Pipe joints or couplings – With access opening
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-09
2004-03-30
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3679)
Pipe joints or couplings
With access opening
C029S423000, C285S134100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06712400
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to coupling members for use in fluid control apparatus included, for example, in semiconductor manufacturing equipment for holding fluid channels in the control apparatus in communication with one another.
The terms “upper,” “lower,” “left” and “right” as used herein refer respectively to the upper and lower sides, and left- and right-hand sides of FIG.
1
. However, these terms are used for the sake of convenience; the apparatus or components to be described can be used as turned upside down or as laid on their side.
It is required in recent years that the fluid control apparatus for use in semiconductor manufacturing equipment be integrated to reduce the space to be occupied by the apparatus. To fulfill this requirement, for example, Japanese Patent Application 278495/1997 proposes a fluid control apparatus shown in FIG.
3
.
The proposed fluid control apparatus
101
, which is adapted for use in semiconductor manufacturing equipment or the like, comprises a massflow controller
2
, an inlet-side on-off-opening assembly
3
provided at the left of the controller
2
, and an outlet-side shutoff-opening assembly
4
disposed at the right of the controller
2
.
Provided on the left side of lower portion of the massflow controller
2
is a left extension block (first fluid control member)
5
in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped and formed with an inlet channel
5
a
which has an opening in the bottom surface of the block. Provided on the right side of the controller lower portion is a right extension block (second fluid control member)
6
in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped and formed with an outlet channel
6
a
which has an opening in the bottom surface of the block. The extension blocks
5
,
6
are fastened to the body of the controller
2
with screws driven in laterally.
The inlet-side shutoff-opening assembly
3
comprises third to sixth fluid control members
7
,
8
,
9
,
10
arranged to an upper level. End first to fifth rectangular parallelepipedal couplings
11
,
12
,
13
,
14
,
51
arranged to a lower level.
The third fluid control member
7
, which is disposed at the left end of the assembly
3
, comprises a first on-off valve
17
integral with a body block
16
having an inlet channel
16
a
and an outlet channel
16
b
which extend downward, the valve
17
being operable to bring these channels
16
a
,
16
b
into an out of communication with each other.
The fourth fluid control member
8
, which is the second from the left end of the assembly
3
, comprises a body block
18
generally in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped, having a top left portion providing a slope and having an inlet channel
18
a
and an outlet channel
18
b
which extend downward; a pressure regulator
19
mounted on the slope of the body
18
and disposed at a portion of communication between the channels
18
a
,
18
b
for giving a regulated pressure; and a pressure sensor
20
mounted on a flat portion at the top left part of the body
18
for measuring fluid pressure through a channel communicating with the outlet channel
18
b
. The inlet channel
18
a
of the body
18
has a filter
21
.
The fifth fluid control member
9
, which is the third from the left end of the assembly
3
, comprises second and third on-off valves
23
,
24
which are mounted on one body block
22
in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped. The body block
22
has a downward first inlet channel
22
a
formed in its left end, a rightward outlet channel
22
b
communicating with the channel
22
a
through the second on-off valve
23
, and a downward second inlet channel
22
c
communicating with the outlet channel
22
b
through the third on-off valve
24
.
The sixth fluid control member
10
, which is the fourth from the left end of the assembly
3
, comprises a rectangular parallelepipedal channel block. The member
10
is formed with a communication channel
10
a
having one end communicating with the outlet channel
22
b
of the fifth fluid control member
22
and the other end which is open downward.
The first coupling
11
, which is disposed at the left end of the inlet-side shutoff-opening assembly
3
, has an L-shaped upstream communication channel
11
a
opened leftward and communicating with the inlet channel
16
a
of the third fluid control member body
16
, and an L-shaped downstream communication channel
11
b
opened rightward and communicating with the outlet channel
16
b
of the body
16
. Provided on the left side of the first coupling
11
is a first inlet pipe joint
25
communicating with the upstream communication channel
11
a.
The second coupling
12
, which is the second from the left end of the assembly
3
, has an L-shaped upstream communication channel
12
a
for holding the outlet channel
11
b
of the first coupling
11
in communication with the inlet channel
18
a
of the fourth fluid control member body
18
, and an L-shaped downstream communication channel
12
b
having one end communicating with the outlet channel
18
b
of the body
18
and the other end opened rightward.
The third coupling
13
, which the third from the left end of the assembly
3
, has an L-shaped communication channel
13
a
for holding the outlet channel
12
b
of the second coupling
12
in communication with the first inlet channel
22
a
of the fifth fluid control member body
22
.
The fourth coupling
14
, which is the fourth from the left end of the assembly
3
, is formed with a communication channel
14
a
having one end communicating with the second inlet channel
22
c
of the fifth fluid control member body
22
and the other end opened rearward. Disposed on the rear side of the fourth coupling
14
is a second inlet pipe joint (not shown) communicating with the channel
14
a.
The fifth coupling
51
, which is the fifth from the left end of the assembly
3
, is formed with a U-shaped communication channel
51
a
and comprises first and second rectangular parallelepipedal coupling forming members
52
,
53
. The first coupling forming member
52
is provided with an L-shaped upstream communication channel
52
a
having one end communicating with the outlet of communication channel
10
a
of the sixth fluid control member
10
and the other end which is open rightward. The second coupling forming member
53
is provided with an L-shaped downstream communication channel
53
a
having one end in communication with the channel
52
a
of the first coupling forming member
52
and the other end in communication with the inlet channel
5
a
of left extension block
5
of the massflow controller
2
. The first and second coupling forming members
52
,
53
are fitted to each other with a seal
33
interposed therebetween so as to hold the upstream channel
52
a
in communication with the downstream channel
53
a
, whereby the above-mentioned U-shaped communication channel
51
a
is formed in the fifth coupling
51
for holding the communication channel
10
a
of the sixth control member
10
in communication with the inlet channel
5
a
of left extension
5
of the massflow controller
2
.
The outlet-side shutoff-opening assembly
4
comprises a seventh fluid control member
26
disposed at an upper level, and sixth and seventh rectangular parallelepipedal couplings
54
,
28
which are arranged at a lower level. The seventh fluid control member
26
comprises a fourth on-off valve
30
integral with a body block
29
having an inlet channel
29
a
and an outlet channel
29
b
, which extend downward, the valve
30
being operable to bring these channels
29
a
,
29
b
into and out of communication with each other. The sixth coupling
54
disposed at the left side of the assembly
4
is formed with a U-shaped communication channel
54
a
and comprises first and second rectangular parallelepipedal coupling forming members
55
,
56
. The first coupling forming member
55
is provided with an L-shaped upstream communication channel
55
a
having one end communicating with the outlet channel
6
a
of right extension block
Fukata Osamu
Morokoshi Hiroshi
Yamaji Michio
Yokoyama Kosuke
Yoshida Tadanobu
Armstrong Kratz Quintos Hanson & Brooks, LLP
Browne Lynne H.
Dunwoody Aaron
Fujikin Incorporated
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