VACUUM PUMP SYSTEM

Abstract

A vacuum pump system having at least two chambers which are arranged in series. A turbomolecular pump is connected to the second or final chamber, and a multistage Roots pump is connected to the first chamber, wherein the outlet of the first chamber is connected to an intermediate inlet of the multistage vacuum pump, and an outlet of the turbomolecular pump is connected to a main inlet of the multistage vacuum pump.

Claims

1. Vacuum pump system comprising at least two chambers connected with each other in series, a vacuum pump connected with the second chamber and a multi-stage vacuum pump connected with the first chamber, wherein an outlet of the vacuum pump is connected with a main inlet of the multi-stage vacuum pump and an outlet of the first chamber is connected with an intermediate inlet of the multi-stage vacuum pump.

2. Vacuum pump system of claim 1, wherein a third chamber is connected with a vacuum pump whose outlet is connected with the inlet of the vacuum pump connected with the second chamber.

3. Vacuum pump system of claim 2, wherein a fourth chamber is connected with a vacuum pump whose outlet is connected with the inlet of the vacuum pump connected with the third chamber.

4. Vacuum pump system of claim 1, wherein the vacuum pump connected with the second and/or third and/or fourth chamber is designed as a turbomolecular pump or a Holweck pump.

5. Vacuum pump system of claim 1, wherein the vacuum pumps of adjacent chambers are designed as stages as a multi-inlet vacuum pump.

6. Vacuum pump system of claim 5, wherein the last stage of the multi-inlet vacuum pump, seen in the flow direction, is designed as a Holweck stage.

7. Vacuum pump system of claim 6, wherein the stages arranged upstream of the last stage in the flow direction are designed as turbomolecular pump stages.

8. Vacuum pump system of claim 1, wherein the multi-stage vacuum pump is designed as a two-stage Roots pump.

9. Vacuum pump system of claim 1, wherein a lower pressure can be achieved in the second chamber than in the first chamber.

10. Vacuum pump system of claim 9, wherein in each chamber a lower pressure can be achieved than in the preceding chamber.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The disclosure will be described hereinafter in more detail with reference to preferred embodiments and to the accompanying drawings.

[0013] In the Figures:

[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic sketch of a first embodiment,

[0015] FIG. 2 is a schematic sketch of a second embodiment and

[0016] FIG. 3 is a schematic sketch of a third embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0017] The vacuum pump system of the disclosure according to a first embodiment (FIG. 1) has two chambers 10, 12 which may be chambers of a mass spectrometer. The first chamber 10 has an inlet 14 for the supply of a gas to be examined. The gas flows from the chamber 10 through an opening 16 into the second chamber 12. The second chamber 12 is connected with a vacuum pump 18 which may be a turbomolecular pump. An outlet 20 of the vacuum pump 18 is connected with a main inlet 22 of a two-stage vacuum pump 24.

[0018] The vacuum pump 24 is a two-stage Roots pump. An outlet 25 of the first chamber 10 is connected with an intermediate inlet 26 of the multi-stage vacuum pump 24. An outlet 28 of the multi-stage vacuum pump 24 is connected with the environment, it being possible, of course, to provide a filter or the like.

[0019] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 similar or identical components are identified by the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1.

[0020] In addition to the two chambers 10, 12, this embodiment comprises a third chamber 30. The third chamber 30 is connected with a further turbomolecular pump 32. An outlet 34 of the turbomolecular pump 32 is connected with an inlet 36 of the turbomolecular pump 18. The inlet 36 of the turbomolecular pump 18 is further connected with the chamber 12. Moreover, the turbomolecular pump 18, as well as the chamber 10 are connected with the multi-stage vacuum pump 24 in a manner analogous to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0021] In the further embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 similar or identical components are identified by the same reference numerals.

[0022] In addition to the three chambers 10, 12, 30, the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 comprises a further chamber 38 also arranged in series. The pressure prevailing in the chambers decreases from the chamber 10 to the chamber 38. The chambers are in turn connected with each other via openings 16. An outlet 40 of the chamber 38 is connected with a turbomolecular pump 42 which is a turbomolecular pump stage of a multi-inlet pump 44.

[0023] An outlet 46 of the chamber 30 is connected with the turbomolecular pump 32 in a manner corresponding to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2. The turbomolecular pump 32 is designed as a further turbomolecular pump stage of the multi-inlet pump 44.

[0024] The outlet 48 of the second chamber 12 is also connected with the multi-inlet pump 44. The gas pumped from the second chamber 12 is conveyed via a pump stage 50 designed as a Holweck pump in the embodiment illustrated. The pump stage 50 is analogous to the turbomolecular pump 18 in the embodiments in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0025] The three pump stages 42, 32, 50 are driven by a common shaft 52 of the multi-inlet pump 44.

[0026] An outlet 54 of the multi-inlet pump 44 is connected with the main inlet 22 of the two-stage Roots pump 24 in a manner analogous to the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. In analogy, an inlet 56 is connected with the intermediate inlet 26 of the two-stage Roots pump 24.