Vacuum valve

Abstract

In the present invention, a sealing blade unit and a rotary shutter unit are operated through one driving unit, and a sealing ring formed in a sealing member can be protected through a sealing shutter, which is lifted / lowered and rotated.

Description

vacuum valve

[0001] The present invention relates to a vacuum valve, and is characterized by comprising: a housing (100) in which an inlet (110) and an outlet (120) are formed, and a fluid moving part (130) formed therein and communicating with the inlet (110) and the outlet (120); a driving part (200) including a first driving part (210) and a second driving part (220) connected to the housing (100); a sealing blade part (300) connected to the first driving part (210) to seal the outlet (120) depending on whether the first driving part (210) is operated; and a surrounding rotary shutter part (400) connected to the housing (100) to isolate a sealing ring (340) by moving up and down and rotating depending on whether the second driving part (220) is operated.

[0002] Typically, many vacuum systems are used to carry out the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices.

[0003] For example, in the case of chemical vapor deposition, when a gas is injected into a vacuum chamber where a semiconductor wafer is placed and a certain amount of energy is applied to generate plasma, a reaction occurs on the wafer, forming a thin film.

[0004] Meanwhile, in the process of depositing or packaging a thin film, process byproducts (such as particles) float inside the process chamber due to the chemical reaction of the process gas, and these process byproducts cause problems in production and quality, so they must be removed periodically.

[0005] In this case, process by-products are discharged through a pump and pipe, and a vacuum valve is installed to control the flow of cleaning gas used at this time.

[0006] The vacuum valve is used to block the vacuum chamber and vacuum pump for equipment maintenance, to inspect equipment or facilities, or to clean byproducts inside the chamber.

[0007] Various embodiments of such vacuum valves have been disclosed, and among them, the “vacuum valve (Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2017-0131056)” of the following patent document 1 comprises a valve body (110) in which a first port (111) connected to a vacuum chamber is formed by penetrating one side thereof and a second port (112) connected to a vacuum pump is formed by penetrating the lower side thereof, an actuator (130) for raising and lowering a valve member (120) so that the second port (112) formed in the valve body (110) is opened and closed, and a connection port (140) in which a vacuum chamber connection pipe having one end connected to a vacuum chamber and a vacuum pump connection pipe having one end connected to a vacuum pump are respectively connected to the first port (111) and the second port (112) formed in the valve body (110) are respectively connected, and the other end of the vacuum chamber connection pipe is connected to the vacuum pump, wherein the connection port (140) A connecting portion (141) is formed protrudingly on one side, in which a vacuum chamber connecting pipe having one end connected to a vacuum chamber and a vacuum pump connecting pipe having one end connected to a vacuum pump are connected, respectively, and a contact portion (142) is formed on the outer surface of a valve body (110) in which a first port (111) and a second port (112) are formed through the other side where the connecting portion (141) is formed, and one side thereof is in close contact with the outer surface, and a fastening hole (142a) through which a bolt (200) is inserted through is formed through the edge of the contact portion (142), and a fastening groove (110a) having the same center and inner diameter as the fastening hole (142a) is formed by being dug inwardly on the outer surface of the valve body (110) in which the first port and the second port (112) are formed, and the outer surface of the valve body (110) in which the fastening groove (110a) is formed is formed. It is characterized in that an O-ring mounting groove (110b) is formed on the outer side of the first port (111) and the second port (112) so that an O-ring (150) can be mounted to maintain airtightness even when the bolt (200) is fastened in a state where one side is in close contact, thereby,There was an advantage in that the vacuum valve, which was easy to clean and had accumulated compounds as by-products during the work process, could be easily and conveniently separated from the valve body by simply disconnecting the connection port.

[0008] However, the “vacuum valve” of Patent Document 1 has a problem in that, during the process of exhausting or supplying gas during the semiconductor or display process, the O-ring formed on the valve member is directly exposed to the path through which the process gas moves, and the process byproducts damage the O-ring, thereby increasing the replacement cycle of the O-ring, and when the path is closed, a tight seal is not achieved, thereby shortening the lifespan of the vacuum valve.

[0009] The present invention has been devised to solve the above-described problems, and the purpose of the present invention is to provide a vacuum valve that operates a sealing blade part and a rotary shutter part through a single driving part, and protects a sealing ring formed on a sealing member through a sealing shutter that is raised and lowered and rotated.

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, the vacuum valve according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: a housing (100) in which an inlet (110) and an outlet (120) are formed, and a fluid moving part (130) is formed inside that communicates with the inlet (110) and the outlet (120); a driving part (200) including a first driving part (210) and a second driving part (220) connected to the housing (100); a sealing blade part (300) connected to the first driving part (210) to seal the outlet (120) depending on whether the first driving part (210) is operated; and a surrounding rotary shutter part (400) connected to the housing (100) to isolate the sealing ring (340) by moving up and down and rotating depending on whether the second driving part (220) is operated.

[0011] In addition, the sealing blade (300) is characterized by being composed of a first piston (310) positioned within the first driving unit (210), a first shaft (320) connected to the lower portion of the first piston (310), a sealing member (330) formed at the lower portion of the first shaft (320), and a sealing ring (340) provided around the lower surface of the sealing member (330).

[0012] In addition, the rotary shutter unit (400) is characterized by comprising a lifting member (410) that is connected to the second driving unit (220) and includes a connecting hole (411) formed at the bottom and a pair of rotating guide grooves (412) formed in a spiral shape on both sides of the outer surface, a second shaft (430) that is inserted into the connecting hole (411), a rotating guide protrusion (440) that is formed horizontally on the outside of the second shaft (430) and is inserted into the rotating guide groove (412), and a sealed shutter (450) that is formed at the bottom of the second shaft (430).

[0013] In addition, it is characterized in that a bonnet (500) is further formed between the housing (100) and the lower part of the driving unit (200), which includes a first passage hole (510) formed concentrically with the first driving unit (210), a second passage hole (520) formed concentrically with the second driving unit (220), and a mounting groove (530) formed on the upper part of the second passage hole (520).

[0014] In addition, a vertical guide groove (413) is formed on one side of the elevating member (410), and a fixing member (420) is formed that is coupled to the upper portion of the fixing groove (530), and includes a third passage hole (421) in the center that is connected to the connecting hole (411), and a vertical guide protrusion (422) that is connected to the vertical guide groove (413) on one side of the upper portion.

[0015] In addition, a plurality of first elastic member mounting grooves (423) are formed around the lower surface of the fixed member (420), and a vertical movement guide plate (460) that is mounted in the mounting grooves (530), has a second elastic member mounting groove (461) formed at a position corresponding to the first elastic member mounting groove (423) on the upper surface, and has a connecting hole (462) formed in the center, and an elastic member (470) positioned between the fixed member (420) and the vertical movement guide plate (460), and has upper and lower portions mounted in the first and second elastic member mounting grooves (423, 461), respectively, and a support protrusion (431) is formed on the outer surface of the second shaft (430) to support the lower portion of the vertical movement guide plate (460).

[0016] As described above, according to the present invention, the sealing ring is prevented from being damaged by particles, process by-products, etc., thereby increasing the replacement cycle and reducing maintenance, repair, and replacement costs, the number of times the sealing ring is replaced is reduced, thereby increasing operating costs, and the reliability of sealing is improved by preventing damage to the sealing ring.

[0017] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the entire appearance of a vacuum valve according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an exploded view of a vacuum valve according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figures 3 and 4 are perspective views showing the installation state of the sealing blade and the rotating shutter part among the configurations of the vacuum valve according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the exploded appearance of the rotary shutter part of the vacuum valve according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figures 6 to 8 are exemplary diagrams showing the process of wrapping a sealing ring through a rotary shutter unit in a state where the discharge port of a vacuum valve according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is open.

[0022] FIG. 9 is an exemplary diagram showing the positions of the sealing blade part and the rotary shutter part according to the installation positions of the first driving part and the second driving part among the configurations of the vacuum valve according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Hereinafter, a vacuum valve (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. First, it should be noted that, where possible, identical components or parts are indicated by identical reference numerals throughout the drawings. In describing the present invention, specific descriptions of related known functions or configurations are omitted to avoid obscuring the gist of the present invention.

[0024]

[0025] Referring to FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, a vacuum valve (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention is largely composed of a housing (100), a driving unit (200), a bonnet (500), a sealing blade unit (300), and a rotating shutter unit (400).

[0026]

[0027] Before the explanation, the vacuum valve (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention is provided with interlocking components such as a drive control device and an external power supply device so that the operation can be performed smoothly. Since the principles of configuring and operating the drive elements correspond to a level of technology widely known in the field to which the present invention belongs, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0028]

[0029] First, the housing (100) will be described. The housing (100) is a component installed between a chamber (not shown) and a vacuum pump (not shown), as shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, and has an inlet (110) formed on one side through which fluid flows in, an outlet (120) formed on the lower side through which fluid flows out, and a space formed between the inlet (110) and the outlet (120) in which a sealing member (330) and a sealing shutter (450), which will be described later, are positioned, and a fluid movement part (130) is formed so that fluid flows from the inlet (110) to the outlet (120).

[0030]

[0031] Next, the driving unit (200) will be described. As shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, the driving unit (200) is a component that is connected to the housing (100) to provide driving force to the sealing blade unit (300) and the rotating shutter unit (400) to be described later. The first driving unit (210) that provides driving force to the sealing blade unit (300) and the second driving unit (220) that provides driving force to the rotating shutter unit (400) are each separately formed, and the structure and operating principle of the driving unit (200) are merely at a level of technology widely known in the technical field pertaining to the present invention, and therefore, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0032] Meanwhile, considering the process environment, installation space, etc., the driving unit (200) may be formed with the first driving unit (210) and the second driving unit (220) on the upper side of the housing (100) as shown in FIG. 6, or the first driving unit (210) may be formed on the upper side of the housing (100) and the second driving unit (220) may be formed on the lower side of the housing (100) as shown in FIG. 9, and it is preferable that the rotary shutter unit (400) described later be connected in a compatible manner depending on the position of the second driving unit (220).

[0033]

[0034] Next, the bonnet (500) will be described. As shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, the bonnet (500) is a component formed between the housing (100) and the lower portion of the driving unit (200), and has an air fitting line (not shown) formed therein, which is connected to the first and second cylinder chambers (210, 220), respectively, for driving control of the driving unit (200).

[0035] Meanwhile, in the bonnet (500), a first through hole (510) is formed concentrically with the first driving unit (210), and a second through hole (520) is formed concentrically with the second driving unit (220).

[0036] At this time, the first shaft (320) to be described later passes through the first passage hole (510), and the second shaft (430) to be described later passes through the second passage hole (520).

[0037] Meanwhile, the upper portion of the bonnet (500), more specifically, the second passage hole (520), is characterized in that a mounting groove (530) is formed inwardly at the location where the second passage hole (520) is formed, and a vertical movement guide plate (460) to be described later is mounted in the mounting groove (530), so that the vertical movement guide plate (460) can be slightly raised or lowered within the mounting groove (530) depending on the operation of the second driving unit (220) and the compression / tension state of the elastic member (470) to be described later.

[0038]

[0039] Next, the sealing blade part (300) will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 3 or FIG. 4, the sealing blade part (300) is a component that is connected to the first driving part (210) and rises or falls depending on the operation of the first driving part (210) to open or close the discharge port (120), and is composed of a first piston (310), a first shaft (320), a sealing member (330) and a sealing ring (340).

[0040] The above first piston (310) is a type of piston located within the first driving unit (210) and serves to transmit driving force to the first shaft (320) described later.

[0041] The first shaft (320) is a component that is connected to the lower portion of the first piston (310) and moves up and down depending on the operation of the first driving unit (210). The lower portion of the first shaft (320) is connected to a sealing member (330) to be described later while passing through the first passage hole (510).

[0042] The above sealing member (330) is coupled to the lower portion of the first shaft (320) while positioned within the fluid movement unit (130) and serves to open or seal the discharge port (120) according to the upward and downward movement of the first shaft (320).

[0043] The above sealing ring (340) is a component provided around the lower surface of the sealing member (330), and is generally a rubber-type O-ring, and enables the sealing member (330) to maintain a tight sealing state when sealing the outlet (120).

[0044]

[0045] Next, the rotary shutter unit (400) will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4 or FIG. 5, the rotary shutter unit (400) is connected to the second driving unit (220) so that the upward and downward movements and rotations are simultaneously performed depending on the operation of the second driving unit (220), and the sealing member (330) wraps around the sealing ring (340) while the discharge port (120) is open, thereby preventing the sealing ring (340) from being damaged by process by-products. The rotary shutter unit (400) is composed of a rising and falling member (410), a fixing member (420), a second shaft (430), a rotation guide projection (440) and a sealing shutter (450).

[0046] The above-mentioned lifting member (410) is a type of piston located within the second driving unit (220) and serves to transmit driving force to the second shaft (430) to be described later, and is configured to enable rotational movement of the second shaft (430). A connecting hole (411) is formed at the bottom so that the upper part of the second shaft (430) can be inserted.

[0047] In addition, a pair of rotation guide grooves (412) formed in a spiral shape are perforated on both sides of the outer surface of the elevating member (410). At this time, it is preferable that the rotation guide grooves (412) are formed to be in communication with the connecting hole (411).

[0048] Meanwhile, a rotation guide protrusion (440) to be described later is inserted into the rotation guide groove (412), and when the elevating member (410) is raised by the driving of the second driving unit (200), the rotation guide protrusion (440) moves downward along the rotation guide groove (412), thereby rotating the second shaft (430) clockwise and then raising it, and when the elevating member (410) is lowered, the rotation guide protrusion (440) moves upward along the rotation guide groove (412), thereby rotating the second shaft (430) counterclockwise and then lowering it.

[0049] Meanwhile, a vertical guide groove (413) is formed vertically on one side of the above-described lifting member (410) so that a vertical guide protrusion (422) to be described later can be inserted.

[0050] The above-mentioned fixed member (420) is combined in a form that covers the upper part of the above-mentioned fixing groove (530) to guide the vertical movement of the above-mentioned raising / lowering member (410) and is a component that guides the vertical movement of the vertical movement guide plate (460) to be described later, and is composed of a third passage hole (421), a vertical guide protrusion (422), and a first elastic member fixing groove (423).

[0051] The third passage hole (421) is a component formed by perforation in the center of the fixed member (420), and is formed in communication with the connecting hole (411) so that the second shaft (430) passes through the third passage hole (421) and is coupled to the connecting hole (411).

[0052] The vertical guide protrusion (422) is a component that is vertically protruded on one side of the upper portion and inserted into the vertical guide groove (413). The vertical guide protrusion (422) rises or falls within the vertical guide groove (413) during the process of the raising or lowering member (410) moving up or down, thereby allowing the raising or lowering member (410) to move only in the vertical direction without rotating clockwise or counterclockwise, thereby enabling the vertical guide protrusion (422) to move accurately along the rotation guide groove (412).

[0053] The first elastic member fixing groove (423) is a component that is formed in multiple recesses on the lower periphery of the fixed member (420), and the upper portion of the elastic member (470) provided between the fixed member (420) and the inner side of the vertical movement guide plate (460) is fixed therein.

[0054] The second shaft (430) is a component that passes through the third passage hole (421) and is inserted into the connecting hole (411) to be connected to the raising / lowering member (410). It rises, falls, and rotates according to the movement of the raising / lowering member (410) and the rotation guide protrusion (440) by the operation of the second driving unit (220), and is connected to the sealed shutter (450) at the lower part of the second shaft (320) while passing through the third passage hole (421).

[0055] The above rotation guide protrusion (440) is a component that is horizontally coupled to the outside of the second shaft (430) and inserted into the rotation guide groove (412). The rotation guide protrusion (440) moves along the rotation guide groove (412) when the raising or lowering member (410) is raised or lowered by the operation of the second driving unit (220), thereby enabling the second shaft (430) to be raised after rotating in a clockwise direction, or lowered after rotating in a counterclockwise direction.

[0056] The above sealing shutter (450) is formed at the lower portion of the second shaft (430) and moves toward the sealing member (330) by vertical and rotational movement of the second shaft (430) while the sealing member (330) is in a state where the discharge port (120) is open, thereby wrapping the sealing ring (340) and preventing the sealing ring (340) from being damaged by process by-products.

[0057]

[0058] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8, the process of the sealing shutter (450) covering the exposed portion of the sealing ring (340) while the discharge port (120) of the vacuum valve (1) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is open will be described.

[0059] First, as shown in Fig. 6, when the sealing member (330) closes the discharge port (120), the rotation guide protrusion (440) is positioned at the top of the rotation guide groove (412), the second shaft (430) is lowered, and the sealing shutter (450) is rotated slightly counterclockwise relative to the sealing position of the sealing ring (340).

[0060] Next, as shown in Fig. 7, when the first driving unit (210) is driven to cause the first piston (310) to rise, the first shaft (320) and the sealing member (330) also rise together, so that the outlet (120) remains open.

[0061] Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 8, when the second driving unit (220) is driven to raise the elevating member (410), the elevating member (410) does not rotate but only rises in the vertical direction by the vertical guide protrusion (422) inserted into the vertical guide groove (413), and as the elevating member (410) rises, the rotation guide protrusion (440) located at the uppermost end of the rotation guide groove (412) gradually moves along the rotation guide groove (412) to the lowermost end of the rotation guide groove (412), thereby causing the second shaft (430) to rotate in a clockwise direction, and the sealing shutter (450) is positioned below the sealing member (330).

[0062] Next, when the second driving unit (220) is operated while the rotation guide protrusion (440) is positioned at the lowest end of the rotation guide groove (412) and the raising / lowering member (410) continues to rise, the second shaft (430) also rises, and as a result, the sealing shutter (450) comes into contact with the sealing member (330) and wraps around the sealing ring (340).

[0063] Meanwhile, the process in which the sealing shutter (450) is separated from the sealing ring (340) and the sealing member (330) closes the discharge port (120) is carried out in the reverse order of the above process.

[0064]

[0065] Meanwhile, as an additional embodiment of the present invention, a second elastic member mounting groove (461) is formed on the upper circumference of the mounting groove (530) in the same manner as the first elastic member mounting groove (423), and a vertical movement guide plate (460) is mounted in which a connecting hole (462) is formed in the center so that the second shaft (430) can pass through.

[0066] At this time, a ball bearing (480) may be provided in the above-mentioned joint (462) to ensure smooth rotation of the second shaft (430).

[0067] Meanwhile, between the fixed member (420) and the vertical movement guide plate (460), an elastic member (470) made of an elastic material is provided, the upper and lower portions of which are inserted into the first and second elastic member fixing grooves (423, 461), respectively.

[0068] The above elastic member (470) acts to press or release the vertical movement guide plate (460) depending on the compression / tension state of the above elastic member (470).

[0069] Meanwhile, a support protrusion (431) for supporting the vertical movement guide plate (460) is formed on the outer surface of the second shaft (430) and is coupled to the coupling hole (462) or the ball bearing (480).

[0070] Due to the additional structure as described above, in the process of separating the sealed shutter (450) from the sealed ring (340) while the sealed shutter (450) surrounds the sealed ring (340), when the elevating member (410) is lowered by the operation of the second driving unit (220), the compressed elastic member (470) is released from compression before the sealed shutter (450) rotates counterclockwise, and thus the elevating member (410), the second shaft (430), and the vertical movement guide plate (460) are lowered first by tensile force, thereby preventing the sealed shutter (450) from being damaged by a phenomenon such as a wear phenomenon due to rotation while the sealed shutter (450) and the sealed ring (340) are in contact with each other after the lowering.

[0071]

[0072] The drawings and specifications disclose optimal embodiments. While specific terminology has been used herein, it is solely for the purpose of describing the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as defined in the claims. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent embodiments are possible. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention should be defined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A housing (100) in which an inlet (110) and an outlet (120) are formed, and a fluid movement part (130) is formed inside that is connected to the inlet (110) and the outlet (120); A driving unit (200) including a first driving unit (210) and a second driving unit (220) connected to the above housing (100); A sealing blade part (300) connected to the first driving part (210) and sealing the discharge port (120) depending on whether the first driving part (210) is operating; and A vacuum valve (1) characterized by comprising a surrounding rotary shutter part (400) that is connected to the housing (100) and isolates a sealing ring (340) by moving up and down and rotating depending on the operation of the second driving part (220).

2. In paragraph 1, The above sealing blade (300) is A first piston (310) located within the first driving unit (210), A first shaft (320) connected to the lower part of the first piston (310), A sealing member (330) formed at the lower portion of the first shaft (320), and A vacuum valve (1) characterized by comprising a sealing ring (340) provided around the lower surface of the sealing member (330).

3. In paragraph 1, The above rotary shutter part (400) is A lifting member (410) connected to the second driving member (220) above, and including a connecting hole (411) formed at the bottom and a pair of rotation guide grooves (412) formed in a spiral shape on both sides of the outer surface, A second shaft (430) inserted into the above connecting hole (411), A rotation guide projection (440) formed horizontally on the outside of the second shaft (430) and inserted into the rotation guide groove (412), and A vacuum valve (1) characterized by comprising a sealed shutter (450) formed at the lower portion of the second shaft (430).

4. In either paragraph 2 or paragraph 3, A vacuum valve (1) characterized in that a bonnet (500) is further formed between the housing (100) and the lower portion of the driving unit (200), which includes a first passage hole (510) formed concentrically with the first driving unit (210), a second passage hole (520) formed concentrically with the second driving unit (220), and a mounting groove (530) formed on an upper portion of the second passage hole (520).

5. In paragraph 4, A vertical guide groove (413) is formed on one side of the above-mentioned lifting member (410), A vacuum valve (1) characterized in that a fixing member (420) is formed that is coupled to the upper portion of the above-mentioned settling groove (530), and includes a third passage hole (421) in the center that is connected to the above-mentioned connecting hole (411), and a vertical guide protrusion (422) that is connected to the above-mentioned vertical guide groove (413) on one side of the upper portion.

6. In paragraph 5, A plurality of first elastic member fixing grooves (423) are formed around the lower surface of the above fixed member (420), A vertical movement guide plate (460) that is mounted on the above mounting groove (530), has a second elastic member mounting groove (461) formed at a position corresponding to the first elastic member mounting groove (423) on the upper circumference, and has a joining hole (462) formed in the center, An elastic member (470) positioned between the above fixed member (420) and the above vertical movement guide plate (460), the upper and lower portions of which are respectively seated in the first and second elastic member seat grooves (423, 461), A vacuum valve (1) characterized in that a support protrusion (431) is formed on the outer surface of the second shaft (430) to support the lower portion of the vertical movement guide plate (460).

7. In paragraph 1, A vacuum valve (1), characterized in that the first driving unit (210) and the second driving unit (220) are formed on the upper part of the housing (100).

8. In paragraph 1, The above first driving part (210) is formed on the upper part of the housing (100), A vacuum valve (1), characterized in that the second driving part (220) is formed at the lower part of the housing (100).

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