Vacuum valve

• US 8,348,234 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2010
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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:
  US12/775,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20100219362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 251203-204, 251326-329
• US Class Current: 251/204
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/186 by means of cams of wedge from

Abstract

A vacuum valve including a valve opening, a valve seat surrounding the valve opening, and a valve plate. During closing starting from the open position, the valve plate is moved over a main section of the closing path in a main closing direction parallel to the valve plate and the plane of the sealing surface, and then over a final section running at an angle to the sealing surface plane for guiding the valve plate onto the valve seat. A guide element on the wall that guides the valve plate over the end section of the closing path interacts with a guide element on the valve plate. The valve plate is guided over the final section of the closing path by guide surfaces that are angled relative to the sealing surface, and at least one guide surface is arranged on a guide element of the valve plate or the wall.

Claims

1. A vacuum valve comprising:

a valve housing with an inner space that forms a vacuum region of the vacuum valve and that is bounded on a first side by a first wall and on an opposite second side by a second wall;

the first wall has a first opening and a valve seat, the valve seat surrounds the first opening and has a sealing surface lying in a plane or a sealing ring lying in a plane;

the second wall has a second opening;

a valve plate that is arranged in the inner space of the valve housing and that can be adjusted over a closing path from an open position, in which it frees the first opening, into a closed position, in which it closes the first opening, the valve plate has a sealing ring that is pressed in the closed position onto the sealing surface of the valve seat or a sealing surface on which the sealing ring of the valve seat is pressed in the closed position, and during the closing of the vacuum valve, the valve plate is moved from the open position of the valve plate over a main section of the closing path in a main closing direction that is parallel to the valve plate and parallel to the plane of the sealing surface or the sealing ring of the valve seat and is then moved, following the main section of the closing path, over a final section of the closing path running at an angle to the valve plate and at an angle to the plane of the sealing surface or the sealing ring of the valve seat for guiding the valve plate onto the valve seat;

a first guide element that guides the valve plate over the final section of the closing path is arranged on the first wall in front of the valve opening with respect to the main closing direction;

a second guide element which is arranged on the valve plate interacts with the first guide element,

wherein the valve plate is guided over the final section of the closing path by guide surfaces at an angle to a plane of the sealing surface or the sealing ring of the valve seat, and at least one of the guide surfaces is arranged on the first guide element or on the second guide element, and

wherein the first guide element is L-shaped and is formed by a projection of the first wall or a part attached to the first wall, and projects into a recess in the valve plate, with the recess lying in front of the first opening with respect to the main closing direction,

or the second guide element is L-shaped and is formed by a projection of the valve plate or a part attached to the valve plate, and projects into a recess in the first wall, with the recess lying in front of the first opening with respect to the main closing direction.

2. The vacuum valve according to claim 1, wherein a third guide element is stationary relative to the first wall and lies behind the first opening with respect to the main closing direction, and a fourth guide element, which is arranged on the valve plate, interacts with the third guide element.

3. The vacuum valve according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the guide surfaces is arranged on the projection which forms the first guide element and sits at an angle to the plane of the sealing surface or the sealing ring of the valve seat and interacts with the second guide element.

4. The vacuum valve according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the guide surfaces is arranged on a wall section of the recess in the valve plate and sits at an angle to the plane of the sealing surface or the sealing ring of the valve seat and interacts with the first guide element.

5. The vacuum valve according to claim 1, wherein several projections forming first guide elements are arranged on the first wall in front of the first opening with respect to the main closing direction and several recesses are arranged on the valve plate, and the first guide elements project into the recesses.

6. The vacuum valve according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the guide surfaces is arranged on a wall section of the recess in the first wall and sits at an angle to the plane of the sealing surface or the sealing ring of the valve seat and interacts with the projection forming the second guide element.

7. The vacuum valve according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the guide surfaces is arranged on the projection forming the second guide element and sits at an angle to the plane of the sealing surface or the sealing ring of the valve seat and interacts with the first guide element.

8. The vacuum valve according to claim 1, wherein several projections forming second guide elements are arranged on the valve plate and the wall has several recesses in which the second guide elements project in a region in front of the first opening with respect to the main closing direction.

9. The vacuum valve according to claim 1, wherein the third guide element is formed by a projection of the first wall or a part attached to the first wall and projecting from the first wall and at least one of the third or fourth guide element has at least one of the guide surfaces that sits at an angle to the plane of the sealing surface or the sealing ring of the valve seat.

10. The vacuum valve according to claim 2, wherein the third guide element is arranged on a side wall of the vacuum valve, which projects from the first wall, and at least one of the third or fourth guide elements has at least one of the guide surfaces that sits at an angle to the plane of the sealing surface or the sealing ring of the valve seat.

11. The vacuum valve according to claim 10, wherein the fourth guide element is formed by a projection of the valve plate, and the projection projects from a front edge of the valve plate with respect to the main closing direction.

12. The vacuum valve according to claim 11, wherein one of the guide surfaces that sits at an angle to the plane of the sealing surface or the sealing ring of the valve seat is arranged on a side of the projection projecting from the front edge of the valve plate, which side faces away from the first wall.

13. The vacuum valve according to claim 11, wherein, for moving the valve plate across the closing path, there is at least one actuator that moves the valve plate over the entire closing path.

14. The vacuum valve according to claim 1, wherein the guide elements that guide the valve plate over the final section of its closing path are arranged in the inner space of the valve housing.

15. The vacuum valve according to claim 1, wherein, in the inner space of the valve housing, in addition to the valve plate that forms a first closing element for closing the first opening in the first wall, a second closing element is arranged that can be moved between an open position, in which it frees the second opening arranged in the second wall, and a closed position, in which closes and seals the second opening independent of the valve plate.

16. The vacuum valve according to claim 1, wherein the second closing element can be moved into an intermediate position in which it covers the second opening but is lifted from a second valve seat surrounding the second opening.

17. The vacuum valve according to claim 16, wherein, for moving the second closing element between the open position and the intermediate position, at least one actuator is provided that is arranged outside of the valve housing and that can be moved in an axial direction by at least one valve rod with which the second closing element moves.

18. The vacuum valve according to claim 17, wherein at least one additional actuator is provided that is arranged on a support unit that is attached to the at least one valve rod and by which the second closing element can be moved between the intermediate position and the closed position.

19. The vacuum valve according to claim 16, wherein a part moving with the second closing element during the movement of the second closing element between the open position and the intermediate position is supported on the valve plate in the closed position of the second closing element in a region of a side thereof facing away from the second opening.

20. The vacuum valve according to claim 19, wherein the part that is moved with the second closing element during the movement of the second closing element between the open position and the intermediate position is further supported on at least one of the guide elements in a region of its side facing away from the second opening, and the guide element is arranged on the first wall having the first opening or on a side wall projecting from the first wall.

21. The vacuum valve according to claim 19, wherein the supporting part of the support unit has a plate-shaped construction.