DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PRESSURIZING ARTICLE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To avoid a pressure-loss as well as a thermal energy-loss, so as to shorten a time needed for a pressurizing/deaerating treatment, thereby ensuring an easy transportation of articles be treated. SOLUTION: Articles to be treated are not directly supplied into a treating-device, but received into a pre-pressurizing chamber 14 and sealed therein, followed by opening a gate 22 which links the pre-pressurizing chamber 14 with the treating-device so as to transport the articles into the treating-device. At the time of discharging, the treated articles are discharged from the gate 24 of the treating device, and transported into a depressurizing chamber 16 which has been in advance kept at substantially the same atmosphere as the treating-device 12. Then, the gate 24 of the treating device is closed and an internal atmosphere of the depressurizing chamber 16 is reduced to an ordinary temperature and a normal pressure. Subsequently, an outlet gate 28 of the depressurizing chamber is opened so as to take out the treated articles. COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI