Patent ID: 7320183

Claim:
A method for drying a honeycomb formed structure, the method comprising placing on a plurality of stands a plurality of honeycomb formed structures in an undried state (undried honeycomb formed structures) which have been formed into a honeycomb structure a raw material composition containing a ceramic material, a binder, and water; causing the undried honeycomb formed structures placed on the stands to pass through a drying apparatus equipped with a high-frequency heating means for providing a heated atmosphere from an entrance of the apparatus to an exit thereof; drying the undried honeycomb formed structures through high-frequency heating, to thereby form dried honeycomb formed structures; removing, from the stands, the dried honeycomb formed structures which have passed through the exit of the drying apparatus; conveying the stands transferred through the exit of the drying apparatus to enter the entrance thereof in a circulating manner; placing newly formed undried honeycomb formed structures on the stands which have been circulated and returned to enter the entrance of the drying apparatus; and repeating these operations, wherein the stands which have been heated in the drying apparatus are cooled to a temperature lower than the gelation temperature of the undried honeycomb formed structures until the stands are circulated and returned to enter the entrance of the drying apparatus; the newly formed undried honeycomb formed structures are placed on the cooled stands; and the undried honeycomb formed structures are caused to pass through the drying apparatus, thereby preventing partial deformation of dried honeycomb formed structure products, which deformation might be caused by localized heating, through heat from the stands, of portions of the undried honeycomb formed structures in contact with the stands and portions in the vicinity thereof (contact portions) upon placement of the undried honeycomb formed structures on the stands.