# US 2015/0308505 A1 · Vacuum processing system, vacuum processing device, lubricating agent supply device, and lubricating agent supplying method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2015/0308505 A1 - Document ID: US20150308505A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/607,661 - Filed: 2015-01-28 - Published: 2015-10-29 - Earliest claimed: 2014-04-28 - Assignees: Nissin Ion Equipment Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Nissin Ion Equipment Co., Ltd - Inventors: Masatoshi ONODA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20150308505A1 ## CPC - F16C 33/6625: {Controlling or conditioning the grease supply} - F16C 29/005: {Guide rails or tracks for a linear bearing, i.e. adapted for movement of a carriage or bearing body there along} - F16N 7/385: {Central lubrication systems} - F16N 9/00: Arrangements for supplying oil or unspecified lubricant from a moving reservoir or the equivalent (also usable with a stationary reservoir F16N7/00) - F16N 21/00: Conduits; Junctions (in general F16L); Fittings for lubrication apertures - F16N 29/02: for influencing the supply of lubricant - F16N 35/00: Storage of lubricants in engine-rooms or the like (storage containers B65) - F16C 29/0645: {with load directions in O-arrangement} - F16C: SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS - F16N: LUBRICATING ## Abstract A transport system is a vacuum processing system that includes a transport device that is provided in a vacuum, and a lubricating agent supply device that supplies lubricating agent to the transport device and provided in the ambient atmosphere. The transport device has a lubricating agent flow channel that is a channel for grease injected to a site subject to lubrication. The lubricating agent supply device has a grease server that stores a lubricating agent in the ambient atmosphere, a lubricating agent supply pipe which is a channel that guides the grease stored in the grease server to the lubricating agent flow channel and that connects the grease server and the lubricating agent flow channel, and an exhaust pump that exhausts the inside of the lubricating agent supply pipe. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vacuum processing system comprising: at least one vacuum processing device provided in a vacuum, and a lubricating agent supply device that supplies lubricating agent to the vacuum processing device and is provided in the ambient atmosphere; wherein the vacuum processing device has a lubricating agent flow channel that is a channel for lubricating agent that is injected to a site subject to lubrication; the lubricating agent supply device comprising: a lubricating agent storage part that stores the lubricating agent in the ambient atmosphere; a lubricating agent supply channel that is connected to the lubricating agent storage part and the lubricating agent flow channel, and is a channel that guides the lubricating agent that is stored in the lubricating agent storage part to the lubricating agent flow channel; and an exhausting part that exhausts inside the lubricating agent supply channel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vacuum processing system according to claim 1, wherein the vacuum processing device comprises: a guide rail; and a movable body that can move along the guide rail; wherein the site subject to lubrication is a site that is in contact with the guide rail of the movable body provided at a position that covers a predetermined region of the guide rail. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vacuum processing system according to claim 1, further comprising: a control device, wherein an opening and closing valve that is controlled by a control signal input from the control device is inserted in the lubricating agent flow channel; the lubricating agent supply device further comprising: an exhaust pipe that connects the lubricating agent supply channel and the exhausting part; and an exhaust valve that is inserted in the exhaust pipe and is controlled by a control signal input from the control device; wherein the control device causes the exhaust valve to be in an open condition, and then causes the opening and closing valve to be in an open condition when the inside of the lubricating agent supply channel is exhausted by the exhausting part and the passageway for lubricant supply is in a vacuum condition. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vacuum processing system according to claim 1, wherein the vacuum processing device further comprises a first connecting part that is provided in the lubricating agent flow channel; and the lubricating agent supply device further comprises a second connecting part that can detachably and hermetically connect to the first connecting part. ### Claim 5 A vacuum processing device provided in a vacuum and capable of receiving a supply of lubricating agent from the lubricating agent supply device provided in the ambient atmosphere, comprising: a guide rail; a movable body that can move on and along the guide rail; and a passageway for lubricant flow that is a passageway for the lubricant to be injected at a site that connects to the guide rail of the movable body that is provided at a position that covers a predetermined region of the guide rail; wherein the guide rail has a track groove provided along the extending direction, and the site that contacts the guide rail is at least a part of a rolling body that contacts the track groove while rolling along the track groove. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The vacuum processing device according to claim 5, wherein the tracking groove is formed on both ends in the lateral direction of the guide rail, and the pair of tracking grooves are formed separated by a predetermined distance in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the guide rail and the lateral direction; and the lubricating agent flow channel is formed on the guide rail, and is configured from a lubricating agent flow through hole that is opened at a position between a pair of tracking grooves formed on both ends in the lateral direction of a predetermined region of the guide rail, and a lubricating agent relay channel that links between the lubricating agent flow through hole and the lubricating agent supply device. ### Claim 7 The lubricating agent supply device that supplies lubricating agent to the lubricating agent flow channel of the vacuum processing device that has a lubricating agent flow channel which is a channel for the lubricating agent that is introduced to the site subject to lubrication, comprising: a lubricating agent storage part that stores the lubricating agent in the ambient atmosphere; a lubricating agent supply channel that is connected to the lubricating agent storage part and the lubricating agent flow channel, and is a passageway that guides the lubricating agent that is stored in the lubricating agent storage part to the lubricating agent flow channel; and an exhausting part that exhausts inside the lubricating agent supply channel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The lubricating agent supply device according to claim 7, wherein an opening and closing valve that is controlled by a control signal input from the control device is inserted in the lubricating agent flow channel; the lubricating agent supply device further comprising: an exhaust pipe that connects the lubricating agent supply channel and the exhausting part; and an exhaust valve that is inserted in the exhaust pipe and is controlled by a control signal input from the control device; wherein the control device causes the exhaust valve to be in an open condition, and then causes the opening and closing valve to be in an opened condition when the inside of the lubricating agent supply channel is exhausted by the exhausting part and the lubricating agent supply channel is in a vacuum condition. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The lubricating agent supply device according to claim 7, further comprising: a second connecting part provided in the lubricating agent supply channel in order to connect to the lubricating agent flow channel; and a lubricating agent sending part configuring a part of the lubricating agent supply channel, and that transmits the lubricating agent stored in the lubricating agent storage part toward the second connecting part. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The lubricating agent supply device according to claim 7, further comprising: a lubricating agent capturing part provided between the lubricating agent supply channel and the exhausting part, and that captures the lubricating agent included in the gas that travels from the lubricating agent supply channel toward the exhausting part. ### Claim 11 A lubricating agent supply method for supplying lubricating agent to a site subject to lubrication of at least one vacuum processing device provided in a vacuum, comprising: exhausting a gas that remains at a site at least located in the ambient atmosphere of the lubricating agent supply channel from the lubricating agent storage part that stores lubricating agent to the site subject to lubrication, provided in the ambient atmosphere; and transmitting the lubricating agent stored in the lubricating agent storage part to the site subject to lubrication of the vacuum processing device through the lubricating agent supply channel.