Pneumatic actuator capable of fine adjustment according to deviation in output

Abstract

The present invention relates to a pneumatic actuator capable of fine adjustment according to a deviation in output and, more particularly, to a pneumatic actuator comprising: a cylinder body; a piston and a spring that are inserted into the cylinder body; a cylinder cap coupled to the upper portion of the cylinder body; and a tubular spring housing, one end of which has a contact surface coming into contact with the spring and the other end is open, and which is provided to accommodate the spring inside the cylinder cap, and can adjust a compression degree of the spring while moving vertically.

Description

Pneumatic actuator capable of fine adjustment based on output deviation

[0001] The present invention relates to a pneumatic actuator capable of fine adjustment according to output deviation.

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing processes, as wafer diameters increase and high precision is required for film deposition or etching, valves capable of controlling large flow rates of process gases with high-speed response are required. As such valves, pneumatically driven valves capable of increasing the travel stroke of the valve body and enabling large flow rates are being used.

[0003] The pneumatically driven valve device is of the type that uses a pneumatic actuator to press and release the valve seat of the valve body, and the driving of the pneumatic actuator is performed by the supply and release of operating air controlled by an external electronic valve.

[0004] In addition, while the driving force of the pneumatic actuator is required to increase the speed of the valve opening operation, the width dimension of the valve device is required for mounting into an integrated gas system. Therefore, to achieve this, a multi-stage actuator with multiple pistons stacked is used as a valve opening and closing actuator (Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2024-0116965).

[0005] Meanwhile, pneumatic actuators used in high-pressure pneumatic valves for semiconductor processes require high output and small size. While most high-pressure pneumatic actuators produce an output of approximately 300 kgf, size limitations necessitate the use of very small springs. Consequently, the spring constant k of these springs increases, and even minute machining errors lead to significant output variations, thereby having a major impact on the durability and quality of the valve. In particular, actuators utilizing multi-stage pistons can produce high output with a small size; however, the structure involves multiple overlapping pistons that can accumulate machining errors, leading to large output deviations. This accumulation of machining errors and the high spring constant of the small springs have a very negative impact on the output management of pneumatic actuators.

[0006] For example, a high-pressure pneumatic actuator using a commonly used 3-stage piston has a cumulative machining tolerance of ±0.24 mm, and the spring constant of the spring used is 60 kgf / mm 2 The output nominal error of this spring is about ±10% and the length tolerance is about ±0.5mm. Taking all these tolerances into account, the output will have a difference of about 255.6kgf to 344.4kgf, ranging from 300kgf to ±44.4kgf.

[0007] Conventionally, to reduce such horseshoes, a thin plate called a 'shim' has been used to compensate for the tolerance (see FIG. 5 of the present invention). However, this method of using a 'shim' has a problem of significantly reducing product productivity because it requires repeating the process several times: assembling the actuator, measuring the output, determining the compensation amount based on the measured output, disassembling the actuator, adding the 'shim', and reassembling it. Furthermore, the thickness tolerance of a single 'shim' still exists, resulting in output deviations, and in the case of products actually applied, there is a disadvantage that fine adjustment is impossible for changes in output that occur after the 'shim' is applied and shipped.

[0008] To solve this problem, the inventors developed a pneumatic actuator that allows for easy adjustment of output without disassembly not only before assembly but also during the production process after assembly, and completed the present invention.

[0009] The purpose in one aspect is...

[0010] The purpose is to provide a pneumatic actuator capable of output adjustment.

[0011] In order to achieve the above objective,

[0012] In one aspect,

[0013] A pneumatic actuator comprising: a cylinder body; a piston and a spring inserted into the cylinder body; and a cylinder cap coupled to the upper part of the cylinder body.

[0014] A pneumatic actuator is provided, comprising a spring housing having a contact surface that contacts the spring at one end and an open tubular shape at the other end, which is positioned to accommodate the spring inside the cylinder cap and can move up and down to adjust the degree of compression of the spring.

[0015] Here, the spring housing is configured to rotate relative to the cylinder cap and move up and down.

[0016] The above cylinder cap includes a first screw thread formed on the inner surface, and

[0017] The above spring housing includes a second threaded portion formed on the outer surface and screw-coupled to the first threaded portion, and

[0018] The spring housing can be moved up and down by the rotation of the second thread portion relative to the first thread portion.

[0019] The cylinder cap is formed to penetrate the upper surface so as to expose the spring housing to the outside, and includes at least two through holes formed spaced apart in the circumferential direction.

[0020] The above spring housing may be configured to rotate and move up and down by means of a predetermined means inserted into the at least two through holes.

[0021] One end of the above spring housing may include a fixing part that fixes the above-mentioned predetermined means.

[0022] In addition, the spring housing may include a plurality of receiving portions formed spaced apart in the circumferential direction of one end thereof, and at least some of the plurality of receiving portions may be configured to be exposed to the outside through the through hole.

[0023] At this time, the fixed part may be formed by penetrating one end of the spring housing.

[0024] The above pneumatic actuator may further include a spring housing position adjustment mechanism inserted into the through hole to rotate the spring housing.

[0025] The above pneumatic actuator may further include a cap cover that covers the cylinder cap.

[0026] The above pneumatic actuator may be a multi-stage pneumatic actuator comprising a multi-stage stacked piston assembly having two or more pistons.

[0027] The above piston is positioned inside the cylinder body and its position varies depending on the pressurization or release state of the compressed air, and

[0028] The above spring may be configured to be positioned between the piston and the cylinder cap to have an elastic change state corresponding to the positional change state of the piston, and to provide an elastic restoring force to the piston corresponding to the pressurization or release state of the compressed air.

[0029] In other aspects of work,

[0030] A multi-stage pneumatic actuator comprising: a cylinder body; a plurality of stacked piston assemblies having two or more pistons disposed inside the cylinder body and varying in position according to the pressurization or release state of compressed air; a cylinder cap coupled to one end of the cylinder body; and a spring disposed between the piston and the cylinder cap to have an elastic change state corresponding to the position variation state of the piston, configured to provide an elastic restoring force to the piston corresponding to the pressurization or release state of the compressed air.

[0031] A spring housing having a contact surface that contacts the spring at one end and an open tubular shape at the other end, arranged to accommodate the spring inside the cylinder cap, and capable of moving up and down to adjust the degree of compression of the spring; and

[0032] A spring housing position adjustment mechanism for rotating the above spring housing; comprising,

[0033] The cylinder cap includes a first threaded portion formed on an inner surface, and the spring housing includes a second threaded portion formed on an outer surface and screw-coupled to the first threaded portion, configured to move the spring housing up and down by rotating the second threaded portion relative to the first threaded portion.

[0034] The cylinder cap is formed to penetrate the upper surface so as to expose the spring housing to the outside, and includes at least two through holes formed spaced apart in the circumferential direction.

[0035] A pneumatic actuator is provided, wherein one end of the spring housing is formed to penetrate the one end of the spring housing and includes a fixing part for fixing the spring housing position adjustment mechanism, wherein a plurality of fixing parts are formed spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the one end of the spring housing and at least some of the plurality of receiving parts are configured to be exposed to the outside through the penetration hole.

[0036] In other aspects of work,

[0037] A valve device including the above-mentioned pneumatic actuator is provided.

[0038] The pneumatic actuator of the present invention can adjust the amount of spring compression, i.e., the spring force, from the outside after assembly, and thereby ultimately enables fine adjustment according to output deviation, so that the output can be prevented from changing due to changes in the elasticity of the spring caused by mechanical tolerances or long-term repetitive operation.

[0039] The spring housing, which is a member for controlling the amount of spring compression in the pneumatic actuator of the present invention, has a tubular shape placed within the upper cap, and thus has small spatial constraints, making it advantageous for application to multi-stage actuators where miniaturization is required.

[0040] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by a person skilled in the art from the description below.

[0041] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a pneumatic actuator according to one embodiment.

[0042] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a cross-section of a pneumatic actuator according to one embodiment.

[0043] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a part of a cylinder cap and a spring housing according to one embodiment.

[0044] Figure 4 is a schematic cross-section of a pneumatic actuator equipped with a spring housing position adjustment mechanism.

[0045] FIG. 5a is a schematic diagram showing a conventional pneumatic actuator.

[0046] FIG. 5b is a schematic diagram showing a cross-section of a conventional pneumatic actuator.

[0047] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described below and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0048] The terms used in this specification are used merely to describe specific embodiments and are not limited thereto.

[0049] Throughout the specification and claims, the terms “first” and “second” are used for distinction purposes in this specification and do not imply or suggest any order or priority in any way. They may be used to describe various components, but said components are not limited by said terms. For example, without departing from the scope of the invention, the first component may be named the second component, and similarly, the second component may be named the first component.

[0050] Furthermore, when it is stated that one component is "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that while it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, there may also be other components in between. On the other hand, when it is stated that one component is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.

[0051] Furthermore, terms such as “include” or “have” are intended merely to indicate the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and do not exclude the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0052] Furthermore, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in this specification.

[0053] In one aspect,

[0054] A pneumatic actuator comprising: a cylinder body; a piston and a spring inserted into the cylinder body; and a cylinder cap coupled to the upper part of the cylinder body.

[0055] A pneumatic actuator is provided, comprising a spring housing having a contact surface that contacts the spring at one end and an open tubular shape at the other end, which is positioned to accommodate the spring inside the cylinder cap and can move up and down to adjust the degree of compression of the spring.

[0056] Hereinafter, a pneumatic actuator according to one embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0057] FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a pneumatic actuator according to one embodiment, FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing of a cross-section of a pneumatic actuator according to one embodiment, FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a part of a cylinder cap and a spring housing according to one embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing of a cross-section of a pneumatic actuator equipped with a spring housing position adjustment mechanism.

[0058] A pneumatic actuator (1000) according to one embodiment is a pneumatic actuator comprising: a cylinder body (100); a piston (200) and a spring (300) inserted into the cylinder body (100); and a cylinder cap (400) coupled to the upper part of the cylinder body.

[0059] Here, the piston (200) is positioned inside the cylinder body (100) and its position varies according to the pressurization or release state of the compressed air, and the spring (300) is positioned between the piston (200) and the cylinder cap (400) to have an elastic change state corresponding to the position variation state of the piston (200) and can be configured to provide an elastic restoring force to the piston (200) corresponding to the pressurization or release state of the compressed air.

[0060] A pneumatic actuator (1000) according to one embodiment may be a multi-stage pneumatic actuator comprising a plurality of stacked piston assemblies having two or more pistons, and may be applied to a pneumatic valve used in semiconductor manufacturing.

[0061] In addition, the pneumatic actuator (1000) according to one embodiment may be a small, high-output pneumatic actuator (1000) that produces a high output of 200 to 500 kgf to satisfy the requirements for high output and miniaturization from the perspective of mounting into an integrated gas system, while the driving force of the pneumatic actuator is required to increase the speed of the valve opening operation.

[0062] In the case of small, high-output pneumatic actuators, springs with a small but large spring constant value (k) are provided to meet the requirements for small size and high output. Consequently, even minute machining errors can cause significant changes in output, which can have a major impact on the durability and quality of the valve in which the pneumatic actuator is installed. In particular, actuators using multi-stage pistons can produce a large output with a small size, but the structure allows for the accumulation of machining errors as multiple pistons overlap, leading to a problem of large output deviations. The accumulation of such machining errors and the high spring constant of the small springs can have a very negative impact on the output management of the pneumatic actuator.

[0063] A pneumatic actuator (1000) according to one embodiment is characterized by being able to compensate for output changes due to such processing errors and to enable fine adjustment according to output deviation by adjusting the amount of spring compression when output changes during use.

[0064] To this end, a pneumatic actuator (1000) according to one embodiment includes a spring housing (500) having a contact surface (510) that contacts the spring (300) at one end and an open tubular shape at the other end, which is arranged to accommodate the spring (300) inside the cylinder cap (400) and can move up and down to adjust the degree of compression of the spring (300).

[0065] The above spring housing (500) can be configured to rotate relative to the cylinder cap (400) and move up and down.

[0066] More specifically, the cylinder cap (400) may include a first threaded portion (420) formed on an inner surface, and the spring housing (500) may include a second threaded portion (520) formed on an outer surface and screw-coupled with the first threaded portion (420).

[0067] Accordingly, when the spring housing (500) is rotated, the second threaded portion (520) can rotate along the first threaded portion (420) and move up and down, and accordingly, the spring housing (500) can move up and down relative to the cylinder cap (400).

[0068] One end of the spring (300) is in contact with the spring housing (500) and the other end is in contact with the piston (200), so that it may be in a pressed state (pressed state) or in a released state (released state) depending on the distance between the spring housing (500) and the piston (200). When the spring housing (500) is rotated in a first direction to move downward, the spring (300) may be placed in a more pressed state (pressed state) as the distance between the spring housing (500) and the piston (200) decreases, or when the spring housing (500) is rotated in a second direction opposite to the first direction to move upward, the spring (300) may be placed in a less pressed state or in a less pressed state (released state) as the distance between the spring housing (500) and the piston (200) increases.

[0069] A pneumatic actuator (1000) according to one embodiment is characterized in that, by rotating the spring housing (500) as described above to move it upward or downward, the degree of compression of the spring (300) can be adjusted, and thereby, fine adjustment according to the output deviation of the actuator is ultimately possible, so that output changes due to processing errors can be compensated and output changes during use can be minimized.

[0070] Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, in a pneumatic actuator (1000) according to one embodiment, the cylinder cap (400) may include a through hole (410) formed by penetrating one surface (top surface) so that the spring housing (500) is exposed to the outside, and preferably includes at least two through holes (411, 412) formed spaced apart in the circumferential direction, and the spring housing (500) may be configured to rotate by a predetermined means inserted into the at least two through holes (411, 412).

[0071] Additionally, one end of the spring housing (500) may include a receiving portion (530) for receiving the predetermined means, and the receiving portion (530) may preferably be formed in a concave shape to receive the predetermined means or formed by penetrating one end of the spring housing (500). The receiving portion (530) may help to rotate or fix the predetermined means inserted into the at least two through holes (411, 412) without slipping when rotated.

[0072] Additionally, one end of the spring housing (500) may include a plurality of receiving portions (530) formed spaced apart in the circumferential direction, and at least some of the plurality of receiving portions may be configured to be exposed to the outside through the at least two through holes (411, 412).

[0073] Accordingly, the pneumatic actuator (1000) according to one embodiment can rotate the spring housing (500) by inserting a predetermined means into the through hole (410), so that the output deviation can be easily adjusted without a disassembly process after assembly is completed.

[0074] For example, a pneumatic actuator (1000) according to one embodiment may have a plurality of stacked piston assemblies including two or more pistons (200) placed inside a cylinder body (100), a spring (300) placed on the piston, a spring housing (500) placed to accommodate the spring (300), and the spring housing (500) coupled to a cylinder cap (400), wherein the spring housing (500) may be screw-coupled to the cylinder cap (400). Subsequently, the assembly may be performed by coupling the cylinder cap (400) to the cylinder body (100). After assembly is completed, if a predetermined means is inserted through the through hole (410) formed in the cylinder cap (400) and the spring housing (500) is rotated, the spring housing (500) can rotate along the screw threads and move upward or downward, thereby allowing the degree of compression of the spring (300) housed inside to be adjusted, and thereby the output deviation of the pneumatic actuator (1000) can be easily adjusted.

[0075] A pneumatic actuator (1000) according to one embodiment may further include a spring housing position adjustment mechanism (600) that is inserted into a through hole (410) formed in the cylinder cap (400) and rotates the spring housing (500).

[0076] Referring to FIG. 4, the spring housing position adjustment mechanism (600) may include an insertion member (610) inserted into the at least two through holes (411, 412), and a handle member (620) connected to the insertion member (510) and rotating the insertion member.

[0077] Accordingly, the insertion member (610) of the spring housing position adjustment mechanism (600) is inserted into the through hole (411, 412) formed in the cylinder cap (400) and then fixed so as to be received in the receiving portion (530) of the spring housing (500), and the spring housing (500) can be rotated by rotating the handle portion (620), thereby ultimately adjusting the degree of compression of the spring (300) to adjust the output deviation of the pneumatic actuator (1000).

[0078] A pneumatic actuator (1000) according to one embodiment comprises: a cylinder body (100); a plurality of stacked piston assemblies having two or more pistons (200) disposed inside the cylinder body (100) and having a position that varies according to the pressurization or release state of compressed air; a cylinder cap (400) coupled to one end of the cylinder body (100); and a spring (300) disposed between the piston (200) and the cylinder cap (400) to have an elastic change state corresponding to the position variation state of the piston (200) and configured to provide an elastic restoring force to the piston corresponding to the pressurization or release state of compressed air.

[0079] A spring housing (500) having a contact surface (510) that contacts the spring (300) at one end and an open tubular shape at the other end, arranged to accommodate the spring (300) inside the cylinder cap (400), and capable of moving up and down to adjust the degree of compression of the spring; and

[0080] A spring housing position adjustment mechanism (600) for rotating the spring housing (500) is included,

[0081] The cylinder cap (400) includes a first threaded portion (420) formed on its inner surface, and the spring housing (500) includes a second threaded portion (520) formed on its outer surface and screw-coupled with the first threaded portion (420), so as to move the spring housing (500) up and down by rotating the second threaded portion relative to the first threaded portion.

[0082] The cylinder cap (400) is formed to penetrate the upper surface so that the spring housing (500) is exposed to the outside, and includes at least two through holes (411, 412) formed spaced apart in the circumferential direction.

[0083] One end of the spring housing (500) includes a fixing part (530) formed by penetrating the one end of the spring housing to fix the spring housing position adjustment mechanism (600), wherein a plurality of fixing parts (530) are formed spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the one end of the spring housing, and at least some of the plurality of receiving parts may be configured to be exposed to the outside through the penetrating holes (411, 412).

[0084] A pneumatic actuator (1000) according to one embodiment can adjust the amount of spring compression from the outside after assembly through the above configuration, and thereby can ultimately easily adjust the output deviation even after assembly, so that the output can be prevented from changing due to changes in the elasticity of the spring caused by mechanical tolerances or repeated operation for a long time.

[0085] In addition, the spring housing, which is a member for adjusting the amount of spring compression in the pneumatic actuator (1000) according to one embodiment, has a tubular shape placed inside a cylinder cap, so it can be particularly advantageously applied to a multi-stage actuator where miniaturization is required due to the small spatial constraints.

[0086] In another aspect, a valve device including the above-mentioned pneumatic actuator is provided. The valve device may be, for example, a pneumatic diaphragm valve, a pneumatic bellows, a high-temperature pneumatic diaphragm valve, a high-temperature pneumatic bellows valve, a low-temperature pneumatic diaphragm valve, a low-temperature pneumatic bellows valve, but is not limited thereto.

[0087] <Explanation of Symbols>

[0088] 100: Cylinder body

[0089] 200: Piston

[0090] 300: Spring

[0091] 400: Cylinder Cap

[0092] 411, 412: Penetrating holes

[0093] 500: Spring housing

[0094] 510: Contact surface

[0095] 520: Second thread

[0096] 530: Fixed part

[0097] 600: Spring housing position adjuster

[0098] 610: Insertion member

[0099] 620: Handle missing

Claims

1. A pneumatic actuator comprising: a cylinder body; a piston and a spring inserted into the cylinder body; and a cylinder cap coupled to the upper part of the cylinder body. A pneumatic actuator comprising: a spring housing having a contact surface that contacts the spring at one end and an open tubular shape at the other end, arranged to accommodate the spring inside the cylinder cap, and capable of moving up and down to adjust the degree of compression of the spring.

2. In Paragraph 1, A pneumatic actuator configured such that the above spring housing rotates relative to the cylinder cap and moves up and down.

3. In Paragraph 1, The above cylinder cap includes a first screw thread formed on the inner surface, and The above spring housing includes a second threaded portion formed on the outer surface and screw-coupled to the first threaded portion, and A pneumatic actuator configured such that the spring housing moves up and down by the rotation of the second thread portion relative to the first thread portion.

4. In Paragraph 1, The cylinder cap is formed to penetrate the upper surface so as to expose the spring housing to the outside, and includes at least two through holes formed spaced apart in the circumferential direction. A pneumatic actuator configured such that the spring housing is rotated and moved up and down by a predetermined means inserted into the at least two through holes.

5. In Paragraph 4, A pneumatic actuator, wherein one end of the spring housing includes a fixing part for fixing the predetermined means.

6. In Paragraph 5, It includes a plurality of fixed parts formed spaced apart in the circumferential direction of one end of the spring housing, and A pneumatic actuator configured such that at least some of a plurality of fixed parts are exposed to the outside through the through hole.

7. In Paragraph 6, A pneumatic actuator in which the above-mentioned fixed portion is formed by penetrating one end of the above-mentioned spring housing.

8. In Paragraph 4, A pneumatic actuator further comprising a spring housing position adjustment mechanism inserted into the above-mentioned through hole and rotating the spring housing.

9. In Paragraph 1, A pneumatic actuator further comprising a cap cover covering the cylinder cap.

10. In Paragraph 1, The above pneumatic actuator is a multi-stage pneumatic actuator comprising a plurality of stacked piston assemblies having two or more pistons.

11. In Paragraph 1, The above piston is positioned inside the cylinder body and its position varies depending on the pressurization or release state of the compressed air, and A pneumatic actuator configured such that the spring is disposed between the piston and the cylinder cap to have an elastic change state corresponding to a positional change state of the piston, and to provide an elastic restoring force to the piston corresponding to a pressurized or released state of the compressed air.

12. A multi-stage pneumatic actuator comprising: a cylinder body; a plurality of stacked piston assemblies having two or more pistons disposed inside the cylinder body and having a variable position according to the pressurization or release state of compressed air; a cylinder cap coupled to one end of the cylinder body; and a spring disposed between the piston and the cylinder cap to have an elastic change state corresponding to the positional change state of the piston, and configured to provide an elastic restoring force to the piston corresponding to the pressurization or release state of compressed air. A spring housing having a contact surface that contacts the spring at one end and an open tubular shape at the other end, arranged to accommodate the spring inside the cylinder cap, and capable of moving up and down to adjust the degree of compression of the spring; and A spring housing position adjustment mechanism for rotating the above spring housing; comprising, The cylinder cap includes a first threaded portion formed on an inner surface, and the spring housing includes a second threaded portion formed on an outer surface and screw-coupled to the first threaded portion, configured to move the spring housing up and down by rotating the second threaded portion relative to the first threaded portion. The cylinder cap is formed to penetrate the upper surface so as to expose the spring housing to the outside, and includes at least two through holes formed spaced apart in the circumferential direction. A pneumatic actuator, wherein one end of the spring housing is formed to penetrate the one end of the spring housing and includes a fixing part for fixing the spring housing position adjustment mechanism, wherein a plurality of fixing parts are formed spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the one end of the spring housing, and at least some of the plurality of receiving parts are configured to be exposed to the outside through the penetration hole.

13. A valve device comprising the pneumatic actuator of claim 1.

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