Retractable and expandable water cooled valve gate useful for sealing a hot processing chamber
First Claim
1. A gate valve comprising:
- a valve housing including a passageway arranged along a passage axis from a first axial side to an opposed second axial side of the valve housing; and
an expandable gate member movable within the housing from a retracted position displaced from and not blocking the passageway and a blocking position disposed in the passageway, comprisinga sealing member capable in an expanded state of the gate member of sealing a sealing surface disposed on the first axial side,an opposed member capable in the expanded state of the gate member of abutting a abutting surface facing the sealing surface and disposed on the second axial side,a pneumatic cavity having expandable sides disposed inside the gate member such that positive gaseous pressure applied to the pneumatic cavity activates the gate member to a compressed state, anda compression spring disposed inside the pneumatic cavity and biasing the gate member to an expanded statewherein in a non-expanded state of the gate member the sealing member does not seal the sealing surface and the opposed member does not abut the abutting surface.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A pendulum gate valve including an expandable gate which pivots when unexpanded to selectively block a vacuum or other pressure-differential passage. The valve includes a valve plate sealing one side of the passage and a ring or barrier plate abutting an opposed side of the passage when the gate member is expanded. A compression spring biases apart the valve plate and ring to close the valve by means of respective two-stage hangers attached thereto, extending along the spring, and having distal ends capturing the spring. Pneumatic pressure applied to a pneumatic cavity formed between the middles of the two-stage hangers and accommodating the spring forces apart the valve plate and ring to open the valve in the blocking position. Thereby if pressure fails, the valve fails to a sealed state. The axially movable valve or barrier plate is advantageously water cooled to allow use with a heated processing chamber.
-
Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A gate valve comprising:
-
a valve housing including a passageway arranged along a passage axis from a first axial side to an opposed second axial side of the valve housing; and an expandable gate member movable within the housing from a retracted position displaced from and not blocking the passageway and a blocking position disposed in the passageway, comprising a sealing member capable in an expanded state of the gate member of sealing a sealing surface disposed on the first axial side, an opposed member capable in the expanded state of the gate member of abutting a abutting surface facing the sealing surface and disposed on the second axial side, a pneumatic cavity having expandable sides disposed inside the gate member such that positive gaseous pressure applied to the pneumatic cavity activates the gate member to a compressed state, and a compression spring disposed inside the pneumatic cavity and biasing the gate member to an expanded state wherein in a non-expanded state of the gate member the sealing member does not seal the sealing surface and the opposed member does not abut the abutting surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
-
-
5. A gate valve comprising:
-
a valve housing including a passageway arranged along a passage axis from a first side to an opposed second side of the valve housing; a support member movable in a plane perpendicular to the passage axis; a valve plate flexibly supported on the support member and capable of moving in a first direction along a gate axis parallel to the passage axis to selectively seal to and unseal from a sealing surface on the first side; an opposed member flexibly supported on the support member and capable of moving in a second direction opposed to the first direction to selectively abut and be free from an abutment surface on the second side; at least one pneumatic chamber capable of forcing together the valve plate and the opposed member along the gate axis; and a compression spring disposed in the at least one pneumatic chamber biasing apart the valve plate and the opposed member along the gate axis. - View Dependent Claims (6)
-
-
7. A pendulum gate valve, comprising:
-
a valve housing including a passageway arranged along a passage axis from a first axial side to an opposed second axial side of the valve housing; and an expandable gate member connected to a rotary shaft extending about along a pivot axis parallel to the passage axis and outside of the passageway and movable from a non-blocking position in the valve housing displaced from and not blocking the passageway and a blocking position disposed in the passageway, comprising a sealing member capable in the expanded state of the gate member of sealing a sealing surface disposed on the first side in an expanded state of the gate member, an opposed member capable in the expanded state of the gate member of abutting a abutting surface facing the sealing surface and disposed the second side, and at least one cooling channel formed in one of the sealing member and the opposed member, wherein in a non-expanded state of the gate member the sealing member does not seal the sealing surface and the opposed member does not abut the abutting surface. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A pendulum valve gate for being accommodated in a valve housing having a passageway passing along a passage axis, comprising:
-
a rotary shaft extending along a pivot axis; a support arm fixed to the rotary shaft; an expandable gate member supported on the support arm an movable between a storage position away from the passageway and a blocking position in the passage way and comprising a middle plate fixed to the support arm, a sealing member disposed on one side of the middle plate, capable of the moving in a first direction parallel to the pivot axis and capable of sealing member to the valve housing, an opposed member disposed on a second opposed side of the middle plate and including an abutment member capable of moving in a second direction opposite the first direction in conjunction with the moving of the sealing member, and a compression spring biasing the sealing member and the opposed member towards each other. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
Specification