Gate valve

• US 7,234,679 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2006
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• 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): Bastianelli; John
• Application Number:
  US11/431,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20060202147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 251/116, 251/114, 251/111, 251/158, 251/193, 251/195, 251/203, 251/204
• US Class Current: 251/116
• 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. A rotary latch pivotably supported on an inner surface of one of the valve element with the rotary latch having a latch surface at a forward end thereof, wherein when a rotational force is applied to the rotary latch in one direction, the latch surface is pressed against a joint surface of the single shaft, whereby the valve element is latched to said single shaft, and when a rotational force is applied to the rotary latch in the opposite direction, the latch surface is separated from the joint surface of the single shaft to unlatch the valve element.

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 there through;

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.

2. A gate valve according to claim 1, further comprising:

a rod support member provided on the inner surface of said at least one of said process chamber-side valve element and said transfer chamber-side valve element at a position above said rotary latch, said rod support member having an internal thread;

a spring interposed between said rod support member and a rear end portion of said rotary latch; and

a maintenance rod having an external thread, said external thread being engaged with said internal thread of said rod support member;

wherein a rotational force is applied to said rotary latch in said one direction by resilient force of said spring, and a rotational force is applied to said rotary latch in the direction opposite to said one direction by advance of a distal end of said external thread of said maintenance rod.

3. A gate valve according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the latch surface of said rotary latch and the joint surface of said single shaft are slant surfaces as seen in a top view, wherein whole of the slant latch surface is joinable to the slant joint surface.

4. A gate valve according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising;

a shaft retaining member formed on the inner surface of said at least one of said process chamber-side valve element and said transfer chamber-side valve element, said shaft retaining member having a retaining surface formed at a distal end thereof; and

a second joint surface formed on a side of said single shaft laterally opposite to said joint surface;

wherein the retaining surface of said shaft retaining member and the second joint surface of said single shaft are slant surfaces as seen in a top view, wherein whole of the slant retaining surface is joinable to the slant second joint surface.

5. A gate valve according to claim 1, further comprising:

a rod support member provided above said rotary latch;

a latch screw provided on said rod support member at a position above one of forward and rear end portions of said rotary latch; and

an unlatch screw provided on said rod support member at a position above the other of the forward and rear end portions of said rotary latch;

wherein a rotational force is applied to said rotary latch in one direction by advance of said latch screw and retraction of said unlatch screw, and a rotational force is applied to said rotary latch in a direction opposite to said one direction by retraction of said latch screw and advance of said unlatch screw.

6. A gate valve according to claim 5, wherein said rod support member is formed with two pairs of insertion holes and internal threads that are vertically adjacent to each other, respectively, said latch screw being engaged with one of said internal threads, said unlatch screw being engaged with the other of said internal threads, wherein said latch screw and said unlatch screw have respective grooves for engagement formed on their heads, so that said latch screw and said unlatch screw are rotatable with a tool by engaging its tip with said groove of each screw.

7. A gate valve according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the latch surface of said rotary latch and the joint surface of said single shaft are slant surfaces as seen in a top view, wherein whole of the slant latch surface is joinable to the slant joint surface.

8. A gate valve according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising:

a shaft retaining member formed on the inner surface of said at least one of said process chamber-side valve element and said transfer chamber-side valve element, said shaft retaining member having a retaining surface formed at a distal end thereof; and

a second joint surface formed on a side of said single shaft laterally opposite to said joint surface;

wherein the retaining surface of said shaft retaining member and the second joint surface of said single shaft are slant surfaces as seen in a top view, wherein whole of the slant retaining surface is joinable to the slant second joint surface.