Pumping system for generating a vacuum and method for pumping by means of this pumping system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a pumping system to generate a vacuum (SP), comprising a main vacuum pump which is a claw pump (3) having a gas suction inlet (2) connected to a vacuum chamber (1) and a gas discharge outlet (4) leading into a gas evacuation conduit (5) in the direction of a gas exhaust outlet (8) outside the pumping system. The pumping system comprises a non-return valve (6) positioned between the gas discharge outlet (4) and the gas exhaust outlet (8), and an auxiliary vacuum pump (7) connected in parallel to the non-return valve. In a pumping method by means of this pumping system (SP), the main vacuum pump (3) is started up in order to pump the gases contained in the vacuum chamber (1) and to discharge these gases through its gas discharge outlet (4), simultaneously to which the auxiliary vacuum pump (7) is started up. Moreover the auxiliary vacuum pump (7) continues to pump all the while that the main vacuum pump (3) pumps the gases contained in the vacuum chamber (1) and/or all the while that the main vacuum pump (3) maintains a defined pressure in the vacuum chamber (1).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.