Patent Abstract:
An omnibus quasi-hydrosystem is disclosed. The omnibus quasi-hydrosystem includes a module base, at least two channel switching members mounted in the module base, at least two inlets formed in the module base and at least two outlets formed in the module base. The inlets allow fluid entering into the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem, the channel switching members alter the fluid path in the omnibus quasi-hydro system to a desired outlet to output the fluid. In addition, a modular omnibus quasi-hydrosystem is also disclosed herein.

Full Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is based on, and claims priority from, Taiwan Application Serial Number 97119569, filed May 27, 2008, which is herein incorporated by reference. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to an omnibus quasi-hydrosystem. More particularly, this invention relates to an omnibus quasi-hydrosystem of a fluid supplying apparatus. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     With the fast development of the semiconductor manufacturing process, the performance and layers of semiconductor devices have increased. Therefore, the uniformity of the thickness of each layer is very important. During the chemical mechanic polishing (CMP), the etching process or the photolithography process, air and fluid are used. Hence, in a semiconductor factory, the supply pipes to deliver the air or the liquids are frequently used. 
     In the semiconductor equipment and factory, control valves are the major devices for the fluid supplying equipment. The control valve can control the liquid flow rate and flow direction in the process pipes. Therefore, the control valves occupy quite a large volume in the fluid supplying equipment. Especially, when a plurality of control valves are connected together through the pipes, the occupied volume thereof is significantly increased so that the construction and operation of the fluid supplying equipment are difficult and inconvenient. In addition, numerous pipes and control valves perplex the users and the operators to repair these pipes and control valves. 
     Hence, there is a need to reduce the occupied volume and the quantities of the control valves and the pipes therebetween and still maintain the same or better function for the fluid supplying equipment. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One objective of the present invention is to provide an omnibus quasi-hydrosystem integrating a plurality of channel switching members to control the flowing direction of the fluid. 
     Another objective of the present invention is to provide an omnibus quasi-hydrosystem integrating a plurality of channel switching members to reduce the quantities of the control valves and the pipes so as to improve the delivery quality and efficiency of the fluid supplying equipment and reduce the construction cost for the fluid supplying equipment and the factory with the same. 
     To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the objective of the present invention, as the embodiment broadly describes herein, the present invention provides an omnibus quasi-hydrosystem that includes a module base, at least two channel switching members configured in the module base, at least two inlets formed in the module base allowing at least two fluids to enter into the channel switching members and at least two outlets. Each of the fluids is exhausted from one of the outlets according to the operation angles of the channel switching members. 
     The channel switching members and the module base can form at least one four way fluid control valve and at least one T-shaped three way fluid control valve beside the four way fluid control valve. Preferably, four T-shaped three way fluid control valves encircle the four way fluid control valve. 
     In another preferred embodiment, the channel switching members and the module base can form at least one four way fluid control valve and at least one L-shaped three way fluid control valve beside the four way fluid control valve. Preferably, four L-shaped three way fluid control valves encircle the four way fluid control valve. In addition, the module base can further include a sensing device thereon, for example, a pressure meter or a flow meter. The module base can also further include a fluid control device, for example, a needle valve, a flow control valve, a damper or a pressure regulator. 
     The omnibus quasi-hydrosystem according to the present invention can further include a plurality of fluid channels formed in the module base to connect the inlet or the outlet to the channel switching members and to change the fluid flowing direction. The module base can be made of a metal material, for example, stainless, copper or aluminum. Alternatively, the module base can be made of a nonmetal material, for example, Polypropylene (PP), Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC), Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and Perfluoroalkoxy alkane (PFA). 
     Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a modular omnibus quasi-hydrosystem that includes a plurality of modular fluid control valves, sensing devices and/or fluid control devices coupled together. The fluid control valves include a plurality of channel switching members and a plurality of module bases. The module bases are coupled together and the channel switching members are configured in the module bases. The modular omnibus quasi-hydrosystem includes at least two inlets and at least two outlets to control at least two fluids entering into the fluid control valves and exhausting there from. In addition, the modular fluid control valves can further include a sensing device thereon, for example, a pressure meter or a flow meter. The modular fluid control valves can be a needle valve, a flow control valve, a damper or a pressure regulator. 
     Hence, the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem according to the present invention can effectively reduce the occupied space for the fluid supplying equipment in a factory, and especially for a semiconductor factory or a liquid crystal display factory. The omnibus quasi-hydrosystem according to the present invention can expedite the assembly speed to install the fluid supplying equipment. Furthermore, the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem according to the present invention can effectively improve the stability for the fluid supplying equipment and reduce the manufacturing cost and the cost to build the factory. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a preferred embodiment of an omnibus quasi-hydrosystem according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates another preferred embodiment of an omnibus quasi-hydrosystem according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates further another preferred embodiment of an omnibus quasi-hydrosystem according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a fluid supplying equipment with an omnibus quasi-hydrosystem according to the present invention; and 
         FIG. 5  illustrates still another preferred embodiment of an omnibus quasi-hydrosystem according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The following description is of the best presently contemplated mode of carrying out the present invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of describing the general principles of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined by referencing the appended claims. 
     Refer to  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 1  illustrates a preferred embodiment of an omnibus quasi-hydrosystem according to the present invention. Preferably, the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem has at least has two fluid inlets, two fluid outlets and two fluid control valves. The omnibus quasi-hydrosystem  100  includes a module base  200  with internal pipes and multiple openings formed in the module base  200  to respectively install channel switching members  122 / 142 / 152 / 162 / 182  therein so as to form fluid control valves  120 / 140 / 150 / 160 / 180 . In addition, the fluid channel members  110 / 130 / 170 / 190  can guide the fluid by the respective fluid channels  112 / 132 / 172 / 192 . 
     In this preferred embodiment, the fluid control valve  150  is preferably a four way fluid control valve with two L-shaped channels to respectively control the fluid to the desired pipe. The fluid control valves  120 / 140 / 160 / 180  are composed of T-shaped fluid control valves. Therefore, when the fluid enters the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem according to the present invention through the inlet  210 , the fluid first enters into the fluid channel member  110  through the fluid channel  112 , then enters into the fluid control valve  120 . When the channel switching member  122  is turned to a desired position, for example, the fluid can go out through the outlet  240  to an external device. In addition, when the channel switching member  122  is turned about 90 degrees, the channel switching member  122  is closed so that the fluid cannot further be guided to the outlet  240 . 
     In addition, when the fluid enters into the fluid control valve  140  through the inlet  220 , the channel switching member  142  can guide the fluid to the fluid control valve  150 , and then the channel switching member  142  can further guide the fluid to the fluid control valve  180 . The channel switching member  182  can further guide the fluid to a desired outlet according to the angle selection of the channel switching member  182 , for example, the channel switching member  182  can guide the fluid to the outlet  250  and further to an external device. Alternatively, the fluid control valve  140  or the fluid control valve  180  can also be closed to stop transporting the fluid to the external device. 
     In addition, the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem according to the present invention can further install sensing devices  184 / 194  on the module base, for example, a pressure meter on the fluid control valve  180  or a flow meter on the fluid channel member  190 . The channel switching member and the module base can also be formed to any other fluid control device, for example, a needle valve, a flow control valve, a damper or a pressure regulator. 
     Furthermore, the outlet and the inlet are the relative terms. When the fluid enters into the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem according to the present invention, the opening is defined as the inlet. Contrarily, when the fluid is pushed out from the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem according to the present invention through the opening, the opening is defined as an outlet. Hence, the inlet and the outlet are changeable and can be also referred to as a fluid gate to enter or exhaust the fluid. 
     Accordingly, the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem according to the present invention can guide the fluid to a desired device by way of the angle selection of the channel switching member. In addition, the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem according to the present invention can adopt an integrated module base to save the pipe required therein and reduce the occupied volume of the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem so as to further reduce the occupied space in the factory. 
     The module base  200  can be formed by a single bulk material and the channel switching members are subsequently disposed therein. Alternatively, the module base  200  can also be combined with a plurality of bulk materials. The bulk materials are respectively machined and the channel switching members are disposed therein to form respective fluid devices. Therefore, the fluid devices are subsequently combined together to form the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem. 
     Refer to  FIG. 2 . Another preferred embodiment of an omnibus quasi-hydrosystem according to the present invention is illustrated. The omnibus quasi-hydrosystem  300  includes fluid channel members  310 / 330 / 340 / 370 , fluid control valves  320 / 350 / 360 / 380  and an unfluid channel member  390 . The fluid channel members  310 / 340 / 370  are assembled or formed to construct the exterior shape of the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem according to the present invention to a regular shape so as to be easily installed or replaced. However, if the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem has no fluid channel member  310 / 340 / 370 , the pipes originally connected to the fluid channel member  310 / 340 / 370  can also be directly connected to the corresponding openings on the fluid control valve  320 / 350 / 380  to further reduce the volume of the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem. 
     Similarly, the unfluid channel member  390  can help to form the exterior shape of the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem to easily install and replace the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem. The unfluid channel member can be also removed from the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem to reduce the occupied volume of the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem. 
     In this preferred embodiment, the fluid control valve  350  is a four way fluid control valve and the channel switching member  352  thereof has two L-shaped channels to control the fluid to desired pipes. The fluid control valves  320 / 360 / 380  are the T-shaped fluid control valves. Therefore, the fluid entering into the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem from the inlet  410  can be guided to the fluid control valve  320  through the fluid channel  312 , and the fluid can be further guided to the fluid control valve  350  or the outlet  440  according to the selection of the channel switching member  322 . If the fluid is guided to the fluid control valve  350 , the fluid control valve  350  can further guide the fluid to the fluid control valve  360 , the fluid channel member  330  and the outlet  470 . At this moment, the fluid entering the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem from the inlet  430  can be guided to the fluid control valve  380 , to the fluid control valve  350  according to the selection of the channel switching member  382 , and further to the process through the outlet  420 . Alternatively, the channel switching member  382  of the fluid control valve  380  can be turned 90 degrees counterclockwise to allow the fluid to be pushed out through the outlet  450 . 
     If the channel switching member  352  of the fluid control valve  350  is turned about 90 degrees, the fluid entering from the inlet  410  can be guided to the process pipe through the outlet  420 . At this moment, the fluid entering from the inlet  430  can be guided to the fluid storing drum through the outlet  470 . Therefore, users can select the angle of the channel switching member  362  of the fluid control valve  360  to determine the destination of the fluid in the pipe, for example, to the supply tank through the outlet  460  or to the pressure storing drum through the outlet  470 . The omnibus quasi-hydrosystem can also include fluid sensing devices  344 / 374  in the module base, for example, a pressure meter on the fluid channel member  340  or a flow meter on the fluid channel member  370 . In addition, the channel switching member and the module base can also be formed to any other fluid control device, for example, a needle valve, a flow control valve, a damper or a pressure regulator. 
     The module base  400  can be formed by a single bulk material and the channel switching members are subsequently disposed therein. Alternatively, the module base  400  can also be combined with a plurality of bulk materials, i.e. a plurality of rectangular shaped module base components  311 / 321 / 331 / 341 / 351 / 361 / 371 / 381 / 391 . The bulk materials are respectively machined and the channel switching members are disposed therein to form respective fluid devices, i.e. the fluid channel members  310 / 330 / 340 / 370  and the fluid control valves  320 / 350 / 360 / 380 . Therefore, the fluid devices are subsequently combined together to form the rectangular shaped omnibus quasi-hydrosystem  300 . 
     Refer to  FIG. 3 . Another preferred embodiment of the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem according to the present invention is illustrated. The omnibus quasi-hydrosystem  500  according to the present invention includes fluid channel members  510 / 530 / 570 / 590 , and fluid control valves  520 / 540 / 550 / 560 / 580 . The fluid control valve  550  is preferably a four way fluid control valve with a channel switching member  552  having two L-shaped channels to control the fluid to desired pipes. In this preferred embodiment, the fluid control valves  520 / 540 / 560 / 580  are L-shaped three way fluid control valves. Similarly, to change the angle of the channel switching members  522 / 542 / 552 / 562 / 582  can further change the inlet and the outlet for the fluid so as to change the direction and destination of the fluid. 
     The omnibus quasi-hydrosystem can further adopt sensing devices  594 / 584  installed on the module base, for example, a pressure meter installed on the fluid channel member  590  or a flow meter installed on the fluid control valve  580 . The channel switching member and the module base can also be formed to any other fluid control device, for example, a needle valve, a flow control valve, a damper or a pressure regulator. 
     Furthermore, the fluid channel member  510  can include a first fluid channel  512  and a second fluid channel  514  independent to the first fluid channel  512 . The first fluid channel  512  and the second fluid channel  514  forms a predetermined angle therebetween, and preferably the first fluid channel  512  and the second fluid channel  514  are perpendicular to each other. The fluid channel member  510  can be configured at a corner of the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem to provide more inlets and outlets to enhance the function and capacity for the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem. 
     Refer to  FIG. 4 . A fluid supplying equipment with the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem according to the present invention is illustrated. Generally, the fluid supplying equipment can be air or liquid supplying equipment in a semiconductor factory, a display panel factory or any other factory. Conventional fluid supply equipment normally needs about 60 control valves to control the direction of the fluid flow in the pipes. In addition, each control valve requires at least two couplings. Therefore, the conventional fluid supplying equipment needs more than  120  couplings and each coupling may influence the total stability and safety of the fluid supplying equipment. Since each coupling may influence the total stability and safety of the fluid supplying equipment, each coupling has to be checked again and again to ensure the safety of the fluid supplying equipment. In addition, too many couplings installed in the conventional fluid supplying equipment takes a longer delivery time and reduces the reliability of the fluid supplying equipment. 
     In  FIG. 4 , only three omnibus quasi-hydrosystems are adopted in a fluid supplying equipment. The three omnibus quasi-hydrosystems can control most of the fluid flowing directions and destinations in the fluid supplying equipment. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the first omnibus quasi-hydrosystem  710 , the second omnibus quasi-hydrosystem  720  and the third omnibus quasi-hydrosystem  730  are respectively connected to a first storing drum  740 , a second storing drum  750 , a pressure tank  760 , a first pump  770 , a second pump  780 , a first pressure vessel  790  and a second pressure vessel  810  to control most fluid flowing directions in the fluid supplying equipment. Hence, the couplings and pipes between the control valves are effectively decreased. Accordingly, the delivery time of the fluid supplying equipment with the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem according to the present invention can effectively reduced. The quality and stability of the fluid supplying equipment is enhanced. Although the cost of one omnibus quasi-hydrosystem is higher than one control valve, the total cost of the fluid supplying equipment may reduced. It is worth noting that the quantities of the control valves and the couplings and pipes between the control valves are obviously reduced so that the costs of manufacture and installation are reduced. 
     In addition, a flow meter  820 , a final filter  830  and a pre-filter  840  can be installed in the pipes of the fluid supplying equipment to supply a required fluid to the manufacturing process through the process pipe  850 . The flow meter  820 , the final filter  830  and the pre-filter  840  can also be formed in the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem to further reduce the occupied volume and required couplings in the fluid supplying equipment. 
     The fluid control valve, the fluid channel, the channel switching member and the module base can be made of metal material, for example stainless, copper or aluminum, or nonmetal material, for example Polypropylene (PP), Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC), Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or Perfluoroalkoxy alkane (PFA). 
     Refer to  FIG. 5 . Still another preferred embodiment of the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem according to the present invention is illustrated.  FIG. 5  illustrates a partial portion of a modular omnibus quasi-hydrosystem according to the present invention. The module base of the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem can be respectively formed according to the function and shape of each fluid control valve and fluid channel member. The modular fluid control valves are preferably formed to the rectangular shape and connected together with channel connecting members. The fluid channel member  910  includes a module base  914  and a fluid channel  912  formed therein, and the fluid control valve  920  is constructed with the module base  924  and the channel switching member  922 . Therefore, the fluid channel member  910  and the fluid control valve  920  can be respectively formed on the module base  914  and the module base  924 . Then, the fluid channel member  910  and the fluid control valve  920  are connected and fixed together with the channel connecting member  940  and the module base connecting member  930  to form the modular omnibus quasi-hydrosystem according to the present invention. The channel connecting member  940  is preferably a hollow guiding connector with two tapered end portions to close connect the fluid channels in the module base  914  and the module base  924 . The module base connecting member  930 , for example, a bolt and a nut, can effectively fix the module base  914  and the module base  924 . Two module base connecting members  930  can parallelly or perpendicularly configured in the module base, and preferably, the module base connecting members  930  are disposed at different altitudes to prevent interference. 
     Hence, the modular omnibus quasi-hydrosystem can flexibly configure desired fluid channel members and desired fluid control valves together to further improve the application scope of the omnibus quasi-hydrosystem according to the present invention. The omnibus quasi-hydrosystem according to the present invention can integrate a plurality of channel switching members to control the fluid flowing direction and reduce the quantities of connecting pipes and control valves. Therefore, the couplings in the fluid supplying equipment are reduced and the fluid supplying quality and efficiency are improved. The occupied space of the fluid supplying equipment in the factory is effectively reduced so as to reduce the construction cost for the fluid supplying equipment and the factory. 
     As is understood by a person skilled in the art, the foregoing preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrative of the present invention rather than limiting of the present invention. It is intended that various modifications and similar arrangements be included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, the scope of which should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5