Pump

Abstract

To provide a pump that is more economical, more compact, and has higher versatility.SOLUTION: A pump 10 includes a stator and a rotor 149. The stator and the rotor together form a pump stage 26 which is arranged in a pump housing 14. A rotational axis 151 defines an axial direction. The pump housing defines a pump inlet port 115 and a pump outlet port 117. The pump outlet port is formed to be laterally offset with respect to the rotational axis when viewed in an axial direction. The pump inlet port includes at least one air inlet opening 14, which defines an air inlet plane 18. The pump outlet port includes an air outlet opening 16, which defines an air outlet plane 20. The air inlet plane and the air outlet plane are flush or parallel with each other. Alternatively, the air inlet plane and the air outlet plane form an angle 40 greater than 90° to less than 180°.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pump, in particular a turbomolecular pump. [Background technology]

[0002] Many types of pumps, particularly turbomolecular pumps, have a stator and a rotor rotatable about an axis of rotation by an electric motor, the stator and rotor being disposed within a pump housing that defines one or more inlets and one or more exhaust ports.

[0003] The pump is used to pump a fluid from a pump inlet to a pump outlet, thereby forming a fluid flow through the housing of the pump. The fluid may be a gas or a liquid. The gas or liquid is used, for example, to create a vacuum in a recipient connected to the inlet. Moreover, applications are conceivable in which the inlet pressure of the pump is almost exactly the same magnitude as the outlet pressure. Thereby, the fluid may be pumped through components fluidically connected to the inlet and / or through components fluidically connected to the outlet. The components are provided at the customer's side.

[0004] The customer component may be, for example, a chamber of a metering device, etc. The inlet and / or outlet pressure acting upon operation of the pump may, for example, be in a range between the upper range of low vacuum and the middle range of medium vacuum.

[0005] Depending on the customer's application, different demands are placed on the pump: for example, it is often desirable for the pump to be as compact and economical as possible, but at the same time, the pump should also be powerful and have a long service life.

[0006] Furthermore, the pump's inlet and outlet should typically be as accessible as possible, so that the pump may be connected to components of the customer's structure in an uncomplicated manner. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a more economical, more compact and more versatile pump. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] This problem is solved according to the invention by the features of claim 1.

[0009] In particular, the problem is solved by a pump, in particular a turbomolecular pump, which comprises a stator with at least one stator element and a rotor with at least one rotor element drivable in rotation about a rotation axis by a motor, the stator and the rotor together forming a pump stage, the pump stage being arranged in a pump housing, the rotation axis defining an axial direction, the pump housing defining a pump inlet and at least one pump outlet.

[0010] At least one pump exhaust is axially offset laterally relative to the axis of rotation, i.e., the centers of the inlet and exhaust are side-by-side rather than axially overlapping, which simplifies the integration of the pump into many structures.

[0011] The pump inlet has at least one inlet opening, in particular exactly one inlet opening, which defines an inlet plane, and the at least one pump exhaust has at least one exhaust opening, in particular exactly one exhaust opening, which defines an exhaust plane. The pump inlet may have two or more inlet openings, each of which defines an inlet plane, and the at least one pump exhaust may have two or more exhaust openings, each of which defines an exhaust plane.

[0012] The inlet and outlet planes lie in the same or parallel planes, in other words the inlet and outlet openings have the same and / or opposite orientations relative to the axial direction.

[0013] Alternatively to this, the inlet and outlet planes form an angle greater than 90° and smaller than 180°, i.e. the inlet and outlet openings have different orientations relative to the axial direction. The angle may in particular occupy a value between 100° and 170°, in particular between 110° and 160°, in particular between 120° and 150°. The angle between the inlet and outlet planes is defined as a vertical angle greater than 90°.

[0014] The aforementioned design allows the components on the customer side to be connected to the pump in a particularly simple and space-saving manner. It may happen, for example, that the components are to be connected to the same side of the pump, where the pump inlet is also located. If a conventional pump is used in such an "over-corner application", in which the pump inlet and the pump outlet are located on opposite sides of the pump, the customer must first incorporate a suitable "bypass" that redirects the fluid flow so that the components can be connected. This can be cumbersome and expensive, and requires additional construction space. In an embodiment of the pump according to the invention, in which the inlet and outlet openings are laterally offset from each other on the same side of the pump, such a "bypass" is omitted.

[0015] Further embodiments are described in the claims, the specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0016] The inlet plane may be perpendicular to the axial direction, while in addition or alternatively the outlet plane may be perpendicular to the axial direction, although the inlet plane and / or the outlet plane may be oblique to the axial direction.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the pump outlet may be arranged above the first pump stage on the inlet side or in the region of the first pump stage on the inlet side, relative to the inlet direction of the fluid flow, as viewed from the side of the pump.

[0018] In particular, the pump has exactly one pump stage.

[0019] Additionally, the at least one pump exhaust may have exactly one exhaust opening, exactly two exhaust openings, or more than two exhaust openings, such that multiple components may be connected to the exhaust.

[0020] The pump is available in two pressure ranges: 0.01mbar (1Pa) and 100mbar (10 4 Pa), especially between 1 mbar (10 2 Pa) and 10 mbar (10 3 However, the pressure acting during pump operation may be in the range of 100 mbar (10 Pa) or less for certain applications. 4 The pressure may be greater than 1 mbar (1 Pa) or less than 1 mbar (1 Pa).

[0021] The rotor may have up to four rotor elements, in particular rotor blades. Additionally or alternatively, the stator may have up to four stator elements, in particular stationary vanes. It has proven particularly advantageous for the rotor to have up to four, preferably three, rotor elements and for the stator to have up to four, preferably three, stator elements. Moreover, other configurations may be selected for specific applications.

[0022] Furthermore, the pump may only have air cooling. In particular, the pump housing may have cooling elements, such as cooling fins and / or cooling pins, extending away from the pump housing. Additionally or alternatively, the pump may have active cooling, for example a blower, which generates an air flow that flows to the housing and / or to the cooling element, if present. The active cooling may also be liquid-based. Thus, the pump may have, for example, one or more cooling conduits and / or cooling channels, which may be provided around and / or within the pump housing, through which a cooling liquid, for example water, flows.

[0023] The pump may be a uniflow pump, ie, the pump does not have pump stages that operate functionally in parallel.

[0024] The pump may further comprise at least one side channel, at least one Holweck stage and / or at least one Siegbahn stage.

[0025] The pump inlet may have an inlet surface and at least one pump outlet may have an outlet surface, which may be 100% or more, 150% or more, 200% or more, 250% or more, or 300% or more of the inlet surface. In particular, the ratio of inlet surface to outlet surface may be 1:1, 1:1.5, 1:2, 1:2.5, or 1:3 or less.

[0026] Alternatively to this, the inlet surface may be 100% or more, 150% or more, 200% or more, 250% or more or 300% or more of the outlet surface. In particular, the ratio of inlet surface to outlet surface may be 1:1, 1.5:1, 2:1, 2.5:1 or 3:1 or more. This makes the pump particularly versatile in its use.

[0027] The inlet and outlet surfaces may be of approximately the same size, "approximately the same size" including a difference in surface size of up to 20%, preferably up to 10%, and particularly preferably up to 5%.

[0028] For a particularly space-saving configuration, at least one pump outlet may be formed as a slot with at least one curved side. In particular, the shape of the curved side may mimic the shape of the inlet opening. Preferably, the slot is configured at least partially like a circular segment, with both short sides of the slot running parallel to one another and both long sides of the slot having the same curvature and also running parallel to one another.

[0029] For a particularly robust construction, the pump housing may be formed in one piece, in particular the pump inlet and at least one pump outlet may be formed in a common flange portion of the pump, which significantly simplifies the connection of the pump.

[0030] However, the pump inlet and the at least one pump outlet may also be formed in separate housing parts of the pump housing, for example separate flange portions, which makes the pump more versatile in its use.

[0031] The invention will now be described on the basis of exemplary advantageous embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0032] [Figure 1] 1 shows a perspective view of a known turbomolecular pump; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 shows a bottom view of the turbomolecular pump of FIG. [Diagram 3] 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a turbomolecular pump taken along the section line AA shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the turbomolecular pump taken along the section line BB shown in FIG. 2. [Diagram 5] 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a turbomolecular pump taken along the section line CC shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 6] 1 illustrates, in cross-section, a pump according to various embodiments of the present invention; [Figure 7] 1 illustrates, in cross-section, a pump according to various embodiments of the present invention; [Figure 8A] 1 illustrates, in cross-section, a pump according to various embodiments of the present invention; [Figure 8B] 1 illustrates, in cross-section, a pump according to various embodiments of the present invention; [Figure 9] 1 illustrates, in cross-section, a pump according to various embodiments of the present invention; [Figure 10] 1 shows a top view of a pump according to an embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0033] The turbomolecular pump 111 shown in Fig. 1 has a pump inlet 115 surrounded by an inlet flange 113. To the pump inlet 115, in a manner known per se, a recipient, not shown, may be connected. Gas coming from the recipient can be sucked from the recipient via the pump inlet 115 and pumped through the pump to a pump outlet 117. To the pump outlet 117, an auxiliary vacuum pump, for example a rotary vane pump, may be connected.

[0034] The inlet flange 113 forms the upper end of a housing 119 of the vacuum pump 111 in the orientation of the vacuum pump according to Fig. 1. The housing 119 has a lower part 121, on which an electronics housing 123 is arranged laterally. In the electronics housing 123, electrical and / or electronic components of the vacuum pump 111 are accommodated, for example for operating an electric motor 125 (see also Fig. 3) arranged in the vacuum pump. The electronics housing 123 is provided with a number of connections 127 for accessories. Furthermore, a data interface 129 (for example according to the RS485 standard) and a current supply connection 131 are arranged in the electronics housing 123.

[0035] There are also turbomolecular pumps that do not have this type of attached electronics housing, but are connected to external drive electronics.

[0036] A ventilation inlet 133, in particular in the form of a ventilation valve, is provided in the housing 119 of the turbomolecular pump 111. Via the ventilation inlet 133, the vacuum pump 111 can be vented. In the region of the lower part 121, a sealing gas connection 135 (also called purge gas connection) is also arranged. Via the sealing gas connection 135, a purge gas can be fed into a motor chamber 137 in order to protect the electric motor 125 (see, for example, FIG. 3) against the gas pumped by the pump. In the motor chamber 137, the vacuum pump 111 accommodates the electric motor 125. In the lower part 121, two coolant connections 139 are also arranged. In this case, one coolant connection is provided as an inlet for the coolant and the other coolant connection is provided as an exhaust. A coolant can be introduced into the vacuum pump for cooling purposes. The further turbomolecular vacuum pump present (not shown) is operated exclusively with air cooling.

[0037] The underside 141 of the vacuum pump can be used as a base, so that the vacuum pump 111 can be operated vertically with respect to the underside 141. Moreover, the vacuum pump 111 can be fixed to the recipient via the inlet flange 113 and thus operated in a suspended state, so to speak. Furthermore, the vacuum pump 111 can be configured so that it can be operated even when oriented in a different direction than shown in FIG. 1. Vacuum pump configurations are also feasible in which the underside 141 can be arranged not only downwards, but also sideways or upwards. In this case, in principle, any angle is conceivable.

[0038] In particular, other turbomolecular vacuum pumps (not shown) that are present and are larger than the pump shown cannot be operated in a vertical position.

[0039] Various screws 143 are further arranged on the underside 141 shown in Fig. 2. By means of these screws 143, components of the vacuum pump, not specified in detail here, are fixed to one another. For example, a bearing cover 145 is fixed to the underside 141.

[0040] Fastening holes 147 are furthermore arranged in the underside 141. Via the fastening holes 147, the pump 111 can be fixed, for example, to a mounting surface. This is not possible with other existing turbomolecular vacuum pumps (not shown), in particular those larger than the pump shown.

[0041] 2 to 5 show a coolant line 148. In the coolant line 148 a coolant can be circulated which is introduced and discharged via the coolant connection 139.

[0042] As shown in the cross-sectional views of Figures 3 to 5, the vacuum pump has multiple process gas pumping stages for pumping process gas acting on a pump inlet 115 to a pump exhaust 117.

[0043] A rotor 149 is disposed within the housing 119. The rotor 149 has a rotor shaft 153 that is rotatable about a rotation axis 151.

[0044] The turbomolecular pump 111 has a number of turbomolecular pump stages connected in series to provide a pumping action. The turbomolecular pump stages have a number of radially extending rotor blades 155 fixed to the rotor shaft 153 and a number of stator vanes 157 arranged between the rotor blades 155 and fixed within the housing 119. In this case, each of the rotor blades 155 and the adjacent stator vanes 157 forms one turbomolecular pump stage. The stator vanes 157 are held at a desired axial distance from each other by spacer rings 159.

[0045] The vacuum pump further comprises Holweck pump stages arranged radially inside and outside one another and connected in series to provide a pumping action. There are alternative turbomolecular vacuum pumps (not shown) that do not comprise Holweck pump stages.

[0046] The rotor of the Holweck pump stage comprises a rotor hub 161 arranged on the rotor shaft 153 and two Holweck rotor sleeves 163, 165 with cylindrical flanks fixed to and supported by the rotor hub 161. The Holweck rotor sleeves 163, 165 are oriented coaxially with respect to the axis of rotation 151 and engage one another radially. Two Holweck stator sleeves 167, 169 with cylindrical flanks are further provided. The Holweck stator sleeves 167, 169 are likewise oriented coaxially with respect to the axis of rotation 151 and engage one another radially.

[0047] The pumping surfaces of the Holweck pump stages are formed by the lateral surfaces, i.e. by the radially inner and / or outer surfaces of the Holweck rotor sleeves 163, 165 and the Holweck stator sleeves 167, 169. The radially inner surface of the outer Holweck stator sleeve 167 faces the radially outer surface of the outer Holweck rotor sleeve 163, forming a radial Holweck gap 171, and together with this outer surface forms the first Holweck pump stage following the turbomolecular pump. The radially inner surface of the outer Holweck rotor sleeve 163 faces the radially outer surface of the inner Holweck stator sleeve 169, forming a radial Holweck gap 173, and together with this outer surface forms the second Holweck pump stage. The radially inner surface of the inner Holweck stator sleeve 169 opposes the radially outer surface of the inner Holweck rotor sleeve 165 while forming a radial Holweck gap 175, and together with this outer surface forms the third Holweck pump stage.

[0048] The lower end of the Holweck rotor sleeve 163 may be provided with a radially extending channel, through which the radially outer Holweck gap 171 is connected to the central Holweck gap 173. The upper end of the inner Holweck stator sleeve 169 may be provided with a further radially extending channel, through which the central Holweck gap 173 is connected to the radially inner Holweck gap 175. In this way, the multiple mutually interlocking Holweck pump stages are connected in series with each other. The lower end of the radially inner Holweck rotor sleeve 165 may be further provided with a connecting channel 179 leading to the exhaust port 117.

[0049] The pumping surfaces of the Holweck stator sleeves 167, 169 each have a number of Holweck grooves extending in the axial direction and spiraling around the rotation axis 151, while the opposing sides of the Holweck rotor sleeves 163, 165 are smoothly formed and pump the gas for the operation of the vacuum pump 111 forward in the Holweck grooves.

[0050] For the rotatable support of the rotor shaft 153, a rolling bearing 181 is provided in the area of ​​the pump outlet 117 and a permanent magnetic bearing 183 is provided in the area of ​​the pump inlet 115.

[0051] In the region of the rolling bearing 181, the rotor shaft 153 is provided with a conical splash nut 185. The splash nut 185 has an outside diameter that increases towards the rolling bearing 181. The splash nut 185 is in sliding contact with at least one scraping member of the working medium reservoir. In other existing turbomolecular vacuum pumps (not shown), instead of a splash nut, a splash screw may be provided. Since various configurations are thereby possible, the term "splash tip" is also used in the above context.

[0052] The working medium reservoir comprises a number of absorbent discs 187 stacked one above the other, which are impregnated with a working medium for the rolling bearings 181, for example a lubricant.

[0053] During operation of the vacuum pump 111, the working medium is transferred by capillary action from the working medium reservoir via the scraping element to the rotating splash nut 185 and is then forced by centrifugal force along the splash nut 185 towards the increasing outer diameter of the splash nut 185 towards the rolling bearing 181, where it fulfills, for example, a lubrication function. The rolling bearing 181 and the working medium reservoir are enclosed in the vacuum pump by a trough-like insert 189 and a bearing cover 145.

[0054] The permanent magnetic bearing 183 has a rotor-side bearing half 191 and a stator-side bearing half 193. Each of these has a ring stack, which consists of several rings 195, 197 of permanent magnets stacked axially one above the other. The ring magnets 195, 197 face each other forming a radial bearing gap 199, with the rotor-side ring magnet 195 arranged radially outward and the stator-side ring magnet 197 arranged radially inward. The magnetic field present in the bearing gap 199 induces a magnetic repulsion between the ring magnets 195, 197. This repulsion provides a radial support for the rotor shaft 153. The rotor-side ring magnet 195 is supported by a support part 201 of the rotor shaft 153. The support part 201 surrounds the ring magnet 195 radially outward. The stator-side ring magnet 197 is supported by a support part 203 on the stator side. The support part 203 extends through the ring magnet 197 and is suspended on radial struts 205 of the housing 119. Parallel to the axis of rotation 151, the ring magnet 195 on the rotor side is fixed by a cover element 207 connected to the support part 203. The ring magnet 197 on the stator side is fixed in one direction parallel to the axis of rotation 151 by a fixing ring 209 connected to the support part 203 and a fixing ring 211 connected to the support part 203. Between the fixing ring 211 and the ring magnet 197, a disc spring 213 may further be provided.

[0055] An emergency or safety bearing 215 is provided in the magnetic bearing. During normal operation of the vacuum pump, the emergency or safety bearing 215 runs free without contact and only engages if the rotor 149 is displaced too far radially relative to the stator, thus forming a radial stop for the rotor 149, so that a collision between the rotor-side and stator-side structures is prevented. The safety bearing 215 is configured as a non-lubricated rolling bearing and forms a radial gap together with the rotor 149 and / or the stator. The gap ensures that the safety bearing 215 is not engaged during normal pump operation. The safety bearing 215 engages during radial displacement, which is dimensioned to be sufficiently large so that the safety bearing 215 is not engaged during normal operation of the vacuum pump and at the same time is sufficiently small so that a collision between the rotor-side and stator-side structures is prevented in all circumstances.

[0056] The vacuum pump 111 has an electric motor 125 which drives a rotor 149 in rotation. The armature of the electric motor 125 is formed by the rotor 149. A rotor shaft 153 of the rotor 149 extends through a motor stator 217. A permanent magnet assembly may be arranged radially outwardly or embedded in the portion of the rotor shaft 153 which extends through the motor stator 217. An intermediate chamber 219 is arranged between the motor stator 217 and the portion of the rotor 149 which extends through the motor stator 217, the intermediate chamber 219 having a radial motor gap. Through the motor gap, the motor stator 217 and the permanent magnet assembly may magnetically interact to transmit a driving torque.

[0057] The motor stator 217 is fixed in the housing in a motor chamber 137 provided for the electric motor 125. Via a seal gas connection 135, a seal gas (also called purge gas, which can be, for example, air or nitrogen) can reach the motor chamber 137. Via the seal gas, the electric motor 125 can be protected against process gases, for example against corrosive parts of the process gas. The motor chamber 137 can be evacuated via the pump outlet 117, i.e. a vacuum pressure acts in the motor chamber 137, which is realized at least approximately by an auxiliary vacuum pump connected to the pump outlet 117.

[0058] A so-called labyrinth seal 223, known per se, may furthermore be provided between the rotor hub 161 and the wall 221 which defines the motor chamber 137. This in particular achieves better sealing of the motor chamber 217 with respect to the radially outer Holweck pump stages.

[0059] 6 shows an exemplary embodiment of a pump 10 according to the invention. The pump 10 may be a turbomolecular pump, although the inventive concept is not limited to this type of pump. The pump 10 has a pump housing 14 in which a stator and a rotor 149 are arranged, which together form a pump stage 26. The rotor 149 can be driven in rotation by an (electric) motor 125 about a rotation axis 151, which in this case defines an axial direction.

[0060] The pump housing 14 is formed with a pump inlet 115 and a pump outlet 117. The pump inlet 115 is arranged coaxially in the axial direction. However, the pump inlet 115 can also be arranged laterally offset in the axial direction, i.e. laterally to the axis of rotation 151. The pump outlet 117 is laterally offset in the axial direction and is located laterally to the pump inlet 115, the pump stage 26 and the axis of rotation 151. Furthermore, the pump outlet 117 is above the pump stage 26 with respect to the inflow direction 24 of the fluid flow 22. However, the pump outlet 117 can also be arranged laterally to the pump stage 26, i.e. in the region of the pump stage 26 when viewed from the side (see FIG. 7).

[0061] The pump inlet 115 has an inlet opening 14, and the pump exhaust 117 has an outlet opening 16. The inlet opening 14 has an inlet face 28 and defines an inlet plane 18. The outlet opening 16 has an outlet face 30 and defines an outlet plane 20. In the illustrated embodiment, the inlet face 28 and the outlet face 30 are substantially the same size. However, the inlet face 28 may be larger than the outlet face 30, or vice versa.

[0062] The pump housing 14 has a base body 44 and an outlet portion 46. In the illustrated embodiment, the base body 44 and the outlet portion 46 are integrally formed, i.e., they form the pump housing 14 of the pump 10. A pump inlet 115 and a pump outlet 117 are suitably formed in the common housing 14 of the pump 14, in particular they are formed in the common flange portion 36 of the pump 10 (see FIG. 10 ).

[0063] Moreover, it is contemplated that the base body 44 and the exhaust portion 46 may be separate housing portions of the pump 10. In such embodiments, the pump inlet 115 and the pump exhaust 117 may be formed in two or more different flange portions that connect to separate housing portions of the pump 10, such as the base body 44 and / or the exhaust portion 46 of the pump housing 14.

[0064] The configuration of the pump housing 14 described also applies to the embodiments described below.

[0065] The inlet plane 18 and the outlet plane 20 are at the same height in the axial direction, i.e., they are in or form the same plane 18, 20. Furthermore, the inlet plane 18 and the outlet plane 20 are perpendicular to the axial direction. In particular, the inlet opening 14 and the outlet opening 16 have the same orientation, i.e., they face in the same direction. This allows the inlet opening 14 and the outlet opening 16 to be accessible from the same side of the pump 10.

[0066] During operation of pump 10, a fluid flow 22 is created that has an inflow direction 24 as it enters inlet opening 14 and through pump stage 26, and an outflow direction 38 as it exits outlet opening 16. Inflow direction 24 and outflow direction 38 extend in opposite directions (or anti-parallel to one another) and parallel to the axial direction, i.e., fluid flow 22 makes a turn of approximately 180° from when it enters pump 10 until it exits pump 10.

[0067] The lower surface 48 of the base body 44 of the pump housing 14 is formed to be offset in the axial direction from the lower surface 50 of the exhaust port portion 46 of the pump housing 14. Moreover, a configuration in which both the lower surfaces 48 and 50 are flush with each other is also conceivable.

[0068] Furthermore, the pump 10 comprises a passive cooling portion. The passive cooling portion may be directly integrated into the pump housing 14. Alternatively, the passive cooling portion and the pump housing 14 may be constructed as separate components. For example, the passive cooling portion may be bonded to the pump housing 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the passive cooling portion comprises a number of cooling fins 52 extending away from the pump housing 14. Additionally or alternatively, the passive cooling portion may comprise a number of cooling pins (not shown). Additionally or alternatively, the pump 10 may comprise an active cooling portion, such as a cooling fan and / or a liquid cooling portion, in particular a water cooling portion.

[0069] The pump 10 shown in Figure 7 differs from the pump 10 shown in Figure 6 mainly in that the inlet plane 18 and the outlet plane 20 are parallel planes rather than being coplanar, i.e. the inlet plane 18 is axially offset relative to the outlet plane 20.

[0070] In the embodiment shown, the inlet plane 18 is above or in front of the outlet plane 20 in the inlet direction 24. However, configurations in which the inlet plane 18 is below the outlet plane 20 are also conceivable.

[0071] The pump 10 shown in FIG. 8A differs from the pump 10 shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 mainly in that the inlet opening 14 and the outlet opening 16 do not face in the same direction, i.e. the surface normals of the openings 14, 16 do not face in the same direction. In particular, the inlet plane 18 and the outlet plane 20 form an angle 40 that is greater than 90° and less than 180°. In the illustrated embodiment, the angle 40 is approximately 150°. However, the angle 40 may be greater or less than 150°. As shown in detail in FIG. 8B, the angle 40 between the inlet plane 18 and the outlet plane 20 is understood to be a vertical angle that is greater than 90°.

[0072] The fluid flow 22 established during operation of the pump 10 has an outflow direction 38 that is not opposite to the inflow direction 24, and the fluid flow 22 generally undergoes a change in direction of more than 90° but less than 180°.

[0073] The inlet plane 18 is perpendicular to the axial direction, and the outlet plane 20 is not perpendicular to the axial direction, i.e., obliquely positioned. However, configurations in which the outlet plane 20 is perpendicular to the axial direction and the inlet plane 18 is not perpendicular to the axial direction are also conceivable. Furthermore, both planes 18, 20 may be disposed obliquely to the axial direction.

[0074] The outlet opening 16 is located at least partially, in particular completely, below the inlet opening 14 in the inflow direction 24, when viewed from the side of the pump 10. However, it is also conceivable that the outlet opening 16 is located at least partially, in particular completely, above the inlet opening 14.

[0075] The pump 10 shown in Figure 9 differs from the pump 10 shown in Figures 6 to 8 mainly in that the pump exhaust 117 has two exhaust openings 16a, 16b.

[0076] The outlet openings 16a, 16b each have an outlet surface that is smaller than the inlet surface 28. In the illustrated embodiment, the ratio of the inlet surface 28 to the outlet surface is, for example, about 5:1, although of course this ratio may assume any value, in particular between 1:1 and 10:1 or between 1:1 and 1:10, in particular between 1:1 and 5:1 or between 1:1 and 1:5, in particular between 1:1 and 3:1 or between 1:1 and 1:3.

[0077] The outlet opening 16a defines a first outlet plane 20a that is coplanar with the inlet plane 18. The outlet opening 16b defines a second outlet plane 20b that extends parallel to the first outlet plane 20a and the inlet plane 18. Since all planes 18, 20a, 20b lie perpendicular to the axial direction, the normal of the inlet opening 14 and the normal of the first outlet opening 16a have the same orientation to the axial direction, while the normal of the second outlet opening 16b points in the opposite direction. In particular, the inlet opening 14 and the first outlet opening 16a are easily accessible from the inlet side of the pump 10, and the second outlet opening 16b is easily accessible from the side of the pump 10 opposite the inlet opening 14.

[0078] However, configurations are also contemplated in which the inlet plane 14, the first outlet plane 20a and / or the second outlet plane 20b are not perpendicular to the axial direction, i.e., are oblique.

[0079] The fluid flow 22 formed during operation of the pump 10 has an inflow direction 24 and first and second outflow directions 38a, 38b, each extending parallel to the axial direction. The inflow direction 24 and the first outflow direction 38a extend anti-parallel to each other, and the inflow direction 24 and the second outflow direction 38b extend parallel to each other. Thus, the fluid flows out from both the inlet side and the side of the pump 10 opposite the inlet 115, i.e. the fluid flow splits at the pump outlet 117.

[0080] The first exhaust port opening 16a and the intake port opening 14 are at the same height in the axial direction, although it is also conceivable that the first exhaust port opening 16a and the intake port opening 14 are positioned axially offset from each other.

[0081] The first exhaust opening 16a and the second exhaust opening 16b are arranged coaxially, i.e. their centers overlap in the axial direction. However, it is also conceivable that the first exhaust opening 16a and the second exhaust opening 16b are formed laterally offset from one another in the axial direction. The openings 16a, 16b may be identically configured or different in terms of shape and size.

[0082] In the illustrated embodiment, the pump exhaust 117 has two outlet openings 16a, 16b located opposite each other, however, the pump exhaust 117 may have more than two outlet openings 16, such as three, four, five or six or more outlet openings 16, each defining the same or parallel outlet planes 20 or defining an angle 40 greater than 90° and less than 180°.

[0083] 10 illustrates a top view of an exemplary embodiment of pump 10 having a flange portion 36. Flange portion 36 defines both inlet opening 14 and outlet opening 16. Flange portion 36 is integrally formed with pump housing 14. However, flange portion 36 may be configured as a separate housing component of pump housing 14, i.e., pump housing 14 may be formed from two or more portions.

[0084] The outlet opening 14 is circular and has its centre located on the axis of rotation 151. The outlet opening 16 is laterally offset beside the inlet opening 14 and is formed as a slot 32 having two parallel curved sides 34 and two parallel straight sides 42. The curvature of the long sides 34 mimics the circular shape of the outlet 117, which makes the pump 10 particularly compact. In the embodiment shown, the ratio of the inlet surface 28 to the outlet surface 30 is approximately 3:1. However, this ratio can be adapted as required.

[0085] It is understood that the shape of the inlet opening 14 is also not limited to a circular shape. The inlet opening 14 may have, for example, a rectangular, in particular a square or an elliptical shape. Correspondingly, the shape of the exhaust opening 16 is also not limited to a slot shape with two parallel curved sides 34 and two parallel straight sides 42. Advantageously, but not necessarily, the shape of the exhaust opening 16 is configured complementary to the shape of the inlet opening 14. In principle, the embodiments of the inlet opening and the exhaust opening described above can also be applied to other embodiments of the invention.

[0086] Of course, any combination of the ratio of inlet surface 28 to outlet surface 30, the number of outlet openings 16, the axial orientation of the openings 14, 16 or the inlet plane 18 and the outlet plane 20, the relative positions of the openings 14, 16 with respect to one another and with respect to the pump stages, the relative positions of the lower surfaces 44, 46 with respect to one another, and the one-piece or multi-piece construction of the pump housing 14 in the various embodiments described may be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 111 Turbomolecular pump 113 Intake flange 115 Pump Inlet 117 Pump exhaust port 119 Housing 121 Lower part 123 Electronics Housing 125 Electric Motor 127 Accessory connection 129 Data Interface 131 Current supply connection 133 Ventilation Intake 135 Seal gas connection 137 Motor Room 139 Coolant Connection 141 Bottom surface 143 Screw 145 Bearing cover 147 Fixed hole 148 Coolant Line 149 Rotor 151 Rotation axis 153 rotor shaft 155 Moving blade 157 Stator blade 159 Spacer ring 161 rotor hub 163 Holbeck Rotor Sleeve 165 Holbeck Rotor Sleeve 167 Holbeck Sterling Sleeve 169 Holbeck Sterling Sleeve 171 Holbeck Gap 173 Holbeck Gap 175 Holbeck Gap 179 Connection Channels 181 Rolling bearings 183 Permanent magnet type magnetic bearing 185 Splash Nut 187 Disc 189 Insert 191 Rotor side bearing half 193 Stator side bearing half 195 Ring Magnet 197 Ring Magnet 199 Bearing clearance 201 Support part 203 Support part 205 Radial Struts 207 Cover Elements 209 Support Ring 211 Fixing ring 213 Disc spring 215 Emergency or safety bearings 217 Motor Stator 219 Intermediate Room 221 Wall 223 Labyrinth Seal 10. Pump 12 Rotor elements 14 Air intake opening 16 Exhaust port opening 18 Intake plane 20 Exhaust port plane 22 Fluid Flow 24 Inflow direction 26 Pump Stage 28 Intake surface 30 Exhaust port surface 32 Slots 34 Slot curved edge 36 Flange part 38 Outflow direction 40 Angle between the inlet plane and the outlet plane 42 Straight edge of slot 44 Base Body 46 Exhaust port part 48 Underside of base body 50 Underside of exhaust port 52 Cooling fin

Claims

1. A pump (10), in particular a turbomolecular pump (111), comprising: a stator having at least one stator element; a rotor (149) having at least one rotor element (12) rotatably drivable about a rotation axis (151) by a motor (125); Equipped with The stator and the rotor (149) together form a pump stage (26), the pump stage (26) being disposed within a pump housing (14); the axis of rotation (151) defines an axial direction, the pump housing (14) defines a pump inlet (115) and at least one pump exhaust (117); At least one pump outlet (117) is formed offset laterally with respect to the axis of rotation (151) when viewed in the axial direction, the pump inlet (115) has at least one inlet opening (14), in particular exactly one inlet opening (14), which inlet opening (14) defines an inlet plane (18), the at least one pump outlet (117) has at least one outlet opening (16), in particular exactly one outlet opening (16), which outlet opening (16) defines an outlet plane (20), A pump (10), wherein the inlet plane (18) and the outlet plane (20) are the same plane or parallel planes, or the inlet plane (18) and the outlet plane (20) form an angle (40) greater than 90° and less than 180°.

2. 10. The pump (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the inlet plane (18) and / or the outlet plane (20) lie perpendicular to the axial direction.

3. 3. The pump (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pump outlet (117) is arranged above the first pump stage (26) on the intake side or in the region of the first pump stage (26) on the intake side, in relation to the inlet direction (24) of the fluid flow (22), as viewed from the side of the pump (10).

4. 10. The pump (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one pump exhaust (117) has exactly one exhaust opening (16), exactly two exhaust openings (16a, 16b), or three or more exhaust openings (16).

5. 10. The pump (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the pump (10) is operable in a pressure range between 0.01 mbar and 100 mbar, in particular between 1 mbar and 10 mbar.

6. 10. The pump (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the rotor (149) has four or less rotor elements (12), in particular rotor blades (155), and / or the stator has four or less stator elements, in particular stationary vanes (157).

7. 10. A pump (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the pump (10) has only air cooling, in particular the pump housing (14) has a number of cooling elements, in particular cooling fins (50) and / or cooling pins, extending away from the pump housing, and / or the pump (10) has active cooling.

8. The pump (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the pump (10) is a single-flow pump.

9. 10. The pump (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the pump (10) comprises at least one side channel, at least one Holweck stage and / or at least one Siegbahn stage.

10. the pump inlet (115) has an inlet face (28) and at least one of the pump exhausts (117) has an exhaust face (30); 10. The pump (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the outlet surface (30) is at least 100%, at least 200%, at least 300%, at least 400% or at least 500% of the inlet surface (28).

11. the pump inlet (115) has an inlet face (28) and at least one of the pump exhausts (117) has an exhaust face (30); 10. The pump (10) of claim 1, wherein the inlet surface (28) is at least 100%, at least 200%, at least 300%, at least 400%, or at least 500% of the outlet surface (30).

12. 10. A pump (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the pump outlets (117) is formed as a slot (32) having at least one curved side (34), in particular the shape of the curved side (34) mimicking the shape of the inlet opening (14).

13. 10. A pump (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the pump housing (14) is formed in one piece, in particular the pump inlet (115) and at least one of the pump outlets (117) being formed in a common flange portion (36) of the pump (10).

14. 13. The pump (10) of claim 1, wherein the pump inlet (115) and at least one of the pump exhaust ports (117) are formed in separate housing portions of the pump housing (14).

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