Vacuum valve

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vacuum valve, and more particularly, to a vacuum valve including a valve housing with a blade, a main shaft, a vertical moving part, a horizontal moving part, a horizontal moving unit, and a main body bracket. Opening and closing guide holes are obliquely formed in both side surfaces such that cam rollers, having passed through the vertical moving guide grooves, are inserted into the grooves so as to guide the fore and aft movement of the blade according to the vertical movement of the horizontal moving unit.

Claims

1. A vacuum valve (1) comprising: a valve housing (100) having a driving space (110) formed therein and moving passage parts (120 and 120) formed to pass through the valve housing (100); a blade (200) provided in the driving space (110) and opening/closing the moving passage parts (120 and 120) from inside the valve housing (100); a main shaft (300) coupled to a rear surface of the blade (200); a vertical moving part (400) which is formed under the valve housing (100), and in which the main shaft (300) and a first piston (410), which moves vertically by pneumatic pressure, are connected to vertically move the blade (200); a horizontal moving part (500) coupled to a lower portion of the vertical moving part (400) and provided with vertical movement guide grooves (510 and 510) formed vertically in the horizontal moving part (500); a horizontal moving unit (600) having a second piston (610) provided to an inside (501) of the horizontal moving part (500) and vertically moved by pneumatic pressure, a moving guide block (620) formed under the second piston (610), and cam rollers (630 and 630) formed at a first side and a second side of the moving guide block (620) and passing through the vertical moving guide grooves (510 and 510); a main body bracket (700) provided under the valve housing (100) so as to accommodate the vertical moving part (400) and the horizontal moving part (500), wherein opening/closing guide holes (710 and 710) are formed in the main body bracket (700) such that the cam rollers (630 and 630), having passed through the vertical moving guide grooves (510 and 510), are inserted into the grooves (710 and 710) so as to guide the fore and aft movement of the blade (200) by moving vertically together according to the vertical movement of the horizontal moving unit (600), and wherein the opening/closing guide holes (710 and 710) are obliquely formed in a vertical longitudinal direction of the main body bracket (700).

2. The vacuum valve (1) of claim 1, wherein the opening/closing guide holes (710 and 710) are provided such that: closing hole intervals (710b and 710b) are provided in a lower portion thereof to be recessed toward a rear surface of the valve housing (100), and opening hole intervals (710a and 710a) are provided in an upper portion thereof to be recessed toward a front surface of the valve housing (100).

3. The vacuum valve (1) of claim 2, wherein border surfaces between the closing hole intervals (710b and 710b) and the opening hole intervals (710a and 710a), deviation preventing protrusions (711 and 711) are provided to protrude, so that the cam rollers (630 and 630) are prevented from being arbitrarily deviated from the opening hole intervals (710a and 710a) while being located in the opening hole intervals (710a and 710a).

4. The vacuum valve (1) of claim 1, wherein insertion grooves (720 and 720) are provided to be recessed in the main body bracket (700) and rotating roller parts (420 and 420) are respectively provided in the vertical moving part (400) so as to be inserted in the insertion grooves (720 and 720) and to enable pivotal rotation of the vertical moving part (400) around the insertion grooves (720 and 720).

5. The vacuum valve (1) of claim 1, wherein: guide shafts (310 and 310) which guide a vertical movement of the blade (200) are formed on the rear surface of the blade (200) to be symmetrical to each other; guide grooves (621 and 621) are vertically formed to be symmetrical to each other in the movement guide block (620); and fixed shaft members (640 and 640) which are respectively inserted into the guide grooves (621 and 621) to guide a vertical movement of the horizontal moving unit (600) are provided to protrude in a lower inner portion of the horizontal moving part (500).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an overall configuration of a vacuum valve in accordance with a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an inner configuration of a valve housing and a main body bracket in accordance with a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an inner configuration of vertical and horizontal moving parts of a vacuum valve in accordance with a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(4) FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a disassembled state of a vacuum valve in accordance with a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(5) FIG. 5 is a side view illustrating configurations of a vertical movement guide groove and opening/closing guide groove in the configuration of a vacuum valve in accordance with a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(6) FIG. 6 is a view illustrating a state of a vacuum valve before operation in accordance with a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(7) FIG. 7 is an operation state view illustrating a state in which a main shaft and guide shafts move upward due to an operation of the vertical moving part in the configuration of a vacuum valve in accordance with a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(8) FIG. 8 is an operation state view illustrating a state in which a blade moves forward due to an operation of the horizontal moving part in the configuration of a vacuum valve in accordance with a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

(9) Hereinafter with reference to accompanying drawings, a vacuum valve in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. First, it should be noted that in the drawings, like components or parts are represented by like reference numerals, if possible. In describing the present invention, when a detailed description about a related well-known function or configuration may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will not be provided.

(10) A vacuum valve 1 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention roughly includes a valve housing 100, a blade 200, a main shaft 300, a vertical moving part 400, a horizontal moving part 500, a horizontal moving unit 600 and a main body bracket 700.

(11) Before moving to description, it should be noted that with respect to FIG. 6, the right side is set as a closing direction, and the left side is set as opening direction.

(12) In addition, it should be noted that a subject described in the present invention is a substance or an object including a semiconductor device, a wafer, a fluid, etc.

(13) First, the valve housing 100 will be described. As illustrated in FIG. 1 or 2, the valve housing 100 is the component, in which moving passages 120 and 120, through which a subject is moved, are formed as an opening in both side surfaces thereof, and has, on the inner side thereof, a driving space 110 formed as a space without a separate configuration so as to be provided with a valve blade 200 to be described later.

(14) Meanwhile, a plurality of shaft insertion holes (not shown) are formed on a lower portion of the valve housing 100, so that a main shaft 300 and a guide shafts 310 and 310, which will be described later and connected to a vertical moving part 400 to be described later, may be coupled to the valve blade 200 provided in the driving space 110.

(15) Next, the blade 200 will be described. As illustrated in FIG. 3 or 4, the blade 200 is installed in the driving space 110, is vertically or horizontally moved by the vertical moving part 400 and the horizontal moving part 500 and the horizontal moving unit 600 which are to be described later, and thereby functions to open/close the moving passage part 120.

(16) Next, the main shaft 300 will be described. As illustrated in FIG. 3 or 4, the main shaft 300 is the component which passes through the shaft insertion hole (not shown) and is coupled to the valve blade 100, and transmits, to the blade 200, the driving force of the vertical moving part 400 and the horizontal moving part 500, and thus enables the vertical or horizontal movement of the blade 200.

(17) Meanwhile, aside from the main shaft 300, a pair of guide shafts 310 and 310 are further coupled to the blade 200, so that the blade 200 uniformly receives the driving force of the vertical moving part 400 and the horizontal moving part 500 when moving vertically or horizontally, and thus, the sealing performance with respect to the moving passage part 120 may be improved.

(18) Meanwhile, in an upper inner portion of the vertical moving part 400, a shaft movement guide block 320 having first through holes (not shown) formed therein through which the main shaft 300 and the guide shafts 310 and 310 pass is provided, so that when the vertical moving part 400 and the horizontal moving part 500 operate, the main shaft 300 and the guide shafts 310 and 310 are prevented from shaking due to a vibration caused by the operation, and thus a precise positional movement of the blade 200 may be achieved.

(19) Next, the vertical moving part 400 will be described. As illustrated in FIG. 2 or 4, the vertical moving part 400 is the component provided under the valve housing 100 and functions as a kind of cylinders which vertically moves the blade 200 and includes a first piston 410, rotating roller parts 420 and 420, and a piston movement restricting block 430.

(20) The first piston 410 is the component coupled to an end of the main shaft 300 and positioned inside the vertical moving part 400 and functions to vertically move the blade 200 by the operation of the cylinder using pneumatic pressure.

(21) The rotating roller parts 420 and 420 are the components, which are respectively inserted into insertion holes 720 and 720 of the main body bracket 700 to be described later on both outer surface of the vertical moving part 400. The rotating roller parts 420 and 420 guides the rotation of the vertical moving part 400 and the horizontal moving part 500 and the horizontal moving unit 600 around the insertion holes 720 and 720 when the horizontal moving part 500 and the horizontal moving unit 600 are operated to horizontally move the blade 200 while the blade 200 has moved upward by the vertical moving part 400, and thus, enables a precise horizontal position movement of the blade 200.

(22) Meanwhile, under the vertical moving part 400, the piston movement restricting block 430 which restricts the movement of the first piston 410 moving down due to the operation of the vertical moving part 400 is favorably provided.

(23) Next, the horizontal moving part 500 will be described. As illustrated in FIG. 2 or 3, the horizontal moving part 500 is a kind of housings, which is coupled under the vertical moving part 400 to guide the operation of the horizontal moving unit 600, and includes vertical movement guide holes 510 and 510.

(24) The vertical movement guide holes 510 and 510 are the components, which are formed in both side surfaces of the vertical moving part 500 in the vertical direction, and functions to guide the vertical movement of the vertical moving unit 600 using pneumatic pressure inside the horizontal moving part 500 while the horizontal moving unit 600 to be described later is provided inside the horizontal moving part 500, in such a manner that cam rollers 630 and 630 of the horizontal moving unit 600 are inserted and pass through the vertical movement guide holes 510 and 510.

(25) Next, the horizontal moving unit 600 will be described. As illustrated in FIG. 3 or 4, the horizontal moving unit 600 is the component, which is provided in the horizontal moving part 500 and horizontally moves the blade 200 by the pneumatic pressure generated inside the horizontal moving part 500 using a connection relationship between the opening/closing guide holes 710 and 710 of the main body bracket 700 to be described later, and includes a second piston 610, a movement guide block 620, cam rollers 630 and 630, and fixed shafts 640 and 640.

(26) The second piston 610 is the component, which is located in an inner lower portion of the horizontal moving part 500 and is vertically moved by the operation of the cylinder using pneumatic pressure, thereby functioning to vertically move the movement guide block 620.

(27) The movement guide block 620 is provided under the second piston 610 and functions to move the cam rollers 630 and 630 according to a vertical movement of the second piston 610.

(28) Meanwhile, the movement guide block 620 is characterized in that guide holes 621 and 621 are vertically formed therein to be symmetrical to each other. The fixed shaft members 640 and 640 to be described later are inserted into the guide holes 621 and 621, and thus, when the horizontal moving unit 600 is vertically moved due to the operation of the horizontal moving part 500, a precise operation of the horizontal moving unit 600 may be achieved.

(29) The cam rollers 630 and 630 are the components, which are rotatably provided respectively on both sides of the movement guide block 620, and pass through the vertical movement guide holes 510 and 510, and are mounted on the opening/closing guide holes 710 and 710, and thus, according to mounting positions of the cam rollers 630 and 630 inside the opening/closing guide holes 710 and 710, the blade 200 may be moved in the opening direction or the closing direction.

(30) The fixed shaft members 640 and 640 are the components, which protrude in a lower inner portion of the horizontal moving part 500 and are inserted into the guide holes 621 and 621, and functions to guide a precise operation of the horizontal moving unit 600.

(31) Next, the main body bracket 700 will be described. As illustrated in FIG. 4 or 5, the main body bracket 700 is the component which is provided under the valve housing 100 to accommodate the vertical moving part 400 and the horizontal moving unit 500, and includes the opening/closing guide holes 710 and 710 and the insertion grooves 720 and 720.

(32) The opening/closing guide holes 710 and 710 are the components, which are formed in a predetermined opening shape in both inner side surfaces of the main body bracket 700, and in which the cam rollers 630 and 630 having passed through the vertical movement guide holes 510 and 510 are inserted, and enable fore and aft movements of the blade 200 according to a vertical movement of the horizontal moving unit 600.

(33) Meanwhile, the structure of the opening/closing guide holes 710 and 710 is provided such that: first, closing hole intervals 710b and 710b are provided in a lower portion thereof to be recessed toward the rear surface of the valve housing 100, and opening hole intervals 710a and 710a are provided in an upper portion thereof to be recessed toward the front surface of the valve housing 100.

(34) In addition, in border surfaces between the closing hole intervals 710b and 710b and the opening hole intervals 710a and 710a, deviation preventing protrusions 711 and 711 are provided to protrude, so that the cam rollers 630 and 630 are prevented from being arbitrarily deviated from the opening hole intervals 710a and 710a while being located in the opening hole intervals 710a and 710a.

(35) The insertion grooves 720 and 720 are provided to be recessed in both inner side surfaces of the main body bracket 700 and connected to the rotating roller parts 420 and 420, and thus enables the pivotal rotations of the vertical moving part 400 and the horizontal moving part 500 depending on whether the horizontal moving part 500 is operated or not.

(36) Hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8, a process in which the blade 200 closes the moving passage part 120 will be described in accordance with a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(37) First, as illustrated in FIG. 6, in a state in which the moving passage part 120 is initially opened, since the pneumatic pressure inside the vertical moving unit 400 and the horizontal moving unit 500 is low, the first piston 410 comes into a state of being mounted on the piston movement restricting block 430, and accordingly, the blade 200 is positioned at a lower inner portion of the valve housing 100.

(38) In addition, the second piston 610 also comes into a state of contacting the lower portion of the piston movement restricting block 430, and accordingly, the cam rollers 630 and 630 come into a state of being mounted on the opening hole intervals 710a and 710a, and thus, the blade 200 is positioned to be horizontally spaced apart from the moving passage part 120.

(39) Subsequently, a process of closing the moving passage part 120 will be described. As, illustrated in FIG. 7, when the pneumatic pressure inside the vertical moving part 400 is raised, the first piston 410 moves upward, and accordingly, the main shaft 300 and the guide shafts 310 and 310 also move upward, and thus moves the blade 200 to an upper inner portion of the valve housing 100.

(40) Next, as illustrated in FIG. 8, when the pneumatic pressure inside the horizontal moving part 500 is raised, the second piston 610 moves downward, and accordingly, the movement guide block 620 moves downward, and thus, the cam rollers 630 and 630 pass through the deviation preventing protrusions 711 and 711 from the opening hole intervals 710a and 710a and move to the closing hole intervals 710b and 710b.

(41) Subsequently, when the cam rollers 630 and 630 are mounted on the closing hole intervals 710b and 710b, as illustrated in FIG. 5, due to the structure of the opening/closing guide holes 710 and 710, the vertical moving part 400, the horizontal moving part 500, and the horizontal moving unit 600 rotate clockwise around the insertion grooves 720 and 720 on which the rotating roller parts 420 and 420 are mounted, and thus, the blade 200 closes the moving passage part 120.

(42) Meanwhile, the process of opening the blade 200 is favorably performed in the reverse order to the closing process.

(43) So far, optimal examples have been described in the specification with reference to drawings. Specific terms are used herein, but these terms are merely used to describe the present invention and should not be construed as restricting meanings thereof or the scope of the present invention set forth in claims below. Therefore, those skilled in the art could understand that various modifications and equivalent examples can be made therefrom. Thus, the actual technical scope of the present invention should be determined according to the technical concept of the accompanying claims.