vacuum pump

Abstract

A vacuum pump (1) is equipped with a projector (7), wherein the projector (7) is configured to project at least one information item related to the operating parameters of the vacuum pump (1) onto the wall surface of the protective cover (3) on the front of the vacuum pump (1), or onto the surface surrounding the vacuum pump (1).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of vacuum pumps, and more particularly to vacuum pumps that can be stacked on top of each other, such as those used in semiconductor manufacturing plants.

Background Art

[0002] Vacuum pumps are used to reduce the pressure within process chambers of equipment where various semiconductor manufacturing processes are performed, or within the inlet or outlet locks of these chambers, or within transfer chambers, particularly in specific applications, especially in the manufacture of semiconductor components.

[0003] These devices are placed within clean rooms where the concentration of particles is controlled and the temperature and humidity are maintained at precise levels. Particularly, due to reasons such as noise, vibration, heat generation, and the need to secure installation space, multiple roughing vacuum pumps are generally installed on the lower floors of clean rooms. Furthermore, in order to save floor space, multiple roughing vacuum pumps are generally installed stacked along the passageways in the basement.

[0004] It is necessary to monitor that these multiple vacuum pumps are operating correctly and be able to quickly identify faults in the vacuum pumps, including intervention by non-expert technicians. For this purpose, vacuum pumps are usually equipped with a control box that enables an operator to control the operating parameters.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, this information is not immediately available because it is necessary to operate the control box. Furthermore, since the control box has many advanced functions available, operating the various menus of the control box can be relatively cumbersome. Furthermore, because it is necessary to access information within the control boxes of multiple vacuum pumps, it is not easy to compare the operating parameters of two adjacent vacuum pumps.

[0006] Furthermore, vacuum pumps may be equipped with multiple indicator lights to show their operating status. These indicator lights are typically located on the front of the vacuum pump and use a three-color signaling system to indicate whether the vacuum pump is operating normally, malfunctioning, or stopped. However, these indicator lights are only properly visible within a limited area of ​​the vacuum pump corresponding to the light emission range of the indicator lights. It is impossible to place these indicator lights on the top of the vacuum pump or inside the turret because it would prevent stacking multiple vacuum pumps, or if multiple vacuum pumps are stacked, these indicator lights would become invisible or their performance would be reduced. Furthermore, the information provided by these indicator lights is limited.

[0007] Furthermore, some of the vacuum pumps are installed very close to the ground or even integrated into the ground, which makes accessing the control box and reading the indicators even more complicated. While it is possible to transfer information about the operating status of multiple vacuum pumps to a single control room, this information would not be readily available in the basement near the problematic vacuum pump.

[0008] Therefore, in a basement equipped with multiple vacuum pumps that can be stacked on top of each other, there is a need to provide a solution that allows for quick access to the status and operating parameters of various vacuum pumps. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] For this purpose, the present invention relates to a vacuum pump equipped with a projector configured to project at least one information item relating to the operating parameters of the vacuum pump onto the wall surface of the protective cover on the front of the vacuum pump, or onto the surface surrounding the vacuum pump, particularly the ground.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present invention, the vacuum pump also includes at least one reflector for reflecting the light beam emitted from the projector. According to another aspect of the present invention, the reflector is directionally adjustable. According to another aspect of the present invention, the reflector is removable. According to another aspect of the present invention, the projector is configured to continuously display at least one information item related to the operating parameters of the vacuum pump.

[0011] According to another aspect of the present invention, the projector is configured to display information items related to the operating parameters of the vacuum pump for a predetermined time, and to alternately display a plurality of different information items related to the operating parameters of the vacuum pump in a predetermined order. According to another aspect of the present invention, the projector is configured to display one piece of information associated with the operating parameter of the vacuum pump in a predetermined color, based on the value of the operating parameter of the vacuum pump.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present invention, the operating parameters of the vacuum pump are included in the following list. Operating power of the aforementioned vacuum pump Gas pressure measured at the discharge port of the vacuum pump Operating temperature of the stator of the vacuum pump Flow rate of purge gas injected into the path of gas being pumped Operational failure of the aforementioned vacuum pump Operating time of the vacuum pump Operating state of the aforementioned vacuum pump The temperature of the purge gas injected into the path of the gas being pumped

[0013] According to another aspect of the present invention, the vacuum pump comprises a first functional block and a second functional block, and the operating parameters of the vacuum pump are included in the following list. Current consumed by one and / or the other of the aforementioned functional blocks Rotational speed of one and / or the other of the aforementioned functional blocks

[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, the projector is configured to display the information items associated with the operating parameters of the vacuum pump in the form of alphanumeric text and / or symbols and / or pictograms and / or logos. According to another aspect of the present invention, the vacuum pump is positioned on and / or configured to support the other vacuum pump or pumping unit.

[0015] The present invention also relates to an apparatus comprising a plurality of vacuum pumps and a projector connected to these plurality of vacuum pumps and configured to project at least one information item relating to the operating parameters of the plurality of vacuum pumps onto the wall surface of the protective cover on the front of at least one of the plurality of vacuum pumps, or onto the surface around the plurality of vacuum pumps, particularly the ground. One of the multiple vacuum pumps in the apparatus may correspond to the vacuum pump described above. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer by reading the following description. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view of a vacuum pump according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic side view showing a part of a vacuum pump according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a schematic perspective view of a vacuum pump according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing an outline of a first type of projection display. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing an outline of a second type of projection display. [Figure 6] It is a schematic perspective view of an apparatus including a plurality of vacuum pumps and one projector according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a schematic perspective view of an apparatus including a plurality of vacuum pumps and one projector according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a schematic perspective view of an apparatus including a plurality of vacuum pumps and one projector according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, examples of the present invention will be described. In each figure, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same elements. The following embodiments are illustrative. Although one or more embodiments are referred to in this specification, this does not necessarily mean that each reference relates to the same embodiment, or that the features apply only to a single embodiment. The individual features of different embodiments can also be combined or exchanged to constitute other embodiments.

[0018] The present invention relates to a vacuum pump, and particularly to a vacuum pump used for controlling the pressure of a process chamber in a semiconductor manufacturing plant. FIG. 1 shows an example of such a vacuum pump 1. This vacuum pump 1 is, for example, a single pump or a pump unit that can be composed of a plurality of functional units, and each functional unit can be composed of a plurality of stages arranged in series. Further, the vacuum pump 1 can include a Roots pump and form a high-vacuum pump combined with a low-pressure vacuum pump.

[0019] The vacuum pump 1 is equipped with a protective cover 3 and may also be equipped with wheels 5 to facilitate its movement. The protective cover 3 has a parallelepiped shape as an overall form, for example, so that the vacuum pumps 1 can be stacked. This vacuum pump 1 can be placed under or on other vacuum pumps 1 or other pump units, or on the ground. These vacuum pumps can also be placed on support stands arranged vertically.

[0020] The vacuum pump 1 also includes a projector 7 (see Figure 2) configured to project information related to the operating parameters of the vacuum pump 1. This information can be projected onto the ground below the vacuum pump 1 or onto a zone located in front of the vacuum pump 1, as in the embodiments shown in Figures 1 and 2. Furthermore, if vacuum pump 1 is located above another vacuum pump 1 or pump unit, this information can also be projected onto the surface surrounding that vacuum pump 1, in particular onto the surface surrounding the vacuum pump 1 of the other vacuum pump 1 or pump unit, or onto a partition or wall of other equipment near this vacuum pump 1.

[0021] The information items may be projected directly by the projector 7, or they may be projected via an optical device 8, which includes, for example, one or more mirrors 9 for reflecting the light beam emitted by the projector 7 and / or one or more lenses 10 configured to focus the light beam. The optical device 8 is configured to project information items in a desired direction, and to easily change this projection direction, especially when the vacuum pump 1 moves. Therefore, one or more mirrors 9 can change their projection direction to allow direct projection or to adjust the projection direction. Depending on the projection direction, more mirrors may be required, and therefore the mirrors may be removable. The optical device 8 can also be configured to change the display size of information items or to adjust the clarity of the display. For this purpose, the optical device 8 can be configured to allow adjustment of the position of one or more lenses.

[0022] Figure 2 shows one example in which an optical device 8, comprising one lens 10 and one reflector 9, is configured to reflect a light beam emitted from one projector 7 toward the ground 11 directly in front of a vacuum pump 1, as shown in Figure 1. To obtain the desired projection, more mirrors 9 and / or lenses 10 may also be used. The reflector 9 is orientable to adapt to the environment of the pump 1 and to provide a clear projected image to surfaces having different orientations relative to the vacuum pump 1 and / or surfaces located at different distances from the vacuum pump 1, and the lens 10 may be adjustable (e.g., translationally movable).

[0023] The protective cover 3 includes, for example, an opening 3a for allowing a light beam to pass through. This opening 3a may be shielded by a transparent member such as a screen made of glass, polycarbonate, plexiglass®, or other material that provides sufficient transparency.

[0024] According to another embodiment shown in Figure 3, the projector 7 and optical device 8 are configured to project information items onto the wall of the protective cover 3 associated with the front of the vacuum pump 1. For this purpose, the protective cover 3 comprises, for example, an opening 3a' positioned in front of the vacuum pump 1 and which can be shielded by a transparent element, and a projection 3b protruding from the front of the protective cover 3 and configured to face at least partially the opening 3a'. The projection 3b houses, for example, a reflector 9 that forms an angle of 15° to 45° with respect to the front of the protective cover 3 and is configured to reflect a light beam from a projector 7 located inside the protective cover 3 toward the front of the protective cover 3.

[0025] The optical device 8 is located inside the protective cover 3 and may include other reflectors 9 configured to reflect the light beam from the projector 7 toward the reflector 9 provided on the protrusion 3b. Also, as in the embodiments described above, the optical device 8 may include a lens 10 that can adjust the sharpness of the projected image. The protrusion 3b may be curved or have other shapes, as long as it can project the light beam onto the front surface of the protective cover 3.

[0026] The projected information corresponds to the information associated with the operating parameters of vacuum pump 1. These operating parameters are selected from, for example, the following list. Electrical operating power of vacuum pump 1 Gas pressure measured at the outlet of vacuum pump 1 Operating temperature of the stator of vacuum pump 1 Flow rate of purge gas injected into the path of gas being pumped Vacuum pump 1 malfunction Operating time of vacuum pump 1 Operating status of vacuum pump 1 The temperature of the purge gas injected into the path of the gas being pumped

[0027] If vacuum pump 1 has at least two functional blocks, the operating parameters can also be selected from the following list. Current consumed by one and / or the other of the aforementioned functional blocks Rotational speed of one and / or the other of the aforementioned functional blocks

[0028] The vacuum pump 1 may be configured to continuously project information items associated with its operating parameters while the vacuum pump 1 is in operation. The vacuum pump 1 can also be configured to display multiple operating parameters, particularly information items related to the operating parameters listed above. As shown in Figure 4, multiple information items can be displayed simultaneously. Furthermore, the information items can be displayed alternately in a predetermined order for a predetermined duration. This duration may be the same for all information items, or it may differ for each item. The information items can be displayed continuously during vacuum pump operation, or at predetermined intervals.

[0029] Furthermore, information items may be displayed in a single color or in different colors. As shown in Figure 4, the display may be in the form of alphanumeric text and / or symbols and / or emojis and / or logos. The display shows, for example, the name of the parameter, the numerical value associated with the operating parameter, and, if applicable, the unit. The display may also include icons.

[0030] As shown in Figure 5, the above display can be shown in different colors associated with different operating parameter values ​​of the vacuum pump 1, or different operating states of the vacuum pump 1 (corresponding to ranges of operating parameter values). For example, green is associated with normal operating conditions, orange with faulty operating conditions requiring intervention, and red with the stopped operating condition of vacuum pump 1 after a major failure has occurred. In this way, the display color can be changed according to the severity level reached by the measured operating parameter values. This display may be intermittent, and its frequency may be related to the state of the vacuum pump 1. Abnormal values ​​of operating parameters may be represented, for example, in a blinking mode.

[0031] The present invention also relates to a single apparatus 100 comprising a plurality of vacuum pumps 1', as shown in Figures 6 to 8, and a projector 7 connected to these various vacuum pumps 1' and configured to display at least one information item related to the operating parameters of the plurality of vacuum pumps 1'. In the example of Figures 6 to 8, there are four vacuum pumps 1'. The connection between the projector 7 and the multiple vacuum pumps 1' can be made via a wired connection or a wireless connection such as Bluetooth®. The multiple vacuum pumps 1' can be arranged side by side or stacked on top of each other.

[0032] A single projector 7 can be integrated into one of the multiple vacuum pumps 1' (see Figure 6), or it can be independent of the multiple vacuum pumps, as shown in Figures 7 and 8. In the latter case, the projector 7 is placed in one of the multiple vacuum pumps 1', adjacent to multiple vacuum pumps, or near multiple vacuum pumps (i.e., in the same room as the multiple vacuum pumps 1'). The features of this projector 7 may be the same as those shown in the embodiment relating to a single vacuum pump 1 equipped with one projector 7 described above. Therefore, the projection zone may be the wall of the front protective cover of at least one of the multiple vacuum pumps 1'.

[0033] One projector 7 can be configured to display information items related to the operating parameters of various pumps 1' simultaneously or sequentially. As mentioned above, information items related to driving parameters with values ​​outside the predetermined operating range can be displayed preferentially (only those information items can be displayed), and they can also be displayed using a different display method than other information items (for example, a different color, intermittent (flashing) display, and / or a larger font).

[0034] The projector 7 can also be configured to divide the display screen into different projection zones. For example, in the example in Figure 8, four zones z1, z2, z3, and z4 are associated with the four vacuum pumps 1', each corresponding to a different vacuum pump 1'. This allows information items associated with various vacuum pumps 1' to be displayed in different zones located in front of the corresponding vacuum pump, as shown in Figure 8. It is also possible to have a different number of zones than the number of vacuum pumps. Displays related to multiple pumps are shown in the same zone. By using multiple display zones, a single vacuum pump exhibiting one abnormal operating parameter can be quickly detected and identified.

[0035] Such a device allows a single projector 7 to display multiple information items related to multiple operating parameters of various vacuum pumps 1', reducing the costs associated with data projection while simultaneously enabling rapid detection of a single faulty vacuum pump.

[0036] Thus, by using a device 100 that includes one vacuum pump 1 or more vacuum pumps 1', and a projector 7 configured to project data or multiple information items related to the operating parameters of one vacuum pump 1 or more vacuum pumps 1', the operator can quickly access these information items associated with the various vacuum pumps 1', even when these multiple vacuum pumps are stacked.

[0037] This allows the operator to very quickly detect a failure or malfunction in one vacuum pump 1 from among several vacuum pumps 1 installed in rooms or basements where available space is limited. By displaying non-standard parameters, operators can quickly identify the cause of a malfunction and take preventative measures, such as maintenance of the vacuum pump 1, to prevent such malfunctions from occurring in the first place. By quickly identifying faulty or non-standard pumps and the causes of their failures, malfunctions can be prevented. Furthermore, if a malfunction does occur, improved repair efficiency can reduce the downtime of the vacuum pump 1, and consequently, the downtime of the related production line. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0038] 1. Vacuum pump 3. Protective cover 3a opening 3a' opening 3b Projection 5 wheels 7 Projector 8 Optical equipment 9 Reflector 10 lenses 100 devices

Claims

1. A vacuum pump (1) comprising a projector (7) configured to project at least one information item related to the operating parameters of the vacuum pump (1) onto the wall surface of a protective cover (3) on the front of the vacuum pump (1) or onto the surface surrounding the vacuum pump (1).

2. The vacuum pump according to claim 1, further comprising at least one reflector (9) for reflecting a light beam emitted from the projector (7).

3. The vacuum pump according to claim 2, characterized in that the reflector (9) is directionally adjustable.

4. The vacuum pump according to claim 2, characterized in that the reflector (9) is removable.

5. The vacuum pump according to claim 1, characterized in that the projector (7) is configured to continuously display at least one information item related to the operating parameters of the vacuum pump (1).

6. The vacuum pump according to claim 5, characterized in that the projector (7) is configured to display one information item related to the operating parameter of the vacuum pump (1) for a predetermined time, and to alternately display a plurality of different information items related to the operating parameter of the vacuum pump (1) in a predetermined order.

7. The vacuum pump according to claim 1, characterized in that the projector (7) is configured to display one of the information items related to the operating parameters of the vacuum pump (1) in a predetermined color based on the value of the operating parameters of the vacuum pump (1).

8. The vacuum pump according to claim 1, characterized in that the operating parameters of the vacuum pump (1) are included in the following list. Operating power of the vacuum pump (1) The gas pressure measured at the discharge port of the vacuum pump (1) Operating temperature of the stator of the vacuum pump (1) The flow rate of the purge gas injected into the path of the gas being pumped. Operational failure of the vacuum pump (1) Operating time of the vacuum pump (1) Operating state of the vacuum pump (1) The temperature of the purge gas injected into the path of the gas being pumped

9. The vacuum pump according to claim 1, comprising first and second functional blocks, wherein the operating parameters of the vacuum pump are included in the following list. Current consumed by one and / or the other of the aforementioned functional blocks Rotational speed of one and / or the other of the aforementioned functional blocks

10. The vacuum pump according to claim 1, characterized in that the vacuum pump (1) has a parallelepiped shape as an overall form and is provided with a protective cover (3) configured to be placed on and / or to support another vacuum pump (1) or another pumping unit.

11. An apparatus (100) comprising a plurality of vacuum pumps (1') and a projector (7), wherein the projector (7) is connected to the plurality of vacuum pumps (1') and is configured to project at least one information item related to the operating parameters of the plurality of vacuum pumps (1') onto the wall of the front protective cover (3) of at least one of the plurality of vacuum pumps (1') or onto the surface around the plurality of vacuum pumps (1').

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