Vacuum valve

• US 7,731,156 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2007
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VAT Holding AG (VAT Group AG)
• Original Assignee: VAT Holding AG (VAT Group AG)
• Inventors: Duelli, Bernhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Bastianelli; John
• Application Number:
  US11/852,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20080066811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 251/193, 251/195, 251/197, 251/198, 251/199, 251/158, 251/167
• US Class Current: 251/167
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 16/0613 the deformable sensing element acting as a throttling member
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87917 Flow path with serial valves and/or closures

Abstract

A vacuum valve including a valve housing two valve openings, a closure member having two closure plates, a transverse drive unit for adjusting the closure member between an open position and an intermediate position where the closure plates cover the valve openings, a first longitudinal drive unit for adjusting the closure member between the intermediate position and a first closed position, and a second longitudinal drive unit for adjusting the closure member between the intermediate position and a second closed. Each longitudinal drive unit includes a plurality of actuating elements which are guided into the vacuum area of the valve housing. These actuating elements are adjustable by driving elements between a retracted, passive position where their actuating ends are raised from the closure member and an advanced, active position where their actuating ends are pressed against the closure member and press the respective closure plate against the respective valve seat.

Claims

1. A vacuum valve comprising:

a valve housing with an interior space which forms a vacuum area of the vacuum valve and having a first valve opening and a second valve opening which have parallel longitudinal axes and which are surrounded by a first valve seat and a second valve seat;

a closure member comprising a first closure plate and a second closure plate;

a transverse drive unit for adjusting the closure member in an actuation direction transverse to the longitudinal axes of the valve openings between an open position, in which the closure plates free the valve openings, and an intermediate position in which the closure plates cover the valve openings but are raised from the valve seats;

a first longitudinal drive unit for adjusting the closure member between the intermediate position and a first closed position in which the first closure plate is pressed against the first valve seat; and

a second longitudinal drive unit for adjusting the closure member between the intermediate position and a second closed position in which the second closure plate is pressed against the second valve seat;

each of the longitudinal drive units comprising a plurality of actuating elements which are guided into the vacuum area of the valve housing through vacuum feedthroughs and which have actuating ends lying inside the vacuum area;

said actuating elements being adjustable by driving elements, which are located outside the vacuum area of the valve housing, between a retracted, passive position in which their actuating ends are raised from the closure member and an advanced, active position in which their actuating ends are pressed against the closure member and press the respective closure plate against the respective valve seat;

wherein the first closure plate and the second closure plate are arranged at a carrier arrangement having at least two carriers which are arranged at right angles to the longitudinal axes of the valve openings and at right angles to the adjusting direction of the transverse drive unit and which extend over at least most of the width of the closure plates measured in direction of the carriers.

2. The vacuum valve according to claim 1;

wherein each actuating element is displaceable by its own driving element.

3. The vacuum valve according to claim 1;

wherein the driving elements are constructed as piston-cylinder units.

4. The vacuum valve according to claim 1;

wherein the actuating elements can be displaced between their passive positions and active positions parallel to the longitudinal axes of the valve openings.

5. The vacuum valve according to claim 1;

wherein the transverse drive unit acts at one of the carriers.

6. The vacuum valve according to claim 1;

wherein the carriers have end portions which project over the first closure plate and second closure plate on both sides, the actuating elements of the longitudinal drive units acting at these end portions of the carriers.

7. The vacuum valve according to claim 1;

wherein connection parts for connecting the closure plates to the carriers are provided with a certain elasticity so as to make it possible to adapt to deformations in the valve housing, and wherein the connection parts are connected to the respective carrier at least at one connection point on one side and to the respective closure plate on the other side at least at two connection points which are spaced apart in direction of the carrier and lie on both sides of the connection point to the carrier.

8. The vacuum valve according to claim 7;

wherein connection arms extending from the connection point to the carrier on both sides in direction of the carrier are connected at their ends to a common connection leg which extends in longitudinal direction of the carrier and whose end portions project over the connection arms at both sides and which is connected to the respective closure plate at least in the area of its two end portions.

10. The vacuum valve according to claim 1;

wherein the valve openings have a rectangular shape when viewing the valve housing in direction of the longitudinal axes of the valve openings, wherein their narrow sides extend parallel to the adjusting direction of the transverse drive unit.

11. The vacuum valve according to claim 10;

wherein the narrow side of the respective valve opening is at least 400 mm and the broad side of the respective valve opening is at least 800 mm.

12. The vacuum valve according to claim 1;

wherein the driving element and the actuating elements of the longitudinal drive units are only located next to sides of the valve openings oriented parallel to the adjusting direction of the transverse drive unit.

13. The vacuum valve according to claim 1;

wherein the driving elements of the second longitudinal drive unit and the driving elements of the first longitudinal drive unit are arranged on opposite sides of the valve housing.

14. The vacuum valve according to claim 1;

wherein flexible sealing rings are provided for sealing the closure plates relative to the valve housing.

15. The vacuum valve according to claim 14;

wherein a pressing force pressing the respective closure plate against the respective valve seat is exerted by the respective longitudinal drive unit in the respective closed position of the closure member, this pressing force ranging from 2 N to 4 N per mm of the length of the respective sealing ring.

9. A vacuum valve comprising:

a valve housing with an interior space which forms a vacuum area of the vacuum valve and having a first valve opening and a second valve opening which have parallel longitudinal axes and which are surrounded by a first valve seat and a second valve seat;

a closure member comprising a first closure plate and a second closure plate;

a transverse drive unit for adjusting the closure member in an actuation direction transverse to the longitudinal axes of the valve openings between an open position, in which the closure plates free the valve openings, and an intermediate position in which the closure plates cover the valve openings but are raised from the valve seats;

a first longitudinal drive unit for adjusting the closure member between the intermediate position and a first closed position in which the first closure plate is pressed against the first valve seat; and

a second longitudinal drive unit for adjusting the closure member between the intermediate position and a second closed position in which the second closure plate is pressed against the second valve seat;

each of the longitudinal drive units comprising a plurality of actuating elements which are guided into the vacuum area of the valve housing through vacuum feedthroughs and which have actuating ends lying inside the vacuum area;

said actuating elements being adjustable by driving elements, which are located outside the vacuum area of the valve housing, between a retracted, passive position in which their actuating ends are raised from the closure member and an advanced, active position in which their actuating ends are pressed against the closure member and press the respective closure plate against the respective valve seat;

wherein the valve housing has a guide for the closure member by which the closure plates are held at a distance from the valve housing when the closure member is displaced from its open position to its intermediate position before reaching its intermediate position; and

wherein intermediate guideways are provided in the valve housing for guiding the closure member, and projections of the closure member which project from the closure member at right angles to the adjusting direction of the transverse drive unit and at right angles to the longitudinal axes of the valve openings project into these intermediate guideways.

16. The vacuum valve according to claim 9;

wherein each actuating element is displaceable by its own driving element.

17. The vacuum valve according to claim 9;

wherein the driving elements are constructed as piston-cylinder units.

18. The vacuum valve according to claim 9;

wherein the actuating elements can be displaced between their passive positions and active positions parallel to the longitudinal axes of the valve openings.

19. The vacuum valve according to claim 9;

wherein the first closure plate and the second closure plate are arranged at a carrier arrangement having at least two carriers which are arranged at right angles to the longitudinal axes of the valve openings and at right angles to the adjusting direction of the transverse drive unit and which extend over at least most of the width of the closure plates measured in direction of the carriers.

20. The vacuum valve according to claim 9;

wherein the transverse drive unit acts at one of the carriers.