Reduced-pressure drying device
The vacuum drying device addresses inefficiencies in drying large workpieces by using a movable case with fixed and movable pipes and multiple vacuum pumps for uniform pressure reduction, enhancing drying efficiency and simplifying the suction system.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- TORAY ENG CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-23
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-23
AI Technical Summary
Existing vacuum drying devices face challenges in efficiently drying large workpieces due to the complexity of connecting suction pipes to the upper lid, which moves up and down, especially when handling large substrates, leading to difficulties in maintaining efficient drying efficiency.
A vacuum drying device with a movable case and a suction piping system that includes fixed and movable pipes, allowing for a connected or open state, enabling efficient pressure reduction in the drying chamber without the need for flexible piping, and utilizing multiple vacuum pumps for independent gas suction from different locations.
The device achieves uniform and efficient drying of large workpieces by reducing pressure uniformly across the surface, improving drying efficiency and avoiding complications from flexible piping, even with large substrates.
Smart Images
Figure JP2025044937_23072026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Vacuum drying device
[0001] The present invention relates to a vacuum drying device for drying a workpiece.
[0002] For example, in the manufacture of perovskite solar cells, a coating process and a drying process for applying a liquid to form a发电层 on a workpiece are included. In the coating process, a coating film is formed on the workpiece by a coating device having a slit die, for example. In the drying process, the drying device dries the coating film. The result in the drying process affects the power generation efficiency. Patent Document 1 discloses a vacuum drying device.
[0003] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2022-139838
[0004] As vacuum drying devices, a gate shutter method and an upper lid lifting method are known. In the case of the gate shutter method, since a lift pin or a stage for holding a substrate moves up and down, the volume of the drying chamber (chamber) expands. On the other hand, in the case of the upper lid lifting method, it is possible to reduce the volume of the drying chamber, and it is easy to improve the drying efficiency.
[0005] In the upper lid lifting method, in order to further improve the drying efficiency, when a suction pipe connecting the drying chamber and the vacuum pump is connected to the upper lid, since the upper lid moves up and down, measures such as including a flexible pipe in the suction pipe are required. In particular, in order to handle a large workpiece (substrate), the diameter of the suction pipe becomes large, and it may be difficult to take the above measures.
[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum drying device of a method similar to the upper lid lifting method, which has new technical means.
[0007] It should be noted that the term "发电层" in the original text seems to be incorrect. It might be a specific term in the original technical context, but it's not clear what it should be exactly. Here it's left as is in the translation for the sake of following the rules. If it's a known and correct term, please provide the accurate English equivalent for a more accurate translation.The vacuum drying apparatus of the present invention comprises a first case and a second case that combine and separate by relative movement, and a vacuum unit for reducing the pressure of the drying chamber formed between the combined first case and the second case. At least one of the first case and the second case is a movable case that moves for the relative movement. The vacuum unit comprises a vacuum mechanism and a suction piping section that connects the vacuum mechanism and the drying chamber. The suction piping section comprises a fixed pipe connected to the vacuum mechanism and a movable pipe connected to the movable case and moving together with the movable case. By moving the movable case, the movable pipe is switched between a connected state, connected to the fixed pipe, and an open state, separated from the fixed pipe.
[0008] When the first and second cases are joined together by the movement of the mobile case, a connected state is achieved in which the mobile piping and the fixed piping are connected. Through the suction piping section having these mobile and fixed pipes, gas in the drying chamber is drawn in, making it possible to reduce the pressure in the drying chamber.
[0009] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the first configuration of the vacuum drying device. Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the connection between the movable piping and the first fixed piping. Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the connection between the movable piping and the first fixed piping. Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the second configuration of the vacuum drying device. Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the third configuration of the vacuum drying device. Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the fourth configuration of the vacuum drying device. Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the fifth configuration of the vacuum drying device. Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the sixth configuration of the vacuum drying device. Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the seventh configuration of the vacuum drying device. Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the eighth configuration of the vacuum drying device. Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the ninth configuration of the vacuum drying device.
[0010] <Outline of Embodiments of the Invention> The outline of embodiments of the present invention will be described below. (1) The vacuum drying apparatus of the present invention comprises a first case and a second case that combine and separate by relative movement, and a vacuum unit for reducing the pressure of the drying chamber formed between the combined first case and the second case. At least one of the first case and the second case is a movable case that moves for the relative movement. The vacuum unit comprises a vacuum mechanism and a suction piping section that connects the vacuum mechanism and the drying chamber. The suction piping section comprises a fixed pipe connected to the vacuum mechanism and a movable pipe connected to the movable case and moving together with the movable case. By moving the movable case, the movable pipe is switched between a connected state, connected to the fixed pipe, and an open state, separated from the fixed pipe.
[0011] According to the vacuum drying apparatus having the above configuration, a movable case moves to move the workpiece to be dried into and out of the drying chamber. Even if movable piping is attached to the movable case, when the first case and the second case are joined by the movement of the movable case, a connected state is obtained in which the movable piping and the fixed piping are connected. The vacuum mechanism makes it possible to suck gas from inside the drying chamber through the suction piping section having these movable and fixed piping, thereby reducing the pressure inside the drying chamber.
[0012] (2) In the vacuum drying apparatus of (1) above, one of the first case and the second case is the movable case and the other is a fixed case that does not move, and the suction piping section has a second fixed pipe connected to the fixed case. With this configuration, the gas in the drying chamber is drawn in from both the first case side and the second case side, and the pressure in the drying chamber is reduced.
[0013] (3) In the vacuum drying apparatus of (2) above, the vacuum mechanism includes a first vacuum pump to which the first fixed pipe, which can be switched between the connected state and the open state in relation to the movable pipe, is connected, and a second vacuum pump to which the second fixed pipe is connected. With this configuration, it is possible to draw gas from the first case side and draw gas from the second case side independently.
[0014] (4) In any one of the vacuum drying apparatuses described in (1) to (3) above, the suction piping section includes, as the movable piping, a first movable piping connected to a first part of the movable case, and a second movable piping connected to a second part of the movable case that is separate from the first part. With this configuration, it is possible to suction the gas from the drying chamber from multiple locations (two locations) of the movable case.
[0015] (5) In any one of the vacuum drying apparatuses described in (1) to (4) above, the movable piping is made of rigid piping, and the movable piping is fixed to the movable case and cannot move relative to the movable case. With this configuration, for example, it is possible to install the movable piping along the movable case, and it is possible to suppress the length of the movable piping. The movable piping does not need to have flexible piping.
[0016] (6) In any one of the vacuum drying apparatuses described in (1) to (5) above, the vacuum mechanism and the fixed piping are immovable and fixed. This configuration makes it possible to reduce the number of mechanisms required for movement.
[0017] (7) In any one of the vacuum drying apparatuses described in (1) to (6) above, the suction piping section comprises a movable block provided at the end of the movable pipe and having a first contact surface, a fixed block provided at the end of the fixed pipe and having a second contact surface that can contact the first contact surface, and a sealing member provided on at least one of the first contact surface and the second contact surface, which seals the space between the first contact surface and the second contact surface in the connected state. With this configuration, the connected state is obtained when the first case and the second case are joined together.
[0018] <Details of Embodiments of the Invention> The details of embodiments of the present invention will be described below. [About the Vacuum Drying Apparatus of the Invention] The vacuum drying apparatus of the present invention is used to dry a liquid applied to a workpiece. For example, the manufacture of a perovskite solar cell includes a coating step of applying a liquid to a workpiece to form a power generation layer, and a drying step. In the coating step, for example, a coating apparatus having a slit die discharges a liquid, and a coating film is formed on the workpiece by this liquid. In this embodiment, the workpiece is plate-shaped, and the liquid is spread and applied evenly over the upper surface of the workpiece. In the drying step, the drying apparatus dries the coating film made of the liquid. The vacuum drying apparatus of the present invention is used as the drying apparatus.
[0019] [First form of vacuum drying apparatus] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the first form of vacuum drying apparatus 10. The vacuum drying apparatus 10 has a first case 11, a second case 12, and a vacuum unit 14. The first case 11 and the second case are joined and separated by relative movement in the vertical direction. Figure 1 shows the separated state just before joining. The vacuum unit 14 is equipment for reducing the pressure of the drying chamber 13 formed between the joined first case 11 and second case 12.
[0020] The pressure reducing unit 14 includes a pressure reducing mechanism 15 and a suction piping section 16 connecting the pressure reducing mechanism 15 and the drying chamber 13. In this embodiment, the pressure reducing mechanism 15 is a pressure reducing pump. The pressure reducing mechanism 15 shown in Figure 1 is configured to have one pressure reducing pump. The pressure reducing mechanism 15 sucks the gas from the drying chamber 13 through the suction piping section 16, thereby reducing the pressure in the drying chamber 13. By reducing the pressure in the drying chamber 13, the drying of the liquid applied to the workpiece W is accelerated. The suction piping section 16 includes a first fixed pipe 17 connected to the pressure reducing mechanism 15 and a movable pipe 18 connected to the first case 11. The specific configuration of the suction piping section 16 will be described later.
[0021] One of the first case 11 and the second case 12 is a movable case that moves for the relative movement described above. The other of the first case 11 and the second case 12 is a fixed case that remains stationary and does not move. In this embodiment, the second case 12, located below, is the fixed case, and the first case 11, located above it, is the movable case that moves vertically. In the following description, the first case 11 will be referred to as the "movable case 11," and the second case 12 will be referred to as the "fixed case 12."
[0022] The movable pipe 18 of the suction piping section 16 is connected to the movable case 11 and moves vertically together with the movable case 11. The lower second case 12 may also be movable vertically. In other words, at least one of the first case 11 and the second case 12 should be a movable case that moves for the relative movement described above. However, in order to reduce the number of mechanisms for moving each part, it is preferable that the second case 12, the pressure reducing mechanism 15, and the first fixed pipe 17 (and the second fixed pipe 19 described later) connected to the pressure reducing mechanism 15 are immovable and fixed.
[0023] The upper movable case 11 has an upper wall 51 and side walls 52 provided around the upper wall 51, and has a lid shape that opens downwards. The lower fixed case 12 has a lower wall 55. The movable case 11 moves vertically relative to the fixed case 12. This allows the movable case 11 and the fixed case 12 to combine and separate. The vertical movement of the movable case 11 is performed by an actuator (not shown). The movable case 11 becomes the upper lid, and the fixed case 12 becomes the lower lid.
[0024] A drying chamber 13 is formed between the combined mobile case 11 and the fixed case 12. The workpiece W to be dried is placed in the drying chamber 13. The drying chamber 13 is then depressurized by a depressurization unit 14.
[0025] Multiple support members (support pins) 56 are provided in the drying chamber 13. The support members 56 are provided in the fixed case 12 and support the plate-shaped workpiece W from below. As described above, the vacuum drying apparatus 10 is a lifting type in which the movable case 11 moves in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, it is a lifting type apparatus in which the movable case (first case) 11, which corresponds to the top lid, moves up and down.
[0026] The suction piping section 16 connecting the processing unit, which includes the mobile case 11 and the fixed case 12, to the pressure reducing mechanism 15 will now be described. The suction piping section 16 has a first fixed pipe 17 connected to the pressure reducing mechanism 15 and a mobile pipe 18 connected to the mobile case 11. In the configuration shown in Figure 1, the suction piping section 16 has a second fixed pipe 19 connected to the fixed case 12. The first fixed pipe 17 and the second fixed pipe 19 merge, and the pipe 20 formed by the merging of these two pipes is connected to the pressure reducing mechanism 15. The pipe 20 is part of the first fixed pipe 17. Gas in the drying chamber 13 is drawn in from both the mobile case 11 side and the fixed case 12 side, and the drying chamber 13 is depressurized.
[0027] The first fixed pipe 17 and the second fixed pipe 19 are each made of rigid piping, for example, metal piping, and are fixed to a device frame or device base (not shown). The end 171 of the first fixed pipe 17, which can be connected to the movable pipe 18, is attached to the fixed case 12 (lower wall 55). The second fixed pipe 19 has a control valve 41 to adjust the flow rate of the gas passing through it. The movable pipe 18 has a control valve 42 to adjust the flow rate of the gas passing through it. The opening of these control valves 41 and 42 is controlled by a controller (control device) (not shown).
[0028] The movable piping 18 will now be described. The movable piping 18 is not flexible piping, but is composed entirely of rigid piping. In other words, the movable piping 18 does not include flexible piping. The movable piping 18 is fixed to the movable case 11 and cannot move relative to the movable case 11. As a result, the movable piping 18 moves together with the movable case 11. The movable piping 18 is provided, for example, along the movable case 11 (part of the upper wall 51 and the side wall 52). This prevents the movable piping 18 from becoming too long.
[0029] The end portion 181 of the movable pipe 18 that can be connected to the first fixed pipe 17 is attached to the movable case 11. When the movable case 11 and the fixed case 12 are combined, the end portion 181 of the movable pipe 18 and the end portion 171 of the first fixed pipe 17 are connected. This connected state is called the "connected state". When the movable case 11 and the fixed case 12 are separated, the end portion 181 of the movable pipe 18 and the end portion 171 of the first fixed pipe 17 are separated and not connected. This unconnected state is called the "open state".
[0030] Figures 2 and 3 are explanatory diagrams showing the connection J between the end 181 of the movable pipe 18 and the end 171 of the first fixed pipe 17. Figure 2 shows the open state, and Figure 3 shows the connected state. The suction pipe section 16 includes a movable block 28, a fixed block 27, and a sealing member 29. The movable block 28 shown in Figure 2 is located on the side of the movable case 11. The movable block 28 is attached to the side wall 52 of the movable case 11. The end 181 of the movable pipe 18 is attached to the movable block 28. The end 181 opens downwards.
[0031] The fixing block 27 is located on the side of the fixing case 12. The fixing block 27 shown in Figure 2 is part of the lower wall 55 of the fixing case 12, but it may be a separate component from the lower wall 55 and attached to the lower wall 55. The end 171 of the first fixing pipe 17 is attached to the fixing block 27. The end 171 opens upwards.
[0032] A movable block 28 is provided at the end 181 of the movable pipe 18, and the movable block 28 has a flat first contact surface 281. A fixed block 27 is provided at the end 171 of the fixed pipe 17, and the fixed block 27 has a flat second contact surface 271. The second contact surface 271 can contact the first contact surface 281.
[0033] In the configurations shown in Figures 2 and 3, the sealing member 29 is provided on the second contact surface 271. The sealing member 29 is an O-ring. Note that the sealing member 29 only needs to be provided on at least one of the first contact surface 281 and the second contact surface 271. In the connection state shown in Figure 3, the sealing member 29 seals the space between the first contact surface 281 and the second contact surface 271. In the connection state, the inside of the suction piping section 16 is kept under reduced pressure.
[0034] As the movable case 11 moves, the movable pipe 18 is selectively switched between a connected state (see Figure 3) where it is connected to the first fixed pipe 17, and an open state (see Figure 2) where it is separated from the first fixed pipe 17. When the movable case 11 and the fixed case 12 are joined together (see Figure 3), the first contact surface 281 and the second contact surface 271 come into contact, and the aforementioned connected state is obtained where the movable pipe 18 and the first fixed pipe 17 are connected. The movable block 28 functions as a flange member attached to the end 181 of the movable pipe 18, and the fixed block 27 functions as a flange member attached to the end 171 of the first fixed pipe 17. The sealing member 29 is interposed between these flange members.
[0035] As shown in Figure 1, the movable pipe 18 is connected to the center of the movable case 11, and the first fixed pipe 17 is connected to the center of the fixed case 12. The workpiece W is plate-shaped and is placed in the center of the drying chamber 13. The distance from the connection point Q between the second fixed pipe 19 and the fixed case 12 to the peripheral edge We of the workpiece W is smaller than the distance from the connection point Q to the central part Wc of the workpiece W. Therefore, it is conceivable that the liquid at the peripheral edge We of the workpiece W will dry faster than the liquid at the central part Wc of the workpiece W due to the gas drawn in from the second fixed pipe 19. However, the connection point R between the movable pipe 18 and the movable case 11 is located above the central part Wc of the workpiece W. Therefore, the liquid at the central part Wc of the workpiece W can be dried without lagging behind the liquid at the peripheral edge We of the workpiece W. This makes it possible to dry the entire surface uniformly in a short time.
[0036] [Second form of vacuum drying apparatus] Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a second form of the vacuum drying apparatus 10. The same reference numerals are used for the same components in each of the forms described later, including this second form, and in the first form shown in Figure 1, and explanations of the same components are omitted. In the case of the vacuum drying apparatus 10 of the second form, the vacuum mechanism 15 has a plurality (two in the illustrated example) of vacuum pumps 15A, 15B. The two vacuum pumps 15A, 15B are connected in parallel to the piping 20.
[0037] As mentioned above, the first fixed pipe 17 and the second fixed pipe 19 are joined together, and the pipe 20 is the pipe that these two pipes merge into to form a single pipe. According to the vacuum drying apparatus 10 shown in Figure 4, a high-capacity vacuum mechanism 15 can be obtained without increasing the capacity (output) of a single vacuum pump 15A (15B).
[0038] [Third form of vacuum drying apparatus] Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a third form of vacuum drying apparatus 10. In the third form of vacuum drying apparatus 10, similar to the first and second forms, the suction piping section 16 has a second fixed pipe 19 connected to the fixed case 12.
[0039] The third form of the pressure reducing mechanism 15 has two pressure reducing pumps (21, 22) similar to the second form, but the connection configuration in the suction piping section 16 differs from that of the second form. In the third form, the first pressure reducing pump 21 is a pressure reducing pump to which the first fixed piping 17, which can be switched between the connected state and the open state in relation to the movable piping 18, is connected. The second pressure reducing pump 22, which is different from the first pressure reducing pump 21, is another pressure reducing pump to which the second fixed piping 19 is connected. The first fixed piping 17 and the second fixed piping 19 are not connected.
[0040] In the third form of the vacuum drying apparatus 10, it becomes possible to independently suction gas from the first case 11 and from the second case 12. This makes it easy to differentiate the amount of gas suctioned (discharge flow rate) from the mobile case 11 by the first vacuum pump 21 and the amount of gas suctioned (discharge flow rate) from the fixed case 12 by the second vacuum pump 22.
[0041] Gas is drawn in from the mobile case 11, from the top surface of the workpiece W. In contrast, gas is drawn in from the fixed case 12, from the bottom surface of the workpiece W. A liquid is applied to the top surface of the workpiece W. By differentiating the amount of gas drawn in from the top surface of the workpiece W and from the bottom surface of the workpiece W, uniform drying of the surface becomes possible, and drying efficiency can be improved.
[0042] [Fourth Embodiment of Vacuum Drying Apparatus] Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the fourth embodiment of the vacuum drying apparatus 10. The suction piping section 16 of the fourth embodiment has multiple pipes as movable pipes 18. That is, the suction piping section 16 has a first movable pipe 31 connected to the first part 111 of the movable case 11, and a second movable pipe 32 connected to the second part 112 of the movable case, as movable pipes 18. The first part 111 and the second part 112 are separate parts of the movable case 11. The first part 111 and the second part 112 are parts that are at the same distance from the central position C1 of the movable case 11.
[0043] The first moving pipe 31 and the second moving pipe 32 move together with the moving case 11, similar to the moving pipe 18 shown in FIG. 1. Further, the suction pipe section 16 has a plurality of first fixed pipes 17 connected to the decompression mechanism 15, and further has a plurality of second fixed pipes 19 connected to the fixed case 12. The number of each of the first fixed pipe 17 and the second fixed pipe 19 is the same as the number of the moving pipes 18 (the first moving pipe 31 and the second moving pipe 32). In the case of the form shown in FIG. 6, the number of the first fixed pipes 17 is two, and the number of the second fixed pipes 19 is also two.
[0044] In FIG. 6, the reference sign of one of the first fixed pipes 17 is shown as "17A", and the reference sign of the other first fixed pipe 17 is shown as "17B". The reference sign of one of the second fixed pipes 19 is shown as "19A", and the reference sign of the other second fixed pipe 19 is shown as "19B". By the movement of the moving case 11, the first moving pipe 31 is alternatively switched between a connected state connected to one of the first fixed pipes 17A and an open state separated from the first fixed pipe 17A. By the movement of the moving case 11, the second moving pipe 32 is alternatively switched between a connected state connected to the other second fixed pipe 17B and an open state separated from the second fixed pipe 17B. `
[0045] Each of the connecting portions J between the end of the first moving pipe 31 and the end of one of the first fixed pipes 17A, and the connecting portion J between the end of the second moving pipe 32 and the end of the other first fixed pipe 17B has the same configuration as the connecting portion J shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. However, both the first moving pipe 31 and the second moving pipe 32 are attached to a common one moving block 28, and both one of the second fixed pipes 17A and the other second fixed pipe 17B are attached to a common one fixed block 27.
[0046] In the case of the fourth form, one first fixed pipe 17A and one second fixed pipe 19A are joined together, and the pipe 20A formed by their joining is connected to the first decompression mechanism 15 (151). The other first fixed pipe 17B and the other second fixed pipe 19B are joined together, and the pipe 20B formed by their joining is connected to the second decompression mechanism 15 (152). The pipe 20A is a part of one first fixed pipe 17A, and the pipe 20B is a part of the other first fixed pipe 17B.
[0047] The first decompression mechanism 151 has a plurality (two in the illustrated example) of decompression pumps 15A and 15B. The second decompression mechanism 152 has a plurality (two in the illustrated example) of decompression pumps 15A and 15B. The two decompression pumps 15A and 15B of the first decompression mechanism 151 are in parallel and connected to the pipe 20A. The two decompression pumps 15A and 15B of the second decompression mechanism 152 are in parallel and connected to the pipe 20B. According to the decompression drying device 10 of the fourth form, it is possible to suck the gas in the drying chamber 13 from a plurality of locations (two locations) of the moving case 11, and it is also possible to suck the gas in the drying chamber 13 from a plurality of locations (two locations) of the fixed case 12.
[0048] 〔Fifth form of the decompression drying device〕Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the fifth form of the decompression drying device 10. The fifth form is a modification of the third form shown in Fig. 5. The decompression mechanism 15 of the fifth form has a plurality (four in the illustrated example) of decompression pumps 15A, 15B, 15C, and 15D. The first decompression pump 15A and the second decompression pump 15B are in parallel and connected to the first fixed pipe 17. The third decompression pump 15C and the fourth decompression pump 15D are in parallel and connected to the second fixed pipe 19. The first fixed pipe 17 and the second fixed pipe 19 are not connected.
[0049] According to the decompression drying device 10 shown in Fig. 7, a high-capacity decompression mechanism 15 can be obtained without increasing the capacity (output) of one decompression pump. It is possible to independently suck the gas from the first case 11 side and the gas from the second case 12 side.
[0050] [Sixth Embodiment of Vacuum Drying Apparatus] Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the sixth embodiment of the vacuum drying apparatus 10. In each of the embodiments described above, the suction piping section 16 has a second fixed pipe 19 connected to the fixed case 12, but in the fifth embodiment, the suction piping section 16 does not have the second fixed pipe 19. It is also possible to configure the vacuum drying apparatus 10 in embodiments other than Figure 8 so that the suction piping section 16 does not have the second fixed pipe 19.
[0051] In the sixth embodiment, the movable piping 18 has branch pipes 182 and 183. The first branch pipe 182 is connected to the first part 111 of the movable case 11, and the second branch pipe 183 is connected to the second part 112 of the movable case 11. The first part 111 and the second part 112 are separate parts. The first part 111 and the second part 112 are the same distance from the central position C1 of the movable case 11. Note that the number of branch pipes is not limited to two, but may be three or more.
[0052] According to the vacuum drying apparatus 10 shown in Figure 8, the gas in the drying chamber 13 is drawn in only from the upper moving case 11 side, but from multiple points that are separated from each other (two points, the first part 111 and the second part 112). As a result, the liquid in the central part Wc of the workpiece W can be dried without delay compared to the liquid in the peripheral part We of the workpiece W. In other words, it is possible to dry the entire surface uniformly.
[0053] [Seventh form of vacuum drying apparatus] Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the seventh form of the vacuum drying apparatus 10. The seventh form is a modified version of the sixth form shown in Figure 8. In the case of the seventh form, the movable piping 18 is not branched, and the movable piping 18 is connected to the movable case 11 at one point.
[0054] [Eighth Configuration of the Vacuum Drying Apparatus] Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the eighth configuration of the vacuum drying apparatus 10. In the configuration shown in Figure 1, the movable piping 18 is connected to the movable case 11 at one point, and the second fixed piping 19 is connected to the fixed case 12 at one point. In contrast, in the configuration shown in Figure 10, similar to the sixth configuration shown in Figure 8, the movable piping 18 has branch pipes 182 and 183. The first branch pipe 182 is connected to the first part 111 of the movable case 11, and the second branch pipe 183 is connected to the second part 112 of the movable case 11.
[0055] The second fixed piping 19 has branch pipes 192 and 193. The first branch pipe 192 is connected to the first part 121 of the fixed case 12, and the second branch pipe 193 is connected to the second part 122 of the fixed case 12. In addition, in the vacuum drying apparatus 10 of the other forms shown in Figure 10, one or both of the following configurations may be adopted: the movable piping 18 having branch pipes 182 and 183 connected to the movable case 11, and the second fixed piping 19 having branch pipes 192 and 193 connected to the fixed case 12. By drawing gas from the drying chamber 13 from multiple locations, it becomes possible to dry the liquid of the workpiece W uniformly across the surface, and it becomes possible to improve the drying efficiency.
[0056] [Ninth form of vacuum drying apparatus] Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the ninth form of the vacuum drying apparatus 10. In the ninth form, similar to the fourth form shown in Figure 6, the suction piping section 16 has a movable piping 18, which includes a first movable piping 31 connected to a part 111 of the movable case 11, and a second movable piping 32 connected to a second part 112 of the movable case.
[0057] The suction piping section 16 has a plurality of first fixed pipes 17 connected to the pressure reducing mechanism 15. One of the first fixed pipes 17 is denoted as "17A," and the other first fixed pipe 17 is denoted as "17B." One first fixed pipe 17A and the other first fixed pipe 17B merge and connect to the pipe 20. By moving the movable case 11, the first movable pipe 31 is selectively switched between a connected state, where it is connected to one of the first fixed pipes 17A, and an open state, where it is separated from that first fixed pipe 17A. By moving the movable case 11, the second movable pipe 32 is selectively switched between a connected state, where it is connected to the other first fixed pipe 17B, and an open state, where it is separated from that first fixed pipe 17B.
[0058] The second fixed piping 19 has branch pipes 192 and 193, similar to the eighth configuration shown in Figure 10. The first branch pipe 192 is connected to the first part 121 of the fixed case 12, and the second branch pipe 193 is connected to the second part 122 of the fixed case 12. The pressure reducing mechanism 15 has a plurality (four in the illustrated example) of pressure reducing pumps. The four pressure reducing pumps are connected in parallel to the piping 20.
[0059] [Regarding each form of vacuum drying apparatus 10] As described above, in each form of vacuum drying apparatus 10, the movable case 11 moves in order to move the workpiece W to be dried into and out of the drying chamber 13. A movable pipe 18 is attached to the movable case 11. When the first case 11 and the second case 12 are joined together by the movement of the movable case 11, a connected state is obtained in which the movable pipe 18 and the first fixed pipe 17 are connected. In this connected state, a sealed state is obtained at the connection part J between the end 181 of the movable pipe 18 and the end 171 of the first fixed pipe 17.
[0060] The pressure reduction mechanism 15 draws gas from inside the drying chamber 13 through the suction piping section 16, which has the movable pipes 18 and fixed pipes 17, thereby reducing the pressure inside the drying chamber 13. This makes it possible to dry the liquid in the workpiece W placed inside the drying chamber 13.
[0061] The movable piping 18 is provided along the movable case 11, so the length of the movable piping 18 does not become long. When the workpiece W is a large substrate and the vacuum drying apparatus 10 is for drying large substrates, the diameter of the suction piping section 16 becomes larger. Even in this case, the vacuum drying apparatus 10 of each of the above forms has the configuration of the connecting section J (see Figures 2 and 3), and it is not necessary to provide flexible piping in the suction piping section 16, so the configuration does not become complicated.
[0062] If the movable pipe 18 has a control valve 42, and the second fixed pipe 19 has a control valve 41, the opening degrees of these control valves 41 and 42 are adjusted. This adjusts the depressurization rate in each region of the drying chamber 13 (especially the upper and lower regions on either side of the workpiece W). This makes it possible to dry the liquid applied to the workpiece W uniformly across the surface of the workpiece W.
[0063] [Other] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not restrictive. The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and includes all modifications within the scope equivalent to the configurations described in the claims.
[0064] 10 Vacuum drying apparatus 11 Mobile case (first case) 12 Fixed case (second case) 13 Drying chamber 14 Vacuum unit 15 Vacuum mechanism 15A, 15B, 15C, 15D Vacuum pump 16 Suction piping section 17 First fixed piping 18 Mobile piping 19 Second fixed piping 21 Vacuum pump 22 Vacuum pump 27 Fixed block 28 Mobile block 29 Sealing member 31 First mobile piping 32 Second mobile piping 111 Part 1 112 Part 2 171 End section 181 End section 271 Second contact surface 281 First contact surface
Claims
1. A vacuum drying apparatus comprising: a first case and a second case that combine and separate by relative movement; a vacuum unit for reducing the pressure of a drying chamber formed between the combined first case and the second case, wherein at least one of the first case and the second case is a movable case that moves for the relative movement; the vacuum unit comprises a vacuum mechanism and a suction piping section connecting the vacuum mechanism and the drying chamber; the suction piping section comprises a fixed pipe connected to the vacuum mechanism side and a movable pipe connected to the movable case and moving together with the movable case; and the movable pipe is switched between a connected state connected to the fixed pipe and an open state separated from the fixed pipe by the movement of the movable case.
2. The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the first case and the second case is the movable case and the other is a fixed case that does not move, and the suction piping section has a second fixed pipe connected to the fixed case.
3. The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the vacuum mechanism comprises a first vacuum pump to which the first fixed pipe is connected, which is switched between the connected state and the open state in relation to the movable pipe, and a second vacuum pump to which the second fixed pipe is connected.
4. The vacuum drying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the suction piping section comprises, as the movable piping, a first movable piping connected to a part of the movable case, and a second movable piping connected to a second part of the movable case that is separate from the first part.
5. The vacuum drying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the movable piping is composed of rigid piping, and the movable piping is fixed to the movable case and is unable to move relative to the movable case.
6. The vacuum drying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the vacuum mechanism and the fixed piping are immovable and in a fixed state.
7. The vacuum drying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the suction piping section comprises: a movable block provided at the end of the movable pipe and having a first contact surface; a fixed block provided at the end of the fixed pipe and having a second contact surface that can contact the first contact surface; and a sealing member provided on at least one of the first contact surface and the second contact surface, which seals the space between the first contact surface and the second contact surface in the connected state.