Dual-Stage Shutter Mechanism for Pressure Differential Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shutters require high force to move along a high-pressure surface, leading to large and expensive actuator systems, which increases the size and cost of equipment like mass spectrometers, due to the pressure difference across the aperture.
Innovation Solution
A shutter mechanism with a first member and a second member, where the second member slides to open a smaller aperture first, reducing the force needed to open the larger aperture by leveling pressures, allowing the first member to be moved with less force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a shutter is provided to close the aperture in the partition wall between atmospheric pressure space and vacuum space, then the load on vacuum pumps is reduced during standby status, but the shutter requires a large amount of force to move against the pressure difference
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter is divided into two separate members: a first member that closes the main aperture in the partition wall, and a second member that closes a smaller auxiliary aperture. By segmenting the closure function, the system can first close the smaller auxiliary aperture with minimal force, then close the larger main aperture when pressure equalization has occurred, thereby reducing the peak force requirement while maintaining pump load reduction benefits
Solution Approach 2:
The second member (auxiliary shutter) performs a preliminary closing action before the first member (main shutter) is moved. By first closing the smaller auxiliary aperture, the system begins pressure equalization between the two spaces, which reduces the pressure differential that the main shutter must overcome, enabling the main shutter to move with reduced force
2Reliability
If a high-power actuator is used to move the shutter against the pressure difference, then the aperture can be opened and closed reliably, but the size and cost of the equipment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The closure function is segmented into two stages with two separate actuators: a first actuator for the main shutter and a second actuator for the auxiliary shutter. The second actuator requires minimal power since it moves a small member, while the first actuator operates under reduced pressure differential. This segmentation allows both actuators to be smaller and less powerful than a single actuator would need to be, reducing overall system size and cost while maintaining reliable closure
Solution Approach 2:
The auxiliary shutter performs a preliminary closing action that reduces the pressure differential before the main shutter is actuated. This preliminary action enables the main actuator to operate with reduced force requirements, allowing the use of a smaller, less expensive actuator while still achieving reliable aperture closure
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the aperture to be opened with a significantly smaller amount of force, facilitating the use of smaller, less expensive actuators and reducing the overall size and cost of equipment.
Implementation Method 1
the shutter that disconnects the space at atmospheric pressure and the space evacuated to vacuum during the standby status is pushed toward the vacuum space by an amount of force according to the area of the aperture and the pressure difference between the two spaces
Implementation Method 2
the second member is first allowed to slide, thereby opening the small aperture of the first member... the first member is allowed to slide from the intermediately-opened state, thereby opening the aperture in the partition wall
Data Source
Figure 1~2B
Figure 3
Figure 4A~4C
AI summary
A shutter moves along a surface of a partition wall provided between two spaces different in pressure, which faces the space higher in pressure, to open and close an aperture formed on the partition wall with an amount of force smaller than that conventional shutters require. The shutter (115) is used for opening and closing an aperture (117) in a partition wall (116) provided between two spaces (110), (140) different in pressure. The shutter (115) includes: a plate-shaped first member (10) arranged in a manner of moving along a surface of the partition wall (116), which faces one of the two spaces higher in pressure, to open and close the aperture (117), the first member (10) being provided, in a region which corresponds to the aperture (117), with a small aperture (13) having an area smaller than the area of the aperture (117), and a plate-shaped second member (20) arranged in a manner of moving along a surface of the first member (10), which faces the space higher in pressure, to open and close the small aperture (13).