Temperature-control unit for a furnace device for heat treating a plate

Abstract

The present invention relates to a temperature-control unit for a furnace device for heat treating a plate, in particular a metal plate. The temperature-control unit has a temperature-control body, which is arrangeable in a furnace chamber of the furnace device. The temperature-control body has a plurality of receiving bores. Furthermore, the temperature-control unit has a plurality of temperature-control pins, wherein the temperature-control pins are mounted in the receiving bores movably relative to the temperature-control body. The temperature-control pins are controllable in such a way that a temperature-control group of the temperature-control pins is extendable from the temperature-control body in the direction towards the plate, so that a thermal contact between the temperature-control group of the temperature-control pins and a predetermined temperature-control zone of the plate is generatable.

Claims

1. Temperature-control unit for a furnace device for heat treating a plate, comprising: a temperature-control body, which is arrangeable in a furnace chamber of the furnace device, wherein the temperature-control body has a plurality of receiving bores, and a plurality of temperature-control pins, wherein the temperature-control pins are mounted in the receiving bores movably relative to the temperature-control body, wherein the temperature-control pins are controllable in such a way that a temperature-control group of the temperature-control pins is extendable from the temperature-control body in a direction towards the plate, so that a thermal contact is establishable between the temperature-control group of temperature-control pins with a predetermined temperature-control zone of the plate.

2. Temperature-control unit according to claim 1, wherein the temperature-control body has a temperature-control channel for a temperature-control fluid for temperature-controlling the temperature-control body.

3. Temperature-control unit according to claim 1, wherein the temperature-control body is manufactured by additive manufacturing.

4. Temperature-control unit according to claim 1, wherein the temperature-control body has ferrules, which are arranged in the receiving bores.

5. Temperature-control unit according to claim 1, wherein the temperature-control pins have a cylindrical shape with a circular, elliptical or polygonal base surface.

6. Temperature-control unit according to claim 1, wherein at least two of the temperature-control pins differ in their diameter.

7. Temperature-control unit according to claim 1, wherein at least two of the receiving bores differ in their diameter.

8. Temperature-control unit according to claim 1, wherein the density of receiving bores in a first region of the temperature-control body differs from a density of receiving bores in a second region of the temperature-control body.

9. Temperature-control unit according to claim 1, further having: a control plate to which the temperature-control pins are coupled, wherein the control plate is arranged on a side of the temperature-control body facing away from the plate, wherein the control plate is arranged movably relative to the temperature-control body in such a way that the control plate moves the temperature-control pins through the receiving bores of the temperature-control body.

10. Temperature-control unit according to claim 1, further having: an insulating element for thermally insulating the temperature-control body from the plate, wherein the insulating element is arranged at the temperature-control body in such a way that a region of the temperature-control body, from which the temperature-control pins of the temperature-control group are extendable out of the temperature-control body in the direction towards the plate, remains free from the insulating element or in that the temperature-control pins move through borings through the insulating material.

11. Temperature-control unit according to claim 10, wherein the insulating element is arranged at the temperature-control body in such a way that the insulating element covers the receiving bores of the temperature-control body, corresponding to temperature-control pins present, which do not belong to the temperature-control group of the temperature-control pins, in order to block a movement of the corresponding temperature-control pins in the direction towards the plate.

12. Temperature-control unit according to claim 1, further having: a control template, wherein the control template has a predetermined pattern of through-borings for the temperature-control pins of the temperature-control group, wherein the pattern of through-borings is indicative for the temperature-control zone of the plate, wherein the control template is arranged at the temperature-control body with a predetermined orientation in such a way that, due to the pattern of through-borings, only the temperature-control pins of the temperature-control group are passable through the through-borings of the control template as well as through the receiving bores of the temperature-control body in order to generate the thermal contact between the temperature-control pins of the temperature-control group and the temperature-control zone of the plate.

13. Temperature-control unit according to claim 11, wherein the temperature-control body has an inner cavity, into which the control template is insertable and fixable.

14. Temperature-control unit according to claim 1, further having: a control mechanism, which is coupled to the temperature-control body in such a way that only the temperature-control pins of the temperature-control group are extendable from the temperature-control body in the direction towards the plate.

15. Temperature-control unit according to claim 14, wherein the control mechanism has a magnetic mechanism, which is configured to generate a magnetic field that is indicative for a shape of the temperature-control zone of the plate, wherein the magnetic mechanism is coupled to the temperature-control body in such a way that, due to the magnetic field, only the temperature-control group of the temperature-control pins is extendable from the temperature-control body in the direction towards the plate.

16. Temperature-control unit according to claim 5, wherein the temperature-control body is arrangeable in such a way that the temperature-control pins are extendable in the direction towards the plate based on gravity, wherein the magnetic field is formed in such a way that a magnetic retaining force is not applicable to the temperature-control pins which do not belong to the temperature-control group, so that only the temperature-control pins of the temperature-control group are extendable.

17. Temperature-control unit according to claim 14, further having a plurality of return springs, which are configured in such a manner that a return spring is associated with a temperature-control pin and is coupled to the latter in such a way that the associated temperature-control pin is fixable in a position remote from the plate by the return spring.

18. Temperature-control unit according to claim 14, further having: a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to receive position data of the plate, and wherein the control unit is further configured to select the temperature-control pins of the temperature-control group based on the position data in order to generate the temperature-control zone of the plate based on a current position of the plate.

19. A temperature-control system for temperature-controlling a temperature-control zone of a plate, wherein the temperature-control system comprises: at least two temperature-control units according to claim 1, and wherein the at least two temperature-control units are detachably fixable together.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) For a further explanation and a better understanding of the present invention, embodiment examples are described in the following in more detail with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a temperature-control unit in a furnace device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention,

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of a temperature-control body according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention,

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a temperature-control body according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention,

(5) FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are schematic illustrations of a temperature-control unit having a control plate in a furnace device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and

(6) FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of a temperature-control body having an insulating element according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

(7) Same or similar components in different figures are provided with the same reference numerals. The illustrations in the figures are schematic.

(8) FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a temperature-control unit in a furnace device 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The temperature-control unit may be configured for heat treating a plate 101, in particular a metal plate 101. The temperature-control unit may have a temperature-control body, which may be arrangeable in a furnace chamber 112 of the furnace device 100. The temperature-control body 103 may have a plurality of receiving bores 104. Furthermore, the temperature-control unit may have a plurality of temperature-control pins 105, wherein the temperature-control pins 105 may be mounted in the mounting bores 104 movably relative to the temperature-control body 103. The temperature-control pins 105 may be controllable in such a way that a temperature-control group 106 of the temperature-control pins 105 may be extendable from the temperature-control body 103 in the direction towards the plate 101, so that a thermal contact between the temperature-control group 106 of temperature-control pins 105 and a predetermined temperature-control zone of the plate 101 may be generatable.

(9) The furnace device 100 may be configured for heating the plate 101. The plate 101 may be heated or cooled in the furnace device 100 to a desired temperature, e.g. to an austenitization temperature. The furnace device 100 may have the furnace chamber 112 or a plurality of different furnace chambers 112. For example, a specific temperature may be set in each furnace chamber 112 so that the plate 101 may be exposed to a specific temperature in each one of the furnace chambers 112 for heating or for cooling. In particular, the furnace device 100 may be configured in such a way that a predetermined temperature profile, which may be changeable in time, may be set in the furnace chamber 112. The temperature profile may act on the plate 101 while it may be located in the furnace chamber 112 of the furnace housing 102 of the furnace device 100. For example, heating or cooling elements may be arranged in the furnace chamber 112 in order to set a desired temperature profile in the furnace chamber 112 so that the plate 101 may be heated, cooled or kept at the same temperature in a targeted manner.

(10) A predetermined temperature-control zone of the plate 101 may be selectively temperature-controlled, i.e. heated or cooled, by a temperature-control group 106 of temperature-control pins 105 in order to set the desired structure (or microstructure) areas in the temperature-control zone. In particular, predetermined temperature-control zones of the plate 101 may be cooled slowly or rapidly, for example by bringing the temperature-control group 106 of the temperature-control pins 105 in thermal contact with a predetermined surface area (temperature-control zone) of the plate 101, which area may have to be cooled or heated.

(11) In FIG. 1, for a better overview, not all temperature-control pins 105 and receiving bores 104 have been provided with reference numerals.

(12) The temperature-control body 103 accordingly may have a plurality of receiving bores 104, into each of which a respective one of the temperature-control pins 105 may be introducable. As a function of the temperature-control zone of the plate 101, i.e. the area, which may have to be temperature-controlled by the temperature-control pins 105, specific temperature-control pins 105 may be combined to form the temperature-control group 106 and may be moved in the direction towards the plate 101. The temperature-control pins 105 of the temperature-control group 106 may thus be arranged movably between a first position and a second position in such a way that the temperature-control pins 105 of the temperature-control group 106 may be present in the first position at a distance from the plate 101 without thermal contact with the plate 101, and may be present in the second position in thermal contact with the plate 101. The temperature-control pins 105, which may not belong to temperature-control group 106, may not be moved and may remain in the first position, i.e. at a distance from the plate 101. The temperature-control pins 105 may rest directly on the surface of the plate 101. Elevations of the contour of the surface of the plate 101 may move the corresponding temperature-control pins 105 in the direction towards the temperature-control body 103, and depressions in the contour of the surface of the plate 101 may move the corresponding temperature-control pins 105 away from the temperature-control body 103. In this way, even for an uneven implementation of the plate 101, the temperature-control pins 105 may rest on the surface of the plate 100.

(13) The temperature-control pins 105 of the temperature-control group 106 may be arranged displaceably in the respective receiving bores 104 of the temperature-control body 103 in such a way that the temperature-control pins 105 may be placeable in the second position on a surface of the plate 101 and may be adaptable to a contour of the surface of the plate 101.

(14) The temperature-control group 106 may be flexibly extended and/or changed and accordingly adapted to different temperature-control zones of the plate 101. In this respect, the temperature-control pins 105 may be controlled individually or group-wisely.

(15) The temperature-control body 103 may have a temperature control channel 109 for a temperature control fluid for temperature-controlling the temperature-control body 103. Thus, the temperature-control body 103 may be temperature-controlled to a desired temperature. The temperature-control body 103 may be in thermal contact with the temperature-control pins 105 so that the latter may be set to a desired temperature by the temperature-control body 103.

(16) The temperature-control body 103 may be attached to the furnace housing 102, for example, via an attachment device 113. A control mechanism 107, a control plate 401 (see FIG. 4) and the temperature-control body 103 may be mounted to the attachment device 113, e.g. via suspensions 115.

(17) The temperature-control unit may further be detachably coupled to the furnace housing 102 by the attachment device 113, in particular to an upper basin area of the furnace housing 102 in the interior of the furnace chamber 112. For example, the temperature-control unit may be suspended from the furnace housing 102 and/or may be screwed to the latter.

(18) The temperature-control unit may further have the control mechanism 107, which may be coupled to the temperature-control body 103 in such a way that only the temperature-control pins 105 of the temperature-control group 106 may be extendable from the temperature-control body 103 in the direction towards the plate 101. For example, to each temperature-control pin 105 may be assigned a control mechanism 116 or control motor, which may drive the temperature-control pin 105 pneumatically, electromagnetically or electrically. In this way, a desired temperature-control group 106, which may correspond to the temperature-control zone of the plate 101, may be formed via the control of the individual temperature-control pins 105.

(19) The control mechanism 107 may have, for example, a magnetic mechanism, which may be configured to generate a magnetic field, which may correspond indicatively to the shape of the temperature-control zone of the plate 101. The magnetic mechanism may be coupled to the temperature-control body 103 in such a way that, due to the magnetic field, only the temperature-control group 106 of the temperature-control pins 105 may be extendable from the temperature-control body 103 in the direction towards the plate 101.

(20) The temperature-control body 103 may be arranged in such a way that the temperature-control pins 105 may be extendable in the direction towards the plate 101 based on the force of gravity. The magnetic field may be configured in such a way that a magnetic retention force may act on the temperature-control pins 105, which may not belong to the temperature-control group 106, so that only the temperature-control pins 105 of the temperature-control group 106 may be extendable.

(21) The temperature-control unit may further have a plurality of return springs 108, which may be configured in such a way that a return spring 108 may be associated to a temperature-control pin 105 and may be coupled to the latter in such a way that the corresponding temperature-control pin 105 may be fixable in a position remote from the plate 101 by the return spring 108. In other words, compression or tension springs may be used, the spring force of which may act in a direction from the plate 101 towards the temperature control element 103 in order to hold the temperature-control pins 105 away from the plate 101. For the sake of clearness, a corresponding return spring 108 is only drawn on a part of the temperature-control pins 105. In particular, all temperature-control pins 105 may be equipped with a corresponding return spring 108.

(22) Furthermore, a control unit 111 may be provided which may be configured to receive position data from the plate 101. The control unit 111 may select the temperature-control pins 105 of the temperature-control group 106 based on the position data in order to generate the temperature-control zone of the plate 101 based on a current position of the plate 101.

(23) For example, the precise position of the plate 101 in the furnace fixture 100 may be determined via sensors 110, such as camera equipment, distance sensors (for example ultrasonic sensors) and/or infrared sensors.

(24) Based on these position data, the control unit 111 may determine the current position of the desired temperature-control zone of the plate 101. Based on this data, the control unit 111 may determine the temperature-control pins 105, which may have to form the temperature-control group 106. On this basis, the control unit may control the control plate 401 (see FIG. 4) and/or the control mechanism 107 in order to selectively move the temperature-control pins 105 of the temperature-control group 106 in the direction towards the plate and to keep the temperature-control pins 105, which may not belong to the temperature-control group 106, away from the plate 101.

(25) FIG. 2 shows a schematic sectional view of the temperature-control unit 103.

(26) FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the temperature control body 103 from FIG. 2. The temperature control body 103 may have in particular a high heat storage capacity, so that it may perform a temperature-controlling (heating or cooling) of the temperature-control pins 105. The temperature-control body 103 may be arranged interchangeably (or replaceably) in the furnace chamber 112 and/or may be equipped with a cooling or heating device (i.e. a temperature-control body). As shown in FIG. 2, the temperature control body 103 may be a hollow body, which may be filled with a cooling medium or a heating medium. The hollow profile may thus form an internal temperature-control volume and/or the temperature-control channel 109.

(27) The receiving bores 104 may be arranged in predetermined rows and columns in the temperature-control body 103. The temperature control channel 109 may run around the receiving bore 104. The temperature-control channel and/or the temperature-control volume in the temperature-control body 103 may be filled with and emptied from fluid via a fluid connection 201. A liquid cooling/heating of the temperature control body 103 may be implemented so that the temperature-control pins 105, which may be in thermal contact with the temperature control body 103, may be permanently temperature-controlled.

(28) As shown in FIG. 2, the temperature-control body 103 may have a complex hollow profile, in which each receiving bore 104 may be surrounded by the temperature control channel 109 so that a temperature control medium may flow around the receiving bores 104. According to the invention, a correspondingly highly complex hollow profile of the temperature-control body 103 may be provided, in particular by an additive manufacturing process.

(29) FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show schematic illustrations of a temperature-control unit having a control plate 401 in a furnace device 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(30) The temperature-control pins 105 may be coupled to the control plate 401. The control plate 401 may be arranged on a side of the temperature-control unit 103 facing away from the plate 101. The control plate 401 may be arranged movably relative to the temperature-control body 103 in such a way that the control plate 401 may move the temperature-control pins 105 (in particular exclusively the temperature-control pins 105 of the temperature-control group 106) through the receiving bores 104 of the temperature-control body 103.

(31) The temperature-control pins 105 may be fixed to the control plate 401 so that the control plate 401, when moving in the direction towards the temperature-control body 103, may push the temperature-control pins 105 through the receiving bores 104 in the direction towards the plate 101 or, when moving opposite to the direction towards the temperature-control body 103, may move the temperature-control pins 105 away from the plate 101.

(32) The control plate 401 may have through-borings in which the temperature-control pins 105 may be slidably mounted. The temperature-control pins 105 each may have a pin head, which may have a larger diameter than the corresponding through-hole, in which the corresponding temperature-control pin 105 may be inserted. The temperature-control pins 105 may be inserted in the corresponding through-borings in such a way that a falling out in the direction towards the temperature control body 103 may be blocked by the pin heads. The temperature-control unit may be aligned in such a way that the temperature-control pins 105 may move in the direction towards the plate 101 due to gravity until the pin head may rest on the control plate 401 and further movement of the temperature-control pin 105 in the direction towards the plate 101 may be stopped. If the temperature-control pin 105 experiences a pressure force opposite to the direction towards gravity, for example due to an elevation on the plate 101 or due to a retaining mechanism (e.g. the return springs 108) and/or due to a locking of an associated receiving bore 104 in the temperature-control body 103, the temperature-control pin 105 may nevertheless move opposite to the direction towards gravity relative to the control plate 401.

(33) For example, specific receiving bores 104 of the temperature-control body 103 may selectively be closed so that only the temperature-control pins 105 of the temperature-control group 106 may pass through the unclosed receiving bores 104. In this case, for example, the control plate 401 may move in the direction towards gravity and/or in the direction towards the temperature-control body 103 so that the temperature-control pins 105 of the temperature-control group 106 may be moved through the temperature-control body 103 in the direction towards the plate 101, while the other temperature-control pins 105 outside of the temperature-control group 106 may rest on the temperature-control body 103 and may not be moved in the direction towards the plate 101. The closing of the receiving bores 104 may be provided for example by a control template. The control template may have a predetermined pattern of through-borings for the temperature-control pins 105 of the temperature-control group 106, wherein the pattern of through-borings may be indicative for the temperature-control zone of the plate 101.

(34) Furthermore, the control plate 401 may be movable at a distance from the temperature-control body 103 in such a way that an intermediate space 402 may be formed between the control plate 401 and the temperature-control body 103, in which intermediate space at least some of the temperature-control pins 105 may be present. A temperature-control fluid for temperature-controlling the part of the temperature-control pins 105 may be introduced into the intermediate space 402.

(35) FIG. 6 shows a schematic illustration of a temperature-control body 103 having an insulating element 601 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The insulating element 601 may be arranged on the temperature-control body in such a way that an area of the temperature-control body 103, from which the temperature-control pins 105 of the temperature-control group 106 can or should be extendable from the temperature-control body 103 in the direction towards the plate 101, may remain free from the insulating element 601. The insulating element 601 may thermally insulate the temperature-control body from the plate 101 in those areas, in which a thermal contact between the temperature-control body 103/temperature-control pins 105 and the plate 101 (and/or temperature-control zone) may be desired.

(36) The insulating element 601 may be arranged at the temperature-control body 103 in such a way that the insulating element 601 may cover the receiving bores 104 of the temperature-control body 103, in which temperature-control pins 105 may be present, which may not belong to the temperature-control group 106 of the temperature-control pins 105, in order to block a movement of the corresponding temperature-control pins 105 in the direction towards the plate. The insulating element 601 may thus act according to a control template.

(37) The insulating element 601 as a control template may have a predetermined pattern of through-borings for the temperature-control pins 105 of the temperature-control group 106, wherein the pattern of through-borings may be indicative for the temperature-control zone of the plate 101 (i.e. a projection of the pattern of through-borings on the plate may provide the temperature-control zone). The control template may be arranged at the temperature-control body 103 with a predetermined orientation.

(38) Supplementarily, it should be noted that “having” does not exclude other elements or steps, and “an” or “a” does not exclude a plurality. Furthermore, it should be noted that features or steps, which are described with reference to one of the above embodiment examples, may also be used in combination with other features or steps of other embodiment examples described above. Reference numerals in the claims should not be considered as a limitation.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(39) 100 furnace device 101 metal plate 102 furnace housing 103 temperature-control unit 104 receiving bore 105 temperature-control pin 106 temperature-control group 107 control mechanism 108 return spring 109 temperature-control channel 110 sensor 111 control unit 112 furnace chamber 113 attachment device 114 suspension 115 control element 201 fluid connection 401 control plate 402 intermediate space 601 insulating element 602 uncovered receiving bores