Vacuum Pump

The present invention relates to fluid distribution systems for vacuum pumps.

Ancillary systems used to control pump performance, such as cooling water and purge gas systems, are traditionally manufactured using assemblies of metal components.

These components include:

• Valve manifold assemblies - fluid control

• Pipes - fluid transport

• Fittings - system interconnects

These systems can be expensive because material costs are high and the labour required to assemble the systems is time consuming.

The present invention provides a vacuum pump, comprising stator and rotor components arranged to pump a gas from a vessel, and a cooling system arranged to maintain at least a portion of the pump at a desired temperature during operation thereof; wherein said cooling system comprises a cooling circuit having a first part in contact with the pump and a second part, said first part being arranged to transfer thermal energy from the pump and being coupled to the second part by quick connect fittings.

The present application also provides a vacuum pump, comprising stator and rotor components arranged to pump a gas from a vessel, and a gas distribution system arranged to supply at least a portion of the pump with gas during operation thereof; wherein said gas distribution system comprises a distribution circuit having a first part in communication with the pump and a second part, said first part being arranged to supply gas to the pump and being coupled to the second part by quick connect fittings.

The first and second parts are preferably formed from polyamide

The first and second parts are preferably disposed close to the stator body

The present application also provides a vacuum pump fluid distribution system comprising at least one conduit connected to at least one manifold valve assembly; wherein the conduit and/or the manifold valve assembly are formed from polyamide and connected via quick connect fittings.

It would be advantageous to use polyamide components to replace many of the components used in traditional metal fluid systems. The following briefly describes the components of such a system and the advantages offered.

Polyamide tubing can be supplied preformed with quick connect fittings already attached. This means that assemblies of tube and fittings can be provided by a subcontractor rather than requiring production line assembly. Polyamide tube is flexible which means it would be possible to generate single tube designs capable of accommodating more than one geometry.

Quick connect fittings have been developed to make assembly of pipe/tube systems more efficient. Two types of quick connect fittings could be used in vacuum pump fluid systems:

1 ) Tube to tube connector fittings simplify system assembly because individual pipes can be connected together by pushing the mating halves together. This eliminates the time required to generate swaged connections.

2) Tube to valve manifold connector fittings provide the mechanism allowing tubes to be connected to the fluid control manifold. Tubes with suitable end forms are pushed in to the fittings and the connectors

would be supplied pre-assembled in to the fluid control manifold. This means that the time taken to form a swaged connection is eliminated.

Polyamide valve manifolds are a lightweight and less expensive alternative to the traditional brass or stainless steel manifolds. The manifolds could be machined from solid or injection moulded which would increase savings further. Tube to manifold connectors would be supplied pre-fitted to the manifolds meaning ferrule type connections can be eliminated.

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the invention where: 1 is part of a pump; 2 is the first part of the cooling/gas distribution system; 4 is the quick connect fitting; 3 is the second part of the cooling/gas distribution system; and 5 is either a heat exchanger or purge gas supply.