Fluid delivery system

Abstract

The invention provides a fluid delivery system, including a mounting structure, a plurality of rows of locator alignment components secured to the mounting structure, a plurality of rows of fluid connecting pieces, each having inlet and outlet ports and a fluid communication passage interconnecting the ports, the fluid connecting pieces being arranged in pairs, each pair including two of the fluid connecting pieces located next to one another in a respective row of fluid connecting components, the fluid connecting pieces of each pair being releasably held by and aligned relative to one another by a respective one of the locator alignment components, and a plurality of manifold pieces extending transverse to the rows of fluid connecting pieces, at least one manifold piece having a manifold passage with a center line crossing over a center line interconnecting the farthest ports of one of the pairs and being removable without removing the locator alignment component by which the respective pair is held from the mounting structure.

1 - 15 . (canceled)  
   
   
       16 . A fluid delivery system comprising: 
 a mounting structure;    a plurality of locator components secured to the mounting structure;    a plurality of rows of fluid connecting pieces, each fluid connecting piece having inlet and outlet ports and a fluid communication passage interconnecting the ports, the fluid connecting pieces being arranged in pairs, each respective pair being releasably held and aligned by a respective one of the locator components such that a line interconnecting the two farthest ports of the pair extends in a first direction; and    at least one manifold piece extending between adjacent rows of the fluid connecting pieces, having a manifold passage having a center line extending in a second direction and being removable without removing any of the locator components, the second direction being transverse to the first direction.    
   
   
       17 . The fluid delivery system of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one manifold piece is removable without removing any of the fluid connecting pieces.  
   
   
       18 . The fluid delivery system of  claim 16 , where second direction is transverse to the line interconnecting the two farthest ports of one of the pairs of fluid connecting pieces.  
   
   
       19 . The fluid delivery system of  claim 18 , wherein the center line of the manifold passage crosses over the line interconnecting the two farthest ports of the pair of fluid connecting pieces.  
   
   
       20 . The fluid delivery system of  claim 16 , wherein a gap is defined between the fluid connecting pieces of a respective pair, the manifold piece extending through the gap and being removable out of the gap without removal of the pair of fluid connecting pieces from the locator component holding the pair.  
   
   
       21 . The fluid delivery system of  claim 16 , further comprising a plurality of locator fasteners removably fastening the locator components to the mounting structure.  
   
   
       22 . The fluid delivery system of  claim 21 , wherein the mounting structure has first and second sides, and the locator fasteners are screws inserted into the mounting structure from the first side thereof.  
   
   
       23 . The fluid delivery system of  claim 22 , further comprising a plurality of fluid control components placed in flow communication with one another through the fluid communication passages and the manifold passage.  
   
   
       24 . The fluid delivery system of  claim 23 , wherein the fluid control components include at least one of a valve, a regulator, a mass flow controller, a filter, and a pressure transducer.  
   
   
       25 . A fluid delivery system comprising: 
 a mounting structure extending in x- and y-directions;    at least three locator components spaced from one another in the y-direction and secured to the mounting structure;    a plurality of fluid connecting pieces, each having inlet and outlet ports and a fluid communication passageway interconnecting the ports, a respective pair of the fluid connecting pieces being aligned in the x-direction and being releasably held and fixed relative to one another in an x-y plane by a respective one of the locator components; ands    a plurality of manifold pieces, each having a manifold passage having a center line extending in the y-direction and crossing over a line extending in the x-direction and interconnecting the two farthest ports of one of the pairs of fluid connecting pieces, the manifold pieces being removable without removing any of the three locator components.    
   
   
       26 . The fluid delivery system of  claim 25 , wherein the manifold pieces are removable without removing any of the fluid connecting pieces.  
   
   
       27 . The fluid delivery system of  claim 25 , wherein the fluid connecting pieces are removable without removing any of the manifold pieces.  
   
   
       28 . The fluid delivery system of  claim 27 , wherein the fluid connecting pieces are removable without removing any of the three locator components.  
   
   
       29 . The fluid delivery system of  claim 25 , wherein wherein a gap is defined between at least one pair of the fluid connecting pieces, and one of the manifold pieces extends through the gap.  
   
   
       30 . The fluid delivery system of  claim 25 , wherein the mounting structure has first and second sides, and further comprising a plurality of fastener screws removably fastening the locator components to the mounting structure, the fastener screws being inserted into the mounting structure from the first side.  
   
   
       31 . The fluid delivery system of  claim 25 , further comprising a plurality of fluid control components including at least one of a valve, a regulator, a mass flow controller, a filter, and a pressure transducer.  
   
   
       32 . A fluid delivery system comprising: 
 a mounting structure having first and second opposing sides;    at least one locator component on the first side of the mounting structure;    a plurality of fluid connecting pieces having inlet and outlet ports and a fluid communication passage interconnecting the ports and being releasably held and aligned by the at least one locator component;    at least one fluid control component connected to the at least one locator component; and    a plurality of fasteners securing the at least one locator component to the mounting structure and the at least one fluid control component to at least one of the at least one locator component and the mounting structure, each fastener being inserted into the mounting structure from the first side thereof.    
   
   
       33 . The fluid delivery system of  claim 32 , wherein the fasteners each have a first portion with a first width and a second portion with a second width, the first width being greater than the second width, at least the first portion of each fastener being located on the first side of the mounting structure.  
   
   
       34 . The fluid delivery system of  claim 33 , wherein the fasteners are screws that are threaded into the mounting structure from the first side of the mounting structure.  
   
   
       35 . A fluid delivery system comprising: 
 a mounting structure;    at least one locator component secured to the mounting structure, the at least one locator component having a base portion and a plurality of alignment formations extending from the base portion;    a plurality of fluid connecting pieces having inlet and outlet ports and a fluid communication passage interconnecting the ports and being releasably held and aligned by the at least one locator component, each fluid connecting piece being positioned between the alignment formations, a line interconnecting the two farthest ports of the plurality of fluid connecting pieces extending in a first direction;    at least one manifold piece positioned between the alignment formations and having a manifold passage with a center line extending in a second direction, the second direction being transverse to the first direction; and    at least one fluid control component removably connected to the at least one locator component over the fluid connecting pieces and the at least one manifold piece, the at least one fluid control component being in flow communication with at least one of the fluid communication passages and the manifold passage.    
   
   
       36 . The fluid delivery system of  claim 35 , wherein the fluid connecting pieces and the at least one manifold are removable after removing the fluid control component.  
   
   
       37 . The fluid delivery system of  claim 35 , wherein the at least one locator component includes a first channel extending in the first direction between the alignment formations and a second channel extending in the second direction between the alignment formations, the fluid connecting pieces being at least partially positioned in the first channel, and the at least one manifold piece being positioned at least partially in the second channel.  
   
   
       38 . The fluid delivery system of  claim 37 , wherein each of the alignment formations extend from a respective corner of the base portion of the at least one locator component.  
   
   
       39 . The fluid delivery system of  claim 38 , wherein the at least one fluid control component is removably connected to the alignment formations and secures the fluid connecting pieces and the at least one manifold piece between the alignment formations.  
   
   
       40 . A fluid delivery system comprising: 
 a mounting structure;    a pair of fluid connecting pieces on the mounting structure, each connecting piece having inlet and outlet ports and a fluid communication passage interconnecting the ports, a gap being defined between the fluid connecting pieces;    a manifold piece having a manifold passage extending through the gap between the fluid connecting pieces, the manifold piece being removable without removing either of the fluid connecting pieces; and    a fluid control component removably mounted to the mounting structure, the fluid control component having an inlet port and an outlet port, the inlet port of the fluid control component being connect to the outlet port of one of the fluid connecting pieces and the outlet port of the fluid control component being connected to the inlet port of the other fluid connecting piece.    
   
   
       41 . The fluid delivery system of  claim 40 , wherein the fluid connecting pieces are removable without removing the manifold piece.  
   
   
       42 . The fluid delivery system of  claim 41 , wherein the fluid connecting pieces and the manifold piece are positioned between the mounting structure and the fluid control component.  
   
   
       43 . A locator alignment component for a fluid delivery system comprising: 
 a base portion; and    four alignment formations extending upwardly from the base portion, the alignment formations defining a first channel extending in a first direction and a second channel extending in a second direction, each alignment formation having an opening in an upper surface thereof.    
   
   
       44 . The locator alignment component of  claim 43 , wherein each of the alignment formations extends from the base portion from a respective corner of the base portion.  
   
   
       45 . The locator alignment component of  claim 44 , wherein the base portion has first and second opposing sides and the fasteners each have a first portion with a first width and a second portion with a second width, the first width being greater than the second width, at least the first portion of each fastener being located on the first side of the base portion.  
   
   
       46 . A locator alignment component for a fluid delivery system comprising: 
 a base portion having a surface with a plurality of first and second openings therein, the first openings being on a first portion of the surface and having a first width and the second openings being on a second portion of the surface and having a second width; and    a plurality of alignment formations, each alignment formation extending from a respective corner of the base portion, a first channel being defined between the alignment formations and extending in a first direction, a second channel being defined between the alignment formations and extending in a second direction, the first channel being positioned over the first portion of the surface of the base portion and the second channel being positioned over the second portion of the surface of the base portion.    
   
   
       47 . The locator alignment component of  claim 46 , wherein the first and second portions of the surface of the base portion partially overlap.  
   
   
       48 . The locator alignment component of  claim 47 , wherein each alignment formation comprises a third opening in an upper surface thereof, the third openings having a third width, the third width being approximately the same as the second openings, and wherein the second and third widths are greater than the first width.  
   
   
       49 . A fluid connecting piece for a fluid delivery system comprising: 
 a main body having an upper, a lower, and a plurality of side surfaces, first and second openings in the upper surface thereof, a third opening one of the side surfaces thereof, and a fluid communication passage therethrough interconnecting the first, second, and third openings; and    a plurality of alignment formations extending from the lower surface of the main body.    
   
   
       50 . The fluid connecting piece of  claim 49 , wherein the first opening is at a first end of the main body, and the third opening is at a second end of the main body.  
   
   
       51 . The fluid connecting piece of  claim 50 , wherein the main body further comprises a fourth opening in another one of the side surfaces opposing the side surface with the third opening, the fluid communication passage interconnecting the first, second, third, and fourth openings.  
   
   
       52 . The fluid connecting piece of  claim 51 , wherein the alignment formations are pins extending from the lower surface of the main body.