JP3897647B2 - Fan filter unit - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a fan filter unit including a filter that requires periodic replacement, and more particularly, to a fan filter unit including a filter that chemically purifies air supplied in a clean atmosphere such as a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. Is.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses and the like that require a clean atmosphere, a fan filter unit that chemically purifies air and supplies the air into the atmosphere is used. This fan filter unit is configured to suck air from the surrounding atmosphere with a fan, introduce the air into the filter, and supply the air to an atmosphere that requires high cleanliness after the air is chemically purified by the filter. ing.
[0003]
A conventional fan filter unit is shown in FIG. 4A is a plan view of a conventional fan filter unit, and FIG. 4B is a front view of the conventional fan filter unit.
As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the fan filter unit includes a box-shaped casing 2, a filter 3 that chemically purifies air, and a fan for introducing air into the filter 3. 1 is basically composed. The fan 1 is fixed to the upper part of the casing 2, and the filter 3 is detachably disposed at the lower part of the casing 2.
[0004]
Generally, this fan filter unit is installed on a predetermined apparatus that requires a clean atmosphere. In installing the fan filter unit, first, the filter 3 is placed on the installation surface 20, and the casing 2 and the fan 1 are placed on the filter 3. Then, the filter 3 is fixed by fastening the bracket 10 fixed to the side wall portion of the casing 2 to the installation surface 20 with the screw 16.
[0005]
In this type of fan filter unit, the filter 3 needs to be periodically replaced because the air purification capacity of the filter 3 decreases as it is used. In the process of replacing the filter 3, first, the screw 16 fixing the bracket 10 to the installation surface 20 is removed, and the casing 2 and the fan 1 are collectively lifted and moved to another place by an operator. Then, the filter 3 separated from the casing 2 is replaced with a new one, and then the casing 2 and the fan 1 are returned onto the filter 3, and the bracket 10 is tightened with the screws 16 to fix the new filter.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, since such a filter replacement operation requires the casing 2 and the fan 1 having a considerable weight to be lifted and moved, a great burden is imposed on the worker. In addition, it is not easy to replace the filter 3 in a limited work space. In particular, when the casing 2 and the fan 1 are carried, there is a risk of dropping them to cause a malfunction. Personnel may be involved in unexpected accidents.
[0007]
In the conventional fan filter unit, it is necessary to secure a space for safely lifting the fan 1 and the casing 2 and a space for temporarily placing the removed fan 1 and the casing 2 around the fan filter unit. There is. For this reason, since the space for temporary placement cannot be secured, the fan filter unit may not be installed at a desired location.
[0008]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described conventional problems, and can greatly reduce the burden of filter replacement work for an operator when replacing the filter, and the filter can be used with less work space. An object of the present invention is to provide a fan filter unit that can safely and easily perform replacement work.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, the present invention provides a fan filter unit in which a fan is disposed at a predetermined portion of a casing and a filter for chemically purifying air is detachably disposed at a lower portion of the casing. A bolt that guides the vertical movement of the fan and the casing, a spring that is attached to the bolt and presses the fan and the casing upward, and is screwed into the bolt, and is pressed by the spring. A nut for pressing down the fan and the casing against pressure and fixing the filter to the installation surface is provided, and the spring raises the fan and the casing as the nut is loosened .
[0010]
According to the present invention configured as described above, when the filter is fixed by the fixing means (bolts and nuts) , the fan and the casing are lifted by the pressing means (spring) . Therefore, the filter and the filter can be replaced safely and easily by simply separating the casing and the filter without imposing a special burden on the worker. In addition, since it is not necessary to move the fan and casing to another place when the filter is exchanged, a space for temporarily placing the fan and casing becomes unnecessary. Further, since the fixing means and the pressing means are configured by a simple mechanism, the fan filter unit can be provided at low cost.
[0011]
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the casing is provided with a locking member that locks the filter and lifts the filter when the fan and the casing are lifted. In this case, the locking member is preferably a guide rail configured to slide the filter in a substantially horizontal direction. According to the present invention, when the fixing means is released and the casing and the fan are raised by the pressing means, the filter is lifted together with the casing via the locking member (guide rail). As a result, the filter can be slid and detached while the filter is supported by the locking member. In addition, since the filter replacement operation can be performed without causing the lower surface of the filter and the installation surface to slide, the lower surface of the filter can be protected.
[0013]
In another preferred aspect of the present invention, the filter is divided into a plurality of parts, and the divided filters are connected by a connecting member. According to the present invention configured as described above, by removing the connecting member at the time of filter replacement, it is possible to replace the divided small filters one by one, and further reduce the space required for filter replacement work. Can do.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1A is a plan view of a fan filter unit according to this embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a front view of the fan filter unit according to this embodiment.
[0015]
As shown in FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b), a fan filter unit according to this embodiment includes three fans 1 for sucking air, a box-shaped casing 2 having a hollow inside, It is basically composed of a filter 3 that chemically purifies the air sucked by the fan 1. Each fan 1 is fixed to the upper part of the casing 2, and the filter 3 is detachably disposed at the lower part of the casing 2.
[0016]
The fan filter unit according to the present embodiment is installed in an apparatus that requires a clean atmosphere such as a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. According to this fan filter unit, air in the ambient atmosphere of the fan filter unit is sucked by the fan 1 and introduced into the filter 3, and chemically purified by the filter 3. And the highly purified atmosphere is implement | achieved by supplying the purified air in a desired atmosphere.
[0017]
On the installation surface 20 on which the fan filter unit is installed, four bolts 6 are erected in the vertical direction in the vicinity of the side wall portion of the casing 2. A spring 8 is attached to each of these bolts 6. These springs 8 are inserted into the bolts 6 so that the movement of the springs 8 in the expansion / contraction direction is guided, and are supported by a stopper 9 that contacts the lower end of the springs 8. Four brackets 10 are fixed to the side walls of the casing 2 at positions corresponding to the bolts 6 described above. Each bracket 10 is formed with insertion holes (not shown), and the bolts 6 are gently inserted into these insertion holes.
[0018]
With such a configuration, the vertical movement of the fan 1 and the casing 2 is guided by the four bolts 6 through the bracket 10 and is pressed upward by the spring 8. In the present embodiment, a spring having a pressing force sufficient to support the weight of the casing 2, the fan 1, and the filter 3 is used.
[0019]
Each bolt 6 is screwed with a nut 7 that contacts the upper portion of the bracket 10, and the nut 7 restricts the upward movement of the fan 1 and the casing 2 pressed by the spring 8. Further, by tightening the nut 7, the casing 2 and the fan 1 are pushed down via the bracket 10 against the pressing force of the spring 8, and the lower portion of the casing 2 is pressed against the upper portion of the filter 3. . In the present embodiment, the bolt 6 and the nut 7 constitute fixing means, and the spring 8 constitutes a pressing means.
[0020]
The filter 3 is covered with an outer frame member 11 made of metal or resin, and the outer frame member 11 is provided with ribs 12. The rib 12 can also function as a reinforcing member for the outer frame member 11. Gaskets 13 are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the filter 3 to ensure airtightness with the casing 2 and the installation surface 20. On the other hand, a guide rail (locking member) 14 having a shape to be locked to the rib 12 described above is provided on the side wall portion of the casing 2.
[0021]
As described above, by tightening the nut 7, the casing 2 and the fan 1 are pushed down against the pressing force of the spring 8, and the filter 3 is fixed by the lower surface of the casing 2 and the installation surface 20. In this state, the installation surface 20 and the filter 3 and the casing 2 and the filter 3 are brought into close contact with each other by the gaskets 13 disposed on the upper surface and the lower surface of the filter 3, and an airtight state of the air flow path to be purified is ensured. Further, in the state where the filter 3 is fixed, as shown in FIG. 1B, the guide rail 14 and the rib 12 are not in contact with each other, and a gap is formed between them in the vertical direction.
[0022]
Next, an operation process for replacing the filter 3 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state of the fan filter unit according to the present embodiment when the filter is replaced.
As shown in FIG. 2, by loosening each nut 7, the casing 2 and the fan 1 receive the pressing force of the spring 8 guided by the bolt 6 and rise together with the nut 7, and the filter 3 is released from being fixed. As the nut 7 is loosened, the casing 2 and the fan 1 are further raised, and the guide rail 14 attached to the casing 2 is also raised together with the casing 2. Eventually, the guide rail 14 is locked to the rib 12 while the guide rail 14 is rising, and the filter 3 is pulled up together with the casing 2 via the guide rail 14. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the gasket 13 attached to the lower part of the filter 3 is separated from the installation surface 20.
[0023]
The replacement work of the filter 3 is performed in a state where the filter 3 is pulled up from the installation surface 20 via the guide rail 14. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, when the filter 3 is supported by the guide rail 14, a gap is formed above and below the filter 3, so that the longitudinal direction (horizontal direction) in FIG. Can be easily slid to.
[0024]
As described above, the filter 3 is taken out and attached in a state where a gap is provided above and below the filter 3, so that the gasket 13 does not rub against the installation surface 20. Therefore, damage to the gasket 13 can be prevented, dust can be prevented from being generated when the filter 3 is inserted and removed, and the soundness of the sealing function of the gasket 13 can be easily secured. In addition, the sliding resistance can be reduced by attaching fluororesin, polyacetal resin or nylon resin to the sliding surface on which the guide rail 14 slides with the rib 12, and the particle from the sliding surface can be reduced when replacing the filter. Occurrence can be reduced.
[0025]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a filter used in the fan filter unit according to the present embodiment. The configuration that is not particularly described is the same as that of the first embodiment described above, and thus the description thereof is omitted.
[0026]
As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, two substantially square filters 3a and 3b are used. A connecting buckle (connecting member) 15 for connecting the filters 3a and 3b to each other is provided on the side surfaces of the filters 3a and 3b. The connecting buckle 15 is configured so that the two filters 3a and 3b can be easily connected and disconnected. The filters 3a and 3b are attached to the lower part of the casing 2 (see FIG. 1B) in a state of being connected to each other.
[0027]
At the time of replacement of the filter, similarly to the first embodiment, the nut 7 is loosened, the filters 3a and 3b are lifted through the guide rail 14, and the filters 3a and 3b are slid and removed (see FIG. 1B). In the present embodiment, the filters 3a and 3b can be replaced one by one by releasing the connection of the filters 3a and 3b by the connecting buckle 15. As a result, the filter replacement operation can be performed in a smaller space than in the first embodiment.
[0028]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, when replacing the filter, the filter can be replaced while the casing and the fan are supported by the pressing means, so that the burden on the worker can be greatly reduced. It becomes possible. In addition, since the worker does not need to move the casing and the fan, the safety of the filter replacement operation can be greatly improved. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to secure a space for temporarily placing the casing and the fan, it is possible to perform the filter replacement work in a small space.
[0029]
An inexpensive fan filter unit can be provided by using bolts and nuts as fixing means for fixing the filter and using springs as pressing means for pressing the fan and casing. Although it is conceivable to use a cylinder such as air pressure as the means for pressing the fan and the casing, the mechanism is more complicated than the case where a spring is used, and the cost is considered to increase.
[0030]
By providing the locking member on the casing, the filter can be lifted by the pressing means via the locking member. As a result, the filter can be easily separated from the installation surface, and the burden on the operator when replacing the filter can be further reduced. Also, sliding the filter on the locking member (guide rail) can prevent sliding between the installation surface and the lower surface of the filter. As a result, for example, when a gasket for securing airtightness is attached to the lower surface of the filter, it is possible to prevent generation of dust due to gasket tearing, and further prevent damage to the gasket due to sliding. Airtightness due to the gasket can be secured.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1A is a plan view of a fan filter unit according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a front view of the fan filter unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state when the filter of the fan filter unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention is replaced.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a filter used in a fan filter unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
4 (a) is a plan view of a conventional fan filter unit, and FIG. 4 (b) is a front view of the conventional fan filter unit.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fan 2 Casing 3 Filter 6 Bolt 7 Nut 8 Spring 9 Stopper 10 Bracket 11 Outer frame member 12 Rib 13 Gasket 14 Guide rail (locking member)
15 Connecting buckle 16 Screw 20 Installation surface

Claims (4)

A fan filter unit in which a fan is disposed at a predetermined portion of the casing, and a filter for chemically purifying air is detachably disposed at a lower portion of the casing,
A bolt for guiding the vertical movement of the fan and the casing;
A spring mounted on the bolt and pressing the fan and the casing upward ;
A nut that is screwed to the bolt and that pushes down the fan and the casing against the pressing force of the spring to fix the filter to an installation surface ;
The fan filter unit, wherein the spring raises the fan and the casing as the nut is loosened .   2. The fan filter unit according to claim 1, wherein a locking member that locks the filter to raise the filter when the fan and the casing are lifted is provided in the casing.   The fan filter unit according to claim 2, wherein the locking member is a guide rail configured to slide the filter in a substantially horizontal direction. The fan filter unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the filter is divided into a plurality of parts, and the divided filters are connected by a connecting member.

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