Vacuum Pump Housing Annular Channel for Cable Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vacuum pumps with high-speed rotors, such as turbomolecular pumps, face increasing complexity and manufacturing effort due to numerous electrical and electronic components and associated supply lines, requiring extensive bores and clearances for cables, which complicates design and manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates an annular channel within the vacuum pump's housing, where the outer wall of the drive forms a side wall, housing electrical leads and reducing the need for drilling, with separate connecting elements for different signal types to prevent interference, simplifying manufacturing and assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If numerous bores and clearances are provided for electrical leads and sensors, then all electronic components can be connected, but the manufacturing effort and design complexity continuously increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate bores and clearances into a single annular channel that houses all electrical leads and sensors. This consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate routing paths into one integrated structure, reducing design complexity while maintaining the ability to connect numerous electronic components.
Solution Approach 2:
The annular channel serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a structural component of the drive housing, a routing pathway for all electrical leads, a protective enclosure for sensors, and a support structure for connection elements. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated structures for each function.
2Adaptability or versatility
If numerous bores and clearances are provided for electrical leads and sensors, then all electronic components can be connected, but the manufacturing effort continuously increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate bores and clearances into a single annular channel that houses all electrical leads and sensors. This consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate routing paths into one integrated structure, reducing design complexity while maintaining the ability to connect numerous electronic components.
3Reliability
If separate connecting elements are provided for different signal types, then mutual interference is avoided, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the connection elements within the annular channel by creating separate connection zones for different signal types (high voltage, low voltage, digital signals). This spatial segmentation ensures that signals of different types are electrically isolated from each other, preventing interference while maintaining an integrated overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the annular channel are assigned different electrical properties and isolation levels appropriate for the signal types they carry. High voltage connections receive enhanced insulation and spacing, while low voltage digital signals receive appropriate shielding and separation, optimizing reliability without uniformly increasing complexity throughout the entire structure.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a vacuum pump (1) comprising a housing section (2), an electronic component (3, 6, 13, 16), and an electronic supply line (4, 7, 14, 17) leading to it. To present a more cost-effective and easier-to-manufacture vacuum pump, it is proposed that an annular channel (5) be provided in the housing section, in which the supply line runs for at least part of its length.