Abstract:
A detachable, vacuum-sealing plate assembly is provided for vacuum chamber access. The assembly has a demountable hinge, thereby permitting the plate to be swung open or closed, or completely removed from the chamber. The swung-closed plate is automatically pressure-sealed to the chamber during vacuum pump-down by the pressure differential between the interior of the chamber and the outside atmosphere. The plate is released upon vacuum venting, thereby providing swing-open access to the chamber. Functional components may be mounted to the plate. The plate may also have associated high-vacuum electrical fluid flowpath transfer or physical component feed-throughs.
Abstract:
A housing that defines a high vacuum work environment includes a monolithic member that has one side having a baffle region and a wall region. The baffle region includes at least one angularly contoured evacuation opening that forms a zig-zag flow path from the high vacuum work environment. In the preferred embodiment, each evacuation opening has a chevron-shaped cross section having an outer channel portion that is defined by baffle fins that are parallel or substantially parallel to each other, but at an acute angle relative to the side of the monolithic member. The wall region includes convection cooling fins that are aligned with the baffle fins.
Abstract:
A diffusion pump is provided in which an internal vacuum chamber is surrounded by regions of the pump through which working vapors flow. This configuration enables a single heating unit to heat both the working fluid of the pump and the vacuum chamber.In certain embodiments, a differential pump is provided in which a common boiler provides working fluid for a pair of pumping sections, each of which evacuates a different vacuum chamber. Application of this pump to a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer system permits operation with relatively large gas throughput while maintaining a relatively low pressure chamber for the mass spectrometer ion source and a much lower pressure chamber for the mass analyzer.