Gate Valve Wedge Coupling for Stable Plate Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gate valves in semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses face challenges in stabilizing the posture of the valve plate due to limited mounting and demounting structures, leading to potential misalignment and dust generation during seal member replacement.
Innovation Solution
A gate valve design incorporating a valve plate with joint flat surfaces and a valve rod featuring a depressed-shaped joint shoulder with an inclined surface, coupled with a coupling plate that uses a wedge effect to ensure strong press-contact between the valve plate and valve rod, allowing for stable mounting and easy demounting through a simple structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the valve plate is fixed using a leaf spring member with resilient force, then the mounting and demounting operation is easy, but the leaf spring member may be deformed and cause dust, and the valve plate may come apart from the valve rod
Solution Approach 1:
The fixation structure is divided into multiple independent elements: the valve rod with mounting hole, the valve plate with through hole, and the coupling member. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function - the coupling member provides strong fixation force while the through hole design enables easy insertion and removal of the valve plate, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and fixation stability
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling member is extracted as a separate, removable component from the valve rod and valve plate assembly. This allows the coupling member to be easily inserted through the through hole to provide strong fixation, and later removed when valve plate replacement is needed, achieving both stable fixation during operation and easy maintenance
2Device complexity
If the valve plate is fixed only at the tip end of the valve rod, then the mounting structure is simple, but the valve plate might be mounted in an inclined position and cannot be fixed stably
Solution Approach 1:
The fixation is extended from a single-point attachment at the tip end to a distributed fixation system involving the coupling member spanning across the valve rod and valve plate. The coupling member engages with both the valve rod mounting hole and the valve plate through hole, creating fixation in multiple spatial dimensions. This ensures the valve plate is held perpendicular to the valve rod without requiring complex mounting procedures
3Reliability
If the valve plate is made deformable to follow the shape of a valve seat, then the seal performance is improved, but the valve plate cannot be fixed stably so as to oppose accurately with respect to the communicating channel
Solution Approach 1:
The valve plate assembly is segmented into the rigid valve rod with mounting features and the flexible valve plate portion. The coupling member connects these segments, providing stable positional fixation through the hole engagement while allowing the valve plate itself to deform elastically when pressed against the valve seat for sealing, thus resolving the contradiction between stability and sealability
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the valve plate assembly have different mechanical properties: the valve rod and mounting structure are rigid to ensure stable positioning and accurate opposition to the communicating channel, while the valve plate sealing surface is made flexible to deform and follow the valve seat shape for optimal sealing, achieving both alignment accuracy and seal performance
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
The design achieves firm fixation of the valve plate on the valve rod, ensuring accurate alignment and preventing dust generation during seal member replacement, while maintaining ease of operation.
Implementation Method 1
the inclined surface causes the valve plate to displace in the direction in which the joint flat surfaces of the valve plate and the valve rod come into press-contact with each other by the wedge effect
Data Source
AI summary
In a gate valve including a valve plate connected to a valve plate mounting portion of at a tip end of a valve rod with a connecting plate and configured to open and close a communicating hole of a valve box with the valve plate, the valve plate includes a mounting hole, a joint flat surfaces coming into press-contact with each other, the valve rod includes a depressed-shaped joint shoulder portion, the joint shoulder portion is formed with an inclined surface configured to guide the valve plate in the direction in which the joint flat surfaces are brought into press-contact with each other, and the coupling plate couples the valve plate and the valve rod with each other.