Valve essentially gastight closing of a flow path

• US 7,658,367 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2006
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VAT Holding AG (VAT Group AG)
• Original Assignee: VAT Holding AG (VAT Group AG)
• Inventors: Geiser, Friedrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Fristoe, Jr.; John K
• Assistant Examiner(s): TIETJEN, MARINA ANNETTE
• Application Number:
  US11/588,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20070138425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 251/158, 251/193, 251/301, 251/172, 251/175, 251/195, 251/197, 251/300, 251/200, 137/630
• US Class Current: 251/301
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/10 with special arrangements for separating the sealing faces or for pressing them together
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 51/02 specially adapted for high-vacuum installations

Abstract

The invention relates to a valve, in particular a pendulum or slide gate valve, for essentially gastight closing of a flow path (F). The valve includes a valve housing (1; 1a) having a first wall (2) which has a first opening (3) and a first valve seat (4), a valve disk (5) having a closing side (6) with a sealing ring (7) and at least one drive (8). Through drive (8), the valve disk (5) is pivotable or displaceable from an opened position (A) essentially parallel to the first valve seat (4), and the perpendicular distance between the valve disk (5), and the first valve seat (4) can be reduced so that, in the closed position (C), the flow path (F) is closed essentially gastight by an axially sealing contact between the sealing ring (7) and the first valve seat (4). The valve disk (5) includes an outer disk section (9), which is connected to the drive (8) and fixes the sealing ring (7) in the perpendicular direction to the first valve seat (4), and an inner disk section (10) which has an outer circumferential area (11) and which is mounted so as to be movable relative to the outer disk section (9) in a direction (Z) essentially perpendicular to the first valve seat (4). The outer circumferential area (11) is enclosed essentially gastight with an inner seal by the sealing ring (7). Thus, in the closed position (C), a pressure difference at the valve disk (5) acts essentially on the inner disk section (10) so that the inner disk section (10), decoupled from the outer disk section (9), is supported perpendicularly on a section of the valve housing (1), in particular the first valve seat (4) or a lateral groove (27).

Claims

1. A valve for essentially gastight closing of a flow path (F), comprising

a valve housing (1, 1a) having a first wall (2), which has a first opening (3) for the flow path (F) and a first valve seat (4) surrounding the first opening (3),

a valve disk (5) having a closing side (6) on which a sealing ring (7, 7a, 7b, 7c) corresponding with the first valve seat (4) is arranged, and

at least one drive (8), by means of which

the valve disk (5) is pivotable or displaceable from an opened position (A) in which the flow path (F) is unobstructed to an intermediate position (B) essentially parallel to the first valve seat (4) over the cross-section of the first opening (3), wherein the sealing ring is perpendicularly displaced from the first wall (2) and first valve seat (4) during the displacement from the opened position to the intermediate position, and

the perpendicular distance between the valve disk (5) and the first valve seat (4) can be reduced from the intermediate position (B) to a closed position (C) in such a way that the flow path (F) is closed essentially gastight by an axially sealing contact between the sealing ring (7, 7a, 7b, 7c) and the first valve seat (4),

wherein the valve disk (5) has

an outer disk section (9, 9a) which

is connected to the drive (8) and

fixes the sealing ring (7, 7a, 7b, 7c) in the perpendicular direction to the first valve seat (4), and

an inner disk section (10),

which has an outer circumferential area (11), which is mounted so as to be movable relative to the outer disk section (9, 9a) and thus being decoupled from the outer disk section (9, 9a) within a range of movement in a direction (Z) essentially perpendicular to the first valve seat (4) and

whose outer circumferential area (11) is enclosed essentially gastight with an inner seal by the sealing ring (7, 7a, 7b, 7c), wherein the sealing ring (7) seals the connection between the inner disk section (10) and the outer disk section (9, 9a) in a radial direction,

wherein, in the closed position (C), a pressure difference at the valve disk (5) acts essentially on the inner disk section (10), and the inner disk section (10) is supported perpendicularly on the valve housing (1, 1a) and in a manner enabling displacement relative to the outer disk section (9, 9a) within a range of movement.

2. The valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer disk section (9) has, on the closing side (6) in an edge region enclosing the inner disk section (10), a recess (13) which runs around the inside, holds the sealing ring (7, 7a, 7b) and has an undercut (14) fixing the sealing ring (7, 7a, 7b) in the perpendicular direction to the first valve seat (4).

3. The valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sealing ring (7c) is fixed to an edge region of the closing side (6) of the outer disk section (9a) by adhesive force.

4. The valve as claimed in claim 3, wherein the sealing ring (7c) is fixed to the edge region of the closing side (6) of the outer disk section (9a) by means of vulcanization.

5. The valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sealing ring (7) is in the form of an O-ring.

6. The valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the case of a relative reduced pressure (25) on the closing side (6) of the valve disk (5), the inner disk section (10) is supported on the first valve seat (4) of the valve housing (1).

7. The valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the valve housing (1) has, in an essentially parallel position opposite to the first wall (2) and to the first opening (3) and a distance away, a second wall (19) having a second opening (20) for the flow path (F) and a second valve seat (21) surrounding the second opening (20),

the valve disk (5) is pivotable or displaceable between the first opening (3) and the second opening (20) and

the inner disk section (10) is formed in such a way that, in the closed position (C) with a relative excess pressure (26) on the closing side (6) of the valve disk (5), the inner disk section (10) is supported perpendicularly, essentially decoupled from the outer disk section (9, 9a), on the second valve seat (21).

8. The valve as claimed in claim 7, wherein the inner disk section (10) has a support frame (22) which extends perpendicularly to the second valve seat (21) and by means of which support on the second valve seat (21) is provided in the case of the relative excess pressure (26).

9. The valve as claimed in claim 1, comprising an inner lateral groove (27) in the valve housing (1a), which lateral groove (27) is formed and arranged in such a way that

at least a partial section of the inner disk section (10)—

projects in the closed position (C) into the lateral groove (27) and

the inner disk section (10) is supported on the valve housing (1a), on a lateral area (28;

29) of the lateral groove (27).

10. The valve as claimed in claim 1, comprising resilient means, which are arranged in such a way—

acting between the outer disk section (9, 9a) and the inner disk section (10)—

that the inner disk section (10) in the closed position (C), with relative pressure equality at the valve, rests on the valve housing (1;

1a).

11. The valve as claimed in claim 10, wherein the resilient means comprise at least one spring (15).

12. The valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valve disk(S) has on the side (17) opposite to the closing side (6), a strut system (16) which connects the outer disk section (9, 9a) to an arm (23), which is connected to the drive (8), in a central region located close to the central axis (18) of the first opening (3).

13. The valve as claimed in claim 12, comprising a ball joint (24) which connects the arm (23) to the strut system (16) in such a way that the valve disk (5) is aligned parallel with the first valve seat (4) on pressing the sealing ring (7, 7a, 7b, 7c) onto the first valve seat (4).

14. The valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the valve is in the form of a pendulum valve and

the drive (8) is formed in such a way that the valve disk (5) is pivotable essentially parallel over the cross-section of the first opening (3).

15. The valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the valve is in the form of a slide gate valve and

the drive (8) is formed in such a way that the valve disk (5) is displaceable essentially parallel over the cross-section of the first opening (3).

16. The valve of claim 9 wherein a support frame arranged on the inner disk section projects in the closed position into the lateral groove.