JP6403337B2 - Rotary joint device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a rotary joint device.

  Conventionally, in an apparatus including a first member and a second member that rotate relative to each other (for example, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, a stirrer, a medical device, and a food device), the first fluid passage provided in the first member; In order to connect the second fluid passage provided in the second member, a rotary joint is provided between the first member and the second member (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  Such a rotary joint includes a case body, a rotating body, and a mechanical seal. The rotating body is rotatably supported by the case body so as to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the first member or the second member provided in a predetermined device. The mechanical seal has one sealing ring fixed to the rotating body and the other sealing ring held by the case body so as to face the first sealing ring.

  When the rotating body rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the first member or the second member, the mechanical seal rotates the one sealing ring integrally with the rotating body, so that the one sealing ring The sealing surface is slid with respect to the sealing surface of the other sealing ring, whereby the space between the one sealing ring and the other sealing ring can be sealed.

  Therefore, in the mechanical seal, when the one sealing ring rotates at a low speed (for example, when the device (the rotating body) is started), the mechanical sealing is caused by sliding between the one sealing ring and the other sealing ring. There was a risk that a relatively large amount of wear powder was generated. This causes a problem that wear powder (foreign matter) is mixed into the fluid flowing through the fluid passage of the rotary joint and the fluid passage of the first member or the second member located on the downstream side thereof. It is not preferable depending on the type of the device using a joint.

JP 2008-25597 A

  This invention is made | formed in view of such a situation, and it aims at provision of the rotary joint apparatus which can suppress generation | occurrence | production of the abrasion powder in a mechanical seal effectively.

The invention according to claim 1
A rotary joint device used for connecting a first fluid passage of a first member and a second fluid passage of a second member rotatable relative to the first member,
A first case body having a third fluid passage and integrally coupled to the first member so that the third fluid passage is connected to the first fluid passage;
A second case body integrally connected to the second member so as to have a fourth fluid passage connected to the second fluid passage;
A rotating body having a fifth fluid passage and rotatably supported by the first case body and the second case body so that the fifth fluid passage is connected to the three fluid passage and the fourth fluid passage. When,
A drive source configured to be able to independently control the rotation of the rotating body with respect to each of the first member and the second member;
A first sealing ring coupled to the rotating body so as to be integrally rotatable; and a second sealing ring held by the first case body or the second case body so as to face the first sealing ring. And a mechanical seal configured to be able to seal between the first seal ring and the second seal ring.

  According to this structure, when the rotary joint device is provided between the first member and the second member, when at least one of the first member and the second member rotates, the rotation Independently, the rotating body, and thus the first sealing ring of the mechanical seal, can be rotated by the drive source to operate the mechanical seal.

  In addition, from the stage before at least one of the first member and the second member starts to rotate, the rotating body can be rotated at a predetermined rotational speed by the drive source. Therefore, regardless of the rotation speed of the first member or the second member, in the mechanical seal, the first sealing ring can be rotated at a predetermined relative rotation speed so as not to contact the second sealing ring. it can.

  Therefore, the mechanical seal can be operated so as not to generate abrasion powder as much as possible. As a result, generation of wear powder in the mechanical seal can be effectively suppressed.

The invention according to claim 2 is the rotary joint device according to claim 1,
The mechanical seal is
When the first seal ring rotates integrally with the rotating body, a dynamic pressure is generated between the first seal ring and the second seal ring while maintaining a non-contact state between the first seal ring and the second seal ring. This is a dynamic pressure type non-contact type mechanical seal configured to be made to operate.

The invention according to claim 3 is the rotary joint device according to claim 1,
The mechanical seal is
A static pressure type non-contact mechanical seal configured to generate a static pressure between the first seal ring and the second seal ring while maintaining a non-contact state between the first seal ring and the second seal ring. There is something.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the rotary joint apparatus which can suppress effectively generation | occurrence | production of the abrasion powder in a mechanical seal can be provided.

It is sectional drawing of the rotary coupling apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 1. It is sectional drawing of the rotary coupling apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the rotary coupling apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention.

  First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  In FIG. 1, the longitudinal cross-sectional view of the rotary coupling apparatus 1 which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention is shown. FIG. 2 shows a partially enlarged view of FIG. Here, the direction of the arrow X shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the rotary joint device 1 includes a first fluid passage 4 of a first member 3 and a second fluid passage 7 of a second member 6 that can rotate relative to the first member 3. Used for fluid connection. The first member 3 and the second member 6 are provided in various apparatuses such as a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and a fluid such as a gas used in the apparatus is circulated in each of the fluid passages 4 and 7. It can be made.

  The first member 3 and the second member 6 are configured such that at least one of them starts to rotate relative to each other when the device is started. In the present embodiment, the first member 3 is a fixed member that does not rotate (operate) even after the apparatus is started, while the second member 6 is a rotating member that rotates as the apparatus starts. .

  As shown in FIG.1 and FIG.2, the said rotary coupling apparatus 1 can be provided between the said 1st member 3 and the said 2nd member 6 which mutually rotate relatively, The 1st case body 11, A second case body 12, a rotating body 13, a drive source 14, and a mechanical seal (here, a non-contact mechanical seal) 15 are provided.

  The first case body 11 has a third fluid passage 21, and is integrally connected to the first member 3 so that the third fluid passage 21 is fluidly connected to the first fluid passage 4. Yes. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the first case body 11 maintains a state where it does not rotate (operate) together with the first member 3 regardless of the driving state of the device.

  The first case body 11 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and accommodates a part (upper portion) of the rotating body 13 and the non-contact mechanical seal 15 and forms a first seal chamber 22. It has a space inside. The first case body 11 is provided between the first member 3 and the second member 6 with the axial direction of the first case body 11 being the vertical direction, and is disposed above the second member 6.

  The second case body 12 has a fourth fluid passage 23, and is integrally connected to the second member 6 so that the fourth fluid passage 23 is fluidly connected to the second fluid passage 7. Yes. Therefore, in the present embodiment, as the second case body 12 is driven, at least a part of the second case body 12 (here, a bottom portion 25 described later) rotates together with the second member 6. It has become a thing.

  The second case body 12 is configured to have a bottomed cylindrical shape, and houses the other part (lower part) of the rotating body 13, the non-contact mechanical seal 15 and the like, and a second seal. A space for forming the chamber 24 is provided inside. The second case body 12 is provided between the first case body 11 and the second member 6 with the axial direction as the vertical direction, and is disposed on the second member 6.

  Specifically, the second case body 12 has the bottom portion 25 and a cylindrical portion 26. The bottom portion 25 includes a fixing portion 27, a shaft portion 28, and an annular recess 29 that are arranged coaxially, and is fixed to the second member 6 by the fixing portion 27. The shaft portion 28 is provided on the fixed portion 27 so as to protrude upward, and the annular recess 29 is provided on the shaft portion 28 so as to open upward.

  In the bottom portion 25, the fourth fluid passage 23 extends linearly in the vertical direction so as to penetrate the axial center portion (the axial center portion of the fixed portion 27, the shaft portion 28, and the annular recess 29). Is provided. Thus, the bottom portion 25 is configured to be able to rotate integrally with the second member 6 while maintaining the connection state between the fourth fluid passage 23 and the second fluid passage 7.

  The cylindrical portion 26 has an inner diameter capable of accommodating the annular recess 29 and the like in addition to the other portion of the rotating body 13 and is formed in a cylindrical shape having an outer diameter substantially the same as that of the first case body 11. Yes. The cylindrical portion 26 is disposed coaxially with the first case body 11, is fitted and connected to the first case body 11 on the upper end side, and is connected to the bottom portion 25 (the shaft portion 28) on the lower end side. The bearing 30 is rotatably supported.

  The rotating body 13 includes a fifth fluid passage 31, and the first case body 11 is fluidly connected to the third fluid passage 21 and the fourth fluid passage 23. The second case body 12 is rotatably supported. In the present embodiment, the rotating body 13 is configured to have an axial shape, and is disposed coaxially with the first case body 11 and the second case body 12.

  The rotating body 13 is disposed to face the inner peripheral surface of the first case body 11 so that the fifth fluid passage 31 is connected to the third fluid passage 21 via the first seal chamber 22. Yes. In addition, the rotating body 13 is configured so that the fifth fluid passage 31 is connected to the fourth fluid passage 23 via the second seal chamber 24 so that the upper surface (the The inner surface of the annular recess 29 is opposed to the inner surface.

  Specifically, the rotating body 13 includes a shaft portion 32, a tightening portion 33, and a tightening bolt 34. The shaft portion 32 includes a fluid passage (here, a fluid passage having an L-shaped cross section) that forms a part of the fifth fluid passage 31. The shaft portion 32 is rotatably supported by the first case body 11 via a bearing 35 and is also rotatably supported by the second case body 12 (the tubular portion 26) via a bearing 36. ing.

  The shaft portion 32 can be manufactured using, for example, metal or engineering plastic.

  The tightening portion 33 includes a fluid passage that forms the other portion of the fifth fluid passage 31. The tightening portion 33 is formed in a concave shape so as to cover the lower end side of the shaft portion 32, and is disposed coaxially with the lower portion of the shaft portion 32. The tightening portion 33 is disposed in the annular recess 29 of the bottom portion 25 of the second case body 12 so as to face the second seal chamber 24.

  The fastening bolt 34 fastens a first sealing ring 45 of a third mechanical seal 15C (one of the non-contact mechanical seal 15), which will be described later, fitted on the shaft portion 32 with the shaft portion 32. The fastening portion 33 is attached to the shaft portion 32 so that the portion 33 is clamped. The fastening bolt 34 is fastened so that the first sealing ring 45 and the shaft portion 32 are integrated.

  The drive source 14 is configured to control the rotation of the rotating body 13 with respect to each of the first member 3 and the second member 6 independently. The drive source 14 includes a motor, an air turbine, or the like, and the rotary body 13 and the rotary body 13 so that the rotary body 13 can be rotated at a predetermined rotational speed as the motor or the air turbine is driven. They are connected together.

  In the present embodiment, the drive source 14 includes a motor 41. The motor 41 has an output shaft 42, and is installed on the first case body 11 so that the output shaft 42 is positioned in the first case body 11. The output shaft 42 is fixed while being coaxially disposed with respect to the rotating body 13 in order to integrally rotate the rotating body 13.

  The non-contact mechanical seal 15 includes a first sealing ring 45 connected to the rotating body 13 so as to be integrally rotatable, and the first case body 11 or the second sealing ring 45 so as to face the first sealing ring 45. A second sealing ring 46 held by the case body 12, and when the first sealing ring 45 rotates integrally with the rotating body 13, a gap between the first sealing ring 45 and the second sealing ring 46 is provided. In order to perform sealing while maintaining a non-contact state, a dynamic pressure is generated between them.

  In the present embodiment, a plurality (three) of the dynamic pressure type are provided as the non-contact mechanical seal 15. Among these, the first mechanical seal 15 </ b> A and the second mechanical seal 15 </ b> B are located between the first case chamber 11 and the second case body 12 and the rotating body 13, respectively, It is used for shielding between the first area 47 on the inner peripheral side.

  The third mechanical seal 15C is used between the second case body 12 and the rotating body 13 to shield between the second seal chamber 24 and the second region 48 on the outer peripheral side thereof. Since these mechanical seals 15A, 15B, and 15C have substantially the same structure, the first mechanical seal 15A will be mainly described here.

  The first mechanical seal 15 </ b> A includes a spring material 49 in addition to the first seal ring 45 and the second seal ring 46. The first sealing ring 45 is externally fixed to the rotating body 13 (the shaft portion 32). The first sealing ring 45 has a sixth fluid passage 50, which fluidly connects the fifth fluid passage 31 to the third fluid passage 21 (the first seal chamber 22). It is comprised so that it can be made.

  The second sealing ring 46 is held by the first case body 11 so as to be movable in the axial direction (the approach and separation direction with respect to the first sealing ring 45). The second sealing ring 46 is disposed coaxially with the first sealing body 11 in the first case body 11. The second sealing ring 46 is attached to the first case body 11 via an O-ring 51 so as to surround the rotating body 13 while being positioned above the first sealing ring 45.

  The first sealing ring 45 has a dynamic pressure generating groove 52. The dynamic pressure generating groove 52 generates dynamic pressure with relative rotation so that the sealing surface of the first sealing ring 45 and the sealing surface of the second sealing ring 46 facing the first sealing ring 45 do not come into contact with each other. belongs to. The dynamic pressure generating groove 52 is formed in an appropriate shape on the sealing surface of the first sealing ring 45 (smooth surface orthogonal to the axial direction of the rotating body 13).

  Here, the first sealing ring 45 of the first mechanical seal 15A also serves as the first sealing ring 45 of the second mechanical seal 15B. The second sealing ring 46 is engaged with a locking pin 53 that extends in the axial direction of the rotating body 13 and is attached to the first case body 11. The relative rotation is impossible.

  The first sealing ring 45 can be manufactured using, for example, carbon. The second sealing ring 46 may be manufactured using, for example, stainless steel and a ceramic coating, or using stainless steel and silicon carbide.

  The spring member 49 is interposed between the first case body 11 and the second sealing ring 46 so as to urge the second sealing ring 46 toward the first sealing ring 45. . The biasing force of the spring material 49 is appropriately set so that a predetermined interval can be secured between the sealing surface of the second sealing ring 46 and the sealing surface of the first sealing ring 45 facing the second sealing ring 46.

  Therefore, in the first mechanical seal 15A, when the rotating body 13 rotates, the first sealing ring 45 can be rotated with respect to the second sealing ring 46 to generate dynamic pressure. Therefore, the space between the first seal ring 45 and the second seal ring 46 can be maintained in a non-contact state, and the space between the first seal chamber 22 and the first region 47 is shielded for sealing. Be able to.

  The dynamic pressure type non-contact mechanical seal in the present invention is not particularly limited, and for example, a well-known one can be adopted.

  With the configuration as described above, when the rotary joint device 1 is provided between the first member 3 and the second member 6, the rotary source 13 is driven by the drive source 14 when the device is driven. As a result, the first seal rings 45 of the mechanical seals 15A, 15B, and 15C can be rotated to operate the mechanical seals 15A, 15B, and 15C so as not to generate wear powder.

  In addition, it is possible to rotate the rotating body 13 at a predetermined rotational speed by the drive source 14 from the stage before the device is started. Therefore, even immediately after the start of the apparatus, the first seal ring 45 is rotated at a predetermined relative rotational speed so as not to contact the second seal ring 46 in each of the mechanical seals 15A, 15B, and 15C. be able to.

  That is, since the rotating body 13 and thus the first sealing ring 45 of each of the mechanical seals 15A, 15B, and 15C does not rotate depending on the rotation speed of the second member 6, the first seal ring 45 is not activated when the device is started. Even while the two members 6 are rotating at a low speed, the predetermined relative rotation speed can be reliably obtained by rotating the first sealing ring 45 at the predetermined rotation speed by the drive source 14.

  Therefore, when it becomes necessary to operate the mechanical seals 15A, 15B, and 15C, the first seal ring 45 and the second seal ring 46 are always in a non-contact state regardless of the driving state of the device. Therefore, it is not necessary to cause the first seal ring 45 and the second seal ring 46 to slide. As a result, generation | occurrence | production of the abrasion powder in each said mechanical seal 15A * 15B * 15C can be suppressed effectively.

  In addition, it is also possible to use a contact-type mechanical seal instead of the non-contact mechanical seal 15. Even in this case, the use of the drive source 14 prevents the contact-type mechanical seal from generating as much wear powder as possible. Can be operated.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  In FIG. 3, sectional drawing of the rotary coupling apparatus 61 which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention is shown. In the figure, substantially the same components as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the rotary joint device 61 according to the present embodiment is used in a device that rotates both the first member 3 and the second member 6 during driving, and thus the rotary joint device according to the first embodiment. This is different from the apparatus 1.

  In the present embodiment, the first case body 71 and the second case body 72 having substantially the same structure as the second case body 12 in the first embodiment are used in a state in which they are arranged vertically symmetrically. However, in these case bodies 71 and 72, as compared with the first embodiment, the respective parts thereof are slightly changed (for example, the fluid passage of the first case body 71 is changed to the third fluid passage 77, or the first A change in which the seal chamber of the case body 71 is changed to the first seal chamber 78) is appropriately added.

  The rotating body 73 is provided between the first case body 71 and the second case body 72 so as to correspond to the first case body 71 and the second case body 72. The rotating body 73 is configured to have an axial shape, and is disposed coaxially with the first case body 71 and the second case body 72. The rotating body 73 is rotatably supported by the first case body 11 at the upper end side and is rotatably supported by the second case body 12 at the lower end side.

  In addition to the motor 81, the drive source 74 has a transmission mechanism 85. The motor 81 is interlocked and connected via the transmission mechanism 85 to the axially intermediate portion of the rotating body 73 exposed to the outside so that the rotating body 73 can be rotated by driving. The transmission mechanism 85 includes a belt 82 and pulleys 83 and 84 (or a chain and a gear).

  In addition, although the said drive source 74 shall be provided with the said motor 81 and the said transmission mechanism 85 in this embodiment, it is not specifically limited, For example, it is also possible to be provided with a hollow motor.

  With such a configuration, in order to always maintain a non-contact state between the first sealing ring 45 and the second sealing ring 46 of the non-contact mechanical seal 15, the driving body 74 is used to fix the rotating body 73. The rotation can be controlled independently for each of the first member 63 and the second member 66. Therefore, also in this embodiment, generation | occurrence | production of the abrasion powder in the said non-contact-type mechanical seal 15 can be suppressed effectively.

  Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  In FIG. 4, the longitudinal cross-sectional view of the rotary coupling apparatus 101 which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention is shown. In the figure, substantially the same components as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the rotary joint device 101 according to the present embodiment relates to the first embodiment in that a non-contact mechanical seal 15 employs a dynamic pressure type and a static pressure type. This is different from the rotary joint device 1.

  In the present embodiment, as the non-contact mechanical seal 15, a third mechanical seal 15C that is a dynamic pressure non-contact mechanical seal is used. As the non-contact mechanical seal 15, a fourth mechanical seal 15D and a fifth mechanical seal 15E, which are static pressure non-contact mechanical seals, are used.

  The fourth mechanical seal 15 </ b> D and the fifth mechanical seal 15 </ b> E are a first sealing ring 105 coupled to the rotating body 13 so as to be integrally rotatable, and the first case body so as to face the first sealing ring 105. 11 or the second sealing ring 106 held by the second case body 12, and in order to seal between the first sealing ring 105 and the second sealing ring 106 while maintaining a non-contact state, It is comprised so that a static pressure may be generated between both.

  In the fourth mechanical seal 15D and the fifth mechanical seal 15E, an internal passage 115 communicating between the seal surface of the first seal ring 105 and the seal surface of the second seal ring 106 is provided in the second seal. The ring 106 is provided. The internal passage 115 is fluidly connected to a gas supply source 118 through a gas supply passage 116 and a gas supply pipe 117 provided in the first case body 11.

  The gas supply source 118 supplies a seal gas (purge gas) higher than the internal pressure of the first case body 11, such as nitrogen gas or dry gas (dry air), to the gas supply pipe 117 and the gas supply passage 116. It is configured to be supplied to the internal passage 115 through the nozzle and from there to be ejected between the seal surface of the first seal ring 105 and the seal surface of the second seal ring 106.

  With such a configuration, the fourth mechanical seal 15D and the fifth mechanical seal 15E generate static pressure between the first sealing ring 105 and the second sealing ring 106, and the gap between the two is sealed. It can seal while maintaining a non-contact state. Therefore, also in this embodiment, generation | occurrence | production of the abrasion powder in the said non-contact-type mechanical seal 15 can be suppressed effectively.

  The static pressure type non-contact mechanical seal in the present invention is not particularly limited, and for example, a well-known one can be adopted.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Rotating joint apparatus 3 1st member 4 1st fluid passage 6 2nd member 7 2nd fluid passage 11 1st case body 12 2nd case body 13 Rotating body 14 Drive source 15 Mechanical seal 15A Non-contact type mechanical seal of dynamic pressure type 15B Dynamic pressure type non-contact mechanical seal 15C Dynamic pressure type non-contact mechanical seal 15D Static pressure type non-contact mechanical seal 15E Static pressure type non-contact mechanical seal 21 Third fluid passage 23 Fourth fluid passage 31 Fifth fluid Passage 45 First sealing ring 46 Second sealing ring 61 Rotary joint device 71 First case body 72 Second case body 73 Rotary body 74 Drive source 101 Rotary joint device 105 First sealing ring 106 Second sealing ring

Claims (3)

A rotary joint device used for connecting a first fluid passage of a first member and a second fluid passage of a second member rotatable relative to the first member,
A first case body having a third fluid passage and integrally coupled to the first member so that the third fluid passage is connected to the first fluid passage;
A second case body integrally connected to the second member so as to have a fourth fluid passage connected to the second fluid passage;
A rotating body having a fifth fluid passage and rotatably supported by the first case body and the second case body so that the fifth fluid passage is connected to the three fluid passage and the fourth fluid passage. When,
A drive source configured to be able to independently control the rotation of the rotating body with respect to each of the first member and the second member;
A first sealing ring coupled to the rotating body so as to be integrally rotatable; and a second sealing ring held by the first case body or the second case body so as to face the first sealing ring. A mechanical seal configured to be able to seal between the first seal ring and the second seal ring;
A rotary joint device comprising: The mechanical seal is
When the first seal ring rotates integrally with the rotating body, a dynamic pressure is generated between the first seal ring and the second seal ring while maintaining a non-contact state between the first seal ring and the second seal ring. The rotary joint device according to claim 1, wherein the rotary joint device is a dynamic pressure type non-contact mechanical seal configured to be made to be. The mechanical seal is
A static pressure type non-contact mechanical seal configured to generate a static pressure between the first seal ring and the second seal ring while maintaining a non-contact state between the first seal ring and the second seal ring. The rotary joint device according to claim 1, wherein the rotary joint device is provided.

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