Appeal 2007-1869
Application 09/023,416
1 THE INVENTION
2 The Appellants claim a fluid control apparatus which, the Appellants state, is
3 for use in semiconductor manufacturing equipment (Spec. 1:4-6). Claim 1 is as
4 follows:
5 1. A fluid control apparatus comprising a plurality of lines, each
6 line having a fluid controller, an inlet on-off device and an outlet on-off
7 device arranged respectively at an inlet side and an outlet side of each of the
8 fluid controllers, each of the on-off devices on the respective sides of the
9 fluid controllers comprising one valve or a plurality of adjacent valves, with
10 the one valve or the adjacent valves interconnecting each other and with the
11 fluid controllers without using tubing,
12 each of the on-off devices being of the type selected from the
13 group including a 2 -type on-off device having a two-port valve, a 2-3-type
14 on-off device having a two-port valve and a three-port valve, a 2-3-3 -type
15 on-off device having a two-port valve and two three-port valves, a 3-3-type
16 on-off device having two three-port valves, and a 3-3-3-type on-off device
17 having three three-port valves,
18 main bodies of two-port valves of all types of on-off devices
19 being identical in configuration and each having an inlet port and an outlet
20 port in a bottom face thereof, and main bodies of three-port valves of all
21 types of on-off devices being identical in configuration and each being
22 formed in a bottom face thereof with an inlet port, an outlet port always in
23 communication with the inlet port, and an inlet-outlet subopening having a
24 port separate from said inlet port and said outlet port;
25 each port of said two-port valves and said three-port valves
26 being arranged in a row disposed in a common plane along said each line;
27 and
28 valve mounts mounting said valve main bodies and said fluid
29 controllers including a plurality of joint members having upper surfaces
30 disposed in substantial coplanar relation, said valve mounts each having a
31 channel for holding the adjacent inlet port and outlet port of adjacent valves
32 or fluid controller in communication, said joint members each containing
33 passages extending entirely internally within the associated joint member
34 and opening in the upper surface thereof to communicate with ports in the
35 bottom faces of said valves and fluid controllers and operatively
2
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Last modified: September 9, 2013