Orifice built-in valve and flow control device

Abstract

To provide an orifice built-in valve which achieves improvement of maintainability and sealability.SOLUTION: An orifice built-in valve has a body 10 defining a housing recessed part 13 in which a valve element is incorporated and a primary side passage 11 and a secondary side passage 12 are connected. The valve element is formed by arranging a gasket 15, an orifice base 20, an orifice plate 30, an inner member 40, a valve seat 50, and a diaphragm 70 in a written order from the bottom surface side of the housing recessed part 13. First and second annular projections 13p, 13q which are concentrically arranged dig into a lower surface of the gasket 15 from the inner side, and third and fourth annular projections 20c, 40g which face the first and second annular projections 13p, 13q dig into an upper surface of the gasket 15 to make sealing. A fixed ring 60 threadedly engaging with an inner peripheral surface of the housing recessed part 13 presses and fixes the inner member 40 at positions corresponding to the second and fourth annular projections 13q, 40g in a top view or the inner side of the positions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a valve with an internal orifice and a flow control device using the valve with an internal orifice as a flow control valve. [Background technology]

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing processes, particularly in fine processes such as ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition) and ALE (Atomic Layer Etching), pressure-type flow control devices and valves with built-in orifices as components thereof are used to supply an accurately metered amount of processing gas to a processing chamber in a short time. In such valves with built-in orifices, an orifice plate is sandwiched between a body (or a holder placed on the body) and a valve seat body, an inner disk, a diaphragm, etc. are placed on top, and an actuator housing is screwed into the body and pressed to fix them all together (see, for example, Figures 1 and 4 of Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4137267 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned valve with a built-in orifice, all the components become loose when the actuator housing is loosened, so there is room for improvement in terms of maintainability. For example, there is a concern that loosening the actuator housing to maintain the actuator or diaphragm may affect the sealing between the components that hold the orifice plate located below. In addition, in the above configuration, the clamping force of the actuator housing is transmitted to each element to seal each sealing point between the elements, but it is difficult to apply the necessary clamping force (axial clamping force) evenly to each sealing point. For example, the axial clamping force is transmitted in parallel to the seal part between the primary side and the secondary side at the bottom of the accommodating recess and the seal part between the secondary side and the outside, but due to deformation of the intervening inner disk or the like, a large axial clamping force is applied only to one seal part, and a sufficient axial clamping force is not applied to the other seal part, resulting in insufficient sealing. In addition, there is a concern that the tightening force may cause deformation of the inner disk, etc., which may result in deformation of the diaphragm and orifice plate.

[0005] One object of the present invention is to provide a valve with an integrated orifice that solves the above problems, improves maintenance and sealing performance, and reduces the risk of deformation or damage to components due to tightening force, and a flow control device using this valve with an integrated orifice. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the orifice-equipped valve of the present invention comprises: a body defining a primary flow passage, a secondary flow passage, and an accommodating recess having an upper surface that opens to accommodate a valve element and in which the primary flow passage and the secondary flow passage open to a bottom surface; The valve element comprises: a substantially disk-shaped gasket made of a soft material, disposed at a bottom of the accommodating recess, the gasket having a lower stage primary-side through hole communicating with the primary-side flow passage and a lower stage secondary-side through hole communicating with the secondary-side flow passage; an orifice base disposed on the gasket and having a middle stage primary through hole communicating with the lower stage primary through hole; an orifice plate disposed on the orifice base and having an orifice formed therein that communicates with the middle stage primary through hole; an inner member disposed on the orifice plate, the inner member having an upper stage primary side through hole communicating with the orifice and opening to an upper surface thereof, and an upper stage secondary side through hole communicating with the lower stage secondary side through hole and opening to an upper surface thereof; a valve seat provided on an upper surface of the inner member around an opening of the upper-stage primary-side through hole; a fixing ring that screws into a threaded portion formed on an inner circumferential surface of the accommodating recess to press the inner member toward the bottom, thereby fixing the inner member, the orifice plate, the orifice base, and the gasket to the body; a diaphragm that is disposed on the inner member and is spaced apart from or in contact with the valve seat to establish or block communication between the upper-stage primary-side through hole and the upper-stage secondary-side through hole, a first annular protrusion surrounding only the opening of the primary-side flow passage among an opening of the primary-side flow passage and an opening of the secondary-side flow passage, and a second annular protrusion surrounding the first annular protrusion and the opening of the secondary-side flow passage are formed on a bottom surface of the accommodating recess; a third annular protrusion is formed on a lower surface of the orifice base, the third annular protrusion being opposed to the first annular protrusion and surrounding an opening of the middle-stage primary-side through hole, a fourth annular protrusion is formed on a lower surface of the inner member, the fourth annular protrusion being opposed to the second annular protrusion and surrounding an opening of the upper secondary through hole; When the lower surface of the fixing ring presses against the upper surface of the inner member, the first annular protrusion and the second annular protrusion bite into the lower surface of the gasket, and the third annular protrusion and the fourth annular protrusion bite into the upper surface of the gasket, thereby forming seals, It is preferable that the central circle of the annular contact area where the lower surface of the fixing ring and the upper surface of the inner member come into contact with each other and an axial tightening force acts is formed so as to coincide with or be more inward than the second annular protrusion portion and the fourth annular protrusion portion and be more outward than the first annular protrusion portion and the third annular protrusion portion when viewed from above. With this configuration, the fixing ring is screwed into the inner peripheral thread of the receiving recess to fix the inner member, the orifice plate, and the orifice base, so that even if the actuator housing is loosened for maintenance of the actuator or the diaphragm, the sealing between the components holding the orifice plate is not affected, and maintenance and sealing can be improved. In addition, the first to fourth annular protrusions bite into the gasket, so that sealing between the primary flow path, the secondary flow path, and the outside can be achieved with a relatively small tightening force. In addition, the axial tightening force when the fixing ring is tightened is applied to the second and fourth annular protrusions or to the intermediate between these and the first and third annular protrusions, so that the balance of the seal between the second and fourth annular protrusions and the first and third annular protrusions can be improved, and deformation of the inner member and the orifice base can be reduced.

[0007] A preferred configuration can be adopted in which the orifice base has an annular support surface on whose upper surface the lower surface of the outer periphery of the orifice plate is placed, and the annular support surface and the widthwise center circles of the third annular protrusion portion and the first annular protrusion portion are formed to coincide when viewed from above. With this configuration, the axial tightening force when the actuator casing is tightened is also applied to the same location when viewed from above, so no bending moment is generated and deformation of the inner member and orifice base can be minimized.

[0008] A configuration in which the orifice base and the inner member are made of materials having the same hardness can be preferably adopted. In addition, it is preferable that the third annular protrusion and the fourth annular protrusion have a shape in which at least the top portion is rounded when viewed in cross section, and the radii of curvature of the top portions of the third annular protrusion and the fourth annular protrusion are equal. With this configuration, the tops of the third annular protrusion and the fourth annular protrusion bite into the gasket to a predetermined extent with the same degree of surface pressure, so that the tightening force required for sealing is the same and there is no need to apply excessive tightening force.

[0009] The gasket can preferably be configured by combining an upper gasket through which the upper part of the lower-stage primary-side through hole penetrates, and a lower gasket through which the lower part of the lower-stage primary-side through hole penetrates, with a filter disposed between the upper gasket and the lower gasket. With this configuration, particles contained in the gas flowing into the orifice are removed, making it possible to prevent clogging of the orifice.

[0010] Preferably, a configuration can be adopted in which the inner member is positioned by having a portion of its outer peripheral surface fitted into the inner peripheral surface of the accommodating recess, and the orifice base is positioned by having a portion of its outer peripheral surface fitted into the inner peripheral surface of the inner member. This configuration can improve the workability during assembly.

[0011] The flow control device of the present invention includes the above-mentioned orifice-integrated valve. This configuration provides an orifice-equipped valve and a flow rate control device using the same that improve maintainability and sealing performance and prevent deformation and damage to components. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to this embodiment, a fixing ring is used that screws into the inner threaded portion of the accommodating recess to fix the inner member, the orifice plate, and the orifice base. Therefore, even if the actuator housing is loosened for maintenance of the actuator or diaphragm, the sealing between the components that hold the orifice plate is not affected, making it possible to improve maintainability and sealing. Furthermore, because the first to fourth annular protrusions bite into the gasket, a seal between the primary flow path, the secondary flow path, and the outside can be achieved with a relatively small tightening force. Furthermore, because the axial tightening force when the fixing ring is tightened is applied to the second and fourth annular protrusions or between these and the first and third annular protrusions, the seal balance between the second and fourth annular protrusions and the first and third annular protrusions can be improved, and deformation of the inner member and the orifice base can be reduced. According to the present invention, there is provided a valve with an integrated orifice that has improved maintainability and sealing performance and reduces the risk of deformation or damage to components during tightening, and a flow rate control device using the same. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an orifice-integrated valve according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of FIG. [Figure 2A] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the axial tightening force and reaction force applied to the gasket, orifice base, and inner member. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4A] FIG. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the orifice base of FIG. 4A. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6A] FIG. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the inner member of FIG. 6A. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8A] FIG. [Figure 8B] FIG. 8B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the fixation ring of FIG. 8A. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an orifice-integrated valve according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of FIG. 10 . [Figure 12A] FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the upper gasket from below. [Figure 12B] FIG. 12B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the upper gasket of FIG. 12A. [Figure 13A] FIG. [Figure 13B] FIG. 13B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the lower gasket of FIG. 13A. [Figure 14] FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a front view including a cross section of a main part of a flow rate control device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description, the same reference numerals are used for similar elements, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted as appropriate. In this specification and claims, the terms "upper surface" and "lower surface" indicate the relative positional relationship between members when the position of the housing recess in the body is defined as the "upper surface" side, and are not terms that indicate the positional relationship with respect to the ground. (First embodiment) FIG. 1 shows an orifice-equipped valve 1 according to this embodiment. In FIG. 1, 10 is a body, 15 is a gasket, 20 is an orifice base, 30 is an orifice plate, 40 is an inner member, 50 is a valve seat, 60 is a fixed ring, 65 is a pure ring, 70 is a diaphragm, 80 is a pressure adapter (see FIG. 2), and 90 is an actuator. The gasket 15, orifice base 20, orifice plate 30, inner member 40, valve seat 50, fixing ring 60, pure ring 65, diaphragm 70 and pressure adapter 80 (see FIG. 2) constitute a valve element according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] In this embodiment, the body 10 is a body for an integrated gas system (IGS), and is formed in a block shape from a metal material such as stainless steel. 1, a primary side flow passage 11 and a secondary side flow passage 12 are defined in the body 10, and an accommodating recess 13 consisting of a hole with a circular cross section that opens on the upper surface of the body 10 is formed. The primary side flow passage 11 opens at the center of a bottom surface 13t of the accommodating recess 13, and the secondary side flow passage 12 opens near the middle between the center and the periphery of the bottom surface 13t. A threaded portion 13a is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the accommodating recess 13 from the top surface to halfway in the depth direction. A step surface 13s is formed at the bottom of the accommodation recess 13 for receiving an inner member 40, which will be described later. A first annular protrusion 13p is formed on the bottom surface 13t of the accommodating recess 13 to surround the opening of the primary-side flow passage 11, and is configured to bite into a lower surface 15b (see FIG. 3) of the gasket 15 to seal the connection between the primary-side flow passage 11 and a lower-stage primary-side through-hole 16 of the gasket 15, which will be described later. A second annular protrusion 13q is formed on the outside of the first annular protrusion 13p to concentrically surround it and also surround the opening of the secondary-side flow passage 12, and is configured to bite into the lower surface of the gasket 15 to seal the connection between the secondary-side flow passage 12 and a lower-stage secondary-side through-hole 17, which will be described later.

[0016] The gasket 15 is a substantially disk-shaped member made of a soft material, and in this embodiment, it is made of a metal such as an annealed stainless steel alloy, that is, a metal softer than the body 10, the orifice base 20, and the inner member 40. As shown in FIG. 2, the gasket 15 is disposed at the bottom (13t) of the accommodation recess 13, and has a lower stage primary side through hole 16 communicating with the primary side flow passage 11 and a lower stage secondary side through hole 17 communicating with the secondary side flow passage 12. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the lower stage primary side through hole 16 is provided at the center of the gasket 15 in a plan view, and six lower stage secondary side through holes 17 are provided at equal intervals on a circumference surrounding the lower stage primary side through hole 16. However, the number of lower stage secondary side through holes 17 may be any number as long as it is one or more. As shown in Figure 2, the gasket 15 is placed on the first annular protrusion 13p and the second annular protrusion 13q on the bottom surface 13t of the accommodating recess 13, and the lower primary side through hole 16 is positioned inside the first annular protrusion 13p and communicates with the primary side flow path 11, and the lower secondary side through hole 17 is positioned in the annular region between the first annular protrusion 13p and the second annular protrusion 13q and communicates with the secondary side flow path 12. Since the gasket 15 is made of a soft metal, when the valve element is fixed, the first annular protrusion 13p and the second annular protrusion 13q bite into the lower surface 15b of the gasket 15, providing the seal described above in the description of the body 10. At that time, the annular region between the first annular protrusion 13p and the second annular protrusion 13q becomes a space isolated from the surroundings, and the secondary-side flow passage 12 communicates with the six lower-stage secondary-side through-holes 17 (see FIG. 3) through this space.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the orifice base 20 is a member that is disposed on the gasket 15 and has a middle-stage primary-side through-hole 20a that communicates with the lower-stage primary-side through-hole 16 thereof. In this embodiment, the orifice base 20 is made of a metal such as a stainless steel alloy, that is, a metal harder than the gasket 15. As shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the orifice base 20 is formed in a stepped, generally cylindrical shape having an upper small diameter portion 20f1 on the outer periphery, a central medium diameter portion 20f2, and a lower large diameter portion 20f3, and has a middle-stage primary-side through-hole 20a that serves as a flow path on the central axis. As shown in FIG. 2, the orifice base 20 is positioned by fitting the medium diameter portion 20f2 (see FIG. 4B) at the center of its outer peripheral surface into the inner peripheral surface (see FIG. 6B) of the middle stage recess 40a of the inner member 40 described later, and the middle stage primary side through hole 20a is connected to the primary side flow path 11 of the body 10 via the lower stage primary side through hole 16 of the gasket 15. In addition, a third annular protrusion 20c is formed on the lower surface 20b of the orifice base 20, the entire circumference of which faces the first annular protrusion 13p of the body 10 and surrounds the opening of the middle-stage primary-side through hole 20a, and is configured to bite into the gasket 15 together with the first annular protrusion 13p to seal the connection between the primary-side flow path 11, the lower-stage primary-side through hole 16, and the middle-stage primary-side through hole 20a. As shown in FIG. 4B, an outer peripheral protrusion 20g is provided around the entire axial direction of the medium diameter portion 20f2, and when the medium diameter portion 20f2 at the center is fitted into the inner peripheral surface of the middle recess 40a of the inner member 40 (see FIG. 6B), the outer peripheral protrusion 20g is crushed to provide a seal. Instead of providing the outer peripheral protrusion 20g, for example, the inner peripheral surfaces of the medium diameter portion 20f2 and the middle recess 40a of the inner member 40 may be tapered to provide a seal. A gap Gp between the large diameter portion 20f3 below the outer peripheral surface of the orifice base 20 and the inner peripheral surface of the lower recess 40t of the inner member 40 (see FIG. 6B) described later constitutes a connection portion between the secondary side flow passage 12 and the lower secondary side through hole 17 and the upper secondary side through hole 40p described later, as shown in FIG. 2. The periphery of the opening of the middle stage primary through hole 20a at the upper end of the orifice base 20 is an annular support surface 20s that supports the orifice plate 30. The respective widthwise center circles of this annular support surface 20s, the third annular protrusion 20c, and the first annular protrusion 13p are formed to coincide in top view. With this configuration, the axial tightening force when tightened is applied to the same location in top view, so no bending moment is generated and deformation of the inner member 40 and the orifice base 20 can be minimized.

[0018] The orifice plate 30 is disposed on the orifice base 20, and is a member in which an orifice 30h communicating with the middle-stage primary-side through-hole 20a is formed. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the orifice plate 30 is a thin disk made of a metal such as a stainless steel alloy, and an orifice 30h is formed in the center. The orifice plate 30 is disposed on a support surface 20s (see FIG. 4B) at the center of the upper surface of the orifice base 20, and is fixed by being sandwiched between the support surface 20s and a ceiling surface 40b (see FIG. 6B) of an inner member 40 described later. In this embodiment, an annular protrusion (not shown) is formed along the center circle in the width direction of the annular support surface 20s, and an annular protrusion (not shown) facing the support surface 20s is also formed on the ceiling surface 40b (see FIG. 6B) of the inner member 40 described later, and these annular protrusions sandwich the orifice plate 30 and seal both sides of the orifice plate 30. The orifice plate 30 may be fixed to the support surface 20s by welding instead of being fixed by being sandwiched. The orifice plate 30 is configured such that the orifice 30h narrows the opening of the middle stage primary side through hole 20a. In this embodiment, only one orifice 30h is provided in the orifice plate 30, but a plurality of orifices may be provided.

[0019] The inner member 40 is a member that is arranged on the orifice plate 30 and has an upper-stage primary side through hole 40c that communicates with the orifice 30h and opens to the upper surface, and an upper-stage secondary side through hole 40p that communicates with the secondary side flow path 12 and opens to the upper surface. In this embodiment, the inner member 40 is made of a metal such as a stainless alloy having the same hardness as the orifice base 20, and as shown in Figs. 6A and 6B, the outer periphery is formed in a stepped cylindrical shape having an upper small diameter portion 40f1 and a lower large diameter portion 40f2. On the inner periphery side of the inner member 40, a lower recess 40t having a circular cross section is formed from the lower surface side, a middle recess 40a having a circular cross section with a reduced diameter is formed above it, and an upper primary side through hole 40c is formed from its ceiling surface 40b. The outer periphery of the large diameter portion 40f2 fits into the inner periphery 13b (see Fig. 2) of the lower part of the housing recess 13 of the body 10 to position the inner member 40 itself, and the inner periphery of the middle recess 40a positions the orifice base 20 that fits therein, as described above. An annular lower end surface 40d of the inner member 40 abuts against a step surface 13s (see FIG. 2) of the accommodating recess 13 of the body 10, whereby the inner member 40 is positioned in the up-down direction. A fourth annular protrusion 40g is formed on the inside of this annular lower end surface 40d, facing the second annular protrusion 13q of the body over the entire circumference, and is configured to bite into the gasket 15 a predetermined amount together with the second annular protrusion 13q (see Figure 2) to seal the connection between the secondary side flow passage 12 and the lower secondary side through hole 17 and the upper secondary side through hole 40p described later.

[0020] In addition, the fourth annular protrusion 40g and the third annular protrusion 20c of the orifice base 20 have a shape in which at least the top is rounded in cross section, and the radii of curvature of the tops are formed to be equal. With this configuration, the tops of the third annular protrusion 20c and the fourth annular protrusion 40g bite into the gasket 15 by a predetermined amount with the same surface pressure, so that the tightening force required for sealing is about the same, and there is no need to apply excessive tightening force.

[0021] On the other hand, an opening of the upper primary side through hole 40c is provided in the center on the upper surface side of the inner member 40, and around it, a circular valve seat arrangement groove 40h, an annular outflow groove 40i, a diaphragm support portion 40j, and an annular upper end surface 40k are concentrically formed in this order. Four upper-stage secondary through holes 40p are formed at equal intervals on the circumference, communicating with the annular outflow groove 40i from the lower surface side. However, the number of upper-stage secondary through holes 40p may be any number as long as it is one or more. In this embodiment, each upper-stage secondary through hole 40p is inclined inwardly toward the upper side, so that it communicates with the annular outflow groove 40i. The lower surface side of this upper-stage secondary through hole 40p communicates with the secondary-side flow passage 12 of the body 10 through the gap Gp between the orifice base 20 and the inner peripheral surface of the lower-stage recess 40t and the lower-stage secondary through hole 17.

[0022] The valve seat 50 is an annular member provided around the opening of the upper primary through-hole 40c on the upper surface of the inner member 40. In this embodiment, it is made of fluororesin (PCTFE) and is formed in a substantially annular shape as shown in Fig. 7. The valve seat 50 is fitted into a valve seat arrangement groove 40h (see Fig. 6B) on the upper surface of the inner member 40 and is fixed by crimping with the annular wall surfaces on both sides. With this configuration, the valve seat 50 and a diaphragm (described later) are both fixed to the inner member 40, so that changes in CV value due to the tightening method during assembly are suppressed.

[0023] The fixing ring 60 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel, and has a substantially circular ring shape as shown in Figs. 8A and 8B. A threaded portion 60a is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the fixing ring 60, and an inner peripheral surface 60b has a double hex structure for engaging a rotary tool. As shown in Fig. 2, when the threaded portion 60a of the fixing ring 60 is screwed into the threaded portion 13a of the accommodating recess 13 and tightened, the annular upper end surface 40k of the inner member 40 is pressed by the fixing ring 60, and the annular lower end surface 40d of the inner member 40 abuts against the step surface 13s of the accommodating recess 13 of the body 10, thereby positioning the inner member 40 in the vertical direction. At this time, the orifice base 20 is pressed against the ceiling surface 40b (see FIG. 6B) of the middle recess 40a of the inner member 40 with the orifice plate 30 sandwiched therebetween, and a seal is formed as the third annular protrusion 20c on the lower surface side of the orifice base 20 bites into the upper surface 15a of the gasket 15 and the first annular protrusion 13p of the body 10 bites into the lower surface 15b of the gasket 15. At the same time, the fourth annular protrusion 40g on the lower surface side of the inner member 40 bites into the upper surface 15a of the gasket 15 and the second annular protrusion 13q of the body 10 bites into the lower surface 15b of the gasket 15, thereby forming a seal.

[0024] 2A is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the axial tightening force and reaction force applied to the gasket 15, the orifice base 20, and the inner member 40. F3 is the axial tightening force applied to the inner member 40 by the fixing ring 60, F4 is the axial tightening force applied to the inner member 40 by the lower end portion 91b of the actuator 90, F1 is the reaction force applied to the gasket 15 by the first annular protrusion 13p of the body 10, F2 is the reaction force applied to the gasket 15 by the second annular protrusion 13q of the body 10, and F5 is the reaction force applied to the inner member 40 by the step surface 13s of the body 10.

[0025] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2A, the central circle (the circumferential position is P3 in side view) of the annular contact area (range W in side view) where the lower surface of the fixing ring 60 and the upper surface of the inner member 40 come into contact with each other and an axial tightening force acts is formed inside the second annular protrusion portion 13q and the fourth annular protrusion portion 40g (the circumferential position is P2 in side view) and outside the first annular protrusion portion 13p and the third annular protrusion portion 20c (the circumferential position is P1 in side view) in top view. With this configuration, the axial tightening force F3 when the fixing ring 60 is tightened is applied midway between the second and fourth annular protrusions 13q, 40g (circumferential position P2 in side view) and the first and third annular protrusions 13p, 20c (circumferential position P1 in side view) when viewed from above, so it is believed that the sealing balance between the second and fourth annular protrusions 13q, 40g and the first and third annular protrusions 13p, 20c can be improved and deformation of the inner member 40 and the orifice base 20 can be reduced. When the central circle of the annular contact area (the circumferential position is P3 in side view) is formed to coincide with the second and fourth annular protrusions 13q, 40g (the circumferential position is P2 in side view) in top view, in addition to the same effect as above, the axial tightening force F3 is applied to the second and fourth annular protrusions 13q, 40g (the circumferential position is P2 in side view) in top view, so that it is considered to have the advantage that no moment is generated with the reaction force F2. On the other hand, in the conventional configuration (not shown), the annular contact area (range W in side view) was located outside the second and fourth annular protrusions 13q, 40g (circumferential position P2 in side view), so there was a risk that the gasket 15, orifice base 20, and inner member 40 would be deformed such that the central portions bulged due to the reaction forces F1 and F2 applied from below.

[0026] Two pure rings 65 are disposed between the lower surface (step surface 60c) of the fixing ring 60 and the annular upper end surface 40k of the inner member 40. As shown in Fig. 9, the pure ring 65 is a substantially washer-shaped stainless steel plate with a friction reducing coating, thereby reducing friction during rotation for fastening with the fixing ring 60 and preventing the inner member 40 from rotating together. The purity ring 65 is not limited to the stainless steel plate, but may be any material capable of reducing friction during rotation. For example, a substantially washer-shaped resin plate or a thrust bearing may be used.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 2, the diaphragm 70 is a member that is disposed on the inner member 40 and is spaced apart from or in contact with the valve seat 50 to provide or block communication between the upper-stage primary side through hole 40c and the upper-stage secondary side through hole 40p. The diaphragm 70 is formed by laminating thin metal plates such as special stainless steel and thin nickel-cobalt alloy plates, and the central part of the laminate is bulged upward, and has a naturally upwardly convex spherical shell shape. As shown in Fig. 2, the diaphragm 70 is supported by the diaphragm support part 40j (see Fig. 6B) of the inner member 40, and is fixed by being pressed by the annular end face of the lower end part 91b of the casing 91 of the actuator 90 through a ring-shaped pressing adapter 80. The diaphragm 70 defines a part of the flow path, and is elastically deformed by being pressed by a diaphragm pressing member 92. When the diaphragm 70 abuts against the valve seat 50, the flow path is closed, and when the diaphragm is separated from the valve seat 50, the flow path is opened. In this embodiment, in order to prevent the diaphragm 70 from rotating together with the casing 91, the diaphragm 70 is fixed to the inner member 40 using a metal pressure adapter 80. However, it is also possible to fix the diaphragm 70 directly without using the pressure adapter 80 by extending the lower end portion 91b of the casing 91 of the actuator 90.

[0028] The actuator 90 can be, for example, but is not limited to, an air cylinder having a piston built in a casing 91. The actuator 90 holds a diaphragm holder 92 in a drive portion (not shown), and drives the diaphragm holder 92 in a direction to move toward and away from the valve seat 50. The diaphragm holder 92 is made of synthetic resin such as polyimide, has a convexly curved tip, and is adapted to come into contact with the upper surface of the central portion of the diaphragm 70 . A threaded portion 91a is formed on the outer peripheral surface of a casing 91 of the actuator 90, and this threaded portion 91a screws into a threaded portion 13a formed on the inner peripheral surface of the accommodating recess 13 of the body 10, and the annular end face of the lower end portion 91b of the casing 91 presses the outer peripheral portion of the diaphragm 70 via the pressing adapter 80. As a result, the diaphragm 70 is fixed to the inner member 40, and the actuator 90 is fixed to the body 10.

[0029] Here, the assembly procedure of the above-mentioned orifice-equipped valve 1 will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. First, the orifice plate 30 is placed on the support surface 20s (see FIG. 4B) of the orifice base 20, and in this state, the orifice base 20 is fitted into the middle recess 40a (FIG. 6B) on the lower surface side of the inner member 40. As a result, the orifice plate 30 is sandwiched between the support surface 20s and the ceiling surface 40b (FIG. 6B) of the inner member 40, and the outer peripheral protrusion 20g (FIG. 4B) is crushed, sealing the outer periphery of the orifice base 20 and the inner periphery of the inner member 40. Next, the valve seat 50 is fitted into the valve seat placement groove 40h (FIG. 6B) on the upper surface of the inner member 40 and is fixed by caulking using the annular wall surfaces on both sides. This completes the combination of the orifice base 20, the orifice plate 30, the inner member 40 and the valve seat 50. Next, a gasket 15 is placed on the bottom of the accommodating recess 13 of the body 10, and the combination of the orifice base 20, orifice plate 30, inner member 40 and valve seat 50 is placed on top of it. A fixing ring 60 is screwed into the threaded portion 13a of the accommodating recess 13 and tightened until the annular lower end surface 40d of the inner member 40 abuts against the stepped surface 13s of the accommodating recess 13, thereby fixing the combination of the orifice base 20, orifice plate 30, inner member 40 and valve seat 50 and the gasket 15 to the body 10. Next, the diaphragm 70 is placed on the diaphragm support portion 40j (FIG. 6B) of the inner member 40, a press adapter 80 is placed on the diaphragm 70, and the threaded portion 91a of the casing 91 of the actuator 90 is screwed into the threaded portion 13a of the accommodating recess 13 of the body 10. This completes the assembly of the orifice-equipped valve 1 of this embodiment.

[0030] In the orifice-integrated valve 1 of this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the fluid that flows from the primary-side flow passage 11 through the lower-stage primary-side through hole 16 of the gasket 15 into the middle-stage primary-side through hole 20a of the orifice base 20 passes through the orifice 30h (see Fig. 5) formed in the orifice plate 30, passes through the upper-stage primary-side through hole 40c of the inner member 40, passes through the gap between the valve seat 50 and the diaphragm 70, and flows into the annular outflow groove 40i of the inner member 40. The fluid that flows into the annular outflow groove 40i passes through the multiple upper-stage secondary-side through holes 40p, flows into the annular gap Gp, and flows through the multiple lower-stage secondary-side through holes 17 of the gasket 15 to flow out into the secondary-side flow passage 12 that opens into the bottom surface 13t of the installation recess 13.

[0031] In this embodiment, by adopting the above-described structure, the orifice-integrated valve 1 can be made compact, and by forming a plurality of upper secondary-side through-holes 40p inside the inner member 40, the flow rate can be ensured. According to this embodiment, the inner member 40 is fixed using a fixing ring 60 that screws into the threaded portion 13a of the accommodating recess 13, and the diaphragm 70 is fixed using a casing 91 of the actuator 90 that screws into the common threaded portion 13a. This allows the diaphragm 70 and the orifice plate 30 to be assembled separately, thereby improving sealing performance and maintainability. In addition, since the gasket 15 made of a soft metal is disposed at the bottom of the accommodating recess 13, a relatively small tightening force can be used to seal between each of the primary side flow paths and each of the secondary side flow paths and the outside. In addition, since the axial tightening force when the fixing ring 60 is tightened is applied to the middle between the second and fourth annular protrusions 13q, 40g and the first and third annular protrusions 13p, 20c, the seal balance between the second and fourth annular protrusions 13q, 40g and the first and third annular protrusions 13p, 20c can be improved, and deformation of the inner member 40 and the orifice base 20 can be reduced.

[0032] Second embodiment The second embodiment of the present invention is a configuration in which, in the orifice-integrated valve 1 of the first embodiment, the gasket 15 is configured by combining an upper gasket 15A through which the upper part 16A of the lower primary side through hole 16 penetrates, and a lower gasket 15B through which the lower part 16B of the lower primary side through hole 16 penetrates, and a filter 18 is disposed between the upper gasket 15A and the lower gasket 15B. The rest of the configuration is the same as in the first embodiment, so the same components are given the same reference numerals and duplicated explanations are omitted. FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of the orifice-equipped valve 2 according to this embodiment, and FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion thereof.

[0033] As shown in Figures 12A and 12B, the upper gasket 15A has an external shape similar to that of the gasket 15 of the first embodiment, with a lower-stage recess 15Ad1 having a circular cross-section formed on the central underside, and a middle-stage recess 15Ad2 having a circular cross-section with a reduced diameter formed above that, and the upper portion 16A of the lower-stage primary-side through-hole 16 penetrating from the ceiling surface 15Ac.

[0034] As shown in Figures 13A and 13B, the lower gasket 15B is formed in a stepped, approximately cylindrical shape having a lower large diameter portion 15Bf1 and an upper small diameter portion 15Bf2 on the outer circumferential side, and the lower portion 16B of the lower-stage primary-side through-hole 16 passes through on the central axis. A shallow circular recess is formed around the opening of the lower primary through-hole 16 on the upper surface of the lower gasket 15B, and serves as an annular support surface 15Ba for supporting the filter 18.

[0035] As shown in Fig. 14, the filter 18 is composed of a stainless steel annular frame 18a and a stainless steel mesh 18b stretched inside the frame. The mesh size is, for example, 1 to 10 µm, and various sizes can be used depending on the type of gas to be handled and the process. Note that a sintered metal filter may be used as the filter element instead of the mesh 18b.

[0036] The gasket 15 of this embodiment is constructed by placing the filter 18 on the support surface 15Ba of the lower gasket 15B, and then covering it with the upper gasket 15A so that the inner periphery of the upper gasket 15A fits into the outer periphery of the lower gasket 15B. In this gasket 15, the filter 18 is sandwiched between the support surface 15Ba of the lower gasket 15B and the ceiling surface 15Ac of the upper gasket 15A. When an axial tightening force is applied when the upper gasket 15A and the lower gasket 15B are fitted together, step surface 15As of upper gasket 15A is compressed until it abuts step surface 15Bs of lower gasket 15B, and the lower surface of annular frame 18a of filter 18 bites into support surface 15Ba of lower gasket 15B and the upper surface of annular frame 18a bites into ceiling surface 15Ac of upper gasket 15A, thereby sealing between upper gasket 15A and lower gasket 15B.

[0037] Furthermore, similar to the first embodiment, this gasket 15 is placed on the bottom of the accommodating recess 13 of the body 10, and the combination of the orifice base 20, orifice plate 30, inner member 40 and valve seat 50 is placed on top of it. A fixing ring 60 is then screwed into the threaded portion 13a of the accommodating recess 13 and tightened, thereby fixing the combination of the orifice base 20, orifice plate 30, inner member 40 and valve seat 50 and the gasket 15 to the body 10.

[0038] As a result, the first annular protrusion 13p of the body 10 bites into the lower surface 15b of the gasket 15 (lower surface 15Bb of the lower gasket 15B), the second annular protrusion 13q bites into the lower surface 15b of the gasket 15 (lower surface 15Ab of the upper gasket), and the third annular protrusion 20c on the lower surface side of the orifice base 20 and the fourth annular protrusion 40g on the lower surface side of the inner member 40 bite into the upper surface 15a of the gasket 15 (upper surface 15Aa of the upper gasket 15A), thereby forming a seal. Furthermore, similarly to the first embodiment, the diaphragm 70 and the pressing adapter 80 are installed, and the threaded portion 91a of the casing 91 of the actuator 90 is screwed into the threaded portion 13a of the accommodating recess 13 of the body 10, thereby assembling the orifice-equipped valve 2 of this embodiment.

[0039] According to the orifice-integrated valve 2 of this embodiment, the effects of the first embodiment can be obtained, and particles contained in the gas flowing into the orifice can be removed, thereby preventing clogging of the orifice. The upper gasket 15A and the lower gasket 15B need only be penetrated by the upper portion 16A and the lower portion 16B of the lower primary-side through-hole 16, and do not necessarily have to have a structure in which the outer periphery of the lower gasket 15B fits into the inner periphery of the upper gasket 15A. For example, the outer periphery of the upper gasket 15A may be structured to fit into the inner periphery of the lower gasket 15B, or the outer periphery of each of the upper gasket 15A and the lower gasket 15B may be structured to fit into the inner periphery surface of the installation recess 13 to be positioned.

[0040] (Third embodiment) A third embodiment of the present invention provides a flow rate control device using the orifice-integrated valve of the present invention. FIG. 15 shows a flow rate control device 100 according to this embodiment. The flow rate control device 100 includes an orifice-equipped valve 2A including a body 10A which is a modified version of the body 10 of the orifice-equipped valve 2 of the second embodiment, a flow rate control valve 110, and pressure detectors 120 and 130.

[0041] Like the body 10 of the first embodiment, the body 10A is formed in a block shape from a metal material such as stainless steel, and defines the primary side flow paths 11a, 11b, 11c and the secondary side flow paths 12a, 12b, as well as the accommodating recess 13 of the first embodiment.

[0042] The flow control valve 110 is provided between the flow paths 11a and 11b on the primary side of the orifice-integrated valve 2A, and is capable of controlling the flow rate of a fluid supplied from the outside and flowing through the flow paths 11a and 11b. The pressure detector 120 is provided between the flow paths 11b and 11c, and detects the pressure in the flow paths 11b and 11c which are the primary flow paths of the orifice-integrated valve 2A. The pressure detector 130 detects the pressure in the flow paths 12a and 12b which are the secondary flow paths of the orifice-integrated valve 2A.

[0043] The configuration of the orifice-integrated valve 2A is the same as that of the orifice-integrated valve 2 of the second embodiment, except that the shape of the body 10A is different from that of the body 10.

[0044] The flow control device 100 configured in this manner is a so-called pressure-type flow control device, and is equipped with a control circuit (not shown) consisting of hardware such as a processor and a memory, and the required software. Based on the pressure P1 detected by the pressure detector 120 and the pressure P2 detected by the pressure detector 130, the flow rate of the fluid flowing through the flow paths 11a to 12b is measured, and the flow control valve 110 is driven and controlled so that the measured flow rate becomes the target flow rate.

[0045] According to the flow rate control device 100 of this embodiment, it is possible to realize a flow rate control device having the effects of the built-in orifice valve 1 of the first embodiment and the built-in orifice valve 2 of the second embodiment.

[0046] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to such specific examples, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims.

[0047] For example, in each of the above embodiments, the gasket 15 is made of a metal such as an annealed stainless steel alloy, but in cases where heat resistance is not required to a high degree, the gasket may be made of a resin material such as a fluororesin (PCTFE).

[0048] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the orifice base and the inner member are formed from materials having the same hardness, but as long as sufficient sealing is possible by deformation of the gasket 15, they may be formed from materials having different hardness.

[0049] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the pure ring 65 is used to reduce friction of the fixed ring 60. However, if the co-rotation of the inner member 40 does not occur, the pure ring 65 does not need to be used.

[0050] Furthermore, the orifice base 20 and the inner member 40 do not have to be stepped cylindrical as in the above embodiments, but may be, for example, straight cylindrical.

[0051] Furthermore, although the orifice-integrated valve 2 (2A) of the second embodiment is employed in the flow rate control device 100 of the third embodiment, the orifice-integrated valve 1 of the first embodiment may be employed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1,2,2A Orifice built-in valve 10,10A Body 11, 11a, 11b, 11c Primary flow passage (flow passage) 12, 12a, 12b Secondary flow passage (flow passage) 13 Recessed portion 13a Threaded part 13b Inner surface 13p First annular protrusion 13q Second annular protrusion 13s step surface 13t bottom 15 Gasket 15a Top side 15b Bottom side 15A Upper Gasket 15Ad1 Lower recess 15Ad2 Middle recess 15Ac Ceiling surface 15As Step surface 15B Lower gasket 15Bf1 Large diameter section 15Bf2 Small diameter part 15Ba support surface 15Bs Step surface 16 Lower primary side through hole 16A (lower primary through hole) upper part 16B (Lower primary through hole) Lower part 17 Lower secondary side through hole 18 Filters 18a Frame 18b Mesh 20 Orifice Base 20a Middle primary side through hole 20b Bottom side 20c Third annular protrusion 20f1 Small diameter section 20f2 Medium diameter part 20f3 Large diameter section 20g outer protrusion 20s support surface 30 Orifice Plate 30h Orifice 40 Inner member 40a Middle recess 40b Ceiling surface 40c Upper primary side through hole 40d Annular bottom surface 40f1 Small diameter section 40f2 Large diameter section 40g Fourth annular protrusion 40h Valve seat groove 40i Circular Outflow Groove 40j Diaphragm support 40k Circular top surface 40p Upper secondary side through hole 40t Lower recess 50 Valve seat 60 Fixing ring 60a Threaded part 60b Inner surface 60c step surface 65 Pure Ring 70 Diaphragm 80 Presser adapter 90 Actuator 91 Casing 91a Threaded part 91b Lower end 92 Diaphragm holder 100 Flow control device 110 Flow Control Valve 120,130 Pressure detector Gp Gap P1,P2 pressure

Claims

1. a body defining a primary flow passage, a secondary flow passage, and an accommodating recess having an upper surface that opens to accommodate a valve element and in which the primary flow passage and the secondary flow passage open to a bottom surface; The valve element comprises: a substantially disk-shaped gasket made of a soft material, disposed at a bottom of the accommodating recess, the gasket having a lower stage primary-side through hole communicating with the primary-side flow passage and a lower stage secondary-side through hole communicating with the secondary-side flow passage; an orifice base disposed on the gasket and having a middle stage primary through hole communicating with the lower stage primary through hole; an orifice plate disposed on the orifice base and having an orifice formed therein that communicates with the middle stage primary through hole; an inner member disposed on the orifice plate, the inner member having an upper stage primary side through hole communicating with the orifice and opening to an upper surface thereof, and an upper stage secondary side through hole communicating with the lower stage secondary side through hole and opening to an upper surface thereof; a valve seat provided on an upper surface of the inner member around an opening of the upper-stage primary-side through hole; a fixing ring that screws into a threaded portion formed on an inner circumferential surface of the accommodating recess to press the inner member toward the bottom, thereby fixing the inner member, the orifice plate, the orifice base, and the gasket to the body; a diaphragm that is disposed on the inner member and is spaced apart from or in contact with the valve seat to establish or block communication between the upper-stage primary-side through hole and the upper-stage secondary-side through hole, a first annular protrusion surrounding only the opening of the primary-side flow passage out of an opening of the primary-side flow passage and an opening of the secondary-side flow passage; and a second annular protrusion surrounding the first annular protrusion and the opening of the secondary-side flow passage, a third annular protrusion is formed on a lower surface of the orifice base, the third annular protrusion being opposed to the first annular protrusion and surrounding an opening of the middle-stage primary-side through hole, a fourth annular protrusion is formed on a lower surface of the inner member, the fourth annular protrusion being opposed to the second annular protrusion and surrounding an opening of the upper secondary through hole; When the lower surface of the fixing ring presses against the upper surface of the inner member, the first annular protrusion and the second annular protrusion bite into the lower surface of the gasket, and the third annular protrusion and the fourth annular protrusion bite into the upper surface of the gasket, thereby forming seals, an annular contact area where the lower surface of the fixing ring and the upper surface of the inner member come into contact with each other and an axial tightening force acts, the center circle of which is formed to coincide with or be more inward than the second annular protrusion and the fourth annular protrusion and more outward than the first annular protrusion and the third annular protrusion when viewed from above.

2. 2. The orifice-equipped valve as described in claim 1, wherein the orifice base has an annular support surface on whose upper surface the lower surface of the outer periphery of the orifice plate is positioned, and the widthwise center circles of the annular support surface and the third annular protrusion and the first annular protrusion are formed to coincide when viewed from above.

3. 3. The orifice-equipped valve according to claim 2, wherein the orifice base and the inner member are made of materials having the same hardness.

4. The orifice-equipped valve as described in claim 3, wherein the third annular protrusion and the fourth annular protrusion have a shape in which at least the top portion is rounded when viewed in cross-section, and the radii of curvature of the top portions of the third annular protrusion and the fourth annular protrusion are equal.

5. 2. The orifice-equipped valve as described in claim 1, wherein the gasket is formed by combining an upper gasket through which the upper part of the lower-stage primary-side through hole penetrates and a lower gasket through which the lower part of the lower-stage primary-side through hole penetrates, and a filter is disposed between the upper gasket and the lower gasket.

6. The orifice-equipped valve as described in claim 1, wherein the inner member is positioned by a portion of its outer peripheral surface fitting into the inner peripheral surface of the accommodating recess, and the orifice base is positioned by a portion of its outer peripheral surface fitting into the inner peripheral surface of the inner member.

7. A flow control device comprising the orifice-integrated valve according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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