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US 6,332,752 B2Granted
Turbo-molecular pump
AssigneeEbara Corporation
InventorsTetsuma Ikegami, Matsutaro Miyamoto, Hiroyuki Kawasaki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A turbo-molecular pump of high safety and reliability has been developed so that if an abnormal condition should develop on the rotor structure, it will not lead to damage to the stator or pump casing to cause loss of vacuum in a vacuum processing system. The turbo-molecular pump comprises a pump casing housing a stator and a rotor therein, a vane pumping section and/or a groove pumping section comprised by the stator and the rotor, and a constriction releasing structure for releasing constriction of at least a part of the stator when an abnormal torque is applied to the stator by the rotor.
Claims44
A turbo-molecular pump comprising:
- a pump casing housing a stator and a rotor therein;
- at least one of a vane pumping section and a groove pumping section comprised by said stator and said rotor;
- and
- a constriction releasing structure for releasing constriction of at least a part of said stator, said constriction releasing structure comprising a fixation section which loses fixing function due to breakage of said fixation section or movement of said fixation section in a radially outward direction when an abnormal torque is applied to said stator by said rotor.
1 more element
A turbo-molecular pump comprising:
- a pump casing housing a stator and a rotor therein,
- at least one of a vane pumping section and a groove pumping section comprised by said stator and said rotor;
- and
- a constriction releasing structure for releasing constriction of at least a part of said stator, said constriction releasing structure comprising a fixation section which loses fixing function due to breakage of said fixation section or movement of said fixation section in a radially outward direction when an abnormal torque is applied to said stator by said rotor;
- wherein said vane pumping section comprises a plurality of stator vanes, said constriction releasing structure being constructed to release constriction of said stator vanes;
- wherein said vane pumping section comprises layered stator vane spacers for fixing said stator vanes, said constriction releasing structure being constructed to release constriction of said stator vane spacers,
- wherein said constriction releasing structure comprises a space radially outside of said stator vane spacer for allowing said stator vane spacer to withdraw therein.
4 more elements
A turbo-molecular pump comprising:
- a pump casing housing a stator and a rotor therein;
- at least one of a vane pumping section and a groove pumping section comprised by said stator and said rotor;
- and
- a constriction releasing structure for releasing constriction of at least a part of said stator, said constriction releasing structure comprising a fixation section which loses fixing function due to breakage of said fixation section or movement of said fixation section in a radially outward direction when an abnormal torque is applied to said stator by said rotor;
- wherein said vane pumping section comprises a plurality of stator vanes, said constriction releasing structure being constructed to release constriction of said stator vanes;
- wherein said vane pumping section comprises layered stator vane spacers for fixing said stator vanes, said constriction releasing structure being constructed to release constriction of said stator vane spacers;
- wherein said constriction releasing structure comprises a receiving space radially outside of said stator vane spacer capable of receiving said stator vane spacer.
4 more elements
A turbo-molecular pump comprising:
- a pump casing housing a stator and a rotor therein;
- at least one of a vane pumping section and a groove pumping section comprised by said stator and said rotor;
- and
- a constriction releasing structure for releasing constriction of at least a part of said stator when an abnormal torque is applied to said stator by said rotor, wherein said groove pumping section comprises a groove pumping section spacer fixed to said stator, said constriction releasing structure being constructed to release constriction of said groove pumping section spacer to said stator,
- wherein said a groove pumping section spacer is fixed at one end thereof to said stator;
- wherein said groove pumping section spacer comprises a cylindrical body and a flange section provided at one end of said cylindrical body, and a fragile section is provided on said groove pumping section spacer at an area between said cylindrical body and said flange section.
3 more elements
A turbo-molecular pump comprising:
- a pump casing housing a stator and a rotor therein;
- at least one of a vane pumping section and groove pumping section comprised by said stator and said rotor;
- a fixation section for fixing said stator while said turbo-molecular pump is operated in a normal state;
- and
- a friction reducing structure provided in at least a part of a space between said stator and said pump casing for facilitating relative sliding movement therebetween when an abnormal torque is applied to said stator by said rotor.
2 more elements
A turbo-molecular pump comprising:
- a pump casing housing a stator and a rotor therein;
- at least one of a vane pumping section and a groove pumping section comprised by said stator and said rotor for carrying out gas evacuation by their cooperative action;
- and
- an impact absorbing structure provided in at least a part of a space between said stator and said pump casing, wherein said impact absorbing structure has a function that stress transmission from said stator to said pump casing is prevented to avoid damaging said pump casing, when an abnormal torque is applied to said stator by said rotor.
1 more element
A turbo-molecular pump comprising:
- a pump casing housing a stator and a rotor therein;
- at least one of a vane pumping section and a groove pumping section comprised by said stator and said rotor;
- and
- a constriction releasing structure for releasing constriction of at least a part of said stator when an abnormal torque is applied to said stator by said rotor, wherein said constriction releasing structure comprises a fragile section provided on at least a part of said stator.
1 more element
A turbo-molecular pump comprising:
- a pump casing housing a stator and a rotor therein;
- a vane pumping section comprised by said stator and said rotor;
- and
- a constriction releasing structure, contained within said pump casing, for releasing constriction of at least a part of said stator in said vane pumping section, said constriction releasing structure comprising a fixation section which loses fixing function when an abnormal torque is applied to said stator by said rotor.
1 more element
A turbo-molecular pump comprising:
- a pump casing housing a stator and a rotor therein;
- a vane pumping section comprised by said stator and said rotor;
- a fixation section for fixing said stator while said turbo-molecular pump is operated in a normal state;
- and
- a friction reducing structure provided in at least a part of a space between said stator and said pump casing for facilitating relative sliding movement therebetween when an abnormal torque is applied to said stator by said rotor.
2 more elements
A turbo-molecular pump comprising:
- a pump casing housing a stator and a rotor therein;
- a vane pumping section and a groove pumping section comprised by said stator and said rotor;
- a fixation section for fixing said stator while said turbo-molecular pump is operated in a normal state;
- and
- a friction reducing structure provided in at least a part of a space between said stator and said pump casing for facilitating relative sliding movement between said stator of said vane pumping section and said groove pumping section, and said pump casing when an abnormal torque is applied to said stator by said rotor.
2 more elements
A turbo-molecular pump comprising:
- a pump casing housing a stator and a rotor therein;
- at least one of a vane pumping section and a groove pumping section comprised by said stator and said rotor;
- and
- an energy absorbing structure provided in at least a part of said stator, said energy absorbing structure comprising a fixation section which absorbs rotation energy of said rotor when an abnormal torque is applied to said stator by said rotor.
1 more element
A turbo-molecular pump comprising:
- a pump casing housing a stator and a rotor therein;
- at least one of a vane pumping section and a groove pumping section comprised by said stator and said rotor;
- and
- a constriction releasing structure for releasing constriction of at least a part of said stator when an abnormal torque is applied to said stator by said rotor, wherein said constriction releasing structure comprises a fragile section provided on said stator.
1 more element
A turbo-molecular pump comprising:
- a pump casing housing a stator and a rotor therein;
- at least one of a vane pumping section and a groove pumping section comprised by said stator and said rotor;
- a fixation section for fixing said stator while said turbo-molecular pump is operated in a normal state;
- a friction reducing structure provided in at least a part of a space between said stator and said pump casing for facilitating relative sliding movement therebetween;
- and
- an impact absorbing structure provided inside of said friction reducing structure, wherein said impact absorbing structure has a function that stress transmission from said stator to said pump casing is prevented to avoid damaging said pump casing, when an abnormal torque is applied to said stator by said rotor.
3 more elements
A turbo-molecular pump comprising:
- a pump casing housing a stator and a rotor therein;
- at least one of a vane pumping section and a groove pumping section comprised by said stator and said rotor;
- and
- a constriction releasing structure, contained within said pump casing, for releasing constriction of at least a part of said stator, said constriction releasing structure comprising a fixation section which loses fixing function when an abnormal torque is applied to said stator by said rotor.
1 more element
A turbo-molecular pump comprising:
- a pump casing housing a stator and a rotor therein;
- at least one of a vane pumping section and a groove pumping section comprised by said stator and said rotor;
- and
- a constriction releasing structure for releasing constriction of at least a part of said stator, said constriction releasing structure comprising a fixation section which has such a strength that said fixation section loses fixing function when torque of a certain magnitude is transmitted to said at least a part of said stator.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.