Corrosion and deposition protected valve apparatus and method
AssigneeMKS Instruments, Inc.
InventorsDavid Neumeister, Bradly Lefevre, Kevin Grout, Youfan Gu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An expandable and contractible shield around a bellows in a valve protects the bellows from corrosive gases and solid particles in the valve chamber. In a manifold valve assembly with multiple outlet ports and multiple valves in a common valve chamber, a respective expandable and contractible shield around each respective bellows of each respective valve in the assembly separates each bellows from corrosive gases and solid particles in the common valve chamber regardless of whether one or all of the valves in the assembly is opened or closed.
Claims26
Manifold valve apparatus for selectively directing a fluid flowing in a foreline to one or more of a plurality of foreline branches, comprising:
- a manifold valve body enclosing a manifold valve chamber, wherein said valve body has an inlet port adapted for fluid-flow connection to the foreline for conducting a flow of fluid into the manifold valve chamber and a plurality of outlet ports adapted for fluid-flow connection to respective foreline branches for conducting flow of fluid out of the manifold valve chamber;
- a plurality of closure members, each of which closure members is positioned in the manifold valve chamber between the inlet port and a respective one of the outlet ports and is movable back and forth between (i) an open position in which the closure member allows fluid in the manifold valve chamber to flow through the respective outlet port and out of the valve chamber and (ii) a closed position in which the closure member prevents fluid flow through the outlet port;
- actuator apparatus for each of the closure members for moving each of the closure members respectively back and forth between the open position for the respective closure member and the closed position for the respective closure member, the actuator apparatus being of a type comprising a piston for applying a force to move the closure member in one direction, a spring for applying a force to move the closure member in an opposite direction, and a bellows positioned to isolate the manifold valve chamber with an vacuum-tight seal from the piston;
- and
- a plurality of expandable and contractible shields positioned in the valve chamber in a manner such that at least the bellows of each actuator apparatus is surrounded by one of the expandable and contractible shields in a manner that separates at least the bellows from gases flowing in the valve chamber.
Valve apparatus, comprising:
- a valve body enclosing a valve chamber, wherein said valve body has an inlet port for flow of fluid into the valve chamber and an outlet port for flow of fluid out of the valve chamber;
- a closure member positioned in the valve chamber between the inlet port and the outlet port, said closure member being movable back and forth between (i) an open position in which the closure member allows fluid flow from the inlet port and through the outlet port out of the valve chamber and (ii) a closed position in which the closure member prevents fluid flow through the outlet port;
- actuator apparatus comprising a pneumatic piston for applying a force to move the closure member to the opened position, a spring for applying a force to move the closure member to the closed position, and a bellows positioned to isolate the piston with a vacuum-tight seal from the valve chamber;
- and
- an expandable and contractible shield positioned around at least the bellows in a manner that separates the bellows from gases flowing in the valve chamber.
In a valve that has a valve chamber enclosed by a valve body with an inlet port and an outlet port that accommodates fluid flow through the valve chamber from the inlet port to the outlet port, a closure member in the valve chamber that is movable between an open position and a closed position, an actuator connected to the closure member for moving the closure member between closed and open positions, and a bellows separating the actuator from the fluid flow chamber with a vacuum-tight seal to the closure member and to the valve body, a method of protecting the bellows from particles or corrosive gas flow through the valve chamber, comprising:
- preventing the particles or corrosive gas that flow through the valve chamber from entering a space in the valve chamber in which the bellows is positioned by providing an expandable and contractible shield around the space in which the bellows is positioned.
Valve apparatus comprising:
- a valve chamber enclosed by a valve body with an inlet port and an outlet port that accommodates fluid flow through the valve chamber from the inlet port to the outlet port;
- a closure member in the valve chamber that is movable between an open position and a closed position;
- an actuator connected to the closure member for moving the closure member between closed and open positions;
- a bellows separating the actuator from the fluid flow chamber with a vacuum-tight hermetic seal to the closure member and to the valve body;
- and
- means for preventing particles or corrosive gas that flows through the valve chamber from entering a space in the valve chamber in which the bellows is positioned.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.