Vacuum Valve Hanging Closure Unit for Vertical Substrate Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vacuum valves struggle to handle large, plate-like substrates in vertical or vertical orientations due to buckling issues during transport, as existing designs are not optimized for such orientations, leading to difficulties in substrate handling and increased material costs for preventing buckling.
Innovation Solution
The vacuum valve design features a closure unit held by a longitudinal guide above, which supports at least 50% of the unit's weight, allowing for a hanging arrangement that reduces buckling resistance and eliminates the need for a guide below, with a sealed region connected to the atmosphere to prevent particle contamination and optimize guide rod placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a vertical or approximately vertical transport of large plate-like substrates is implemented, then the risk of buckling during transport is reduced, but the closure unit requires additional support structures increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional support arrangement by positioning the longitudinal guide above the closure unit instead of below. The guide rod extends upward from the valve housing, and the closure unit hangs from it, utilizing gravity to stabilize the substrate during vertical transport while simplifying the overall support structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a bellows structure to seal the region around the guide rod where it passes through the valve housing. This flexible membrane allows the guide rod to move vertically while maintaining vacuum separation, enabling the hanging closure unit design without compromising vacuum integrity.
2Ease of operation
If bearing elements for the longitudinal guide are placed within the vacuum region, then the guide function is optimized, but particle contamination of the vacuum region increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the bearing elements from the vacuum region and places them in a sealed-off region outside the vacuum. The guide rod passes through a bellows-sealed opening in the valve housing, allowing the bearing elements to support the guide rod without being exposed to the vacuum environment, thus preventing particle generation and contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The bellows structure acts as an intermediary between the vacuum region and the sealed-off region containing the bearing elements. It seals the guide rod passage while allowing vertical movement, effectively isolating the bearing elements from the vacuum environment and preventing particle contamination.
3Strength
If the closure unit is supported from below, then structural stability is maintained, but material costs increase due to required buckling resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the support direction by hanging the closure unit from an overhead guide rod instead of supporting it from below. This eliminates the need for the closure unit to resist buckling under its own weight, allowing the use of lighter, less expensive materials while maintaining structural stability through the overhead support mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
A vacuum valve is provided having a valve housing (1) which has a vacuum region (4) in the interior, a closure unit (5) which is arranged in the vacuum region (4) of the valve housing (1) and by which at least one valve opening (2, 3) is closable in a closed state of the vacuum valve, a longitudinal drive (11) by which the closure unit (5) is adjustable in a longitudinal direction (10) for adjusting the closure unit (5) between a position opening up the valve opening (2, 3) and a position covering the valve opening (2, 3). A longitudinal guide (19) for the displaceable guiding of the closure unit (5) parallel to the longitudinal direction (10) is provided, with this longitudinal guide having a guide rod (20) extending parallel to the longitudinal direction (10), and at least one guide part (21). At least one bearing element (36) of the guide part (21) is arranged in a region sealed off from the vacuum region (4) of the valve housing (1).