Seal Retainer Assembly for Tight-Packed Flow Control Components
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing miniaturization of components in semiconductor chip fabrication and tighter packaging requirements have made maintenance and repair of flow control apparatuses more challenging, as existing methods are inefficient for assembling and sealing components in tight spaces.
Innovation Solution
A seal retainer system that facilitates the assembly of fluid flow components by positioning a seal within a seal retainer, aligning it with a seal cavity, and then fastening it between a substrate block and the component, allowing for easy installation and hermetic sealing, while the retainer is later removed to avoid interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If component size is decreased and packaging is made tighter to improve fabrication technology, then manufacturing precision and integration density are improved, but maintenance and installation become more difficult in tight quarters
Solution Approach 1:
The seal installation tool is divided into separate functional segments: a handle portion for manipulation, a shaft portion for positioning, and a seal retainer portion for securing the seal. This segmentation allows the tool to be inserted through tight spaces while maintaining full installation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of installing seals from the exterior of the apparatus, the seal retainer is designed to be inserted from the fluid flow component side and engage the seal from the interior, reversing the traditional installation approach to access tight sealing locations.
2Productivity
If seals and components are installed in tight quarters to meet packaging requirements, then device compactness is improved, but assembly speed and maintenance efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is pre-attached to the seal retainer in an assembled state before insertion. This preliminary assembly eliminates the need for complex alignment and sealing operations during final installation, significantly speeding up the assembly process in compact configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal retainer serves as an intermediary tool that facilitates seal installation in tight spaces. It acts as a mediator between the installer and the seal, providing mechanical advantage and precise positioning without requiring direct manual manipulation in the confined space.
3Reliability
If seal installation is performed manually in tight spaces, then device compactness is maintained, but seal leakage and reliability increase due to installation difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The seal retainer acts as an intermediary device that ensures proper seal installation by providing controlled positioning and engagement. It mediates between the installer's actions and the seal's requirements, ensuring consistent, leak-free installation even in difficult-to-access locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal retainer includes visual indicators such as colored bands or markings that show when the seal is properly positioned and when the tool should be removed. This visual feedback ensures correct installation without requiring complex measurement or inspection procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatuses for controlling fluid flow are important components for delivering process fluids for semiconductor fabrication. These apparatuses for controlling fluid flow require a variety of fluid flow components which are tightly packaged within the apparatuses for controlling flow. Servicing the apparatuses requires specialized equipment and methods which enable installation of seals in close quarters in apparatuses which are installed in the field. Seal retainers may be used to retain the seals during assembly of fluid flow components into apparatus for controlling flow.