JP4819488B2 - Bellows - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a bellows, and more particularly to a bellows that can increase the overall strength and prevent the fluid from remaining in a flow path.

As a conduit connected to a cleaning device of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, a bellows having a structure that can expand and contract in the length direction is used. As a conventional bellows, one in which the stretchable part is constituted by spiral irregularities is known (see Patent Document 1). The bellows has a large-diameter end and a small-diameter end formed at both ends of the expansion / contraction part, and other pipes are connected to the large-diameter end and the small-diameter end, respectively.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-6824

  However, in such a conventional bellows, when the cleaning liquid is connected to the cleaning device of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus as described above and the cleaning liquid passes through the internal flow path, the cleaning liquid is on the inner surface side of the expansion / contraction part. It becomes easy to collect in the concave portion. As a result, the expansion and contraction deformation of the bellows is hindered, and the durability is deteriorated due to temporal modification such as corrosion inside the bellows, and there is a problem that good quality cannot be maintained for a long time.

  In addition, according to the experiments by the present inventors, the above-described bellows in which spiral irregularities are formed, compared with the bellows-shaped bellows in which irregularities are repeatedly formed in the radial direction, its tension, bending, vibration, It was found that the rigidity against various elements such as torsion is remarkably high. The reason for this is that since the spiral projections and depressions are formed in the bellows stretchable part, the stretchable part has a structure approximating that of the coil spring, so that when various external forces are applied, It is considered that a higher degree of rigidity can be obtained than a simple bellows-like bellows.

  The present invention has been devised by paying attention to the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a bellows capable of effectively preventing the remaining of the fluid in the flow path while increasing the overall strength. There is.

(1) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a helical bellows formed on the outer peripheral surface side of a cylinder in a cylindrical bellows in which both ends are open ends and fluid can pass through an internal flow path. A groove and a spiral inner peripheral groove formed on the inner peripheral surface side of the cylinder so as not to interfere with the outer peripheral groove,
The outer circumferential groove is provided in a shape having a substantially U-shaped cross section,
The inner circumferential groove is provided with a substantially U-shaped cross section, and does not open outward at the open end on the inlet side of the flow path, but opens outward at the open end on the outlet side of the flow path. It has a configuration of “Yes”.

(2) Further, in a cylindrical bellows in which both end sides are open ends and fluid can pass through an internal flow path, an inflow side mounting portion on the inlet side of the flow path and an outflow side on the outlet side of the flow path A mounting portion, and a telescopic portion positioned between the inflow side mounting portion and the outflow side mounting portion,
The expansion / contraction part includes a spiral outer peripheral groove formed on the outer peripheral surface side of the cylinder, and a spiral inner peripheral groove formed on the inner peripheral surface side of the cylinder so as not to interfere with the outer peripheral groove,
The outer circumferential groove is provided in a shape having a substantially U-shaped cross section,
The inner circumferential groove is provided in a shape having a substantially U-shaped cross section, and is provided in a shape extending from a boundary portion between the inflow side mounting portion and the extendable portion to an open end of the outflow side mounting portion. , Is adopted.

  (3) Further, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the maximum groove width of the inner peripheral groove is set larger than the maximum groove width of the outer peripheral groove.

  According to the configurations of (1) and (2), the outer peripheral groove and the inner peripheral groove that do not interfere with each other are formed in a spiral shape, so that when various external forces are applied, they are flexible like a coil spring. Therefore, higher rigidity than that of the bellows-like bellows can be obtained. In addition, since the inner circumferential groove is opened at the open end on the fluid outlet side, even if the fluid that passes through the flow path inside the bellows enters the inner circumferential groove, the fluid flows from the open end on the fluid outlet side to the outside of the bellows. It is easy to release the fluid and it is possible to effectively prevent the fluid from remaining in the bellows. As a result, while imparting high strength to the bellows, it is possible to prevent deterioration and modification of the bellows over time and contribute to maintaining the long-term quality of the bellows.

  Further, by configuring as in the above (3), it is possible to improve the fluid escape from the inner circumferential groove without reducing the strength on the outer circumferential side, and it is possible to further improve the above-described effects. become.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a bellows according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the bellows. The bellows 10 shown in these figures is not particularly limited, but is formed into a cylindrical shape with a fluorine-based resin, connected to a cleaning device of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus (not shown), and an acidic cleaning liquid is placed inside the cylinder. It passes through the flow path. The bellows 10 of this embodiment is arranged in the direction of the arrow in FIGS. 1 and 2 in the direction in which the cleaning liquid flows.

  The bellows 10 is formed in a cylindrical shape whose both ends are open ends, an inflow side mounting portion 11 that is an end portion on the inlet side of the cleaning liquid, and an outflow side mounting portion 12 that is an end portion on the outlet side of the cleaning liquid. The expansion / contraction part 13 located between the inflow side mounting part 11 and the outflow side mounting part 12 is configured.

  The inflow side mounting portion 11 and the outflow side mounting portion 12 are not particularly limited, but have an outer diameter, an inner diameter, and a vertical length in FIG. 2 (hereinafter simply referred to as “length”). Are connected to the device side (not shown) by screws S provided on the outer peripheral surfaces 11A and 12A, respectively.

  The internal space of the expansion / contraction part 13 is connected to the internal space of the inflow side mounting part 11 and the outflow side mounting part 12, and is not particularly limited, but the internal space of the expansion / contraction part 13 and the inflow side mounting part 11 and The inner space of the outflow side mounting portion 12 is set to the same inner diameter. In addition, the expansion / contraction part 13 is set to be longer than the inflow side attachment part 11 and the outflow side attachment part 12 while the outer diameter is set slightly smaller.

  On the outer peripheral surface 13 </ b> A side of the expansion / contraction part 13, spiral outer peripheral grooves 15 are formed at a constant pitch. The outer circumferential groove 15 continuously extends from the boundary portion between the inflow side mounting portion 11 and the expansion / contraction portion 13 to the boundary portion between the outflow side mounting portion 12 and the expansion / contraction portion 13 and has a cross section as shown in FIG. Is provided in a shape that is substantially U-shaped. The outer peripheral groove 15 is not limited to the shape of the present embodiment. For example, the pitch may be changed in the middle, or the cross-sectional shape may be a U shape or a V shape. You may form intermittently in the surface 13A side.

  Furthermore, a spiral inner peripheral groove 18 is formed on each of the inner peripheral surfaces 12B and 13B of the outflow side mounting portion 12 and the telescopic portion 13. The inner circumferential groove 18 is provided at a position shifted up and down in FIG. 2 with respect to the outer circumferential groove 15 at the same pitch as the outer circumferential groove 15 so as not to interfere with the outer circumferential groove 15. The inner circumferential groove 18 continuously extends from the boundary portion between the inflow side mounting portion 11 and the expansion / contraction portion 13 to the open end on the outflow side mounting portion 12 side. The inner circumferential groove 18 has a substantially U-shaped cross section, and the maximum groove width is larger than the outer circumferential groove 15. The inner circumferential groove 18 is not limited to the shape of the present embodiment, and may have various shapes as long as the inner circumferential groove 18 is opened to the outside at the open end on the outflow side mounting portion 12 side without interfering with the outer circumferential groove 15. Can be adopted. For example, the pitch may be changed in the middle according to the outer peripheral groove 15, or the cross-sectional shape may be V-shaped. The inner circumferential groove 18 can also be formed extending to the inner circumferential surface 11B side on the inflow side mounting portion 11 side.

  In the bellows 10 configured as described above, the cleaning liquid that has flowed into the bellows 10 from the inflow side mounting portion 11 is discharged from the inflow side mounting portion 11 to the outside of the bellows 10, but the inner peripheral groove 18 is formed. Since it continuously extends to the open end on the outflow side mounting portion 12 side and opens to the outside of the bellows 10, the cleaning liquid that has entered the inner peripheral groove 18 by using the pressure of the cleaning liquid that passes through the bellows 10. Can be forcibly discharged to the outside on the outflow side mounting portion 12 side, and an effect that the liquid pool inside the bellows 10 can be prevented is obtained.

  In addition, since the outer peripheral groove 15 and the inner peripheral groove 18 are provided in a spiral shape at positions that do not interfere with each other, the bellows 10 has a structure like a coil spring, and the elastic portion 13 can be flexibly expanded and contracted. It is also possible to prevent the bellows 10 from being broken.

  In addition, the bellows in the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be composed of other resins, metals, or the like.

  The present invention can also be applied to bellows used for purposes other than those described above, and can be applied to any bellows through which other liquids and gases pass.

  In addition, the configuration of each part of the apparatus in the present invention is not limited to the illustrated configuration example, and various modifications are possible as long as substantially the same operation is achieved.

The schematic perspective view of the bellows concerning a present Example. The schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the said bellows.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Bellows 11 Inflow side mounting part 12 Outflow side mounting part 13 Expansion / contraction part 15 Outer peripheral groove 18 Inner peripheral groove

Claims (3)

In the cylindrical bellows where both ends become open ends and fluid can pass through the internal flow path,
A spiral outer peripheral groove formed on the outer peripheral surface side of the cylinder, and a spiral inner peripheral groove formed on the inner peripheral surface side of the cylinder so as not to interfere with the outer peripheral groove;
The outer circumferential groove is provided in a shape having a substantially U-shaped cross section,
The inner circumferential groove is provided with a substantially U-shaped cross section, and does not open outward at the open end on the inlet side of the flow path, but opens outward at the open end on the outlet side of the flow path. Bellows characterized by In the cylindrical bellows where both ends become open ends and fluid can pass through the internal flow path,
An inflow side mounting part on the inlet side of the flow path, an outflow side mounting part on the outlet side of the flow path, and an expansion / contraction part positioned between the inflow side mounting part and the outflow side mounting part,
The expansion / contraction part includes a spiral outer peripheral groove formed on the outer peripheral surface side of the cylinder, and a spiral inner peripheral groove formed on the inner peripheral surface side of the cylinder so as not to interfere with the outer peripheral groove,
The outer circumferential groove is provided in a shape having a substantially U-shaped cross section,
The inner circumferential groove is provided in a shape having a substantially U-shaped cross section, and is provided in a shape extending from a boundary portion between the inflow side mounting portion and the extendable portion to an open end of the outflow side mounting portion. Bellows characterized by that.   The bellows according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a maximum groove width of the inner peripheral groove is set larger than a maximum groove width of the outer peripheral groove.

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