A manual transfer lever device for a vacuum cleaner and a method of transferring the same

Abstract

The application provides a manual transmission rod device for vacuum and a transmission method thereof, which comprises a transmission outer rod body, an inner driving rod, a one-way follow-up rotating mechanism, a front flange, a connecting piece and a sample disc; the transmission outer rod body is fixedly connected with an external buffer chamber through the front flange, the inner driving rod is rotationally connected with the transmission outer rod body through the one-way follow-up rotating mechanism, the inner driving rod is connected with the front flange through a dynamic sealing assembly, and the inner driving rod is provided with the connecting piece at the front end for locking or unlocking the sample disc; the manual driving of the inner driving rod in the forward rotation or reverse rotation can realize the intermittent one-way rotation of the connecting piece along the 90-degree groove of the transmission outer rod body in a single direction, and the locking and unlocking of the connecting piece and the sample disc are realized. The manual transmission can realize full mechanical non-magnetic parts, ensure that the whole mechanism is non-magnetic, and the pushing out and pulling back of the sample disc are realized by overlapping routes for operation, and the operation is simple.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vacuum and semiconductor transmission technology, and more specifically to a manual transmission rod device for vacuum and its transmission method. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of vacuum and semiconductor transport, especially in equipment such as scanning electron microscopes (SEM) or electron beam lithography (EBL) where the requirements for sample transport and exposure environment are extremely demanding, the performance of the transmission mechanism is subject to very high requirements.

[0003] In the prior art, a magnetic rod transmission device has been disclosed (see patent document CN219225377U). This patent uses a magnet on the outside of a rotating rod, utilizing the principle of like poles repelling and unlike poles attracting, to drive a sleeve assembly inside a vacuum environment to achieve rotation and axial movement. However, this technical solution has obvious limitations: First, the two functions cannot be combined under the same operation; second, its end uses two independent sleeve structures, and the two sets of rods move separately rather than in synergy, which limits its application in scenarios requiring complex and continuous trajectory transmission; third, this solution relies on permanent magnets, which inevitably generates a static magnetic field, which will interfere with the electron beam trajectory when used in electron beam equipment, leading to image distortion or positioning deviation, and cannot meet the stringent requirements of a non-magnetic environment.

[0004] In addition, another related technology (see patent document CN117721433A) proposes a drive rod that uses a welded bellows as a vacuum sealing element. This structure effectively solves the problem of vacuum leakage in dynamic seals, but the drive rod can only provide one degree of freedom of axial translation and cannot realize the rolling (rotation) or swinging action of the rod body. Its function is limited and it is difficult to meet the needs of complex motion.

[0005] In summary, existing technologies have the following problems in the field of long-distance manual transmission in vacuum: they lead to complex operation, are prone to errors, and cannot simultaneously meet the requirements of multi-degree-of-freedom composite motion and non-magnetization. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the present invention provides a manual transfer rod device for vacuum and its transfer method. The manual transfer can realize all mechanical non-magnetic parts, ensuring that the whole mechanism is non-magnetic. At the same time, the sample tray is pushed out and pulled back by overlapping routes, which makes the operation simple.

[0007] The technical solution adopted in this invention is as follows: A manual transfer rod device for vacuum applications includes an outer transfer rod, an inner drive rod, a one-way follow-up rotation mechanism, a front flange, a connector, and a sample tray. The outer transmission rod is fixed to the external buffer chamber via the front flange. The inner drive rod is rotatably connected to the outer transmission rod via a one-way follow-up rotation mechanism. The inner drive rod is connected to the front flange via a dynamic sealing assembly. The front end of the inner drive rod is provided with a connector for locking or unlocking the sample tray. The manual drive of the inner drive rod can rotate forward or backward, enabling the connector to rotate intermittently in one direction along the 90° groove of the outer rod, thus locking and unlocking the connector and the sample tray.

[0008] Furthermore, the connector includes a T-shaped post, a bearing, and a crossbar sleeve; the crossbar sleeve is fixed to the end of the T-shaped post, and bearings are provided at both ends of the crossbar sleeve; The sample tray is equipped with a hook, and the groove on the hook is adapted to the integral structure consisting of the crossbar sleeve and the bearing. The integral structure consisting of the crossbar sleeve and the bearing is located within the groove of the hook, and locking is achieved when the line connecting the crossbar sleeve and the two hooks of the hook are parallel to each other; unlocking is achieved when the line connecting the crossbar sleeve and the two hooks of the hook are perpendicular to each other.

[0009] Furthermore, the dynamic sealing assembly includes an adapter ring, an O-ring, a spacer ring, and a pressure ring; The adapter ring has a sealing groove for accommodating O-rings and spacers; both ends of the spacer are provided with O-rings and are pressed axially into the sealing groove by the pressure ring; the pressure ring is fixedly connected to the adapter ring, so that the outer O-ring transmits pressure to the spacer and the inner O-ring in sequence, forcing the O-ring to deform.

[0010] Furthermore, the unidirectional follow-up rotation mechanism includes a unidirectional bearing, a deep groove ball bearing, a drive sleeve, a rear pressure cover, and a handle; The drive sleeve is mounted on the ends of the inner drive rod via a one-way bearing and a deep groove ball bearing, respectively; the rear pressure cover is fixed to the end face of the inner drive rod, encapsulating the one-way bearing at the rear end; the handle is fixedly connected to the drive sleeve.

[0011] Furthermore, the front flange is mounted on the inner drive rod via a ball bearing bushing.

[0012] Furthermore, the outer rod of the transmission is provided with an axial groove for the handle to move, and the groove has three 90° grooves, namely a first groove, a second groove, and a third groove. The first groove extends in the opposite direction to the second and third grooves, and the end of the first groove to the beginning of the first groove is in the positive direction. The first groove is the position where the handle stops when vacuuming. The second groove is the reversing position when the connector is separated from the sample tray. The third groove is the connection position between the connector and the sample tray when the sample is ejected.

[0013] The present invention also provides a manual transfer method for vacuum applications, employing the aforementioned manual transfer rod device for vacuum applications, and the transfer method steps are as follows: When the buffer chamber is evacuated, the handle is locked in place at the end of the first groove. When sample tray transfer is required, the handle moves from the end of the first groove to the beginning of the first groove, and then pushes the sample tray forward along the axial channel until it reaches the beginning of the third groove. The sample tray is pushed to the designated position, and then the handle returns along the original path to complete the sample transfer process. When the sample tray needs to be returned to the buffer chamber from the designated position, the handle pushes the connector to the first end of the third groove, and then rotates to the end of the third groove. When rotated 90°, the integral structure composed of the crossbar sleeve and bearing is locked in the hook groove. When the handle returns from the end of the third groove to the first end of the third groove, the connector does not move, and the handle returns to the first end of the second groove, completing the sample removal process. When the sample tray needs to be detached from the connector, the handle rotates from the first end of the second groove to the end of the second groove. At this time, the connector rotates 90° with the handle, and the crossbar sleeve is perpendicular to the hook to unlock. Then the handle returns from the end of the second groove to the first end of the second groove, and the connector remains stationary, thus detaching the connector from the hook.

[0014] Beneficial effects: 1. The manual transmission of this invention enables the use of all mechanical non-magnetic parts, ensuring that the entire mechanism is non-magnetic. This is especially important in fields such as electron microscopes or electron beam exposure machines where the requirements for sample transfer and exposure environment are stringent. Secondly, this invention can unlock and lock while achieving mechanical transmission, realizing multiple functions under the same operation.

[0015] 2. The bearing designed on the connector of this invention can buffer the impact and prevent the generation of particles when it is locked and unlocked in conjunction with the hook.

[0016] 3. The inner drive rod and the front flange of this invention have a double dynamic seal. The radial shrinkage is small and dynamic sealing can still be achieved, avoiding O-ring wear.

[0017] 4. The outer rod of this invention is provided with an axial groove for the handle to move. The sample tray is pushed out and pulled back by overlapping routes. The foolproof design route has a unique path, is simple to operate, and has a novel structure. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a sectional view of the main structure of the manual transmission rod.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the dynamic sealing assembly.

[0021] Figure 4(a) is a schematic diagram of the connector structure, and Figure 4(b) is a cross-sectional view of the connector structure.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of a unidirectional follower rotary mechanism.

[0023] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the sample tray assembly structure.

[0024] Figure 7 This is for transmitting the main view of the outer rod.

[0025] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the axial channel on the outer rod.

[0026] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram showing the sample tray located in the buffer chamber.

[0027] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram showing the sample tray located in the sample chamber.

[0028] Among them, 100-the main structure of the manual transmission rod, 200-the buffer chamber, and 300-the sample tray assembly; 1001-One-way bearing, 1002-Handle, 1003-Deep groove ball bearing, 1004-Inner drive rod, 1005-Transmission outer rod body, 1006-Ball sleeve, 1007-Dynamic seal assembly, 1008-Front flange, 1009-Connector, 1010-Drive outer sleeve, 1011-Rear cover; 10071-Adapter ring, 10072-O-ring, 10073-Spacer ring, 10074-Pressure ring; 10091-T-shaped post, 10092-Bearing, 10093-Crossbar sleeve; 3001 - Sample tray, 3002 - Hook. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0030] This invention provides a manual transmission rod device for vacuum applications, such as... Figure 1 As shown, it includes a manual transmission rod structure body 100, a front flange 1008, and a sample tray 3001. The manual transmission rod structure body 100 includes an outer transmission rod 1005, an inner drive rod 1004, a one-way follow-up rotation mechanism, and a connector 1009.

[0031] The outer transmission rod 1005 is fixedly connected to the outer buffer chamber 200 via a front flange 1008. The front flange 1008 is welded to the front end of the outer transmission rod 1005. The buffer chamber 200 is connected to the sample chamber. The inner drive rod 1004 is rotatably connected to the outer transmission rod 1005 via a unidirectional follow-up rotation mechanism. The inner drive rod 1004 is connected to the front flange 1008 via a dynamic sealing assembly 1007. The front end of the inner drive rod 1004 is provided with a connector 1009 for locking or unlocking with the sample tray 3001. The connector 1009 is fixed to the blind plate at the front end of the inner drive rod 1004 by screws. Manually driving the inner drive rod 1004 to rotate forward or backward can intermittently rotate the connector 1009 along the 90° groove of the outer transmission rod 1005 in one direction, thereby locking and unlocking the connector 1009 with the sample tray 3001.

[0032] The unidirectional follow-up rotation principle of the unidirectional follow-up rotation mechanism of this invention is achieved by incorporating a built-in unidirectional bearing 1001. When the outer casing 1010 is manually driven to rotate in one direction, it drives the inner drive rod 1004 to move synchronously. When rotating in the opposite direction, differential rotation can be achieved because the unidirectional bearing 1001 does not obstruct the follow-up. Specifically, as shown... Figure 2 , Figure 5 As shown, the unidirectional follower rotation mechanism includes a one-way bearing 1001, a deep groove ball bearing 1003, a drive sleeve 1010, a rear cover 1011, and a handle 1002. The two ends of the drive sleeve 1010 are respectively mounted on the ends of the inner drive rod 1004 via the one-way bearing 1001 and the deep groove ball bearing 1003. The rear cover 1011 is fixed to the end face of the inner drive rod 1004, encapsulating the rear one-way bearing 1001 within it. The handle 1002 is fixedly connected to the drive sleeve 1010. The front flange 1008 is mounted on the inner drive rod 1004 via a ball bushing 1006, allowing the inner drive rod 1004 to move forward / backward axially while restricting its pitch and yaw four degrees of freedom.

[0033] like Figure 3 As shown, the dynamic sealing assembly 1007 includes a transition ring 10071, an O-ring 10072, a spacer 10073, and a pressure ring 10074. The transition ring 10071 has a sealing groove for accommodating the O-ring 10072 and the spacer 10073. Both ends of the spacer 10073 are provided with O-rings 10072, which are pressed axially into the sealing groove by the pressure ring 10074. The pressure ring 10074 is fixedly connected to the transition ring 10071, so that the outer O-ring transmits pressure sequentially to the spacer 10073 and the inner O-ring, forcing the O-rings 10072 on both sides to deform.

[0034] As shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), the connector 1009 includes a T-shaped post 10091, a bearing 10092, and a crossbar sleeve 10093; the crossbar sleeve 10093 is fixed to the end of the T-shaped post 10091, and bearings 10092 are provided at both ends of the crossbar sleeve 10093; Figure 6 As shown, the sample tray 3001 is provided with a hook 3002 to form a sample tray assembly 300. The groove on the hook 3002 is adapted to the integral structure composed of the crossbar sleeve 10093 and the bearing 10092. The integral structure composed of the crossbar sleeve 10093 and the bearing 10092 is located in the groove of the hook 3002, and locking is achieved when the line connecting the two hooks of the crossbar sleeve 10093 and the hook 3002 is parallel to each other. Unlocking is achieved when the line connecting the two hooks of the crossbar sleeve 10093 and the hook 3002 is perpendicular to each other.

[0035] like Figure 7 As shown, the transmission outer rod 1005 is provided with an axial groove for the handle 1002 to move, and the groove has three 90° grooves, namely the first groove, the second groove, and the third groove. The first groove extends in the opposite direction to the second and third grooves, and the end of the first groove to the beginning of the first groove is in the positive direction. The first groove is the position where the handle 1002 stops when vacuuming; the second groove is the reversing position when the connector 1009 is disengaged from the sample tray 3001; the third groove is the connection position between the connector 1009 and the sample tray 3001 when the sample is ejected. Figure 8 As shown, the end of the first groove is T1, the beginning of the first groove is T2, the beginning of the second groove is T3, the end of the second groove is T4, the beginning of the third groove is T5, and the end of the third groove is T6.

[0036] The present invention also provides a manual transfer method for vacuum applications, employing the aforementioned manual transfer rod device for vacuum applications, and the transfer method steps are as follows: like Figure 9 As shown, when the buffer chamber 200 is evacuated, the handle 1002 is stuck in the end T1 of the first groove and remains stationary, so that it will not move towards the buffer chamber 200 under pressure during evacuation.

[0037] When sample tray 3001 needs to be transferred, handle 1002 moves from the end T1 of the first groove to the beginning T2 of the first groove, and then pushes sample tray 3001 forward along the axial channel until it reaches the beginning T5 of the third groove. Sample tray 3001 is then pushed to the designated position, which is the sample chamber. Figure 10 As shown, at this time, the connector 1009 is not connected to the sample tray 3001. Then, the handle 1002 can be retracted along the original path to complete the sample transfer process.

[0038] When the sample tray 3001 needs to be returned to the buffer chamber 200 from the designated position, the handle 1002 pushes the connector 1009 to the first end T5 of the third groove, and then rotates to the end T6 of the third groove. When rotated 90°, the integral structure composed of the crossbar sleeve 10093 and the bearing 10092 is locked in the groove of the hook 3002, and the crossbar sleeve 10093 and the hook 3002 are parallel to each other. When the handle 1002 returns from the end T6 of the third groove to the first end T5 of the third groove, the connector 1009 does not move, and the handle 1002 returns to the first end T3 of the second groove, completing the sample removal process.

[0039] When the sample tray 3001 needs to be disengaged from the connector 1009, the handle 1002 rotates from the first end T3 of the second groove to the end T4 of the second groove. At this time, the connector 1009 rotates 90° with the handle 1002, and the crossbar sleeve 10093 and the hook 3002 are perpendicular to each other to achieve unlocking. Then the handle 1002 returns from the end T4 of the second groove to the first end T3 of the second groove, and the connector 1009 remains stationary, thus disengaging the connector 1009 from the hook 3002.

[0040] In summary, the above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A manual transmission rod device for vacuum applications, characterized in that, It includes an outer transmission rod, an inner drive rod, a one-way follow-up rotation mechanism, a front flange, connectors, and a sample tray; The outer transmission rod is fixed to the external buffer chamber via the front flange. The inner drive rod is rotatably connected to the outer transmission rod via a one-way follow-up rotation mechanism. The inner drive rod is connected to the front flange via a dynamic sealing assembly. The front end of the inner drive rod is provided with a connector for locking or unlocking the sample tray. The manual drive of the inner drive rod can rotate forward or backward, enabling the connector to rotate intermittently in one direction along the 90° groove of the outer rod, thus locking and unlocking the connector and the sample tray.

2. The manual transmission rod device for vacuum as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The connector includes a T-shaped post, a bearing, and a crossbar sleeve; the crossbar sleeve is fixed to the end of the T-shaped post, and bearings are provided at both ends of the crossbar sleeve; The sample tray is equipped with a hook, and the groove on the hook is adapted to the integral structure consisting of the crossbar sleeve and the bearing. The integral structure consisting of the crossbar sleeve and the bearing is located within the groove of the hook, and locking is achieved when the line connecting the crossbar sleeve and the two hooks of the hook are parallel to each other; unlocking is achieved when the line connecting the crossbar sleeve and the two hooks of the hook are perpendicular to each other.

3. The manual transmission rod device for vacuum as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The dynamic sealing assembly includes an adapter ring, an O-ring, a spacer ring, and a pressure ring; The adapter ring has a sealing groove for accommodating O-rings and spacers; both ends of the spacer are provided with O-rings and are pressed axially into the sealing groove by the pressure ring; the pressure ring is fixedly connected to the adapter ring, so that the outer O-ring transmits pressure to the spacer and the inner O-ring in sequence, forcing the O-ring to deform.

4. The manual transmission rod device for vacuum as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The unidirectional follow-up rotation mechanism includes a unidirectional bearing, a deep groove ball bearing, a drive sleeve, a rear pressure cover, and a handle. The drive sleeve is mounted on the ends of the inner drive rod via a one-way bearing and a deep groove ball bearing, respectively; the rear pressure cover is fixed to the end face of the inner drive rod, encapsulating the one-way bearing at the rear end; the handle is fixedly connected to the drive sleeve.

5. The manual transmission rod device for vacuum as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The front flange is mounted on the inner drive rod via a ball bearing sleeve.

6. The manual transmission rod device for vacuum as described in claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The transmission outer rod is provided with an axial groove for the handle to move, and the groove has three 90° grooves, namely the first groove, the second groove, and the third groove. The first groove extends in the opposite direction to the second and third grooves, and the end of the first groove to the beginning of the first groove is in the positive direction; the first groove is the position where the handle stops when vacuuming. The second groove is the reversing position when the connector is separated from the sample tray; the third groove is the connection position between the connector and the sample tray when the sample is ejected.

7. A manual transfer method for vacuum applications, characterized in that, Using the manual transfer rod device for vacuum as described in claim 6, the transfer method steps are as follows: When the buffer chamber is evacuated, the handle is locked in place at the end of the first groove. When sample tray transfer is required, the handle moves from the end of the first groove to the beginning of the first groove, and then pushes the sample tray forward along the axial channel until it reaches the beginning of the third groove. The sample tray is pushed to the designated position, and then the handle returns along the original path to complete the sample transfer process. When the sample tray needs to be returned to the buffer chamber from the designated position, the handle pushes the connector to the first end of the third groove, and then rotates to the end of the third groove. When rotated 90°, the integral structure composed of the crossbar sleeve and bearing is locked in the hook groove. When the handle returns from the end of the third groove to the first end of the third groove, the connector does not move, and the handle returns to the first end of the second groove, completing the sample removal process. When the sample tray needs to be detached from the connector, the handle rotates from the first end of the second groove to the end of the second groove. At this time, the connector rotates 90° with the handle, and the crossbar sleeve is perpendicular to the hook to unlock. Then the handle returns from the end of the second groove to the first end of the second groove, and the connector remains stationary, thus detaching the connector from the hook.

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