Manipulator head and vacuum system

Abstract

The invention relates to pumping liquids (18) in a vacuum system at a negative pressure, in particular at an absolute pressure of below 600 mbar. For this purpose, a manipulator head (10′) is provided for use in a vacuum housing at a negative pressure. The manipulator head (10′) contains a liquid cell (12) and a liquid pump (14). The liquid cell (12) has a liquid cell outlet (22) and an interior space (16) that is designed for negative pressure and designed to receive a liquid (18). The liquid pump (14) has a liquid pumping region (26) which is fluidically connected to the fluid cell outlet (22) and is designed to pump the liquid (18) out of the liquid pumping region (26) when there is negative pressure in the interior space (16) of the liquid cell (12). A distance (d′) between the liquid cell outlet (22) of the liquid cell (12) and the liquid pumping region (26) of the liquid pump (14) is selected such that at an absolute pressure of below 600 mbar in the interior space (16) of the liquid cell (12), the liquid (18) extends at least as far as the liquid pumping region (26) of the liquid pump (14), so that the latter can pump the liquid (18). This makes it possible to construct a compact vacuum system that can circulate liquid (18) at an absolute pressure of below 600 mbar and in particular can also be drained.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.