WO2021251521A1

WO2021251521A1 - Gate valve module and sealing chamber

Info

Publication number: WO2021251521A1
Application number: PCT/KR2020/007537
Authority: WO
Inventors: 송동욱
Original assignee: 엘지전자 주식회사
Priority date: 2020-06-10
Filing date: 2020-06-10
Publication date: 2021-12-16
Also published as: KR20220120613A

Abstract

This gate valve module comprises: a first support member including an opening; a sealing plate that opens or closes the opening; a first drive unit that is provided on one side of the first support member and moves the sealing plate vertically; and a second drive unit that moves the sealing plate forward or rearward along a horizontal direction.

Description

Gate valve module and hermetic chamber

Embodiments relate to gate valve modules and closed chambers.

A glove box or an airtight chamber applied to a semiconductor or display manufacturing process must be closed to the outside to keep its interior space in a specific gas atmosphere.

Goods in process to be processed, such as semiconductor wafers or display panels, enter and exit the sealed chamber. A gate valve for controlling the entry and exit of the workpiece to be processed is provided in the sealing chamber. The gate valve opens and closes the valve to transfer the work-in-progress between the closed chamber and the outside or between the closed chamber and another closed chamber to maintain an airtight state in the closed chamber.

In the conventional gate valve, since a plurality of components are individually mounted directly on the wall of the hermetic chamber, there is a problem in that the assembly of the gate valve is complicated.

On the other hand, recently, semiconductors and displays have increased in capacity and area, and the size of the closed chamber as well as the gate valve is increasing according to the increase in capacity and area. have.

In this way, when the mounting position of the gate valve is changed, since various components of the gate valve must be individually mounted to the changed position, it is difficult to install and maintain the gate valve.

In addition, the various components of the gate valve become bulky and the load increases, and due to the non-uniform load applied to the wall by these components, the wall is bent over time, thereby reducing the sealing performance of the hermetic chamber. In this case, even if the gate valve is sealed on the wall, the gate valve and the wall do not come into contact with each other, causing a sealing failure of the sealed chamber.

The embodiments aim to solve the above and other problems.

Embodiments provide an easy-to-mount gate valve module and hermetic chamber.

Embodiments provide a gate valve module and a closed chamber that can improve sealing performance.

The embodiment provides a gate valve module and an airtight chamber that can prevent warping of the wall.

Embodiments provide a gate valve module and a closed chamber that can immediately respond to a change in mounting position.

According to one aspect of the embodiment to achieve the above or other objects, the gate valve module includes: a first support member including an opening; a sealing plate for opening and closing the opening; a first driving unit installed on one side of the first supporting member to vertically move the sealing plate in a vertical direction; and a second driving unit that moves the sealing plate back and forth in a horizontal direction.

The hermetic chamber includes: a wall including a first opening; and a gate valve module. The gate valve module may include a support member coupled to the wall and including a second opening; a sealing plate for opening and closing the second opening; a first driving unit installed on one side of the support member to vertically move the sealing plate in a vertical direction; and a second driving unit that moves the sealing plate back and forth in a horizontal direction.

The effect of the closed chamber according to the embodiment will be described as follows.

According to at least one of the embodiments, various components, that is, the gate valve module in which the parts are modularized is fastened to the closed chamber, so that the gate valve module can be easily mounted.

According to at least one of the embodiments, since the front surface of the first supporting member of the gate valve module is fastened to the hermetic chamber and the load of the gate valve module is distributed in the hermetic chamber, the wall of the hermetic chamber is not bent, thereby improving sealing performance. It has the advantage that it can be

According to at least one of the embodiments, even if the position at which the gate valve module is mounted in the sealed chamber is changed, the gate valve module is modularized and the corresponding gate module is fastened to the newly changed position, so that it is possible to immediately respond to a change in the mounting position. There are advantages.

Further scope of applicability of embodiments will become apparent from the following detailed description. However, it should be understood that the specific embodiments such as the detailed description and preferred embodiments are given by way of example only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the embodiments may be clearly understood by those skilled in the art.

1 shows a closed chamber according to an embodiment.

2 shows a gate valve module according to an embodiment.

3 shows the door assembly;

4 is an enlarged view of a portion of the door assembly;

5 is a side view illustrating a gate valve module according to an embodiment.

6 shows the relationship between the door assembly and the stopper.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of area A of FIG. 6 .

Fig. 8 shows the sealing member installed on the sealing plate.

9 to 12 show a state in which the gate valve module according to the embodiment operates in a closed state.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the technical spirit of the present invention is not limited to some embodiments described, but may be implemented in various different forms, and within the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention, one or more of the components may be selected between the embodiments. It can be combined and substituted for use. In addition, terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in the embodiments of the present invention may be generally understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs, unless specifically defined and described explicitly. It may be interpreted as a meaning, and generally used terms such as terms defined in advance may be interpreted in consideration of the contextual meaning of the related art. In addition, the terminology used in the embodiments of the present invention is for describing the embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention. In this specification, the singular form may also include the plural form unless otherwise specified in the phrase, and when it is described as "at least one (or more than one) of B and (and) C", it can be combined with A, B, and C. It may include one or more of all combinations. In addition, in describing the components of the embodiment of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used. These terms are only for distinguishing the component from other components, and are not limited to the essence, order, or order of the component by the term. And, when it is described that a component is 'connected', 'coupled' or 'connected' to another component, the component is not only directly connected, coupled or connected to the other component, but also with the component It may also include a case of 'connected', 'coupled' or 'connected' due to another element between the other elements. In addition, when it is described as being formed or disposed on "above (above) or under (below)" of each component, the upper (above) or lower (below) is not only when two components are in direct contact with each other, but also one Also includes a case in which another component as described above is formed or disposed between two components. In addition, when expressed as “up (up) or down (down)”, it may include not only the upward direction but also the meaning of the downward direction based on one component.

In an embodiment, the gate valve module may be fastened to the wall of the closed chamber. The opening of the wall is opened and closed by the control of the gate valve module, so that a semiconductor wafer or a display panel may be transferred into the sealed chamber or transferred to the outside in the sealed chamber. That is, when a semiconductor wafer or a display panel is transferred, the gate valve module may be operated in an open state, and in other cases, the gate valve module may be operated in a closed state.

According to the embodiment, various components, such as a first supporting member, a first driving unit, a sealing plate, a second supporting member, a second driving unit, etc. may be modularized in the gate valve module to constitute a single product. As such, the gate valve module composed of a single product is not only easy to transport, but also fastens to the wall of the sealed chamber, so that the opening and closing function of the gate valve can be easily performed.

Therefore, the gate valve module of the embodiment is easy to assemble or mount on the wall.

The gate valve module of the embodiment is fastened in face-to-face contact with the wall, so that the load of the gate valve module is evenly spread on the wall to prevent bending of the wall, thereby improving sealing performance.

Since the gate valve module of the embodiment is composed of a single product and only the corresponding gate valve module needs to be mounted in the corresponding position when the mounting position is changed, it is possible to immediately respond to the change in the mounting position.

1 shows a closed chamber according to an embodiment, and FIG. 2 shows a gate valve module according to an embodiment. 3 shows a door assembly, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a part of the door assembly. 5 is a side view illustrating a gate valve module according to an embodiment. 6 shows the relationship between the door assembly and the stopper, and FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of area A of FIG. 6 . Fig. 8 shows the sealing member installed on the sealing plate.

1 to 8 , the gate valve module 100 may be fastened to the wall 20 of the closed chamber 10 .

The hermetic chamber 10 may be composed of a plurality of frames and a plurality of walls. That is, the closed chamber 10 may be manufactured by connecting a plurality of frames to each other and fastening a wall to these frames.

At least one of the plurality of walls 20 may include an opening 22 through which the work-in-progress can be transported. The opening 22 has a size larger than the size of the work-in-progress, so that the work-in-process can be easily transferred into or out of the closed chamber 10 through the opening 22 .

The gate valve module 100 of the embodiment may include a first support member 110 , a first driving unit 120 , and a door assembly 130 .

For example, the first support member 110 may be fastened to at least one wall 20 among a plurality of walls of the closed chamber 10 . In this case, the size of the first support member 110 may be the same as or smaller than the size of the wall 20 . As the size of the first support member 110 increases, the area in which the first support member 110 is fastened to the wall 20 increases. It is possible to prevent bending of the wall 20 due to the load of the valve module 100 .

For example, the first support member 110 may have a plate shape. For example, the first support member 110 may be formed of a material having excellent strength. The first support member 110 may be formed of, for example, stainless steel, aluminum, or an aluminum alloy. For example, the first support member 110 may be referred to as a support plate, a support plate, a support frame, or the like.

The first support member 110 may have a plate shape. For example, both the first side surface of the first support member 110 and the second side opposite to the first side surface may have a flat surface, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The first side may be a surface facing the wall 20 of the closed chamber 10 , and the second side may be a surface to which the first driving unit 120 is fastened. The first support member 110 may be fastened in contact with the wall 20 having a flat surface in a face-to-face manner.

Meanwhile, the first support member 110 may be replaced with the wall 20 . That is, the first support member 110 may be directly coupled to the frames. In this case, since the wall 20 is omitted and the first support member 110 is directly fastened to the frames, assembly may be further facilitated. In addition, the door assembly 130 does not need to be positioned with the wall 20 so that the opening 22 of the wall 20 and the opening 112 of the door assembly 130 correspond to each other.

For example, the first driving unit 120 may be installed on the second side surface of the first supporting member 110 to vertically move the door assembly 130 in a vertical direction. For example, the door assembly 130 may be raised in a vertical direction by the first driving unit 120 . For example, the door assembly 130 may descend in a vertical direction by the first driving unit 120 .

The first driving unit 120 may include a first cylinder 121 , a second cylinder 122 , a first shaft 123 , and a second shaft 124 .

For example, the first cylinder 121 and the first shaft 123 may be included in the 1-1 driving unit, and the second cylinder 122 and the second shaft 124 may be included in the 1-2 driving unit.

For example, the first cylinder 121 is installed on the second side surface of the first support member 110 , and the second cylinder 122 is installed on the second side surface of the first support member 110 and the first cylinder (121) may be spaced apart. For example, the first cylinder 121 may be installed adjacent to one end of the first support member 110 , and the second cylinder 122 may be installed adjacent to the other end of the first support member 110 . For example, when the size of the first support member 110 is the same as the size of the wall 20 , the first cylinder 121 of the first support member 110 corresponding to an area adjacent to one end of the wall 20 is It is installed in the first region, and the second cylinder 122 may be installed in the second region of the first support member 110 corresponding to the region adjacent to the other end of the wall 20 . For example, the first cylinder 121 and the second cylinder 122 may be mounted on a second side opposite to the first side of the first support member 110 . The first side surface of the first support member 110 may be a surface facing the wall 20 .

For example, the first cylinder 121 and the second cylinder 122 may be disposed below the opening 112 .

For example, the first cylinder 121 may vertically move the first shaft 123 in a vertical direction. In other words, the first shaft 123 may move up and down in the vertical direction in the first cylinder 121 . One side of the first shaft 123 may be located inside the first cylinder 121 , and the other side of the first shaft 123 may be located outside the first cylinder 121 . Accordingly, as the other side of the first shaft 123 is raised along the vertical direction by the first cylinder 121 , a portion of one side of the first shaft 123 moves from the inside to the outside of the first cylinder 121 . can be raised to

For example, the second cylinder 122 may vertically move the second shaft 124 in a vertical direction. In other words, the second shaft 124 may move up and down in the vertical direction in the second cylinder 122 . One side of the second shaft 124 may be located inside the second cylinder 122 , and the other side of the second shaft 124 may be located outside the second cylinder 122 . Accordingly, as the other side of the second shaft 124 is raised along the vertical direction by the second cylinder 122 , a portion of one side of the second shaft 124 is moved from the inside to the outside of the second cylinder 122 . can be raised to

Each of the first cylinder 121 and the second cylinder 122 may drive the first shaft 123 and the second shaft 124 using air.

For example, the first cylinder 121 may have the same shape and/or the same size as the second cylinder 122 , but is not limited thereto. For example, the first shaft 123 may have the same shape and/or the same length as the second shaft 124 , but is not limited thereto. Accordingly, when the first shaft 123 and the second shaft 124 are raised in the vertical direction, the maximum rising point of the end of the first shaft 123 and the maximum rising point of the end of the second shaft 124 are can be the same.

The first cylinder 121 and the second cylinder 122 are driven at the same time, and accordingly, the first shaft 123 and the second shaft 124 may also move up and down at the same time.

The second shaft 124 may be spaced apart from the first shaft 123 , and each of the first shaft 123 and the second shaft 124 may be spaced apart from the second side surface of the first support member 110 . Accordingly, even if the first shaft 123 and the second shaft 124 move up and down, they do not come into contact with the second side surface of the first support member 110 , thereby preventing defects due to the contact.

The door assembly 130 may be fastened to the first shaft 123 and the second shaft 124 . Accordingly, when the first shaft 123 and the second shaft 124 are vertically moved by the first cylinder 121 and the second cylinder 122, respectively, the door assembly 130 also includes the first shaft 123 and The second shaft 124 may move up and down. For example, when the first shaft 123 and the second shaft 124 are raised, the door assembly 130 may also be raised by the first shaft 123 and the second shaft 124 . For example, when the first shaft 123 and the second shaft 124 are lowered, the door assembly 130 may also be lowered by the first shaft 123 and the second shaft 124 .

The door assembly 130 may include a second support member 140 , a second driving unit 150 , and a sealing plate 160 .

The second support member 140 may support the second driving unit 150 and the sealing plate 160 .

For example, the second support member 140 may have a plate shape. For example, the second support member 140 may be formed of a material having excellent strength. The second support member 140 may be formed of stainless steel, aluminum, or an aluminum alloy. For example, the second support member 140 may be referred to as a support plate, a support plate, a support frame, or the like.

The second support member 140 may be fastened to the upper side of the first shaft 123 using the first bracket 141 and fastened to the upper side of the second shaft 124 using the second bracket 142 . have.

For example, one side of the first bracket 141 may be fastened to one side of the second support member 140 , and the other side of the first bracket 141 may be fastened to the upper side of the first shaft 123 . For example, one side of the second bracket 142 may be fastened to the other side of the second support member 140 , and the other side of the second bracket 142 may be fastened to the upper side of the second shaft 124 .

Accordingly, the second support member 140 is fastened to the first shaft 123 and the second shaft 124 through the first bracket 141 and the second bracket 142, and the first shaft 123 and It may be linked to the vertical movement of the second shaft 124 . That is, when the first shaft 123 and the second shaft 124 are raised, the second support member 140 may also be raised. For example, when the first shaft 123 and the second shaft 124 are lowered, the second support member 140 may also be lowered.

The second driving unit 150 may be installed on the second supporting member 140 . For example, the second driving unit 150 may move the sealing plate 160 back and forth in a horizontal direction. In this case, the sealing plate 160 may be coupled to the second driving unit 150 , but may not be coupled to the second supporting member 140 . Accordingly, the sealing plate 160 may be moved back and forth only by the second driving unit 150 .

The second driving unit 150 may include a plurality of cylinders 151 and a plurality of shafts 155 .

For example, the plurality of cylinders 151 may be arranged in a line along the longitudinal direction of the second support member 140 . In this case, the plurality of cylinders 151 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other. The plurality of cylinders 151 may be coupled to the second support member 140 . For example, a portion of the plurality of cylinders 151 may be disposed outside the second support member, and other portions of the plurality of cylinders 151 may pass through the second support member. In this case, a portion of the plurality of cylinders 151 may be fastened to the second support member 140 using, for example, brackets 163 to 165 .

For example, a plurality of holes (not shown) may be formed in the second support member 140 so that other portions of the plurality of cylinders 151 pass therethrough. For example, other portions of the plurality of cylinders 151 pass through the plurality of holes of the second support member 140 , and portions of the plurality of cylinders 151 use brackets 163 to 165 to the second support member ( 140) may be engaged.

The bracket 163 may be fastened to the second support member 140 in a horizontal direction from an upper side of the second support member 140 , that is, in a longitudinal direction of the second support member 140 . The bracket 164 may be fastened to the second support member 140 in a horizontal direction from the lower side of the second support member 140 , that is, in a longitudinal direction of the second support member 140 . The bracket 163 and the bracket 164 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other. The bracket 165 may be fastened to the second support member 140 between the bracket 163 and the bracket 164 . For example, the bracket 165 may be disposed in a vertical direction between the bracket 163 and the bracket 164 . Accordingly, a portion of the plurality of cylinders 151 is surrounded by the brackets 163 to 165 and may be fastened to the brackets 163 to 165 .

Each of the plurality of shafts 155 may be moved back and forth in a horizontal direction inside other portions of the plurality of cylinders 151 passing through the second support member 140 by the plurality of cylinders 151 . For example, the plurality of shafts 155 may be coupled to the sealing plate 160 . Accordingly, the sealing plate 160 may move back and forth together with the plurality of shafts 155 .

For example, when the plurality of shafts 155 are moved forward toward the opening 112 of the first support member 110 by the plurality of cylinders 151 , the sealing plate 160 is also moved forward together with the first support member 110 . The opening 112 of the support member 110 may be closed. For example, when the plurality of shafts 155 are moved rearwardly away from the opening 112 of the first support member 110 by the plurality of cylinders 151 , the sealing plate 160 is also moved rearwardly to the first support member 110 . 1 The opening 112 of the support member 110 may be opened.

Meanwhile, the first driving unit 120 may be operated first, and then the second driving unit 150 may be operated. For example, by the operation of the first driving unit 120, each of the first and

second cylinders

121 and 122 lifts the first and

second shafts

123 and 124 in a vertical direction to include the sealing plate 160. The door assembly 130 may also be raised together. Subsequently, by the operation of the second driving unit 150 , each of the plurality of cylinders 151 is moved forward along the horizontal direction through the sealing plate 160 through the shaft 155 , and by the sealing plate 160 , the first The opening 112 of the support member 110 may be closed, so that the opening 22 of the wall 20 may be closed. In this regard, a more detailed operation will be described later.

The sealing plate 160 may be a member for opening and closing the opening 112 of the first support member 110 .

For example, the sealing plate 160 may have a plate shape. For example, the sealing plate 160 may be formed of a material having excellent strength. The sealing plate 160 may be formed of stainless steel, aluminum, or an aluminum alloy.

For example, the sealing plate 160 may have a size larger than the size of the opening 112 of the first supporting member 110 to safely close the opening 112 of the first supporting member 110 .

For example, the sealing plate 160 may have a size smaller than the size of the second support member 140 , but is not limited thereto.

As shown in FIG. 8 , the sealing member 170 may be installed on one side of the sealing plate 160 . One side of the sealing plate 160 may be a surface facing the first support member 110 .

For example, the sealing member 170 may be installed on one side of the sealing plate 160 corresponding to the adjacent region of the first supporting member 110 adjacent to the periphery of the opening 112 of the first supporting member 110 . have. That is, when the sealing plate 160 closes the opening 112 of the first supporting member 110 , the sealing member 170 installed on one side of the sealing plate 160 is the opening of the first supporting member 110 . A perimeter of 112 may be tangent to an adjacent adjacent region.

Although not shown, a groove is formed in one side of the sealing plate 160 corresponding to an adjacent area adjacent to the periphery of the opening 112 of the first supporting member 110, and the sealing member 170 is inserted into the groove. and may be fixed.

For example, the sealing plate 160 may have a closed loop shape disposed along the outer edge of the sealing plate 160 .

The sealing plate 160 may be supported by the second support member 140 using the plurality of support pins 161 and the plurality of guide parts 162 .

For example, the guide part 162 may be installed on the rear surface of the second support member 140 , that is, on a surface opposite to the front surface of the second support member 140 facing the sealing plate 160 . The guide part 162 may be fastened to the rear surface of the second support member 140 . For example, the guide part 162 may have an empty hole therein. The second support member 140 may have a hole corresponding to the hole of the guide part 162 .

For example, one side of the support pin 161 is fastened to the rear surface of the sealing plate 160 , that is, the surface opposite to the front surface of the sealing plate 160 facing the first support member 110 , and The other side may be inserted into the hole of the second support member 140 and the hole of the guide part 162 .

For example, the sealing plate 160 is freely movable back and forth in the horizontal direction by the hole of the second support member 140 and the support pin 161 inserted into the hole of the guide part 162 . For example, the sealing plate 160 may be supported by the second support member 140 by the support pin 161 inserted into the hole of the second support member 140 and the hole of the guide part 162 . Accordingly, when the sealing plate 160 is moved forward toward the opening 112 of the first support member 110 by the plurality of cylinders 151 , the support pin 161 is also horizontal in the hole of the guide part 162 . It can be moved forward along the direction. For example, when the sealing plate 160 is moved rearwardly away from the opening 112 of the first support member 110 by the plurality of cylinders 151 , the support pins 161 in the hole of the guide part 162 . It can also be moved rearward along the horizontal direction.

The gate valve module 100 of the embodiment may include

guide members

181 and 182 .

The guide member may include a first guide member 181 and a second guide member 182 .

For example, the first guide member 181 is installed in the first area of the second side of the first supporting member 110 , and the second guide member 182 is the second side of the second side of the first supporting member 110 . It can be installed in 2 areas. For example, since the second area is spaced apart from the first area, the second guide member 182 may also be spaced apart from the first guide member 181 .

For example, the first guide member 181 may be disposed adjacent to the first shaft 123 and may be disposed parallel to the first shaft 123 . For example, the second guide member 182 may be disposed adjacent to the second shaft 124 and disposed parallel to the second shaft 124 .

The first guide member 181 and the second guide member 182 may be disposed in parallel with the opening 112 interposed therebetween. For example, the first guide member 181 may be disposed on one side of the opening 112 , and the second guide member 182 may be disposed on the other side of the opening 112 .

For example, when the door assembly 130 rises according to the first guide member 181 and the second guide member 182 , the door assembly 130 may be disposed to correspond to the opening 112 . In this case, the door assembly 130 and the opening 112 may overlap each other. Specifically, the sealing plate 160 and the opening 112 may overlap each other. For example, when the door assembly 130 descends according to the first guide member 181 and the second guide member 182 , the door assembly 130 may be positioned lower than the opening 112 . That is, the door assembly 130 may not correspond to the opening 112 and the door assembly 130 and the opening 112 may not overlap each other.

For example, each of the first guide member 181 and the second guide member 182 may be a guide rail having a long axis in a vertical direction.

The second support member 140 may move up and down along the first guide member 181 and the second guide member 182 by using the first moving part 183 and the second moving part 184, respectively.

For example, the first moving part 183 may be fastened to one side of the second support member 140 and move up and down along the first guide member 181 . For example, the second moving part 184 may be coupled to the other side of the second support member 140 to move up and down along the second guide member 182 .

For example, one side of the first moving part 183 may be fixed to one side of the second supporting member 140 , and the other side of the first moving part 183 may be fastened to the first guide member 181 in a sliding manner. have. Accordingly, as the first moving unit 183 fixed to the second supporting member 140 by the first driving unit 120 slides up and down along the first guide member 181 , the second supporting member ( 140) may be moved up and down in the vertical direction.

For example, one side of the second moving part 184 may be fixed to the other side of the second support member 140 , and the other side of the second moving part 184 may be fastened to the second guide member 182 in a sliding manner. have. Accordingly, as the second moving unit 184 fixed to the second supporting member 140 by the first driving unit slides up and down along the second guide member 182 , the second supporting member 140 moves It may move up and down in a vertical direction.

The gate valve module 100 of the embodiment may include at least one or

more stoppers

190 and 191 . Although two

stoppers

190 and 191 are shown in the drawing, one stopper or three or more stoppers may be provided.

The

stoppers

190 and 191 may be members to stop the sealing plate 160 from rising at a predetermined height.

5 and 6 , the

stoppers

190 and 191 may be positioned higher than the opening 112 of the first support member 110 . For example, the first stopper 190 may be installed in a first area of the first support member 110 higher than the opening 112 . For example, the second stopper 191 may be installed in a second area of the first support member 110 higher than the opening 112 . Since the first area of the first support member 110 and the second area of the first support member 110 are spaced apart from each other, the first stopper 190 and the second stopper 191 may be spaced apart from each other.

For example, lower sides of the

stoppers

190 and 191 may be positioned higher than at least the opening 112 .

When the first shaft 123 and the second shaft 124 are raised in the vertical direction by the first cylinder 121 and the second cylinder 122, respectively, the first shaft 123 and the second shaft 124 The sealing plate 160 of the door assembly 130 coupled to the can also be raised. When the sealing plate 160 rises to a predetermined height, the upper surface of the sealing plate 160 is in contact with the lower surfaces of the

stoppers

190 and 191 so that the sealing plate 160 is no longer raised by the

stoppers

190 and 191. do.

The predetermined height at which the sealing plate 160 is raised may be an optimal height for the sealing plate 160 to close the opening 112 of the first supporting member 110 . The upper surface of the sealing plate 160 may be in surface contact with the lower surface of the

stoppers

190 and 191, but is not limited thereto. For example, the lower side of the

stoppers

190 and 191 may have a flat circular plate, but is not limited thereto. For example, the lower side of the

stoppers

190 and 191 may be formed of a material having elasticity, for example, a rubber material or a plastic material, but is not limited thereto.

If the

stoppers

190 and 191 are not provided, it is difficult to stop the sealing plate 160 at an optimal height for closing the opening 112 of the first support member 110 . In this case, when the sealing plate 160 is raised higher than the optimal height, the sealing plate 160 does not close all of the openings 112 of the first support member 110 and a part of the opening 112 is outside. Exposure to air may cause sealing failure.

Therefore, according to the embodiment, since the sealing plate 160 is stopped at a position corresponding to the opening 112 of the first support member 110 by the

stoppers

190 and 191, thereafter, the sealing plate 160 is moved forward is moved to safely close the opening 112 of the first support member 110 to prevent sealing failure.

[Closed state action]

As shown in FIG. 9 , the door assembly 130 may be lowered in the vertical direction by the operation of the first driving unit 120 so that the door assembly 130 may be positioned below the opening 112 .

For example, when the workpiece is moved between the closed chamber ( 10 in FIG. 1 ) and the outside or between the closed chamber 10 and another closed chamber, the door assembly 130 may be positioned below the opening 112 .

For example, when the transfer of the work-in-process is completed, the opening 112 may be closed using the door assembly 130 .

To this end, as shown in FIG. 10 , the first shaft 123 and the second shaft 124 may be raised in the vertical direction by the operation of the first driving unit 120 . That is, the first shaft 123 may be raised in the vertical direction by the first cylinder 121 , and the second shaft 124 may be raised in the vertical direction by the second cylinder 122 .

The door assembly 130 may include a second support member 140 , a sealing plate 160 , and a second driving unit 150 .

For example, one side of the second support member 140 and the first shaft 123 may be fastened by the first bracket 141 . The other side of the second support member 140 and the second shaft 124 may be fastened by the second bracket 142 .

Accordingly, when the first shaft 123 and the second shaft 124 are raised in the vertical direction, the door assembly 130 fastened to the first shaft 123 and the second shaft 124 , specifically, the second The support member 140 may also be raised.

For example, the second support member 140 may be raised until the sealing plate 160 reaches a position corresponding to the opening 112 of the first support member 110 . That is, when the sealing plate 160 reaches a position corresponding to the opening 112 of the first supporting member 110 , the upper surface of the sealing plate 160 may contact the lower surfaces of the

stoppers

190 and 191 . For example, since the sealing plate 160 is no longer raised, the second support member 140 is also no longer raised, and accordingly, the operation of the first driving unit 120 may be stopped. Accordingly, the sealing plate 160 may be stopped at the opening 112 of the first support member 110 .

When the second support member 140 is stopped at a position where the sealing plate 160 corresponds to the opening 112 of the first support member 110 by the

stoppers

190 and 191, as shown in FIG. 11 , The sealing plate 160 may be positioned rearwardly spaced apart from the opening 112 of the first support member 110 .

12 , the sealing plate 160 may be moved forward toward the opening 112 of the first supporting member 110 by the operation of the second driving unit 150 , that is, the second supporting member 110 . The plurality of shafts 155 may be moved forward by the plurality of cylinders 151 coupled to the member 140 , and the sealing plate 160 coupled to the plurality of shafts 155 may be moved forward. In this case, the sealing plate 160 may move away from the second support member 140 and approach the first support member 110 . As the sealing plate 160 moves forward, the plurality of support pins 161 coupled to the sealing plate 160 may be guided by the plurality of guide parts 162 to move forward. That is, the sealing plate 160 may be moved forward while being supported by the second support member 140 by the plurality of support pins 161 and the plurality of guide parts 162 .

The sealing plate 160 is moved forward to come into contact with the opening 112 of the first supporting member 110 , and the sealing plate 160 is continuously pressed, so that the sealing plate 160 closes the first supporting member 110 . The opening 112 may be closed so that the hermetic chamber ( 10 in FIG. 1 ) may be blocked from the outside.

Closing of the opening 112 of the first supporting member 110 is again the first supporting member 110 in order for the workpiece to be moved between the sealed chamber (10 in FIG. 1) and the outside or between the sealed chamber 10 and another sealed chamber. This may continue until opening 112 is opened.

Meanwhile, the closing operation of the opening 112 of the first supporting member 110 has been described in FIGS. 9 to 12 .

The opening operation of the opening 112 of the first supporting member 110 may be reversed from the closing operation of the opening 112 of the first supporting member 110 in FIGS. 9 to 12 .

1 to 8 , in order to open the opening 112 of the first supporting member 110 , first, the sealing plate 160 is rearwardly moved along the horizontal direction by the operation of the second driving unit 150 . can be moved to That is, the sealing plate 160 fastened to the plurality of shafts 155 by the plurality of cylinders 151 may be moved rearward. In this case, the sealing plate 160 may move away from the first support member 110 and approach the second support member 140 . The sealing plate 160 may be stopped adjacent to the second support member 140 . Although the sealing plate 160 may be in contact with the second support member 140 , the present invention is not limited thereto.

The door assembly 130 including the sealing plate 160 may be lowered in a vertical direction by the operation of the first driving unit 120 . That is, the second support member 140 coupled to the first and

second shafts

123 and 124 by the first and

second cylinders

121 and 122 may be lowered in the vertical direction. In this case, the sealing plate 160 supported by the second support member 140 by the support pin 161 and the guide part 162 may also be lowered.

The first and

second shafts

123 and 124 may be lowered and inserted into the first and

second cylinders

121 and 122 . The first and

second shafts

123 and 124 may be stopped at positions where upper sides of the first and

second shafts

123 and 124 are adjacent to upper sides of the first and

second cylinders

121 and 122 . Accordingly, the door assembly 130 is positioned lower than the opening 112 of the first supporting member 110 , so that even if the workpiece is transported through the opening 112 , the workpiece is not obstructed by the door assembly 130 . can

The embodiment may be applied to fields that must be kept in a specific gas atmosphere by being blocked from the outside. For example, the embodiment may be applied to a semiconductor or display field, but is not limited thereto.

Claims

a first support member including an opening;

a sealing plate for opening and closing the opening;

a first driving unit installed on one side of the first supporting member to vertically move the sealing plate in a vertical direction; and

and a second driving unit that moves the sealing plate back and forth in a horizontal direction.

gate valve module.
According to claim 1,

The sealing plate has a plate shape larger than the size of the opening

gate valve module.
3. The method of claim 2,

and a sealing member installed on one side of the sealing plate facing the first supporting member.

gate valve module.
4. The method of claim 3,

The sealing member is

installed on one side of the sealing plate corresponding to an area adjacent to the first support member adjacent to the periphery of the opening
According to claim 1,

and a second support member supporting the sealing plate and the second driving unit.

gate valve module.
6. The method of claim 5,

The second driving unit is installed on the second support member,

The sealing plate is fastened to the second driving unit to move back and forth

gate valve module.
7. The method of claim 6,

The second driving unit,

a plurality of cylinders installed on the second support member; and

Including a shaft moving back and forth in each of the plurality of cylinders,

The sealing plate is fastened to the shaft

gate valve module.
8. The method of claim 7,

The cylinder is installed through the second support member

gate valve module.
6. The method of claim 5,

The first driving unit,

the first cylinder installed on one side of the first supporting member;

a second cylinder installed on one side of the first supporting member and spaced apart from the first cylinder;

a first shaft moving up and down in the first cylinder; and

Including a second shaft moving up and down in the second cylinder

gate valve module.
10. The method of claim 9,

a first bracket fastened to one side of the second support member and an upper side of the first shaft; and

and a second bracket fastened to each of the other side of the second support member and the upper side of the second shaft.

gate valve module.
6. The method of claim 5,

a guide member installed on one side of the first support member; and

and a moving part fastened to the second support member and moving up and down along the guide member.

gate valve module.
12. The method of claim 11,

The guide member,

including a guide rail having a long axis along the vertical direction

gate valve module.
12. The method of claim 11,

The moving part is positioned between one side of the first supporting member and one side of the sealing plate.
12. The method of claim 11,

The guide member is

a first guide member installed in a first area of one side of the first supporting member; and

and a second guide member installed in a second area spaced apart from the first area on one side of the first support member

gate valve module.
15. The method of claim 14,

The moving unit,

a first moving part fastened to one side of the second support member and moving up and down along the first guide member; and

and a second moving part fastened to the other side of the second support member and moved up and down along the second guide member.

gate valve module.
According to claim 1,

at least one stopper installed on one side of the first support member to stop the elevation of the sealing plate;

gate valve module.
17. The method of claim 16,

The stopper is spaced apart from one side of the first support member.

gate valve module.
a wall including a first opening; and

a gate valve module;

The gate valve module,

a support member fastened to the wall and including a second opening;

a sealing plate for opening and closing the second opening;

a first driving unit installed on one side of the support member to vertically move the sealing plate in a vertical direction; and

and a second driving unit that moves the sealing plate back and forth in a horizontal direction.

sealed chamber.
19. The method of claim 18,

The second opening is smaller than the first opening.
19. The method of claim 18,

The support member is fastened in contact with the wall

sealed chamber.