Electron beam irradiation device

Abstract

Provided is an electron beam irradiation device in which the structure of a vacuum chamber is simplified. An electron beam irradiation device (1) is provided with: a cylindrical vacuum chamber (10) that accommodates an electrode section (14) that generates an electron beam; and the vacuum pump (20) is used for exhausting air in the vacuum chamber (10), and an air inlet (22) of the vacuum pump (20) is connected with an air outlet (13) of the vacuum chamber (10).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electron beam irradiation device. Background Art

[0002] Electron beam irradiation devices are used in a wide range of fields, such as reducing the weight and improving the quality of automobile tires, improving the heat resistance of wire coatings, and sterilizing medical devices. For example, the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 below is a technology related to electron beam irradiation devices.

[0003] In the electron beam irradiation device described in Patent Document 1, an electrode portion is retractably supported by an electron beam irradiator.

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-300327 (published on October 27, 2005) Summary of the Invention

[0007] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0008] According to the electron beam irradiation device described in Patent Document 1, an extraction pipe 18 extending from the main body of the vacuum chamber 2 and constituting a portion of the vacuum chamber 2 is connected to a vacuum pump integrally formed with a portion of the vacuum chamber 2. However, since the extraction pipe 18 is bent and extended from the main body of the vacuum chamber 2, there is a problem in that the vacuum chamber structure becomes complicated.

[0009] An object of one embodiment of the present disclosure is to provide an electron beam irradiation device with a simplified vacuum chamber structure.

[0010] Technical means to solve the problem

[0011] An electron beam irradiation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a cylindrical vacuum chamber for accommodating an electrode portion for generating an electron beam; and a vacuum pump for exhausting the vacuum chamber, wherein an air inlet of the vacuum pump is connected to an exhaust port of the vacuum chamber. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] [ Figure 1 ] is a side view of the electron beam irradiation device disclosed in the present invention.

[0013] [ Figure 2 ] is a diagram for illustrating the effects obtained by the electron beam irradiation device disclosed in the present invention.

[0014] [ Figure 3 ] is a schematic side view of another electron beam irradiation device disclosed in the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Below, refer to Figure 1 In the following description, "up" and "down" refer to the direction of gravity as the downside and the side opposite to the direction of gravity as the upside. In the drawings, the downside is assumed to be the direction of gravity.

[0016] (Overview of Electron Beam Irradiation Equipment)

[0017] Figure 1 This figure shows a side view of an electron beam irradiation device 1 according to the present disclosure. The electron beam irradiation device 1 includes a cylindrical vacuum chamber 10 that houses an electrode unit (not shown) that generates an electron beam, and a vacuum pump 20 that evacuates the interior of the vacuum chamber 10. Each component is described below.

[0018] The vacuum chamber 10 includes a chamber body 11 , an emission window 12 , and an exhaust port 13 .

[0019] The chamber body 11 is hollow and tubular (e.g., roughly cylindrical), though not limited to a specific shape. An electrode unit is supported on the inner wall of one end of the chamber body 11. A DC voltage is applied to the electrode unit from a DC power supply, which is connected to an accelerating voltage monitor and an electron current monitor. The electrode unit, DC power supply, accelerating voltage monitor, and electron current monitor can each utilize known techniques, and therefore detailed descriptions are omitted here.

[0020] The vacuum chamber 10 includes an emission window 12, which emits an accelerated electron beam into the atmosphere below the chamber body 11. The electron beam emitted from the emission window 12 irradiates the surface of the object being processed. When the electron beam irradiates the surface of the object being processed, polymerization or cross-linking reactions occur in the irradiated polymer, which in turn activates (or destroys) cells. Utilizing this principle, the electron beam irradiation device 1 is used in a wide range of fields, including lightweighting and improving the quality of automotive tires, enhancing the heat resistance of wire coatings, and sterilizing medical devices.

[0021] exist Figures 1 to 3 In the embodiment, the emission window 12 is provided below the chamber body 11, but is not limited to a specific position and may be provided above or to the side of the chamber body 11. In the following description, the emission window 12 is assumed to be provided below the chamber body 11.

[0022] The vacuum chamber 10 has an exhaust port 13 connected to a vacuum pump 20 for exhausting (depressurizing) the interior of the chamber body 11. The exhaust port 13 is connected to an air inlet 22 of the vacuum pump 20. The exhaust port 13 may also be connected to the air inlet 22 of the vacuum pump 20 via a shielding portion 30. The ejection window 12 and the exhaust port 13 may be integrally formed with the chamber body 11. The exhaust port 13 and the air inlet 22 are not limited in shape, but are formed by flanges. The ends of the shielding portion 30 connected to the exhaust port 13 and the air inlet 22 are also not limited in shape, but are formed by flanges. Thus, the exhaust port 13 and the shielding portion 30, and the air inlet 22 and the shielding portion 30, can be connected by flange connections, respectively.

[0023] The vacuum pump 20 reduces the pressure inside the chamber body 11 to a predetermined vacuum level. The vacuum pump 20 can be a vacuum pump commonly used in electron beam irradiation equipment, such as a turbomolecular pump, an ion pump, a getter pump, or a cryopump. The vacuum pump 20 has an air inlet 22. The air inlet 22 is connected to the exhaust port 13 of the vacuum chamber 10. The air inlet 22 can also be connected to the shielding portion 30.

[0024] One end of the shielding portion 30 is connected to the exhaust port 13 of the vacuum chamber 10, and the other end is connected to the air inlet 22 of the vacuum pump 20, shielding the electrons (heat) emitted from the electrode portion. In other words, the air inlet 22 is connected to the exhaust port 13 via the shielding portion 30 that shields the heat emitted from the electrode portion. Specifically, the electrode portion housed in the chamber body 11 has a wire and a plurality of filaments branching from the wire. The chamber body 11 is depressurized to a predetermined vacuum level by the vacuum pump 20, and a high DC voltage is applied to the electrode portion from a DC power supply, thereby emitting thermally excited electrons from the surface of the filament. At this time, the shielding portion 30 shields the electrons that splash from the surface of the filament toward the vacuum pump 20. Taking strength and / or durability into consideration, the shielding portion 30 is made of stainless steel, as an example.

[0025] The shielding portion 30 is not limited to this and may be implemented as a flange with a water cooling function, connected to the exhaust port 13 at one end and to the air port 22 at the other end. According to this structure, the shielding portion 30 can reduce the temperature of the shielding portion 30 body caused by the heat supplied from the electrode portion by circulating water inside. Furthermore, the shielding portion 30 can also reduce the burning of the O-rings used to connect the exhaust port 13 and the air inlet 22, and / or the temperature increase of the vacuum pump 20 located downstream of the shielding portion 30, thereby effectively preventing damage to parts used in the electron beam irradiation device 1. Due to this effect, the vacuum state formed inside the vacuum chamber 10 is maintained in an appropriate state, and thus the shielding portion 30 is also effective in optimizing the vacuum.

[0026] Reference Figure 2 , and then the shielding portion 30 will be described.

[0027] exist Figure 1 In the figure, S represents the central axis of the cylindrical chamber body 11. The flange axis of the air inlet 22 of the vacuum pump 20 is coaxial with the central axis S. The so-called "flange axis of the air inlet 22" refers to the line (axis) passing through the center of the cross section of the air inlet 22 formed by the flange. The so-called "coaxial" means that the central axis S of the chamber body 11 is consistent with (or approximately consistent with) the flange axis of the air inlet 22. Figure 1 In the electron beam irradiation device 1, the air inlet 22 of the vacuum pump 20 and the exhaust port 13 of the vacuum chamber 10 have substantially the same diameter. The air inlet 22 of the vacuum pump 20 may not have the same diameter (substantially the same diameter) as the exhaust port 13 of the vacuum chamber 10. Figure 3 , and then the structure is described.

[0028] The structure of the electron beam irradiation device 1 of the present disclosure has been described above. Figure 2 The effects obtained by the electron beam irradiation device 1 will be described. Figure 2 It is a diagram for explaining the effects obtained by the electron beam irradiation device 1 .

[0029] exist Figure 2 In FIG, reference numeral 40 denotes electrons (light / heat radiation) emitted from the electrode portion 14. Reference numeral 50 schematically denotes an X-ray shielding portion that shields the electron beam irradiation device 1 from X-rays.

[0030] To facilitate understanding, we will first explain a conventional electron beam irradiation device. In such conventional electron beam irradiation devices (see Patent Document 1), an extraction tube extending from the main body of the vacuum chamber, constituting a portion of the vacuum chamber, is connected to a vacuum pump integrally formed with the chamber. In this case, the extraction tube curves from the main body of the vacuum chamber. This curve complicates the shape and / or structure of the vacuum chamber, making it difficult to manufacture a non-cylindrical vacuum chamber.

[0031] In contrast, in the electron beam irradiation device 1 of the present disclosure, the exhaust port 13 of the vacuum chamber 10 is directly connected to the air inlet 22 of the vacuum pump 20. Alternatively, the exhaust port 13 is connected to the air inlet 22 of the vacuum pump 20 via the shielding portion 30. Therefore, the electron beam irradiation device 1 eliminates the need for the conventional extraction pipe, and the shape and structure of the chamber body 11 (i.e., the electron beam irradiation device 1) can be simplified. The simplification of the electron beam irradiation device 1 can also achieve the following equiconfluence effects: a reduction in the installation area of ​​the electron beam irradiation device 1, a reduction in the material used to form the X-ray shielding portion 50 for shielding the electron beam irradiation device 1 from X-rays, and a simplification of the support structure surrounding the electron beam irradiation device 1, including the X-ray shielding portion 50.

[0032] Previously, the only countermeasure was to remove the lead-out tube from the vacuum chamber to reduce heat radiation from the electrode to the vacuum pump, thereby reducing the risk of vacuum pump failure. However, in situations where heat radiation to the vacuum pump is low, such as when there is a distance between the electrode and the vacuum pump, shielding 30 is not used. In situations where heat radiation is high, shielding 30 is used and improved, further reducing heat radiation to the vacuum pump.

[0033] Furthermore, the specifications of vacuum pumps used in electron beam irradiation devices have previously been determined based on factors such as the diameter and / or length of the lead-out tube. Therefore, in electron beam irradiation devices 1 that do not require a lead-out tube, other benefits can be expected, such as reducing the reduction in the exhaust capacity of the vacuum pump 20 or selecting a vacuum pump with lower exhaust capacity than before. If a vacuum pump with lower exhaust capacity can be selected, the installation area of ​​the vacuum pump can also be reduced. In this way, electron beam irradiation devices 1 can achieve various benefits, in addition to simplifying the vacuum chamber structure.

[0034] Next, refer to Figure 2 The structure and effect of the shielding portion 30 will be described. Figure 2 As shown, the air inlet 22 of the vacuum pump 20 may be connected to the exhaust port 13 of the vacuum chamber 10 via a shielding portion 30 that shields heat radiated from the electrode portion 14 .

[0035] The shielding portion 30 includes a plurality of inclined plates 31 inclined relative to the central axis S of the chamber body 11. The inclined plates 31 are supported on the inner wall of the shielding portion 30. The inclined plates 31 may be formed integrally with the shielding portion 30. The number of inclined plates 31 may be determined as appropriate.

[0036] exist Figure 2 In the embodiment, the injection window 12 is provided below the chamber body 11. In this case, the inclined plates 31 are not limited, but are formed in such a manner that the chamber body 11 side is higher and the vacuum pump 20 side is lower. Although not shown in the figure, in the case where the injection window 12 is provided above the chamber body 11, the inclined plates 31 are not limited, but are formed in such a manner that the chamber body 11 side is lower and the vacuum pump 20 side is higher. Alternatively, the inclined plates 31 may be provided so that the vacuum pump 20 cannot be seen from the electrode portion 14 and / or the vacuum pump 20 cannot be seen from the injection window 12. In order to realize the above structure, the angle and / or size of the inclined plates 31 may be appropriately set.

[0037] According to the above configuration, the shielding portion 30 can reduce heat transfer (heat load) caused by electron emission from the electrode portion 14 to the vacuum pump 20 , thereby reducing the risk of failure of the vacuum pump 20 .

[0038] When the heat radiation from the electrode portion 14 is small, the electron beam irradiation device 1 may not include the shielding portion 30. In the electron beam irradiation device 1, the shielding portion 30 is detachable.

[0039] (Another electron beam irradiation device)

[0040] Next, refer to Figure 3 Another electron beam irradiation device 100 of the present disclosure will be described. Figure 3 1 is a schematic side view of the electron beam irradiation device 100. Figure 1 The description of the contents described above will be omitted.

[0041] The electron beam irradiation device 100 includes a vacuum chamber 10, a vacuum pump 20, a shielding portion 30, and a conversion flange 70. The electron beam irradiation device 100 may not include the shielding portion 30. Figure 3 2 shows an example in which the electron beam irradiation apparatus 100 includes a shielding portion 30. The electron beam irradiation apparatus 1 and the electron beam irradiation apparatus 100 are different in the following respects.

[0042] In the electron beam irradiation apparatus 1 , the air inlet 22 of the vacuum pump 20 and the exhaust port 13 of the vacuum chamber 10 have the same diameter (or substantially the same diameter). Therefore, when the shielding portion 30 is used in the electron beam irradiation apparatus 1 , the exhaust port 13 , the air inlet 22 , and the shielding portion 30 are configured to have the same diameter (or substantially the same diameter).

[0043] In contrast, in the electron beam irradiation device 100, the air inlet 22 of the vacuum pump 20 and the exhaust port 13 of the vacuum chamber 10 have different diameters. Therefore, in the electron beam irradiation device 100, the air inlet 22 is connected to the exhaust port 13 via a conversion flange 70 for adjusting the diameter. Figure 3 In the example, the exhaust port 13 has a larger diameter than the inlet port 22, and the inlet port 22 and the shielding portion 30 have the same diameter (or substantially the same diameter). Therefore, the conversion flange 70 is configured so that the diameter on the exhaust port 13 side is larger than the diameter on the shielding portion 30 side. When viewed from the chamber body 11, the exhaust port 13, conversion flange 70, shielding portion 30, and the inlet port 22 are arranged in this order. If the exhaust port 13 and shielding portion 30 have the same diameter (or substantially the same diameter) and the inlet port 22 has a smaller diameter than the shielding portion 30, the exhaust port 13, shielding portion 30, conversion flange 70, and the inlet port 22 are arranged in this order when viewed from the chamber body 11. In this manner, even when the inlet port 22 and the exhaust port 13 have different diameters, the inclusion of the conversion flange 70 allows the inlet port 22 to be connected to the exhaust port 13. Consequently, the same effects as those of the aforementioned electron beam irradiation apparatus 1 can be achieved.

[0044] Then, as reference Figure 2 For explanation, consider the following case: in the shielding portion 30 of the electron beam irradiation device 100, the inclined plates 31 are respectively arranged in such a manner that the chamber body 11 side is higher and the vacuum pump 20 side is lower. Figure 3 As shown, if the central axis of the chamber body 11 is defined as S1 and the flange axis of the air inlet 22 is defined as S2, the flange axis S2 of the air inlet 22 is preferably positioned above the central axis S1 of the chamber body 11. "Above" refers to the side opposite to the direction of gravity (the upper side in the figure). With this configuration, the inclined plate 31, positioned higher toward the chamber body 11 and lower toward the vacuum pump 20, further reduces the thermal load on the vacuum pump 20, thereby alleviating the risk of failure of the vacuum pump 20.

[0045] The flange axis S2 of the air inlet 22 can also be positioned laterally relative to the central axis S1 of the chamber body 11. "Laterally" refers to a direction perpendicular to the direction of gravity (inward from the front of the drawing). This configuration reduces the thermal load on the vacuum pump 20 due to the inclined plate 31, compared to a case where the flange axis S2 of the shielding portion 30 is positioned below the central axis S1 of the chamber body 11, thereby reducing the risk of failure of the vacuum pump 20.

[0046] Furthermore, regardless of the presence or absence of the shielding portion 30, the flange axis S2 of the air inlet 22 can be configured to be displaced from the central axis S1 of the vacuum chamber 11 in a direction away from the emission window 12 of the vacuum chamber 11. Specifically, when the emission window 12 is provided below the vacuum chamber 11, the flange axis S2 of the air inlet 22 is positioned above the central axis S1 of the vacuum chamber 11, regardless of the configuration. When the emission window 12 is provided above the vacuum chamber 11, the flange axis S2 of the air inlet 22 is positioned below the central axis S1 of the vacuum chamber 11, regardless of the configuration. When the emission window 12 is provided to the side of the vacuum chamber 11, the flange axis S2 of the air inlet 22 is positioned laterally of the central axis S1 of the vacuum chamber 11, regardless of the configuration. According to the above configuration, the distance from the emission window 12 to the vacuum pump 20 is lengthened, and as a result, the heat load on the vacuum pump 20 can be reduced, thereby alleviating malfunctions of the vacuum pump 20 .

[0047] 〔Summarize〕

[0048] The electron beam irradiation device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a cylindrical vacuum chamber for accommodating an electrode unit for generating an electron beam; and a vacuum pump for exhausting the vacuum chamber, wherein an air inlet of the vacuum pump is connected to an exhaust port of the vacuum chamber.

[0049] Due to this structure, the electron beam irradiation device of the first embodiment of the present disclosure does not require the extraction pipe that was previously required as part of the vacuum chamber, thereby simplifying the vacuum chamber structure. Consequently, the electron beam irradiation device of the first embodiment of the present disclosure can also achieve further benefits such as reducing the installation area, reducing the amount of X-ray shielding materials, and simplifying the surrounding structure.

[0050] According to the electron beam irradiation device of the second embodiment of the present disclosure according to the first embodiment, the air inlet is connected to the air outlet via a shielding portion that shields heat radiated from the electrode portion.

[0051] According to the above configuration, the electron beam irradiation device according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure can reduce heat transfer (heat load) caused by electron emission from the electrode portion to the vacuum pump, thereby reducing the risk of failure of the vacuum pump.

[0052] According to the electron beam irradiation apparatus of the third embodiment of the present disclosure according to the second embodiment, the shielding portion includes a plurality of inclined plates inclined with respect to the central axis of the vacuum chamber.

[0053] According to the above configuration, the electron beam irradiation apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure can reduce the heat load on the vacuum pump, and as a result, can reduce the risk of failure of the vacuum pump.

[0054] According to the third embodiment, in the electron beam irradiation device of the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure, the plurality of inclined plates are provided so that the vacuum pump cannot be seen from the electrode portion or the vacuum pump cannot be seen from the emission window of the vacuum chamber.

[0055] According to the above configuration, in the electron beam irradiation apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure, the heat load on the vacuum pump can be further reduced by the plurality of inclined plates, and thus malfunction of the vacuum pump can be further alleviated.

[0056] According to any one of Embodiments 1 to 4, in the electron beam irradiation device of Embodiment 5 of the present disclosure, the flange axis of the gas inlet is coaxially arranged with the central axis of the vacuum chamber.

[0057] According to the above configuration, in the electron beam irradiation apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure, it is easy to simplify the vacuum chamber structure.

[0058] According to any one of the first to fourth embodiments, in the electron beam irradiation device of the sixth embodiment of the present disclosure, the flange axis of the air inlet is arranged to be displaced in a direction away from the emission window of the vacuum chamber starting from the central axis of the vacuum chamber.

[0059] According to the above configuration, in the electron beam irradiation device according to the sixth embodiment of the present disclosure, by lengthening the distance from the emission window to the vacuum pump, the heat load on the vacuum pump can be reduced, thereby alleviating malfunctions of the vacuum pump.

[0060] According to the sixth embodiment, in the electron beam irradiation device of the seventh embodiment of the present disclosure, the air inlet is connected to the air outlet via a conversion flange for adjusting the aperture.

[0061] According to the above structure, the electron beam irradiation device of embodiment 7 of the present disclosure can connect the air inlet and the exhaust port by using the conversion flange even when the diameters of the air inlet and the exhaust port are different from each other. As described above, the electron beam irradiation device of embodiment 7 of the present disclosure can achieve the above effect while having a high degree of design freedom.

[0062] The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the disclosed technical means are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, new technical features can be formed by combining the separately disclosed technical means.

[0063] Explanation of Figure Numbers

[0064] 1.100: Electron beam irradiation device

[0065] 10: Vacuum chamber

[0066] 11: Chamber body

[0067] 12: Ejection window

[0068] 13: Exhaust port

[0069] 14: Electrode

[0070] 20: Vacuum pump

[0071] 22: Air intake

[0072] 30: Shielding

[0073] 31: Tilt plate

[0074] 50: X-ray shielding part

[0075] 70: Conversion flange

[0076] S1: Central axis

[0077] S2: Flange shaft

Claims

1. An electron beam irradiation device comprising: The cylindrical vacuum chamber houses the electrode that generates the electron beam. as well as A vacuum pump for exhausting the vacuum chamber. The air inlet of the vacuum pump is connected to the exhaust port of the vacuum chamber.

2. The electron beam irradiation device according to claim 1, wherein The air inlet is connected to the air outlet via a shielding portion that shields heat radiated from the electrode portion.

3. The electron beam irradiation device according to claim 2, wherein The shielding portion includes a plurality of inclined plates inclined with respect to a central axis of the vacuum chamber.

4. The electron beam irradiation device according to claim 3, wherein The plurality of inclined plates are provided so that the vacuum pump cannot be seen from the electrode portion or the vacuum pump cannot be seen from the emission window of the vacuum chamber.

5. The electron beam irradiation device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The flange axis of the air inlet is coaxially arranged with the central axis of the vacuum chamber.

6. The electron beam irradiation device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The flange axis of the air inlet is arranged to be displaced in a direction away from the emission window of the vacuum chamber with the central axis of the vacuum chamber as a starting point.

7. The electron beam irradiation device according to claim 6, wherein The air inlet is connected to the air outlet via a conversion flange for adjusting the diameter.

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