Patent DE-102009051183-A1 (DE)
Title: Heat treatment furnace for soldering a component, comprises a kiln channel having an insertion opening and an export opening, and a conveyor device for moving a component to be treated in the kiln channel
Inventor: ENSMINGER STEFFEN
IPC: F27D7/06
Filed: 2009-10-29
Abstract: The heat treatment furnace for soldering a component, comprises a kiln channel (3) having an insertion opening (4) and an export opening (5), a conveyor device (6) for moving a component to be treated in the kiln channel, where a heat treatment section (7) of the kiln channel is filled with a protective gas, a heating device for heating the protective gas and/or component in the heat treatment section, a first means for separating the protective gas from an ambient atmosphere between the insertion opening and the heat treatment section, and a second means for separating the protective gas. The heat treatment furnace for soldering a component, comprises a kiln channel (3) having an insertion opening (4) and an export opening (5), a conveyor device (6) for moving a component to be treated in the kiln channel, where a heat treatment section (7) of the kiln channel is filled with a protective gas, a heating device for heating the protective gas and/or component in the heat treatment section, a first means for separating the protective gas from an ambient atmosphere between the insertion opening and the heat treatment section, and a second means for separating the protective gas from ambient atmosphere between the export opening and the heat treatment section, where the first means comprises first separating section of the furnace and/or the second means comprises second separating section of the furnace and the first and the second separating section are filled with a separation gas. The first separating section of the first means is formed between the insertion opening and the heat treatment section and/or the second separating section of the second means is formed between the heat treatment section and the export opening. A curtain box is arranged in the first separating section and/or the second separating section in order to prevent a gas exchange between the ambient atmosphere and the separation gas. The curtain box is formed from filaments or strips such as stainless steel or glass fiber. The curtain box is arranged in the first separating section in the area of the insertion opening and/or the curtain box is arranged in the second separating section in the area of the export opening. The separation gas has a larger molar mass or a larger density in the normal condition than the protective gas. The separation gas is nitrogen or a gas mixture with a nitrogen content of 98% or a noble gas such as helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon and/or radon. The heat treatment furnace is a humpback oven and the heat treatment section is partially arranged in horizontal manner and/or the first- and second separating section are formed in sloped manner and/or beneath the heat treatment section such that the separation gas is separated in the first-and/or second separating section from the protective gas in the heat treatment section based on the larger density in the normal condition of the separation gas with respect to the protective gas. A separating device such as curtain box is arranged between the first- and/or second separating section and the heat treatment section and/or the heat treatment furnace is a horizontal continuous furnace. An independent claim is included for a method for operating a heat treatment furnace.