Vacuum Pumping System
AssigneeEdwards Limited
InventorAustin Jonathan Daykin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
To overcome the problem associated with liquid or solid process debris from a vacuum process system falling into, and contaminating or damaging, a vacuum pumping arrangement used to evacuate the system, the inlet of the vacuum pumping arrangement is located lower than the outlet of the arrangement. This provides a net flow of gas pumped by the arrangement in a generally upwards direction thereby resisting the passage of contaminants into the arrangement.
Claims8
A vacuum pumping system for evacuating a vacuum chamber, the system comprising a vacuum pumping arrangement for pumping gas from an inlet to an outlet thereof, the inlet being located in use lower than the outlet and the net flow of gas pumped by the arrangement is in a generally upwards direction thereby resisting the passage of contaminants into the arrangement.
A method of retro-fitting a vacuum pumping arrangement comprising a cartridge type vacuum pumping mechanism having an inlet which in use is higher than an outlet to the mechanism, the vacuum pumping arrangement being configured for rotating the cartridge type vacuum pumping mechanism in a first direction, the method comprising the steps of:
- removing the cartridge type vacuum pumping mechanism from the vacuum pumping arrangement,
- rotating the cartridge type vacuum pumping mechanism,
- replacing the cartridge type vacuum pumping mechanism in the vacuum pumping arrangement so that the inlet in use is lower than the outlet, and
- configuring the vacuum pumping arrangement so that the cartridge type vacuum pumping mechanism is in use rotated by a motor in a reverse direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.