the workpiece. With this configuration, when the workpiece is pressurized, the occurrence of defects in the workpiece is suppressed.

[0114] A fifth embodiment of the present invention is a multi-stage pressurizing device in which, in the first embodiment, the first mold contacts the workpiece when the interval is the pre-pressurizing interval. With this configuration, when the workpiece is pressurized, the occurrence of defects in the workpiece is suppressed.

[0115] A sixth embodiment of the present invention is a multi-stage pressurizing device in which, in any one embodiment of the first to third embodiments, each of the pressurizing units (e.g., pressurizing units U2, U3), excluding the uppermost pressurizing unit (e.g., pressurizing unit U1), comprises a plurality of biasing members (e.g., biasing member 106) that bias the mold plate of the upper pressurizing unit upward, and when the workpiece is pressed, each of the plurality of biasing members is supported in a non-contact region (e.g., non-contact region R1) of the pressurizing unit, excluding the surface that contacts the workpiece, and biases the mold plate of the upper pressurizing unit in the first direction so as to counteract the force applied from the mold plate of the upper pressurizing unit in the second direction. With this configuration, the pressure applied to the workpiece in each pressurizing unit will be the same (or nearly the same).

[0116] A seventh embodiment of the present invention is a multi-stage pressurizing device comprising, in the sixth embodiment, a plurality of mounting plates (e.g., mounting plate 8) on which the corresponding workpiece is placed, each of the plurality of mounting plates being placed on the second mold of the corresponding pressurizing unit, and each of the plurality of pressurizing units being arranged horizontally to surround the entire circumference of the first mold and having a side wall (e.g., second side wall 102) attached to the mold plate of the upper pressurizing unit, wherein when the interval is the pre-pressurizing interval, the side wall together with the mounting plate to partition a housing chamber (e.g., housing chamber Ra) in which the workpiece is housed, and a plurality of biasing members attach the side wall to the mold plate of the upper pressurizing unit so as to be movable vertically relative to the mold plate of the upper pressurizing unit. This configuration helps to limit the size increase of the device.

[0117] An eighth embodiment of the present invention is a pressurization method performed by a multi-stage pressurization device (e.g., this device 1) for pressurizing a plurality of workpieces (e.g., workpieces W), wherein the multi-stage pressurization device comprises a plurality of pressurization units (e.g., pressurization units U1 to U3) arranged in a vertical direction for pressurizing the corresponding workpieces, a lifting device (e.g., lifting device 4) capable of raising and lowering all of the pressurization units when the workpieces are pressurized, and a plurality of fixing members (e.g., support columns 2) positioned at predetermined absolute positions in the multi-stage pressurization device. (4a~24d) comprising, where one of the upward and downward directions is a first direction (e.g., upward direction), and the direction opposite to the first direction is a second direction (e.g., downward direction), each of the pressurizing units includes a first mold (e.g., upper mold 9) positioned in the first direction of the corresponding workpiece and capable of pressurizing the corresponding workpiece, a second mold (e.g., lower mold 7) positioned in the second direction of the corresponding workpiece and capable of pressurizing the corresponding workpiece, and a second mold positioned in the second direction of the second mold and the second mold is fixed The pressurizing method comprises a defined mold plate (e.g., mold plate 6) and a plate lifting unit (e.g., plate lifting unit 11) capable of raising and lowering the mold plate, wherein among a plurality of pressurizing units, the pressurizing units (e.g., pressurizing units U1, U2) arranged adjacent to one of the pressurizing units (e.g., pressurizing units U2, U3) in the upward direction are upper pressurizing units, the first mold of the pressurizing unit arranged adjacent to the upper pressurizing unit in the downward direction is attached to the mold plate of the upper pressurizing unit, and the plate lifting unit is attached to the fixing member, and the pressurizing method includes a plate lifting process (e.g., process (ST2)) in which the plate lifting unit raises and lowers the mold plate so that the distance between the first mold and the second mold is a predetermined pre-pressurizing distance (e.g., pre-pressurizing distance Lb), and a pressurizing process (e.g., process (ST6)) in which the lifting device moves all of the pressurizing units in the first direction so that all of the workpieces are pressed. This configuration suppresses the increase in the size of the device. Abrupt contact between the workpiece and the upper mold, which can cause workpiece defects, can be avoided. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0118] 1. Main device (multi-stage pressurizing device) 24a Support posts (fixing members) 24b Support posts (fixing members) 24c Support post (fixing member) 24d Support column (fixing member) 4. Lifting device 5. Pressure Reducing Unit 6. Mold plate 7. Lower mold (second mold) 8 Mounting plate 9. Upper mold (first mold) 101 First side wall (side wall) 102 Second side wall (side wall) 106 Biasing member 11 Plate lifting unit 121 Retaining member 122 Retaining member 131 Plate lifting device 132 Plate lifting device 133 Plate lifting device 134 Plate lifting device 141 Regulatory device 142 Regulatory device R1 Non-contact area Ra containment chamber Lb Pre-pressure interval U Pressurized Unit U1 Pressurization Unit (Upper Pressurization Unit) U2 Pressurization Unit (Upper Pressurization Unit) U3 Pressurization Unit Double job

Claims

1. A multi-stage pressurizing device for pressurizing multiple workpieces, Multiple pressurizing units arranged in a vertical direction to pressurize the corresponding workpiece, To pressurize the aforementioned workpiece, a lifting device is provided that can raise and lower all of the aforementioned pressurizing units, In the aforementioned multi-stage pressurizing device, a plurality of fixing members are fixed to a predetermined absolute position, It has, Of the upward and downward directions, one direction is the first direction, and the direction opposite to the first direction is the second direction. Each of the aforementioned pressurizing units is: A first mold is positioned in the first direction of the corresponding workpiece and capable of pressurizing the corresponding workpiece, A second mold is positioned in the second direction of the corresponding workpiece and capable of pressurizing the corresponding workpiece, A mold plate positioned in the second direction of the second mold and on which the second mold is attached, A plate lifting unit capable of raising and lowering the mold plate, Equipped with, Of the multiple pressurizing units, the pressurizing unit positioned adjacent to one of the pressurizing units in the upper direction is an upper pressurizing unit. The first mold of the pressurizing unit, which is positioned adjacent to the upper pressurizing unit in the downward direction, is attached to the mold plate of the upper pressurizing unit, The aforementioned plate lifting unit is Attached to the aforementioned fixing member, When the workpiece is pressurized, before the lifting device raises or lowers the pressurizing unit, the mold plate is raised or lowered so that the distance between the first mold and the second mold becomes a predetermined pre-pressurization distance. Multi-stage pressurizing device.

2. The aforementioned plate lifting unit is When the aforementioned interval is the pre-pressure interval, a restricting device restricts the raising and lowering of the mold plate, Equipped with, The multi-stage pressurizing device according to claim 1.

3. The fixing member is a support column that guides the movement of the pressurizing unit. The aforementioned plate lifting unit is Multiple first air cylinders capable of raising and lowering the mold plate, Multiple second air cylinders that function as the aforementioned regulating device, Attached to the fixing member, at least one holding member that holds at least one of the first air cylinders and at least one of the second air cylinders, Equipped with, In the vertical direction, the first air cylinder, the second air cylinder, and the holding member are each positioned in the first direction relative to the mold plate. When the workpiece is pressurized, the air supplied to the first air cylinder and the second air cylinder is released. The multi-stage pressurizing device according to claim 2.

4. Multiple mounting plates on which the corresponding workpieces are placed, A depressurizing unit connected to each of the multiple pressurizing units, It has, Each of the multiple plates described above is placed on the second mold of the corresponding pressurizing unit, Each of the multiple pressurizing units is In the horizontal direction, the side walls are arranged to surround the entire circumference of the first mold and are attached to the mold plate of the upper pressurizing unit. Equipped with, When the aforementioned interval is the pre-pressure interval, the side wall, together with the previously described mounting plate, partitions the storage chamber in which the workpiece is housed. The depressurization unit is connected to the side wall so as to be able to depressurize the containment chamber, When the aforementioned containment chamber is depressurized by the depressurization unit, The mounting plate moves in the first direction based on the pressure difference between the containment chamber and the space outside the containment chamber, and is fixed to the side wall. The first mold is in contact with the workpiece, A multi-stage pressurizing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. When the aforementioned interval is the pre-pressure interval, the first mold contacts the workpiece. The multi-stage pressurizing device according to claim 1.

6. Of the multiple pressurizing units, each of the pressurizing units, except for the one positioned at the top, Multiple biasing members that bias the mold plate of the upper pressurizing unit upward, Equipped with, When the aforementioned workpiece is pressurized, Each of the multiple biasing members is Of the aforementioned pressurizing unit, the non-contact area, excluding the surface that contacts the workpiece, is supported. The mold plate of the upper pressurizing unit is biased in the first direction so as to counteract the force applied from the mold plate of the upper pressurizing unit in the second direction. A multi-stage pressurizing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

7. Multiple mounting plates on which the corresponding workpiece is placed, It has, Each of the multiple plates described above is placed on the second mold of the corresponding pressurizing unit, Each of the multiple pressurizing units is In the horizontal direction, the side walls are arranged to surround the entire circumference of the first mold and are attached to the mold plate of the upper pressurizing unit. Equipped with, When the aforementioned interval is the pre-pressure interval, the side wall, together with the previously described mounting plate, partitions the storage chamber in which the workpiece is housed. Multiple biasing members are attached to the mold plate of the upper pressurizing unit so that their side walls can move up and down relative to the mold plate of the upper pressurizing unit. The multi-stage pressurizing device according to claim 6.

8. A pressurizing method performed by a multi-stage pressurizing device that pressurizes multiple workpieces, The aforementioned multi-stage pressurizing device is Multiple pressurizing units arranged in a vertical direction to pressurize the corresponding workpiece, When the workpiece is pressurized, a lifting device is provided that can raise and lower all of the pressurizing units. In the multi-stage pressurizing device, a plurality of fixing members are arranged at predetermined absolute positions, Equipped with, Of the upward and downward directions, one direction is the first direction, and the direction opposite to the first direction is the second direction. Each of the aforementioned pressurizing units is: A first mold is positioned in the first direction of the corresponding workpiece and capable of pressurizing the corresponding workpiece, A second mold is positioned in the second direction of the corresponding workpiece and capable of pressurizing the corresponding workpiece, A mold plate positioned in the second direction of the second mold, on which the second mold is fixed, A plate lifting unit capable of raising and lowering the mold plate, Equipped with, Of the multiple pressurizing units, the pressurizing unit positioned adjacent to one of the pressurizing units in the upper direction is an upper pressurizing unit. The first mold of the pressurizing unit, which is positioned adjacent to the upper pressurizing unit in the downward direction, is attached to the mold plate of the upper pressurizing unit, The plate lifting unit is attached to the fixing member, The aforementioned pressurizing method is, The plate lifting unit performs a plate lifting process that raises and lowers the mold plate so that the distance between the first mold and the second mold becomes a predetermined pre-pressure distance, The lifting device performs a pressurizing process that raises and lowers all of the pressurizing units in the first direction so that all of the workpieces are pressurized, including, Pressurization method.

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