Fixing structure for wiring or piping

Abstract

A fixing structure 10 is used for fixing wiring 20 or piping led out from a gas box 30 and comprises a fixing member constituted by a holding member 14 which holds a part of the wiring 20 or the piping from the outside and a plate-like member 16 on which at least a part of the bottom surface of the holding member 14 is placed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fixing structure for wiring or piping, and particularly to a fixing structure for fixing wiring or piping extending from a gas box to the gas box.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses and the like, a gas supply system for supplying a process gas to a chamber has been used. Patent Document 1 discloses a mode of supplying a process gas to a chamber using a gas box that collectively houses flow controllers and valves provided in a plurality of gas supply lines.

[0003] The gas box is used, for example, to prevent outflow to the surroundings in the event of a gas leak and improve safety. An exhaust passage may be connected to the gas box so that the leaked gas does not flow out to the surroundings. Also, in order to prevent the leaked gas from reacting with air, the inside of the gas box may be filled with an inert gas such as nitrogen gas.

[0004] The gas box used to cope with leaked gas from the gas supply system is required to have appropriate airtightness. As the gas box, for example, a box body formed by welding a sheet metal surrounding a metal frame material is used.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Summary of the Invention

[0006] When housing components of a gas supply system, the gas box is provided with holes for wiring and piping that connect to external devices. However, as mentioned above, the gas box must have a certain degree of airtightness, and gas leaks from around the holes through which wiring and piping pass must be suppressed.

[0007] To suppress leaks around the holes, one could consider minimizing the number of holes or reducing their diameter. However, in order to house various functional devices together in a gas box, it is often necessary to run a corresponding number and size of wires from the gas box.

[0008] Furthermore, wiring extending from the gas box may be damaged by friction against the edge of the hole due to vibrations from the equipment. For this reason, it is preferable that the wiring be securely fixed and protected from the gas box.

[0009] Generally, rubber grommets are used to cover the edges of holes in enclosures to protect wiring extending from the enclosure. However, simply using grommets does not guarantee sufficient sealing, and may not adequately address situations where highly hazardous and reactive gases may leak, such as in gas boxes. Furthermore, when numerous wires are routed outside the box, fitting a grommet into each hole in the enclosure is cumbersome.

[0010] Furthermore, standards stipulate that explosion-proof measures are required for wiring and electrical equipment placed in environments where flammable gases may be present. Patent documents 2 and 3 describe explosion-proof connectors for bringing wiring out to the outside while ensuring a seal inside the box and preventing contact between the wiring and gas. However, while the use of such explosion-proof connectors is suitable for ensuring a seal inside the box, it leads to a significant increase in manufacturing costs.

[0011] Therefore, especially in gas supply systems, it would be advantageous to have a fixed structure that allows multiple wires and pipes to be routed out of the gas box with a relatively simple structure while ensuring sufficient sealing.

[0012] This invention was made to solve the above problems, and its main objective is to provide a fixed structure that allows wiring and piping to be routed to the outside while providing sufficient airtightness to the gas box, at a relatively low cost. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] An embodiment of the present invention is a fixing structure for fixing wiring or piping coming out of a gas box, and uses a fixing member that includes a clamping member that clamps a part of the wiring or piping from the outside, and a plate-shaped member on which at least a part of the bottom surface of the clamping member is placed.

[0014] In one embodiment, a cylindrical tube is fixed to the outer circumference of the wiring or piping, and the clamping member is configured to clamp the outside of the cylindrical tube fixed to the wiring or piping.

[0015] In one embodiment, the fixing member is fixed onto the gas box with the cylindrical tube passed through a hole provided in the gas box.

[0016] In one embodiment, the plate-shaped member includes a mounting portion on which the clamping member is placed, and a fixing portion for fixing the cylindrical tube between itself and the mounting portion while the clamping member is placed on it.

[0017] In one embodiment, the mounting portion and the fixing portion of the plate-shaped member have the same thickness.

[0018] In one embodiment, the clamping member is made of resin, and the plate-shaped member is made of metal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the wiring or pipe fixing structure according to the embodiment of the present invention, while providing sufficient sealing performance to the gas box, the wiring and pipes drawn out therefrom can be appropriately fixed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1] It is a cross-sectional view showing a wiring fixing structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is an exploded perspective view showing a detailed configuration of a wiring fixing structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a perspective view when the clamping member and the plate-like member in a state of sandwiching the wiring are viewed from the bottom surface direction. [Figure 4] It is an exploded perspective view showing a detailed configuration of a wiring fixing structure according to another embodiment of the present invention, where (a) shows the clamping member and (b) shows the plate-like member.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. Further, although the wiring fixing structure will be described below, it can be similarly used as a pipe fixing structure.

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a gas supply unit 100 in a state where wiring 20 is fixed to a gas box 30 using a wiring fixing structure 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Inside the gas box 30, a gas treatment device 40 incorporated in a gas supply system is accommodated.

[0023] The gas treatment device 40, which is placed inside the gas box 30, may have various configurations. The gas treatment device 40 may include a flow control device and a vaporizer, and may, for example, include a group of vaporization supply devices provided for each line as described in Patent Document 4. However, it is not limited to this embodiment, and the gas treatment device 40 may be any gas supply line component in which gas leakage may occur, such as piping, flow path blocks, and fluid elements (valves, etc.).

[0024] Although not shown in the diagram, the gas treatment apparatus 40 may also be connected to a raw material inlet pipe through which gaseous or liquid raw materials flow, and a gas outlet pipe for delivering raw material gas. These raw material inlet pipes and gas outlet pipes are also usually connected to fittings located on the outside of the gas box 30.

[0025] In this embodiment, a filling gas supply pipe (not shown) is connected to the gas box 30, and the inside of the gas box 30 is typically supplied with an inert gas (in this case, nitrogen gas) at a pressure equal to or greater than atmospheric pressure. This prevents the leaked gas from reacting with oxygen in the air even if gas leaks from the gas treatment device 40. To prevent ambient air from flowing into the gas box 30, it is desirable that the pressure of the inert gas inside the gas box 30 be maintained at or above the external pressure (typically atmospheric pressure).

[0026] The detailed configuration of the fixed structure 10 of this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 1 and 2. For convenience, the surface of the fixed structure 10 that is in contact with the gas box 30 may be referred to as the bottom surface, and the opposite surface may be referred to as the top surface. However, depending on the location of the fixed structure 10, the top surface and bottom surface may differ from the actual vertical direction.

[0027] As shown in Figure 1, the fixing structure 10 includes a resin cylindrical tube 12 fixed to the outer circumference of the wiring 20, a resin clamping member 14 that clamps a portion of the cylindrical tube 12 from the outside, and a metal plate-shaped member 16 on which at least a portion of the bottom surface of the clamping member 14 rests. The fixing structure 10 is fixed to the outer surface of the gas box 30 with the cylindrical tube 12 passing through a hole 30H provided in the gas box 30.

[0028] The cylindrical tube 12 is provided to bundle multiple wires together for easier handling and to prevent damage to the wires if they come into contact with sheet metal or other materials. The material of the cylindrical tube 12 is, for example, silicone rubber or fluororesin (PFA, FEP, etc.). The clamping member 14 is made of, for example, PEEK (Poly Ether Ether Ketone), and the plate-shaped member 16 is made of, for example, stainless steel. Using such materials, proper sealing and fixing can be achieved even when handling high-temperature gas in the gas treatment device 40 (for example, when generating 200°C gas using a vaporizer as described above). However, when the processing gas temperature is low and the fixing structure 10 does not require such high-temperature resistance, the clamping member 14 may be made of other resin materials.

[0029] Furthermore, the cylindrical tube 12 may not be used if it is unnecessary, such as when the wiring 20 consists of only one wire, is made of metal piping, or is made of a material or structure that is resistant to damage.

[0030] Preferably, the plate-shaped member 16 is made of a material with a higher hardness than at least the clamping member 14. As will be described later, the plate-shaped member 16 is tightly fixed to the clamping member 14 and then firmly fixed to the gas box 30. In this case, in order to effectively prevent gas leakage from around the hole 30H, it is advantageous for the bottom surface of the plate-shaped member 16 to be as flat and resistant to deformation as possible in order to improve adhesion and sealing performance. Furthermore, by using a material with higher processing precision than the clamping member 14 for the plate-shaped member 16, the tolerance of the screw holes is relatively small when it is screwed to the gas box 30, and positioning is more accurate. As a result, sealing performance may be improved compared to when only the clamping member 14 is screwed to the gas box 30.

[0031] Figure 2 shows a more specific configuration of the clamping member 14 and the plate-shaped member 16. In this embodiment, the clamping member 14 is composed of three parts: a first clamping member 14A, a second clamping member 14B, and a third clamping member 14C. At least one of the connection surfaces between the first clamping member 14A and the second clamping member 14B is provided with a recess, so that when the first clamping member 14A and the second clamping member 14B are combined, the wiring 20 shown in Figure 1 and the cylindrical tube 12 covering its outside can be clamped without any gaps.

[0032] In the example shown in Figure 2, the first clamping member 14A and the second clamping member 14B are each provided with three semicircular recesses facing each other, so that they can clamp three wires, each covered with a cylindrical tube. However, this is not the only option, and each recess may have any shape to suit the cross-sectional shape of the wires and cylindrical tubes, and recesses do not necessarily have to be provided on both clamping members as long as they can be clamped closely together. For example, if the cross-section of the wires including the cylindrical tube is square, a corresponding square recess may be provided on only one clamping member, while the other clamping member has a shape with a flat or convex portion. Furthermore, although this structure is designed to clamp three wires, it goes without saying that the number of recesses can be increased or decreased according to the number of wires to be extracted.

[0033] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 2, a recess is also provided on the opposing surfaces of the second clamping member 14B and the third clamping member 14C. In this configuration, when the second clamping member 14B and the third clamping member 14C are combined, a single wire 20 and the cylindrical tube 12 covering its outside can be clamped without any gaps. However, this is not the only configuration; similar to the first clamping member 14A and the second clamping member 14B, the shape and number of recesses can be changed according to the application.

[0034] By using the clamping member 14, the gap between the resin clamping member 14 and the wiring, etc., on the upper surface of the hole 30H provided in the gas box 30 can be almost eliminated, thereby improving the sealing performance. As a result, it is easier to maintain the inert gas, such as nitrogen gas, filling the inside of the gas box 30 at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure.

[0035] The diameter of the gap formed by the clamping member 14 for passing the wiring 20 may be slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the cylindrical tube 12. This allows the gap between the clamping member 14 and the cylindrical tube 12 to be filled. However, if the outer diameter of the cylindrical tube 12 is too large, a gap may form between the clamping members, so it is best if the sizes do not differ significantly. Alternatively, if the cylindrical tube 12 is made of a material that is easily deformable, the deformation that occurs when the clamping members are tightened can suppress the formation of gaps.

[0036] Furthermore, if cables or air tubes with an outer sheath made of resin or the like are simply passed through the hole 30H, the outer sheath may be damaged by contact with the sheet metal each time the wiring moves, potentially exposing the internal wiring and causing short circuits or holes in the air tube. In contrast, by using the clamping member 14 to clamp the cylindrical tube 12 and fixing it to the gas box 30, damage to the wiring and tube can be prevented.

[0037] Furthermore, due to the need to connect cables and air tubes to other devices, it is advantageous to arrange them in a bundled state as much as possible. By using the fixing structure 10, multiple cables and air tubes can be securely fixed to the gas box 30 while bundled together.

[0038] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the plate-shaped member 16 is fixed to the bottom surface of the clamping member 14 before being fixed to the gas box 30. Therefore, even if there are tolerances in the screw holes of the plate-shaped member 16, it is prevented that the clamping member 14 will be fixed in a misaligned state with reduced sealing performance. By using the plate-shaped member 16, the bottom surface of the fixing structure 10 becomes flat, so steps or other differences occur in the clamping member that holds the cylindrical tube 12, preventing the formation of a gap between one of the clamping members and the gas box, thereby eliminating gas leakage.

[0039] As shown in Figure 2, the plate-shaped member 16 of this embodiment is composed of a mounting portion 16B, a first fixing portion 16A, and a second fixing portion 16C. The thicknesses of the mounting portion 16B, the first fixing portion 16A, and the second fixing portion 16C are typically set to the same thickness.

[0040] The mounting section 16B is on which all three clamping members, the first clamping member 14A, the second clamping member 14B, and the third clamping member 14C, are placed. The mounting section 16B is fixed to the second clamping member 14B by a retaining screw 17. Here, the entire second clamping member 14B is placed on the mounting section 16B. On the other hand, only the portions of the first clamping member 14A and the third clamping member 14C that pass through the retaining screw 18 that reaches the gas box 30 are placed on the mounting section 16B.

[0041] Furthermore, the first fixing portion 16A has a planar shape that fits into one side of the mounting portion 16B and is fixed to the bottom surface of the first clamping member 14A by a retaining screw 17. Similarly, the second fixing portion 16C has a planar shape that fits into the opposite side of the mounting portion 16B and is fixed to the bottom surface of the third clamping member 14C by a retaining screw 17. As a result, the first clamping member 14A is placed on the upper surface of the first fixing portion 16A and the mounting portion 16B, and the third clamping member 14C is placed on the upper surface of the second fixing portion 16C and the mounting portion 16B.

[0042] To correspond to the clamping member 14, three semicircular recesses are provided on the opposing surfaces (sides) of the first fixing part 16A and the mounting part 16B. Similarly, one semicircular recess is provided on the opposing surfaces of the mounting part 16B and the second fixing part 16C. This allows the wiring to pass through the plate-shaped member 16. The first fixing part 16A and the second fixing part 16C can fix the cylindrical tube 12 between themselves and the mounting part 16B. However, the structure and number of recesses formed in the first fixing part 16A, the second fixing part 16C, and the mounting part 16B are formed in accordance with the structure and number of recesses formed in the first clamping member 14A, the second clamping member 14B, and the third clamping member 14C.

[0043] In this way, by forming substantially closed holes on the opposing surfaces of the mounting portion 16B and the fixing portions 16A and 16C to allow wiring to pass through without gaps, the lateral sealing performance of the plate-like member can also be improved.

[0044] The fixing structure 10 to the gas box 30 is attached, for example, as follows: First, the cables, etc. (wiring and piping to be fixed) are inserted into the cylindrical tube 12. A heat-shrinkable tube can also be used as the cylindrical tube 12.

[0045] Next, the first clamping member 14A and the second clamping member 14B are used to clamp a corresponding cylindrical tube 12, and the second clamping member 14B and the third clamping member 14C are used to clamp another corresponding cylindrical tube 12. With this state, the assembly is placed on the mounting portion 16B of the plate-shaped member 16. Then, the first clamping member 14A, the second clamping member 14B, and the third clamping member 14C are tightened and fixed to each other using the lateral screws 19.

[0046] Next, with the first fixing portion 16A and the second fixing portion 16C of the plate-shaped member 16 fitted into the stepped portion of the mounting portion 16B, the first fixing portion 16A, the mounting portion 16B, and the second fixing portion 16C are fixed to the first clamping member 14A, the second clamping member 14B, and the third clamping member 14C, respectively, using the retaining screws 17. This completes the fixing member in which the plate-shaped member 16 is attached to the bottom surface with the wiring 20 and the cylindrical tube 12 clamped by the clamping members 14.

[0047] Next, with the wiring 20 passed through the hole 30H of the gas box 30, the fixing members (clamping member 14 and plate-shaped member 16) are placed on the top surface of the gas box 30, and the fixing members can be attached to the gas box 30 by tightening them with fixing screws 18 inserted from above the fixing holes of the clamping member 14.

[0048] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the clamping member 14 and plate-shaped member 16 (first fixing part 16A, mounting part 16B, second fixing part 16C) with the wiring 20 and cylindrical tube 12 sandwiched between them, viewed from the bottom. Note that in Figure 3, the cylindrical tube is not sandwiched between the second clamping member and the third clamping member and a hole is shown, but this is for clarity, and in reality, the cylindrical tube is also sandwiched in this part.

[0049] As can be seen in Figure 3, a relatively hard and flat plate-like member 16 is placed on the bottom surface, making it easy to attach to the gas box 30 without any gaps. Also, since the clamping member 14 is also placed on the same plane as the plate-like member 16 (especially the mounting portion 16B), there is little difference in height or gap between the clamping member 14 and the plate-like member 16. As a result, even after attachment to the gas box 30, the sealing performance near the wiring outlet can be improved.

[0050] Figure 4 shows the clamping member 14 and plate-shaped member 16 in other embodiments. In this embodiment, the clamping member 14 is composed of two parts, a first clamping member 14A and a second clamping member 14B, and the plate-shaped member 16 is composed of two parts, a first fixing part 16A and a mounting part 16B.

[0051] In this embodiment as well, the wiring and piping can be clamped and fixed to each other by the first clamping member 14A and the second clamping member 14B, placed on the mounting part 16B, the first fixing part 16A can be fitted into place, and the clamping member and the plate-shaped member can be tightened and fixed with a fixing screw to form a fixing member. In this embodiment as well, gaps are less likely to occur between the plate-shaped member and the upper surface of the gas box, and gaps are also less likely to occur between the plate-shaped member and the clamping member, so the sealing performance of the gas box is improved and it is easier to maintain the inert gas inside at or above atmospheric pressure.

[0052] The embodiments described above are not limited to those described above, and various modifications are possible. For example, the plate-shaped member does not necessarily have to be composed of multiple members, and may consist only of a mounting section with holes for wiring, etc. (a configuration in which the mounting section and fixing section are integrated as described above). However, in this case, the wiring, etc., would have to be passed through the holes in the plate-shaped member in advance, and then the wiring would be clamped by the clamping member and the clamping member and plate-shaped member would be fixed, so in terms of ease of work, using the separate plate-shaped members described above may be advantageous. [Industrial applicability]

[0053] The wiring or piping fixing structure according to the embodiment of the present invention is suitably used to securely and tightly fix multiple wires or pipes extending from a gas treatment device located inside a gas box to the outside of the gas box, even if there are multiple wires or pipes connected together. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 10 Fixed structure 12 tubular tubes 14 Clamping member 16 Plate-shaped member 16A Fixed part 16B Mounting section 20 Wiring 30 Gas Box 40 Gas treatment equipment 100 gas supply units

Claims

1. A fixing structure for securing wiring or piping coming out of a gas box, Multiple clamping members used to clamp a portion of the aforementioned wiring or piping from the outside, A plate-shaped member on which at least a portion of the bottom surface of the plurality of clamping members is placed A fixing structure for wiring or piping that includes a fixing member, The plate-shaped member includes a mounting portion on which any of the plurality of clamping members are placed and fixed, and a fixing portion positioned adjacent to the mounting portion and fixing the wiring or piping between it and the mounting portion, the fixing portion being fixed to only one of the plurality of clamping members, wherein the fixing structure for wiring or piping comprises these two parts.

2. The fixing structure according to claim 1, wherein a cylindrical tube is fixed to the outer circumference of the wiring or piping, and the plurality of clamping members are configured to clamp the outside of the cylindrical tube fixed to the wiring or piping.

3. The fixing structure according to claim 2, wherein the fixing member is fixed on the gas box with the cylindrical tube passed through a hole provided in the gas box.

4. The fixing structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the mounting portion and the fixing portion of the plate-shaped member have the same thickness.

5. The fixing structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein all of the aforementioned clamping members are made of resin, and the plate-shaped member is made of metal.

6. The fixing structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fixing portion is fixed to a part of any of the plurality of clamping members, and the mounting portion on which any of the plurality of clamping members are placed is fixed to the outer surface of the gas box.

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