Vacuum pump, hermetic connector, and method for manufacturing hermetic connector

Abstract

To provide a vacuum pump that allows for easy connection of lead wires to hermetic connectors. [Solution] A vacuum pump (100) equipped with a hermetic connector (10), wherein the hermetic connector (10) has electrically connected pins (11, 12), a connector base portion (13) surrounding the pins (11, 12), and a sealing portion (14) that seals the space between the pins (11, 12) and the connector base portion (13) such that one end of the pins (11, 12) is located outside the vacuum pump (100) and the other end of the pins (11, 12) is located inside the vacuum pump (100), and at least one of the two ends of the pins (11, 12) is electrically connected to one end of an electric wire (22) via a first crimping component (21, 22).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vacuum pump, a hermetic connector used in the vacuum pump, and a method for manufacturing the hermetic connector.

Background Art

[0002] As a conventional technique in this technical field, for example, the vacuum pump described in Patent Document 1 includes a hermetic connector having a horizontally long structure. This type of hermetic connector has a large number of pins, and these pins and the lead wires in the vacuum pump are generally soldered.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Since the distance between the pins of the hermetic connector is very short, there is a possibility of accidentally connecting a different pin to the lead wire when soldering the pin and the lead wire. Therefore, the operator has to perform the soldering operation with sufficient care, resulting in a heavy work burden. In particular, in recent years, since a large number of electrical components such as sensors are incorporated in the vacuum pump, the number of pins of the hermetic connector has also increased. Therefore, the demand for reducing the work burden is extremely high. In addition, the above-mentioned soldering operation with a heavy work burden has also been a factor hindering the improvement of the productivity of the vacuum pump.

[0005] Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum pump that can easily connect lead wires to a hermetic connector.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above objective, a first aspect of the present invention is a vacuum pump equipped with a hermetic connector, wherein the hermetic connector comprises an electrically connected pin, a connector base portion surrounding the pin, and a sealing portion that seals the space between the pin and the connector base portion such that one end of the pin is located outside the vacuum pump and the other end of the pin is located inside the vacuum pump, and at least one of the one end and the other end of the pin is electrically connected to one end of an electric wire via a first crimping component.

[0007] In the above configuration, the other end of the electric wire is electrically connected to the lead wire inside the vacuum pump via a second crimping component.

[0008] In the above configuration, the hermetic connector is characterized by having a plurality of pins, and at least one pair of adjacent pins having different lengths of wires.

[0009] In the above configuration, the sealing portion is characterized by being made of an insulating resin material.

[0010] To achieve the above objective, a second aspect of the present invention provides a hermetic connector for use in a vacuum pump, comprising: an electrically connected pin; a connector base portion surrounding the pin; and a sealing portion that seals the space between the pin and the connector base portion such that one end of the pin is located outside the vacuum pump and the other end of the pin is located inside the vacuum pump, wherein at least one of the one end and the other end of the pin is electrically connected to one end of an electric wire via a first crimping component.

[0011] To achieve the above objective, a third aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a hermetic connector used in a vacuum pump, wherein the hermetic connector comprises an electrically connected pin and a connector base portion surrounding the pin, and the method for manufacturing the hermetic connector is characterized by comprising: a first step of connecting one end of the pin to one end of an electric wire via a first crimping component; and a second step of sealing the space between the pin and the connector base portion with a sealing material. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, lead wires can be easily connected to hermetic connectors. Any other problems, configurations, and effects not mentioned above will be clarified by the following description of embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a turbomolecular pump according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a circuit diagram of the amplifier circuit for the turbomolecular pump shown. [Figure 3] This is a time chart showing the control of the amplifier control circuit when the current command value is greater than the detected value. [Figure 4] This is a time chart showing the control of the amplifier control circuit when the current command value is smaller than the detected value. [Figure 5] (a) A front view of the hermetic connector according to the embodiment, and (b) A side view of the hermetic connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram showing the manufacturing process of a hermetic connector according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram showing the connection point between the hermetic connector and the lead wires inside the turbomolecular pump according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a modified hermetic connector. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Hereinafter, the vacuum pump according to the present invention will be described by taking a turbomolecular pump as an example and referring to the drawings.

[0015] A longitudinal sectional view of this turbomolecular pump 100 is shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, in the turbomolecular pump 100, an intake port 101 is formed at the upper end of a cylindrical outer cylinder 127 which is an outer casing. And inside the outer cylinder 127, a rotor 103 provided with a plurality of rotating blades 102 (102a, 102b, 102c ···) which are turbine blades for sucking and exhausting gas is formed radially and in multiple stages on the circumferential portion. A rotor shaft 113 is attached to the center of this rotor 103, and this rotor shaft 113 is levitated and position-controlled in the air by, for example, a magnetic bearing with 5-axis control. The rotor 103 is generally made of a metal such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy, or stainless steel.

[0016] The upper radial electromagnet 104 has four electromagnets arranged in pairs with respect to the X-axis and the Y-axis. Four upper radial sensors 107 are provided in proximity to this upper radial electromagnet 104 and corresponding to each of the upper radial electromagnets 104. The upper radial sensor 107 uses, for example, an inductance sensor having a conductive winding or an eddy current sensor, etc., and detects the position of the rotor shaft 113 based on the change in the inductance of this conductive winding that changes according to the position of the rotor shaft 113. This upper radial sensor 107 is configured to detect the radial displacement of the rotor shaft 113, that is, the rotor 103 fixed thereto, and send it to the control device 200.

[0017] In this control device 200, for example, a compensation circuit having a PID adjustment function generates an excitation control command signal for the upper radial electromagnet 104 based on the position signal detected by the upper radial sensor 107, and an amplifier circuit 150 (described later in FIG. 2) controls the excitation of the upper radial electromagnet 104 based on this excitation control command signal, thereby adjusting the radial position above the rotor shaft 113.

[0018] The rotor shaft 113 is made of a high magnetic permeability material (such as iron or stainless steel) and is attracted by the magnetic force of the upper radial electromagnet 104. Such adjustment is performed independently in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. Further, the lower radial electromagnet 105 and the lower radial sensor 108 are arranged in the same manner as the upper radial electromagnet 104 and the upper radial sensor 107, and the radial position of the lower side of the rotor shaft 113 is adjusted in the same manner as the radial position of the upper side.

[0019] Furthermore, the axial electromagnets 106A and 106B are arranged to sandwich the disk-shaped metal disk 111 provided at the lower part of the rotor shaft 113 in the vertical direction. The metal disk 111 is made of a high magnetic permeability material such as iron. An axial sensor 109 is provided to detect the axial displacement of the rotor shaft 113, and its axial position signal is configured to be sent to the control device 200.

[0020] In the control device 200, for example, a compensation circuit having a PID adjustment function generates respective excitation control command signals for the axial electromagnet 106A and the axial electromagnet 106B based on the axial position signal detected by the axial sensor 109. The amplifier circuit 150 performs excitation control on the axial electromagnet 106A and the axial electromagnet 106B respectively based on these excitation control command signals. As a result, the axial electromagnet 106A attracts the metal disk 111 upward by magnetic force, the axial electromagnet 106B attracts the metal disk 111 downward, and the axial position of the rotor shaft 113 is adjusted.

[0021] In this way, the control device 200 appropriately adjusts the magnetic force exerted by the axial electromagnets 106A and 106B on the metal disk 11 and magnetically levitates the rotor shaft 113 in the axial direction to hold it in space in a non-contact manner. The amplifier circuit 150 for performing excitation control on these upper radial electromagnet 104, lower radial electromagnet 105, and axial electromagnets 106A and 106B will be described later.

[0022] On the other hand, the motor 121 is equipped with multiple magnetic poles arranged circumferentially around the rotor shaft 113. Each magnetic pole is controlled by the control device 200 to rotate the rotor shaft 113 via the electromagnetic force acting between it and the rotor shaft 113. The motor 121 also incorporates a rotational speed sensor, such as a Hall element, resolver, or encoder (not shown), and the rotational speed of the rotor shaft 113 is detected by the detection signal from this rotational speed sensor.

[0023] Furthermore, for example, a phase sensor (not shown) is attached near the lower radial sensor 108 to detect the phase of rotation of the rotor shaft 113. The control device 200 uses both the detection signals from this phase sensor and the rotational speed sensor to detect the position of the magnetic pole.

[0024] Multiple fixed blades 123 (123a, 123b, 123c...) are arranged with small gaps between them and the rotating blades 102 (102a, 102b, 102c...). These multiple stages of rotating blades 102 and multiple stages of fixed blades 123 constitute the turbopump section. Each of the rotating blades 102 (102a, 102b, 102c...) is formed at a predetermined angle from a plane perpendicular to the axis of the rotor shaft 113 in order to transfer exhaust gas molecules downward by collision. The fixed blades 123 (123a, 123b, 123c...) are made of metals such as aluminum, iron, stainless steel, copper, or alloys containing these metals as components.

[0025] Similarly, the fixed wing 123 is formed at a predetermined angle from a plane perpendicular to the axis of the rotor shaft 113, and is arranged alternately with the stages of the rotor blade 102 toward the inside of the outer cylinder 127. The outer edge of the fixed wing 123 is supported by being fitted between a plurality of stacked fixed wing spacers 125 (125a, 125b, 125c, etc.).

[0026] The fixed-wing spacer 125 is a ring-shaped member and is made of a metal such as aluminum, iron, stainless steel, or copper, or an alloy containing these metals as components. An outer cylinder 127 is fixed to the outer circumference of the fixed-wing spacer 125 with a small gap in between. A base portion 129 is provided at the bottom of the outer cylinder 127. An exhaust port 133 is formed in the base portion 129 and communicates with the outside. Exhaust gas that has entered the intake port 101 from the chamber (vacuum chamber) side and been transported toward the base portion 129 is sent to the exhaust port 133.

[0027] Furthermore, depending on the application of the turbomolecular pump 100, a threaded spacer 131, which functions as a threaded pump section, is provided between the lower part of the fixed-blade spacer 125 and the base section 129. The threaded spacer 131 is a cylindrical member made of a metal such as aluminum, copper, stainless steel, iron, or an alloy containing these metals, and has multiple spiral threads 131a engraved on its inner circumferential surface. The direction of the spiral of the threads 131a is such that when exhaust gas molecules move in the direction of rotation of the rotating body 103, these molecules are transported toward the exhaust port 133. A cylindrical section 102d hangs down from the lowest part of the rotating body 103 following the rotor blades 102 (102a, 102b, 102c...). The outer circumferential surface of this cylindrical section 102d is cylindrical and protrudes toward the inner circumferential surface of the threaded spacer 131, and is in close proximity to the inner circumferential surface of the threaded spacer 131 with a predetermined gap between them. The exhaust gas, which has been transferred to the screw groove 131a by the rotor blade 102 and the fixed blade 123, is guided through the screw groove 131a and sent to the base section 129.

[0028] The base portion 129 is a disc-shaped component that forms the base of the turbomolecular pump 100, and is generally made of a metal such as iron, aluminum, or stainless steel. The base portion 129 not only physically holds the turbomolecular pump 100 but also functions as a heat conduction path, so it is desirable to use a metal that is rigid and has high thermal conductivity, such as iron, aluminum, or copper. A hermetic connector 10 is provided on the side of the base portion 129. The control device 200 is connected via this hermetic connector 10. Details of the hermetic connector 10 will be described later.

[0029] In this configuration, when the rotor blade 102 is rotated by the motor 121 together with the rotor shaft 113, exhaust gas is drawn in from the chamber through the intake port 101 due to the action of the rotor blade 102 and the fixed blade 123. The rotational speed of the rotor blade 102 is usually 20,000 rpm to 90,000 rpm, and the peripheral speed at the tip of the rotor blade 102 reaches 200 m / s to 400 m / s. The exhaust gas drawn in from the intake port 101 passes between the rotor blade 102 and the fixed blade 123 and is transferred to the base section 129. At this time, the temperature of the rotor blade 102 rises due to frictional heat generated when the exhaust gas comes into contact with the rotor blade 102 and heat conduction generated by the motor 121, but this heat is transferred to the fixed blade 123 side by radiation or conduction by gas molecules of the exhaust gas.

[0030] The fixed-wing spacers 125 are joined to each other at their outer circumference, and they transmit heat received by the fixed wing 123 from the rotor blade 102, as well as frictional heat generated when exhaust gases come into contact with the fixed wing 123, to the outside.

[0031] In the above description, the threaded spacer 131 is positioned on the outer circumference of the cylindrical portion 102d of the rotating body 103, and a threaded groove 131a is engraved on the inner surface of the threaded spacer 131. However, conversely, there are also cases where a threaded groove is engraved on the outer circumference of the cylindrical portion 102d, and a spacer having a cylindrical inner surface is positioned around it.

[0032] Furthermore, depending on the application of the turbomolecular pump 100, the electrical components, which consist of an upper radial electromagnet 104, an upper radial sensor 107, a motor 121, a lower radial electromagnet 105, a lower radial sensor 108, axial electromagnets 106A, 106B, and an axial sensor 109, may be covered by a stator column 122 to prevent the gas drawn in from the intake port 101 from entering the electrical components, and the inside of this stator column 122 may be maintained at a predetermined pressure with purge gas.

[0033] In this case, piping (not shown) is provided in the base section 129, and purge gas is introduced through this piping. The introduced purge gas is sent to the exhaust port 133 through the gaps between the protective bearing 120 and the rotor shaft 113, between the rotor and stator of the motor 121, and between the stator column 122 and the inner cylindrical portion of the rotor blade 102. As shown in Figure 1, the stator column 122 is erected at the center of the base section 129. In this embodiment, a water cooling pipe 149 is provided in the base section 129 as a cooling means. Cooling water is supplied to this water cooling pipe 149, keeping the base section 129 and the stator column 122 at a suitable temperature.

[0034] Here, the turbomolecular pump 100 requires model identification and control based on individually adjusted unique parameters (e.g., characteristics corresponding to the model). To store these control parameters, the turbomolecular pump 100 is equipped with an electronic circuit section 141 within its body. The electronic circuit section 141 consists of electronic components such as semiconductor memory such as EEP-ROM and semiconductor elements for accessing it, and a substrate 143 for mounting them. This electronic circuit section 141 is housed, for example, below a rotational speed sensor (not shown) near the center of the base section 129 that constitutes the lower part of the turbomolecular pump 100, and is closed by an airtight bottom cover 145.

[0035] Incidentally, in the semiconductor manufacturing process, some process gases introduced into the chamber have the property of becoming solid when their pressure exceeds a predetermined value or their temperature falls below a predetermined value. Inside the turbomolecular pump 100, the exhaust gas pressure is lowest at the intake port 101 and highest at the exhaust port 133. If the process gas pressure exceeds a predetermined value or its temperature falls below a predetermined value while it is being transferred from the intake port 101 to the exhaust port 133, the process gas becomes solid and adheres to and accumulates inside the turbomolecular pump 100.

[0036] For example, if SiCl4 is used as the process gas in an Al etching apparatus, the low vacuum (760 [torr] ~ 10 -2 The vapor pressure curve shows that when the pressure is low (torr) and the temperature is low (approximately 20°C), solid products (e.g., AlCl3) precipitate and adhere to the inside of the turbomolecular pump 100. As a result, when precipitates of process gas accumulate inside the turbomolecular pump 100, these deposits narrow the pump flow path, causing a decrease in the performance of the turbomolecular pump 100. Furthermore, the aforementioned products were prone to solidifying and adhering in areas of high pressure, such as near the exhaust port 133 and near the threaded spacer 131.

[0037] Therefore, in order to solve this problem, conventional methods involve wrapping a heater (not shown) or an annular water-cooling pipe 149 around the outer circumference of the base portion 129, and embedding a temperature sensor (e.g., a thermistor) (not shown) in the base portion 129. Based on the signal from this temperature sensor, heating by the heater and cooling by the water-cooling pipe 149 are controlled (hereinafter referred to as TMS; Temperature Management System) to maintain the temperature of the base portion 129 at a constant high temperature (set temperature).

[0038] Next, we will describe an amplifier circuit 150 that energizes and controls the upper radial electromagnet 104, the lower radial electromagnet 105, and the axial electromagnets 106A and 106B of the turbomolecular pump 100 configured in this way. The circuit diagram of this amplifier circuit 150 is shown in Figure 2.

[0039] In Figure 2, the electromagnet winding 151, which constitutes the upper radial electromagnet 104, has one end connected to the positive terminal 171a of the power supply 171 via transistor 161, and the other end connected to the negative terminal 171b of the power supply 171 via current detection circuit 181 and transistor 162. Transistors 161 and 162 are so-called power MOSFETs, and have a structure in which a diode is connected between their source and drain.

[0040] In this configuration, transistor 161 has its diode cathode terminal 161a connected to the positive terminal 171a, and its anode terminal 161b connected to one end of the electromagnet winding 151. Transistor 162 has its diode cathode terminal 162a connected to the current detection circuit 181, and its anode terminal 162b connected to the negative terminal 171b.

[0041] On the other hand, the diode 165 for current regeneration has its cathode terminal 165a connected to one end of the electromagnet winding 151, and its anode terminal 165b connected to the negative terminal 171b. Similarly, the diode 166 for current regeneration has its cathode terminal 166a connected to the positive terminal 171a, and its anode terminal 166b connected to the other end of the electromagnet winding 151 via the current detection circuit 181. The current detection circuit 181 is composed of, for example, a Hall sensor type current sensor or an electrical resistance element.

[0042] The amplifier circuit 150 configured as described above corresponds to one electromagnet. Therefore, if the magnetic bearing is 5-axis controlled and there are a total of 10 electromagnets 104, 105, 106A, and 106B, a similar amplifier circuit 150 is configured for each electromagnet, and the 10 amplifier circuits 150 are connected in parallel to the power supply 171.

[0043] Furthermore, the amplifier control circuit 191 is configured, for example, by a digital signal processor (hereinafter referred to as the DSP section) of the control device 200 (not shown), and this amplifier control circuit 191 is configured to switch transistors 161 and 162 on and off.

[0044] The amplifier control circuit 191 compares the current value detected by the current detection circuit 181 (the signal reflecting this current value is called the current detection signal 191c) with a predetermined current command value. Based on this comparison, it determines the magnitude of the pulse width (pulse width time Tp1, Tp2) to be generated within the control cycle Ts, which is one period of PWM control. As a result, gate drive signals 191a and 191b with this pulse width are output from the amplifier control circuit 191 to the gate terminals of transistors 161 and 162.

[0045] Furthermore, when the rotating body 103 passes a resonance point during accelerated rotational speed operation, or when disturbances occur during constant-speed operation, it is necessary to control the position of the rotating body 103 with high speed and strong force. For this reason, a voltage of approximately 50V is used for the power supply 171 so that the current flowing through the electromagnet winding 151 can be rapidly increased (or decreased). In addition, a capacitor is usually connected between the positive electrode 171a and the negative electrode 171b of the power supply 171 to stabilize the power supply 171 (not shown).

[0046] In this configuration, when both transistors 161 and 162 are turned on, the current flowing through the electromagnet winding 151 (hereinafter referred to as the electromagnet current iL) increases, and when both are turned off, the electromagnet current iL decreases.

[0047] Furthermore, by turning one of transistors 161 and 162 on and the other off, a so-called flywheel current is maintained. By allowing this flywheel current to flow through the amplifier circuit 150, hysteresis loss in the amplifier circuit 150 can be reduced, and the overall power consumption of the circuit can be kept low. In addition, by controlling transistors 161 and 162 in this way, high-frequency noise such as harmonics generated in the turbomolecular pump 100 can be reduced. Moreover, by measuring this flywheel current with the current detection circuit 181, the electromagnet current iL flowing through the electromagnet winding 151 can be detected.

[0048] In other words, if the detected current value is smaller than the current command value, both transistors 161 and 162 are turned on only once during the control cycle Ts (e.g., 100 μs) for a duration corresponding to the pulse width time Tp1, as shown in Figure 3. Therefore, the electromagnet current iL during this period increases from the positive electrode 171a to the negative electrode 171b, towards the current value iLmax (not shown) that can flow through transistors 161 and 162.

[0049] On the other hand, if the detected current value is greater than the current command value, both transistors 161 and 162 are turned off only once during the control cycle Ts for a duration corresponding to the pulse width time Tp2, as shown in Figure 4. Therefore, during this period, the electromagnet current iL decreases from the negative electrode 171b towards the positive electrode 171a, towards a regenerative current value iLmin (not shown) via diodes 165 and 166.

[0050] In either case, after the pulse width time Tp1 and Tp2 have elapsed, one of transistors 161 or 162 is turned on. Therefore, during this period, the flywheel current is maintained in the amplifier circuit 150.

[0051] <Hermetically designed connector structure> Next, the structure of the hermetic connector 10 used in the turbomolecular pump 100 will be described in detail. Figure 5(a) is a front view of the hermetic connector 10. Figure 5(b) is a side view of the hermetic connector 10.

[0052] As shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b), the hermetic connector 10 according to this embodiment has a plurality of electrically connected small-diameter pins 11 and large-diameter pins 12, a round-frame-shaped connector base portion 13 surrounding the plurality of pins 11 and 12, and a sealing portion 14 (first sealing portion 15 and second sealing portion 16) that seals the space between the plurality of pins 11 and 12 and the connector base portion 13. One end of the plurality of small-diameter pins 11 and large-diameter pins 12 is located outside the turbomolecular pump 100, and the other end of the plurality of small-diameter pins 11 and large-diameter pins 12 is located inside the turbomolecular pump 100.

[0053] In this embodiment, the small-diameter pin 11 and the large-diameter pin 12 are each formed in an elongated cylindrical shape, but their shape is not limited. For example, the pins 11 and 12 may be cylindrical in shape with a step formed by arranging cylinders of different diameters coaxially and integrating them, or they may be formed in a prismatic shape instead of a cylindrical shape.

[0054] The connector base portion 13 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel. The connector base portion 13 has a circular opening 13a in the center and holes 18 at the four corners for bolting it to the base portion 129 of the turbomolecular pump 100. The connector base portion 13 is formed in a plate shape, but its shape is not limited. A connector base portion of any shape can be used.

[0055] The first sealing portion 15 covers the outer surface (circumferential surface) of the pins 11 and 12. The second sealing portion 16 seals the space between the first sealing portion 15 and the connector base portion 13. Both the first sealing portion 15 and the second sealing portion 16 are made of an insulating resin material. Alternatively, the first sealing portion 15 may be omitted, and the sealing portion 14 may consist only of the second sealing portion 16.

[0056] The other ends of several small-diameter pins 11 located inside the turbomolecular pump 100 are electrically connected to one end of an electric wire 31 via a first crimping component 21, and the other ends of several large-diameter pins 12 are electrically connected to one end of an electric wire 32 via a first crimping component 22. Here, electric wires 31 and 32 are linear members that transmit power or electrical signals, and the material is not specified; the concept includes cables. Furthermore, electric wires 31 and 32 of approximately the same diameter are connected to the small-diameter pins 11 and large-diameter pins 12. That is, the small-diameter pins 11 are connected to electric wires 31 with a thin wire diameter, and the large-diameter pins 12 are connected to electric wires 32 with a thicker wire diameter. Note that in Figure 5(b), to avoid complexity in the drawing, the electric wires 31 and the first crimping component 21 are omitted from the illustration for some of the small-diameter pins 11.

[0057] <Manufacturing method for hermetic connectors> Next, a method for manufacturing the hermetic connector 10 configured in this way will be described. Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the manufacturing process of the hermetic connector 10.

[0058] As shown in Figure 6(a), first, first crimping parts 21 and 22 corresponding to the small-diameter pin 11 and the large-diameter pin 12 are prepared, respectively. These first crimping parts 21 and 22 are rod-shaped connecting terminals made of oxygen-free copper or the like, and have rod-shaped press-fitting parts 21a and 22a and semi-cylindrical crimping parts 21b and 22b with claws.

[0059] Next, as shown in Figure 6(b), the press-fit portions 21a and 22a of the first crimping parts 21 and 22 are press-fitted and fixed into the corresponding holes 11a and 12a (see Figure 6(a)) of the small-diameter pin 11 and the large-diameter pin 12. This produces the small-diameter pin 11 with a crimped portion 21b and the large-diameter pin 12 with a crimped portion 22b.

[0060] Next, as shown in Figure 6(c), the tip of the electric wire 31, which is set to be approximately the same diameter as the small-diameter pin 11, is inserted into the crimped portion 21b of the small-diameter pin 11, and then the crimped portion 21b is plastically deformed with a crimping tool to fix the electric wire 31. Similarly, the tip of the electric wire 32, which is set to be approximately the same diameter as the large-diameter pin 12, is inserted into the crimped portion 22b of the large-diameter pin 12, and then the crimped portion 22b is plastically deformed with a crimping tool to fix the electric wire 32. In this way, as the first step, the small-diameter pin 11 and the large-diameter pin 12 are connected to one end of the corresponding electric wires 31 and 32, respectively, via the first crimping components 21 and 22.

[0061] Subsequently, the multiple small-diameter pins 11 to which the electric wires 31 are connected and the multiple large-diameter pins 12 to which the electric wires 32 are connected are assembled to the connector base portion 13, and the resin material of the sealing portion 14 is injected around each pin 11, 12 to perform insert molding. In this way, as a second step, the space between the pins 11, 12 and the connector base portion 13 is sealed with the sealing portion 14 (first sealing portion 15 and second sealing portion 16), thereby completing the hermetic connector 10 according to this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6(d).

[0062] Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the connection point between the hermetic connector 10 and the lead wire 23 inside the turbomolecular pump 100.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 7, the electric wire 31 fixed to the small-diameter pin 11 of the hermetic connector 10 and the lead wire 51 within the turbo molecular pump 100 are electrically connected via the second crimping component 41. Similarly, the electric wire 32 fixed to the large-diameter pin 12 of the hermetic connector 10 and the lead wire 52 within the turbo molecular pump 100 are electrically connected via the second crimping component 42. These second crimping components 41 and 42 are cylindrical connection terminals made of oxygen-free copper or the like, and those having a thickness corresponding to the wire diameters of the electric wires 31 and 32 fixed to the small-diameter pin 11 and the large-diameter pin 12 are used. Then, the end portion between the electric wire 31 of the small-diameter pin 11 and the lead wire 51 is connected by the small-diameter second crimping component 41, and the end portion between the electric wire 32 of the large-diameter pin 12 and the lead wire 52 is connected by the second crimping component 42 having a slightly larger diameter than that. At that time, since the electric wires 31 and 32 fixed to the pins 11 and 12 have flexibility (flexibility), the connection operation of the second crimping components 41 and 42 can be performed in a state where the interval (a') between the adjacent electric wires 31 and 32 is wider than the interval (a) between the pins 11 and 12 (a < a').

[0064] Next, the effects of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.

[0065] Since the end portions of the small-diameter pin 11 and the large-diameter pin 12 of the hermetic connector 10 are electrically connected to one ends of the electric wires 31 and 32 via the first crimping components 21 and 22 respectively, the pins 11 and 12 and the electric wires 31 and 32 can be mechanically electrically connected without performing complicated soldering work. Further, since the other ends of the electric wires 31 and 32 fixed to the pins 11 and 12 are electrically connected to the lead wires 51 and 52 within the turbo molecular pump 100 via the second crimping components 41 and 42, the lead wires 51 and 52 and the electric wires 31 and 32 can be mechanically electrically connected without performing complicated soldering work. Moreover, since the electric wires 31 and 32 have flexibility, the connection operation of the second crimping components 41 and 42 can be easily performed in a state where the interval between the adjacent electric wires 31 and 32 is wider than the interval between the pins 11 and 12.

[0066] Furthermore, the hermetic connector 10 can be easily manufactured by a manufacturing process that includes a first step of connecting multiple pins 11 and 12 to one end of the corresponding electric wires 31 and 32 via first crimping parts 21 and 22, and a second step of sealing the space between the multiple pins 11 and 12 and the connector base part 13 with a sealing part 14, thereby enabling easy and reliable electrical connection between the pins 11 and 12 and the electric wires 31 and 32.

[0067] Thus, according to this embodiment, a hermetic connector 10 can be realized that allows for easy and reliable electrical connection between pins and wires without the need for complicated soldering work. By incorporating such a hermetic connector 10 into the turbomolecular pump 100, the connection work between the lead wires inside the turbomolecular pump 100 and the hermetic connector can be easily performed.

[0068] Furthermore, one end of each of the multiple small-diameter pins 11 and large-diameter pins 12 located on the outside (atmospheric side) of the turbomolecular pump 100 is connected to the control device 200 via an electric wire (not shown). In this case, one end of each of the multiple pins 11 and 12 may be connected to the corresponding end of the electric wire by soldering, or, similar to the other ends of the multiple pins 11 and 12 located on the inside (vacuum side) of the turbomolecular pump 100, one end of each of the multiple pins 11 and 12 may be connected to the corresponding end of the electric wire via the first crimping components 21 and 22. Alternatively, the other ends of the multiple pins 11 and 12 may be connected to the corresponding end of the electric wire 31 and 32 by soldering, and only one end of each of the multiple pins 11 and 12 may be connected to the corresponding end of the electric wire via the first crimping components 21 and 22.

[0069] (modified version) Next, the structure of the modified hermetic connector 40 will be described. Figure 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the modified hermetic connector 40.

[0070] As shown in Figure 8, the modified hermetic connector 40 has a configuration in which at least two adjacent wires 31, 32 are of different lengths among the multiple wires 31, 32 connected to the small-diameter pin 11 and the large-diameter pin 12 via the first crimping parts 21, 22, and the rest of the configuration is basically the same as the hermetic connector 10 shown in Figure 5. Note that it is not necessary for all adjacent wires 31, 32 to be of different lengths; it is sufficient if at least two adjacent wires 31, 32 are of different lengths.

[0071] In the hermetic connector 40 according to the modified example 2 configured in this way, the lengths of the wires 31 and 32 differ between at least one pair of adjacent pins 11 and 12. As a result, the second crimping components 41 and 42 that connect the lead wires 51 and 52 in the turbomolecular pump 100 to the wires 31 and 32 are arranged in a staggered pattern, alternating between adjacent wires 31 and 32. This makes the process of connecting the lead wires 51 and 52 to the wires 31 and 32 via the second crimping components 41 and 42 even easier, and allows the second crimping components 41 and 42 to be arranged so that they do not overlap, thus increasing the flexibility of the wiring design.

[0072] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. All technical matters included in the technical concept described in the claims are subject to the present invention. The embodiments described above are preferred examples, but those skilled in the art can realize various alternative examples, modifications, variations, combinations, or improvements from the contents disclosed herein, and these are included in the technical scope described in the appended claims.

[0073] For example, the shape of the first crimping parts 21 and 22 is not limited to the rod-shaped connector described above, and other shapes of connectors can be used. Similarly, the shape of the second crimping parts 41 and 42 is not limited to the cylindrical connector described above, and other shapes of connectors can be used.

[0074] Furthermore, the shape of the connector base of the hermetic connector is not limited to the round frame shape described above; any shape of connector base can be used, such as a horizontally elongated rectangular frame. Also, the shape of the connector base may be box-shaped instead of frame-shaped. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0075] 10, 30, 40 hermetic connectors 11 Small diameter pins (pins) 12 Large diameter pins (pins) 13 Connector base 13a opening 14 Sealing part 15. First sealing section 16. Second sealing section 18 holes 21,22 First crimping part 21a, 22a Press-fit section 21b, 22b Crimping section 31,32 Electric wire 41,42 Second crimping part 51, 52 Lead wires 100 Turbomolecular Pumps (Vacuum Pumps)

Claims

1. A vacuum pump equipped with a hermetic connector, The hermetic connector is Electrically connected pins, A connector base portion surrounding the aforementioned pin, The connector has a sealing portion that seals the space between the pin and the connector base portion such that one end of the pin is located outside the vacuum pump and the other end of the pin is located inside the vacuum pump. At least one of the one end and the other end of the pin is electrically connected to one end of the electric wire via a first crimping component. A vacuum pump characterized by the following features.

2. In the vacuum pump according to claim 1, The other end of the aforementioned electric wire is electrically connected to the lead wire inside the vacuum pump via a second crimping component. A vacuum pump characterized by the following features.

3. In the vacuum pump according to claim 2, The hermetic connector comprises a plurality of the pins, The lengths of the wires between at least one pair of adjacent pins are different. A vacuum pump characterized by the following features.

4. In the vacuum pump according to claim 1, The sealing portion is made of an insulating resin material. A vacuum pump characterized by the following features.

5. A hermetic connector used in a vacuum pump, Electrically connected pins, A connector base portion surrounding the aforementioned pin, The connector has a sealing portion that seals the space between the pin and the connector base portion such that one end of the pin is located outside the vacuum pump and the other end of the pin is located inside the vacuum pump. At least one of the one end and the other end of the pin is electrically connected to one end of the electric wire via a first crimping component. A hermetic connector characterized by the following features.

6. A method for manufacturing hermetic connectors used in vacuum pumps, The hermetic connector is It has electrically connected pins and a connector base portion surrounding the pins, The method for manufacturing the hermetic connector is as follows: The first step is to connect one end of the pin to one end of the electric wire via a first crimping component, A second step involves sealing the space between the pin and the connector base with a sealing material, A method for manufacturing a hermetic connector, characterized by including the following:

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