JP4975278B2 - Housing joining mechanism - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a joining mechanism that reliably seals a joint (for example, a glass window) provided in a housing (for example, a device housing of an isolator device) that has been decontaminated.

  In factories that manufacture pharmaceuticals and the like, a decontaminated space is locally configured in order to efficiently fill and process each product in a decontaminated air atmosphere. As what implement | achieves this, an isolator apparatus, a mini environment, etc. can be illustrated.

  Here, for example, in an isolator device, it is general that a wall portion of an apparatus housing is provided with a joint portion such as a glass window that is opened and closed. And the joining mechanism provided with the seal | sticker used as packing material in the periphery of this junction part is provided. Thereby, when the junction is closed, air can be prevented from leaking (leaking) into the apparatus casing or outside the apparatus casing via the junction (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  More specifically, the case joining mechanism for preventing leakage of air has a structure in which the seal disposed on the periphery of the joined portion is brought into surface contact with the abutting portion facing the seal so as to closely contact each other. . In such a joining mechanism, in the configuration in which only a single seal is provided, when the seal is damaged and leaks, air may enter the apparatus casing or may leak out of the apparatus casing. Therefore, a configuration in which the second seal is provided side by side to guarantee the first seal has also been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 2).

By the way, in the above configuration, due to the nature of the product to be handled, the airtightness in the apparatus housing needs to be managed very strictly. For example, in the case of an aseptic isolator, the presence of several bacteria becomes a problem, and in the case of a hazard isolator, leakage of 1 μg / m ³ powder becomes a problem. If such a problem occurs and the inside of the device casing is contaminated, it will be extremely damaging. For this reason, it is indispensable to maintain airtightness in such an apparatus casing, and the significance of improving the reliability of the joining mechanism for maintaining airtightness is extremely large. In view of such a background, the above-described joining mechanism can always verify the decontamination level in the apparatus housing in order to prevent contamination in the apparatus housing, and immediately if a problem occurs, What can be handled is desirable.

JP-A-3-7837 JP 2004-65967 A

  However, it is difficult to check the leak amount after the periphery of the joint portion is closed, and it is difficult to check and verify the joint state. Further, when a large number of tightening points or a large tightening strength is required to improve the reliability of the seal, there is a problem that workability is deteriorated with an increase in structural strength.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a housing joining mechanism that can solve at least one of the above problems.

  The present invention is a housing joint mechanism in which the seal is in intimate contact with the joint portion of the housing that is decontaminated inside, and the air is prevented from flowing in and out through the joint portion. A tubular expansion / contraction seal provided at the periphery of the joint portion and having an inner space, and an air source is connected to the inner space via an air flow passage so that the inner space is The internal pressure of the inner space is applied by applying a predetermined pressure and introducing air from the air source to the inner space through the air flow passage or discharging the air from the inner space to the outside. Of the casing, wherein the casing is provided with a passing air management means for continuously measuring the flow rate and / or pressure of the air passing through the air flow passage. It is a joining mechanism. Here, decontamination includes chemical T-phase decontamination, sterilization, sterilization, sterilization, and the like. Further, examples of the housing include an apparatus housing of an isolator device, a chamber, and the like. Moreover, as a junction part, there exist a glass window, a door, a hatch, etc., for example. The passing air management means can be constituted by a micro flow meter for measuring the flow rate of air passing through the air flow passage or a fine particle counter. The passing air management means can be constituted by a pressure gauge that measures the pressure of air, a vacuum gauge, or the like. The continuous measurement according to the present invention includes intermittent continuous measurement in addition to continuous continuous measurement. As an air source, for example, a compressed air source that supplies compressed air or a gas source that supplies nitrogen, He, Ar, or the like is proposed.

  In such a configuration, in order to properly secure an airtight state in the housing, the expansion / contraction seal needs to be appropriately expanded and interposed in a close contact manner at the periphery of the joint portion. Here, as described above, by adopting a configuration in which the flow rate and / or pressure of the air passing through the air flow passage is continuously measured, it is possible to grasp fluctuations in the internal pressure of the expansion / contraction seal. In other words, this state measurement enables various state verifications such as the expansion / contraction seal being in a predetermined expansion state. And the airtight state in a housing | casing can be confirmed indirectly by the verification.

  Further, in the above configuration, the passing air management means includes flow rate measuring means for measuring the flow rate of air passing through the air flow passage and pressure measuring means for measuring the pressure of air passing through the air flow passage. And an appropriate flow rate range determining unit for determining whether or not the flow rate of the air measured by the flow rate measuring unit is within a predetermined appropriate flow rate range, and an air pressure measured by the pressure measuring unit, It is determined that the pressure appropriate range determination means for determining whether or not the pressure is within a predetermined pressure appropriate range, the leak notification means for notifying the leak of the expansion / contraction seal, and the flow rate appropriate range determination means are not within the flow appropriate range, And only when the said pressure appropriate range determination means determines with it not being in an appropriate pressure range, the structure provided with the leak alert control means which alert | reports the leak of an expansion / contraction seal by the said leak alert means is proposed.

  In such a configuration, if the flow rate and pressure range are outside the proper range, the internal pressure of the expansion / contraction seal has greatly fluctuated, so it may be assumed that the expansion / contraction seal has been damaged. It becomes possible, and an abnormal alarm for notifying the possibility of contamination in the housing can be immediately and automatically performed. Here, the reason for notifying the leak only when both the flow rate and pressure are abnormal is as follows. That is, the measured pressure is largely affected by the temperature change of the air and is unstable, and the reliability of the measured value is low. Therefore, if either one of the measured flow rate or pressure is constantly at an appropriate value, it can be determined as an error in the measurement system, whereby the expansion / contraction seal is in an appropriate expansion state, and the inside of the housing There can be no abnormality.

  In addition, an air flow blocking device for blocking air flow in the air flow passage is connected to the air flow passage, and the air flow blocking in the air flow passage is blocked by the air flow blocking device. An air passage in which air is present is formed between the position and the inner space of the expansion / contraction seal, and the air flow through which the passing air management means tries to flow into the inner space of the expansion / contraction seal by the air flow blocking device A configuration is proposed in which the flow rate and pressure of air flowing through the air passage are continuously measured.

  In such a configuration, when the air passage as described above is provided and the air flow is interrupted by the air flow shut-off device, the inner space of the expansion / contraction seal communicating with each other and the space formed by the air passage are It becomes a closed system. Therefore, for example, when a predetermined time elapses from the shut-off, the air existing in the empty space is stagnated and the air flow is reduced. If the expansion / contraction seal is damaged in such a stagnation state, the air in the empty space leaks from the damaged portion, so that a stable air flow with less turbulence occurs. Therefore, the measurement accuracy is greatly improved.

  Further, in the above configuration, a concave groove having a predetermined depth that opens in the abutting direction is formed in the abutting portion in close contact with the expansion / contraction seal, and is formed between the concave groove and the expansion / contraction seal. A configuration is proposed in which the gap formed is a negative pressure with respect to the inner space of the expansion / contraction seal.

  In such a configuration, if the expansion / contraction seal is damaged and the air filled in the inner space leaks out to the surroundings, the leaked air is sucked into the gap according to the present invention. . That is, such a configuration can prevent the air in the expansion / contraction seal used for verifying the decontamination level in the housing from leaking into and out of the housing, and serves as a guarantee.

  In addition, a configuration is proposed in which the gap formed between the concave groove and the expansion / contraction seal is a negative pressure with respect to the inside and the outside of the housing.

  In such a configuration, if the expansion / contraction seal is damaged, in addition to leaked air leaking from the expansion / contraction seal, air inside the housing and air outside the housing are also sucked into the gap. That is, this configuration has a higher level of guarantee function because air inside the casing does not flow out of the casing and air outside the casing does not flow into the casing.

  In addition, a configuration has been proposed in which the seal thickness of the portion of the expansion / contraction seal that faces the opening of the concave groove is thinner than the thickness of the portion that does not face the opening of the concave groove. The

  In such a configuration, the above-described thin portion is considered to be a portion that is easily broken in the expansion / contraction seal in consideration of durability. The present invention is characterized in that the portion that is relatively easy to break is intentionally provided at a position facing the concave groove. In other words, the thin-walled portion is intentionally formed, and the negative pressure groove and the thin-walled portion are made to face each other in anticipation that the expansion / contraction seal is broken at the thin-walled portion. That is, when the expansion / contraction seal is damaged (thin wall portion) and the air filled in the seal leaks out to the surroundings, the leaked air can be quickly sucked in the concave groove. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to avoid the damage that the inside of the housing is contaminated without being able to suck the leaked air when the expansion / contraction seal is broken by the concave groove.

  The air introduced into the inner space of the expansion / contraction seal may be decontaminated air.

  By adopting such a configuration, even if the air in the expansion / contraction seal leaks into and out of the housing, no contamination is caused.

  In addition, a negative-pressure air suction path that is negative with respect to the inside and outside of the housing is provided at a position closer to the inside of the housing than the position of the expansion / contraction seal, and passes through the periphery of the joint. A configuration is proposed in which air to be sucked is sucked in the negative pressure air suction passage.

  In such a configuration, even if an abnormality occurs in the expansion / contraction seal, and the air may circulate inside or outside the housing via the joint, the air is in the negative pressure air suction path. Will be collected. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the contaminated air from flowing in from the outside and to prevent leakage from the inside.

  Furthermore, in the above configuration, the guide wall that stands up from the peripheral edge of the joint portion or the vicinity thereof to the inside of the housing is provided in a belt shape along the disposition direction of the expansion / contraction seal, and is joined to the guide wall. A configuration is proposed in which the gap formed between the two parts is a negative pressure air suction path.

  Here, as a guarantee when the expansion / contraction seal is broken, a configuration has been proposed in which a second seal is arranged in parallel with the position where the expansion / contraction seal is disposed closer to the inside of the housing. However, in order to simultaneously bring a plurality of seals into surface contact with the abutting portion with equal surface pressure and join the joining portion, an advanced joining technique is required, and the installation operator needs to be skilled. For this reason, the workability is extremely poor and the reliability of cleanliness is lost if it is by an operator with little experience. On the other hand, according to the present invention, the second seal is not provided as a guarantee of the expansion / contraction seal, but a guarantee function of the expansion / contraction seal is provided using a guide wall. Thereby, workability at the time of joining the joint portions is improved, and reliability can be ensured even by joining by an inexperienced worker.

  Since the joining mechanism of the housing of the present invention is configured to include passing air management means for continuously measuring the flow rate and / or pressure of the air passing through the air flow passage, it is possible to continuously check the expansion / contraction seal. It becomes possible. And by this state confirmation, it becomes possible to always monitor the inside of a housing | casing indirectly, and there exists an effect which can always verify the decontamination level in a housing | casing.

  In addition, when the configuration is such that the leak of the expansion / contraction seal is notified only when it is determined that the measured flow rate is not within the proper flow rate range and the measured pressure is not within the proper pressure range, the internal pressure of the expansion / contraction seal is determined. It can be detected that fluctuates abnormally. And by such a detection, it can be estimated that the expansion / contraction seal is damaged, and it is possible to take measures such as immediately issuing an abnormality alarm.

  Moreover, when it is set as the structure which measures continuously the flow volume and pressure of the air which flows through an air path, since air can be once stagnated and then the flow of air can be measured, the measurement accuracy improves dramatically. effective.

  In addition, a concave groove is formed in the abutting portion that abuts the expansion / contraction seal, and the gap formed between the concave groove and the expansion / contraction seal has a negative pressure against the inner space of the expansion / contraction seal. When the expansion / contraction seal is damaged and air in the inner space leaks out, the leaked air can be guided to the outside by the concave groove, and the inside of the housing is contaminated. There is an effect that can be prevented.

  In addition, when the gap formed between the groove and the expansion / contraction seal has a negative pressure with respect to the inside and outside of the housing, air inside and outside the housing is also sucked into the groove. It is possible to prevent the air inside the housing from flowing out of the housing or the air outside the housing from flowing into the housing.

  Also, when the seal thickness of the expansion / contraction seal is such that the seal thickness of the portion facing the opening of the ditch is thinner than the seal thickness of the portion not facing the opening of the ditch When the expansion / contraction seal is damaged, the damaged portion is located in the concave groove, so that the leaked air from the expansion / contraction seal can be quickly sucked by the concave groove.

  If the air introduced into the inner space of the expansion / contraction seal is decontaminated air, even if the air in the expansion / contraction seal leaks into and out of the housing, contamination will occur. There is no effect.

  In addition, when the negative pressure air suction path is provided at a position closer to the inside of the housing than the position where the expansion / contraction seal is disposed, there is an abnormality in the expansion / contraction seal, and air is passed through the joint. Even if the air circulates inside or outside the housing, there is an effect that the air can be collected to avoid contamination.

  Furthermore, when a guide wall is provided along the arrangement direction of the expansion / contraction seal, and the gap formed between the guide wall and the joint is a negative pressure air suction path, a second seal is provided. Since it becomes unnecessary, workability such as maintenance of the joint is improved, and there is an effect that reliability can be secured even by joining by an inexperienced worker.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows a double wall type isolator device 1.
The isolator device 1 includes a base 10. Further, on the base 10, the apparatus housing 2 whose inside is decontaminated is held. In such a configuration, the interior of the apparatus housing 2 is hermetically sealed to form a local clean space. The device housing 2 constitutes a housing according to the present invention.

  Inside the apparatus housing 2, a partition plate 44 is provided in the vertical direction. And the clearance gap formed between this partition plate 44 and the wall part 20 of the apparatus housing | casing 2 becomes the surrounding circuit 40 in which air can flow. On the other hand, a space in the center of the apparatus housing 2 is a work space 21. In addition, a communication port 43 that allows the work space 21 and the peripheral circuit 40 to communicate with each other is provided at the lower end of the partition plate 44.

  A HEPA filter 42 for purifying gas is disposed on the work space 21. Furthermore, a rectifying plate 45 for adjusting the airflow is bridged under the HEPA filter 42.

  Further, on the HEPA filter 42, a blower 41 capable of blowing air in one direction is installed. Then, the air blown by the blower 41 flows into the work space 21 through the HEPA filter 42 and the rectifying plate 45. Further, the air that has passed through the work space 21 passes through the communication port 43 and enters the peripheral circuit 40, and ascends in the peripheral circuit 40. The rising air reaches the blower 41 and is blown again into the work space 21 by the blower 41.

  In addition, a window frame 4 that communicates with the inside and outside of the wall portion 20 of the apparatus housing 2 is opened. A plate-like glass window 3 (joining portion) is joined to the window frame 4 in an airtight manner. In addition, since the joining mechanism A of the apparatus housing | casing 2 which blocks | prevents that air distribute | circulates inside and outside through the glass window 3 is a principal part of this invention, it is explained in full detail later.

  Further, a work hole 5 is formed in the glass window 3. A cylindrical support member 9 is horizontally attached to the work hole 5. Further, the base end portion of the work glove 8 is attached to the front end of the support member 9 in an airtight manner using an O-ring 11. Thereby, the work hole 5 is sealed, and an operator can perform various operations while inserting a hand into the work glove 8 from the outside and checking the inside through the glass window 3.

  Next, the joining mechanism A for joining the glass window 3 to the window frame 4 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. In addition, the joining mechanism A is arrange | positioned over the perimeter so that the glass window 3 may be enclosed. Therefore, as an example, the joining mechanism A related to the upper edge portion of the glass window 3 will be described as an example, and description of other portions will be omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a seal holding member 22 having an L-shaped cross section protruding outward is disposed on the wall portion 20 of the apparatus housing 2 and above the glass window 3. Specifically, the proximal end portion of the seal holding member 22 protrudes horizontally from the wall surface, and the distal end portion is bent downward. Thereby, a gap that opens in the direction of the glass window 3 is formed between the seal holding member 22 and the wall portion 20. A known product expansion / contraction seal 30 is loaded in close contact with the gap. As a result, the expansion / contraction seal 30 is provided along the periphery of the glass window 3.

  The expansion / contraction seal 30 will be described in detail. The seal member is made of an elastic material such as rubber or resin, and has a tubular shape (tube shape). And when the internal pressure of the inner space part 31 increases, it expands in the radial direction. On the other hand, when the internal pressure is reduced, it contracts in the radial direction.

  In the present invention, the air circulation pipe 50 is connected to the inner space 31 of the expansion / contraction seal 30. In addition, a pressure gauge 53, a mass flow meter 52, an on-off valve 51, and a compressor 54 are attached to the air circulation pipe 50. The air circulation pipe 50 is a pipe for introducing the compressed air generated by the compressor 54 into the inner space 31 of the expansion / contraction seal 30, and the pressure of the passing air is continuously increased by the pressure gauge 53. While being measured, the flow rate is continuously measured by the mass flow meter 52. The pressure gauge 53 and the mass flow meter 52 constitute a passing air management means according to the present invention. The compressor 54 constitutes an air source according to the present invention.

  Further, an exhaust air circulation pipe 70 is connected to the inner space portion 31. The exhaust air flow conduit 70 is a conduit for exhausting compressed air in the inner space 31 to the outside. An exhaust opening / closing valve 71 is mounted on the exhaust air circulation pipe 70.

  In such a configuration, when compressed air is introduced into the inner space 31 of the expansion / contraction seal 30, the internal pressure of the inner space 31 increases, and the expansion / contraction seal 30 is expanded by being applied to a predetermined pressure. The flow rate of the introduced air can be adjusted by opening / closing control of the opening / closing valve 51 attached to the air circulation pipe 50. On the other hand, the expansion / contraction seal 30 can be contracted by lowering the internal pressure of the inner space portion 31 by opening / closing control of the exhaust opening / closing valve 71 attached to the exhaust air circulation pipe 70. The air circulation pipes 50 and 70 constitute an air flow passage according to the present invention.

  A glass window holding member 23 having a substantially rectangular cross section is disposed below the expansion / contraction seal 30. Specifically, the upper surface of the glass window holding member 23 is in surface contact with the tip 22 a of the seal holding member 22 and the lower surface of the expansion / contraction seal 30. Further, the right side surface of the glass window holding member 23 is in close contact with the wall portion 20. Furthermore, a holding groove 25 having a groove width equal to the thickness of the glass window 3 is formed on the lower surface of the glass window holding member 23, and the upper edge of the glass window 3 is fitted in the holding groove 25. Thereby, the glass window holding member 23 holds the glass window 3. That is, with this configuration, the joining mechanism A in which the expansion / contraction seal 30 is disposed on the periphery of the glass window 3 is configured.

  An auxiliary member 24 is disposed below the glass window holding member 23 and in front of the window frame 4. The auxiliary member 24 is for fixing the glass window holding member 23 to the glass window 3 in close contact.

  Incidentally, a concave groove 35 having a predetermined depth that opens upward (that is, on the expansion / contraction seal 30 side) is provided in the contact portion 30a that is in contact with the expansion / contraction seal 30 on the upper surface of the glass window holding member 23. It has been. A negative pressure suction pipe 55 is connected to the gap formed between the concave groove 35 and the expansion / contraction seal 30. This gap (negative pressure suction path 36 described later) will be described later.

  An open / close valve 56, a pressure gauge 58, a mass flow meter 57, and a vacuum pump 59 are attached to the negative pressure suction pipe 55. In this configuration, when the vacuum pump 59 is driven, the negative pressure suction pipe 55 becomes negative pressure at least with respect to the inner space 31 of the expansion / contraction seal 30, and the space between the expansion / contraction seal 30 and the concave groove 35. The air gap formed in is made negative pressure. As a result, the gap between the expansion / contraction seal 30 and the concave groove 35 serves as a negative pressure suction path 36 having a negative pressure relative to at least the inner space 31 of the expansion / contraction seal 30. With this configuration, if the expansion / contraction seal 30 is damaged and the compressed air filled in the inner space 31 leaks out to the surroundings, the leaked air is sucked into the negative pressure suction path 36. It becomes. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the compressed air in the expansion / contraction seal 30 from leaking into the apparatus housing 2.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the negative pressure suction pipe 55 communicating with the concave groove 35 is reduced to 10 to 5000 Pa with respect to the outside air, and the negative pressure suction path 36 is also applied to the inside and outside of the apparatus housing 2. Negative pressure is set. With this configuration, when the expansion / contraction seal 30 is damaged, the air inside the device housing 2 and the air outside the device housing 2 are sucked into the negative pressure suction path 36. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the air in the apparatus housing 2 from flowing out or the outside air from flowing into the apparatus housing 2, and a configuration with a high level of guarantee function can be provided.

  The flow rate of the air discharged from the negative pressure suction path 36 can be adjusted by opening / closing control of the open / close valve 56 attached to the negative pressure suction pipe 55 having the negative pressure suction path 36 inside the concave groove 35. it can. Further, the pressure of the exhaust air is continuously measured by the pressure gauge 58 and the flow rate thereof is continuously measured by the mass flow meter 57. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to constantly monitor the situation inside the apparatus housing 2. That is, by confirming that the predetermined pressure has flowed out, it is possible to verify that the inside of the concave groove 35 is in the predetermined negative pressure state, and the state of the local clean space can be confirmed. Also, this measurement makes it possible to determine whether or not the limit flow rate has been exceeded. When the limit flow rate is exceeded, an abnormality can be determined, and an abnormality alarm or the like can be automatically performed.

Next, the management of the compressed air introduced into the expansion / contraction seal 30, which is the main part of the present invention, will be described in detail.
As described above, the compressed air introduced into the expansion / contraction seal 30 via the air circulation pipe 50 is continuously monitored by the pressure gauge 53 and the mass flow meter 52. That is, the fluctuation of the internal pressure of the expansion / contraction seal 30 can be always grasped, and it is possible to verify the state such as whether the expansion / contraction seal 30 is in a predetermined expansion state. And the cleanliness in the apparatus housing | casing 2 can be confirmed indirectly by the verification. For example, if the measured values of the pressure gauge 53 and the mass flow meter 52 are within an appropriate range, it can be determined that the expansion / contraction seal 30 is in an appropriately expanded state, and the decontamination state is secured, and the inside of the device housing 2 is abnormal. There can be no. On the other hand, when the measured values of the pressure gauge 53 and the mass flow meter 52 are not in an appropriate range, an abnormality occurrence warning can be issued based on this result.

  Further, a configuration is proposed in which the joining mechanism A includes a control device 73 as shown in FIG. 3 and automatically performs the air management as described above. As shown in FIG. 3, the control device 73 includes a CPU 74. The CPU 74 is connected to a storage device ROM 75 and a storage device RAM 76. More specifically, the storage device ROM 75 is connected to the CPU 74 via an address bus (not shown) that unilaterally transmits information for designating an address. The storage device RAM 76 is connected to the CPU 74 via a data bus (not shown) for exchanging data. Here, the storage device ROM 75 stores and holds fixed data such as a control program used for arithmetic processing. On the other hand, the storage device RAM 76 is provided with a storage area, a register area constituting a soft timer, a work area, and the like.

  Further, the pressure gauge 53 and the mass flow meter 52 are electrically connected to the control device 73. Further, the control device 73 is electrically connected to a notification speaker 72 that notifies a leak of the expansion / contraction seal 30 by sounding a warning sound.

  In such a configuration, each of the pressure gauge 53 and the mass flow meter 52 transmits measurement data to the control device 73 as needed. Then, the control device 73 that has received the data temporarily stores it in the storage device RAM 76. The control device 73 transmits a command signal to the notification speaker 72 when a predetermined warning notification condition is satisfied. And the notification speaker 72 which received this signal sounds a warning sound according to the said signal.

  Specifically, the control device 73 compares the pressure data transmitted from the pressure gauge 53 with the appropriate pressure range data stored in advance in the storage device ROM 75. Further, the flow rate data transmitted by the mass flow meter 52 is compared with the appropriate flow rate range data stored and held in the storage device ROM 75 in advance. Note that the appropriate pressure range and the appropriate flow rate range are numerical ranges indicating that the expansion / contraction seal 30 is in an appropriate state if the pressure or flow rate is measured within such a range. It is determined by experiment.

  When the control device 73 determines that the transmitted pressure data is within the proper pressure range or the transmitted flow data is within the proper flow range, for example, the internal pressure is maintained at a specified pressure. If the flow rate is zero, it is determined that the expansion / contraction seal 30 is in an appropriate expansion state, and a leak warning is not issued and the current state is maintained.

  On the other hand, when the control device 73 determines that the transmitted pressure data is out of the proper pressure range and the transmitted flow data is out of the proper flow range, the expansion / contraction seal 30 malfunctions and leaks. Therefore, a warning notification condition is established, a command signal is transmitted to the notification speaker 72, and a warning sound is generated.

  Here, only when the measured flow rate and pressure are abnormal, the leak is notified. The air pressure of the air circulation pipe 50 measured by the pressure gauge 53 is the temperature change of the air. This is because it is greatly affected and unstable, and the reliability of the measured value is low.

  The mass flow meter 52 according to the present embodiment constitutes a flow rate measuring unit according to the present invention. The pressure gauge 53 according to the present embodiment constitutes a pressure measuring unit according to the present invention. Further, the pressure data transmitted from the pressure gauge 53 according to the present embodiment and the appropriate pressure range data stored in the storage device ROM 75 are compared, and whether or not the measured pressure is within the proper pressure range. The appropriate pressure range determination means according to the present invention is configured by the control device 73 having the control content for determining the pressure. Further, the flow rate data transmitted by the mass flow meter 52 according to the present embodiment is compared with the appropriate flow rate range data stored in the storage device ROM 75, and it is determined whether or not the measured flow rate is within the proper flow rate range. An appropriate flow rate range determining means according to the present invention is configured by the control device 73 having the control content to be determined. Moreover, the leak notification means is comprised by the notification speaker 72 which concerns on a present Example. Further, the leak notification control means according to the present invention is configured by the control device 73 having the control content for commanding the sound of the warning sound according to the present embodiment.

  In addition, a configuration is proposed in which when the pressure and flow rate of air passing through the air circulation pipe 50 are measured, the measurement is performed after the on-off valve 51 is completely shut off. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, when the on-off valve 51 is shut off, a pressure gauge 53 and a mass flow meter 52 are provided between the shut-off position 51 a of the on-off valve 51 and the inner space 31 of the expansion / contraction seal 30. Is formed. That is, the air passage 50a and the inner space portion 31 communicate with each other via the connection portion 50b, and a void space closed to the outside is formed. Then, the air passage 50a as described above is formed, and this state is maintained for about five minutes, for example, and the air is stagnated. Then, using the pressure gauge 53 and the mass flow meter 52 connected to the air circulation pipe 50, the pressure and flow rate of the air flowing through the air passage 50a are continuously measured (for example, at intervals of one minute).

  By adopting such a configuration, if the expansion / contraction seal 30 is broken, the air in the empty space leaks from the broken portion, so that stable air flow with little disturbance can be measured. .

  The on-off valve 51 according to the present embodiment constitutes an air circulation blocking device according to the present invention.

  In addition, the configuration described so far is a configuration in which the pressure gauge 53 and the mass flow meter 52 are connected in series to one air circulation pipe 50. As a modification, as shown in FIG. The air circulation pipe 50 is constituted by a pressure measuring pipe 50c to which only the pressure gauge 53 is connected and a flow measuring pipe 50d to which only the mass flow meter 52 is connected, and the pipes 50c and 50d are arranged in parallel. It can also be configured. With this configuration, the pressure and flow rate can be measured independently.

  Next, the joining mechanism B according to the single-wall type isolator device 1a will be described with reference to FIG. Here, in the case of the single wall type, the peripheral circuit 40 is not formed on the glass window 3 side, and the glass window 3 faces the work space 21 directly. In addition, about the same structure as the double wall type isolator apparatus 1, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  A seal holding member 22 having an L-shaped cross section protruding outward is disposed on the wall portion 20 of the apparatus housing 2 and above the glass window 3. An expansion / contraction seal 30 and a known fixed seal 80 are juxtaposed in this gap. More specifically, the fixed seal 80 has a square cross section and is loaded on the wall 20 side adjacent to the expansion / contraction seal 30.

  In addition, an air circulation pipe 50 is connected to the inner space 31 of the expansion / contraction seal 30. An open / close valve 51, a pressure gauge 53, a mass flow meter 52, and a compressor 54 are attached to the air circulation pipe 50. Further, an exhaust air circulation pipe 70 is connected to the inner space portion 31. An exhaust opening / closing valve 71 is mounted on the exhaust air circulation pipe 70.

  Further, a glass window holding member 23 in which a concave groove 35 is formed is disposed below the expansion / contraction seal 30. A negative pressure suction pipe 55 equipped with an open / close valve 56, a pressure gauge 58, a mass flow meter 57, and a vacuum pump 59 is connected to the gap in the concave groove 35. Further, the glass window 3 sandwiched by the auxiliary member 24 is fitted into the holding groove 25 formed on the lower surface of the glass window holding member 23.

  In addition, the square pipe 61 that is fixed to the edge of the wall portion 20 and bulges inward of the apparatus housing 2 is directly above the window frame 4 and at the rear surface position of the glass window 3. A belt-like circumference is provided along the seal 30. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the square pipe 61 has a cylindrical shape with a rectangular cross section, and slit holes 63 penetrating inward and outward are provided intermittently along the longitudinal direction. . Further, as shown in FIG. 6, a backup negative pressure suction pipe 65 is connected to the inside 60 of the square pipe 61. An open / close valve 66, a pressure gauge 68, a mass flow meter 67, and a vacuum pump 69 are attached to the backup negative pressure suction pipe 65.

  The square pipe 61 is disposed at a position closer to the inside of the apparatus housing 2 than the position at which the expansion / contraction seal 30 is disposed. Further, gaps are provided between the upper end of the square pipe 61 and the glass window 3 and between the upper end of the square pipe 61 and the auxiliary member 24, respectively. Further, the glass window holding member 23 is not in contact with the fixed seal 80, and is disposed away from the wall portion 20 by the thickness of the fixed seal 80. That is, in the configuration described so far, the air gap 62 is formed in communication between the glass window holding member 23 and the wall portion 20 and between the glass window 3 and the square pipe 61. .

  In this configuration, when the vacuum pump 59 is driven, the back-up negative pressure suction pipe 65 is depressurized relative to the inside and outside of the apparatus housing 2 and the inside 60 of the square pipe 61 is set to a negative pressure. ing. As a result, the gap 62 becomes a negative pressure suction passage 62a for backup that is negative with respect to the work space 21 and the outside. By adopting such a configuration, if the expansion / contraction seal 30 is damaged, the compressed air filled in the inner space 31, the air in the apparatus housing 2 or the outside air passes through the peripheral edge of the glass window 3 and is backed up. It will be sucked into the negative pressure suction passage 62a. The flow rate of the air passing through the backup negative pressure suction pipe 65 can be controlled by an open / close valve 66, and the passing air is monitored by a pressure gauge 68 and a mass flow meter 67. As a result, even when the expansion / contraction seal 30 is damaged, it is possible to prevent the air in the apparatus housing 2 from flowing out or the outside air from flowing into the apparatus housing 2, which has a high level of guarantee function. It can be configured. In addition, this measurement makes it possible to determine whether or not the limit flow rate has been exceeded. When the limit flow rate is exceeded, an abnormality alarm or the like can be automatically performed by determining that an abnormality has occurred.

  The negative pressure suction passage 62a for backup constitutes the negative pressure air suction passage according to the present invention. Further, the square pipe 61 constitutes a guide wall according to the present invention. In addition, the vicinity of the peripheral edge of the joint portion according to the present invention is configured immediately above the window frame 4 and the back surface position of the glass window 3.

  In addition, in the structure described so far, an expansion / contraction seal 30 'as shown in FIG. 8 may be adopted. The expansion / contraction seal 30 'has a structure in which the seal thickness is not uniform, and the seal thickness D2 of the portion facing the opening 35a of the concave groove 35 is thinner than the seal thickness D1 of other portions. . In such a configuration, the portion having the seal thickness D2 has the lower durability than the seal thickness D1 of the other portions, and is the portion most easily broken. Therefore, when the expansion / contraction seal 30 is damaged, it breaks at the portion of the seal thickness D1, and the compressed air in the inner space portion 31 leaks from the portion. However, since the broken portion is open to the concave groove 35, the leaked compressed air is quickly collected by the air circulation pipe 50. Thereby, it can prevent that the inside of the apparatus housing | casing 2 is contaminated.

  The compressed air introduced into the expansion / contraction seal 30 may be configured to be decontaminated compressed air.

  The cross-sectional shape of the expansion / contraction seals 30 and 30 ′ and the cross-sectional shape of the concave groove 35 are appropriately changed.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the concave groove 35 may be provided directly on the side surface (end surface) of the glass window 3. Further, the concave groove 35 may be provided on the plate surface of the glass window 3. This can be applied to both single and double walls. The square pipe 61 is not limited to the vicinity of the glass window 3, and may be provided at the periphery of the glass window 3.

  FIG. 9 shows a joining mechanism A according to the first modification. As shown in FIG. 9, the joining mechanism A may have a configuration in which a mass flow meter 52, an opening / closing valve 51, and a compressor 54 are attached to an air circulation pipe 50. That is, this configuration is a configuration that continuously measures only the flow rate of the compressed air that passes through the air flow conduit 50. Such a configuration can be applied to both single and double walls. FIG. 10 shows a joining mechanism B according to the second modification. As shown in FIG. 10, the joining mechanism B may have a configuration in which a pressure gauge 53, an opening / closing valve 51, and a compressor 54 are attached to the air circulation pipe 50. That is, this configuration is a configuration that continuously measures only the pressure of the compressed air passing through the air circulation pipe 50. Such a configuration can also be applied to both single and double walls.

  Further, the joining mechanisms A and B are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately changed. In addition, the present invention can be applied to various joint portions of the housing.

1 is a schematic side view showing a double wall type isolator device 1. FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the joining mechanism A. 3 is a block circuit diagram of a control device 73. FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the airway 50a. It is a schematic diagram which shows the pipe line 50c for pressure measurement, and the pipe line 50d for flow measurement. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the joining mechanism B. 3 is an external perspective view of a square pipe 61. FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the expansion / contraction seal 30 '. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the joining mechanism A which concerns on a 1st modification. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the joining mechanism B which concerns on a 2nd modification.

Explanation of symbols

1, 1a Isolator device 2 Device housing 3 Glass window (joint)
30, 30 'expansion / contraction seal 30a contact portion 31 inner space 35 concave groove 35a opening 50, 70 air flow conduit 50a air passage 51 open / close valve 52 mass flow meter 53 pressure gauge 61 square pipe 62a negative pressure suction passage A for backup , B Joining mechanism D Seal thickness

Claims (3)

In the joint mechanism of the casing, the seal is intimately sealed around the glass window that shields the opening of the casing that is decontaminated inside, and the air is prevented from flowing in and out from the periphery of the glass window.
The seal is a tubular expansion / contraction seal provided on the periphery of the glass window and having an inner space, and an air source is connected to the inner space via an air flow passage. The inner space is applied to a predetermined pressure, and air is introduced from the air source to the inner space through the air flow passage, or air is discharged from the inner space to the outside. It is configured to expand or contract in the radial direction by fluctuating the internal pressure of the cavity,
Passing air management means for continuously measuring the flow rate and / or pressure of air passing through the air flow passage,
Further, a glass window holding member is provided around the glass window, and the expansion / contraction seal is in close contact with the peripheral surface of the glass window holding member, and the contact surface is in contact with the expansion / contraction seal of the glass window holding portion. In addition, a recessed groove having a predetermined depth that opens in the contact direction is formed, and a gap formed between the recessed groove and the expansion / contraction seal is formed in the inner space of the expansion / contraction seal and the interior of the housing. Negative pressure with respect to the outside, the seal thickness of the expansion / contraction seal, the seal thickness of the portion facing the opening of the concave groove is larger than the seal thickness of the portion not facing the opening of the concave groove A casing joining mechanism characterized by being thin . Air that passes through the periphery of the joint is provided with a negative-pressure air suction path that is negative with respect to the inside and outside of the housing at a position closer to the inside of the housing than the position of the expansion / contraction seal. 2. The housing joining mechanism according to claim 1, wherein air is sucked through the negative pressure air suction passage. A gap formed between the guide wall and the joint portion, in which a guide wall standing inward from the peripheral edge of the joint portion or in the vicinity thereof is provided in a band shape along the direction in which the expansion / contraction seal is disposed. 3. The housing joining mechanism according to claim 2 , wherein the negative pressure air suction passage is used.

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