阅读说明：本技术 真空泵装置 (Vacuum pump device ) 是由 长山真己 于 2019-12-24 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提供一种真空泵装置,能够减小真空泵的设置空间并且能够可靠地重启。真空泵装置(1)具备：彼此相对配置并且是罗茨转子或者爪式转子的一对泵转子；固定有一对泵转子并且沿铅垂方向延伸的一对轴(8)；使一对泵转子旋转的电动机(10)；固定于一对轴(8)并且彼此啮合的一对定时齿轮(25)；配置于一对泵转子的上方的固定侧轴承；以及支承轴(8)的自由侧轴承。(The invention provides a vacuum pump device, which can reduce the installation space of a vacuum pump and can be reliably restarted. A vacuum pump device (1) is provided with: a pair of pump rotors disposed opposite to each other and being roots rotors or claw rotors; a pair of shafts (8) to which a pair of pump rotors are fixed and which extend in the vertical direction; a motor (10) for rotating the pair of pump rotors; a pair of timing gears (25) fixed to a pair of shafts (8) and meshed with each other; a fixed-side bearing disposed above the pair of pump rotors; and a free-side bearing supporting the shaft (8).)

1. A vacuum pump device is characterized by comprising:

a pair of pump rotors that are disposed opposite to each other and are roots rotors or claw rotors;

a pair of shafts to which the pair of pump rotors are fixed and which extend in the vertical direction;

a motor that rotates the pair of pump rotors;

a pair of timing gears fixed to the pair of shafts and engaged with each other;

a fixed-side bearing disposed above the pair of pump rotors; and

a free side bearing that supports the shaft together with the fixed side bearing.

2. Vacuum pumping apparatus as defined in claim 1,

the motor is disposed above the pair of pump rotors.

3. Vacuum pumping apparatus as defined in claim 1 or 2,

the vacuum pump device is provided with an operation control device electrically connected with the motor,

the operation control device performs the rotation and stop operation of the pump rotor by repeating the start and stop of the motor before completely stopping the operation of the vacuum pump device.

4. Vacuum pumping apparatus as defined in claim 3,

the operation control device repeats the start and stop of the motor at predetermined time intervals.

5. Vacuum pumping apparatus as defined in claim 3,

the vacuum pump device is provided with:

a pump housing that houses the pair of pump rotors; and

a temperature sensor mounted to an outer surface of the pump housing,

the operation control device repeats the start and stop of the motor based on a change in the temperature of the pump housing measured by the temperature sensor.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a vacuum pump apparatus.

Background

A vacuum pump (for example, a vacuum pump for exhaust of a process exhaust gas, a high exhaust speed vacuum pump, etc.) used for semiconductor manufacturing and/or flat panel manufacturing of organic E L, liquid crystal, etc. is known.

Disclosure of Invention

Accordingly, the present invention provides a vacuum pump apparatus capable of reducing an installation space of a vacuum pump and reliably restarting the vacuum pump.

In one aspect, there is provided a vacuum pump device including: a pair of pump rotors that are disposed opposite to each other and are roots rotors (japanese: ルーツロータ) or claw rotors (japanese: クローロータ); a pair of shafts to which the pair of pump rotors are fixed and which extend in the vertical direction; a motor that rotates the pair of pump rotors; a pair of timing gears fixed to the pair of shafts and meshed with each other; a fixed-side bearing disposed above the pair of pump rotors; and a free side bearing supporting the shaft together with the fixed side bearing.

In one aspect, the motor is disposed above the pair of pump rotors.

In one aspect, the vacuum pump apparatus includes an operation control device electrically connected to the motor, and the operation control device executes the rotation and stop operation of the pump rotor by repeating the start and stop of the motor before completely stopping the operation of the vacuum pump apparatus.

In one aspect, the operation control device repeats the start and stop of the motor at predetermined time intervals.

In one aspect, the present invention includes: a pump housing that houses the pair of pump rotors; and a temperature sensor attached to an outer surface of the pump housing, wherein the operation control device repeats the start and stop of the motor based on a temperature change of the pump housing measured by the temperature sensor.

When the operation of the vacuum pump apparatus arranged vertically is stopped, the shaft contracts upward with reference to the fixed-side bearing arranged above the pump rotor due to the temperature drop. Therefore, the lateral gap between the lower surface of the pump rotor and the pump housing is increased, and the pump rotor does not crush the solid. As a result, the restart of the vacuum pump apparatus is not hindered.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of a vacuum pump apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of a bearing device.

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the lubricating oil circulating inside the bearing device.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the rotating cylinder.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the rotating cylinder.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the tray.

Fig. 7 (a) and 7 (b) are diagrams showing the contact seal.

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the vacuum pump apparatus.

Fig. 9 (a) and 9 (b) are diagrams for explaining problems that may occur in the vacuum pump apparatus that is vertically arranged.

Fig. 10 (a) and 10(b) are diagrams for explaining the effect of the vacuum pump device in the embodiment shown in fig. 8.

Description of the symbols

1 vacuum pump device

2 air inlet

4 exhaust port

5 Pump case

6a, 6b, 6c, 6d pump rotor

8-shaft

10 rotor

12 operation control device

13 Bearings (free side bearing)

15 bearing device

20. 21 bearing (fixed side bearing)

25 timing gear

26 Gear cover

30 motor rotor

31 motor stator

32 motor frame

35 gas flow path

40 bearing shell

41 shim

42 fastener

43 sealing member

45 rotating cylinder

45a outer peripheral surface

45b upper end

45c lower end

46 bearing shell

50 side cover

50a through hole

51 housing part

51a upper end wall

52 bearing support member

52a flow hole

55 piston ring

56 inner peripheral wall

57 outer peripheral wall

58 bottom wall

59 through hole

60 bending part

61 taper part

64 casing main body

65 tray

65a through hole

66 inner annular projection

67 outer annular projection

68 connection site

70 slope

70a upper end

70b lower end

70c lifting surface

71 inner cylindrical part

72 outer cylindrical part

73 annular ring part

74 pressure regulating hole

75 inner downward rib

75a lower end

76 middle lateral lower rib

76a lower end

77 outer downward rib

77a lower end

80 inner side upward rib

80a passing part

81 outer side upward rib

81a passage part

85. 86 contact seal

90 water cooling jacket

100 bearing support member

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings to be described below, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description thereof is omitted.

Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of a vacuum pump apparatus 1, and as shown in fig. 1, the vacuum pump apparatus 1 is a vertical vacuum pump apparatus arranged in an upright posture, in the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the vacuum pump apparatus 1 is placed on a floor F L, the vacuum pump apparatus 1 is a pump apparatus that rotates at a high speed, and the vacuum pump apparatus 1 is arranged vertically to reduce an installation space thereof.

The vacuum pump device 1 includes: a pair of pump rotors (roots rotors in the present embodiment) 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d disposed to face each other; a pair of shafts (drive shafts) 8 to which the pump rotors 6a to 6d are fixed; a pump housing 5 housing pump rotors 6a to 6 d; and a motor 10 that rotates the pump rotors 6a to 6d via the shaft 8.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the structure of the pump rotors 6a to 6d is not limited to the roots rotor. The pump rotors 6a to 6d may be claw rotors or screw rotors.

The vacuum pump apparatus 1 includes an intake port 2 for taking in gas and an exhaust port 4 for discharging gas. By the operation of the vacuum pump apparatus 1, gas is sucked into the vacuum pump apparatus 1 through the gas inlet 2 and discharged from the gas outlet 4 (see the arrow in fig. 1). The intake port 2 and the exhaust port 4 are provided in the pump housing 5.

The pump housing 5 has a gas flow path 35 formed therein. The gas compressed by the pump rotors 6a to 6d is discharged from the exhaust port 4 through the gas flow path 35.

In fig. 1, only one of the pair of pump rotors 6a to 6d is shown, and the pump rotor on the opposite side is not shown. Only one of the pair of shafts 8 is depicted, and the shaft on the opposite side is not shown. In fig. 1, the number of stages of the pump rotor is four, but the number of stages of the pump rotor is not limited to this embodiment. The number of stages of the pump rotor may be appropriately selected according to the required degree of vacuum, the exhaust flow rate, and the like. In one embodiment, a single-stage pump rotor may also be provided.

The vacuum pump apparatus 1 includes an operation control device 12 that controls the operation of the vacuum pump apparatus 1. The operation control device 12 is electrically connected to the motor 10. The operation control device 12 is configured to control the rotation and stop operations of the pump rotors 6a to 6d by driving and stopping the motor 10.

The shaft 8 extends in the vertical direction, and is rotatably supported by the bearing 13 and the bearing device 15 (more specifically, bearings 20 and 21 provided in the bearing device 15). The bearing 13 is disposed at one end portion (i.e., a lower end portion) of the shaft 8, and the bearing device 15 (more specifically, the bearings 20, 21) is disposed at the other end portion (i.e., an upper end portion) of the shaft 8.

Timing gears 25 engaged with each other are provided at one end portion of the shaft 8, and the timing gears 25 are accommodated in a gear cover 26 together with the bearing 13. In fig. 1, only one of the pair of timing gears 25 is depicted. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the timing gear 25 is disposed below the pump rotors 6a to 6 d. In one embodiment, the pump rotor may be disposed above the pump rotors 6a to 6 d.

The motor 10 includes: a motor rotor 30, the motor rotor 30 being fixed to at least one of the two shafts 8; a motor stator 31, the motor stator 31 having a stator core 31 around which coils are wound; and a motor frame 32, wherein the motor frame 32 accommodates the motor rotor 30 and the motor stator 31. The motor stator 31 is disposed so as to surround the motor rotor 30 and is fixed to an inner peripheral surface of the motor frame 32.

When the motor 10 is driven, the pair of pump rotors 6a to 6d rotate in opposite directions to each other via the timing gear 25, and the gas is sucked into the pump housing 5 through the gas inlet 2. The sucked gas is sent to the downstream side by the pump rotors 6a to 6d, and is discharged from the exhaust port 4.

The vacuum pump apparatus 1 is a pump apparatus that rotates at a high speed and is vertically arranged. Therefore, the bearing device provided to the vacuum pump device 1 also needs to be vertically arranged. However, when the vacuum pump apparatus 1 capable of operating the bearing apparatus having the general configuration at high speed is adopted as it is, there is a risk that the lubricating oil for lubricating and cooling the respective bearings 20, 21 cannot be sufficiently supplied to the bearings 20, 21. In this case, the functions of the bearings 20 and 21 cannot be sufficiently exhibited. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the vacuum pump apparatus 1 includes the bearing device 15, and the bearing device 15 has a structure capable of sufficiently exhibiting the functions of the bearings 20 and 21. The structure of the bearing device 15 will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the bearing device 15. The bearing device 15 is an oil circulation type bearing device in which lubricating oil circulates inside the bearing device 15. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the lubricating oil circulating inside the bearing device 15. In fig. 3, the reference numerals are omitted to make the drawings easy to see. In fig. 3, the flow of the lubricating oil is indicated by arrows.

As shown in fig. 2, the bearing device 15 includes: bearings 20 and 21 for supporting the shaft 8 extending in the vertical direction; a bearing housing 40 for housing the bearings 20 and 21; a rotating cylinder 45 fixable to the shaft 8; and a bearing housing 46 that houses the bearings 20 and 21, the bearing housing 40, and the rotating cylinder 45.

The bearings 20 and 21 are arranged in series in the vertical direction. The bearings 20, 21 are bearings that receive axial and radial loads of the shaft 8. The bearing housing 40 accommodates the bearings 20 and 21, and is disposed concentrically with the shaft 8 and the bearings 20 and 21. In the present embodiment, two bearings 20 and 21 are provided, but the number of bearings is not limited to the present embodiment. In an embodiment, a single bearing may also be provided. In one embodiment, a free-side bearing that receives only radial loads may be provided.

A spacer 41 attached to the shaft 8 and a fixing member (for example, a shaft nut) 42 fixed to the shaft 8 via the spacer 41 are disposed above the bearing 20, the spacer 41 and the fixing member 42 receive an axial load (a load in the axial direction C L of the shaft 8) acting on the bearings 20 and 21, more specifically, the spacer 41 is in close contact with an inner ring of the bearing 20, the fixing member 42 restricts the movement of the bearing 20 in the axial direction C L via the spacer 41,

the rotating cylinder 45 is disposed below the bearing 21 (in other words, the bearing housing 40), and the rotating cylinder 45 is in close contact with the inner ring of the bearing 21 and restricts the movement of the bearing 21 in the axial direction C L.

A seal member 43 fixed to the shaft 8 is disposed above the fixing member 42. The seal member 43 prevents the lubricant oil disposed in the bearing housing 46 from leaking to the outside. The lubricating oil is a liquid for lubricating and cooling the bearings 20, 21.

The bearing housing 46 includes: a side cover 50 connected to the pump housing 5 and storing lubricating oil, a case member 51 disposed above the side cover 50 and constituting an upper end portion of the bearing device 15, and a bearing support member 52 disposed between the side cover 50 and the case member 51. The bearing support member 52 is sandwiched between the side cover 50 and the housing member 51.

The side cover 50 has a through hole 50a in the center thereof through which the shaft 8 passes, and two piston rings 55 are disposed between the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 8 and the through hole 50 a. The piston rings 55 are attached to the shaft 8, respectively, and are arranged in series in the vertical direction to prevent leakage of the lubricating oil to the outside.

The side cover 50 includes: an annular inner peripheral wall 56 disposed adjacent to the shaft 8, an annular outer peripheral wall 57 disposed radially outward of the inner peripheral wall 56, and a bottom wall 58 disposed between the inner peripheral wall 56 and the outer peripheral wall 57. The lubricating oil is retained by the inner circumferential wall 56, the outer circumferential wall 57, and the bottom wall 58.

The water jacket 90 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the bearing housing 46, more specifically, the outer peripheral wall 57 of the side cover 50 (see fig. 1 and 2). The water jacket 90 has a structure in which cooling water circulates, and the lubricating oil held by the side cover 50 is cooled by the side cover 50.

The bottom wall 58 has a communication hole 59, and the communication hole 59 communicates with a space between the upper piston ring 55 and the lower piston ring 55. The communication hole 59 is for supplying a shaft sealing gas (e.g., N) to a space between the upper piston ring 55 and the lower piston ring 55₂Inert gases such as gases).

The inner peripheral wall 56 is connected to the through hole 50a, and the upper end of the inner peripheral wall 56 is disposed at a position higher than the liquid surface of the lubricating oil held by the side cover 50. With the above configuration, the lubricating oil is suppressed from leaking to the outside by overflowing from the inner peripheral wall 56.

When the shaft 8 rotates, the rotating cylinder 45 fixed to the shaft 8 also rotates together with the shaft 8, and the lubricating oil held by the side cover 50 is lifted up above the side cover 50 by the rotating cylinder 45 (see fig. 3). Hereinafter, the structure of the rotating cylinder 45 will be described with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the rotating cylinder 45. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the rotating cylinder 45. In fig. 5, the water jacket 90 is not shown. As shown in fig. 4 and 5, the rotating cylinder 45 includes two slopes 70 formed on an outer peripheral surface 45a thereof. In fig. 4, only one ramp 70 is depicted.

The two ramps 70 are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the rotating cylinder 45. The slope 70 is disposed in a gap between the outer peripheral surface 45a of the rotating cylinder 45 and the inner surface of the outer peripheral wall 57. In the present embodiment, two ramps 70 are provided, but the number of ramps 70 is not limited to the present embodiment. In one embodiment, more than three ramps 70 may be provided. Even in this case, the plurality of ramps 70 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the rotating cylinder 45.

The rotating cylinder 45 includes: an inner cylindrical portion 71 fixable to the shaft 8, an outer cylindrical portion 72 disposed outside the inner cylindrical portion 71, and an annular ring portion 73 connecting the inner cylindrical portion 71 and the outer cylindrical portion 72. The inner cylinder portion 71 and the outer cylinder portion 72 are arranged concentrically with the shaft 8.

The inner cylinder portion 71 is disposed below the bearing 21, and the outer cylinder portion 72 is disposed radially outward of the bearing 21. The height of the outer cylindrical portion 72 is higher than that of the inner cylindrical portion 71. In the present embodiment, the inner cylindrical portion 71, the outer cylindrical portion 72, and the annular ring portion 73 are integrally molded members.

The outer peripheral surface 45a of the rotating cylinder 45 corresponds to the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion 72. Therefore, the slope 70 may be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion 72.

In the present embodiment, the upper end portion 70a of the slope 70 is connected to the upper end portion 45b of the rotating cylinder 45, and the lower end portion 70b of the slope 70 is connected to the lower end 45C of the rotating cylinder 45. a lift surface 70C is formed between the upper end portion 70a and the lower end portion 70b of the slope 70. the slope 70 has a curved shape extending obliquely downward from the upper end portion 70a (i.e., the upper end 45b) toward the lower end portion 70b (i.e., the lower end 45C) in the rotation direction of the rotating cylinder 45, in other words, the slope 70 is inclined with respect to the axial direction C L.

When the rotating cylinder 45 rotates together with the shaft 8, the ramp 70 rotates around the center of the shaft 8. When the ramp 70 rotates, the lifting surface 70c advances in the rotating direction of the rotating cylinder 45, and lifts the lubricating oil stored in the side cover 50. The lifted lubricating oil moves obliquely upward in the annular gap between the outer peripheral surface 45a of the rotating cylinder 45 and the outer peripheral wall 57.

As shown in fig. 2, the upper end of the outer peripheral wall 57 of the side cover 50 is disposed at a position higher than the rotating cylinder 45 fixed to the shaft 8, the bearing support member 52 extends in the horizontal direction and is connected to the upper end of the outer peripheral wall 57, the bearing support member 52 supports the bearing housing 40, and receives a radial load (a load in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction C L of the shaft 8) and an axial load (a load in a direction parallel to the axial direction C L of the shaft 8) acting on the bearings 20 and 21 via the bearing housing 40.

The bearing support member 52 has two flow holes 52a through which the lubricating oil lifted by the ramp 70 passes. The two flow holes 52a are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the bearing support member 52. In the present embodiment, two flow holes 52a are provided, but the number of flow holes 52a is not limited to the present embodiment.

The housing member 51 is connected to the bearing support member 52. The lubricating oil lifted by the rotating cylinder 45 reaches the case member 51 through the flow hole 52a of the bearing support member 52. The lubricating oil that has reached the housing member 51 collides with the upper end wall 51a of the housing member 51, the direction of the lubricating oil is switched, and the lubricating oil is guided to the bearings 20, 21.

The upper end wall 51a of the case member 51 is disposed above the rotating cylinder 45 and the bearings 20 and 21, and has a tapered shape that smoothly guides the lubricating oil to the bearings 20 and 21. More specifically, the upper end wall 51a has a curved portion 60 formed on an inner surface thereof and a tapered portion 61 connected to the curved portion 60. The tapered portion 61 is a projection extending from the upper end wall 51a toward the bearing housing 40, and is disposed adjacent to the seal member 43.

The tapered portion 61 has a tapered shape in which the cross-sectional area of the tapered portion 61 gradually decreases from the bent portion 60 toward the bearing housing 40, and the lowermost end of the tapered portion 61 is disposed above the bearing housing 40. The upper end wall 51a smoothly changes the direction of the lubricating oil after collision with the upper end wall 51a, and the lubricating oil is guided to the bearings 20 and 21 (see fig. 3).

The bearing housing 40 includes a housing main body 64 and a tray 65 disposed at an upper end of the housing main body 64. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the tray 65. The tray 65 receives the lubricating oil after the direction is switched by the collision with the upper end wall 51a, and guides the lubricating oil to the bearings 20, 21. The tray 65 has: a through hole 65a formed in the center thereof; an inner annular projection 66 connected to the through hole 65 a; an outer annular projection 67 disposed outside the inner annular projection 66; and a connecting portion 68 connecting the inner annular projection 66 and the outer annular projection 67.

The inner annular projection 66 and the outer annular projection 67 are disposed concentrically with the shaft 8. The inner annular projection 66 extends downward from the connection portion 68, i.e., toward the bearing 20, while the outer annular projection 67 extends upward from the connection portion 68, i.e., toward the upper end wall 51 a.

The inner annular projection 66 is in close contact with the outer ring of the bearing 20 and restricts the movement of the bearing 20 in the axial direction C L the housing main body 64 of the bearing housing 40 is in close contact with the outer ring of the bearing 21 and restricts the movement of the bearing 21 in the axial direction C L (see fig. 2).

As described above, the bearings 20 and 21 are fixed-side bearings in which the movement of the bearings 20 and 21 in the axial direction C L is restricted by the stator 42, the bearing housing 40, and the rotating cylinder 45, the bearing 13 disposed on the opposite side of the bearings 20 and 21 with the pump rotors 6a to 6d interposed therebetween is a free-side bearing movable in the axial direction C L, the bearings 20 and 21 as fixed-side bearings are disposed above the pump rotors 6a to 6d, and the bearing 13 as free-side bearing is disposed below the pump rotors 6a to 6 d.

The outer annular projection 67 is disposed farther from the shaft 8 than the tapered portion 61 of the upper end wall 51a (see fig. 2). Therefore, the outer annular projection 67 can prevent the lubricant oil dropped from the tapered portion 61 onto the tray 65 from flowing to the outside of the tray 65. The lubricating oil dropped onto the tray 65 contacts the bearings 20 and 21 through the gap between the through hole 65a and the spacer 41, and as a result, lubricates and cools the bearings 20 and 21.

The lubricating oil that has contacted the bearings 20 and 21 drops onto the rotating cylinder 45 through the bearings 20 and 21 (see fig. 3). More specifically, the lubricating oil is held by the inner cylinder portion 71, the outer cylinder portion 72, and the annular ring portion 73.

The centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the rotating cylinder 45 acts on the lubricating oil held by the rotating cylinder 45. The lubricating oil flows into the annular gap between the outer peripheral surface 45a of the rotating cylinder 45 and the outer peripheral wall 57 through the gap between the outer case main body 64 and the outer cylindrical portion 72. Thereafter, the lubricating oil is lifted up again by the ramp 70.

In this way, a circulating flow of the lubricating oil (i.e., an upward flow and a downward flow of the lubricating oil) can be formed inside the bearing device 15. The circulated lubricating oil can come into contact with the bearings 20, 21, thereby lubricating and cooling the bearings 20, 21. As a result, the functions of the bearings 20 and 21 can be fully exhibited.

As shown in fig. 2 and 5, the rotating cylinder 45 is disposed to surround a part of the bearing 21. The upper end of the outer cylindrical portion 72 is disposed higher than the lower end of the rolling elements 21a of the bearing 21. Preferably, the upper end of the outer cylindrical portion 72 is disposed at the same position as the center of the rolling element 21 a. With the above configuration, when the operation of the vacuum pump apparatus 1 is stopped, the rolling elements 21a of the bearing 21 are always in contact with the lubricating oil held by the rotating cylinder 45. Therefore, the vacuum pump apparatus 1 can resume the operation of the vacuum pump apparatus 1 without putting the bearing 21 in a non-lubricated state.

The effect of the bearing device 15 having the structure forming the circulating flow of the lubricating oil will be described. A structure may be considered in which the vacuum pump device is operated in a state in which the bearing is always immersed in the lubricating oil. However, in the case of the above-described configuration, since the bearing rotates in the lubricating oil during the operation of the vacuum pump device, the temperature rise of the bearing is increased by the stirring heat of the lubricating oil, and the bearing may be damaged. Therefore, it is not desirable to employ a high speed (e.g., 4000 min)^-1) A rotary vacuum pump apparatus 1.

According to the present embodiment, the bearing device 15 is configured to circulate the lubricating oil through the slope 70. Therefore, the bearings 20, 21 are lubricated and cooled by the lubricating oil without being affected by the stirring heat of the lubricating oil. As a result, the functions of the bearings 20 and 21 can be fully exhibited.

According to the present embodiment, the vacuum pump device 1 includes the bearing device 15, and the bearing device 15 can bring the lubricating oil into reliable contact with the bearings 20 and 21, thereby sufficiently exhibiting the functions of the bearings 20 and 21. Therefore, the vacuum pump apparatus 1 in the vertical arrangement can be operated without problems. As a result, the installation space of the vacuum pump apparatus 1 can be reduced, and the operation of the vacuum pump apparatus 1 at a high exhaust speed can be realized.

Since the vacuum pump apparatus 1 is vertically arranged, gravity acts on the lubricating oil in the bearing apparatus 15. Further, when the flow rate of the gas flowing from the processing chamber side changes or stops while the vacuum pump apparatus 1 is operating, the pressure in the pump chamber also changes, so that a pressure difference is generated between the pump chamber and the pressure in the bearing chamber, and the gas moves from the side of high pressure to the side of low pressure between the pump chamber and the pressure in the bearing chamber. In particular, in a state where a large flow rate of gas is discharged and the pump chamber internal pressure and the bearing chamber internal pressure become high, when the inflow of gas from the processing chamber side is stopped at a burst, the pump chamber internal pressure is lowered at a burst, and a large pressure difference is generated between the pump chamber side and the bearing chamber side, so that the large flow rate of gas flows from the bearing chamber side to the pump chamber side, and there is a possibility that lubricating oil (mist lubricating oil and liquid lubricating oil) leaks to the outside (the pump chamber side) due to the flow.

When the lubricant oil leaks, the amount of lubricant oil in the bearing device 15 decreases, and therefore the amount of lubricant oil supplied to the bearings 20 and 21 decreases, which may cause not only damage to the bearings but also contamination of the wafer by returning the leaked lubricant oil to the processing chamber side via the pump chamber. Therefore, the bearing device 15 has a structure capable of reliably preventing leakage of the lubricating oil.

As shown in fig. 5, the rotating cylinder 45 includes a plurality of downward ribs 75, 76, 77 extending from the lower surface thereof toward (i.e., below) the bottom wall 58 of the side cover 50. The downward ribs 75, 76, and 77 each have a cylindrical shape and are disposed concentrically with the shaft 8. Hereinafter, in this specification, the downward rib 75 is sometimes referred to as an inner downward rib 75, the downward rib 76 is sometimes referred to as an intermediate downward rib 76, and the downward rib 77 is sometimes referred to as an outer downward rib 77.

The inner downward rib 75 and the intermediate downward rib 76 extend downward from the lower surface of the annular ring portion 73, and the outer downward rib 77 extends downward from the lower surface of the outer cylindrical portion 72.

The side cover 50 includes a plurality of upward ribs 80, 81 extending from the bottom wall 58 toward the lower surface (i.e., upward) of the rotating cylinder 45. The upward ribs 80, 81 each have a cylindrical shape and are disposed concentrically with the shaft 8. Hereinafter, in this specification, the upward rib 80 may be referred to as an inner upward rib 80, and the upward rib 81 may be referred to as an outer upward rib 81.

The inner side upper rib 80 has a passage portion (i.e., oil passage portion) 80a that allows the lubricating oil to pass through. In the present embodiment, two passage portions 80a are provided, but the number of passage portions 80a is not limited to the present embodiment. Further, the outer upward rib 81 is also formed with a passing portion (i.e., oil passing portion) 81a that allows the lubricating oil to pass through. In the present embodiment, two passage portions 81a are provided, but the number of passage portions 81a is not limited to the present embodiment. The lubricating oil can pass through the passage portion 80a and the passage portion 81 a. The passing portion 80a is a hole for making the height of the liquid surface of the lubricating oil present between the inner circumferential wall 56 and the inner upward rib 80 and the height of the liquid surface of the lubricating oil present between the inner upward rib 80 and the outer upward rib 81 the same. Further, the passing portion 81a is a hole for making the height of the liquid surface of the lubricating oil present between the inner upward rib 80 and the outer upward rib 81 and the height of the liquid surface of the lubricating oil present between the outer upward rib 81 and the outer downward rib 77 of the rotating cylinder 45 the same.

The passing portion 80a is a return flow path that returns the lubricating oil that has passed through the gap between the inner upward rib 80 and the inner downward rib 75 to the space between the inner upward rib 80 and the outer upward rib 81. In one embodiment, the passing portion 80a may be a hole formed in a lower portion of the inner upward rib 80. In another embodiment, the passing portion 80a may be a notch formed at the lower end of the inner upward rib 80. The passage portion 81a is a return flow path for returning the lubricating oil to a space between the outer peripheral surface 45a of the rotating cylinder 45 and the inner surface of the bearing housing 46 in order to lubricate the bearing bearings 20 and 21 with the lubricating oil that has passed through the pressure adjusting hole 74 and the lubricating oil returned from the passage portion 80a, which will be described later. In one embodiment, the passing portion 81a may be a hole formed in a lower portion of the outer upward rib 81. In another embodiment, the passing portion 81a may be a notch formed at the lower end of the outer upward rib 81.

In the present embodiment, the outer downward rib 77 extends below the inner downward rib 75 and the intermediate downward rib 76. The lower end 75a of the inner downward rib 75 and the lower end 76a of the intermediate downward rib 76 are disposed at the same height. The lower end 75a of the inner downward rib 75 and the lower end 76a of the intermediate downward rib 76 are disposed above the lubricating oil held by the side cover 50, and the lower end 77a of the outer downward rib 77 is immersed in the lubricating oil held by the side cover 50. The lower end 45c of the rotating cylinder 45 corresponds to the lower end 77a of the outer downward rib 77.

The rotating cylinder 45 has a pressure adjusting hole 74, and the pressure adjusting hole 74 is formed in the outer cylinder portion 72 and extends in the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, two pressure adjustment holes 74 are provided, but the number of pressure adjustment holes 74 is not limited to the present embodiment. In one embodiment, a pressure adjustment orifice 74 may also be provided.

As described above, the lower end 77a of the outer downward rib 77 is immersed in the lubricating oil. Therefore, in the case where the pressure adjustment hole 74 is not provided, the passage of gas is cut off by the lubricating oil between the space above the rotating cylinder 45 (the first space SP1) and the space below the rotating cylinder 45, in other words, between the space above the rotating cylinder 45 (the first space SP1) and the space surrounded by the outer downward rib 77 (the second space SP 2). Therefore, for example, when the vacuum pump apparatus 1 is stopped, the first space SP1 and the second space SP2 are both at atmospheric pressure, but when the vacuum pump apparatus 1 is started, the pressure on the pump chamber side becomes low, and therefore although the pressure of the second space SP2 becomes low, the pressure of the first space SP1 is maintained at atmospheric pressure, and thus a pressure difference is generated between the two. As a result, the gas in the first space SP1 expands and presses the liquid surface of the lubricating oil between the outer peripheral surface 45a of the rotating cylinder 45 and the inner surface of the bearing housing 46, so that the liquid surface of the lubricating oil in the second space SP2 rises and the lubricating oil may overflow the inner peripheral wall 56. In the present embodiment, since the first space SP1 and the second space SP2 can be communicated by providing the pressure adjusting hole 74, the pressure of the first space SP1 and the pressure of the second space SP2 are always the same. Therefore, the liquid level of the lubricating oil inside the outer downward rib 77 is prevented from rising.

The inner downward rib 75 is disposed radially outward of the inner circumferential wall 56. The inner upward rib 80 is disposed radially outward of the inner downward rib 75. The medial downward rib 76 is disposed radially outward of the medial upward rib 80. The outer upward rib 81 is disposed radially outward of the intermediate downward rib 76. The outer downward rib 77 is disposed radially outward of the outer upward rib 81.

As such, the downward ribs 75, 76, 77 and the upward ribs 80, 81 are alternately arranged and have a labyrinth configuration. More specifically, an inner downward rib 75, an inner upward rib 80, a middle downward rib 76, an outer upward rib 81, and an outer downward rib 77 are arranged in this order from the inner circumferential wall 56 toward the outer circumferential wall 57.

When a pressure difference (the pressure of the space in the bearing housing 46 is higher than the pressure of the space in the pump housing 5) is generated between the space in the bearing housing 46 and the space in the pump housing 5 immediately after the vacuum pump apparatus 1 discharges the process exhaust gas or the like, the gas in the space in the bearing housing 46 travels in the labyrinth structure portion in a zigzag manner toward the pump housing 5, but the lubricating oil (the atomized lubricating oil and the liquid lubricating oil) accompanying the flow of the gas is separated from the flow of the gas by the zigzag travel path formed between the downward ribs 75, 76, 77 and the upward ribs 80, 81 due to its own weight, and the lubricating oil is cut off from traveling toward the pump housing 5. Therefore, the bearing device 15 can reliably prevent leakage of the lubricating oil into the pump housing 5.

Fig. 7 (a) and 7 (b) are diagrams showing the contact seal. As shown in fig. 7 (a), in order to more reliably prevent the leakage of the lubricating oil, a contact seal (first contact seal) 85 may be disposed between the inner downward rib 75 of the rotating cylinder 45 and the inner peripheral wall 56 of the side cover 50. As shown in fig. 7 (b), a contact seal (second contact seal) 86 may be disposed between the shaft 8 and the inner circumferential wall 56 of the side cover 50. Although not shown, the bearing device 15 may also be provided with both contact seals 85, 86. As the contact seals 85 and 86, known contact seals can be used.

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the vacuum pump apparatus 1. The configuration of the present embodiment, which is not particularly described, is the same as the above-described embodiment, and therefore, redundant description thereof is omitted.

As shown in fig. 8, the bearings 20 and 21 are supported by a bearing support member 100 that supports the bearings 20 and 21, and in the embodiment shown in fig. 8, the bearing support member 100 supports the bearings 20 and 21 to restrict the movement of the bearings 20 and 21 in the axial direction C L, and therefore, in the embodiment shown in fig. 8, the bearings 20 and 21 are also fixed-side bearings, and the bearing 13 disposed on the opposite side of the bearings 20 and 21 with the pump rotors 6a to 6d interposed therebetween is a free-side bearing, and further, the vacuum pump apparatus 1 of the embodiment shown in fig. 8 may be provided with a bearing apparatus 15 having the structure shown in fig. 1 to 7.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 8, the bearings 20 and 21 as the fixed-side bearings are disposed above the pump rotors 6a to 6d (more specifically, the uppermost pump rotor 6a of the pump rotors 6a to 6 d). In the embodiment shown in fig. 8, the bearing 13 as the free side bearing is disposed below the bearings 20 and 21 as the fixed side bearings, more specifically, below the pump rotors 6a to 6 d. In one embodiment, the shaft 13 may be disposed above the pump rotors 6a to 6 d. The bearing 13 may be disposed inside the bearing device 15. In one embodiment, the timing gear 25 may be disposed above the pump rotors 6a to 6 d.

The timing gear 25, the bearing 13, the pump rotors 6a to 6d, the bearing device 15, and the motor 10 are disposed in series along the axial direction C L of the shaft 8 in the vertical direction, in the embodiment shown in fig. 8, the pump rotors 6a to 6d are roots rotors or claw rotors, and therefore, the vacuum pump apparatus 1 is a roots-type pump apparatus in which the exhaust system is a roots-type or a claw-type pump apparatus in which the exhaust system is a claw type, and in an embodiment, a hybrid pump apparatus in which at least one stage of the pump rotors is a roots rotor or a claw rotor may be used.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 8, the motor 10 is disposed above the bearing device 15 (more specifically, the bearings 20, 21). With this arrangement, the center of gravity of the pump rotors 6a to 6d and the pump housing 5, which are heavy objects among the components of the vacuum pump apparatus 1, can be reduced. Therefore, the stability of the installation of the vacuum pump apparatus 1 during movement and operation of the vacuum pump apparatus 1 can be improved, and toppling of the vacuum pump apparatus 1 can be prevented.

When the roots type or the claw type is adopted as the exhaust system, the clearance between the pump housing 5 and each of the pump rotors 6a to 6d is extremely small in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction C L of the shaft 8, and by forming such a small clearance, the backflow of the discharged process exhaust gas can be suppressed, and the exhaust performance of the vacuum pump apparatus 1 can be maintained.

Fig. 9 (a) and 9 (b) are diagrams for explaining problems that may occur in the vacuum pump apparatus that is vertically arranged. In fig. 9 (a) and 9 (b), the pump rotor 6 and the pump housing 5 are depicted, and the lateral clearance between the pump rotor 6 and the pump housing 5 is exaggeratedly depicted. The free-side bearing B1 is disposed above the pump rotor 6, and the fixed-side bearing B2 is disposed below the pump rotor 6. The vacuum pump apparatus in fig. 9 (a) and 9 (b) is an apparatus for explaining the above-described problem, and has a structure different from that of the vacuum pump apparatus 1 of the present embodiment.

During the operation of the vacuum pump apparatus, the shaft 8 expands upward with reference to the fixed-side bearing B2 due to the temperature rise thereof, but since the temperature of the pump rotor 6 becomes higher than the temperature of the pump housing 5, the lower gap becomes wider and the upper gap becomes narrower with respect to the lateral gap between the pump rotor 6 fixed to the shaft 8 and the pump housing 5. When the process off-gas is discharged in the above state, the discharged gas is solidified due to its sublimability, and therefore the solid matter (see black circles in fig. 9 (a) and 9 (b)) is also deposited/accumulated in the lateral gap portion. However, the solid matter is accumulated in a large amount in the lateral gap between the lower surface of the pump rotor 6 and the pump housing 5 due to its own weight.

As shown in fig. 9 (B), when the operation of the vacuum pump apparatus is stopped for maintenance of the vacuum pump apparatus, maintenance of the exhaust gas treatment apparatus on the downstream side of the vacuum pump apparatus, or the like in the state where the solid matter is deposited, the shaft 8 contracts downward with reference to the fixed-side bearing B2 due to the temperature decrease. As a result, the lateral clearance between the lower surface of the pump rotor 6 fixed to the shaft 8 and the pump housing 5 is reduced. As a result, the pump rotor 6 is caused to compress a large amount of solid matter accumulated in the lateral gap between the lower surface of the pump rotor 6 and the pump housing 5.

Thus, the solid matter crushed by the pump rotor 6 hinders the rotation of the pump rotor 6 and increases the load resistance of the motor, and in the worst case, the vacuum pump apparatus may not be restarted.

Fig. 10 (a) and 10(b) are diagrams for explaining the effect of the vacuum pump apparatus 1 in the embodiment shown in fig. 8. When the operation of the vacuum pump apparatus 1 is stopped by disposing the bearings 20 and 21 above the pump rotor 6a, the shaft 8 contracts upward with reference to the bearings 20 and 21 as the fixed-side bearings due to the temperature decrease (see fig. 10 (b)). As a result, the lateral clearance between the pump housing 5 and the lower surfaces of the pump rotors 6a to 6d fixed to the shaft 8 is increased. Therefore, the solid matter accumulated in the lateral gap between the lower surface of each of the pump rotors 6a to 6d and the pump housing 5 is prevented from being compressed by each of the pump rotors 6a to 6 d. As a result, the restart of the vacuum pump apparatus 1 is not hindered.

When the shaft 8 is retracted upward, the lateral clearance between the pump housing 5 and the upper surface of each of the pump rotors 6a to 6d fixed to the shaft 8 is reduced. However, since the amount of solid matter accumulated in the lateral gap is small, the load resistance of the motor is increased only slightly. Therefore, the restart of the vacuum pump apparatus 1 is hardly hindered. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the bearings 20 and 21 as the fixed-side bearings are also disposed above the pump rotors 6a to 6 d. The vacuum pump apparatus 1 according to the embodiment shown in fig. 1 can obtain the same effects as those described above.

In order to reliably prevent an increase in the load resistance of the motor, the operation control device 12 may repeatedly drive and stop the motor 10 to repeatedly rotate and stop the pump rotors 6a to 6d before completely stopping the operation of the vacuum pump apparatus 1.

The operation control device 12 incorporates an operation stop control function of the vacuum pump device 1, and stores an operation stop control pattern (i.e., a sequence pattern for controlling the operation stop of the vacuum pump device 1) in which the operation start and the operation stop of the vacuum pump device 1 are repeated with the elapse of time. Therefore, when the operation stop operation of the vacuum pump device 1 is started by the operation of the operation stop control function, the operation stop control mode is executed. More specifically, the start and stop of the motor 10 are repeated at predetermined time intervals.

Since the temperature drops when the vacuum pump apparatus 1 is stopped, the shaft 8 also contracts upward, and the solid matter accumulated in the lateral gap between the upper surface of each of the pump rotors 6a to 6d and the pump housing 5 is compressed little by little, but the motor 10 is driven by the operation stop control function to rotate each of the pump rotors 6a to 6d before the compression force (to the extent that the motor 10 cannot be driven) increases, and the solid matter in contact with each of the pump rotors 6a to 6d flies outward due to the centrifugal force generated by the rotation, and therefore, the lateral gap between each of the pump rotors 6a to 6d and the pump housing 5 is eliminated. Further, the increase in load resistance of the motor 10 can be reliably prevented by repeating the following start/stop: "the temperature of the vacuum pump apparatus 1 rises due to the operation, the vacuum pump apparatus 1 is stopped before the shaft 8 extends downward, the shaft 8 contracts again, and the operation … is restarted at the time when the upper surfaces of the pump rotors 6a to 6d start to compress the solid matter.

As described above, the compression of the solid matter by the pump rotors 6a to 6d accompanying the contraction of the shaft 8 depends on the temperature decrease of the vacuum pump device 1. Therefore, in one embodiment, the vacuum pump apparatus 1 may include a temperature sensor (not shown) attached to an outer surface of the pump housing 5. The temperature sensor is electrically connected to the operation control device 12. The operation controller 12 repeats the start and stop of the motor 10 based on the temperature change of the pump housing 5 measured by the temperature sensor. With the above configuration, the vacuum pump apparatus 1 can also prevent an increase in load resistance of the motor 10 accompanying contraction of the shaft 8.

In the above-described embodiment, the multi-stage vacuum pump device including the pump rotors of the plurality of stages has been described, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described example, and a single-stage vacuum pump device including a single-stage pump rotor may be employed.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the invention to be protected, the technical idea and scope described in the specification and drawings.