JP2009063009A - Gate valve - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a compact gate valve as a whole of a gate valve, having an excellent sealing property, facilitating maintenance, and having high safety. <P>SOLUTION: The gate valve comprises a valve box body formed in a generally box-shape, an gate opening portion formed on the valve box body so as to penetrate a pair of opposite side walls, one side valve plate provided inside the valve box body and opening/closing the gate opening portion of the side wall on one side, and the other side valve plate provided inside the valve box body and opening/closing the gate opening portion on the side wall on the other side. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a gate valve used between a vacuum chamber and an external atmosphere and between vacuum chambers in a thin film forming apparatus such as a solar cell such as a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and more particularly, a plurality of gate openings. The present invention relates to a gate valve having a plurality of valve plates that open and close.

  In semiconductor manufacturing such as silicon wafers, thin film manufacturing, liquid crystal manufacturing, and the like, film forming processing of devices such as sputtering and plasma etching is performed in a high environment in a clean environment.

In these manufacturing apparatuses, for example, a vacuum gate valve is used to open and close the chambers between the vacuum chamber and the external atmosphere and between the vacuum chambers.
Recently, a gate valve having a plurality of valve plates that open and close a plurality of gate openings in order to improve productivity by performing a film formation process on a plurality of devices at a time is disclosed in Patent Document 1 ( (Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-502946).

  As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, in the gate valve 100 of this Patent Document 1, the carrier plate 102 can be moved in the vertical direction along the side wall 104 of the chamber by the drive of a drive device 116 such as a cylinder. Thus, it is guided by the roller guide 106.

The carrier plate 102 includes a plurality of packing plates (valves) 108, and is configured to open and close the gate opening 114 in the side wall 104 of the chamber by a guide pin 112 that slides in the bush 110. Yes.
JP 2002-502946

  However, in the conventional gate valve 100 as disclosed in Patent Document 1, the gate opening 114 of the side wall 104 of the chamber is opened and closed by the packing plate 108 from only one side. Insufficient to reliably close all the openings, the reaction gas in the chamber may be released to the outside and contaminate the external environment.

  Further, in the gate valve 100, the drive device 116 for driving the packing plate 108 and the drive space surrounded by the bellows 107 are located in the vacuum environment, so that the compressed air used for driving is the cylinder. There is a risk of leakage into the vacuum environment due to a failure of the sealing material or damage to the bellows 107.

Thus, in the film forming apparatus, there is a demand for a highly safe gate valve that reliably closes the opening and does not release the reaction gas in the chamber to the outside.
Therefore, the present inventor provides a valve body that closes the opening of the chamber installed on both sides, the valve plate on both sides closes the opening, and the inside of the valve box is formed to form an independent space. The gate valve was intensively studied.

  However, the conventionally known combination of gate valves inevitably has a problem in that the surface spacing, that is, the width of the gate valve becomes large, and the gate valve becomes large.

  Furthermore, in order to maintain high sealing performance with conventional gate valves, it is important to replace the sealing material provided on the valve body and to maintain the gate valve. There is a problem from the point of view of safety because it is necessary to carry out complicated work.

Therefore, it has been demanded to provide a gate valve that can replace the sealing material from the outside of the chamber and can easily perform maintenance work.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above situation, and an object thereof is to provide a gate valve that has excellent sealing properties, can be easily maintained, is highly safe, and is compact as a whole gate valve. .

The present invention was invented in order to achieve the problems and objects in the prior art as described above, and the gate valve of the present invention is
A valve box body formed in a substantially box shape;
A gate opening formed in the valve box body through a pair of opposing side walls;
One side valve plate that is provided inside the valve box body and opens and closes the gate opening of the side wall on one side;
The other side valve plate that is provided inside the valve box body and opens and closes the gate opening of the other side wall;
It is characterized by providing.

  By configuring in this way, for example, by providing the connecting portion between the two spaces (chambers), the valve box body formed in a substantially box shape can form an independent space inside the valve box body. .

  Further, a double valve is provided in the inside of the valve box body by a one-side valve plate that opens and closes a gate opening on one side wall and a second-side valve plate that opens and closes a gate opening on the other side wall. A gate valve with a seal structure can be provided.

As a result, it is possible to provide a gate valve that has excellent sealing properties and is highly safe and that is compact as a whole gate valve.
That is, there is a problem with the valve plate on one side, and even if a leak occurs, the gate opening on the other side is closed, so that the two spaces can be reliably sealed.

  In addition, a pair of valve plates composed of one side valve plate and the other side valve plate close the gate opening and form an independent space inside the valve box body. By providing the detector, it is possible to reliably detect a leak of the reaction gas, and to provide a gate valve with excellent safety.

Further, for example, by providing an exhaust port in the valve box body forming an independent space, the leaked reaction product gas can be safely exhausted to the disposal processing path.
Furthermore, by introducing nitrogen gas or the like into the valve body that forms an independent space, for example, the internal pressure in the valve body is set higher than the internal pressure in the chamber. It is possible to increase the pressing force and improve the sealing performance.

In the gate valve of the present invention, the valve box body is configured to be separable into a side wall portion on one side and a side wall portion on the other side.
By configuring in this way, the valve box main body can be separated into one side wall part and the other side wall part. Therefore, by separating the valve box main body during maintenance, Since the plate is exposed, the sealing material and the valve plate can be reliably replaced from the outside of the chamber, and the maintenance of the gate valve can be confirmed, thereby facilitating maintenance.

  In the gate valve of the present invention, a plurality of gate openings on the one side wall are formed, and the gate opening on the other side wall corresponds to the gate opening on the one side wall. Is formed in plural.

  By configuring in this way, for example, in a thin film forming apparatus such as a solar cell such as a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, productivity can be improved by performing film formation processing of a plurality of devices at a time.

The gate valve of the present invention is characterized in that the one side valve plate and the other side valve plate are configured to be driven independently of each other.
By configuring in this way, the one side valve plate and the other side valve plate can be driven independently of each other, so that the valve plates do not interfere when opening and closing the gate opening. It is possible to reduce the face interval of the gate valve, that is, the width of the gate valve, and to provide a compact gate valve as a whole.

Further, the gate valve of the present invention is configured such that the one-side valve plate opens and closes the gate opening on the side wall on one side by rotating about the rotation drive shaft,
The other side valve plate is configured to open and close a gate opening on the other side wall by rotating about a rotation drive shaft.

  By configuring in this way, the valve plate rotates around the rotation drive shaft and opens and closes the respective gate openings, so that the gate valve as a whole has excellent sealing performance and high safety. As a result, a compact gate valve can be provided.

  Further, the gate valve of the present invention has a rotation direction around the rotation drive shaft when the one side valve plate is opened and closed and a rotation direction around the rotation drive shaft when the other side valve plate is opened and closed. The rotation directions are the same as each other.

  Thus, the rotation direction around the rotation drive shaft when the one side valve plate is opened and closed and the rotation direction around the rotation drive shaft when the other side valve plate is opened and closed are the same rotation direction. Therefore, when opening and closing the gate opening, the valve plates do not interfere with each other, so the gate valve spacing, that is, the width of the gate valve, can be reduced, providing a compact gate valve as a whole Is possible.

  Further, the gate valve of the present invention has a rotation direction around the rotation drive shaft when the one side valve plate is opened and closed and a rotation direction around the rotation drive shaft when the other side valve plate is opened and closed. The rotation directions are opposite to each other.

  Even in this configuration, if the one side valve plate and the other side valve plate can be driven independently of each other, the valve plates do not interfere with each other when opening and closing the gate opening. Therefore, the face interval of the gate valve, that is, the width of the gate valve can be reduced, and a compact gate valve can be provided as a whole.

  In the gate valve of the present invention, the rotation drive shaft when the one-side valve plate is opened and closed and the rotation drive shaft when the other-side valve plate is opened and closed are positioned above and below the gate opening. It is comprised as follows.

  In this way, by configuring the rotation drive shaft when opening and closing the one side valve plate and the rotation drive shaft when opening and closing the other side valve plate to be positioned above and below the gate opening, When opening and closing the gate opening, the valve plates do not interfere with each other, so that the gate valve face spacing, that is, the width of the gate valve can be reduced, and a compact gate valve can be provided as a whole. Is possible.

  The gate valve of the present invention biases the one-side valve plate to the gate opening on the one side wall and closes the other-side valve plate to the gate opening on the other side wall. And a common drive mechanism for closing the valve.

  In this way, the common drive mechanism biases the one side valve plate to the gate opening on the one side wall and closes the other side valve plate to the gate opening on the other side wall. Since these gate openings are opened and closed, it is possible to provide a gate valve that has excellent sealing performance and high safety and is compact as a whole gate valve.

  In addition, since the valve plates do not interfere with each other when opening and closing the gate opening, it is possible to reduce the face interval of the gate valve, that is, the width of the gate valve, and provide a compact gate valve as a whole. It is possible.

The gate valve of the present invention is formed with a plurality of gate openings on the one side wall, and a plurality of one-side valve plates are provided corresponding to the plurality of gate openings,
A plurality of gate openings on the other side wall are formed corresponding to the gate openings on the one side wall, and a plurality of other valve plates are formed on the plurality of gate openings. Is provided.

  By configuring in this way, for example, in a thin film forming apparatus such as a solar cell such as a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, productivity can be improved by performing film formation processing of a plurality of devices at a time.

  According to the present invention, for example, by providing a connection portion between two spaces (chambers), the valve box body formed in a substantially box shape can form a space inside the valve box body.

  Further, a double valve is provided in the inside of the valve box body by a one-side valve plate that opens and closes a gate opening on one side wall and a second-side valve plate that opens and closes a gate opening on the other side wall. A gate valve with a seal structure can be provided.

As a result, it is possible to provide a gate valve that has excellent sealing properties and is highly safe and that is compact as a whole gate valve.
That is, there is a problem with the valve plate on one side, and even if a leak occurs, the gate opening on the other side is closed, so that the two spaces can be reliably sealed.

  In addition, a pair of valve plates composed of one side valve plate and the other side valve plate close the gate opening and form an independent space inside the valve box body. By providing the detector, it is possible to reliably detect a leak of the reaction gas, and to provide a gate valve with excellent safety.

Further, for example, by providing an exhaust port in the valve box body forming an independent space, the leaked reaction product gas can be safely exhausted to the disposal processing path.
Furthermore, by introducing nitrogen gas or the like into the valve body that forms an independent space, for example, the internal pressure in the valve body is set higher than the internal pressure in the chamber. It is possible to increase the pressing force and improve the sealing performance.

  In addition, since the valve box body can be separated into one side wall part and the other side wall part, each valve plate is exposed by separating the valve box body during maintenance. The maintenance can be facilitated because the sealing material and valve plate can be reliably replaced from the outside of the chamber, and the malfunction of the gate valve can be confirmed.

  Further, since the one-side valve plate and the other-side valve plate can be driven independently of each other, the valve plates do not interfere with each other when opening and closing the gate opening. That is, the width of the gate valve can be reduced, and a compact gate valve can be provided as a whole.

Hereinafter, embodiments (examples) of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.
1 is a perspective view of the gate valve of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an end view in the A direction of the gate valve in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is an end view in the B direction of the gate valve in FIG. FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view for explaining the operating state of the gate valve of FIG. 1, FIG. 7 is a perspective view for explaining an embodiment in which the gate valve of the present invention is provided at a connecting portion of two spaces (chambers), and FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of a drive mechanism for the valve plates 22 and 24 of the present invention.

1-3, the code | symbol 10 has shown the gate valve of this invention on the whole.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the gate valve 10 includes a valve box body 12 formed in a substantially box shape. The valve box body 12 includes a pair of side walls 14 and 16 facing each other. A plurality of horizontally long and substantially rectangular gate openings 18 and 20 are formed so as to correspond to each other at a certain distance in the vertical direction.

  A space 11 is formed inside the valve box body 12, and the gate opening 18 of the side wall 14 on one side is opened and closed in the space 11 corresponding to the gate openings 18 and 20. A horizontally long one-side valve plate 22 and a horizontally long other-side valve plate 24 that opens and closes the gate opening 20 of the other side wall 16 are provided.

2, 3, and 7, the valve box body 12 is configured to be separable into a side wall portion 26 of the side wall 14 on one side and a side wall portion 28 of the side wall 16 on the other side. Yes.
Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the one-side valve plate 22 that opens and closes the gate opening 18 of the side wall 14 on one side rotates in the longitudinal direction of the valve box body 12 at a position above the gate opening 18. It is fixed via a connecting portion 32 to a rotational drive shaft 30 that is mounted as possible.

Thereby, the one-side valve plate 22 is configured to open and close the gate opening 18 of the side wall 14 on one side by rotating around the rotation drive shaft 30.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the other side valve plate 24 that opens and closes the gate opening 20 of the other side wall 16 rotates at a position below the gate opening 20 over the longitudinal direction of the valve box body 12. It is fixed to a rotational drive shaft 34 that is mounted through a connecting portion 36.

Thereby, the other side valve plate 24 is configured to open and close the gate opening 20 of the other side wall 16 by rotating around the rotation drive shaft 34.
That is, the rotation drive shaft 30 when the one-side valve plate 22 is opened and closed and the rotation drive shaft 34 when the other-side valve plate 24 is opened and closed are positioned above and below the gate openings 18 and 20. It is configured.

  In addition, the shape of the valve plates 22, 24 is not particularly limited as long as the gate openings 18, 20 can be reliably closed according to the shape of the gate openings 18, 20 of the valve box body 12. It is not limited.

  Further, although not shown, the valve plates 22 and 24 are provided with seal grooves in a shape surrounding the gate openings 18 and 20 on the side in contact with the gate openings 18 and 20 by rotating. An endless seal material is attached to the seal groove.

The sealing material may be attached not to the valve plates 22 and 24 but to the seal seat surface side of the valve box body 12 with which the valve plate 22 abuts.
The driving of the valve plates 22 and 24 is not particularly limited as long as it is a drive mechanism that can rotate the valve plates 22 and 24 by rotating the rotary drive shafts 30 and 34.

  In this case, the rotary drive shafts 30 and 34 can be rotated by a motor, but in order to sufficiently apply the pressing force of the valve plates 22 and 24 to the gate openings 18 and 20, for example, As shown in FIG. 8, by driving the linear cylinder 38, the rotary drive shafts 30 and 34 are converted to rotational driving via the link 40 which is a transmission jig, and the valve plates 22 and 24 are moved. A driving method may be used.

The operation of the gate valve of the present invention configured as described above will be described below with reference to FIGS.
First, as shown in FIG. 7, the gate valve 10 of the present invention is provided, for example, in a connecting portion between two spaces (chambers) 42 and 44, thereby, as shown in FIG. However, by rotating about the rotational drive shaft 30, the gate opening 18 of the side wall 14 on one side is closed, and the other side valve plate 24 is rotated about the rotational drive shaft 34, thereby The gate opening 20 of the side wall 16 is closed.

In this state, a device film forming process such as sputtering or plasma etching is performed in the two spaces (chambers) 42 and 44.
After such a film forming process is performed, as shown in FIG. 5, the one-side valve plate 22 that opens and closes the gate opening 18 of the side wall 14 on one side is centered around the rotary drive shaft 30. As indicated by the arrow B, the gate opening 18 on the one side wall 14 is opened apart from the gate opening 18 on the one side wall 14 by rotating approximately 90 ° clockwise.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 5, the other side valve plate 24 that opens and closes the gate opening 20 of the other side wall 16 is moved around the rotation drive shaft 34 as indicated by an arrow C in FIG. 5. By rotating approximately 90 ° in the direction, the gate opening 20 of the other side wall 16 is opened away from the gate opening 20 of the other side wall 16.

  Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 6, the device on which the film formation process has been performed is moved between the two spaces (chambers) 42 and 44 through the opened gate openings 18 and 20. Can do.

Then, after such movement of the device is completed, although not shown, an operation opposite to the above may be performed.
That is, the other side valve plate 24 is pressed against the gate opening 20 of the side wall 16 on the other side by rotating about 90 ° counterclockwise about the rotation drive shaft 34 in the direction opposite to the arrow in FIG. Thus, the gate opening 20 of the other side wall 16 is closed.

  Thereafter, the one-side valve plate 22 is pressed against the gate opening 18 of the side wall 14 on the one side by rotating about 90 ° counterclockwise about the rotation drive shaft 30 in the direction opposite to the arrow in FIG. Then, the gate opening 18 of the side wall 14 on one side is closed to close the gate opening 18 of the side wall 14 on one side, and the valve plate 24 on the other side is connected to the rotary drive shaft as shown in FIG. The gate opening 20 of the side wall 16 on the other side may be closed by rotating around 34.

By repeating the above cycle, valve opening and closing operations can be performed.
Further, as shown in FIG. 7, during maintenance, the valve box body 12 can be separated into a side wall portion 26 on one side and a side wall portion 28 on the other side. The valve plate body 12 is separated by releasing the coupling of the side wall portion on the other side and moving the chambers 42 and 44 away from each other as indicated by the arrows in FIG. Is exposed, the sealing material and the valve plates 22 and 24 can be reliably exchanged from the outside of the chambers 42 and 44, and the malfunction of the gate valve 10 can be confirmed.

  According to the gate valve 10 of the present invention configured as described above, the valve box is formed by the valve box main body 12 formed in a substantially box shape by being provided in a connecting portion between two spaces (chambers) 42 and 44, for example. An independent space 11 can be formed in the main body 12.

  Also, one side valve plate 22 that opens and closes the gate opening 18 of the side wall 14 on one side and the other side valve that opens and closes the gate opening 20 of the side wall 16 provided inside the valve box body 12. With the plate 24, a gate valve having a double seal structure can be provided.

As a result, it is possible to provide a gate valve that has excellent sealing properties and is highly safe and that is compact as a whole gate valve.
That is, there is a problem with the valve plate on one side, and even if a leak occurs, the gate opening on the other side is closed, so that the two spaces can be reliably sealed.

  Further, the pair of valve plates 22 and 24 constituted by the one-side valve plate 22 and the other-side valve plate 24 close the gate openings 18 and 20 and form an independent space 11 in the valve box body 12. For example, by providing a leak detector in the valve box body 12, it is possible to reliably detect a leak of the reaction gas, and to provide a gate valve with excellent safety.

Further, for example, by providing an exhaust port in the valve box body 12 forming the independent space 11, the leaked reaction product gas can be safely exhausted to the disposal processing path.
Further, by introducing, for example, nitrogen gas or the like into the valve box body 12 that forms the independent space 11, the internal pressure in the valve box body 12 is set higher than the internal pressure in the chambers 42 and 44. The pressing force of the plates 22 and 24 against the gate openings 18 and 20 can be increased, and the sealing performance can be improved.

  Further, the rotation direction around the rotation drive shaft 30 when the one-side valve plate 22 is opened and closed is the same as the rotation direction around the rotation drive shaft 34 when the other-side valve plate 24 is opened and closed. Since it is in the rotational direction, the valve plates do not interfere with each other when the gate openings 18 and 20 are opened and closed. Therefore, the gate valve face spacing, that is, the width of the gate valve can be reduced as a whole. It is possible to provide a compact gate valve.

Further, the rotation drive shaft 30 when the one-side valve plate 22 is opened and closed and the rotation drive shaft 34 when the other-side valve plate 24 is opened and closed are positioned above and below the gate openings 18 and 20. Therefore, when opening and closing the gate opening, the valve plates do not interfere with each other. Therefore, the face spacing of the gate valve, that is, the width of the gate valve can be reduced, and the overall is compact. It is possible to provide a gate valve.

  Further, since the valve box body 12 can be separated into the side wall portion 26 on one side and the side wall portion 28 on the other side, each valve plate 22 can be separated by separating the valve box body 12 during maintenance. 24 are exposed, the sealing material and the valve plates 22 and 24 can be reliably replaced from the outside of the chambers 42 and 44, and the maintenance of the gate valve can be confirmed.

  Furthermore, since the one side valve plate 22 and the other side valve plate 24 can be driven independently of each other, when the gate openings 18 and 20 are opened and closed, the valve plates do not interfere with each other. The face spacing of the gate valves, that is, the width of the gate valves can be reduced, and a compact gate valve can be provided as a whole.

  Further, a plurality of gate openings 20 on the other side wall 16 are formed corresponding to the gate openings 18 on the one side wall 14, and corresponding to the plurality of gate openings 18, 20, Since a plurality of valve plates 22 and 24 are provided, for example, in a thin film forming apparatus such as a solar cell such as a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, the productivity is improved by performing a film forming process on a plurality of devices at a time. can do.

  In the above-described embodiment, the one-side valve plate 22 is rotatably fixed at a position above the gate opening 18, and the other-side valve plate 24 is rotatable at a position below the gate opening 20. On the contrary, as shown in FIG. 9, the one side valve plate 22 is rotatably fixed to a position below the gate opening 18, and the other side valve plate 24 is fixed to the gate opening 20. It is also possible to fix the upper position rotatably.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the one-side valve plate 22 is rotatably fixed to a position above the gate opening 18, and the other-side valve plate 24 is rotated to a position above the gate opening 20. In addition, as shown in FIG. 11, the one side valve plate 22 is rotatably fixed at a position below the gate opening 18 and the other side valve plate 24 is fixed. It is also possible to fix it rotatably at a position below the gate opening 20.

  Even in this configuration, when the one-side valve plate 22 and the other-side valve plate 24 can be driven independently of each other, the valve plates can be connected to each other when the gate openings 18 and 20 are opened and closed. Since there is no interference, the face interval of the gate valve, that is, the width of the gate valve can be reduced, and a compact gate valve can be provided as a whole.

  12 is a cutaway perspective view of a gate valve in an opened state according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the gate valve of FIG. 12, and FIGS. 14 to 16 are views of the gate valve of FIG. It is a partial notch perspective view explaining an operation state.

The gate valve 10 of this embodiment has basically the same configuration as that of the gate valve 10 shown in FIG. 1, and the same reference numerals are given to the same components, and the detailed description thereof is omitted. .
In the gate valve 10 of this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 12 to 13, a common drive mechanism 46 is provided in the valve box body 12. The common drive mechanism 46 includes a substantially rectangular outer frame frame 48, a valve plate driving unit 50, one side valve plate 22, and the other side valve plate 24 disposed in the outer frame frame 48. It is configured.

Then, as shown in FIG. 13, the valve plate driving unit 50 is separated by a certain interval in the vertical direction so as to correspond to the positions of the gate openings 18 and 20 in the substantially rectangular frame 52 and the frame 52. The rotary drive shaft 54 is rotatably mounted. The rotary drive shaft 54 protrudes from the frame 52 and passes through drive shaft holes 56 of the valve box body 12 (not shown) through drive shaft holes 56 formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the outer frame frame 48. Thus, it is connected to an appropriate drive mechanism as described in FIG.

  The rotary drive shaft 54 is provided with a drive piece member 58 that is fixed at a predetermined distance from each other. The drive piece member 58 is provided with a one-side closing member 58a that projects from the gate opening 18 side. And the other side closing member 58b which protrudes in the gate opening part 20 side is formed.

  On the other hand, unlike the embodiment of FIG. 1 in which the plurality of one-side valve plates 22 are provided, the one-side valve plate 22 is an integral substantially rectangular plate, and has a gate opening in the side wall 14 on one side. A plurality of gate openings 60 formed corresponding to the portion 18, and a plurality of valve plate members 62 formed between the gate openings 60 and formed corresponding to the gate openings 18. .

  As shown in FIG. 13, a seal member 64 for sealing the gate opening 18 is formed on the outer side of the valve plate member 62, and one of the drive piece members 58 is formed on the inner side. An engaging protrusion 66 that engages with the side closing member 58a is formed.

Further, the one-side valve plate 22 includes flange portions 68 formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and a guide shaft 70 protruding outward is formed at the distal end portion of the flange portion 68.
The guide shaft 70 is mounted in guide grooves 72 formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the outer frame 48. The guide groove 72 is formed so as to incline inward, and includes a valve opening position 72a positioned on the outer side and a valve closing position 72b positioned on the inner side.

Further, the one-side valve plate 22 is provided with guide shafts 74 protruding from the corners of the four corners, and is mounted in the guide holes 76a of the guide members 76 formed at the corners of the four corners of the frame 52. Yes.
Thereby, the one side valve plate 22 is configured to be able to move to a position for opening and closing the gate opening 18 of the side wall 14 on the one side.

  On the other hand, unlike the embodiment of FIG. 1 in which the other side valve plate 24 is provided, the other side valve plate 24 has an integral substantially rectangular plate shape, and has the other side wall 16. A plurality of gate openings 78 formed corresponding to the gate openings 20, and a plurality of valve plate members 80 formed between the gate openings 78 and formed corresponding to the gate openings 20. I have.

  As shown in FIG. 13, a seal member 82 for sealing the gate opening 20 is formed on the valve plate member 80 on the outer side, and on the inner side, the other of the drive piece member 58 is formed. An engaging protrusion 84 that engages with the side closing member 58b is formed.

The other side valve plate 24 is provided with flange portions 86 formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and a guide shaft 88 projecting outward is formed at the distal end portion of the flange portion 86.
The guide shaft 88 is mounted in guide grooves 90 formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the outer frame 48. The guide groove 90 is formed so as to incline inward, and includes a valve opening position 90a positioned on the outer side and a valve closing position 90b positioned on the inner side.

Further, the other side valve plate 24 is provided with guide shafts 92 projecting from the corners of the four corners and mounted in the guide holes 76a of the guide members 76 formed at the corners of the four corners of the frame 52. Yes.
Thereby, the other side valve plate 24 can be moved to a position for opening and closing the gate opening 20 of the other side wall 16.

The operation of the gate valve of the present invention configured as described above will be described below with reference to FIGS.
First, the gate valve 10 of the present invention is provided, for example, at a connecting portion between two spaces (chambers) 42 and 44, as in the embodiment of FIG.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 14, the rotational drive shaft 54 is rotationally driven by a drive mechanism (not shown), so that the one-side closing member 58a of the drive top member 58 and the valve plate member 62 of the one-side valve plate 22 are driven. The other side closing member 58b which protrudes on the gate opening 20 side of the valve plate member 62 and the valve plate member of the other side valve plate 24 are released. The engagement projecting portion 84 formed inside 80 is disengaged.

  Accordingly, the gate opening 18 on the one side wall 14, the gate opening 60 on the one side valve plate 22, the gate opening 20 on the other side wall 16, and the gate opening 78 on the other side valve plate 24. However, it is designed to be opened.

  In this state, the guide shaft 70 of the flange portion 68 of the one side valve plate 22 is positioned between the valve opening position 72a and the valve closing position 72b of the guide groove 72 of the outer frame frame 48, and the other side valve. The guide shaft 88 of the flange portion 86 of the plate 24 is positioned between the valve opening position 90 a and the valve closing position 90 b of the guide groove 90 of the outer frame frame 48.

  In this state, the device on which the film formation process has been performed can be moved between the two spaces (chambers) 42 and 44 through the opened gate openings 18, 20, 60 and 78. it can.

  After the movement of the device is completed, as shown in FIG. 15, the rotational drive shaft 54 is rotationally driven by a drive mechanism (not shown), so that the one-side closing member 58a of the drive top member 58 and The one side valve plate 22 is moved to a position where it comes into contact with the engagement protruding portion 66 formed on the inner side of the valve plate member 62, and the other side closure protruding from the valve plate member 62 on the gate opening 20 side is moved. The member 58b is moved to a position where the engagement projecting portion 84 formed inside the valve plate member 80 of the other side valve plate 24 abuts.

  Thereby, the opening of the gate opening 18 of the side wall 14 on one side and the gate opening 60 of the one side valve plate 22 is released, and the gate opening 20 of the side wall 16 on the other side and the other side valve plate The opening to the 24 gate openings 78 is released.

  That is, by rotating the rotary drive shaft 54, the one-side closing member 58a of the drive piece member 58 and the engagement projecting portion 66 formed inside the valve plate member 62 come into contact with each other, and the one-side valve plate 22 is brought into contact. Is moved downward, the other side closing member 58b of the driving piece member 58 is brought into contact with the engagement projecting portion 84 formed inside the valve plate member 80, and the other side valve plate 24 is moved downward. It is configured as follows.

  In this state, the valve plate member 62 of the one side valve plate 22 is located at a position corresponding to the gate opening 18 of the side wall 14 on one side, and the valve plate member 80 of the other side valve plate 24 is The side wall 16 is located at a position corresponding to the gate opening 20.

  In this state, the guide shaft 70 of the flange portion 68 of the one-side valve plate 22 is located at the valve-closing position 72b located inside the guide groove 72 of the outer frame frame 48, and the flange of the other-side valve plate 24. The guide shaft 88 of the portion 86 is located at a valve closing position 90 b located outside the guide groove 90 of the outer frame frame 48.

In this state, as shown in FIG. 16, the rotational drive shaft 54 is further rotationally driven by a drive mechanism (not shown), so that the one-side closing member 58 a of the drive piece member 58 and the one-side valve plate are driven. 22 is moved to a position where the engagement projecting portion 66 formed on the inside of the valve plate member 62 is further engaged, and the other side closing member 58b projecting on the gate opening 20 side of the valve plate member 62; Then, the other side valve plate 24 is moved to a position where the engagement projecting portion 84 formed inside the valve plate member 80 is further engaged.

  As a result, the valve plate member 62 of the one side valve plate 22 is biased in the direction of the gate opening 18 of the one side wall 14 to close the gate opening 18 and the valve of the other side valve plate 24. The plate member 80 is biased in the direction of the gate opening 20 of the other side wall 16 so that the gate opening 20 is closed.

  In this state, the guide shaft 70 of the flange portion 68 of the one-side valve plate 22 is located at the valve-closing position 72b located inside the guide groove 72 of the outer frame frame 48, and the flange of the other-side valve plate 24. The guide shaft 88 of the portion 86 is located at a valve closing position 90 b located outside the guide groove 90 of the outer frame frame 48.

In this state, a device film forming process such as sputtering or plasma etching is performed in the two spaces (chambers) 42 and 44.
By repeating the above cycle, valve opening and closing operations can be performed.

  As described above, the common drive mechanism 46 biases the one-side valve plate 22 to the gate opening 18 of the one side wall 14 and closes the valve, while the other side valve plate 24 is closed to the gate opening of the other side wall 16. Since the gate opening portions 18 and 20 are opened and closed by being biased to 20, the gate valve has excellent sealing performance and high safety and a compact gate valve as a whole. Can do.

  Further, when the gate openings 18 and 20 are opened and closed, the valve plates do not interfere with each other, so that the face interval of the gate valve, that is, the width of the gate valve can be reduced, and the gate valve is compact as a whole. Can be provided.

  The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where it is used for a vacuum gate valve has been described. Various modifications can be made without departing from the object of the present invention, such as use as a valve.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the gate valve of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an end view in the A direction of the gate valve of FIG. FIG. 3 is an end view of the gate valve in FIG. 1 in the B direction. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view for explaining the operating state of the gate valve of FIG. FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view for explaining the operating state of the gate valve of FIG. FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view for explaining the operating state of the gate valve of FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view for explaining an embodiment in which the gate valve of the present invention is provided at a connecting portion between two spaces (chambers). FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of a drive mechanism for the valve plates 22 and 24 of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view for explaining the operating state of the gate valve according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view for explaining the operating state of the gate valve according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view for explaining the operating state of the gate valve according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a cutaway perspective view of a gate valve in an opened state according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the gate valve of FIG. FIG. 14 is a partially cutaway perspective view illustrating the operating state of the gate valve of FIG. FIG. 15 is a partially cutaway perspective view illustrating the operating state of the gate valve of FIG. FIG. 16 is a partially cutaway perspective view illustrating the operating state of the gate valve of FIG. FIG. 17 is a longitudinal sectional view for explaining the operating state of a conventional gate valve. FIG. 18 is a partially enlarged view of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Gate valve 11 Space 12 Valve box main body 14 Side wall 16 Side wall 18 Gate opening part 20 Gate opening part 22 One side valve plate 24 The other side valve plate 26 Side wall part 28 Side wall part 30 Rotation drive shaft 32 Connection part 34 Rotation drive shaft 36 Connection Part 38 cylinder 40 link 42 chamber 46 common drive mechanism 48 outer frame frame 50 valve plate drive part 52 frame 54 rotation drive shaft 56 drive shaft hole 58 drive top member 58a one side closing member 58b other side closure member 60 gate opening 62 Valve plate member 64 Seal member 66 Engagement projecting portion 68 Flange portion 70 Guide shaft 72 Guide groove 72a Valve opening position 72b Valve closing position 74 Guide shaft 76 Guide member 76a Guide hole 78 Gate opening portion 80 Valve plate member 82 Seal member 84 Engagement projecting portion 86 Flange portion 88 Guide shaft 90 Guide groove 90a Valve opening position 90b Valve closing position 92 Guide shaft 100 Gate valve 102 Carrier plate 104 Side wall 106 Roller guide 107 Bellows 108 Packing plate 110 Bush 112 Guide pin 114 Gate opening 116 Drive device

Claims (10)

A valve box body formed in a substantially box shape;
A gate opening formed in the valve box body through a pair of opposing side walls;
One side valve plate that is provided inside the valve box body and opens and closes the gate opening of the side wall on one side;
The other side valve plate that is provided inside the valve box body and opens and closes the gate opening of the other side wall;
A gate valve comprising:   The gate valve according to claim 1, wherein the valve box body is configured to be separable into a side wall portion on one side and a side wall portion on the other side.   3. The gate valve according to claim 1, wherein the one-side valve plate and the other-side valve plate are configured to be driven independently of each other. A plurality of gate openings on the one side wall are formed,
4. The gate valve according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of gate openings on the other side wall are formed corresponding to the gate opening on the one side wall. 5. The one-side valve plate is configured to open and close the gate opening on the side wall on one side by rotating about the rotation drive shaft,
The said other side valve plate is comprised so that the gate opening part of the other side wall may be opened and closed by rotating centering on a rotational drive shaft. Gate valve.   The rotation direction around the rotation drive shaft when the one side valve plate is opened and closed and the rotation direction around the rotation drive shaft when the other side valve plate is opened and closed are the same rotation direction. The gate valve according to claim 5.   The rotation direction around the rotation drive shaft when the one side valve plate is opened and closed and the rotation direction around the rotation drive shaft when the other side valve plate is opened and closed are opposite to each other. The gate valve according to claim 5.   The rotary drive shaft for opening and closing the one-side valve plate and the rotary drive shaft for opening and closing the other-side valve plate are configured to be positioned above and below with the gate opening therebetween. The gate valve according to claim 7.   A common drive mechanism for biasing and closing the one-side valve plate to a gate opening on one side wall, and biasing and closing the other-side valve plate to a gate opening on the other side wall; The gate valve according to claim 1, wherein the gate valve is provided. A plurality of gate openings on the one side wall are formed, and a plurality of one-side valve plates are provided corresponding to the plurality of gate openings,
A plurality of gate openings on the other side wall are formed corresponding to the gate openings on the one side wall, and a plurality of other valve plates are formed on the plurality of gate openings. The gate valve according to claim 1, wherein the gate valve is provided.

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