Vacuum valve

• US 10,539,253 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2016
• Issued: 01/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VAT Holding AG (VAT Group AG)
• Original Assignee: VAT Holding AG (VAT Group AG)
• Inventors: Ehrne, Florian, Bachmann, Christof, Seitz, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Sanchez-Medina, Reinaldo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Do, Hailey K.
• Application Number:
  US15/552,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20180045333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/126 actuated by fluid
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/22 with an actuating member for each valve, e.g. interconnected to form multiple-way valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/029 with two or more gates
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/10 with special arrangements for separating the sealing faces or for pressing them together
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/188 by means of hydraulic forces
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 51/02 specially adapted for high-vacuum installations

Abstract

A vacuum valve has a valve opening (2, 3) that is surrounded by a valve seat (6, 7), a valve plate (10, 11) that releases the valve opening (2, 3) in an open state and rests against the valve seat (6, 7) in a closed state, and a carrier unit (9) that supports the valve plate (10, 11) and moves between a first position, in which the valve opening (2, 3) is in the open state, and a second position. The valve plate (10, 11) moves between a retracted position and an extended position. In the second position of the carrier unit (9) and in the extended position of the valve plate (10, 11), the valve opening (2, 3) is in the closed state. In the retracted position, the valve plate (10, 11) is supported against the carrier unit (9).

Claims

1. A vacuum valve comprising a valve housing with a valve opening which has an axis and is surrounded by a valve seat, a valve plate which, in an open state of the valve opening, releases the valve opening and, in a closed state of the valve opening, bears against the valve seat, and a carrier unit which is adjustable between a first position in which the open state of the valve opening is present and a second position, the carrier unit comprising at least two spaced apart drive elements that are attached to the carrier unit and carry the valve plate, the valve plate is adjustable by the at least two drive elements between a retracted position and an advanced position, wherein, in the second position of the carrier unit and the advanced position of the valve plate, the closed state of the valve opening is present, the carrier unit further comprising at least one supporting element comprised of plastic that is attached to the carrier unit separately from the at least two drive elements, wherein, in the advanced position of the valve plate, a rear side of the valve plate, facing away from the valve seat, is spaced apart from the at least one supporting element and, in the retracted position of the valve plate, the rear side of the valve plate bears on the at least one supporting element and the valve plate is thus supported by the at least one supporting element on the carrier unit,

wherein the carrier unit comprises first and second carrier parts each having a rod-shaped form to which cylinders of the drive elements are rigidly connected, and the cylinders of the at least two drive elements bridge a gap between the first and second carrier parts.

2. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one supporting element is arranged on the carrier unit.

3. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one supporting element is at least two supporting elements spaced apart from one another in a direction of a longitudinal extent of the valve plate and comprised of plastic.

4. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one supporting element is at least two supporting elements spaced apart from one another in a direction at a right angle to a longitudinal extent of the valve plate and comprised of plastic.

5. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in order to support the valve plate in the retracted position of the valve plate, the at least one supporting element is two or more supporting elements comprised of plastic which are arranged on supporting parts of the carrier unit, the supporting parts are each fastened to at least one carrier part of the carrier unit.

6. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the at least two drive elements comprises a cylinder having at least one cylinder chamber and at least one piston, which is arranged in the cylinder chamber, with a piston rod, and the piston rod of the at least one piston is connected to the valve plate.

7. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carrier unit is fitted on at least one valve rod which is adjustable in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the at least one valve rod for adjustment of the carrier unit between the first position and the second position.

8. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one supporting element is fitted on a respective supporting part of the carrier unit and has a smaller modulus of elasticity than the respective supporting part.

9. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein supporting parts are arranged on the first and second carrier parts at sides of the first and second carrier parts facing away from the at least two drive elements and the at least two supporting elements are arranged on the supporting parts.

10. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the valve opening in the valve housing is a first valve opening and the valve housing further comprises a second valve opening having a second valve axis, and the axes of the first and second valve openings are parallel, the second valve opening is surrounded by a second valve seat, and the valve plate is a first valve plate, the vacuum valve further comprising a second valve plate, and the first and second valve plates are borne by the carrier unit, said first and second valve plates are arranged on opposite sides of the carrier unit and, respectively in an open state of the respective first and second valve openings assigned to the respective first and second valve plates, release the respective first and second valve openings assigned to the respective first and second valve plates and, in a closed state of the respective first and second valve openings assigned to the respective first and second valve plates, bear against the respective first and second valve seats of the respective first and second valve openings assigned to the respective first and second valve plates, wherein both the first and the second valve plates are connected via at least two spaced apart ones of the at least two drive elements of the carrier unit to the carrier unit and are adjustable by said drive elements between respective retracted positions and respective advanced positions, wherein in the second position of the carrier unit and in the advanced position of the respective first and second valve plates, the closed state of the respective first and second valve openings assigned to the respective first and second valve plates is present, wherein both the first valve plate and the second valve plate in said retracted positions are supported via the at least one supporting element comprised of plastic on the carrier unit.

11. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of said at least one supporting element comprised of plastic is arranged on lateral surfaces pointing in opposite directions by supporting parts of the carrier unit.

12. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of the at least two drive elements comprises a cylinder having at least one cylinder chamber and at least one piston, which is arranged in the cylinder chamber, with a piston rod, and the piston rods of the pistons are connected to at least one of the valve plates.

13. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 10, wherein the carrier unit is fitted on at least one valve rod which is adjustable in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the at least one valve rod for adjustment of the carrier unit between the first position and the second position.

14. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 10, wherein the the at least one supporting element has a smaller modulus of elasticity than a supporting part of the carrier unit on which it is fitted.

15. A vacuum valve comprising a valve housing with a valve opening which has an axis and is surrounded by a valve seat, a valve plate which, in an open state of the valve opening, releases the valve opening and, in a closed state of the valve opening, bears against the valve seat, and a carrier unit which is adjustable between a first position in which the open state of the valve opening is present and a second position, the carrier unit comprising at least two spaced apart drive elements that are attached to the carrier unit and carry the valve plate, the valve plate is adjustable by the at least two drive elements between a retracted position and an advanced position, wherein, in the second position of the carrier unit and the advanced position of the valve plate, the closed state of the valve opening is present, the carrier unit further comprising at least one supporting element comprised of plastic that is attached to the carrier unit separately from the at least two drive elements, wherein, in the advanced position of the valve plate, a rear side of the valve plate, facing away from the valve seat, is spaced apart from the at least one supporting element and, in the retracted position of the valve plate, the rear side of the valve plate bears on the at least one supporting element and the valve plate is thus supported by the at least one supporting element on the carrier unit,

wherein the at least one supporting element is fitted on a respective supporting part of the carrier unit and has a smaller modulus of elasticity than the respective supporting part.