VALVE FOR INTERRUPTING A FLOW PATH IN A SUBSTANTIALLY GAS-TIGHT MANNER

• US 20120205570A1
• Filed: 07/21/2010
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: VAT Holding AG (VAT Group AG)
• Original Assignee: VAT Holding AG (VAT Group AG)
• Inventors: Lamprecht, Michael
• Application Number:
  US13/391,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20120205570A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 251/359
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/44 Details of seats or valve members of double-seat valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/085 the axis of supply passage and the axis of discharge passage being coaxial and parallel to the axis of rotation of the plates
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/18 by movement of the closure members
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 51/02 specially adapted for high-vacuum installations

Abstract

The invention relates to a valve for interrupting a flow path in a gas-tight manner. The valve has a valve housing, a valve plate, and a drive by means of which the valve plate can be shifted between an open position and a closed position. According to the invention, the valve has a seal support which, in a coupling position, can be coupled to and decoupled from a first seat of the valve plate on the latter and, in a parked position, can be coupled to and uncoupled from a second seat of a parking section in said section of the valve housing. A first seal is arranged on the seal support such that the first seal contacts a valve seat in a gas-tight manner in the coupling position and in the closed position, a gas-tight connection being formed between the first seal and a closing surface that lies on the valve plate. The seal support can be detachably coupled to the first seat of the valve plate in the coupling position by means of first coupling means. The seal support can be detachably coupled to the second seat of the parking section in the parked position by means of second coupling means.

Claims

1. A valve for interrupting a flow path in a substantially gas-tight manner, comprising

a valve housing,

a valve opening in the valve housing for the flow path having an opening axis,

a valve seat enclosing the valve opening,

a valve plate having a closure side,

at least one drive by means of which the valve plate is pivotable or displaceable between

an open position, in which the valve plate is positioned in a parking section of the valve housing, said parking section being arranged laterally alongside the valve opening and releases the valve opening and the flow path, and

a closed position, in which

the valve plate covers the valve opening with a closing surface arranged on the closure side,

a first seal touches the valve seat in a gas-sealing manner, and

the valve plate closes the valve opening in a gas-tight manner and interrupts the flow path,

by means of a transverse movement effected at least in part transversely with respect to the opening axis,

characterized by

a seal carrier, which

in a coupling position of the seal carrier can be coupled to, and decoupled again from, a first receptacle of the valve plate on the valve plate and

in a parked position of the seal carrier can be coupled to, and decoupled again from, a second receptacle of the parking section in the parking section of the valve housing,

wherein

the first seal is arranged on the seal carrier in such a way that the first seal touches the valve seat in a gas-sealing manner in the coupling position and in the closed position, wherein there is a gas-tight connection between the first seal and the closing surface at least in the coupling position and in the closed position,

the valve has first coupling means, by means of which the seal carrier can be releasably coupled to the first receptacle of the valve plate and thus fixed in the coupling position, and

the valve has second coupling means, by means of which the seal carrier can be releasably coupled to the second receptacle of the parking section and thus fixed in the parked position.

2. The valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the first coupling means, the first receptacle, the second coupling means and the second receptacle are embodied in such a way that the coupling of the seal carrier in the coupling position and the parked position and the decoupling are effected by movement of the valve plate by means of the drive.

3. The valve as claimed in claim 2, wherein

the drive is embodied in such a way that the valve plate can be moved at least in the open position in the form of a perpendicular movement in a direction perpendicular to the closure side, and

the coupling and decoupling of the seal carrier into and out of the coupling position and parked position are at least partly effected by the perpendicular movement.

4. The valve as claimed in claim 3, wherein

the second receptacle of the parking section is embodied in such a way that the seal carrier can be guided at least partly by the perpendicular movement into the second receptacle into the parked position and from the second receptacle out of the parked position.

5. The valve as claimed in claim 4, wherein

the second coupling means are embodied as a bayonet catch having at least one slot having a lead-in and at least one knob, wherein the bayonet catch is arranged and embodied in such a way that the knob can be introduced by the perpendicular movement into the lead-in and can be guided by the transverse movement into the slot and thus into the parked position.

6. The valve as claimed in claim 3, wherein

the first receptacle of the valve plate is embodied as a translational first receptacle, wherein the seal carrier can be guided by the perpendicular movement into the first receptacle into the coupling position and from the receptacle out of the coupling position.

7. The valve as claimed in claim 6, wherein

the first coupling means are embodied as force-locking first coupling means, which hold the seal carrier in the first receptacle in the coupling position with a holding force until the holding force is overcome, wherein the holding force can be overcome by the perpendicular movement out of the receptacle for the purpose of decoupling by means of the drive.

8. The valve as claimed in claim 7, wherein

the force-locking first coupling means is embodied as a spring-loaded latch arranged in the seal carrier or in the first receptacle.

9. The valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the closing surface is arranged on the seal carrier, and

there is a gas-tight contact between the first seal and the closing surface.

10. The valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the closing surface is arranged on the valve plate, and

the valve has sealing means, which connect the seal carrier and the closing surface in a gas-sealing manner in the coupling position and in the closed position.

11. The valve as claimed in claim 10, wherein

the sealing means are arranged on an at least partly radially inwardly facing inner surface of the seal carrier in such a way that the sealing means, in the coupling position, enclose an at least partly radially outwardly facing outer surface of the closing surface in a substantially radially gas-sealing manner.

12. The valve as claimed in claim 11, wherein

the closing surface is mounted—

in particular resiliently—

on the valve plate in a movable manner in a direction perpendicular to the closure side relative to the valve plate and in the coupling position relative to the seal carrier within a movement range, and

the outer surface of the closing surface is dimensioned in such a way that, at least within a partial range of the movement range of the closing surface, it is enclosed in a gas-sealing manner by the sealing means in the coupling position.

13. The valve as claimed in claim 7, wherein

the closing surface is arranged on the valve plate,

the valve has sealing means which connect the seal carrier and the closing surface in the coupling position and in the closed position in a gas-sealing manner, and

the sealing means are arranged on an at least partly radially inwardly facing inner surface of the seal carrier in such a way that the sealing means, in the coupling position, enclose an at least partly radially outwardly facing outer surface of the closing surface in a substantially radially gas-sealing manner,

the first receptacle of the valve plate is formed by the at least partly radially outwardly facing outer surface of the closing surface, and

the force-locking first coupling means are formed by the sealing means, which are elastic in a radial direction, wherein the sealing means elastically enclose the outer surface of the closing surface in the coupling position in such a way that the seal carrier can be fixed releasably in the coupling position.

14. The valve as claimed in claim 10, wherein the sealing means are formed

by a second seal,

which is arranged on an at least partly radially inward facing inner surface of the seal carrier and faces at least partly inwardly in a radial direction, and

which, in the coupling position, encloses an at least partly radially outwardly facing outer surface of the closing surface in a substantially radially gas-sealing manner,

or

by the first seal,

which is arranged in an inner edge section of an at least partly radially inwardly facing inner surface of the seal carrier, and

which touches the valve seat in a gas-sealing manner with a partial section facing in an axial direction in the closed position of the valve plate, and

which, with a partial section facing inwardly at least partly in a radial direction, in the coupling position, encloses an at least partly radially outwardly facing outer surface of the closing surface in a substantially radially gas-sealing manner.

15. The valve as claimed in claim 3, wherein the valve is embodied as one of the following valve types:

pendulum valve, wherein

the valve opening and the valve plate have a substantially round cross section,

the seal carrier has a ring-shaped or plate-shaped cross section,

the transverse movement is a pivoting movement about a pivoting axis running substantially parallel to the opening axis,

the perpendicular movement is a linear movement substantially parallel to the opening axis,

the valve plate is pivotable by the transverse movement by means of the drive between the open position and an intermediate position, in which the valve plate with the closure side at least partly covers the valve opening, and is arranged in a position spaced apart and opposite with respect to the valve seat and in which the valve plate reduces the valve opening and partly interrupts the flow path, and

the valve plate is adjustable by means of the drive between the intermediate position and the closed position by the perpendicular movement;

slide valve, wherein

the valve opening and the valve plate have a substantially rectangular cross section,

the seal carrier has a rectangular frame-like or rectangular closed cross section,

the transverse movement is a linear movement along a pushing axis running substantially perpendicular to the opening axis,

the perpendicular movement is a linear movement substantially parallel to the opening axis,

the valve plate is pivotable by the transverse movement by means of the drive between the open position and an intermediate position, in which the valve plate with the closure side at least partly covers the valve opening, and is arranged in a position spaced apart and opposite with respect to the valve seat and in which the valve plate reduces the valve opening and partly interrupts the flow path, and

the valve plate is adjustable by means of the drive between the intermediate position and the closed position by the perpendicular movement.

16. The valve as claimed in claim 1, comprising a control device, which is connected to the drive and embodied in such a way that the valve can be operated in a first operating mode and a second operating mode, wherein

in the first operating mode, the seal carrier is arranged in the parked position and the valve plate is adjustable between the open position and an intermediate position, in which the valve plate with the closure side at least partly covers the valve opening, and is arranged in a position spaced apart and opposite with respect to the valve seat and in which the valve plate reduces the valve opening and partly interrupts the flow path, and

in the second operating mode, the seal carrier is arranged in the coupling position and the valve plate is adjustable between the open position and the closed position.

17. The valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the parking section, a protective surface is shaped in such a way that the first seal is surrounded by the protective surface—

in order to protect the first seal against the medium flowing along the flow path—

in the parked position of the seal carrier.