ADAPTER FOR VACUUM PUMPS AND ASSOCIATED PUMPING DEVICE

• US 20140348634A1
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pfeiffer Vacuum GmbH (Dr.-Ing. K. Busch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Pfeiffer Vacuum GmbH (Dr.-Ing. K. Busch GmbH)
• Inventors: Bourrilhon, Thibaut, Mathes, Rainer, Varennes, Nicolas
• Granted Patent: US 9,970,444 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 415/65
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 19/042 Turbomolecular vacuum pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 19/046 Combinations of two or more different types of pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/16 Combinations of two or more pumps ; Producing two or more separate gas flows
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/60 Mounting; Assembling; Disassembling F04D13/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/601 specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps

Abstract

The invention relates to an adapter for vacuum pumps, characterized in that it comprises an annular inlet flange (15) intended to be coupled to an outlet orifice of a chamber and an outlet coupling (16) comprising at least two cylindrical outlet through-housings (21) and forming an at least partial pump casing for the case (4) of a respective turbomolecular vacuum pump (3), said turbomolecular vacuum pumps (3) being intended to be received in a respective cylindrical outlet housing (21). The invention also relates to a pumping device, characterized in that it comprises an adapter for vacuum pumps (2) as described hereinabove and at least two turbomolecular vacuum pumps (3) housed at least partially in a respective cylindrical outlet housing (21).

Claims

1. An adapter for vacuum pumps, characterized in that it comprises an annular inlet flange (15) intended to be coupled to an outlet orifice of a chamber and an outlet coupling (16) comprising at least two cylindrical outlet through-housings (21) and forming an at least partial pump casing for the case (4) of a respective turbomolecular vacuum pump (3), said turbomolecular vacuum pumps (3) being intended to be accommodated in a respective cylindrical outlet housing (21).

2. The adapter as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the outlet coupling (16) comprises a first series of threaded holes, arranged around each external opening (28) of said cylindrical outlet housings (21), and in that the adapter (2;

2′

) comprises first additional fixing screws (29a), said first series of threaded holes and said first additional fixing screws (29a) being intended to secure a pump casing (25) of a turbomolecular vacuum pump (3) to the adapter (2;

2′

).

3. The adapter as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the cylindrical outlet housings (21) possess a substantially identical volume and are arranged substantially symmetrically in the outlet coupling (16).

4. The adapter as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the axes (I) of the cylindrical outlet housings (21) are inclined in relation to the axis (A) of the annular inlet flange (15).

5. The adapter as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the section (17) of the adapter (2) joining the annular inlet flange (15) and the outlet coupling (16) is of truncated conical shape.

6. The adapter as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the internal diameter of the base of the truncated section (17) is substantially equal to the diameter of the circle, inscribed within which are the projections of the diameters of the inlet orifices (6) of the turbomolecular vacuum pumps (3).

7. The adapter as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the outlet coupling (16) possesses a central dome (22) projecting between said cylindrical housings (21).

8. The adapter as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a central tubular passageway (22), coaxial with the annular inlet flange (15), passing through the center of the outlet coupling (16), between said cylindrical housings (21).

9. A pumping device, characterized in that it comprises an adapter for vacuum pumps (2;

2′

) as described in one of the preceding claims and at least two turbomolecular vacuum pumps (3) housed at least partially in a respective cylindrical outlet housing (21).

10. The pumping device as claimed in claim 9, comprising an adapter for vacuum pumps (2;

2′

) as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the turbomolecular vacuum pumps (3) comprise a respective pump casing (25) comprising a respective coaxial annular flange (27), inside which a first and a second coaxial series of through-holes are arranged, said first series of through-holes interacting with said first series of threaded holes and the first respective fixing screws (29a) of the outlet coupling (16) in order to secure the pump casing (25) of the turbomolecular vacuum pump (3) to the outlet coupling (16) and said second series of through-holes interacting with a second series of threaded holes arranged in the case (4) and with second respective fixing screws (29b) of the outlet coupling (16) in order to secure the case (4) of the turbomolecular vacuum pump (3) to the outlet coupling (16).

11. The pumping device as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the coupling produced by the first fixing screws (29a) between the coaxial annular flange (27) and the adapter (2;

2′

) is stronger than the coupling produced by the second fixing screws (29b) between said coaxial annular flange (27) and the case (4).

12. The pumping device as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that a respective annular gap (32) is arranged in the base of the cylindrical housings (21), between said cylindrical housings (21) and the periphery of the first extremity of the case (4) of the turbomolecular vacuum pumps (3).

13. The pumping device as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the turbomolecular vacuum pumps (3) comprise respectively a turbomolecular stage (13) and a molecular stage (14), and in that the cylindrical outlet housings (21) are configured so as to house at least the turbomolecular stage (13) of the turbomolecular vacuum pumps (3).

14. The pumping device as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that it comprises at least two first outlet seals (30) intended to be interposed between the respective base of a cylindrical outlet housing (21) and a first extremity of the case (4) of the respective turbomolecular vacuum pump (3).

15. The pumping device as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that it comprises at least two second outlet seals (31) intended to be interposed between the coaxial annular flange (27) of the pump casing (25) and a second extremity of the case (4) of the respective turbomolecular vacuum pump (3).