1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fluid control apparatus joint and a fluid control apparatus, and more particularly to a joint suitable for use in a fluid control apparatus termed “integrated fluid control apparatus,” and a fluid control apparatus having the joint.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fluid control apparatuses used in semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses have been increasingly integrated. Such an integrated fluid control apparatus includes a plurality of lines arranged in parallel, with inlets of all the lines being oriented in one direction and outlets of all the lines being oriented in the other direction, and each of the lines has a plurality of fluid control devices arranged on an upper stage and a plurality of block joint members arranged on a lower stage, thereby eliminating the need for providing a pipe or a pipe joint (see, for example, JP-A-2002-349797).
FIG. 5 illustrates an example of such an integrated fluid control apparatus. A fluid control apparatus (1) includes a plurality of (six in FIG. 5) lines (A), (B), (C), (D), (E), (F). Each of the lines includes, as a plurality of fluid control devices (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7) arranged on the upper stage, a manual valve (2), a filter (3), a two-port inlet on-off valve (4), a three-port inlet on-off valve (5), a mass flow controller (flow rate controller) (6), and an outlet on-off valve (7). Each of the lines (A), (B), (C), (D), (E), (F) has an inlet pipe joint (8) on an inlet side thereof. On the outlet side, a fluid draw-off portion (9) common to all the lines (A), (B), (C), (D), (E), (F) is provided.
Each of the fluid control devices (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7) is upwardly removably mounted on each of the corresponding block joint members (not illustrated) by means of male-threaded members (20) fastened from above.
As illustrated in FIG. 6, the fluid control apparatus (1) includes an outlet on-off valve support structure (51) that has a single-line block joint (11) provided for each of the lines (A), (B), (C), (D), (E), (F), and an plural-line block joint (12) common to and disposed over all the of lines (A), (B), (C), (D), (E), (F), both of which serve as joint members (11), (12) supporting each of the outlet on-off valves (7).
The outlet on-off valve (7) has an inlet channel (7a) and an outlet channel (7b), both of which are open through a lower surface of the outlet on-off valve (7).
The single-line block joint (11) has an inlet channel (11a) and an outlet channel (11b) both being open through the upper surface of the single-line block joint (11), which constitute a V-shaped channel (11a), (11b). The outlet channel (11b) communicates with the inlet channel (7a) of the outlet on-off valve (7). Although not illustrated, the inlet channel (11a) communicates with an outlet channel of the mass flow controller (6).
The plural-line block joint (12) has a fluid draw-off channel (12a) extending in a direction orthogonal to the lines (A), (B), (C), (D), (E), (F), and a plurality of bifurcated channels (12b) being open through the upper surface of the plural-line block joint (12). The number of the bifurcated channels (12b) provided is the same as that of the lines (A), (B), (C), (D), (E), (F). The bifurcated channel (12b) extends upward from the fluid draw-off channel (12a), and communicates with the outlet channel (7b) of the outlet on-off valve (7).
The outlet channel (11b) of the single-line block joint (11) butts against the inlet channel (7a) of the outlet on-off valve (7) via a seal portion (13). The outlet channel (7b) of the outlet on-off valve (7) butts against the bifurcated channel (12b) of the plural-line block joint (12) via a seal portion (13). The seal portion (13) is formed by providing an annular seal member (15) in an annular recess (14) formed by butting opposed recesses provided on both of the butted-against surfaces against each other.
In this fluid control apparatus (1), one or more among all the lines (A), (B), (C), (D), (E), (F) are chosen, where the manual valve (2) and the inlet on-off valves (4), (5) are made open, whereby required fluids are supplied. In an outlet on-off valve support structure (51) as illustrated in FIG. 6, the outlet on-off valve (7) is made open, where each fluid having passed through each of selected lines (for example, lines (A), (B), (D)) flows, from the outlet channel (7b) of the outlet on-off valve (7) of each line, through the bifurcated channel (12b) of the plural-line block joint (12), into the fluid draw-off channel (12a), and then the fluid is drawn off from the fluid draw-off portion (9) provided at an end portion of the plural-line block joint (12).
Therefore, in accordance with the fluid control apparatus (1), depending on which line(s) among all the lines (A), (B), (C), (D), (E), (F) is/are chosen and by appropriately changing the fluid(s) to be passed therethrough, various fluids coming from the mass flow controllers (6), where the flow rates thereof are adjusted, are mixed in the fluid draw-off channel (12a) of the plural-line block joint (12) and then drawn off from the fluid draw-off portion (9).
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds