Patent ID: 7436093

Claim:
A turbomolecular vacuum pump having active magnetic bearings, the pump comprising an enclosure defining a primary vacuum chamber, a rotor mounted inside the enclosure, an electric motor for rotating the rotor relative to the enclosure, at least one axial magnetic bearing, and at least one radial magnetic bearing for supporting the rotor relative to the enclosure, at least one axial detector for detecting the axial position of the rotor relative to the enclosure, at least one radial detector for detecting the radial position of the rotor relative to the enclosure, a hermetic leaktight electrical connector mounted in the wall of the enclosure, and at least one electric cable providing a connection with remote external electric circuits associated with the electric motor, and with the axial and radial magnetic bearings, the pump being characterized in that the remote external electric circuits associated with the electric motor and with the axial and radial magnetic bearings essentially comprise general power supply circuits for electrically powering the electric motor and the axial and radial magnetic bearings, in that circuits for controlling the axial and radial magnetic bearings on the basis of signals issued by the axial and radial detectors are embedded in a resin and placed inside the enclosure in the primary vacuum chamber, and in that the leaktight electrical connector and the electric cable providing a connection with the remote external electric circuits each comprises a number of connection wires that is less than ten.