A vacuum gate valve

Abstract

The present invention discloses a vacuum insert valve, comprising a housing, a transmission assembly, a valve core assembly and a cylinder assembly. The housing is composed of an upper housing and a lower housing, and is provided with a guide track inside, along which the valve core assembly moves linearly. The valve core assembly comprises a metal support with a double-layer profile and a vulcanized sealing material thereof, which cooperates with two layers of sealing surfaces on the housing sealing flange to achieve sealing through soft-to-hard contact. The cylinder assembly comprises a cylinder barrel, a front cylinder head, a rear cylinder head and a piston, and the front and rear cylinder heads are respectively provided with protruding sealing members for buffering the movement of the piston; a buffer hole and a buffer screw are provided on the cylinder barrel to adjust the piston speed and achieve double buffering. The transmission assembly can achieve self-locking in the valve-off state. The vacuum insert valve has the advantages of low vibration, compact structure, adaptability to particle environments and reliable opening and closing under high pressure differences, and is suitable for vacuum sealing control systems in semiconductor equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of vacuum valves, and in particular to a vacuum plug-in valve. Background Art

[0002] Vacuum valves are core components for regulating airflow in semiconductor equipment manufacturing. They are particularly demanding in applications with molecular pumps, where they must meet stringent requirements for low vibration, compactness, and high reliability. Traditional vacuum gate valves generally employ the following technical solutions: 1) A rubber ring seals the valve core and body, with the seal depth controlled by the seal groove depth; 2) the valve core is equipped with a ball bearing and spring to assist in opening and closing; and 3) a cylinder-bellows-hinge mechanism is used for linear actuation.

[0003] However, the existing technology has significant defects:

[0004] Insufficient vibration control: When the valve core is opened and closed, the rolling contact between the ball and the groove generates mechanical shock, causing the molecular pump to be triggered and stopped by mistake;

[0005] Structural redundancy: The cylinder is directly mounted on the valve seat, resulting in an overly large axial dimension, making it difficult to adapt to a narrow space layout;

[0006] Reliability defects: The hinge mechanism is prone to jamming due to particle deposition, which may cause component wear.

[0007] The above problems seriously restrict the application of vacuum gate valves in high-end semiconductor equipment. There is an urgent need for an innovative solution that takes into account low vibration characteristics, compact design and high reliability. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum gate valve which has low vibration, compact structure, can adapt to certain particles and large pressure difference and has self-locking when closed.

[0009] The present invention is implemented by adopting the following technical solution: a vacuum gate valve, characterized in that it includes a housing, a transmission assembly, a valve core assembly and a cylinder assembly, the housing consisting of an upper housing and a lower housing, and having a guide track provided therein; the valve core assembly is disposed on the guide track and can move linearly along the guide track; the valve core assembly includes a metal support and a sealing material, the metal support having a two-layer profile, and the sealing material is vulcanized and molded along the two-layer profile of the metal support; the housing is provided with a sealing flange, the sealing flange being embedded in a valve hole reserved in the housing, the inner side of the sealing flange being provided with two corresponding sealing surfaces, and the sealing material of the valve core assembly and the sealing flange are sealed by soft-on-hard contact on the sealing surface;

[0010] Through the above structure, reliable sealing can be achieved by relying on the deformation and matching of the material itself without the need for an auxiliary spring structure and ball support, effectively reducing vibration during the valve closing process and improving the operating stability of the vacuum system.

[0011] The cylinder assembly includes a cylinder barrel, a front cylinder head, a rear cylinder head and a piston. The front cylinder head and the rear cylinder head are respectively provided with a front end seal and a rear end seal. The seals protrude from the end surface of the cylinder head and provide vibration damping and buffering when the piston moves to the end; a buffer hole is provided on the cylinder barrel, and a buffer screw is provided at the buffer hole for adjusting the moving speed of the piston, thereby achieving double buffering.

[0012] The above-mentioned double-buffer structure not only improves the smoothness of the piston's movement at the opening and closing end points, but also avoids the valve core's bounce caused by severe impact, thereby further reducing system vibration and extending the service life of the valve and related components.

[0013] Furthermore, the transmission assembly includes a transmission gear and a transmission rod. The front end of the cylinder assembly is connected to a rack, which is engaged with the transmission gear. One end of the transmission rod is fixedly connected to the transmission gear and is used to rotate with the gear.

[0014] This structure converts the linear force driven by the cylinder into rotational force, and accurately controls the linear motion of the valve core through a subsequent linkage system, simplifying the transmission path while improving the compactness of the structure.

[0015] Furthermore, a roller is provided at the other end of the transmission rod, and a strip hole is provided on the valve core assembly. The roller is located in the strip hole and moves horizontally in the strip hole during the rotation of the transmission rod, thereby driving the valve core assembly to move linearly along the guide track of the shell.

[0016] By restricting the movement of the roller in the strip hole, the rotational movement of the transmission rod can be efficiently and stably converted into the linear movement of the valve core assembly, avoiding problems such as sticking and wear introduced by complex structures such as swing arms and hinges.

[0017] Furthermore, when the valve is in a closed state, the transmission rod is parallel to the moving path of the valve core assembly to form a self-locking structure to prevent the valve core assembly from being displaced in a non-driven state.

[0018] This structure can realize automatic self-locking of the valve in uncontrolled conditions such as power failure and gas failure, preventing the air flow from misdirecting into the process chamber and ensuring safe and reliable operation of the system.

[0019] Furthermore, the cylinder is provided with symmetrically distributed air nozzle mounting holes, each air nozzle mounting hole is connected to the buffer hole through a connecting channel, the buffer hole and the air nozzle mounting hole are respectively connected to the inside of the cylinder, and the buffer hole is arranged at the connection between the cylinder and the front cylinder head and the rear cylinder head.

[0020] This distributed design can achieve progressive airflow buffering in the bidirectional stroke of the cylinder, thereby optimizing the gas pressure changes during the start and stop of the piston and improving movement stability and control accuracy.

[0021] Furthermore, the piston is provided with a sealing ring 1 and a sealing ring 2, the distance between the two is L2, the distance between the air nozzle mounting hole and the buffer hole is L1, and L1<L2, thereby realizing deceleration control at the end stage of piston movement.

[0022] The structural relationship between the air nozzle mounting hole and the buffer hole ensures a natural speed transition of the piston during the starting and ending stages, achieving slow start and stop, and effectively reducing structural impact and noise.

[0023] Furthermore, the surface of the upper shell is provided with a plurality of convex structures for improving the overall structural strength, controlling the deformation of the shell, and reducing the amount of material used while ensuring aesthetics.

[0024] By introducing a "bulge-type" structure as a reinforcement rib, not only the mechanical rigidity of the shell is improved, but also the manufacturing efficiency and appearance are taken into account. It is an optimal design scheme that takes into account both structure and process.

[0025] The vacuum gate valve of the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0026] Significantly optimized low-vibration control:

[0027] The present invention adopts a valve core assembly with a "metal support + double-layer vulcanized sealing material" structure, and by cooperating with a sealing flange with a double-layer profile, a direct "soft-to-hard" crimped seal is formed during the valve closing process. It does not rely on the steel ball to enter the positioning structure, and suppresses the transient vibration caused by the impact of the steel ball from the source, thereby meeting the molecular pump's stringent requirements for low vibration and avoiding production line alarms or shutdowns.

[0028] Achieve full-process buffer control and double speed reduction and vibration reduction:

[0029] The cylinder assembly not only features an adjustable cushioning screw for the first stage of cushioning, but also features protruding seals on the front and rear cylinder head ends, providing a second stage of flexible cushioning at the end of piston movement. Combined with the air path structure within the cylinder, this automatically decelerates at the critical point of the piston's ingress and egress, effectively reducing impact at the end of movement.

[0030] Compact structure, suitable for small installation space:

[0031] By placing the cylinder above the housing and adopting a "cylinder-rack-gear-roller" transmission mode, the linear motion of the cylinder can be efficiently converted into horizontal linear motion of the valve core. Without the need for complex hinges or bellows structures, the axial dimension of the valve is greatly shortened, making it particularly suitable for semiconductor equipment with limited space.

[0032] Stronger particle adaptability and high-pressure differential opening and closing capabilities:

[0033] The present invention uses roller-guide rail metal contact in the guide structure, supplemented by a dust-proof design, to avoid the spring hinge system's sensitivity to dust; in addition, the guide rollers arranged on both sides of the valve core assembly can offset the pressure differential force in the flange direction, allowing the valve to be reliably opened and closed under harsh working conditions such as high pressure differential.

[0034] Self-locking structure improves safety in case of power failure or gas failure:

[0035] By finally moving the transmission rod to a position parallel to the direction of valve core movement, the geometric configuration of the mechanism is used to achieve an automatic self-locking effect. Even if the external power is lost in the closed valve state, the valve can be kept closed, thereby improving system safety.

[0036] The shell is stronger, more beautiful and lighter:

[0037] The present invention adopts a "convex bulge profile" as a reinforcing structure. Compared with the traditional bulky reinforcement rib design, it can not only effectively enhance the rigidity and deformation resistance of the upper shell, but also has better appearance coordination and lighter structural quality, which is suitable for stamping mass production. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. The drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0039] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a vacuum flapper valve;

[0040] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the expanded structure of a vacuum flapper valve;

[0041] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional diagram of a vacuum gate valve in a closed state;

[0042] Figure 4 A cross-sectional diagram of a vacuum flapper valve in an open state;

[0043] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the cylinder assembly structure;

[0044] Figure 6 for Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the mid-DD section;

[0045] Figure 7 for Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the mid-CC section;

[0046] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the valve core assembly;

[0047] Figure 9 It is a schematic diagram of the flange sealing surface structure;

[0048] In the figure, 1-housing, 2-transmission assembly, 3-valve core assembly, 4-cylinder assembly, 11-upper housing, 12-sealing flange, 121-first sealing surface, 122-second sealing surface, 21-transmission gear, 22-transmission rod, 31-bar hole, 32-sealing material, 33-metal support, 321-first profile, 322-second profile, 41-front cylinder head, 42-cylinder barrel, 43-rear cylinder head, 44-piston, 45-buffer screw, 46-rack, 411-front end seal, 421-buffer hole, 422-connecting channel, 423-air nozzle mounting hole, 431-rear end seal, 441-sealing ring 1, 442-sealing ring 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more clear, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Generally, the components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the drawings herein can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0050] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as claimed, but rather merely represents selected embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments derived by persons of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are intended to fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0051] Example 1

[0052] like Figure 1-9 As shown, this embodiment provides a basic structure of a vacuum gate valve, comprising a housing 1 consisting of an upper housing 11 and a lower housing, a transmission assembly 2, a valve core assembly 3, and a cylinder assembly 4. The valve core assembly 3 is disposed within the housing 1, and a guide track is provided within the housing 1, enabling the valve core assembly 3 to move linearly along the guide track within the housing 1. The cylinder assembly 4 provides power for the movement of the valve core assembly 3. The piston 44 of the cylinder assembly 4 moves back and forth under the action of air pressure, and the transmission assembly 2 converts the linear motion of the piston 44 into rotational motion, and ultimately into linear motion of the valve core assembly 3.

[0053] The valve core assembly 3 includes a metal support 33 and a sealing material 32. The metal support is provided with two contours, namely a first contour 321 and a second contour 322. The sealing material is vulcanized onto the metal support with a specific cross-section along the two contours. The housing 1 is provided with a sealing flange 12 that mates with the valve core assembly 3. The sealing flange 12 is provided with two sealing surfaces corresponding to the metal support, namely a first sealing surface 121 and a second sealing surface 122. The sealing material 32 and the sealing flange 12 are squeezed against each other along the sealing surfaces to achieve sealing. The first sealing surface 121 mates with the first contour 321, and the second sealing surface 122 mates with the second contour 322. The direct "soft-to-hard" contact between the sealing material and the sealing surface achieves a low-vibration effect.

[0054] The cylinder assembly 4 includes a front cylinder head 41, a cylinder barrel 42 and a rear cylinder head 43. The front cylinder head 41 and the rear cylinder head 43 are respectively arranged at the two ends of the cylinder barrel 42, so that a closed space is formed inside the cylinder barrel 42. The front cylinder head 41 and the rear cylinder head 43 are respectively provided with a front end seal 411 and a rear end seal 431. The front cylinder head 41 and the rear cylinder head 43 are sealed with the cylinder barrel 42 by the front end seal 411 and the rear end seal 431 respectively. At the same time, the front end seal 411 and the rear end seal 431 protrude from a part of the end surface of the front cylinder head 41 and the rear cylinder head 43 respectively, so that vibration reduction can be achieved when the piston 44 moves to the two ends of the cylinder.

[0055] At the same time, the air inlet and outlet of the cylinder assembly 4 are both provided with buffer holes 421 and are installed with buffer screws 45, which are used to adjust the moving speed of the piston 44. The front end seal 411 and the rear end seal 431 and the buffer screw 45 achieve a double buffering effect. Example 2

[0056] This embodiment is a further optimization based on the embodiment 1, specifically:

[0057] The transmission assembly 2 includes a transmission gear 21 and a transmission rod 22. The front end of the cylinder assembly 4 is connected to a rack 46, which is driven by the cylinder assembly 4 to move forward and backward. The rack 46 is engaged with the transmission gear 21, and the transmission gear 21 is driven to rotate by the rack 46. One end of the transmission rod 22 is fixed on the transmission gear 21, and the transmission rod 22 is driven to rotate by the transmission gear 21. A roller is provided at the other end of the transmission rod 22, and a strip hole 31 is provided on the valve core assembly 3. The roller is located in the strip hole 31. During the rotation of the transmission rod 22, the roller is driven to move along an arc. At this time, the roller moves horizontally in the strip hole 31 in the horizontal direction, thereby driving the valve core assembly 3 as a whole to make a linear motion along the guide track in the shell 1.

[0058] Guide wheels are provided on both sides of the valve core assembly 3. These wheels cooperate with guide rails provided within the housing 1 to achieve smoother guidance. The guide rails are provided on both sides of the housing 1 and are arranged perpendicular to the strip-shaped holes 31. The guide wheels also overcome the force generated by the axial pressure difference of the flange, ensuring the linear motion of the valve core. Furthermore, the double-sealed valve core eliminates the need for a "valve propped open by a steel ball," allowing the valve to open and close under high pressure differentials.

[0059] like Figure 3 As shown, when the valve is in the closed state, the transmission rod 22 is parallel to the moving path of the valve core assembly 3, and the moving path is the movement path in the moving direction defined by the guide wheel and the guide track set in the shell 1, thereby achieving self-locking in the closed state.

[0060] like Figure 4 As shown, the cylinder assembly 4 drives the transmission rod 22 to rotate counterclockwise through the rack 46 and the transmission gear 21 to drive the valve core assembly 3 to move from bottom to top and enter the valve opening state. Example 3

[0061] This embodiment is a further optimization based on the embodiment 1, specifically:

[0062] The cylinder 42 is provided with an air inlet and an air outlet, which are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the cylinder 42. The air inlet and the air outlet both include a buffer hole 421, a connecting channel 422 and a nozzle mounting hole 423, wherein the nozzle mounting hole 423 and the buffer hole 421 are connected through the connecting channel 422, and the nozzle mounting hole 423 and the buffer hole 421 are respectively connected to the inside of the cylinder 42, and the buffer hole 421 is respectively arranged at the connection between the cylinder 42 and the front cylinder head 41 and the rear cylinder head 43, and the distance between the nozzle mounting hole 423 and the buffer hole 421 is L1.

[0063] The piston 44 is provided with a sealing ring 1 441 and a sealing ring 2 442. The distance between the sealing ring 1 441 and the sealing ring 2 442 is L2. <L2。

[0064] like Figure 7As shown, when the piston 44 is located at the far right, the air nozzle mounting hole 423 on the right is closed by the piston 44, and air is introduced through the buffer hole 421 on the right. Due to the action of the buffer screw 45, the air is introduced slowly and the movement speed of the piston 44 is low. After the piston 44 moves a length of L1, the air nozzle mounting hole 423 is connected. At this time, air is introduced through the air nozzle mounting hole 423, and the movement speed of the piston 44 is accelerated. Similarly, when the air nozzle mounting hole 423 on the left is closed by the piston 44, air can only be discharged through the buffer hole 421 on the left. At this time, the piston speed slows down again, thereby achieving that during the valve switching process, when the valve core assembly 3 moves to the end state, the movement speed of the valve core assembly 3 slows down, thereby achieving a low vibration effect. Example 4

[0065] This embodiment is a further optimization based on the embodiment 1, specifically:

[0066] The upper shell 11 adopts a unique "bump" structure, which saves materials and ensures aesthetics while also ensuring that the strength and deformation of the shell are within a controllable range.

[0067] The above embodiments describe the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The above embodiments and descriptions are merely illustrative of the principles of the present invention. Without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, modifications and variations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention should be within the scope of protection of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A vacuum gate valve, characterized by: The invention comprises a housing (1), a transmission assembly (2), a valve core assembly (3) and a cylinder assembly (4), wherein the housing (1) is composed of an upper housing (11) and a lower housing, and a guide track is provided inside the housing; the valve core assembly (3) is provided on the guide track and can move linearly along the guide track; the valve core assembly (3) comprises a metal support and a sealing material, the metal support has a two-layer profile, and the sealing material is vulcanized and formed along the two-layer profile of the metal support; the housing (1) is provided with a sealing flange (12 ), the sealing flange (12) is embedded in the valve hole content reserved on the housing (1), and the inner side of the sealing flange (12) is provided with two corresponding sealing surfaces, and the sealing material of the valve core assembly (3) and the sealing flange (12) are sealed on the sealing surface by soft-to-hard contact; the cylinder assembly (4) includes a cylinder barrel (42), a front cylinder cover (41), a rear cylinder cover (43) and a piston (44), and the front cylinder cover (41) and the rear cylinder cover (43) are respectively provided with a front end seal (411) and a rear end seal (431 ), the sealing member protrudes from the end surface of the cylinder head and provides vibration damping and buffering when the piston (44) moves to the end; a buffer hole (421) is provided on the cylinder (42), and a buffer screw (45) is provided at the buffer hole (421) for adjusting the moving speed of the piston (44), thereby achieving double buffering; the cylinder (42) is provided with symmetrically distributed air nozzle mounting holes (423), each air nozzle mounting hole (423) is connected to the buffer hole (421) through a connecting channel (422), The buffer hole (421) and the air nozzle mounting hole (423) are respectively connected to the interior of the cylinder (42), and the buffer hole (421) is provided at the connection between the cylinder and the front cylinder cover (41) and the rear cylinder cover (43); the piston (44) is provided with a sealing ring 1 (441) and a sealing ring 2 (442), and the distance between the two is L2. The distance between the air nozzle mounting hole (423) and the buffer hole (421) is L1, and L1<L2, thereby realizing deceleration control of the piston (44) at the end stage of movement.

2. A vacuum gate valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transmission assembly (2) includes a transmission gear (21) and a transmission rod (22). The front end of the cylinder assembly (4) is connected to a rack (46), the rack (46) is meshed with the transmission gear (21), and one end of the transmission rod (22) is fixedly connected to the transmission gear (21) and is used to rotate with the rotation of the gear.

3. A vacuum gate valve according to claim 2, characterized in that: A roller is provided at the other end of the transmission rod (22), and a strip hole (31) is provided on the valve core assembly (3). The roller is located in the strip hole (31) and moves horizontally in the strip hole (31) during the rotation of the transmission rod (22), thereby driving the valve core assembly (3) to move linearly along the guide track of the housing (1).

4. A vacuum gate valve according to claim 3, characterized in that: When the valve is in a closed state, the transmission rod (22) is parallel to the moving path of the valve core assembly (3) to form a self-locking structure, thereby preventing the valve core assembly (3) from being displaced in a non-driven state.

5. The vacuum gate valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of convex structures are provided on the surface of the upper shell (11).

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