Gate valve

• US 7,066,443 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2003
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SMC Corporation (Alamo Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SMC Corporation (Alamo Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ishigaki, Tsuneo
• Primary Examiner(s): Bastinelli, John
• Application Number:
  US10/738,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20040129910A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 251/158, 251/193, 251/195, 251/203, 251/204
• US Class Current: 251/195
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/184 by means of cams
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 51/02 specially adapted for high-vacuum installations

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.

Claims

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.

2. A gate valve according to claim 1, wherein a pivot is connected to said lever member, and a pivot-receiving groove is provided on a lower side of said valve body, so that when said roller shifts from the engagement with the position A of said cam groove to the engagement with the position B, and also when said roller shifts from the engagement with the position B of said cam groove to the engagement with the position C, said pivot engages with said pivot-receiving groove to serve as a supporting point for the shifting of said roller.

3. A gate valve according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a grooved plate is connected to said cam member, and a bolt is threaded into said lever member, said bolt having its shank positioned in a yoke groove of said grooved plate.