The present invention relates to a seal comprising a seal rubber and a metal body, which is attached to one of two members, which combinedly show a make-and-break action, for hermetically closing a gap between the two members by allowing the seal rubber to be pressed against the other member when the two members are at a making position. More particularly, the present invention relates to a seal particularly preferable as a gate seal capable of maintaining stable sealing performance for a long time, wherein the seal rubber is not easily detached from a metal body and hardly gets broken.
Conventionally, seals having a structure wherein an O-ring, which is a seal rubber, is mounted in a dovetail groove formed on a valve element are known for seal structures of chamber gate parts of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, liquid crystal manufacturing equipment and the like, namely, an open-close part (valve element and valve seat) of a chamber. This aims at preventing O-ring from becoming loose or fall off from the dovetail groove when a valve element and a valve seat are opened and a seal rubber (O-ring) is exposed, and preventing O-ring from occupying an inappropriate position or place when the lid and the like are closed again (e.g., JP-A-2003-14126).
In recent years, however, along with the scaling up of liquid crystal panels, semiconductor wafers and the like, this kind of seals have been also scaled up, and placing of seal rubbers in the dovetail grooves has become complicated. In addition, when the valve element and the valve seat are closed for a long time, the seal lip (protruding part of the tip) of the seal rubber is agglutinated with the matching valve seat, which problematically causes falling off of the seal rubber from the dovetail groove upon opening.
The present inventor previously proposed a seal structure wherein a seal rubber is placed in a peripheral groove formed on the main surface of a metal body (JP-A-2-253063). This seal has a structure as shown in
The present inventor considered that the seal described in the aforementioned reference (JP-A-2-253063) had a structure that did not permit easy removal of the seal rubber from the groove of the metal body, and therefore, it could be applicable to a gate seal and tried the application. However, when the valve element and the valve seat in the gate seal were closed for a long time, and the seal lip (protruding part of the tip) of the seal rubber was agglutinated with the matching valve seat, a bridge rubber communicating the seal rubber and the retaining rubber problematically got broken upon opening, as mentioned above.
In view of the above-mentioned situation, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a seal which is attached to one member of combinedly openable-closable two members and hermetically seals the gap between the two members by a seal rubber thereof to be pressed to the other member when the two members are closed, wherein, even when the seal rubber is agglutinated with the matching member (the other member), the seal rubber is not removed from the dovetail groove and does not get broken by the opening motion, but can be separated from the matching member, stable seal performance can be obtained for a long time, and even when a large seal is to be formed, a seal rubber can be easily placed in a dovetail groove, particularly, to provide a seal preferable as a gate seal for a chamber gate of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, liquid crystal manufacturing equipment and the like.
To solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention has the following characteristics.
The reference numbers in the Figures mean the following.
1; approximately flat-plate-shaped metal body, 1A; main surface, 1B; main surface, 2; first peripheral groove, 3; seal rubber, 3A; seal lip, 4; second peripheral groove, 5; communicating hole, 6; retaining rubber, 7; bridge rubber, 100; seal.
According to the seal of the present invention, a seal rubber fills almost the entire area in the first peripheral groove having a dovetail groove formed on one main surface of the metal body. Therefore, even when the seal rubber is agglutinated with the matching member during the openable-closable two members are closed, the seal rubber can be separated from the matching member without being released from the dovetail groove when the openable-closable two members are opened. In addition, even when a load from repeated open-close action of the openable-closable two members is applied, the rubber molded product including the seal rubber does not get broken, and superior seal performance can be maintained for a long time.
In addition, a seal rubber is placed in the first peripheral groove by injecting a rubber material to the second peripheral groove, a communicating hole and the first peripheral groove from, as an inlet, a second peripheral groove for mounting a retaining rubber, which is formed on the other main surface of the metal body, and molding the rubber material to give a single rubber molded product integrating the seal rubber, the bridge rubber and the retaining rubber connecting them. Thus, a seal rubber can be set comparatively easily in the first peripheral groove having a dovetail groove, even when a large seal is to be formed or when the shape of the dovetail groove of the first peripheral groove is complicated.
In the seal of the present invention, moreover, the first peripheral groove consists of a multistage groove wherein at least the lowest bottom groove is a dovetail groove. Consequently, release of the seal rubber from the first peripheral groove, deformation of the seal rubber and the like can be suppressed at a higher level and the depth of the whole groove can be increased. The seal rubber to be placed in the first peripheral groove is rich in rubber elasticity and shows superior adhesiveness to the matching member, which enables provision of a seal that exhibits superior seal performance for an extended period of time.
In the present invention, by the “dovetail groove” is meant a groove having a smaller width of the groove opening than that of the inside of the groove, so that the seal rubber in the groove does not easily released from the groove. The cross sectional shape of the dovetail groove (shape of the section of the groove perpendicularly cut in the longitudinal direction) is not limited as long as the width of the groove opening is smaller than the width of the inside of the groove. For example, it may be a shape wherein the width of the groove continuously decreases from the inside of the groove to the opening of the groove, such as a simple trapozoid shown in
The present invention is explained in more detail in the following by referring to Figures.
In the seal of the present invention, as shown in a seal 100 in the embodiment, a peripheral groove (the first peripheral groove) 2 is formed on one main surface 1A of an approximately flat-plate-shaped metal body (valve element) 1, and a seal rubber 3 is placed in the peripheral groove 2. The seal is attached to one member (not shown) of the openable-closable two members and used to hermetically seal the gap between the two members by pressing the seal rubber 3 against the other member (not shown) when the two members are closed.
In the seal of the present invention, an approximately flat-plate-shaped metal body 1 also has a peripheral groove (the second peripheral groove) 4 on the other main surface (hereinafter to be also referred to as a “second main surface”) 1B, which is on the back of the one main surface (hereinafter to be also referred to as a “first main surface”) 1A, and further, multiple communicating holes 5 to communicate the peripheral groove 4 and the peripheral groove 2. In addition, a retaining rubber 6 is disposed in the second peripheral groove 4. The retaining rubber 6, the seal rubber 3 disposed in the first peripheral groove 2 and the bridge rubbers 7 disposed in the multiple communicating holes 5 are integrated to fix the seal rubber 3 to the metal body 1. In other words, the seal rubber 3, retaining rubber 6 and bridge rubbers 7 are integrally formed as a single rubber molded product as shown in
In the seal of the present invention, the seal rubber 3 to be placed in the first peripheral groove 2 comprises a convex seal lip 3A on the entire circumference along its axis X1, wherein the convex seal lip 3A closely contacts the matching member.
In the seal of the present invention, as shown in seal 100 of the first embodiment, the first peripheral groove 2 has a dovetail groove Z, the second peripheral groove 4 has an inner surface inclined from the groove opening side to the groove bottom surface side (direction of arrow Y1 in
A seal rubber 3 is placed in the first peripheral groove 2 having a dovetail groove Z of the metal body 1 to fill almost the whole area of the groove. As a result, even when the seal of the present invention was attached to one member of the openable-closable two members (not shown), and the two members were kept in a closed state so long that the seal rubber became agglutinated to the matching member, once the two members are opened, the seal rubber can be separated from the matching member without being released from the first peripheral groove 2 having a dovetail groove Z. Even when a load from repeated open-close action of the openable-closable two members is applied, the rubber molded product does not get broken, and superior seal performance can be maintained for a long time.
In the second embodiment of seal 200, the first peripheral groove 2 in which the seal rubber 3 is placed is a two-tiered groove comprising a dovetail groove Z as the bottom groove 2b. Therefore, in the seal rubber 3 filled in the first peripheral groove 2, a part 3b filled in the bottom dovetail groove Z (2b) becomes an anchor of a part 3a filled in a groove 2a on the opening side, and release of the seal rubber 3 from the first peripheral groove 2 or deformation thereof can be suppressed at a higher level. In addition, the depth of the whole groove can be made greater than a one-stage groove, by making the first peripheral groove 2 a two-tiered groove. A seal rubber 3 to be placed in the first peripheral groove 2 has superior elasticity and increases the adhesiveness of the seal rubber 3 to the matching member.
In the seal 200 of the second embodiment, the first peripheral groove 2 in which the seal rubber 3 is placed is a two-tiered groove comprising a dovetail groove Z as the bottom groove 2b. In the present invention, the first peripheral groove 2 in which the seal rubber 3 is placed, may be a two-tiered groove wherein both a groove 2a on the opening side and groove 2b on the bottom are dovetail grooves, or may be a multistage groove having three or more stages. By employing a two-tiered groove or multistage groove of three or more stages, wherein both grooves on the opening side and the bottom are dovetail grooves, the suppressive effect on the movement and deformation of seal rubber 3 in the first peripheral groove 2 can be further improved. In the case of a multistage groove having not less than 3 stages, at least the lowest bottom groove is a dovetail groove.
In the seal of the present invention, the thickness of the metal body (valve element) 1 is determined according to the use of seal and the like. For example, when it is used as a gate seal for a chamber gate of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, liquid crystal manufacturing equipment and the like, the thickness (T) of the metal body (valve element) is generally 10-15 mm. In addition, the opening width (D2) of the first peripheral groove 2 in the first main surface of the metal body 1 is determined according to the use of seal and the like. For example, when it is used as a gate seal for a chamber gate of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, liquid crystal manufacturing equipment and the like, it is preferably about 5-8 mm, and the width (D1) of a seal lip 3A of seal rubber 3 is generally preferably within the range of 4-7 mm. Moreover, the amount of protrusion (D5) of the seal lip 3A from the first main surface 1a of the metal body 1 is generally preferably 0.5-2.0 mm.
In the seal of the present invention, the whole depth (W1) of the first peripheral groove 2 is preferably about 3-6 mm when the first peripheral groove 2 has one dovetail groove (the first embodiment shown in
In the seal of the present invention, the bridge rubber 7 is generally a column having a given thickness, and cylindrical column, rectangular column and the like can be mentioned. Of these, a cylindrical column is particularly preferable because shrinkage of the bridge rubber 7 becomes isotropic, which advantageously reduces swelling (waving) of the seal lip of seal rubber 3.
While the thickness of the bridge rubber 7 (=inner diameter of communicating hole 5)(D3) is not particularly limited, it needs to have a thickness sufficient to prevent breakage of the bridge rubber when the seal lip 3A of seal rubber 3 is agglutinated with the matching member and they are separated.
While the thickness is determined depending on the number of communicating holes 5, strength of the rubber material to be used and the like, it is generally about 1-3 mm.
The thickness of the bridge rubber 7 (=inner diameter of communicating hole 5)(D3) means a diameter of its section (section perpendicular to the axis) when bridge rubber 7 is cylindrical, and a diameter of a circle assumed to have the same area as the section when bridge rubber 7 has a shape other than a cylindrical column such as rectangular column etc.
In the seal of the present invention, as mentioned above, it is essential that the second peripheral groove 4 to be formed on the second main surface 1B of the metal body 1 have an inner surface inclined to reduce the groove width from a groove opening side to a groove bottom surface side (direction of arrow Y1 in
In the seal of the present invention, the seal rubber 3, retaining rubber 6 and bridge rubber 7 are integrally formed as a single rubber molded product. Generally, as mentioned below, they are formed by injecting a rubber material from the second peripheral groove 4 to the communicating hole 5 and to the first peripheral groove 2 from the second peripheral groove 4 formed on the other main surface 1B of the metal body 1 as an inlet, until it fills almost all areas in the inside of these three members, and molding the rubber material. Because the second peripheral groove 4 has an inner surface inclined to reduce the groove width from a groove opening side to a groove bottom surface side (direction of arrow Y1 in
The groove width (D4-1) of the opening of peripheral groove 4 of the second peripheral groove 2 is determined based on the groove width (D4-2) of the groove bottom surface and is preferably so determined that the angle of inclination (θ3 in
In the seal of the present invention, the formation pitch of the bridge rubber 7 (i.e., formation pitch of communicating hole 5) to be integrated with the seal rubber 3 and retaining rubber 6 is determined in consideration of the material, outer diameter (=inner diameter of communicating hole 5) of bridge rubber 7 and the like. It is generally about 10-15 mm. The formation pitch of the bridge rubber 7 (=formation pitch of communicating hole 5) here means the distance between the axes of the neighboring bridge rubbers 7 in the direction of axis X1 of seal rubber 3.
In the seal of the present invention, the angle of inclination (θ1 in
In the seal of the present invention, as seal 100 in the above-mentioned first embodiment (
In the seal of the present invention, the size of an approximately flat-plate-shaped metal body (valve element) 1 (size of main surface) is appropriately determined depending on the specific use of the seal.
In the seal of the present invention, as constituent material of an approximately flat-plate-shaped metal body (valve element) 1, for example, iron, aluminum, aluminum alloy, stainless (SUS), steel (carbon steel, special steel) and the like can be mentioned. Of these, aluminum and aluminum alloy are preferable because they are light and recyclable. When using them, a surface hardening treatment (alumite treatment) is preferable. In addition, SUS etc. are preferable from the aspect of rust proof. In the seals of the aforementioned specific examples, the main surface of the metal body 1 has a shape wherein four corners of rectangle are replaced by curves. Besides this shape, for example, quadrangle other than rectangle (e.g., square etc.) (including shapes wherein four corners are replaced by curves), polygon other than quadrangle (including shapes wherein 3 or 5 or more corners are replaced by curves), circle, oval, ellipse and the like can be mentioned.
In the seal of the present invention, as a material constituting the seal rubber, known rubber materials employed for seal can be used. Of these, fluorine rubber, silicone rubber and a rubber difficult to be adhered via an adhesive (e.g., perfluoroelastomer) are preferable.
The seal of the present invention is particularly preferable as a seal (gate seal) to be applied to chamber gate part of a semiconductor manufacturing equipment, a liquid crystal manufacturing equipment and the like, i.e., open/close part (valve element and valve seat) of a chamber. When used for a gate seal, fluorine rubber materials are particularly preferable from the aspect of resistance to oxygen plasma. Of these, a fluorine rubber composition obtained by polyol vulcanization of a composition comprising 30-100 parts by weight of barium sulfate per 100 parts by weight of fluorovinylidene-hexafluoropropylene copolymer and/or fluorovinylidene-hexafluoropropylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer, and a fluorine rubber composition obtained by further adding 0.5-30 parts by weight of a tetrafluoroethylene resin to the above composition are particularly preferable. As the polyol vulcanizing agent, known ones can be used, for example, bisphenol AF.
The polyol vulcanizing agent may be added in 0.5-5 parts by weight, preferably 1-2 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of the copolymer. As the promoter and acid acceptor, quaternary phosphonium salt, quaternary ammonium salt, calcium hydroxide, magnesium oxide and the like are used. When the amount of tetrafluoroethylene resin to be added is less than 0.5 part by weight, an improving effect on the oxygen plasma resistance is small, and when it exceeds 30 parts by weight, mechanical properties such as tensile strength, elongation and the like tend to be degraded. Thus, a preferable amount of addition is 1-20 parts by weight.
The rubber material may contain a filler, and as the filler, carbon-black; oxides such as silica, titanium oxide, lead oxide, zinc oxide, magnesium oxide, diatomaceous earth, alumina, calcium oxide, iron oxide, tin oxide, antimony oxide, ferrites and the like; hydroxides such as magnesium hydroxide, aluminum hydroxide, calcium hydroxide and the like; carbonates such as basic magnesium carbonate, calcium carbonate, barium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, zinc carbonate, dawsonite, hydrotalcite and the like; sulfates such as barium sulfate, calcium sulfate and the like; silicates such as aluminum silicate (clay, kaolinite, pyrophylite), magnesium silicate (talc), calcium silicate (wollastonite, zonotlite), clay, montmorillonite, bentonite, activated clay and mica and the like; nitrides such as aluminum nitride, boron nitride, silicon nitride and the like can be mentioned. One or more kinds of these can be used in combination.
The seal of the present invention is preferably produced by disposing a metal body (valve element) 1 in a metal mold, which metal body comprising the first peripheral groove 2, the second peripheral groove 4 and the communicating hole 5, in a metal mold, injecting a rubber material from the second peripheral groove on the other main surface of the metal body (valve element) 1 to the communicating hole 5 and the first peripheral groove 2 and forming a single rubber molded product (rubber member) containing seal rubber 3, retaining rubber 6 and bridge rubber 7.
As for the above-mentioned rubber material, additives such as crosslinking agent (vulcanization agent), filler etc. are added to a rubber and/or an elastomer, which are base components, and mixed by a known mixing (kneading) method such as roll mixing, kneader mixing, Banbury mixing etc. to give a composition for molding, which composition is injected into the second peripheral groove 4, the communicating hole 5 and the first peripheral groove 2 from the second peripheral groove 4 as an inlet. The polymer (rubber and/or elastomer) is crosslinked (primary crosslinking (vulcanization)) in this molding process. Further crosslinking (secondary crosslinking (vulcanization)) may be applied after molding. The molding conditions etc. can follow those of known apparatus and conditions for the molding material made of this kind of rubber and/or elastomer.
This application is based on a patent application No. 2004-282303 filed in Japan, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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282303/2004 | Sep 2004 | JP | national |