Support structure for gate valve unit of vacuum vessel
The support structure for the gate valve unit enables efficient cleaning and inspection of sealing surfaces by rotating the unit from the vacuum container, addressing the inefficiencies of conventional maintenance methods.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP ยท JP
- Patent Type
- Utility models
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NAKAKA MFG CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2026-05-11
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-09
Smart Images
Figure 0003256505000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a support structure for a gate valve unit of a vacuum vessel, and more particularly to a support structure for a gate valve unit of a vacuum vessel that allows maintenance of the seal contact surface between the gate valve side and the vacuum vessel side without removing the gate valve unit.
Background Art
[0002] Conventionally, in a vacuum gate valve device used in a vacuum atmosphere such as a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, since corrosive gases are used inside the vacuum vessel, deterioration of seal members such as rubber seal materials used for vacuum sealing is extremely rapid. In addition, deterioration of the seal member is accelerated by plasma reaction products generated. Therefore, it is necessary to frequently perform maintenance of the gate valve, such as cleaning of the sealing surface, replacement or cleaning of the seal member. Such maintenance of the gate valve is performed by removing the entire gate valve unit from the vacuum vessel.
[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique related to a gate valve structure of a vacuum vessel for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that can open and close an opening by a single operation (one action) of a uniaxial actuator. As shown in FIG. 1, the gate valve structure described in Patent Document 1 is configured such that the head of a linear actuator is connected to a guide plate, and by moving the guide plate in the closing direction, the valve body also moves in the closing direction via a parallel link mechanism. At this time, a push block fixed to the valve body abuts against a stopper, and the pressing force is transmitted to the valve body via the parallel link mechanism. As a result, the valve body is pressed against the opening of the vacuum vessel, and the O-ring is compressed to ensure a sealed state.
[0004] However, in the gate valve structure described in Patent Document 1, the entire gate valve unit must be removed from the vacuum vessel in order to clean the sealing portion of the valve body and the sealing contact portion on the vacuum vessel side, and to check for scratches. As mentioned above, in thin-film deposition equipment, such as semiconductor manufacturing equipment, a large amount of dust is generated inside the vacuum vessel during the deposition process, so frequent maintenance is required. However, removing the entire gate valve unit is not an easy task, as it requires removing the bonnet flange and manually pulling out the connected valve body. Therefore, as a gate valve structure for equipment that requires frequent maintenance, it has the problem of poor workability. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]
[0005] [Patent Document 1] Published Utility Model Gazette H3-14972 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]
[0006] Therefore, in view of the above points, the object of the present invention is to provide a support structure for a gate valve unit of a vacuum vessel that offers excellent workability, allowing for cleaning of the sealing portion of the valve body and the sealing contact portion on the vacuum vessel side, as well as inspection for scratches, without removing the entire gate valve unit. [Means for solving the problem]
[0007] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a support structure for a gate valve unit that is fastened to a vacuum vessel by fixing bolts provided at the four corners and has a carrier plate to which the valve body is connected by a link mechanism, and which seals or opens the opening of the vacuum vessel with the valve body by raising and lowering along guide shaft fixing plates provided on both sides of the carrier plate, The carrier plate is provided with hinges at the upper and lower ends of either of the guide shaft fixing plates, which are located on both sides of the carrier plate. By removing the fixing bolts, the gate valve unit can be rotated to one side while supported by the hinges, thereby separating it from the vacuum container. This allows for inspection of the opening of the vacuum container and the portion of the gate valve unit that closes the opening.
[0008] The carrier plate is characterized in that the lower ends of the guide shaft fixing plates, which are provided on both sides of the carrier plate, are connected by a reinforcing material. [Effects of the Invention]
[0009] As described above, the present invention provides a gate valve structure for a vacuum vessel that offers excellent workability, as it allows for cleaning of the sealing portion of the valve body and the sealing contact portion on the vacuum vessel side, as well as inspection for scratches, without having to remove the entire gate valve unit. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0010] [Figure 1(a)] This is a front view of a conventional gate valve unit 1 (gate open state). [Figure 1(b)] This is a cross-sectional view AA shown in Figure 1(a). [Figure 2(a)] This is a front view of a conventional gate valve unit 1 (gate closed state). [Figure 2(b)] This is a cross-sectional view AA shown in Figure 2(a). [Figure 3(a)] This is a front view of a gate valve unit 2 (gate open state), which is an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3(b)] This is a view of the gate valve unit 2A-A, which is an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3(c)] This is a view of the gate valve unit 2, an embodiment of the present invention, in its normal state, as seen from the JJ arrow. [Figure 3(d)] This is a view of the gate valve unit 2, an embodiment of the present invention, during maintenance, as seen from the JJ arrow. [Figure 3(e)]This is a view of the gate valve unit 2, an embodiment of the present invention, in its normal state, as seen from arrow KK. [Figure 3(f)] This is a view of the gate valve unit during maintenance, as shown by arrow KK, which is an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0011] The following describes an embodiment of the gate valve structure for a vacuum vessel according to the present invention, based on the drawings. Note that the drawings schematically represent the gate valve structure for a vacuum vessel, and the dimensions and dimensional ratios shown in the drawings do not necessarily correspond to the actual dimensions and dimensional ratios. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, redundant explanations are omitted as appropriate, and the same reference numerals are assigned to identical components.
[0012] Figure 1(a) is a front view of a conventional gate valve unit 1 in a state where the valve body 20 is at the top and the opening 11 is not closed by the valve body 20 (open state), and Figure 1(b) is a cross-sectional view AA shown in Figure 1(a). The gate valve unit 1 opens and closes the opening 11 of the vacuum vessel 10 by extending and retracting a linear actuator rod 42 (see Figure 2) connected to a linear actuator 41, thereby raising and lowering a carrier plate 25 connected to the end of the rod 42 via an adapter 43. The valve body 20 is connected to the carrier plate 25 via a parallel link mechanism 30, and the two move up and down together.
[0013] Figure 2(a) is a front view of a conventional gate valve unit 1 in a state where the valve body 20 is closing the opening 11, and Figure 2(b) is a cross-sectional view of AA shown in Figure 2(a). As shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b), at the end of the closing operation of the opening 11, the push block 21 fixed to the valve body 20 comes into contact with the stopper block 15, and the parallel link mechanism 30 rotates slightly, pressing the valve body 20 against the opening 11 of the vacuum container 10.
[0014] On both sides of the carrier plate 25, a guide mechanism is provided to linearly and stably move the valve body 20 in the vertical direction. This guide mechanism is composed of a guide shaft 51 whose both ends are fixed by a guide shaft holder A53 and a guide shaft holder B54, and a linear guide bearing 52 that slides on the guide shaft 51 with low friction. The carrier plate 25 is fixed to the linear guide bearing 52, and the carrier plate 25 moves up and down as the bearing 52 slides.
[0015] The guide shaft holders A53 and B54 that fix the linear guide shafts 51 provided on both sides of the vacuum vessel 10 are fixed to the top plate 45 and are screwed to the vacuum vessel 10 by fixing bolts 55 via a guide shaft fixing plate 50. In order to clean the sealing surface of the opening 11 of the conventional gate valve unit 1 described above, replace the seal member, or perform cleaning, all the fixing bolts 55 at the four corners that fix the gate valve unit 1 to the vacuum vessel 10 must be removed, and then the gate valve unit 1 must be removed from the vacuum vessel 10. In such work, the valve body 20 must be manually pulled out, which is not an easy task.
[0016] FIG. 3(a) is a front view of a gate valve unit (gate open state) according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3(b) is a view taken along the line A-A of the gate valve unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. The difference between the conventional gate valve unit 1 and the gate valve unit 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention is that in the gate valve unit 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), one of the hinges 60 is attached to the upper part of the left guide shaft fixing plate 50 of the gate valve unit 1, and the other of the hinges 60 is attached to the vacuum vessel 10.
[0017] Similarly, one of the hinges 60 is also attached to the lower part of the left guide shaft fixing plate 50, and the other of the hinges 60 is attached to the vacuum vessel side 10. Due to the hinges 60 provided at two positions above and below, the gate valve unit 2 can be opened and closed as a single-opening structure with respect to the vacuum vessel 10.
[0018] When the gate valve unit 2 has a single-opening structure, the rigidity of the gate valve unit becomes an issue. Conventional gate valve unit 1 is U-shaped with the bottom open, and if it is made into a single-opening structure with this shape, the rigidity problem remains. Therefore, as shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), an underframe bar 56 is attached to the lower end of the left guide shaft fixing plate 50, and the rigidity of the U-shaped gate valve unit with the bottom open is increased, thereby creating a structure in which the gate valve unit 2 can open to the vacuum vessel 10 on one side.
[0019] Figure 3(c) shows the gate valve unit 2, an embodiment of the present invention, in its normal state (not during maintenance), as seen from the JJ arrow. As shown in Figure 3(c), when maintenance is not being performed, the hinge 60 is fixed to the vacuum container 10 and the left-side guide shaft plate 50, and both leaves of the hinge 60 overlap each other. Furthermore, since the gate valve unit 2 is fixed to the vacuum container 10 at all four corners by fixing bolts 55, no load is placed on the hinge 60 when not undergoing maintenance.
[0020] Figure 3(d) shows a view of the gate valve unit 2, an embodiment of the present invention, during maintenance, as seen from the JJ arrow. As shown in Figure 3(d), when maintaining the gate valve unit 2, all four fixing bolts 55 that secure the gate valve unit 2 to the vacuum container 10 are removed. This makes the gate valve unit 2 rotatable, and the gate valve unit 2 can be separated from the vacuum container 10 by rotating the hinge 60. By rotating the gate valve unit 2, the hinge 60 is positioned at a predetermined angle, making it easy to clean the sealing portion of the valve body 20 and the sealing contact portion on the vacuum container side, and to check for scratches.
[0021] Figure 3(e) shows the gate valve unit 2 in its normal state as viewed from arrow KK, which is an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 3(e), a hinge 60 connecting the vacuum vessel 10 and the guide shaft fixing plate 50 is shown on the left side of the gate valve unit 2. An underframe bar 56 that increases the rigidity of the gate valve unit 2 is also shown, with a stopper block 15 in the center and a carrier plate 25 above it. Behind that is a top plate 45, and on both sides are parallel link mechanisms and guide shaft holders B54.
[0022] Figure 3(f) shows a view of the gate valve unit 2, an embodiment of the present invention, during maintenance, as seen from the arrow KK. From the state shown in Figure 3(e), all four fixing bolts 55 that secure the gate valve unit 2 to the vacuum container 10 are removed, and the gate valve unit 2 is rotated counterclockwise, causing the hinge 60 to rotate and move away from the vacuum container 10. By rotating the gate valve unit 2, the hinge 60 is positioned at a predetermined angle, making it easy to clean the sealing portion of the valve body and the sealing contact portion on the vacuum container side, and to check for scratches.
[0023] [Explanation of Symbols]
[0024] 1 Conventional gate valve unit 2. Gate valve unit of the present invention 10 Vacuum container 11 Opening 15 Stopper Block 20 valve body 21 Push Block 22 O-rings 25 Carrier Plate 30 Link mechanism 41 Linear Actuator 42 Linear Actuator Rods 43 Adapters 45 Top Plate 50 Guide shaft fixing plate 51 Guide shaft fixing plate 52 Linear guide bearings 53 Guide shaft holder A 54 Guide shaft holder B 55 Fixing bolts 56 Underframe Bar 60 hinge
Claims
1. A support structure for a gate valve unit, which is fastened to a vacuum vessel by fixing bolts provided at the four corners and has a carrier plate to which the valve body is connected by a link mechanism, and which moves up and down along guide shaft fixing plates provided on both sides of the carrier plate to seal or open the opening of the vacuum vessel with the valve body, A support structure for a gate valve unit, characterized in that hinges for connecting to the vacuum container are provided at the upper and lower ends of either of the guide shaft fixing plates provided on both sides of the carrier plate, all of the fixing bolts are removed, and the gate valve unit is rotated to one side while supported by the hinges, thereby separating the gate valve unit from the vacuum container, and enabling inspection of the opening of the vacuum container and the portion of the gate valve unit that closes the opening.
2. The gate valve unit support structure according to claim 1, characterized in that a reinforcing member is provided between the lower ends of the guide shaft fixing plates provided on both sides of the carrier plate.