Vacuum valve

• US 7,762,527 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2007
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: VAT Holding AG (VAT Group AG)
• Original Assignee: VAT Holding AG (VAT Group AG)
• Inventors: Schoen, Mathias, Henry, Didier
• Primary Examiner(s): Fristoe, Jr.; John K
• Application Number:
  US11/778,961
• Publication Number:
  US 20080017822A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: 251/175, 251/193, 251/195, 251/197, 251/199, 251/200, 251/326
• US Class Current: 251/193
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/18 by movement of the closure members
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 51/02 specially adapted for high-vacuum installations

Abstract

A vacuum valve comprises a valve body with a valve opening, a valve plate which is adjustable from an open position, in which it releases the valve opening, to an intermediate position, in which it covers the valve opening but is lifted from the valve seat, into a closed position in which it contacts the valve seat, and from the closed position to the intermediate position into the open position, a valve rod carrying the valve plate, a transverse drive unit by which the valve plate can be displaced in a transverse adjusting direction extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of the valve opening, a longitudinal drive unit by which the valve plate can be displaced in a longitudinal adjusting direction extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the valve opening and opposite the longitudinal adjusting direction, and a guide device by which the transverse drive unit is guided so as to be displaceable relative to the valve body parallel to the longitudinal adjusting direction. The transverse drive unit is displaced relative to the valve body parallel to the longitudinal adjusting direction when the valve plate is adjusted from its intermediate position to its closed position and from its closed position to its intermediate position.

Claims

1. A vacuum valve comprising:

a valve body with a valve opening having a longitudinal axis and a valve seat surrounding the valve opening;

a valve plate which is adjustable from an open position, in which it releases the valve opening, to an intermediate position, in which it covers the valve opening but is lifted from the valve seat, into a closed position in which it contacts the valve seat, and from the closed position to the intermediate position into the open position;

a valve rod carrying the valve plate;

a transverse drive unit by which the valve plate can be displaced in a transverse adjusting direction extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of the valve opening from its open position into its intermediate position and opposite the transverse adjusting direction from its intermediate position into its open position;

a longitudinal drive unit by which the valve plate can be displaced in a longitudinal adjusting direction extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the valve opening from its intermediate position into its closed position and opposite the longitudinal adjusting direction from its closed position into its intermediate position;

a guide device by which the transverse drive unit is guided so as to be displaceable relative to the valve body parallel to the longitudinal adjusting direction; and

said transverse drive unit being displaced relative to the valve body parallel to the longitudinal adjusting direction when the valve plate is adjusted from its intermediate position to its closed position and from its closed position to its intermediate position.

2. The vacuum valve according to claim 1,

wherein the transverse drive unit and the valve rod are displaced together with the valve plate in the longitudinal adjusting direction or opposite thereto when the valve plate is adjusted from its intermediate position to its closed position and from its closed position to its intermediate position.

3. The vacuum valve according to claim 1,

wherein the guide device for displaceably guiding the transverse drive unit relative to the valve body is a parallelogram guide.

4. The vacuum valve according to claim 3,

wherein the guide device has guide parts which are arranged at both sides of the valve rod so as to be swivelable or bendable around first axes and second axes oriented at right angles to the transverse adjusting direction and at right angles to the longitudinal adjusting direction, these guide parts being connected, respectively, to the valve body on one side and to the transverse drive unit on the other side.

5. The vacuum valve according to claim 4,

wherein the guide parts are plate-shaped.

6. The vacuum valve according to claim 1,

wherein the transverse drive unit has at least one piston-cylinder unit.

7. The vacuum valve according to claim 1,

wherein the transverse drive unit is pressed against a stop in the intermediate position of the valve plate by a contact pressing element arranged outside a vacuum area of the vacuum valve and is lifted from the stop in the closed position of the valve plate.

8. The vacuum valve according to claim 7,

wherein the contact pressing element is formed by at least one spring.

9. The vacuum valve according to claim 7,

wherein the contact pressing element is formed by at least one piston-cylinder unit.

10. The vacuum valve according to claim 1,

wherein the longitudinal drive unit comprises a piston arranged in an interior space of the valve plate.

11. The vacuum valve according to claim 1,

wherein the longitudinal drive unit is arranged entirely outside a vacuum area of the vacuum valve and acts on the transverse drive unit.

12. The vacuum valve according to claim 1,

wherein the valve plate is arranged in an interior space of the valve body, which interior space forms a vacuum area.

13. The vacuum valve according to claim 12,

wherein the valve rod is sealed and is guided out of the interior space of the valve body forming the vacuum area so as to be displaceable in the transverse adjusting direction and longitudinal adjusting direction.

14. The vacuum valve according to claim 13,

wherein bellows are provided for guiding the valve rod out of the interior space of the valve body in a sealed manner.

15. The vacuum valve according to claim 13,

wherein a sliding seal element which is penetrated in a sealed manner by the valve rod is provided for guiding the valve rod out of the interior space of the valve body in a sealed manner, wherein the valve rod is displaceable axially relative to the sliding seal element, the sliding seal element being connected in a vacuum-tight manner to the valve body by a tilting element.

16. The vacuum valve according to claim 1,

wherein at least one sensor is provided which is arranged outside of the vacuum area of the vacuum valve and detects the displacement position of the transverse drive unit.

17. The vacuum valve according to claim 1,

wherein the valve plate is rigid connecting with the valve rod.