Vacuum valve

• US 7,654,505 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2007
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: VAT Holding AG (VAT Group AG)
• Original Assignee: VAT Holding AG (VAT Group AG)
• Inventors: Schoen, Mathias
• Primary Examiner(s): Fristoe, Jr.; John K
• Application Number:
  US11/758,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20070290157A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: 251/175, 251/193, 251/195, 251/197, 251/199, 251/200, 251/326
• US Class Current: 251/200
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/10 with special arrangements for separating the sealing faces or for pressing them together
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/188 by means of hydraulic forces
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 51/02 specially adapted for high-vacuum installations

Abstract

A vacuum valve comprises a valve housing which has an inlet opening and an outlet opening penetrating opposite walls of the valve housing, a valve seat surrounding the inlet opening, and a closure unit which is arranged in an interior space of the valve housing and which has a valve plate which is adjustable between an open position in which it releases the inlet opening, an intermediate position in which it covers the inlet opening but is lifted from the valve seat, and a closed position in which it covers the inlet opening and is pressed against the valve seat, and at least one adjusting piston which is arranged in an interior space of the closure unit and, for the purpose of adjusting the valve plate between its intermediate position and its closed position, is displaceable in direction of its longitudinal center axis between a passive position in which the valve plate is in its intermediate position and an active position in which the valve plate is in its closed position. At least one work space of the closure unit that can be acted upon by pressure gas for displacing the at least one adjusting piston into its active position is bounded by a diaphragm seal. At least one tappet is arranged at the adjusting piston and is guided out of the interior space of the closure unit through an opening and is supported directly or indirectly at the valve housing when the adjusting piston is displaced from its passive position into its active position.

Claims

1. A vacuum valve comprising:

a valve housing which has an inlet opening and an outlet opening penetrating opposite walls of the valve housing;

a valve seat surrounding the inlet opening;

a closure unit which is arranged in an interior space of the valve housing and which has a valve plate which is adjustable between an open position in which it releases the inlet opening, an intermediate position in which it covers the inlet opening but is lifted from the valve seat, and a closed position in which it covers the inlet opening and is pressed against the valve seat;

at least one adjusting piston which is arranged in an interior space of the closure unit and, for the purpose of adjusting the valve plate between its intermediate position and its closed position, being displaceable in direction of its longitudinal center axis between a passive position in which the valve plate is in its intermediate position and an active position in which the valve plate is in its closed position;

at least one work space of the closure unit that can be acted upon by pressure gas for displacing said at least one adjusting piston into its active position being bounded by a diaphragm seal;

at least one tappet being arranged at the adjusting piston on the side facing the outlet opening; and

said at least one tappet being guided out of the interior space of the closure unit through an opening and being supported directly or indirectly at the valve housing in the area next to the outlet opening for pressing the valve plate against the valve seat when the adjusting piston is displaced from its passive position into its active position.

2. The vacuum valve according to claim 1, wherein a first work space of the closure unit, by whose impingement by pressure gas the adjusting piston is displaceable into its active position, and a second work space of the closure unit, by whose impingement by pressure gas the adjusting piston is displaceable into its passive position, are sealed, respectively, by a diaphragm seal.

3. The vacuum valve according to claim 1, wherein the valve plate forms a wall of a receiving housing of the closure unit, wherein the receiving housing has the internal space in which the at least one adjusting piston is arranged.

4. The vacuum valve according to claim 1, wherein at least two tappets are provided, which tappets are supported directly or indirectly at the valve housing in the area next to the outlet opening when the adjusting piston is displaced from its passive position and its active position.

5. The vacuum valve according to claim 4, wherein the at least one adjusting piston has a circumferential contour deviating from the circular shape considered in the direction of its longitudinal center axis, and a tappet is arranged in the area of two oppositely located projecting portions of the adjusting piston in which the latter has a greater radial extension than in the rest of the area of its circumference.

6. The vacuum valve according to claim 1, wherein the diaphragm seal is plate-shaped.

7. The vacuum valve according to claim 1, wherein the diaphragm seal is tightly connected in the area of its circumferential edge to the adjusting piston, and a work space which is sealed by the diaphragm seal is formed between the diaphragm seal and the adjusting piston.

8. The vacuum valve according to claim 1, wherein the diaphragm seal has a rigid middle portion and a flexible annular portion surrounding the middle portion.

9. The vacuum valve according to claim 8, wherein the middle portion of the diaphragm seal contacts an inner surface of a wall which defines the interior space in which the at least one adjusting piston is arranged.

10. The vacuum valve according to claim 8, wherein the rigid middle portion of the diaphragm seal is pressed against the inner surface of the wall by an end of at least one pin extending parallel to the longitudinal center axis of the adjusting piston, the pin penetrates an opening in the adjusting piston and is accordingly sealed relative to the adjusting piston, wherein the at least one pin is supported at the other end directly or indirectly at an opposite wall of the closure unit defining the interior space of the closure unit.

11. The vacuum valve according to claim 10, wherein the pin extends between the middle portions of two diaphragm seals which seal a work space, respectively, this pin pressing the two diaphragm seals against opposite inner surfaces of walls defining the interior space in which the at least one adjusting piston is arranged.

12. The vacuum valve according to claim 10, wherein the pin extends between the middle portion of the diaphragm seal bounding the work space for the displacement of the adjusting piston into its active position and the inner surface of the opposite wall which defines the interior space in which the at least one adjusting piston is arranged.

13. The vacuum valve according to claim 8, wherein the diaphragm seal is formed of a flexible plastics material in the area of the flexible annular portion.

14. The vacuum valve according to claim 8, wherein the diaphragm seal has a plate-shaped metal part in the area of the rigid middle portion, which metal part is at least partially coated with a flexible plastics material.

15. The vacuum valve according to claim 1, wherein the diaphragm seal is at least partially made of flexible plastic.

16. The vacuum valve according to claim 1, wherein the valve plate is rigid.