JP7282469B2 - rotating connector - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a rotary connector for energizing while transmitting driving force between members that rotate.

2. Description of the Related Art In a rotating machine such as a semiconductor manufacturing machine, it is known that surface treatment is performed on a semiconductor component by energizing a drive shaft that is rotationally driven.

For example, in Patent Document 1, a current-carrying roll is connected to a drive shaft that is rotationally driven in a hoop plating facility so that it rotates together with the drive shaft. The current supplied from the drive shaft to the current-carrying roll is used for electrolytic treatment of the surface of the semiconductor component.

In addition, the end of the drive shaft is pressed in the radial direction by the tip of a bolt that is screwed into a screw hole radially penetrating the current-carrying roll in a state of being inserted into a concave portion that is recessed in the axial direction at the end of the current-carrying roll. , the outer peripheral surface of the end of the drive shaft is connected by being pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the recess. By replacing the current-carrying roll connected to the end of the drive shaft with one having a different shape, it is possible to handle the surface processing of a plurality of types of semiconductor parts.

JP 2011-222463 A (page 6, FIG. 5)

In Patent Document 1, mechanical connection and electrical connection are made between the drive shaft and the energized roll by the pressing force of the bolt, and the driving force of the driven shaft that is rotationally driven is transmitted to the energized roll. A conductive path is formed between the shaft and the current-carrying roll. However, since the drive shaft and the current-carrying roll are rotated, the bolts may become loose at the connecting portion. Due to fluctuations in the contact resistance between the drive shaft and the rolls, there is a risk that the energization from the drive shaft to the energized rolls will become unstable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a rotary connector capable of maintaining stable conduction between rotating members.

In order to solve the above problems, the rotary connector of the present invention has
one rotating member that is electrically conductive and provided with a driving force transmission section and that is driven to rotate;
the other rotating member having electrical conductivity and provided with a driving force transmission portion, which rotates following the one rotating member;
a series of elastically deformable conductive members that are pressed against the outer peripheral surfaces of both driving force transmission portions that overlap in the radial direction.
According to this, since the electrically conductive member formed in a series which is elastically deformable is pressed against the outer peripheral surfaces of the driving force transmission portions of both rotating members, the contact resistance fluctuates due to the elastic deformation of the electrically conductive member. By suppressing and maintaining the pressure contact state even during rotational driving, a conductive path connecting the outer peripheral surface of one driving force transmission portion, the conductive member, and the outer peripheral surface of the other driving force transmission portion is reliably formed. In this manner, the rotary connector can maintain stable energization between the rotary members while transmitting the driving force through the engagement of the driving force transmission portions. Moreover, since the conductive member is elastically deformable, mechanical connection and electrical connection between one rotating member and the other rotating member can be easily performed.

Each driving force transmission portion may have a flat surface extending along the central axis.
According to this configuration, since the driving force transmission portions receive forces in a well-balanced manner as they rotate, the force acting on the conductive member from the outer peripheral surface of the driving force transmission portion is less biased in the circumferential direction, and fluctuations in contact resistance are suppressed. can do.

The conductive member may have a plurality of elastic pressure contact portions that are evenly spaced in the circumferential direction to be pressed against the outer peripheral surfaces of both of the rotating members.
According to this, the elastic pressure contact portion can be pressed against the outer peripheral surfaces of both rotary members in a well-balanced manner in the circumferential direction.

The conductive member may have an annular connecting portion that connects the elastic pressure contact portions in series.
According to this, it is possible to suppress the deformation of the conductive member due to the rotation, and to apply a straining force to both the rotating members from the outer periphery, so that both the driving force transmission portions can be reliably engaged.

The conductive member may have a higher electrical conductivity than both of the rotating members.
According to this, the conductive member can reliably form a conductive path between the rotating members.

A movement restricting member that restricts the movement of the conductive member in the axial direction may be fixed to one of the rotating members.
According to this, it is possible to prevent axial movement of the conductive member with respect to the driving force transmission portion.

The movement restricting member may be a cover that covers the conductive member.
According to this, it is possible to prevent external contact with the conductive member.

1 is a perspective view showing a rotating connector in an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a rotary connector of an embodiment; FIG. It is a partial cross-sectional view showing the rotary connector of the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 3 showing the rotary connector of the embodiment; FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a rotating connector in modification 1; FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a rotating connector in modification 2; FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the structure of a driving force transmission portion in Modification 2; For convenience of explanation, FIG. 7 shows only the drive shaft and the driven shaft.

A mode for implementing a rotary connector according to the present invention will be described below based on an embodiment.

A rotary connector according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG. In the following description, the left and right sides of the rotating connector are defined as viewed from the front side of FIG.

The rotary connector 1 of the present embodiment is used, for example, in a rotating part of a semiconductor manufacturing machine, and is not shown in the figure, between one rotating member that is rotationally driven and the other rotating member that rotates following the one rotating member. High-frequency electricity supplied from a high-frequency power supply is applied.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the rotary connector 1 includes a drive shaft 2 as one rotary member that is driven to rotate by a drive unit of a semiconductor manufacturing machine (not shown), and rotates following the drive shaft 2. A driven shaft 3 as the other rotating member, and a series of conductive members 4 that are in pressure contact with outer peripheral surfaces 20d and 30d of driving force transmission portions 20 and 30 that mechanically connect the drive shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3, respectively. and a cover 5 as a movement restricting member that is fixed to the drive shaft 2 and covers the outer periphery of the conductive member 4 .

The drive shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3 are columnar bodies made of conductive metal and having a circular cross section. The drive shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3 are not limited to being made of metal, and may be made of a conductive material such as resin having conductivity. Further, the drive shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3 may be made of the same conductive material, or may be made of different conductive materials.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the driving shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3 are provided with driving force transmission portions 20 and 30 having semicircular cross-sections, which overlap radially at their axially opposite ends. there is The driving force transmission portions 20 and 30 have flat surfaces 20a and 30a that extend along the central axes of the drive shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3 and face each other in the radial direction. to transmit power. It should be noted that the surfaces of the driving force transmission portion that face each other in the radial direction are not limited to flat surfaces and may be curved surfaces. Furthermore, unevenness or the like may be provided on the surfaces of the driving force transmission portion that face each other in the radial direction.

The driving force of the drive shaft 2 engages with each other by bringing the flat surface 20a of the driving force transmission portion 20 into contact with the flat surface 30a of the driving force transmission portion 30 of the driven shaft 3 in the radial direction. The force is transmitted to the driven shaft 3 by the force transmission portions 20 and 30, and the driven shaft 3 rotates together with the drive shaft 2. As shown in FIG.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the tip surface 20b of the driving force transmission portion 20 axially abuts the end surface 30c of the driven shaft 3 formed on the root side of the driving force transmission portion 30, A tip surface 30b of the portion 30 abuts an end surface 20c of the drive shaft 2 formed on the root side of the driving force transmission portion 20 in the axial direction. That is, the driving force transmission portions 20 and 30 have complementary shapes.

The driving force transmission portions 20 and 30 are restricted from moving toward each other in the axial direction. The driving force transmitting portions 20 and 30 are allowed to move to both sides in the axial direction as long as the conductive member 4 is always in pressure contact with the outer peripheral surfaces 20d and 30d of the driving force transmitting portions 20 and 30, respectively. may

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the cover 5 has a substantially cylindrical shape and includes a cylindrical portion 50 capable of accommodating the conductive member 4 on the inner diameter side, and an axially left end portion of the cylindrical portion 50 extending in the inner diameter direction. and a fixed flange portion 51 . The cover 5 is made of an insulator such as ceramics or resin.

As shown in FIG. 3, in a state in which the conductive member 4 is housed in the inner diameter side of the cylindrical portion 50, the outer peripheral surface of the conductive member 4, more specifically, the outer peripheral surfaces of connecting portions 41, 41, which will be described later, are the same as those of the cylindrical portion 50. It abuts along the inner peripheral surface. Note that the outer peripheral surface of the conductive member 4 and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 50 may be spaced apart in the radial direction.

In addition, in a state where the conductive member 4 is accommodated on the inner diameter side of the cylindrical portion 50 , the axial left end of the conductive member 4 abuts the axial right end surface of the fixed flange portion 51 in the axial direction. The right end is axially aligned with the axial right end of the cylindrical portion 50 . That is, the insertion progress of the conductive member 4 with respect to the cylindrical portion 50 can be defined by contact with the fixed flange portion 51 . Therefore, the assembling workability of the rotary connector 1 is high.

Further, the fixed flange portion 51 is provided with a through hole 51a penetrating in the axial direction on the inner diameter side thereof. The cover 5 is press-fitted onto the outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft 2 while the drive shaft 2 is inserted through the through hole 51a. That is, the cover 5 and the conductive member 4 rotate together with the drive shaft 2 . The cover 5 may be fixed to the drive shaft 2 by a method other than press-fitting.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the conductive member 4 is a substantially cylindrical plate spring made of metal, and has a substantially arcuate cross-sectional shape in which the central portion in the axial direction bends in the inner diameter direction, and 12 or so in the circumferential direction. It has an elastic pressure contact portion 40 arranged and annular connecting portions 41, 41 that connect both axial ends of each elastic pressure contact portion 40 in series in the circumferential direction. The conductive member 4 is made of a conductive material having higher conductivity than the drive shaft 2 and driven shaft 3 .

In addition, in the state before the conductive member 4 is attached (see FIG. 2), the inner diameter dimension of the minimum inner diameter portion M at the inner surface 40a of the axially central portion of the elastic pressure contact portion 40 that bends in the inner diameter direction is equal to the driving force transmission portion 20, 30 is formed to be smaller than the outer diameter dimension of the driving force transmission portions 20, 30 in a state in which they are mechanically connected.

That is, by inserting the driving force transmission portions 20 and 30 into the inner diameter side of the conductive member 4, the axial central portions of the respective elastic pressure contact portions 40 are evenly spread outward. As a result, each elastic pressure contact portion 40 is in a compressed state, and the inner surface 40a is pressed against the outer peripheral surfaces 20d and 30d of the driving force transmission portions 20 and 30 with substantially equal force due to the elastic restoring force of the elastic pressure contact portion 40. are electrically connected via the conductive member 4 .

For example, as indicated by arrows in FIG. 4, a current supplied from a high-frequency power supply (not shown) to the drive shaft 2 is pressed against the outer peripheral surface 20d of the driving force transmitting portion 20 from the outer peripheral surface 20d of the driving force transmitting portion 20. It flows to the elastic pressure contact portion 40, passes through the connecting portions 41, 41 and is pressed against the outer peripheral surface 30d of the driving force transmission portion 30, flows from the elastic pressure contact portion 40 to the outer peripheral surface 30d of the driving force transmission portion 30, and is supplied to the driven shaft 3. be done. In the rotary connector 1 of this embodiment, the driving shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3 are electrically connected via the conductive member 4 as described above, and the driving force transmitting portions 20 and 30 are radially connected. No current may flow between the flat surfaces 20a and 30a facing the .

As described above, the rotary connector 1 includes the drive shaft 2 which is provided with the driving force transmission portion 20 having conductivity and is driven to rotate, and the drive shaft 2 which is provided with the driving force transmission portion 30 having conductivity and is connected to the drive shaft 2. It has a driven shaft 3 that is driven and rotated, and a series of elastically deformable conductive members 4 that are pressed against the outer peripheral surfaces 20d and 30d of the radially overlapping driving force transmission portions 20 and 30, respectively. According to this, the elastic pressure contact portion 40 of the conductive member 4 formed in a series of elastically deformable portions is pressed against the outer peripheral surfaces 20d, 30d of the driving force transmission portions 20, 30 of the drive shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3. Therefore, the elastic pressure contact portion 40 of the conductive member 4 is elastically deformed to suppress the variation in the contact resistance, and the pressure contact state is maintained even during rotational driving. 4. A conductive path (see FIG. 4) connecting the outer peripheral surface 30d of the driving force transmission portion 30 is reliably formed. Thus, the rotary connector 1 can maintain stable energization between the drive shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3 while transmitting the driving force by the engagement between the driving force transmission portions 20 and 30 .

Moreover, since the conductive member 4 is elastically deformable, mechanical connection and electrical connection between the driving shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3 can be easily performed. Specifically, the flat surface 30a of the driving force transmission portion 30 of the driven shaft 3 in the state before insertion indicated by the chain line in FIG. is radially opposed to the flat surface 20a of the driving force transmission portion 20 of the drive shaft 2 and is axially inserted into the inner diameter side of the conductive member 4, thereby mechanically connecting and electrically connecting the drive shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3. can be easily connected with one touch.

Further, the driving force transmission portions 20 and 30 have complementary shapes, and the tip end surfaces 20b and 30b of the driving force transmission portions 20 and 30 are aligned with the end surfaces 20c and 30c of the drive shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3 in the axial direction. The abutment regulates the insertion progress of the driven shaft 3 axially inserted into the inner diameter side of the conductive member 4 . Therefore, the assembling workability of the rotary connector 1 is high.

Further, since the contact area between the outer peripheral surfaces 20d and 30d of the driving force transmission portions 20 and 30 and the inner surface 40a of each elastic pressure contact portion 40 is maintained, heat is generated even when a high-frequency current is applied. It is difficult and can prevent damage due to heat generation.

Further, the driving force transmission portions 20, 30 have flat surfaces 20a, 30a extending along the central axis and have complementary shapes. According to this configuration, since the driving force transmission portions 20 and 30 receive forces in a well-balanced manner as they rotate, the force acting on the conductive member 4 from the outer peripheral surfaces 20d and 30d of the driving force transmission portions 20 and 30 is distributed in the circumferential direction. The bias is small, and fluctuations in contact resistance can be suppressed.

In addition, the conductive member 4 has a plurality of elastic pressure contact portions 40 evenly arranged in the circumferential direction. According to this configuration, the inner surface 40a of each elastic pressure contact portion 40 can be pressed against the outer peripheral surfaces 20d and 30d of the driving force transmitting portions 20 and 30 in a well-balanced circumferential direction. , 30d acting on the conductive member 4 in the circumferential direction can be further reduced.

In addition, since the conductive member 4 presses the inner surface 40a of the axially central portion of each elastic pressure contact portion 40 against the outer peripheral surfaces 20d, 30d of the driving force transmitting portions 20, 30, the outer circumferences of the driving force transmitting portions 20, 30 The force acting on the conductive member 4 from the surfaces 20d and 30d can be stabilized. In addition, since the inner surface 40a of each elastic pressure contact portion 40 is pressed in substantially the same axial position on the outer peripheral surfaces 20d and 30d of the driving force transmission portions 20 and 30, the conductive member 4 can be configured compact in the axial direction. can be done.

In addition, the conductive member 4 has annular connecting portions 41, 41 that connect the respective elastic pressure contact portions 40 in series. According to this, it is possible to suppress the deformation of the conductive member 4 due to the rotation, and to apply a tightening force to the drive shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3 from the outer circumferences so that the driving force transmission portions 20 and 30 are reliably engaged. can be done. Further, since the conductive member 4 has a substantially cylindrical shape in which both ends of the elastic pressure contact portions 40 in the axial direction are connected in series by the annular connecting portions 41, 41, deformation of the conductive member 4 due to rotation is prevented. further suppressed.

Also, the conductive member 4 is made of a conductive material having a higher conductivity than the drive shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3 . According to this, a conductive path between the driving force transmission portions 20 and 30 can be reliably formed by the conductive member 4 .

A cover 5 as a movement restricting member that restricts axial movement of the conductive member 4 is fixed to the drive shaft 2 that is rotationally driven. According to this, it is possible to prevent the axial movement of the conductive member 4 with respect to the driving force transmission portions 20 and 30, and the inner surfaces 40a of the respective elastic pressure contact portions 40 are aligned with the outer peripheral surfaces 20d and 30d of the driving force transmission portions 20 and 30. can be reliably press-contacted.

In addition, since the outer periphery of the conductive member 4 is covered with the cover 5, contact with the conductive member 4 from the outside can be prevented.

Further, on the inner diameter side of the cover 5, since the outer peripheral surfaces of the connecting portions 41, 41 of the conductive member 4 are in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 50, the strength of the connecting portions 41, 41 is increased. Each elastic pressure contact portion 40 can be stably elastically deformed. Further, since the cover 5 prevents damage due to excessive deformation of the conductive member 4, the mechanical connection between the driving force transmission portions 20 and 30 and the electrical connection between the driving force transmission portions 20 and 30 by the conductive member 4 are prevented. securely preserved.

In addition, since the conductive member 4 and the cover 5 rotate together with the drive shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3, wear due to rotation does not occur between these members, and maintainability is high.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and any changes or additions within the scope of the present invention are included in the present invention. be

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the driving force transmission portions 20 and 30 of the drive shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3 have a semicircular cross section with flat surfaces 20a and 30a extending along the central axes of the drive shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3. However, the driving force transmission portion is not limited to this. , may be formed in a shape having inclined surfaces 102a and 103a that are inclined with respect to the central axes of the drive shaft 102 and the driven shaft 103, respectively.

6 and 7, hook-shaped protrusions 220 and 230 and a recess 221 protrude axially from the ends of the drive shaft 202 and the driven shaft 203 that face each other in the axial direction. , 231 may be keyed to each other to form a driving force transmission unit. In this case, as shown in FIG. 6, the inner surface 240a of each elastic pressure contact portion 240 of the conductive member 204 is pressed against the outer peripheral surfaces 220a and 230a at the position of the driving force transmission portion at different positions in the axial direction. may

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the conductive member 4 was described as being composed of a substantially cylindrical leaf spring, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the conductive member may have a C-shaped connecting portion. It may be composed of a leaf spring having a shape. Also, the conductive member may be composed of a material other than a leaf spring as long as it is elastically deformable. Furthermore, the conductive member does not need to be elastically deformable as a whole, and it is sufficient that at least the portion that contacts the driving force transmission section is elastically deformable.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the conductive member 4 is described as one in which both ends of the elastic pressure contact portions 40 in the axial direction are connected in series by the connecting portions 41, 41. However, the present invention is not limited to this. may be connected in series by the connecting portion only at one end in the axial direction.

Further, the elastic pressure contact portion may be connected in the circumferential direction at the axial center portion and the inner surface thereof may be annularly pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the driving force transmission portion.

Also, in the above embodiment, the elastic pressure contact portions 40 were described as being equally distributed 12 times in the circumferential direction.

Further, in the above embodiment, the elastic pressure contact portion 40 has been described as having a substantially arcuate cross-sectional shape in which the central portion in the axial direction bends in the radial direction, but the elastic pressure contact portion may have other cross-sectional shapes. can be anything.

Moreover, the conductive member is not limited to being made of a conductive material having a higher conductivity than that of the drive shaft and the driven shaft, and the conductive member may be made of a conductive material having the same conductivity as that of the drive shaft and the driven shaft. However, it may be formed from a conductive material with low conductivity.

Also, the rotary connector may not have a cover that covers the outer periphery of the conductive member. In this case, the movement restricting member that restricts the axial movement of the conductive member may be configured in a disk shape like the fixed flange portion 51 of the above-described embodiment that abuts the conductive member in the axial direction.

Moreover, the movement restricting member is not limited to being fixed to the drive shaft, and may be fixed to the driven shaft.

Also, the rotary connector may not have a movement restricting member.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the rotary connector 1 is described as one that conducts high-frequency electricity between members that rotate. It may be one that transmits an electrical signal. Also, the rotary connector may be applied to rotary equipment other than semiconductor manufacturing machines.

1 rotating connector 2 drive shaft (one rotating member)
3 driven shaft (other rotating member)
4 conductive member 5 cover (movement restricting member)
20, 30 driving force transmission portions 20a, 30a flat surfaces 20d, 30d outer peripheral surface 40 elastic pressure contact portion 40a inner surface 41 connecting portion 50 cylindrical portion 51 fixed flange portion 220, 230 convex portion (driving force transmission portion)
221, 231 concave portion (driving force transmission portion)

Claims (7)

one rotating member that is electrically conductive and provided with a driving force transmission section and that is driven to rotate;
the other rotating member having electrical conductivity and provided with a driving force transmission portion, which rotates following the one rotating member;
and a series of elastically deformable conductive members that are pressed against the outer peripheral surfaces of both of the driving force transmission portions that overlap in the radial direction. 2. The rotary connector according to claim 1, wherein each driving force transmission portion has a flat surface extending along the central axis. 3. The rotary connector according to claim 1, wherein the conductive member has a plurality of elastic pressure contact portions that are evenly spaced in the circumferential direction and press against the outer peripheral surfaces of both of the rotary members. 4. The rotary connector according to claim 3, wherein said conductive member has an annular connecting portion that connects said elastic pressure contact portions in series. 5. A rotary connector as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the conductive member has a higher conductivity than both of the rotary members. 6. The rotary connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a movement restricting member for restricting axial movement of the conductive member is fixed to one of the rotating members. 7. The rotary connector according to claim 6, wherein the movement restricting member is a cover that covers the conductive member.

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