Shuttle valve having two drives

• US 8,424,843 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2007
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VAT Holding AG (VAT Group AG)
• Original Assignee: VAT Holding AG (VAT Group AG)
• Inventors: Ehrne, Florian
• Primary Examiner(s): Fristoe, Jr., John K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rost, Andrew J
• Application Number:
  US11/879,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20080017820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,106 Days
• Field of Search: 251/301, 251/302, 251/187, 251/193, 251/195, 251/196, 251/203, 251/204
• US Class Current: 251/301
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 51/02 specially adapted for high-vacuum installations

Abstract

The invention relates to a shuttle valve for interrupting a flow path (F), comprising a valve housing (1) having a valve seat (4) surrounding an opening (3) for the flow path (F). A valve disc (5) is arranged on a rotatably mounted shaft (6). By means of a drive unit (7), the valve disc (5) can be swiveled along a defined displacement curve (K1; K2; K3) from an opened position and leaving the flow path (F) unobstructed over the cross-section of the first opening (3) by a rotational movement about the pivot axis (8) of the shaft (6) and can be moved by a linear movement parallel to the pivot axis (8) in the direction of the valve seat (4) into a closed position so that the flow path (F) is sealed gas-tight by a sealing contact between the valve disc (5) and the valve seat (4). According to the invention, the drive unit (7) has a first drive (9a) for carrying out the rotational movement about the pivot axis (8) and a second drive (10a) for carrying out the linear movement parallel to the pivot axis (8). By means of a control unit (11), the first drive (9a) and the second drive (10a) can be actuated so that a variable displacement curve (K1; K2; K3) can be produced.

Claims

1. A shuttle valve for the gas-tight interruption of a flow path, comprising

a valve housing having a wall which has an opening for the flow path and a valve seat surrounding the opening,

a valve disc which is arranged on a rotatably mounted shaft, and

a drive unit by means of which the valve disc can be moved along a displacement curve

from an opened position leaving the flow path essentially unobstructed over the cross-section of the opening

into a closed position, in which the flow path is sealed gas-tight by a sealing contact between the valve disc and the valve seat

by swiveling the valve disc from the opened position by a rotational movement about the pivot axis of the shaft and

by moving the valve disc by a linear movement parallel to the pivot axis in the direction of the valve seat into the closed position,

wherein

the drive unit has

a first drive for carrying out the rotational movement about the pivot axis and

a second drive for carrying out the linear movement parallel to the pivot axis,

a control unit is provided, and

the first drive and the second drive being actuatable by the control unit in such a way that the displacement curve can be produced, wherein the displacement curve is programmable or programmed in the control unit.

2. The shuttle valve according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is formed in such a way that the shape of the displacement curve is linked to the displacement velocity of the valve disc.

3. The shuttle valve according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is formed in such a way that the shape of the displacement curve is linked to the displacement direction of the valve disc.

4. The shuttle valve according to claim 1, comprising a slide which is mounted so as to be linearly displaceable relative to the valve housing parallel to the pivot axis and can be moved by means of the second drive for carrying out the linear movement and on which the shaft is rotatably mounted.

5. The shuttle valve according to claim 4, comprising

at least one bearing column extending parallel to the pivot axis and

at least one linear bearing by means of which the slide is mounted with high precision so as to be movable along the bearing column.

6. The shuttle valve according to claim 5, wherein the linear bearing is in the form of a high-precision linear roller bearing.

7. The shuttle valve according to claim 4, wherein the first drive is arranged on the slide for producing the rotational movement of the shaft.

8. The shuttle valve according to claim 4, wherein

the first drive is decoupled from the slide and arranged on the valve housing and

a coupling is provided between the first drive and the shaft, which coupling is arranged and formed in such a way that the axial offset between the shaft and the first drive, brought about by the linear movement of the slide, can be compensated.

9. The shuttle valve according to claim 4, wherein the second drive is in the form of a second electric motor, by means of which the slide can be moved linearly directly or indirectly for carrying out the linear movement by means of a threaded spindle.

10. The shuttle valve according to claim 4, wherein the second drive is in the form of a second pneumatic drive by means of which the slide can be moved linearly directly or indirectly for carrying out the linear movement.

11. The shuttle valve according to claim 1, wherein the first drive is in the form of a first electric motor, by means of which the shaft can be driven directly or indirectly for carrying out the rotational movement.

12. The shuttle valve according to claim 1, wherein the first drive is in the form of a first pneumatic drive by means of which the shaft can be driven directly or indirectly for carrying out the rotational movement.

13. The shuttle valve according to claim 1, wherein the second drive is in the form of a second electric motor, by means of which the shaft is axially displaceable directly or indirectly for carrying out the linear movement.

14. The shuttle valve according to claim 1, wherein the displacement curve is linked to at least one of the following variables:

a displacement velocity of the valve disc;

a displacement direction of the valve disc;

a mode of operation of the shuttle valve;

or

a pressure difference at the shuttle valve;

wherein a dependence of the displacement curve on at least one of the variables is programmable or programmed in the control unit.

15. The shuttle valve according to claim 1, wherein the displacement curve is linked to a displacement velocity of the valve disc.

16. The shuttle valve according to claim 1, wherein the displacement curve is linked to a pressure difference at the shuttle valve.