Vacuum Pump Valve Module With Guide-Grooves for Stable Exhaust Paths

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vacuum pump valves are difficult to manufacture and mount, and their design complicates airtight assembly, while using elastically deformable materials risks blocking the exhaust path, and adding rigid supports reduces productivity.

Innovation Solution

A valve module with a body made of elastically deformable material, featuring an annular mounting-groove and expandable space part, and a vertically movable valve with guide-grooves and micro-holes to ensure a stable exhaust path.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the body is made of hard plastic or metal to maintain the exhaust path interval, then the exhaust path stability is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and assembly difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveexhaust path stabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing and assembly complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The body is made of elastically deformable material instead of rigid material, allowing the body to flexibly adapt to mounting variations while the guide-groove configuration ensures the exhaust path interval is maintained during deformation, resolving the contradiction between flexibility for easy assembly and stability for exhaust path maintenance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The physical state of the body material is changed from rigid to elastically deformable, fundamentally altering its mechanical properties to enable both easy assembly through deformation and reliable exhaust path maintenance through elastic recovery

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of manufacture

If the body is made of elastically deformable material to ease manufacturing and mounting, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the exhaust path may be blocked or reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemounting easeVSAvoidexhaust path stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The body utilizes elastically deformable material that can be easily mounted while the guide-groove configuration ensures that even during deformation, the exhaust path interval corresponding to the valve side surface is maintained, preventing blockage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The guide-groove structure is designed in advance to compensate for potential deformation effects, ensuring that the exhaust path interval is protected even when the body deforms during mounting or operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Reliability

If a rigid support structure is added to the inner wall to prevent path reduction, then the exhaust path stability is improved, but the productivity is significantly reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveexhaust path stabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing productivity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of adding rigid support structures, the invention uses the inherent elastic properties of the deformable body material combined with the guide-groove configuration to maintain exhaust path stability, avoiding additional manufacturing steps and maintaining productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

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

Facilitates easy manufacturing and mounting, maintains a stable exhaust path despite material deformation, and ensures rapid vacuum generation and level maintenance.

Implementation Method 1

the body (11) is made of an elastically deformable material

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

a valve (13) disposed in the body (11) to open and close a central passage (12), wherein the valve (13) is an up/down valve configured to open and close the passage of the body (11) while moving vertically within the range of the space part (15) by an exhaust pressure

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure: Pressure Increase

Implementation Method 3

a vacuum and negative pressure are generated inside the pad, and the object is adsorbed onto the pad by the negative pressure

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVacuum: Vacuum

Implementation Method 4

a vacuum and negative pressure are generated inside the pad, and the object is adsorbed onto the pad by the negative pressure

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectNegative pressure: Pressure Increase

Data Source

PatentEP4696889A1Valve module for vacuum pump
Publication Date: 2026.02.18 VTEC CO LTD(KR)
  • EP4696889A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4696889A1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4696889A1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The present invention relates to a valve module for a vacuum pump, and the valve module includes a through-body (11) mounted on a communication-hole (113) of the vacuum pump, and a valve (13) disposed in the body (11) to open and close a central passage (12) while moving upward/downward. In the present invention, particularly, an exhaust path (17) of a pad (120) includes one or more longitudinal air guide-grooves (18), which are defined in an inner wall (15a) or an outer wall (13a) and are disposed between the inner wall (15a) of a space part (15) and the outer wall (13a) of the valve (13) to serve as an air passage connected to the passage (12), and a gap or micro-hole (20) defined between the valve (13) and the body (11) to communicate with the guide-groove and the central passage (12). Therefore, there is no concern that the passage is blocked or deformed even though the body (11) is made of an elastically deformable material.