Automatic flow control device for ultrapure fluids

Abstract

This utility model relates to an automatic flow valve adjustment device for ultrapure fluids, belonging to the technical field of fluid control. It uses a gripper assembly to tightly clamp the valve knob of a PFA plug valve, and a stepper motor drives the rotation of the valve knob via a coupling, achieving high-precision automatic adjustment of the valve opening. Simultaneously, the depth of the gripper's inner cavity matches the height of the valve knob, and the inner diameter of the cavity is larger than the outer diameter of the valve knob, enabling the gripper assembly to adapt to valves of different diameters. Ultimately, this solves the problem of precise automatic adjustment of large-diameter PFA valves in ultrapure environments.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of fluid control technology, and in particular to an automatic flow valve regulating device for ultrapure fluids. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of semiconductor manufacturing technology, the requirements for high-purity fluid control systems are increasing. This has led to the emergence of small-diameter PFA valves made from ultrapure materials. These valves possess excellent chemical inertness and extremely low contaminant release characteristics, meeting the stringent requirements for fluid cleanliness in semiconductor production processes. Consequently, they need to be paired with high-precision flow meters to achieve stable flow rate control. However, this type of valve cannot use pneumatic mechanisms to adjust the valve opening to regulate the flow rate.

[0003] In related technologies, an integrated method using a motor-driven needle valve is employed for regulation. However, there are still significant limitations on the applicable diameter. The mechanical structure and driving mechanism are difficult to expand, resulting in the inability to meet the high-precision flow control requirements of larger diameter valves. Utility Model Content

[0004] In response to the shortcomings of the existing production technology, the applicant provides an automatic flow valve regulating device for ultrapure fluids, thereby solving the flow regulation problem of PFA plug valves and meeting the flow regulation requirements of ultrapure fluids through valve opening control.

[0005] The technical solution adopted in this utility model is as follows:

[0006] An automatic flow valve regulating device for ultrapure fluids, comprising:

[0007] At least one PFA plug valve, the PFA plug valve having a valve knob;

[0008] The gripper assembly is connected to the valve knob;

[0009] A coupling, one end of which is connected to the gripper assembly;

[0010] The first stepper motor, wherein the rotating shaft of the first stepper motor is connected to the other end of the coupling;

[0011] A linear slide module is used to support the first stepper motor;

[0012] The second stepper motor is configured inside the linear slide module and is used to drive the first stepper motor to slide along the length direction of the linear slide module to change the distance between the gripper assembly and the valve knob.

[0013] The first stepper motor controller is electrically connected to the first stepper motor;

[0014] The second stepper motor controller is electrically connected to the second stepper motor;

[0015] The PLC controller is electrically connected to the first stepper motor controller and the second stepper motor controller.

[0016] As a further improvement to the above technical solution:

[0017] In one embodiment, the gripper assembly includes a gripper connecting rod, a gripper inner cavity, and a gripper locking screw; the gripper connecting rod is connected to one end of the coupling; the gripper inner cavity is used to accommodate and enclose the valve knob; and the gripper locking screw is used to lock and fix the gripper assembly to the valve knob.

[0018] In one embodiment, the depth of the inner cavity of the gripper matches the height of the valve knob, and the inner diameter of the cavity is greater than the outer diameter of the valve knob.

[0019] In one embodiment, the inner wall of the gripper cavity is provided with a plurality of circumferentially arranged threaded holes, and the gripper locking screw passes through the threaded holes and abuts against the valve knob to lock it.

[0020] In one embodiment, the linear slide module includes a slide, and the first stepper motor is disposed on the slide;

[0021] In one embodiment, the second stepper motor drives the slide to move along the length direction of the linear slide module.

[0022] In one embodiment, the PLC controller includes a pulse array output module; the pulse output port of the pulse array output module is connected to the pulse input terminal of the stepper motor controller; the pulse direction control port of the pulse array output module is connected to the pulse direction input terminal of the stepper motor controller.

[0023] In one embodiment, the output terminals of the first stepper motor controller and the second stepper motor controller are respectively connected to the A+, A-, B+, and B- poles of the corresponding stepper motor.

[0024] In one embodiment, there are two PFA plug valves, namely a first PFA plug valve and a second PFA plug valve; each PFA plug valve is respectively provided with a set of gripper assembly, coupling, first stepper motor, second stepper motor, linear slide module and corresponding stepper motor controller.

[0025] In one embodiment, the first PFA stopcock valve is a 1 / 4-inch valve, and the second PFA stopcock valve is a 1 / 2-inch valve.

[0026] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0027] This utility model has a compact structure. Through the mechanical structure of combining the gripper assembly with the stepper motor, it successfully realizes the precise driving and opening control of the large-diameter PFA plug valve, and solves the technical bottleneck of related technologies that can only automatically adjust small-diameter needle valves.

[0028] This utility model also has the following advantages:

[0029] This invention combines the precise control of a stepper motor and a PLC to achieve precise adjustment of the valve opening, thereby meeting the control requirements of industries such as semiconductors for the accuracy and stability of fluid flow.

[0030] The gripper assembly of this utility model ensures a firm connection between the drive component and the valve knob by matching the inner cavity of the valve knob with the shape of the valve knob and the locking screw, transmitting large torque and eliminating slippage during the adjustment process; together with the linear slide module for fine adjustment of the motor position, the drive mechanism can always be kept in the optimal meshing state, effectively avoiding motor idling and improving the reliability of the system. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model.

[0032] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention from another perspective.

[0033] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the gripper assembly and plug valve of this utility model.

[0034] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Sectional view of AA.

[0035] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the electrical connection of this utility model.

[0036] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model in another embodiment.

[0037] The components include: 1. First PFA plug valve; 2. Second PFA plug valve; 3. Gripper assembly; 4. Coupling; 5. First stepper motor; 6. Second stepper motor; 7. Linear slide module; 8. First stepper motor controller; 9. Second stepper motor controller; 10. PLC controller.

[0038] 101. First valve knob;

[0039] 301. Gripper connecting rod; 302. Gripper inner cavity; 303. Gripper locking screw. Detailed Implementation

[0040] The specific embodiments of this utility model are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0041] To facilitate understanding of this utility model, a more complete description will be given below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Preferred embodiments of this utility model are shown in the drawings. However, this utility model can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of this utility model.

[0042] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0043] When using the terms “including,” “having,” and “comprising” as described herein, another component may be added unless explicitly qualifying terms such as “only,” “consisting of,” etc. are used. Unless otherwise stated, singular terms may include plural forms and should not be construed as having a quantity of one.

[0044] It should be understood that although the terms "first," "second," etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of this invention, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element.

[0045] Furthermore, the accompanying drawings are not drawn to a 1:1 scale, and the relative dimensions of the components are shown in the drawings only as examples and not necessarily to actual scale.

[0046] like Figures 1-6 The accompanying drawing shows a schematic diagram of the structure of an automatic flow valve regulating device for ultrapure fluids according to an embodiment of the present invention; for ease of description, the drawing only shows the structure related to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] This application provides an automatic flow valve regulating device for ultrapure fluids. Through an electromechanical integrated drive mechanism, it realizes the control of the opening degree of the PFA plug valve to meet the high-precision regulation requirements of ultrapure fluid flow in industries such as semiconductors. The device includes a PFA plug valve, a gripper assembly 3, a coupling 4, a first stepper motor 5, a linear slide module 7, and a second stepper motor 6.

[0048] In some embodiments, the plug valve, as a core control element, is made of soluble polytetrafluoroethylene (PFA), which has extremely high chemical inertness, ensuring that ultrapure fluids are not contaminated when flowing through the valve.

[0049] Furthermore, the PFA plug valve is configured as two valves, namely a first PFA plug valve 1 and a second PFA plug valve 2; wherein, the first PFA plug valve 1 can be 1 / 4 inch in diameter and the second PFA plug valve 2 can be 1 / 2 inch in diameter, in order to adapt to different flow control requirements.

[0050] Each PFA plug valve has a valve knob at the top (taking the first valve knob 101 on the first PFA plug valve 1 as an example) for manually or by receiving external driving force to change the valve core position, thereby regulating the flow rate.

[0051] In some embodiments, the gripper assembly 3 connects the drive mechanism and the valve knob, specifically including a gripper connecting rod 301, a gripper inner cavity 302, and a gripper locking screw 303;

[0052] Furthermore, one end of the gripper connecting rod 301 is connected to the rotating shaft of the first stepper motor 5 via a coupling 4; the other end is fixedly connected to the gripper inner cavity 302.

[0053] The inner cavity 302 of the gripper is configured as a cavity structure that can accommodate and enclose the valve knob. The depth of the cavity matches the height of the valve knob, and the inner diameter of the cavity is larger than the outer diameter of the valve knob, ensuring that knobs of different sizes can be tightly enclosed. To completely prevent relative slippage during the drive process, multiple circumferentially arranged threaded holes are machined on the side wall of the inner cavity 302 of the gripper. By screwing in the gripper locking screw 303, its end directly abuts against the side wall of the valve knob, thereby achieving the fixation between the gripper assembly 3 and the valve knob.

[0054] In some embodiments, the first stepper motor 5 is an actuator that provides rotational driving force. It transmits torque to the gripper assembly 3 through the coupling 4, which ultimately drives the valve knob to rotate, thereby opening or closing the valve.

[0055] Furthermore, the first stepper motor 5 is mounted on the slide of the linear slide module 7.

[0056] In some embodiments, the linear slide module 7 and its built-in second stepper motor 6 together constitute a precision linear displacement adjustment mechanism;

[0057] Furthermore, the second stepper motor 6 drives the slide table to slide along the length of the module, thereby driving the first stepper motor 5 and the entire gripper assembly 3 on it to move together;

[0058] After initial docking or long-term operation, the axial distance between the gripper assembly 3 and the valve knob can be adjusted to ensure that the gripper inner cavity 302 can fit into the knob in the optimal position and always keep the coupling 4 in a good alignment state. This effectively avoids motor idling and torque transmission failure caused by misalignment or separation, and greatly improves the reliability and durability of the system.

[0059] In practical applications, the electrical connection structure of this application is as follows:

[0060] The electrical control system of this utility model includes a first stepper motor controller 8, a second stepper motor controller 9, and a PLC controller 10.

[0061] In some embodiments, the first stepper motor controller 8 is electrically connected to the first stepper motor 5, and is used to receive control commands and drive the first stepper motor 5 to rotate precisely;

[0062] Similarly, the second stepper motor controller 9 is electrically connected to the second stepper motor 6 and is used to control the start, stop and displacement of the second stepper motor 6.

[0063] Furthermore, the PLC controller 10 serves as the upper-level control core of the entire device and is electrically connected to the first stepper motor controller 8 and the second stepper motor controller 9; its internally integrated pulse array output module is responsible for issuing control pulses.

[0064] The specific connection is as follows: connect the pulse output port of PLC controller 10 to the pulse input terminal of stepper motor controller; connect the pulse direction control port of PLC controller 10 to the direction input terminal of stepper motor controller. The output terminals (A+, A-, B+, B-) of stepper motor controller are then connected to the two-phase windings of the corresponding stepper motor to form a complete closed-loop control chain.

[0065] In practical work, by programming the PLC controller 10, the motion parameters of the two stepper motors (such as the rotation angle and speed of the first stepper motor 5 and the displacement of the second stepper motor 6) can be set and controlled, thereby realizing the precise adjustment of the valve opening and the compensation of the position between the gripper and the valve knob.

[0066] In summary, the present invention has a reasonable structure. By adapting and fixing the valve knob with the gripper assembly 3, and by combining the gripper connecting rod 301 of the gripper assembly 3 with the stepper motor through the coupling 4, it successfully realizes the precise driving and opening control of the large-diameter PFA plug valve, and solves the technical bottleneck of related technologies that can only be adjusted for small-diameter needle valves.

[0067] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0068] The embodiments described above merely illustrate the implementation of this utility model, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the utility model patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this utility model, and these all fall within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A flow valve automatic regulating device for ultra-pure fluids, characterized in that, include: At least one PFA plug valve, the PFA plug valve having a valve knob; The gripper assembly (3) is connected to the valve knob; A coupling (4), one end of which is connected to the gripper assembly (3); The first stepper motor (5) has its rotating shaft connected to the other end of the coupling (4); A linear slide module (7) is used to support the first stepper motor (5); The second stepper motor (6) is disposed in the linear slide module (7) and is used to drive the first stepper motor (5) to slide along the length direction of the linear slide module (7) to change the distance between the gripper assembly (3) and the valve knob. The first stepper motor controller (8) is electrically connected to the first stepper motor (5); The second stepper motor controller (9) is electrically connected to the second stepper motor (6); The PLC controller (10) is electrically connected to the first stepper motor controller (8) and the second stepper motor controller (9).

2. The automatic flow valve regulating device for ultrapure fluid of claim 1, wherein, The gripper assembly (3) includes a gripper connecting rod (301), a gripper inner cavity (302), and a gripper locking screw (303); The gripper connecting rod (301) is connected to one end of the coupling (4); The inner cavity (302) of the gripper is used to accommodate and enclose the valve knob; The clamp locking screw (303) is used to lock and fix the clamp assembly (3) to the valve knob.

3. The automatic flow valve regulating device for ultrapure fluid according to claim 2, wherein The depth of the inner cavity (302) of the gripper is matched with the height of the valve knob, and the inner diameter of the cavity is greater than the outer diameter of the valve knob.

4. The automatic flow valve regulating device for ultrapure fluid of claim 2, wherein, The inner cavity (302) of the gripper has a plurality of circumferentially arranged threaded holes on its side wall. The gripper locking screw (303) passes through the threaded holes and abuts against the valve knob to lock it in place.

5. The automatic flow valve regulating device for ultrapure fluid of claim 1, wherein, The linear slide module (7) includes a slide, and the first stepper motor (5) is disposed on the slide; The second stepper motor (6) drives the slide to move along the length direction of the linear slide module (7).

6. The automatic flow valve regulating device for ultrapure fluid of claim 1, wherein, The PLC controller (10) includes a pulse array output module; The pulse output port of the pulse array output module is connected to the pulse input terminal of the stepper motor controller; The pulse direction control port of the pulse array output module is connected to the pulse direction input terminal of the stepper motor controller.

7. The automatic flow valve regulator for ultrapure fluids of claim 1, wherein, The output terminals of the first stepper motor controller (8) and the second stepper motor controller (9) are respectively connected to the A+, A-, B+, and B- poles of the corresponding stepper motors.

8. The automatic flow valve regulating device for ultrapure fluid of claim 1, wherein, The number of PFA plug valves is two, namely a first PFA plug valve (1) and a second PFA plug valve (2); Each of the PFA plug valves is respectively equipped with the gripper assembly (3), coupling (4), first stepper motor (5), second stepper motor (6), linear slide module (7) and corresponding stepper motor controller.

9. The automatic flow valve regulating device for ultrapure fluid according to claim 8, wherein The first PFA plug valve (1) is a 1 / 4-inch valve, and the second PFA plug valve (2) is a 1 / 2-inch valve.

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