Lifting Gate Valve Vacuum Pump Layout for Uniform Gas Exhaust

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vacuum pump devices with lifting-type gate valves face challenges in achieving uniform gas exhaustion in the circumferential direction due to the complexity introduced by supporting members at the center, which require additional sealing structures.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates a through hole in the inner stator of the vacuum pump, allowing a supporting member for the valve body to be positioned at the center, thereby simplifying the structure while maintaining uniform gas exhaustion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a supporting member is disposed at the center part of the vacuum pump to support the valve body, then uniform gas exhaustion in the circumferential direction is achieved, but additional sealing structures are required to prevent gas leakage between the rotor and supporting member, increasing device complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuniform gas exhaustionVSAvoidsealing structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the supporting member from the rotating rotor and relocates it to the stationary stator. Specifically, the stator includes a through-hole formed along the rotating shaft direction, and the supporting member is disposed within this through-hole. This separation allows the supporting member to remain stationary while the rotor rotates, eliminating the need for dynamic sealing between rotating and stationary components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The through-hole in the stator acts as an intermediary structure that accommodates the supporting member. The through-hole provides a predefined pathway that guides the supporting member's position and allows gas to flow uniformly through the center region, while the stator itself serves as the intermediary between the rotor's rotation and the supporting member's stationary function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If a supporting member is disposed at the center part of the vacuum pump, then the valve body is properly supported, but the structure becomes complicated due to required sealing facilities

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevalve body supportVSAvoidsealing facility
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The supporting member is extracted from the rotating assembly and repositioned in the stationary stator's through-hole. This allows the supporting member to remain fixed while the rotor rotates around it, providing stable valve body support without requiring complex rotating seals.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of placing the supporting member on the rotating rotor (conventional approach), the invention inverts the arrangement by placing it on the stationary stator. This reversal of roles between rotating and stationary components simplifies the sealing requirement, as the supporting member no longer needs to move with the rotor.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Manufacturing precision

If the supporting member is positioned at the center, then uniform gas flow is achieved, but additional sealing structures are needed between rotor and supporting member

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegas flow uniformityVSAvoidsealing structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The supporting member is extracted from the rotating rotor and repositioned in the stationary stator's through-hole. This extraction eliminates the relative motion between the supporting member and rotor, removing the need for dynamic sealing while maintaining central positioning for uniform gas flow.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The through-hole in the stator serves as an intermediary structure that accommodates the supporting member at the center. This intermediary provides a stationary pathway for gas flow and supports the valve body without requiring sealing against the rotating rotor.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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

This configuration enables uniform gas exhaustion in the circumferential direction with a relatively simple structure, improving operational efficiency and reducing complexity in the vacuum pump device.

Implementation Method 1

A vacuum pump device includes a vacuum pump portion and a lifting-type gate valve portion. The vacuum pump portion includes an inlet port and an outlet port. A gas molecule which has entered the vacuum pump portion through the inlet port is exhausted from the outlet port.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVacuum pump mechanism: Pump

Implementation Method 2

a bellows capable of expansion/contraction in the rotating shaft direction is provided between the valve body and the inner stator, and the bellows has a substantially cylindrical bellows shape and airtightly seals the upper opening portion (11d) of the through hole (11c)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3998406B1Vacuum pump device and lifting type gate valve
Publication Date: 2025.06.04 EDWARDS JAPAN
  • EP3998406B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3998406B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3998406B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Uniform exhaustion can be realized with a relatively simple structure in a vacuum pump device. A vacuum pump portion includes an outer rotor and an inner stator, a lifting-type gate valve portion includes a valve body and a valve seat, and the valve body is lifted/lowered with respect to the valve seat along a rotating shaft direction. And the inner stator includes a through hole along the rotating shaft direction of the vacuum pump portion, and at least a part of a supporting member which supports the valve body is disposed in the through hole.