Molecular pump

• US 6,612,816 B1
• Filed: 11/15/2001
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alain Weymeersch, Pierre Vanden Brande
• Original Assignee: Alain Weymeersch, Pierre Vanden Brande
• Inventors: Vanden Brande, Pierre, Weymeersch, Alain
• Primary Examiner(s): Freay, Charles G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rodriguez, William H.
• Application Number:
  US09/830,022
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 417/410.1, 417/322, 417/413.2, 417/436, 415/416
• US Class Current: 417/410.1
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 19/04 specially adapted to the production of a high vacuum, e.g. molecular pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 33/00 Non-positive-displacement pumps with other than pure rotation, e.g. of oscillating type F04D35/00 takes precedence; hand-held fans A45B

Abstract

The invention concerns a molecular pump for evacuating a gas from a chamber, comprising a substantially sealed box (1) having on one of its sides an intake orifice (2) to be connected to said chamber and, on the opposite side, an outlet orifice (3), to be preferably connected to a discharge pump, whereby elements (4) are mounted between those two orifices (2) and (3) at some distance from one another in substantially fixed sites inside said box (1) for the gas to pass through, said elements (4) being of such a nature as to impart to said gas molecules, coming from said chamber and coming into contact with said elements (4), a speed whereof the resultant is oriented towards the outlet orifice (3).

Claims

1. Molecular pump, which makes it possible to evacuate a gas from a chamber and to thus create a high vacuum, that comprises a substantially sealed box (1) having on one of its sides an intake orifice (2) to be connected to said chamber and, on the opposite side, an outlet orifice (3), to be preferably connected to a discharge pump, whereby elements (4) are mounted between those two orifices (2) and (3) at some distance from one another in substantially fixed sites inside said box (1) for the gas to pass through, said elements (4) being of such a nature as to impart to said gas molecules, coming from said chamber and coming into contact with said elements (4), a speed whereof the resultant is oriented towards the outlet orifice (3).

2. Pump according to claim 1, wherein the above-mentioned elements (4) are provided at successive levels, possibly grouped in level zones (12, 13, 14, 15, . . . ) between the intake orifices (2) and the outlet orifices (3) in such a way that they allow for the passage of the molecules from one level to the next, while being subjected, at each level, to an acceleration by the elements (4) of the latter towards the elements of the following level.

3. Pump according to claim 2, wherein the distance between the elements (4) of two successive levels decreases as of the intake orifice (2) towards the outlet orifice (3).

4. Pump according to claim 1, wherein the above-mentioned elements (4) are provided in a staggered manner.

5. Pump according to claim 1, wherein said elements (4) are mounted on a fixed support (5), on the side of the latter directed towards the above-mentioned outlet orifice (3), and co-operate with means (9) which make it possible to subject them to a vibration having a component directed towards the outlet orifice (3).

6. Pump according to claim 5, wherein means are provided to maintain the above-mentioned support (5) at a relatively low temperature, for example the ambient temperature.

7. Pump according to claim 6, wherein the support (5) and the box (1) are made of a caloric material and are mutually connected in a conductive manner, whereby the above-mentioned means for maintaining the support at a relatively low temperature comprise a cooling circuit (8) surrounding said box (1).

8. Pump according to claim 5, wherein the above-mentioned element (4) comprises a piezo-electric material (6) fixed to the above-mentioned support (5) and coated, on the side opposite to the one which is directed towards the support, with an electrically conductive coating (7), whereby means (9) are provided to apply an alternating current to said element (4), such that said piezo-electric material (6) is subjected to a deformation in a direction transversal to the support (5) and, consequently, said coating (7) is exposed to a corresponding vibration.

9. Pump according to claim 8, wherein the surface of the piezo-electric material (6) which makes contact with the support (5) and the coating (7) are put to earthgrounded.

10. Pump according to claim 8, wherein the piezo-electric material (6) is part of a flexible blade mounted on the support and which can undergo an elastic deformation as a result of the effect of the above-mentioned alternating current.

11. Pump according to claim 5, wherein the supports (5) are provided in a staggered manner and represent a cross section which strongly resembles an isosceles triangle whose top is directed towards the side of the box (1) in which is provided the intake orifice (2), whereby the inclination of the oblique sides (16) of these supports (5) allows for a reflection of the molecules which hit these sides towards the basis (17) of the supports (5) of the preceding level.

12. Pump according to claim 11, wherein the oblique sides (16) of the supports (5) are at least partially concave.

13. Pump according to claim 5, wherein the sides (16) of the supports (5) of a specific level directed towards the supports (5) of a preceding level are partially covered with elements (19) which can be subjected to a vibration having a component which is directed towards the elements (4) provided on the side (17) of the supports of the preceding level directed towards the outlet orifice (3), such that the kinetic energy of the molecules is increased following a series of collisions with the vibrating surfaces (7) of the elements (4) and (19) which face one another before they pass on to the next level.

14. Pump according to claim 8, wherein the piezo-electric material (6) is formed of quartz, Rochette salt (NaKC₄H₄O₆NH₂O), lithium sulphate (Li₂SO₄H₂O), lead methaniobate (PbNb₂O₆), lead titanate (PT), lead zirconate titanate (PZT), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyvinylidene fluoride and trifluoro-ethylene copolymer (P(VDF-TrFE)), polyvinylidene fluoride and tetrafluoro-ethylene copolymer (P(VDF-TeFE)) or vinylidene cyanide and vinyl acetate copolymer (P(VDCN-VAC)).

15. Pump according to claim 3, wherein said rev elements (4) are provided in a staggered manner, said elements (4) are mounted on a fixed support (5), on the side of the latter directed towards the above-mentioned outlet orifice (3), and co-operate with means (9) which make it possible to subject them to a vibration having a component directed towards the outlet orifice (3).

16. Pump according to claim 7, wherein the above-mentioned element (4) comprises a piezo-electric material (6) fixed to the above-mentioned support (5) and coated, on the side opposite to the one which is directed towards the support, with an electrically conductive coating (7), whereby means (9) are provided to apply an alternating current to said element (4), such that said piezo-electric material (6) is subjected to a deformation in a direction transversal to the support (5) and, consequently, said coating (7) is exposed to a corresponding vibration.

17. Molecular pump, which makes it possible to evacuate a gas from a chamber and to thus create a high vacuum, that comprises a substantially sealed box (1) having on one of its sides an intake orifice (2) to be connected to said chamber and, on the opposite side, an outlet orifice (3), elements (4) being mounted between those two orifices (2) and (3) at some distance from one another on fixed supports (5) inside said box (1) for the gas to pass through, characterized in that said elements (4) are mounted on the fixed supports (5) on the side of the latter directed towards the outlet orifice (3), in such a way as to determine with these supports a succession of dipoles, whose active sides, formed by these elements, are also oriented towards the outlet orifice and to allow implying an acceleration of the gas molecules, coming from said chamber and coming into contact with these elements, towards the outlet orifice.

18. Pump according to claim 17, characterized in that said elements (4) co-operate with means (9) which make it possible to subject them to a vibration having a component directed towards the outlet orifice.

19. Pump according to claim 18, characterized in that the support (5) is made of a caloric and heat conducting material and is connected to a cooling circuit, this support (5) forming thus a cool part of a dipole, the element (4) being separated from this cool part by an insulator and thus forming a hot part of the dipole.

20. Pump according to claim 17, characterized in that the support (5) is made of a caloric and heat conducting material and is connected to a cooling circuit, this support (5) forming thus a cool part of a dipole, the element (4) being separated from this cool part by an insulator and thus forming a hot part of the dipole.