Heating device and heating method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9930726-B2
Application number	US-201314408329-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2013
Priority date	Jul 9, 2012
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

A heating device and a heating method are disclosed, by which an irregularly shaped object can be evenly and efficiently heated by a plurality of conductive pins smoothly sliding inside through holes so that their tips sufficiently follow the irregular shape of the object, while damage to the conductive pins or the object is prevented. The heating device 100 heats an object M placed between opposing electrodes 101 and 102 . At least one of the electrodes 101 includes a retention plate 130 for retaining a plurality of conductive pins 110 supported in an electrode plate 120 in a state in which the conductive pins 110 are slid away from an opposite electrode 102 , and a release mechanism 140 for releasing the plurality of conductive pins 110 from retention by the retention plate 130.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heating device for electrically heating an object by placing the object between electrodes, comprising:
electrodes that are arranged opposite each other, at least one of the electrodes having an electrode plate with a plurality of through holes and a plurality of conductive pins axially slidably supported in the through holes,
said at least one of the electrodes including:
a retention plate which is movable in up and down directions for retaining rear ends of the plurality of conductive pins supported in said electrode plate in a state in which the conductive pins are slid away from an opposite electrode; and
release means for releasing the plurality of conductive pins from retention by the retention plate.

2. The heating device according to claim 1 , wherein
rear ends of said conductive pins are formed by a magnetic member, and
said retention plate includes a magnetic plate that is arranged parallel to said electrode plate and exerts an attractive magnetic force on the rear ends of said conductive pins.

3. The heating device according to claim 2 , further comprising a non-magnetic plate between the rear ends of said conductive pins and said magnetic plate, wherein
said release means include a mechanism for separating the non-magnetic plate from the magnetic plate.

4. A heating method that uses a heating device for electrically heating an object by placing the object between electrodes that are arranged opposite each other, at least one of the electrodes having an electrode plate with a plurality of through holes and a plurality of conductive pins axially slidably supported in the through holes,
the method comprising:
a conductive pin retraction step of sliding the plurality of conductive pins supported in said electrode plate away from an opposite electrode by the vertical movement of a retention plate;
a conductive pin retention step of retaining rear ends of the conductive pins by the retention plate in a state in which said plurality of conductive pins are slid away from the opposite electrode;
a conductive pin release step of releasing said plurality of conductive pins from retention in a state in which said electrode plate is fixedly set in position relative to said object; and
a conductive pin contact step of sliding said plurality of conductive pins axially toward the object to bring tips of the plurality of conductive pins into contact with a surface of the object,
after which voltage is applied across both electrodes to electrically heat the object.

Assignees

• Toyo Seikan Group Holdings Ltd

Inventors

• Maruyama Tomoki
• Yamada Shinji

Classifications

• H05B3/03 Primary

  Electrodes · CPC title

• H05B3/023

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05B3/0004 Primary

  Devices wherein the heating current flows through the material to be heated (Circuit arrangements for heating by passing the current directly across the material to be heated H05B3/0023; granular, powdered or fluid material H05B3/60) · CPC title