Low-humidity working apparatus

Details Low-humidity working apparatus Low-humidity working apparatus

2000-06-01

2001-06-26

Doerrler, William (Department: 3744)

Refrigeration

Atmosphere and sorbent contacting type

C062S331000, C062S336000, C062S407000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06250095

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an apparatus which implements a working space with low humidity, a dew point in which is −20° C. or less, and with high workability.
BACKGROUND ART
A working space with low humidity is needed for production of a lithium-ion battery, for example. In this low-humidity working space, a caulking operation of a member containing lithium or the like is conducted. Lithium ions are converted into lithium metal by overcharge, which metal is converted into Li
3
N through chemical reaction in the presence of water vapor, so that the working space must be kept at low humidity.
In the case where the worker goes into the low-humidity working space, his (her) eyes get dry, the mucous membrane of his (her) nose and his (her) lips get cracked, and he/she easily gets infected with a common cold virus. Further, due to sweat of the worker, it is difficult to retain low-humidity condition.
A prior art which solves these problems is shown in FIG.
15
. This prior art is called a glove box, wherein a hermetic housing
2
provided with two flexible gloves
1
is equipped with a transparent glass plate
3
for viewing the interior working space and a pass box
4
placed alongside the housing, so as to be capable of opening/closing and hermetic. The glass plate
3
or the pass box
4
is opened, an item to work with is placed in the housing
2
, and thereafter the glass plate
3
or the pass box
4
is hermetically closed. After the air in the housing
2
is forcefully exhausted by a vacuum pump mounted additionally, a dry inert gas such as argon is encapsulated from a pressuring reservoir
5
into the housing up to the normal pressure, which is the atmospheric pressure. The worker can insert his(her) hands and forearms in the gloves
1
, and work with the item placed in the housing
2
under low humidity condition.
New problems in the prior art shown in
FIG. 15
will be described. An inert gas such as argon is encapsulated into the working space in the housing
2
, and the gloves
1
are provided in order to keep the encapsulated gas from dissipated into the atmosphere and outside air from entering the working space. Therefore, the worker needs to work via the gloves
1
, with the result that the workability is lowered.
Further, every time an item is placed in and taken out of the working space of the housing
2
, it is needed to forcefully exhaust the air in the working space and replace the inert gas such as argon, with the result that the workability is lowered.
An object of the invention is to provide a low-humidity working apparatus which has been improved so as to allow an operation in a working space with low humidity at an excellent workability.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a low-humidity working apparatus comprising:
(a) a housing
8
which forms a working chamber
9
, the housing having a surrounding wall provided with an operating hole
30
through which a worker is allowed to insert both of his (her) upper limbs into the housing
8
, at least a portion of the housing in a vicinity above or alongside the operating hole
30
transmitting light;
(b) a dehumidifying apparatus
18
for lowering a dew point of air in the working chamber
9
to −20° C. or less, including dehumidifying means
42
for dehumidifying air supplied from the operating chamber, and circulating means for circulating the dehumidified air by returning to the working chamber
9
; and
(c) air supply means for supplying outside air to the dehumidifying means
42
to keep the working chamber
9
at positive pressure.
According to the invention, the housing
8
forms the working chamber
9
serving as a low-humidity working space, the dehumidifying means dehumidifies the air coming from the working chamber
9
, and the air thus dehumidified is circulated by returning to the working space
9
. Thus, the interior of the working chamber
9
is kept to be a low-humidity space at high efficiency. The dew point of the air in the working chamber
9
is lowered to −20° C. or less, and determined in the range of −20° C. to −70° C., for example. Under low-humidity condition with such a low dew point, in the case where the worker goes inside, he/she comes upon a situation as mentioned above such that his (her) eyes get dry, the mucous membrane of his (her) nose and his (her) lips get cracked, and he/she easily gets infected with a common cold virus. The worker can insert both of his(her) upper limbs into the working chamber
9
through the operating hole
30
formed on the surrounding wall, thereby conducting an operation in the working chamber
9
. Therefore, the worker's eyes would not come in contact with the air in the low-humidity working chamber
9
, the mucous membrane of his(her) nose and his (her) lips would not get dry or cracked, and he/she would not get infected with a common cold virus.
Further, in order to keep the working chamber
9
at positive pressure, air is supplied from outside to the dehumidifying means
42
. That is to say, the working chamber
9
is kept at slightly higher pressure, for example, at a pressure of 0.5-10 mmH
2
O higher than the atmospheric pressure. Therefore, it is possible to minimize the amount of air entering the working chamber
9
through the operating hole
30
. Thus, the humidity in the working chamber
9
is kept low at all times.
The operating hole
30
is formed so as to be laterally elongated, for example, and is capable of letting both the upper limbs in. Therefore, the gloves mentioned with reference to the prior art described above are not used in the invention, and hence the workability is excellent. Both the upper limbs may include only the worker's hands, or may include his(her) hands and forearms, or may include his (her) hands, forearms, and upper arms. Since both the upper limbs can be inserted at a time into the working chamber
9
through the inserting hole
30
, the workability is extremely good, and moreover, it is possible to bring an item, jig or the like into the working chamber
9
or take it out of the working chamber
9
through the operating hole
30
, which item, jig or the like should be subjected to various operations such as a caulking operation in the working chamber
9
. Also in consideration of this, the workability is excellent. Furthermore, as mentioned above, the working chamber
9
is kept at the positive pressure by circulating dry air which is circulated, so that it is possible to minimize the amount of the outside air entering the working chamber, at the time of inserting the upper limbs and an item, jig or the like and taking them out via the operating hole
30
.
In order to allow the worker to view working status in the working chamber
9
from outside, at least a portion of the housing in a vicinity above or alongside the operating hole
30
is made to transmit light.
Further, the low-humidity working apparatus of the invention is characterized in that:
the dehumidifying apparatus
18
and the air supply means include cooling means
48
,
58
, respectively, and
the air supplied from the working chamber
9
and the air supplied from outside are sent to the dehumidifying means
42
via the cooling means
48
,
58
, respectively.
According to the invention, the circulated air and the air supplied from outside are cooled by the cooling means
48
,
58
, and thereafter supplied to the dehumidifying means
42
. Thus, relative humidity at the entrance of the dehumidifying means
42
is higher, and dehumidifying efficiency is enhanced. The cooling means
48
,
58
are provided separately for the circulated air and the air supplied from outside, because these airs have different dew points.
Still further, the low-humidity working apparatus of the invention is characterized in that the cooling means is a compression refrigerating machine
41
which has two evaporators
48
,
58
arranged in parallel.
The cooling means according to the invention is preferably, but not limited to, the compression refrigerating machine
41
. In specific, when the working

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