Vacuum system securing devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016195095-A1
Application number	US-201414910950-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 9, 2014
Priority date	Aug 9, 2013
Publication date	Jul 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vacuum system securing device to releasably secure a sealed connection between a first part and a second part of a vacuum system has a shaft having a longitudinal axis and is provided with a plurality of force applying members. The shaft is to be attached to the first part of the vacuum system to define a gap between the first part and the force applying members to receive the second part by a movement of the second part in a lengthways direction of the shaft. The shaft is movable relative to the first part to cause the force applying members to narrow the gap to apply a force pressing the second part towards the first part.

First claim

1 . A vacuum system securing device to releasably secure a first part of a vacuum system to a second part of the vacuum system, the securing device comprising:
a shaft having a longitudinal axis and provided with a plurality of force applying members, wherein the shaft is configured to be attached to the first part to define a gap between the first part and the force applying members, wherein the gap is configured to receive the second part by a movement of the second part in a lengthways direction of the shaft, and wherein the shaft is movable relative to the first part to cause the force applying members to narrow the gap to apply a force pressing the second part towards the first part.

2 . The vacuum system securing device of claim 1 , wherein the shaft and the force applying members are configured to apply the pressing force in a radially outward direction with respect to the longitudinal axis.

3 . The vacuum system securing device of claim 1 , wherein the shaft is movable relative to the first part by rotation about the longitudinal axis.

4 . The vacuum system securing device of claim 3 , wherein the shaft is movable relative to the first part by axial translation of shaft relative to the first part.

5 . The vacuum system securing device of claim 4 , wherein the shaft is provided with threading configured to engage with threading attached to the first part whereby the rotation of the shaft about the longitudinal axis causes the axial translation of the shaft.

6 . The vacuum system securing device of claim 4 , wherein the shaft extends through respective through-holes of the force applying members and has respective first and second diameter portions associated with the force applying members, the second diameter portions being larger than the first diameter portions whereby axial translation of the shaft relative to the force applying members can move shafts the shaft from a position in which the first diameter portions are received in the respective through-holes to a position in which the second diameter portions are received in the through-holes to cause the radially outward movement of the force applying members.

7 . The vacuum system securing device of claim 6 , further comprising a mounting for the shaft that is securable to the first part, the mounting defining a bore in which the shaft is at least partially received and being provided with respective apertures through which the force applying members protrude, the apertures being configured to restrict movement of the force applying members in directions parallel to the longitudinal axis.

8 . The vacuum system securing device of claim 7 , wherein the apertures are each partially defined by opposed faces that restrict movement of the force applying members in the directions parallel to longitudinal axis.

9 . The vacuum system securing device of 1 , further comprising a mounting for the shaft by which the shaft is attached to the first part, the relative movement of the shaft being relative to the mounting.

10 . A vacuum system comprising a first part, a second part and a securing device releasably securing the first part to the second part, the securing device comprising:
a shaft supported by the first part and provided with a plurality of force applying members spaced from the first part to define a gap in which the second part is received by a movement of the second part in a lengthways direction of the shaft, the shaft having a longitudinal axis and being movable relative to the first part to cause the force applying members to narrow the gap to press the second part towards the first part to secure the second part to the first part.

11 . The vacuum system of claim 10 , wherein the shaft is movable relative to the first part by rotation about the longitudinal axis.

12 . The vacuum system of claim 11 , wherein the shaft is movable by relative to the first part by axial sliding movement relative to the force applying members.

13 . The vacuum system of claim 12 when, wherein the shaft comprises threading engaged with threading attached to the first part, whereby the rotation of the shaft causes the axial translation sliding movement of the shaft relative to the first part.

14 . The vacuum system of claim 12 wherein the shaft is configured such that the axial sliding movement causes radial movement of the force applying members, whereby the force applying members are movable to selectively vary the size of the gap.

15 . The vacuum system of claim 14 , wherein the force applying members each have a through-hole and the shaft extends through the through-holes, the shaft having a plurality of first diameter portions and a plurality of second diameter portions that have a diameter greater than the first diameter portions, and wherein the axial sliding movement moves the shaft from a position in which the first diameter portions are received in the respective through-holes to a position in which the second diameter portions are received in the through-holes to cause the radially outward movement of the force applying members to narrow the gap.

16 . The vacuum system of claim 14 , further comprising a mounting for the shaft that is secured to the first part, the mounting defining a bore in which the shaft is at least partially received and being provided with respective apertures through which the force applying members protrude, the apertures being configured to restrict movement of the force applying members in directions parallel to the axis of rotation.

17 . The vacuum system of claims 10 , further comprising a mounting for the shaft secured to the first part, the relative movement of the shaft being relative to the mounting.

18 . The vacuum system of claim 16 , wherein the mounting is releasably securable to the first part.

19 . The vacuum system securing device of claims 10 , wherein the force applying members are disposed at axially spaced apart locations on the shaft.

20 . The vacuum system of claims 10 , wherein the second part is a part of a vacuum pump and the first part is a part of an apparatus having at least one interior space to be evacuated by the vacuum pump.

21 . The vacuum system of claims 10 , comprising two of the vacuum system securing devices, wherein the respective gaps defined by the securing devices define a guideway for the second part along which the second part is movable in directions parallel to the respective longitudinal axes of the shafts.

22 . The vacuum system of claims 10 , further comprising at least one sealing element sealing between the first and second parts.

23 . method of securing a connection between two parts of a vacuum system, the method comprising:
mounting a shaft having a longitudinal axis and provided with a plurality of force applying members to a first part of the vacuum system to define the gap between the force applying members and the first part; moving a second part of the vacuum system into the gap along a path substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis; and moving the shaft relative to the first part to cause the force applying members to narrow the gap and press the second part towards the first part to apply pressure to a sealing element between the first and second parts.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein moving the shaft relative to the first part comprises rotating the shaft about the longitudinal axis.

25 . The method of claim 23 , wherein moving the shaft relative

Assignees

• Edwards Ltd

Inventors

• Cobbett Andrew

Classifications

• F04D29/601

  specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title

• F16B2/14 Primary

  using wedges · CPC title

• F04D19/042 Primary

  Turbomolecular vacuum pumps · CPC title