Vacuum Heat Treatment Guide Plate Dynamics

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Solution Overview

Problem

Vacuum heat treatment devices face challenges in uniformly cooling treatment objects due to non-uniform gas circulation, leading to uneven hardness in steel and sensitization in stainless steel, and require larger sizes to accommodate wind direction guide vanes and slide doors.

Innovation Solution

A vacuum heat treatment device with a guide plate that moves to insert into the cover portion's movement area, guiding the cooling medium efficiently into the heat-insulating container through openings, and a regulating plate to manage the flow, ensuring uniform cooling and reducing device size.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If wind direction guide vanes are fixed close to the openings of the heat-insulating container, then nitrogen gas can be more uniformly guided to reach every part inside the heat-insulating container, but the guide vanes may contact the slide doors when the slide doors are moved

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuniformity of coolingVSAvoidinterference with slide door movement

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The guide vane is changed from a fixed structure to a movable structure that can rotate about a rotation axis. The movable guide vane can adjust its position to avoid interfering with the slide door movement while still effectively guiding the cooling medium into the heat-insulating container when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The guide vane is divided into a movable guide vane portion and a fixed support structure. The movable portion can rotate independently to avoid slide door interference, while the fixed support provides structural stability and positioning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If wind direction guide vanes are fixed at positions separated from the openings to avoid slide door contact, then slide door movement is not interfered with, but it becomes difficult to guide nitrogen gas uniformly to reach every part of the inside of the heat-insulating container

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveslide door movement freedomVSAvoiduniformity of cooling

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The guide vane is made movable and can rotate to dynamically adjust its position. When the slide door is stationary, the guide vane can be positioned close to the opening for effective cooling medium guidance. When the slide door moves, the guide vane can rotate to avoid interference.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The position parameter of the guide vane is changed from fixed to variable. By rotating the guide vane to different angles and positions, it can optimize the guidance of cooling medium while avoiding interference with slide door movement at different times.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of manufacture

If spaces for wind direction guide vanes are provided in addition to slide door movement areas, then guide vanes can be installed, but the vacuum heat treatment device increases in size

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveguide vane installationVSAvoiddevice size

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The guide vane structure is integrated with the slide door assembly structure. The guide vane is arranged to utilize the existing space around the slide door opening without requiring additional dedicated space, thereby avoiding increase in overall device size while still enabling effective guidance of cooling medium.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The movable guide vane can rotate into the slide door movement area only when the slide door is stationary and open. When the slide door moves, the guide vane rotates out of the way. This dynamic arrangement allows effective use of space without permanently occupying additional volume.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution allows for uniform cooling of the treatment object, reducing the size of the vacuum heat treatment device by optimizing the use of space and preventing guide plate interference with the cover portions.

Implementation Method 1

a heating portion (140) which heats the treatment object

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

heats the treatment object in a vacuum

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal radiation: Thermal Radiation

Implementation Method 3

nitrogen gas is supplied into a vacuum furnace, a fan circulates the nitrogen gas in a heat-insulating container

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentUS9605330B2Vacuum heat treatment device

Publication Date: 2017.03.28 IHI CORP

AI summary

The vacuum heat treatment device includes: a guide plate used to guide a cooling medium supplied by a cooling unit, into a heat-insulating container through one of at least two openings of the heat-insulating container in a state where the two openings of the heat-insulating container are opened; and a movement mechanism used to move the guide plate so that at least part of the guide plate is inserted into a movement area of a cover portion in a state where the two openings of the heat-insulating container are opened and so that the guide plate is retracted from the movement area of the cover portion before the cover portion is moved in order to close the two openings of the heat-insulating container.