JP2023023715A - Fluid control device - Google Patents

Abstract

To secure detection accuracy of a sensor incorporated in a fluid control device.SOLUTION: Fluid control device comprises: a diaphragm 22 which blocks and opens a flow channel by abutting on and disengaging from a sheet 13; a disk 23 which is vertically movable and pressurizes the diaphragm; a magnetic sensor M including a magnet M1 and a magnetic body M2; an annular magnet holder M10 which holds one of the magnet and the magnetic body, and through which the disk is inserted; a sensor holder 241 which is located outside in a radial direction, of the magnet holder, and holds another of the magnet and the magnetic body; and a lock nut 231 which fixes the magnet holder by threadedly engaging with the disk. The sensor holder has a positioning member projecting inwardly in a radial direction. A recessed portion with which the positioning member is engaged is formed on the outer periphery of the magnet holder.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fluid control device that includes a sensor inside a device and that can output data detected by the sensor.

In the film deposition process that forms a thin film on the surface of a semiconductor wafer, miniaturization of the thin film is required, and in recent years, a film deposition method called ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition), which forms a thin film with a thickness of atomic level or molecular level, is used. ing.
However, such miniaturization of the thin film requires the fluid control device to perform opening and closing operations more frequently than before, and the resulting load may easily cause leakage of the fluid. Therefore, there is an increasing demand for technology that can easily detect fluid leakage in fluid control devices.
In addition to easily detecting leaks, if it is possible to collect data associated with operation, it will be possible to grasp the frequency of use and individual differences of fluid control devices, which could not be taken into account in the past. It is conceivable that more accurate control is possible.

In recent years, the temperature control of the fluid flowing through the fluid control device has become stricter, and the demand for measurement accuracy has increased. It cannot be mounted externally.

In this regard, Patent Document 1 discloses a fluid control device having a slit for leading out a communication cable connected to an internal sensor.

WO2020/012828

An object of the present invention is to ensure the detection accuracy of a sensor built into a fluid control device.

In order to achieve the above object, a fluid control device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a diaphragm that blocks and opens a flow path by coming into contact with and separating from a seat, and a disc that is vertically movable and presses the diaphragm. a magnetic sensor including a magnet and a magnetic body; an annular magnet holder that holds one of the magnet and the magnetic body and through which the disk is inserted; a sensor holder that holds the other magnetic body; and a lock nut that screws onto the disk to fix the magnet holder, wherein the sensor holder has a positioning member protruding radially inward, A recess with which the positioning member engages is formed on the outer circumference of the magnet holder.

The sensor holder may be made of a non-magnetic material.

The magnet holder may be made of a non-magnetic material.

The magnet holder may hold the magnet, and the sensor holder may hold the magnetic body.

According to the fluid control device of the present invention, it is possible to ensure the detection accuracy of the sensor built into the fluid control device.

1 is an external perspective view showing a fluid control device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the fluid control device according to the present embodiment, showing a valve open state; 2A and 2B are partial enlarged vertical cross-sectional views showing the internal structure of the fluid control device according to the present embodiment, showing (a) a valve open state and (b) a valve closed state; 3 is an external perspective view of a magnet holder included in the fluid control device according to the embodiment; FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a bonnet of the fluid control device according to the embodiment;

A fluid control device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
In the following description, the directions of members, etc. may be referred to as up, down, left, and right depending on the direction on the drawing for convenience, but these are intended to limit the directions of members, etc. when implementing or using the present invention. isn't it.
As shown in FIG. 1, the fluid control device V according to the present embodiment incorporates a sensor that detects the internal operation of the fluid control device V, and is an air-operated direct control device that performs wired communication with other terminals and the like. It is a diaphragm valve.
Note that the other terminals referred to here include not only so-called computers such as servers, but also devices and devices such as other fluid control devices and flow rate control devices.

A fluid control device V according to the present embodiment is a device capable of acquiring data on internal operations, and as shown in FIGS. , an actuator unit 5 .

●Valve body part 1
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the valve body portion 1 includes a base portion 11 in which a flow path is formed, a substantially cylindrical cylindrical portion 12 provided on the base portion 11, and an annular seat. 13.
An inflow path 111 into which fluid flows, an outflow path 113 into which fluid flows out, and a valve chamber 112 communicating between the inflow path 111 and the outflow path 113 are formed in the base portion 11 . An opening of the inflow path 111 and an opening of the outflow path 113 are formed in the valve chamber 112, respectively.
The base portion 11 has a rectangular shape in a plan view, and when a plurality of fluid control devices V constitute a unitized fluid control device, the base portion 11 is a portion to be installed on a substrate or a manifold block.

The cylindrical portion 12 has a hollow shape with an open end surface and is screwed and fixed to the base portion 11 . The hollow interior forms a recess 12a in which the first bonnet portion 2 is accommodated.

An annular seat 13 is provided around the opening of the inflow passage 111 in the valve chamber. A diaphragm 22 is provided on the sheet 13 to open and close the flow path, that is, to open and close the flow path by coming into contact with and separating from the sheet 13 .

● 1st bonnet part 2
As shown in FIG. 2 , the first bonnet portion 2 is arranged in a state of being accommodated within the recessed portion 12 a of the valve body portion 1 .
This first bonnet part 2 comprises a diaphragm 22 , a disk 23 , a sensor bonnet 24 , a diaphragm retainer 25 and a retainer adapter 26 .

As shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), the diaphragm 22 is a spherical shell-shaped member made of a metal such as stainless steel, a Ni--Co alloy, or a fluorine-based resin, and having a convex central portion 221. and separates the valve chamber 112 from the space in which the second bonnet portion 4 operates.

The diaphragm 22 is elastically deformed by being pressed by the diaphragm retainer 25 in a state in which the driving fluid as the driving pressure is not supplied, and the central portion 221 of the diaphragm 22 comes into contact with the seat 13 to block the flow path. state. As the drive fluid as the drive pressure is supplied and released from the pressing force of the diaphragm presser 25, the central portion 221 is displaced in the direction away from the seat 13 by its own restoring force and the pressure in the flow path, and is separated from the seat 13. Then, the channel is opened.

That is, the central portion 221 of the diaphragm 22 is a movable portion that is displaced by the supply of the driving fluid, and the peripheral edge portion 222 is a non-movable portion that is not displaced by the supply of the driving fluid.

A peripheral edge portion 222 of the diaphragm 22 abuts on a pressing adapter 26, which will be described later. See).

The disc 23 is a substantially cylindrical member provided above the diaphragm 22, and is arranged so as to be vertically movable with respect to the sensor bonnet 24. The disc 23 moves the diaphragm 22 in conjunction with the stem 43 that slides in the vertical direction. Press the center.

An O-ring O1 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the disk 23, and the O-ring O1 seals the inner peripheral surfaces of the disk 23 and the sensor bonnet 24. As shown in FIG.

The upper portion of the disc 23 has a smaller outer diameter and is inserted through the magnet holder M10. As shown in FIG. 4, the magnet holder M10 is a substantially annular member with a part notched, and the magnet M1 is attached to the notched portion M11. This magnet M1 constitutes a magnetic sensor M, which will be described later, together with a magnetic body M2 attached to a sensor holder 241 fitted in a recess of the sensor bonnet 24 .

The sensor holder 241 shown in FIG. 2 is a substantially annular member that is fitted into a recess of the sensor bonnet 24, which will be described later, and holds the magnetic body M2. The sensor holder 241 is positioned radially outward of the magnet holder M10, and the inner peripheral surface of the sensor holder 241 faces the outer peripheral surface of the magnet holder M10. Further, the sensor holder 241 has a through hole 242 penetrating in the radial direction, and the through hole 242 is provided on the opposite side of the magnetic body M2 in the radial direction.

The radius of through hole 242 is substantially constant throughout the hole, while the radius at the outer end is larger than the radius within the hole. In FIG. 2, the outer end of the through-hole 242 has a shape that gradually widens toward the outer circumference of the sensor holder 241 . According to this configuration, the head of the bolt inserted through the through hole 242 can be accommodated in the hole. 2, the through-hole 242 may have an outer end portion that widens discontinuously, and the inside thereof may have a shape corresponding to a stepped bolt, for example.

The magnet holder M10 has a concave portion M12 on its outer peripheral surface. In the present embodiment, the concave portion M12 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped notched shape, and is provided along the axial direction of the magnet holder M10. Further, the recess M12 is provided on the opposite side of the notch M11 in the radial direction. The recess M12 faces the through hole 242 of the sensor holder 241 in the assembled state. A positioning member such as a bolt is inserted through the through hole 242 of the sensor holder 241 and contacts the recess M12. That is, the positioning member is engaged with the concave portion M12 to prevent the magnet holder M10 from being displaced. Note that the positional relationship in the circumferential direction between the magnet holder M10 and the sensor holder 241 may be defined so as not to interfere with the vertical movement of the disc, and the shape of the concave portion M12 and the positioning member is not limited to that of this embodiment.

The upper end portion of the disk 23, which protrudes from above the magnet holder M10, is threaded, and a lock nut 231 is screwed (not shown). The lock nut 231 abuts on the magnet holder M10 and presses it downward, thereby fixing the magnet holder M10 and the disk 23 . It is also possible to thread the inner periphery of the magnet holder M10 and screw the magnet holder M10 and the disk 23 together. In this case, it is also possible to adjust the vertical position of the magnet holder by the double nut structure.

In this way, the magnet M1 that constitutes the magnetic sensor M is fixed to the magnet holder M10, and is fixed by the lock nut 231 while restricting the positional relationship between the magnet M2 and the magnetic body M2 by the recess M12 as the positioning groove and the through hole 242. According to the configuration, it is possible to easily secure the detection accuracy of the magnetic sensor M regardless of assembly accuracy or machine difference. For example, in a configuration in which the magnet is fixed directly to the diaphragm holder, it is necessary to change the direction of the disc to adjust the position of the magnet. It was difficult to adjust the magnet position. On the other hand, according to the configuration according to the present invention, it is easy to adjust the position of the magnet M1.

In this embodiment, the magnet M1 is held by the magnet holder M10 and the magnetic body M2 is held by the sensor holder 241. However, the magnetic body is held by the magnet holder M10 and the magnet may be retained.

The magnet holder M10 and the sensor holder 241 are made of non-magnetic material. The magnet holder M10 and the sensor holder 241 are made of, for example, aluminum. According to this configuration, since the magnet holder M10 and the sensor holder 241 are not magnetized, the accuracy of the magnetic sensor M can be made higher.

A diaphragm retainer 25 is connected to the lower end of the disc 23 . The diaphragm presser 25 has a convex surface with a downwardly bulging lower surface, and the lower surface of the diaphragm retainer 25 abuts against the central portion 221 of the diaphragm 22 and presses the diaphragm 22 in conjunction with the sliding stem 43 .

As shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), the lower end of the diaphragm retainer 25 is in contact with the central portion 221 of the diaphragm 22 both when the valve is open and when the valve is closed.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 , the sensor bonnet 24 has a substantially cylindrical shape and is accommodated within the recess 12 a of the valve body portion 1 .
Inside the sensor bonnet 24, a through-insertion hole 241a into which the disc 23 is inserted is formed in the center.
Further, the sensor bonnet 24 is provided with a communication hole 241d that communicates with the pressure sensor P and the temperature sensor T. As shown in FIG. By providing the pressure sensor P and the temperature sensor T through the communication hole 241d, the pressure and temperature in the space defined by the diaphragm 22, the disc 23 and the sensor bonnet 24 can be measured.
In this embodiment, the temperature sensor T is provided inside the sensor bonnet 24. However, the temperature sensor T may be provided inside the valve body portion 1. In particular, at least the temperature sensor T detects the temperature. It is sufficient if the portion is placed inside the valve body portion 1 . According to this configuration, the temperature inside the fluid control device V can be accurately measured only by installing the fluid control device V, without performing separate work such as installing a temperature sensor.

Since the temperature sensor T measures the temperature inside the fluid control device V, the temperature can be measured at a position close to the actual fluid. Therefore, even if there is a difference between the set temperature and the actual fluid temperature, the fluid temperature can be measured more accurately. Further, when the temperature in the vicinity of the diaphragm 22 drops, the fluid may liquefy, and the temperature sensor T can detect the possibility of liquefaction early.

A flexible cable 60 connected to the pressure sensor P, the temperature sensor T, and the magnetic sensor M inside the sensor bonnet 24 extends outward from the side surface of the sensor bonnet 24 .

A magnetic body M2 held by a sensor holder 241 is attached to the inner peripheral surface of the sensor bonnet 24, and constitutes a magnetic sensor M together with the magnet attached to the disk 23. FIG.

The sensor bonnet 24 is made of an aluminum material. Since the aluminum material has a higher thermal conductivity than, for example, SUS, the fluid temperature can be transmitted to the temperature sensor T inside the sensor bonnet 24 more accurately. Moreover, since the sensor bonnet 24 made of aluminum is not magnetized, the influence of the magnetic sensor M on the temperature sensor T and the pressure sensor P can be reduced.

The pressing adapter 26 abuts on the peripheral edge portion 222 of the diaphragm 22 and clamps the diaphragm 22 between it and the protrusion 121 a in the recess 12 a of the valve body portion 1 . In addition, the cylindrical portion 12 screwed into the base portion 11 presses downward to press the peripheral edge portion 222 from above, and the fluid flowing through the inflow path 111 and the outflow path 113 leaks to the outside from the vicinity of the peripheral edge portion 222. is prevented.

The pressing adapter 26 does not touch the movable portion of the diaphragm 22, in other words, the central portion 221, both when the valve of the diaphragm 22 is opened and when the valve is closed. Also, the contact area between the pressing adapter 26 and the diaphragm 22 is the same when the valve is open and when the valve is closed. With this configuration, the heat transfer area of the diaphragm 22 can be kept constant between when the valve is open and when the valve is closed. As a result, the conduction heat from the diaphragm 22 becomes constant, so regardless of the open/closed state of the valve, accurate temperature measurement by the temperature sensor T, which will be described later, is possible.

● 2nd bonnet part 4
The second bonnet portion 4 is arranged on the first bonnet portion 2 .
As shown in FIG. 2, the second bonnet portion 4 includes a second bonnet body 41, a stem 43, and a spring 44. As shown in FIG.

The second bonnet body 41 is screwed and fixed to the cylindrical portion 12 , and the sensor bonnet 24 is fixed to the valve body portion 1 by pressing the sensor bonnet 24 from above.
The second bonnet body 41 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and is provided with a through-hole 41a in the center along the longitudinal direction, into which the stem 43 and the disk 23 are inserted. As shown in FIG. 2, the stem 43 and the disc 23 are in contact with each other in the insertion hole 41a, and the disc 23 moves up and down as the stem 43 moves up and down. The second bonnet body 41 is provided with a slit 12b that is open at one end opposite to the base portion 11 and penetrates from the outside toward the recess 12a.

The stem 43 moves up and down according to the supply and stop of the drive pressure, and causes the diaphragm 22 to contact and separate from the seat 13 via the disk 23 and the diaphragm presser 25 .
The stem 43 receives the biasing force of the spring 44 on the upper surface side.

The spring 44 is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the stem 43 and contacts the upper surface of the stem 43 to urge the stem 43 downward, that is, in the direction of pushing down the diaphragm 22 .

● Actuator 5
The actuator section 5 is a bottomed cylindrical member having an opening 51 to which driving fluid is supplied. A plurality of disc-shaped pistons 54 that can move up and down along the inner wall are accommodated in the inner space of the actuator section 5 , and a plurality of drive pressure introduction chambers 52 communicating with the opening 51 are formed between the pistons 54 . there is In addition, a driving fluid supply port LP communicating with the outside of the actuator section 5 is formed in the inner space of the actuator section 5 . The opening 51 is connected to an opening 43 a formed in the upper end surface of the stem 43 .

Here, the opening and closing operations of the valve accompanying the supply and stop of the drive pressure will be referred to. When the drive fluid is supplied from an introduction pipe (not shown) connected to the opening 42a, the drive fluid is introduced into the drive pressure introduction chamber 52 through the drive pressure introduction path 432 in the stem 43. As shown in FIG. Accordingly, the stem 43 is pushed upward against the biasing force of the spring 44 . As a result, the diaphragm 22 is separated from the seat 13 to open the valve, and the fluid flows through the flow path.
On the other hand, when the drive fluid is no longer introduced into the drive pressure introduction chamber 52 , the stem 43 is pushed downward by the biasing force of the spring 44 . As a result, the diaphragm 22 comes into contact with the seat 13 and closes the valve, blocking the flow of fluid.

●Sensors The fluid control device V includes a pressure sensor P, a temperature sensor T, and a magnetic sensor M inside the sensor bonnet 24 as sensors for detecting the operation inside the device. Each sensor faces the through hole 241a of the sensor bonnet 24 via the communication hole 241d of the sensor bonnet 24 and communicates with the space defined by the diaphragm 22, the disk 23 and the sensor bonnet 24. Thereby, the pressure sensor P can detect the pressure in the space.
A seal member such as a packing is interposed in a portion where the pressure sensor P communicates with the communication hole 241d to ensure an airtight state.

Temperature sensor T measures the temperature of the space defined by diaphragm 22 , disc 23 and sensor bonnet 24 . According to the fluid control device V having the temperature sensor T, it is possible to control the fluid and measure the temperature of the fluid.

A magnetic body M2 is attached to the through hole 241e of the sensor bonnet 24, and the magnetic body M2 constitutes the magnetic sensor M together with the magnet attached to the magnet holder M10.
The magnetic sensor M can detect the opening/closing operation of the valve and the amount of movement of the stem 43 as follows. That is, while the magnet M1 held by the magnet holder M10 slides according to the vertical movement of the disk 23, the magnetic body M2 is fixed inside the valve body portion 1 together with the sensor bonnet 24. FIG. As a result, the disc 23 and the diaphragm presser 25 are moved based on the change in magnetic field generated between the magnet M1 held by the magnet holder M10 which moves up and down according to the up and down movement of the disc 23 and the magnetic body M2 whose position is fixed. , the opening and closing operation of the valve, and the amount of movement of the stem 43 can be detected.
In addition, although the magnetic sensor M is used in this embodiment, it is not limited to this, and other types of sensors such as an optical position sensor can also be used in other embodiments.

One end of a flexible communication cable 60 is connected to each of the pressure sensor P, the temperature sensor T, and the magnetic sensor M (more specifically, the magnetic sensor M is connected to the magnetic body M2). ), and the other end of the flexible cable 60 is connected to a circuit board provided outside the fluid control device V. FIG. Furthermore, the circuit board is provided with a substantially rectangular connector for connecting external terminals, so that the data measured by the pressure sensor P, the temperature sensor T, and the magnetic sensor M can be extracted. The type and shape of the connector can be appropriately designed according to various standards.

According to the fluid control device V having such a configuration, the detection accuracy of the magnetic sensor M can be easily ensured. In addition, data detected by the pressure sensor P, the temperature sensor T, and the magnetic sensor M can be output to the outside. Such data can serve as information for understanding valve opening/closing operations, leaks due to breakage of the diaphragm 22, aging deterioration of the fluid control device V, individual differences, and the like.

Reference Signs List 1 valve body portion 11 base portion 12 cylindrical portion 13 seat 2 bonnet portion 22 diaphragm 23 disk 231 lock nut 24 sensor bonnet 241 sensor holder 25 diaphragm holder 26 holding adapter 4 second bonnet portion 41 second bonnet body 43 stem 44 spring 60 Flexible cable M10 Magnet holder M Magnetic sensor M1 Magnet M2 Magnetic body

Claims (4)

a diaphragm that blocks and opens the flow path by coming into contact with and separating from the sheet;
a disc that is vertically movable and presses the diaphragm;
a magnetic sensor including a magnet and a magnetic material;
an annular magnet holder that holds one of the magnet and the magnetic body and through which the disk is inserted;
a sensor holder positioned radially outward of the magnet holder and holding the other of the magnet and the magnetic body;
a lock nut that screws onto the disk to fix the magnet holder;
with
The sensor holder has a positioning member protruding radially inward,
An outer circumference of the magnet holder is formed with a concave portion that engages with the positioning member.
Fluid control device.
The sensor holder is made of a non-magnetic material,
The fluid control device according to claim 1.
The magnet holder is made of a non-magnetic material,
3. The fluid control device according to claim 1 or 2.
The magnet holder holds the magnet, and the sensor holder holds the magnetic body,
The fluid control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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