VACUUM VALVE

• US 20160363240A1
• Filed: 02/06/2015
• Published: 12/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: VAT Holding AG (VAT Group AG)
• Original Assignee: VAT Holding AG (VAT Group AG)
• Inventors: WAGNER, Cedric, SUMMER, Karlheinz, FREHNER, Hanspeter, ZICKAR, Michael
• Application Number:
  US15/121,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20160363240A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/0613 Woven
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 39/08 Filter cloth, i.e. woven, knitted or interlaced material metallic B01D39/10
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 39/2044 sintered or bonded by inorganic agents
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0012 In-line filters
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/0218 with only one sealing face
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/0227 Packings
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/18 by movement of the closure members
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/314 Forms or constructions of slides; Attachment of the slide to the spindle
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 51/02 specially adapted for high-vacuum installations

Abstract

The invention relates to a vacuum valve having a screw element for coupling a first component of the vacuum valve to a second component. The screw element has a force transfer surface section between a threaded surface section having a first thread and an engagement surface section, arranged in a first gas region, for a tool. The first and second component are coupled by a thread engagement, carried out through a passage hole in the first component, between the first thread and a second thread assigned to the second component. The screw element has a sealing surface section between the threaded surface section and the engagement surface section. Between the sealing surface section and a sealing face of the first component, a sealing seal element is arranged so the first gas region is separated in a gas-tight or particle-tight manner from a third gas region.

Claims

1. A vacuum valve having

a closure member, which has a closure face for the gas-tight closing of an opening connecting a first gas region to a second gas region,

a displacement arm, on which the closure member is arranged,

a drive unit, which is mechanically coupled to the displacement arm and which is designed in such a way that the closure member in the first gas region can be displaced back and forth, by displacement of the displacement arm by means of the drive unit, between

an open position, in which the closure member releases the opening, and

a closed position, in which the closure face closes the opening in a gas-tight manner and separates the first gas region from the second gas region in a gas-tight manner,

and

a screw element for connecting a first component part of the vacuum valve, which component part is arranged at least in part in the first gas region, to a second component part in a mechanically coupling manner, wherein the first component part or the second component part is mechanically coupled to the drive unit,

wherein

the screw element

has a threaded surface portion, on which a first thread extending about a geometric first axis is formed,

an engagement surface portion, on which an engagement of this design is formed, such that the screw element is rotatable and/or secured in a form-fitting manner against rotation about the first axis, in particular by means of a tool which can engage in a form-fitting manner in the engagement, and

a force transfer surface portion, which is arranged between the threaded surface portion and the engagement surface portion and which points at least in part in a screw closing direction extending along the first axis,

the first component part has a through-hole extending along the first axis,

the first component part and the second component part can be mechanically coupled in a form-fitting manner by

a threaded engagement, carried out through the through-hole, between the first thread of the screw element and a second thread assigned to the second component part, and by

resting the force transfer surface portion on a contact face of the first component part surrounding the through-hole and pointing at least in part in a screw opening direction, which is opposite the screw closing direction,

the engagement surface portion of the screw element is arranged in the first gas region,

wherein,

the screw element has a sealing surface portion,

which is arranged between the threaded surface portion and the engagement surface portion, and

which separates the threaded surface portion and the engagement surface portion from one another, and

which encloses the first axis,

the first component part has, adjacently to the contact face, a sealing face enclosing the through-hole and

a sealing seal element, enclosing the first axis, is arranged between the sealing surface portion of the screw element and the sealing face of the first component part in such a way that the first gas region is separated from a third gas region, in which the threaded surface portion is arranged.

2. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 1,

wherein,

the sealing surface portion is arranged between the force transfer surface portion and the engagement surface portion in such a way that the force transfer surface portion is in the third gas region.

3. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 1,

wherein,

the first component part has an inner lateral surface pointing at least in part inwardly toward the first axis and forming the sealing face,

the screw element has an outer lateral surface pointing at least in part outwardly and forming the sealing surface portion, which outer lateral surface has in particular the geometrical shape of a geometrical straight circular cylinder lateral surface or a geometrical straight circular cone lateral surface, and

the inner lateral surface and the outer lateral surface have in particular the common geometrical first axis.

4. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 3,

wherein,

the inner lateral surface has the geometrical shape

of a geometrical straight circular cylinder lateral surface, which is formed in particular by a counterbore in the first component part, which counterbore is arranged axially adjacently to the through-hole and extends around the first axis, or

of a geometrical straight circular cone lateral surface, which is formed in particular by a countersink in the first component part, which countersink is arranged axially adjacently to the through-hole and extends around the first axis.

5. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 1,

wherein,

the seal element is fixed on the sealing surface portion of the screw element, in particular wherein

the seal element is formed as an O-ring and the sealing surface portion has a peripheral groove, in which the O-ring is fixed, or

the seal element is formed as a cured-on seal and is cured on, on the sealing surface portion.

6. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the seal element is fixed on the sealing face of the first component part, in particular wherein

the seal element is formed as an O-ring and the sealing face has a peripheral groove, in which the O-ring is fixed, or

the seal element is formed as a cured-on seal and is cured on, on the sealing face.

7. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the seal element

is gas-tight and

is arranged between the sealing surface portion and the sealing face in such a way that the first gas region is separated from the third gas region in a gas-tight manner,

in particular wherein the seal element consists substantially of an elastomer,

in particular rubber, in particular fluorinated rubber or perfluorinated rubber.

8. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the seal element

seals against particles, in such a way that microparticles disposed in the third gas region having a particle size of more than 1 or 0.1 or 0.01 micrometers are substantially blocked by the seal element and are substantially prevented from infiltrating the first gas region,

in particular the seal element is formed as a filter, in particular as a HEPA filter, for filtering out particles having a particle size of more than 1 or 0.1 or 0.01 micrometers, in particular with a degree of separation of more than 85% or 95% or 99% or 99.5% or 99.95%,

in particular the seal element consists of a fiber material or a metallic material, in particular a sintered or a woven metallic material.

9. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the first gas region and the third gas region are connected to each other via a connection opening and

a filter element is arranged in or at the first connection opening,

the filter element seals against particles, in such a way that microparticles disposed in the third gas region of more than 1 or 0.1 or 0.01 micrometers are substantially blocked by the filter element and are substantially prevented from infiltrating the first gas region,

in particular the filter element is designed to filter out particles of more than 1 or 0.1 or 0.01 micrometers, in particular with a degree of separation of more than 85% or 95% or 99% or 99.5% or 99.95%, in particular in the form of a HEPA filter,

in particular the filter element consists of a fiber material or a metallic material, in particular a sintered or a woven metallic material.

10. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 9,

wherein, the connection opening and the filter element are arranged in the screw element.

11. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the screw element is formed as a screw having a threaded portion and a screw head,

the threaded surface portion is arranged on the threaded portion guided through the through-hole,

the engagement surface portion, the force transfer surface portion and the sealing surface portion are arranged on the screw head,

in particular the first thread is formed as a first external thread and the second thread is formed as a second internal thread,

in particular the second thread is formed in a blind hole in the second component part and

in particular the screw head is formed as a cylinder screw head.

12. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the screw element is formed as a nut,

the second thread is formed on a threaded pin of the second component part guided through the through-hole,

in particular the first thread is formed as a first internal thread and the second thread is formed as a second external thread,

in particular the first thread is formed in a blind hole in the nut, and

in particular the nut is formed as a cap nut.

13. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the third gas region, in which the threaded surface portion is arranged,

is arranged within the first gas region and is separated therefrom in particular in a gas-tight or particle-tight manner, and

is completely enclosed by the first gas region.

14. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a second seal element formed in particular as a second O-ring and sealing against gas or particles,

which seal element is arranged sealingly between the first component part and the second component part,

separate the first gas region and the third gas region in a gas-tight or particle-tight manner, and

in particular encloses the through-hole.

15. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the closure member is planar and the vacuum valve is formed in particular as a transfer valve,

the displacement arm is rod-shaped and extends along a geometrical displacement axis, and

the drive unit is formed in such a way that the closure member can be displaced, by displacing the displacement arm in an axial direction parallel to the displacement axis by means of the drive unit, between

the open position and

an intermediate position, in which the closure face covers the opening and is disposed opposite and at a distance from a valve seat surrounding the opening,

and can be displaced, in a direction transverse to the displacement axis, between

the intermediate position and

the closed position.

16. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the first component part is formed by the displacement arm and

the second component part is formed by the closure member

or

the first component part is formed by the closure member and

the second component part is formed by the displacement arm

and

the displacement arm and the closure member are connected by means of the screw element.

17. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 15,

wherein,

a crosspiece extending transversely to the displacement axis is connected at a middle connection point to the displacement arm,

the crosspiece

is connected to the closure member, on a rear side of the closure member opposite the closure face, at least at two lateral connection points disposed on both sides of the middle connection point,

is arranged at a distance from the rear side in a middle portion, which comprises the middle connection point and portions adjoining the middle connection point on both sides and which extends between the lateral connection points,

is resilient, such that, by twisting the crosspiece, the closure member can be pivoted relative to the displacement arm about a pivot axis arranged at right angles to the displacement axis, and

in particular is formed in one piece, and

the middle connection point comprises the screw element, and the first component part is formed by the displacement arm and the second component part is formed by the crosspiece, or the first component part is formed by the crosspiece and the second component part is formed by the displacement arm

and/or

the lateral connection points each comprise a screw element, and the first component part is formed by the closure member and the second component part is formed by the crosspiece, or the first component part is formed by the crosspiece and the second component part is formed by the closure member.

18. The vacuum valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the first component part is formed by the drive unit and the second component part is formed by a wall comprising the opening, or

the first component part is formed by a wall comprising the opening, and the second component part is formed by the drive unit.

19. A screw element, in particular a screw or nut for a vacuum valve as claimed in claim 1, having

a threaded surface portion, on which a first thread extending around a geometric first axis is formed,

an engagement surface portion, on which an engagement of this design is formed, such that the screw element is rotatable and/or secured in a form-fitting manner against rotation about the first axis, in particular by means of a tool which can engage in a form-fitting manner in the engagement,

a force transfer surface portion, which is arranged between the threaded surface portion and the engagement surface portion and which points at least in part in a screw closing direction extending along the first axis,

an end surface portion, which is opposite the engagement surface portion and which points at least in part in the screw closing direction, wherein the threaded surface portion is arranged between the end surface portion and the fourth transfer surface portion,

wherein,

the screw element has a sealing surface portion,

which is arranged between the threaded surface portion and the engagement surface portion, and

which separates the threaded surface portion and the engagement surface portion from one another, and

which encloses the first axis,

a seal element is fixed on the sealing surface portion of the screw element, in particular wherein

the seal element consists substantially of an elastomer, in particular rubber, in particular fluorinated rubber or perfluorinated rubber,

and/or

the seal element is formed as an O-ring and the sealing surface portion comprises a peripheral groove, in which the O-ring is fixed, or

the seal element is formed as a cured-on seal and is cured on, on the sealing surface portion,

a connection opening is formed between the engagement surface portion and the end surface portion,

a filter element is arranged in the connection opening,

in particular the filter element is designed to filter out particles of more than 1 or 0.1 or 0.01 micrometers, in particular with a degree of separation of more than 85% or 95% or 99% or 99.5% or 99.95%, in particular in the form of a HEPA filter,

in particular the filter element consists of a fiber material or a metallic material, in particular a sintered or a woven metallic material, and

in particular the screw element has an outer lateral surface, pointing at least in part outwardly and forming the sealing surface portion, which outer lateral surface in particular has the geometrical shape

of a geometrical straight circular cylinder lateral surface

or

of a geometrical straight circular cone lateral surface.