SYSTEM FOR AND METHOD OF HEATING OBJECTS IN A PRODUCTION LINE

• US 20100230863A1
• Filed: 12/17/2007
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TRUMPF Photonic Components GmbH (TRUMPF SE + Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Monteix, Serge, Moench, Holger, Baier, Johannes, Weichmann, Ulrich, Bengoechea Apezteguia, Jaione
• Granted Patent: US 9,789,631 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/405
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 13/024 Hollow bodies, e.g. tubes or profiles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0822 using IR radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0838 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/0715 the preform having one end closed
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/06 Injection blow-moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/68 Ovens specially adapted for heating preforms or parisons
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/6835 using reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/00 Use of polyesters or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/258 Tubular
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18388 Lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/426 Vertically stacked cavities

Abstract

A system and method (10) for heating objects (O) during a thermal treatment process in a production line (P) is described. The system (10) comprises a transport system (11), a minor arrangement (201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206) comprising a first mirror surface (21, 21′, 21″) and a second minor surface (22, 22′, 22″) arranged at opposite sides, so that the objects (O) may be transported between the minor surfaces (21, 22, 21′, 22′, 21″, 22″) along the production line and a radiation device (30) comprising a number of lasers for generating light (L). The radiation device (30) and the mirror arrangement (201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206) are constructed such that the main direction (R) of light (L) that enters the mirror arrangement (201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206) is directed towards the first mirror surface (21, 21′, 21″) at an angle to the production line (P), and the light (L) subsequently undergoes multiple reflections between the mirror surfaces (21, 22, 21′, 22′, 21″, 22″) so that a series of multiple reflections of the light (L) travels in the transport direction (OT) along at least a section of the minor surface (21, 22, 21′, 22′, 21″, 22″) or travels against the transport direction (OT) along at least a section of the minor surface (21, 22, 21′, 22′, 21″, 22″) and heats the objects (O) being transported between the minor surfaces (21, 22, 21′, 22′, 21″, 22″).

Claims

1. A system (10) for heating objects (O) during a thermal treatment process in a production line (P) comprising:

a transport system (11) for transporting the objects (O) in a transport direction (OT) along the production line (P),

a mirror arrangement (201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206) comprising a first mirror surface (21, 21′

, 21″

) and a second mirror surface (22, 22′

, 22″

) arranged at opposite sides along at least a section of the production line (P), so that the objects (O) may be transported between the mirror surfaces (21, 22, 21′

, 22′

, 21″

, 22″

) along the production line (P),

a radiation device (30) comprising a number of lasers for generating light (L),

whereby the radiation device (30) and the mirror arrangement (201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206) are constructed such that the main direction (R) of light (L) that enters the mirror arrangement (201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206) is directed towards the first mirror surface (21, 21′

, 21″

) at an angle to the production line (P), and the light (L) subsequently undergoes multiple reflections between the mirror surfaces (21, 22, 21′

, 22′

, 21″

, 22″

) so that a series of multiple reflections of the light (L) travels in the transport direction (OT) along at least a section of the mirror surface (21, 22, 21′

, 22′

, 21″

, 22″

) or travels against the transport direction (OT) along at least a section of the mirror surface (21, 22, 21′

, 22′

, 21″

, 22″

) and heats the objects (O) being transported between the mirror surfaces (21, 22, 21′

, 22′

, 21″

, 22″

).

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the objects (O) to be heated are at least partially transparent for the generated light (L), and the light (L) is partially absorbed by a plurality of the objects (O) between the mirror surfaces (21, 22, 21′

, 22′

, 21″

, 22″

) while the objects (O) are transported through the mirror arrangement (201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206).

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the mirror arrangement (201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206) is constructed such that the multiple reflections of the light result in a predefined intensity profile of the light (L) in a direction (LT) of travel of the light downstream from a point of entry (PE) of the light (L) into the mirror arrangement (201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206).

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the mirror arrangement (201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206) is constructed such that the distances (D) between points of incidence (PI₁, PI₂) of a ray of light (L) on an individual mirror surface (22) of the mirror arrangement (201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206) decrease in a direction of travel (LT) of the light downstream from a point of entry (PE) of the light (L) into the mirror arrangement (201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206).

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the mirror arrangement (201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206) is constructed such that the first mirror surface (21, 21′

, 21″

) and the second mirror surface (22, 22′

, 22″

) approach one another over at least a section of the mirror arrangement along a direction of travel (LT) of the light downstream from a point of entry (PE) of the light (L) into the mirror arrangement (201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206).

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the first mirror surface (21) and the second mirror surface (22) are planar along the direction of transport (OT) and are positioned at an angle to one another.

7. A system according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the mirror surfaces (21′

, 21″

, 22′

, 22″

) is curved so that at least a section of the mirror surface (21′

, 21″

, 22′

, 22″

) from a point of entry (PE) of the light is curved inwards towards the objects (O) traveling on the production line (P).

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the mirror arrangement (201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206) is constructed such that the light (L) entering the mirror arrangement (201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206) first travels in a first direction of travel (LT) of the light downstream from a point of entry (PE) of the light, and the direction of travel (LT) of the light is reversed after a certain distance in the mirror arrangement (201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206) downstream from the point of entry (PE) of the light.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the mirror arrangement (203, 204) comprises a mirror surface region (25, 26) that is arranged to reflect the light (L) essentially in the opposite direction.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein the first mirror surface (21) and/or the second mirror surface (22) are curved laterally with respect to the direction of transport (OT).

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein the mirror arrangement (201, 205, 206) comprises a plurality of stages (201a, 201b, 205a, 205b, 206a, 206b) along the production line, whereby each stage (201a, 201b, 205a, 205b, 206a, 206b) comprises a first mirror surface (21, 21′

, 21″

) and an opposite second mirror surface (22, 22′

, 22″

) along a section of the production line (P).

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein the light (L) of at least a group of the lasers (40) of the radiation device (30) is focused to direct the light (L) into the mirror arrangement (201, 205, 206) such that the light rays are focused in or near a light entry opening (29) of the mirror arrangement (201, 205, 206).

13. A system according to claim 1, wherein the radiation device (30) comprises a plurality of Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers (40, 50).

14. A system (10) for heating an object (O) during a thermal treatment process in a production line (P) comprising a radiation device (30) comprising a plurality of Vertical-Extended-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (40) for generating infrared light (L), which radiation device (30) is constructed and arranged with respect to the production line (P) so that the infrared light (L) heats the objects (O) being transported along the production line (P).

15. A method for heating objects (O) during a thermal treatment process in a production line (P)

wherein the objects (O) are transported in a transport direction (OT) along the production line (P) between a first mirror surface (21, 21′

, 21″

) and a second mirror surface (22, 22′

, 22″

) of a mirror arrangement (201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206), which first mirror surface (21, 21′

, 21″

) and second mirror surface (22, 22′

, 22″

) are arranged at opposite sides along at least a section of the production line,

wherein light is generated by a number of lasers of a radiation device (30),

wherein the generated light (L) is directed into the mirror arrangement (201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206) such that the main direction (R) of light (L) that enters the mirror arrangement (201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206) is directed towards the first mirror surface (21, 21′

, 21″

) at an angle to the production line (P), and the mirror arrangement (201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206) is constructed such that the light (L) subsequently undergoes multiple reflections between the mirror surfaces (21, 22, 21′

, 22′

, 21″

, 22″

) so that a series of multiple reflections of the light (L) travels in the transport direction (OT) along at least a section of the mirror surface (21, 22, 21′

, 22′

, 21″

, 22″

) or travels against the transport direction (OT) along at least a section of the mirror surface (21, 22, 21′

, 22′

, 21″

, 22″

) and heats the objects (O) being transported between the mirror surfaces (21, 22, 21′

, 22′

, 21″

, 22″

).

16. A method for heating an object (O) during a thermal treatment process, in a production line (P) comprising the steps of generating infrared light (L) using a plurality of Vertical-Extended-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers (40) at a number of stages in the production line (P), and directing the infrared light (L) in a predefined manner onto the object (O) to be heated.