Hollow board cooling apparatus

Abstract

A hollow board cooling apparatus is for cooling a formed hollow board and includes first and second cooling devices, a coolant-circulating device, and a temperature-controlling unit. Each of the first and second cooling devices has a main body, a cooling channel extending through the main body to form inlet and outlet openings for passage of the hollow board, and a coolant channel formed in the main body. The coolant-circulating device introduces a coolant into the coolant channels via coolant inlets, and retrieves the coolant therefrom via coolant outlets. The temperature-controlling unit controls the coolant-circulating device to cool the coolant when the board temperature is higher than a reference temperature.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hollow board cooling apparatus adapted for cooling a formed hollow board which is transported in a transport direction, comprising:
 a first cooling device;   a second cooling device disposed downstream of said first cooling device in the transport direction and spaced-apart from said first cooling device, each of said first and second cooling devices having a main body that is substantially board-shaped, a cooling channel that extends through said main body to form an inlet opening and an outlet opening for passage of the formed hollow board therethrough, a coolant inlet that is formed in an outer surface of said main body, a coolant outlet that is formed in said outer surface of said main body, a coolant channel that is formed in said main body and that is in fluid communication with said coolant inlet and said coolant outlet;   a coolant-circulating device introducing a coolant into said coolant channels of said first and second cooling devices via said coolant inlets for cooling the formed hollow board, and retrieving the coolant from said coolant channels via said coolant outlets for recycling the coolant; and   a temperature-controlling unit configured to generate an upper-limit reference temperature, to detect a board temperature of a section of the formed hollow board located between said first and second cooling devices, and to control said coolant-circulating device to cool the coolant when the detected board temperature is higher than the upper-limit reference temperature.   
     
     
         2 . The hollow board cooling apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said temperature-controlling unit includes a temperature detector for detecting the board temperature of the formed hollow board, and a comparator that is electrically coupled to said temperature detector for receiving the detected board temperature therefrom and that is operable to compare the board temperature with the upper-limit reference temperature. 
     
     
         3 . The hollow board cooling apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein said temperature detector is disposed adjacent to said inlet opening of said second cooling device. 
     
     
         4 . The hollow board cooling apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said coolant-circulating device is operable to heat the coolant, and said temperature-controlling unit is operable to further compare the board temperature with a lower-limit reference temperature and is operable to drive said coolant-circulating device to heat the coolant when the board temperature is lower than the lower-limit reference temperature. 
     
     
         5 . The hollow board cooling apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein said temperature-controlling unit is configured to detect a thickness of the hollow board and is operable to adjust the upper-limit and lower-limit reference temperatures based on the detected thickness. 
     
     
         6 . The hollow board cooling apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein said temperature-controlling unit is configured to detect a transporting speed of the hollow board along the transport direction and is operable to adjust the upper-limit and lower-limit reference temperatures based on the detected transporting speed. 
     
     
         7 . The hollow board cooling apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein said temperature-controlling unit is configured to detect an ambient temperature and is operable to adjust the upper-limit and lower-limit reference temperatures based on the detected ambient temperature. 
     
     
         8 . The hollow board cooling apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein said temperature-controlling unit further includes a reference temperature-generating module for generating said upper-limit and lower-limit reference temperatures. 
     
     
         9 . The hollow board cooling apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein, for each of said first and second cooling devices, said coolant inlet and said coolant outlet are respectively formed in two opposite surface portions of a top surface of said main body. 
     
     
         10 . The hollow board cooling apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein, for each of said first and second cooling devices, said coolant inlet is disposed away from said coolant-circulating device, and said coolant outlet is disposed adjacent to said coolant-circulating device.