FLANGE FOR A VACUUM APPARATUS

Abstract

Flange for a vacuum apparatus comprises a housing to be connected to the vacuum apparatus defining an opening wherein the opening has rectangular narrow shape. The flange further comprises a metal seal arranged around the opening to create a vacuum tight seal.

Claims

1. A flange for a vacuum apparatus comprising a housing to be connected to the vacuum apparatus defining an opening, wherein the opening has a rectangular and narrow shape, further comprising a metal seal arranged around the opening to create a vacuum-tight seal, characterized in that the area of the opening corresponds to the area of a NEG and/or IGP element connected to the flange.

2. The flange according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening has an aspect ratio of width to height larger than 4 and preferably larger than 10.

3. The flange according to claim 1, characterized in that the flange comprises a cutting edge interacting with the metal seal to provide a leaktight seal.

4. (canceled)

5. A vacuum pump with a flange, wherein the flange comprises a housing to be connected to a vacuum apparatus defining an opening, wherein the opening has a rectangular and narrow shape, wherein the opening has preferably an aspect ratio of width to height larger than 4 and preferably larger than 10, and wherein the vacuum pump further comprises a NEG and/or IGP element directly attached to the flange or disposed within the opening of the flange, characterized in that the area of the opening corresponds to the area of the NEG and/or IGP element.

6. The vacuum pump according to claim 5, characterized in that the flange comprises: a housing to be connected to the vacuum apparatus defining an opening, wherein the opening has a rectangular and narrow shape, a metal seal arranged around the opening to create a vacuum-tight seal, characterized in that the area of the opening corresponds to the area of a NEG and/or IGP element connected to the flange.

7. A vacuum apparatus with a vacuum pump according to claim 5, wherein the vacuum pump is directly connected to a vessel by the flange.

8. The vacuum apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the vessel is a tube and the vacuum pump is arranged along the axial direction of the tube.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In the following the present invention is described in more detail with reference to the embodiments in the accompanied drawings.

[0020] It is shown:

[0021] FIG. 1 an embodiment of a flange in accordance to the present invention and

[0022] FIG. 2 a vacuum apparatus in accordance to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a flange in accordance with the present invention comprising a housing 10 with a first end 12 and a second end 14, wherein the housing can be connected for example to a vessel or vacuum chamber with the first end 12 and can be connected for example to vacuum pump by the second end 14.

[0024] In the housing 10 an opening 16 is provided extending from the first end 12 to the second end 14 wherein a gaseous medium, gas particles and molecules can be conveyed through the opening from the first end 12 (i.e. the vessel) to the second end 14 (i.e. the vacuum pump) or in the opposite direction. Thus, by the opening 16 a fluid communication between the vacuum pump and the vessel is provided.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1 the opening 16 has a rectangular and narrow shape. Thus, the widths W of the opening 16 is much larger than the height H of the opening 16. In particular, the ratio of width to height W/H is larger than 4 and preferably larger than 10. Thus, by this narrow and rectangular shape of the opening 16, a sufficient area is provided to increase or at least maintain the conductance while decreasing the spatial requirements of the flange. Due to the small space requirements of the flange, the vacuum pump connected to the flange can be placed in close proximity to the vessel enhancing the conductance and therefore also enhancing the pump performance of the connected vacuum pump.

[0026] In order to provide vacuum tight connection to the flange, the housing 10 comprises a metal seal 18 arranged around the opening 16 preferably at the first end 12 and also the second end 14. Further, the housing 10 comprises a cutting edge incising the metal seal in order to provide the vacuum tight seal. Therein, the connected vacuum pump or vessel also comprises a cutting edge simultaneously incising the metal seal to provide a vacuum seal between the vessel or vacuum pump with the flange, respectively.

[0027] FIG. 2 shows a vacuum apparatus in accordance with the present invention. The vacuum apparatus comprises a vessel 20 build as tube or pipe in particular build as beam pipe for an e-beam apparatus or any other kind of particle accelerator. A flange 22 is connected to the vessel 20 as described with respect to FIG. 1. Therein the flange 22 is arranged in an axial direction of the vessel 20, i. e. the width W of the flange 22 is arranged along the axial direction of the tube. Also, the height H of the flange is in correspondence to the diameter of the tube. With the second end 14 of the flange 22 an IGP element 24 and a NEG element 26 as vacuum pump 28 are connected, schematically indicated in FIG. 2. Therein, the area of the opening 16 of the flange 22 corresponds to the combined area of NEG element 26 and the IGP element 24. Thus, by the flange 22 the vacuum pump 28 can be placed in close proximity to the vessel 20 due to the inventive form of the flange 22. In particular, the conductance between the vessel 20 and the vacuum pump 28 is enhanced by the flange 22 since the gas particles and molecules need not to follow a complex and lengthy path to the vacuum pump 28 but can directly arrive at the vacuum pump 28 and being pumped by the IGP element 24 or the NEG element 26.

[0028] Thus, by the present invention a compact way of connecting a vacuum pump to a vessel of a vacuum apparatus is provided reducing the space requirements of the vacuum pump and flange such that the vacuum pump can be placed close to the vessel enhancing the conductance between vessel and vacuum pump and thereby enhancing the pump performance.

[0029] Although elements have been shown or described as separate embodiments above, portions of each embodiment may be combined with all or part of other embodiments described above.

[0030] Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are described as example forms of implementing the claims.