O-ring-less low profile fittings and fitting assemblies

• US 7,547,049 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2006
• Issued: 06/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Entegris Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Entegris Incorporated
• Inventors: Gashgaee, Iraj
• Primary Examiner(s): BOCHNA, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US11/602,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20070126233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 285/384, 285/385, 285/353, 285/124.4, 285/124.5
• US Class Current: 285/384
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 53/16 Casings; Cylinders; Cylinder liners or heads; Fluid connections
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 19/02 Pipe ends provided with collars or flanges, integral with the pipe or not, pressed together by a screwed member
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 41/086 fixed with screws
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 41/12 using attaching means embracing the pipe

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide new fittings and fitting assemblies for tight, leak-proof filter and fluid connections in a pump useful in dispensing fluid onto wafers during a semiconductor manufacturing process. One embodiment of a fitting assembly comprises an o-ring-less low profile fitting and a low profile male threaded locking nut. A manifold of the pump is machined with a female threaded hole for receiving the fitting and the locking nut. The fitting has higher compressibility than the manifold. Initially, as one end of the fitting touches the bottom of the receiving hole, there is a small gap between the end of the fitting and the bottom of the receiving hole. As the fitting is pressed down, the end of the fitting that touches the bottom of the receiving hole begins to deform and fill the small gap, thus creating a tight seal between the fitting and the manifold.

Claims

1. An o-ring-less low profile fitting assembly, comprising:

an o-ring-less low profile fitting having a first end and a second end, wherein said first end of said o-ring-less low profile fitting has a rim, wherein said rim is deformable, wherein said o-ring-less low profile fitting is made of a single piece of material; and

a low profile locking nut pressing down said o-ring-less low profile fitting into a recess area inside a receiving hole machined out of a manifold and deforming said rim of said first end to complete a seal between said o-ring-less low profile fitting and said manifold, wherein said first end of said o-ring-less low profile fitting is structured to mate with said recess area inside said receiving hole, wherein said manifold is made of a first material, wherein said o-ring-less low profile fitting is made of a second material, wherein said second material has higher compressibility than said first material, wherein said low profile locking nut has a first end, a second end, and a male threaded portion, and wherein said male threaded portion of said low profile locking nut is structured to mate with a female threaded portion of said receiving hole.

2. The o-ring-less low profile fitting assembly of claim 1, wherein said first end of said o-ring-less low profile fitting has a fitting seal surface structured to mate with a receiving seal surface of said receiving hole.

3. The o-ring-less low profile fitting assembly of claim 2, wherein said o-ring-less low profile fitting further comprises a thru hole, wherein said fitting seal surface is defined by a first diameter of said rim and a second diameter of said thru hole and wherein said fitting seal surface slopes from said rim to said thru hole.

4. The o-ring-less low profile fitting assembly of claim 3, wherein said fitting seal surface has a plurality of points interfacing said thru hole and wherein said plurality of points are structured to touch said manifold before a portion of said rim touches said manifold.

5. The o-ring-less low profile fitting assembly of claim 1, wherein said second end of said o-ring-less low profile fitting is structured for receiving or fitting into a tubular connection.

6. The o-ring-less low profile fitting assembly of claim 5, wherein said tubular connection is a fluid connection or a filter connection.

7. The o-ring-less low profile fitting assembly of claim 1, wherein said o-ring-less low profile fitting has a first protuberance and a second protuberance.

8. The o-ring-less low profile fitting assembly of claim 7, wherein a difference between diameters of said first protuberance and said second protuberance allows said low profile locking nut to slide over said second protuberance and be stopped by said first protuberance.

9. The o-ring-less low profile fitting assembly of claim 1, wherein said first end of said low profile locking nut has a flat surface with one or more holes.

10. The o-ring-less low profile fitting assembly of claim 1, wherein said second end of said low profile locking nut has two different inner diameters and a stopper inside said second end, and wherein said stopper is defined by said two different inner diameters for catching a protuberance of said o-ring-less low profile fitting.

11. An o-ring-less low profile fitting, comprising:

a thru hole;

a first end having

a rim having a first inner diameter, wherein said rim is deformable and wherein said thru hole has a second inner diameter;

a fitting seal surface defined by said first inner diameter of said rim and said second diameter of said thru hole, wherein said fitting seal surface slopes from said rim to said thru hole; and

a first protuberance supporting said fitting seal surface and having a first outer diameter;

a second protuberance supporting said second end and having a second outer diameter, wherein said second outer diameter is structured to pass through a bore of a low profile locking nut and wherein said first-protuberance is structured to abut a portion of said low profile locking nut.

12. The o-ring-less low profile fitting of claim 11, wherein said rim has a higher compressibility than said low profile locking nut.

13. The o-ring-less low profile fitting of claim 11, wherein said first end is structured to mate with a bottom portion of a receiving hole machined out of a manifold having a lower compressibility than said o-ring-less low profile fitting.

14. The o-ring-less low profile fitting of claim 13, wherein said fitting seal surface is structured to mate with a receiving seal surface inside said receiving hole, and wherein pressing down said fitting seal surface of said o-ring-less low profile fitting causes the fitting seal surface to mate with said receiving seal surface inside said receiving hole and deforms said rim of said first end to fill gaps at said bottom portion of said receiving hole and completes a seal between said o-ring-less low profile fitting and said manifold.

15. The o-ring-less low profile fitting of claim 14, wherein said fitting seal surface has a plurality of points interfacing said thru hole and wherein said plurality of points are structured to touch said manifold before a portion of said rim touches said manifold.

16. The o-ring-less low profile fitting of claim 13, wherein said second end is structured for receiving or fitting into a tubular connection.

17. The o-ring-less low profile fitting of claim 16, wherein said tubular connection is a fluid connection or a filter connection.

18. The o-ring-less low profile fitting of claim 13, wherein said o-ring-less low profile fitting is made of a single piece of material.