TW202130075A - Rotary connector capable of maintaining steady electric connection with rotating members - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a rotary connector, which may maintain steady electric connection with rotating members, and includes: a rotary member, which may be driven for rotating and is electrically conductive and configured with a driving force transmission part; another rotary member, which is driven by the formal rotary member and is electrically conductive and configured with another driving force transmission part; and cascaded conductive members, which may be elastically deformed and respectively pressed against the outer periphery surfaces of the two driving force transmission parts that are overlapped in the radial direction.

Description

Rotary joint

The present invention relates to a rotary joint for energizing while transmitting driving force between rotating members.

It is known that in a rotating machine such as a semiconductor manufacturing machine, a drive shaft that is rotationally driven is energized to perform surface treatment on a semiconductor member.

For example, in Patent Document 1, in a hoop plating device, a driving shaft that is rotationally driven is connected to a current-carrying roller and rotates together with the driving shaft. The electric current supplied from the drive shaft to the energizing roller is used for the electrolytic treatment of the surface of the semiconductor member.

Furthermore, the end of the drive shaft is inserted into the recessed portion in the axial direction of the end of the current-carrying roller, and is pushed in the radial direction by screwing the tip of the bolt that penetrates the screw hole of the current-carrying roller in the radial direction. Pressing, the outer peripheral surface of the end of the drive shaft and the inner peripheral surface of the recess are in pressure contact and connected. In addition, by replacing the current-carrying roller connected to the end of the drive shaft with a different shape, it is possible to cope with the surface processing of a plurality of types of semiconductor members. [Prior technical literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] JP 2011-222463 A (page 6, figure 5).

[The problem to be solved by the invention] In Patent Document 1, a mechanical connection and an electrical connection between the drive shaft and the energizing roller are achieved by the pressing force of the bolt, and the driving force of the drive shaft driven by the rotation is transmitted to the energizing roller, and the drive shaft is connected to the energizing roller. A conductive path is formed between the energized rollers. However, as the drive shaft and the energizing roller rotate, the bolts may loosen at the connection part. When the pressing force of the bolt is weakened, the pressure contact between the drive shaft and the energizing roller changes, and the drive shaft and the energizing roller Since the contact resistance of the drive shaft fluctuates, the energization from the drive shaft to the energization roller may be unstable.

The present invention focuses on such problems and aims to provide a rotary joint capable of maintaining stable energization between rotating members. [Technical means to solve the problem]

In order to solve the aforementioned problems, the rotary joint of the present invention includes: a rotary member that is driven by rotation, has conductivity, and is provided with a driving force transmission part; and the other rotary member is driven by the one rotary member to rotate , And has conductivity, and is provided with a driving force transmission part; and a series of conductive members are elastically deformed and are respectively crimped on the outer peripheral surfaces of two driving force transmission parts overlapping in the radial direction. As a result, a series of conductive members that can be elastically deformed are crimped on the outer peripheral surface of the driving force transmission portion of the two rotating members, and the change in contact resistance is suppressed by the elastic deformation of the conductive members. The connected state is also maintained during rotational driving, and thereby a conductive path connecting the outer peripheral surface of one driving force transmission part, the conductive member, and the outer peripheral surface of the other driving force transmission part is reliably formed. In this way, the rotary joint can transmit the driving force while maintaining stable energization between the rotating members through the fitting of the driving force transmitting parts. Furthermore, since the conductive member can be elastically deformed, the mechanical and electrical connection between one rotating member and the other rotating member can be easily performed.

Each of the driving force transmission parts can have a flat surface extending along the central axis. With this, the driving force transmission portion receives forces in a well-balanced manner along with the rotation, and the circumferential deviation of the force acting from the outer peripheral surface of the driving force transmission portion to the conductive member is small, and the variation in contact resistance can be suppressed.

The conductive member can have a plurality of equal elastic crimping portions in the circumferential direction, and the elastic crimping portions are crimped to the outer peripheral surfaces of the two rotating members, respectively. Thereby, the elastic pressure-bonding part can be pressure-bonded to the outer peripheral surfaces of the two rotating members in a well-balanced circumferential direction.

The conductive member may have a ring-shaped connecting portion, and the connecting portion connects the elastic crimping portion in series. Thereby, the deformation of the conductive member with rotation can be suppressed, and at the same time, a urging force can be applied to the two rotating members from the outer periphery so that the two driving force transmission parts can be surely fitted together.

The conductivity of the conductive member can be higher than that of the two rotating members. Thereby, the conductive path between the rotating members can be reliably formed by the conductive member.

One of the rotating members is fixed with a movement restricting member, and the movement restricting member restricts the movement of the conductive member in the axial direction. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the movement in the axial direction of the conductive member with respect to the driving force transmission portion.

The movement restriction member can be a shell covering the conductive member. Thereby, it is possible to prevent external contact with the conductive member.

The embodiment of the rotary joint of the present invention will be described based on the following examples. [Example]

The rotary joint of the embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4. Hereinafter, the left and right sides viewed from the front view side of FIG. 3 will be described as the left and right sides of the rotary joint.

The rotary joint 1 of this embodiment is used, for example, in a rotating part of a semiconductor manufacturing machine. Between one rotating member driven by rotation and another rotating member driven by the one rotating member to rotate, an unillustrated The high-frequency current supplied by the high-frequency power supply is energized.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the rotary joint 1 is composed of a drive shaft 2 as a rotating member that is rotationally driven by a drive unit of a semiconductor manufacturing machine not shown in the figure, and is driven by the drive shaft 2 The driven shaft 3, which is another rotating member, is crimped to the outer peripheral surfaces 20d, 30d of the driving force transmitting parts 20, 30 that mechanically connect the drive shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3, respectively, to form a series. The conductive member 4 is fixed to the drive shaft 2 and covers the outer periphery of the conductive member 4 as a movement restricting member.

The drive shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3 are conductive metal cylindrical bodies with a circular cross-section. In addition, the drive shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3 are not limited to being made of metal, and may be formed of a conductive material such as a resin having conductivity. Furthermore, the drive shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3 can be formed of the same conductive material, or can be formed of different conductive materials.

As shown in Figs. 2 to 4, the drive shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3 are provided with driving force transmission portions 20 and 30 each having a semicircular cross-section overlapping in the radial direction at the end portions facing each other in the axial direction. The driving force transmitting parts 20 and 30 have flat surfaces 20a and 30a extending along the central axis of the driving shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3 and facing in the radial direction, and the flat surfaces 20a and 30a are fitted to transmit power. In addition, the surface facing the radial direction in the driving force transmission portion is not limited to a flat surface, and may be a curved surface. Further, the surface of the driving force transmission portion opposite in the radial direction may be provided with unevenness.

The flat surface 20a of the driving force transmitting portion 20 of the driving shaft 2 abuts against the flat surface 30a of the driving force transmitting portion 30 of the driven shaft 3 in the radial direction, so that the driving force of the driving shaft 2 is combined with the driving force The transmitting parts 20 and 30 transmit to the driven shaft 3 and rotate the driven shaft 3 together with the drive shaft 2.

Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 3, the front end surface 20b of the driving force transmitting portion 20 abuts in the axial direction on the end surface 30c of the driven shaft 3 formed on the root side of the driving force transmitting portion 30, and the driving force transmitting portion The front end surface 30b of the 30 abuts against the end surface 20c of the drive shaft 2 formed on the root side of the drive force transmission portion 20 in the axial direction. That is, the driving force transmission parts 20 and 30 have complementary shapes.

The driving force transmission parts 20 and 30 are mutually restricted to the movement in the approaching direction in the axial direction. In addition, the driving force transmission parts 20 and 30 are allowed to move to both sides in the axial direction as long as the conductive member 4 is always pressure-contacted to the outer peripheral surfaces 20d and 30d of the respective driving force transmission parts 20 and 30.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the housing cover 5 is substantially cylindrical, and has a cylindrical portion 50 in which the conductive member 4 can be housed on the inner diameter side, and a cylindrical portion 50 from the left end of the cylindrical portion 50 in the axial direction. A fixed flange portion 51 extending in the inner diameter direction. In addition, the cover 5 is made of an insulator such as ceramic or resin.

As shown in Fig. 3, in a state where the conductive member 4 is housed on the inner diameter side of the cylindrical portion 50, the outer peripheral surface of the conductive member 4 and the outer peripheral surfaces of the connecting portions 41 and 41 described in detail follow along the cylindrical portion 50. Of the inner circumference of the In addition, the outer peripheral surface of the conductive member 4 and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 50 can also be spaced apart from each other in the radial direction.

Furthermore, when the conductive member 4 is housed on the inner diameter side of the cylindrical portion 50, the left end of the conductive member 4 in the axial direction abuts against the right end surface of the fixed flange portion 51 in the axial direction, and the axis of the conductive member 4 The right end in the direction is arranged to be aligned with the right end in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 50 in the axial direction. That is, the progress of insertion of the conductive member 4 into the cylindrical portion 50 can be determined by the abutment with the fixed flange portion 51. Therefore, the assembly workability of the rotary joint 1 is high.

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

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the conductive member 4 is a substantially cylindrical leaf spring made of metal. The separately arranged elastic crimping portions 40 and ring-shaped connecting portions 41 and 41 that connect the axial ends of the respective elastic crimping portions 40 in the circumferential direction, respectively. In addition, the conductive member 4 is formed of a conductive material having a higher conductivity than the driving shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3.

Furthermore, in the state before the installation of the conductive member 4 (refer to FIG. 2), the inner diameter size of the smallest inner diameter portion M of the inner surface 40a of the axial center portion of the elastic crimping portion 40 bent in the inner diameter direction It is formed so as to be smaller than the outer diameter of the driving force transmitting parts 20 and 30 in a state where the driving force transmitting parts 20 and 30 are mechanically connected.

That is, the driving force transmitting portions 20 and 30 are inserted into the inner diameter side of the conductive member 4, and thereby the axial center portion of each elastic pressure contact portion 40 can be evenly pushed apart on the outer diameter side. Thereby, each elastic crimping portion 40 is in a compressed state, and due to its elastic restoring force, the inner surface 40a is crimped to the outer peripheral surfaces 20d, 30d of the driving force transmitting portions 20, 30 with a substantially equal force, and the drive shaft 2 and the slave The moving shaft 3 is electrically connected through the conductive member 4.

For example, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 4, the current supplied from the high-frequency power supply (not shown) to the drive shaft 2 flows from the outer peripheral surface 20d of the driving force transmitting portion 20 to the outer peripheral surface crimped to the driving force transmitting portion 20 The elastic crimping portion 40 of 20d flows from the elastic crimping portion 40 crimped to the outer peripheral surface 30d of the driving force transmitting portion 30 to the outer peripheral surface 30d of the driving force transmitting portion 30 through the connecting portions 41 and 41, and is supplied to the Moving shaft 3. In addition, the rotary joint 1 of this embodiment, as described above, is electrically connected to the driving shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3 through the conductive member 4, and the driving force transmitting portions 20, 30 have radially opposed flat surfaces 20a, 30a. There may be no current flow between them.

As explained above, the rotary joint 1 includes: a drive shaft 2, which is driven by rotation and is electrically conductive, and is provided with a driving force transmission portion 20; The conductive members 4 in series are elastically deformed and press-contacted to the outer peripheral surfaces 20d, 30d of the driving force transmitting portions 20, 30 overlapping in the radial direction, respectively. Thereby, the elastic crimping portion 40 of the conductive member 4 that is elastically deformed and formed in a series is crimped against the outer peripheral surfaces 20d, 30d of the driving force transmitting portions 20, 30 of the drive shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3, and thus the conductive member The elastic crimping portion 40 of 4 suppresses changes in contact resistance by elastic deformation, and maintains the crimped state during rotational driving, thereby connecting the outer peripheral surface 20d of the driving force transmitting portion 20, the conductive member 4, and the drive The conductive path (refer to FIG. 4) of the outer peripheral surface 30d of the force transmission portion 30 is formed reliably. In this way, the rotary joint 1 can maintain a stable energization between the drive shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3 while transmitting the driving force by the coupling of the driving force transmission parts 20 and 30 with each other.

Furthermore, since the conductive member 4 can be elastically deformed, the mechanical connection and the electrical connection between the drive shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3 can be easily performed. In detail, in a state where the conductive member 4 is housed on the inner diameter side of the housing 5 fixed to the drive shaft 2, connect the drive force transmission portion of the driven shaft 3 in the state before insertion as shown by the chain line in Figure 3 The flat surface of 30 is radially opposed to the flat surface 20a of the driving force transmission portion 20 of the drive shaft 2, and is inserted in the axial direction on the inner diameter side of the conductive member 4, thereby enabling a one-touch (one touch) The method is to simply connect the drive shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3 mechanically and electrically.

Furthermore, the driving force transmitting parts 20, 30 have complementary shapes, and the front end surfaces 20b, 30b of the driving force transmitting parts 20, 30 abut against the end surfaces 20c, 30c of the drive shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3 in the axial direction, thereby The insertion schedule of the driven shaft 3 inserted in the axial direction on the inner diameter side of the conductive member 4 is regulated. Therefore, the assembly workability of the rotary joint 1 is high.

Furthermore, the state in which the contact area between the outer peripheral surfaces 20d, 30d of the driving force transmitting portions 20, 30 and the inner surface 40a of each elastic crimping portion 40 is ensured is maintained. Therefore, it is difficult to generate heat even when a high-frequency current is applied. Prevent damage caused by heat.

Furthermore, the driving force transmission parts 20, 30 have flat surfaces 20a, 30a extending along the central axis, and have complementary shapes. As a result, the driving force transmission parts 20 and 30 receive the force in a well-balanced manner along with the rotation, and the circumferential deviation of the force acting from the outer peripheral surfaces 20d and 30d of the driving force transmission parts 20 and 30 to the conductive member 4 is small. , And can suppress the variation of contact resistance.

The conductive member 4 has a plurality of equal elastic crimping portions 40 in the circumferential direction. Thereby, the inner surface 40a of each elastic crimping portion 40 can be crimped to the outer circumferential surfaces 20d, 30d of the driving force transmitting portions 20, 30 in a well-balanced circumferential direction, and from the outer circumferential surfaces 20d of the driving force transmitting portions 20, 30 , 30d The deviation of the force acting on the conductive member 4 in the circumferential direction is further reduced.

Furthermore, the conductive member 4 makes the inner surface 40a of the center portion in the axial direction of each elastic crimping portion 40 crimped to the outer peripheral surfaces 20d, 30d of the driving force transmitting portions 20, 30, so that the driving force transmitting portions 20, 30 The force acting on the conductive member 4 on the outer peripheral surfaces 20d and 30d of 30 is stable. Furthermore, the inner surface 40a of each elastic crimping portion 40 is crimped at approximately the same axial position among the outer peripheral surfaces 20d, 30d of the driving force transmitting portions 20, 30, and thus can be tightly formed in the axial direction. Component 4.

Furthermore, the conductive member 4 has ring-shaped connecting portions 41 and 41 that connect the elastic crimping portions 40 in series. Thereby, the deformation of the conductive member 4 with rotation can be suppressed, and at the same time, a pressing force can be applied to the drive shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3 from the outer periphery so that the drive force transmission parts 20 and 30 can be reliably engaged. Furthermore, both ends of each elastic crimping portion 40 in the axial direction are connected in series by the ring-shaped connecting portions 41, 41, thereby making the conductive member 4 into a substantially cylindrical shape, and further suppressing the conductive member 4 with rotation. The deformation.

The conductive member 4 is formed of a conductive material with higher conductivity than the driving shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3. Thereby, the conductive path between the driving force transmission parts 20 and 30 can be reliably formed by the conductive member 4.

Furthermore, a housing 5 as a movement restricting member that restricts the movement of the conductive member 4 in the axial direction is fixed to the drive shaft 2 that is rotationally driven. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the axial movement of the conductive member 4 with respect to the driving force transmission parts 20, 30, and it is possible to reliably press the inner surface 40a of each elastic pressure contact part 40 to the driving force transmission part 20, 30. The outer peripheral surface 20d, 30d.

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

Furthermore, on the inner diameter side of the cover 5, the outer peripheral surfaces of the connecting portions 41, 41 of the conductive member 4 abut along the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 50, so that the strength of the connecting portions 41, 41 can be increased. The respective elastic crimping portions 40 are elastically deformed stably. Furthermore, the cover 5 prevents damage caused by excessive deformation of the conductive member 4, so that the mechanical connection of the driving force transmitting parts 20, 30 and the driving force transmitting parts 20, 30 caused by the conductive member 4 are The electrical connection can be ensured.

Furthermore, the conductive member 4 and the housing 5 rotate together with the drive shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3, so there is no wear between these members due to rotation, and the maintenance is high.

Above, although the embodiments of the present invention have been described with the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and changes or additions within the scope that do not depart from the spirit of the present invention are included in the present invention.

For example, although described in the foregoing embodiment: the driving force transmission parts 20 and 30 of the driving shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3 are formed to have a flat surface 20a extending along the central axis of the driving shaft 2 and the driven shaft 3 , 30a has a semicircular cross section, but it is not limited to this. As long as the driving force transmission portion overlaps in the radial direction and can transmit the driving force from the rotating shaft to the driven shaft, it can also be formed as the first modification shown in Figure 5 Each has a shape having inclined surfaces 102a and 103a that are inclined with respect to the central axis of the drive shaft 102 and the driven shaft 103.

Furthermore, as shown in the second modification shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, it is also possible to use hook-shaped projections 220, 230 and The concave portions 221 and 231 are keyed to each other to form a driving force transmission portion. In this case, as shown in FIG. 6, the inner surface 240a of each elastic crimping portion 240 of the conductive member 204 may be at different positions in the axial direction relative to the outer peripheral surfaces 220a and 230a among the positions of the driving force transmission portion. Crimp separately.

Furthermore, although it is explained in the foregoing embodiment that the conductive member 4 is composed of a substantially cylindrical leaf spring, it is not limited to this, and the conductive member may be, for example, an end-shaped plate with a C-shaped connecting portion. Spring composition. Furthermore, as long as it is a conductive member that can be elastically deformed, it may be constituted by other than a leaf spring. Furthermore, it is not necessary for the conductive member to be elastically deformed as a whole, as long as at least the part abutting on the driving force transmission portion is elastically deformed.

Furthermore, in the foregoing embodiment, although it is described that the axial ends of each elastic crimping portion 40 of the conductive member 4 are connected in series by the connecting portions 41, 41, it is not limited to this, and each elastic crimping portion Only one end of the part in the axial direction may be connected in a series by the connecting part.

Furthermore, the axial center part of the elastic crimping portion may be connected in the circumferential direction, and the inner surface may be crimped to the outer peripheral surface of the driving force transmission portion in an annular shape.

Furthermore, in the foregoing embodiment, although the elastic crimping portion 40 is described in twelve halves in the circumferential direction, it is not limited to this, and the number and arrangement of the elastic crimping portion in the conductive member can be freely configured.

Furthermore, in the foregoing embodiment, although it is described that the axial center portion of the elastic crimping portion 40 is formed in a substantially arc-shaped cross section that is curved in the inner diameter direction, it is not limited to this, and the elastic crimping portion may have other shapes. Sectional shape.

Furthermore, the conductive member is not limited to being formed of a conductive material with a higher conductivity than the drive shaft and the driven shaft. The conductive member may be formed of a conductive material with the same conductivity as the drive shaft and the driven shaft, or may be formed of a conductive material with low conductivity. .

Furthermore, the rotary joint may not have a shell covering the outer circumference of the conductive member. In this case, the movement restricting member that restricts the movement of the conductive member in the axial direction may be configured, for example, in the shape of a disc of the fixed flange portion 51 of the aforementioned embodiment that abuts against the conductive member in the axial direction.

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

Furthermore, the rotary joint may not have a movement restricting member.

Furthermore, in the foregoing embodiments, although it is described that the rotary joint 1 passes high-frequency current between the rotating members, it is not limited to this, and low-frequency current or low-frequency current may be passed between the rotating members. Convey electrical signals. Furthermore, the rotary joint can also be applied to rotating machines other than semiconductor manufacturing machines.

1: Rotary joint 2, 102, 202: drive shaft 3.103: driven shaft 4.204: Conductive member 5: Shell 20, 30: Driving force transmission department 20a, 30a: flat surface 20b, 30b: front face 20c, 30c: end face 20d, 30d: outer peripheral surface 40, 240: elastic crimping part 40a, 240a: inner side 41: Connection 50: Cylinder 51: Fixed flange 51a: Through hole 102a, 103a: Inclined surface 220, 230: convex part 220a, 230a: outer peripheral surface 221, 231: recess M: Minimum inner diameter

[Figure 1] A perspective view of a rotary joint according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] is an exploded perspective view of the rotary joint of the embodiment. [Figure 3] shows a partial cross-sectional view of the rotary joint of the embodiment. [Fig. 4] A cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Fig. 3 showing the rotary joint of the embodiment. [Figure 5] A partial cross-sectional view of the rotary joint of Modification Example 1. [Figure 6] A partial cross-sectional view of the rotary joint of Modification Example 2. [Fig. 7] A perspective view showing the structure of the driving force transmission unit of Modification Example 2. In addition, for the convenience of description, only the drive shaft and the driven shaft are shown in FIG. 7.

2: drive shaft

3: driven shaft

4: conductive member

5: Shell

20, 30: Driving force transmission department

20a, 30a: flat surface

20b, 30b: front face

20c, 30c: end face

20d, 30d: outer peripheral surface

40: Elastic crimping part

40a: inner side

41: Connection

50: Cylinder

51: Fixed flange

51a: Through hole

M: Minimum inner diameter

Claims (7)

A rotary joint, including: A rotating member, which is driven by rotation, has conductivity, and is provided with a driving force transmission part; The other rotating member is driven to rotate by the one rotating member, has conductivity, and is provided with a driving force transmission part; and The series of conductive members are elastically deformed, and are respectively press-contacted to the outer peripheral surfaces of the two driving force transmission parts overlapping in the radial direction. The rotary joint according to claim 1, wherein each of the driving force transmission parts has a flat surface extending along the central axis. The rotary joint according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the conductive member has a plurality of equal elastic crimping portions in the circumferential direction, and the elastic crimping portions are crimped on the outer peripheral surfaces of the two rotary members, respectively. The rotary joint according to claim 3, wherein the conductive member has an annular connecting portion, and the connecting portion connects the elastic crimping portion in series. The rotary joint according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the conductivity of the conductive member is higher than that of the two rotary members. The rotary joint according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein one of the rotary members is fixed with a movement restricting member, and the movement restricting member restricts the movement of the conductive member in the axial direction. The rotary joint according to claim 6, wherein the movement restricting member is a shell covering the conductive member.

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