Gate valve
First Claim
1. A gate valve including:
- a valve body having a transfer chamber opening and a process chamber opening formed in mutually opposing walls thereof, respectively; and
a transfer chamber-side valve element and a process chamber-side valve element provided in said valve body, said transfer chamber-side valve element and process chamber-side valve element being connected to a single shaft;
wherein said transfer chamber-side valve element and said process chamber-side valve element are controlled by actuation of said single shaft so that said transfer chamber-side valve element closes said transfer chamber opening, or said process chamber-side valve element closes said process chamber opening, or both said transfer chamber-side valve element and said process chamber-side valve element fully open said transfer chamber opening and said process chamber opening, respectively, to allow an object to pass therethrough;
said gate valve comprising;
a lever member secured to said single shaft;
a roller supported by said lever member, said roller being kept in engagement with a cam groove of a cam member, said cam groove having a position A, a position B, and a position C;
a cam support member for supporting said cam member, said cam support member being connected to a piston rod of a three-position air cylinder, said piston rod having a first position, a second position, and a third position; and
a spring interposed between said lever member and said cam support member;
wherein when said piston rod is in the first position, said transfer chamber-side valve element and said process chamber-side valve element fully open said transfer chamber opening and said process chamber opening, respectively, and as said piston rod shifts from the first position to the second position, said transfer chamber-side valve element and said process chamber-side valve element half open said transfer chamber opening and said process chamber opening, respectively, and thereafter, said roller shifts from engagement with the position A of said cam groove to engagement with the position B, causing said process chamber-side valve element to close said process chamber opening, and as said piston rod shifts from the second position to the third position, said roller shifts from the engagement with the position B of said cam groove to engagement with the position C, causing said transfer chamber-side valve element to close said transfer chamber opening.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A gate valve has a transfer chamber-side valve element and a process chamber-side valve element connected to a single shaft actuated with a single three-position air cylinder to selectively close a process chamber opening and a transfer chamber opening or fully open both the openings to allow an object to pass therethrough. A lever member is secured to the single shaft. A roller supported by the lever member is kept in engagement with a cam groove of a cam member. A cam support member for supporting the cam member is connected to the piston rod of the three-position air cylinder. A spring is interposed between the lever member and the cam support member. When the piston rod is in the first (lower extremity) position, both the transfer chamber-side valve element and the process chamber-side valve element fully open the transfer chamber opening and the process chamber opening, respectively. As the piston rod shifts from the first position to the second position, the roller shifts from engagement with an upper position of the cam groove to engagement with an intermediate position, causing the process chamber-side valve element to close the process chamber opening. As the piston rod shifts from the second position to the third (upper extremity) position, the roller shifts from the engagement with the intermediate position to engagement with a lower position of the cam groove, causing the transfer chamber-side valve element to close the transfer chamber opening.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A gate valve including:
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a valve body having a transfer chamber opening and a process chamber opening formed in mutually opposing walls thereof, respectively; and
a transfer chamber-side valve element and a process chamber-side valve element provided in said valve body, said transfer chamber-side valve element and process chamber-side valve element being connected to a single shaft;
wherein said transfer chamber-side valve element and said process chamber-side valve element are controlled by actuation of said single shaft so that said transfer chamber-side valve element closes said transfer chamber opening, or said process chamber-side valve element closes said process chamber opening, or both said transfer chamber-side valve element and said process chamber-side valve element fully open said transfer chamber opening and said process chamber opening, respectively, to allow an object to pass therethrough;
said gate valve comprising;
a lever member secured to said single shaft;
a roller supported by said lever member, said roller being kept in engagement with a cam groove of a cam member, said cam groove having a position A, a position B, and a position C;
a cam support member for supporting said cam member, said cam support member being connected to a piston rod of a three-position air cylinder, said piston rod having a first position, a second position, and a third position; and
a spring interposed between said lever member and said cam support member;
wherein when said piston rod is in the first position, said transfer chamber-side valve element and said process chamber-side valve element fully open said transfer chamber opening and said process chamber opening, respectively, and as said piston rod shifts from the first position to the second position, said transfer chamber-side valve element and said process chamber-side valve element half open said transfer chamber opening and said process chamber opening, respectively, and thereafter, said roller shifts from engagement with the position A of said cam groove to engagement with the position B, causing said process chamber-side valve element to close said process chamber opening, and as said piston rod shifts from the second position to the third position, said roller shifts from the engagement with the position B of said cam groove to engagement with the position C, causing said transfer chamber-side valve element to close said transfer chamber opening. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A gate valve including:
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a valve body having a transfer chamber opening and a process chamber opening formed in mutually opposing walls thereof, respectively; and
a transfer chamber-side valve element and a process chamber-side valve element provided in said valve body, said transfer chamber-side valve element and process chamber-side valve element being connected to a single shaft;
wherein said transfer chamber-side valve element and said process chamber-side valve element are controlled by actuation of said single shaft so that said transfer chamber-side valve element closes said transfer chamber opening, or said process chamber-side valve element closes said process chamber opening, or both said transfer chamber-side valve element and said process chamber-side valve element fully open said transfer chamber opening and said process chamber opening, respectively, to allow an object to pass therethrough;
said gate valve comprising;
a rotary latch pivotably supported on an inner surface of at least one of said process chamber-side valve element and said transfer chamber-side valve element, said rotary latch having a latch surface at a forward end thereof;
wherein when a rotational force is applied to said rotary latch in one direction, said latch surface is pressed against a joint surface of said single shaft, whereby said at least one of said process chamber-side valve element and said transfer chamber-side valve element is latched to said single shaft, and when a rotational force is applied to said rotary latch in a direction opposite to said one direction, said latch surface is separated from said joint surface of said single shaft to unlatch said at least one of said process chamber-side valve element and said transfer chamber-side valve element. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification