Closing unit for a vacuum valve

• US 8,511,642 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2010
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VAT Holding AG (VAT Group AG)
• Original Assignee: VAT Holding AG (VAT Group AG)
• Inventors: Schoch, Stefan, Belleri, Eligio, Mark, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Fristoe, Jr., John K
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARSS, KEVIN R
• Application Number:
  US12/910,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20110095218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 251/193, 251/195, 251/326, 251/327
• US Class Current: 251/327
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/188 by means of hydraulic forces
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 51/02 specially adapted for high-vacuum installations

Abstract

A closing unit for a vacuum valve includes a first valve plate (7) for closing a first valve opening (2) of the vacuum valve, a second valve plate (8) for closing a second valve opening (3) of the vacuum valve, and a carrier plate (19) that lies between the valve plates (7, 8) to which the valve plates (7, 8) are fastened detachably. For fastening a corresponding valve plate (7, 8) to the carrier plate (19), at least one clamping piece (20, 21) is used by which interacting clamping surfaces (22-26) are clamped with each other. Of the interacting clamping surfaces (22-26), at least one is constructed as an angular surface by which the corresponding valve plate (7, 8) is pressed against the carrier plate (19).

Claims

1. A closing unit for a vacuum valve comprising:

a first valve plate for closing a first valve opening of the vacuum valve,

a second valve plate for closing a second valve opening of the vacuum valve,

a carrier plate that lies between the valve plates and to which the valve plates are fastened detachably, and

at least one clamping piece by which interacting clamping surfaces are clamped to each other for fastening each of the valve plates to the carrier plate, at least one of the interacting clamping surfaces is constructed as an angular surface by which each of the valve plates is pressed onto the carrier plate,

at least one clamping screw interacting with the clamping piece for clamping the clamping piece by exerting a clamping force onto the clamping piece, and

a guide for each of the first and second valve plates, which is constructed between the respective valve plate and the carrier plate and by which the valve plate is guided along a guide path,

wherein for joining the respective valve plate with the carrier plate, the valve plate is inserted in the guide and moved relative to the carrier plate along the guide path up to an end position in which the interacting clamping surfaces of the carrier plate and the valve plate, which are distanced before reaching the end position and approach each other when moving the valve plate along the guide path towards the end position, come into mutual engagement and wherein the guide secures the valve plate against lifting from the carrier plate.

2. The closing unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one clamping piece clamps the interacting clamping surfaces of the valve plates and the carrier plate as well as the interacting clamping surfaces of the valve plates and the clamping piece together with each other.

3. The closing unit according to claim 1, wherein all of the clamping surfaces clamped with each other are constructed as angular surfaces by which the corresponding valve plates are pressed onto the carrier plate.

4. The closing unit according to claim 1, wherein a corresponding one of the valve plates is clamped with the carrier plate by two or more clamping pieces.

5. The closing unit according to claim 4, wherein the clamping pieces that clamp a corresponding one of the valve plates with the carrier plate are arranged spaced apart from each other along a longer side of the valve plate, which is essentially rectangular.

6. The closing unit according to claim 1, wherein, for forming a force component acting on the corresponding valve plate in a direction toward the carrier plate, a surface normal of a clamping surface is directed toward a central plane of the carrier plate, and the clamping surface is constructed as an angular surface arranged on the carrier plate and interacts with a clamping surface arranged on one of the valve plates.

7. The closing unit according to claim 1, wherein, for forming a force component acting on the corresponding valve plate in a direction toward the carrier plate, a surface normal of a clamping surface is directed toward a central plane of the carrier plate, and the clamping surface is constructed as an angular surface arranged on the corresponding clamping piece and interacts with a clamping surface arranged on one of the valve plates.

8. The closing unit according to claim 1, wherein, for guiding the corresponding valve plate relative to the carrier plate, the valve plate or the carrier plate has an undercut groove with undercut side walls and the other of the valve plate and the carrier plate has a projection that engages in the undercut groove and interacts with the undercut side walls of the undercut groove.

9. The closing unit according to claim 1, wherein a track specified by the guide between the corresponding valve plate and the carrier plate is oriented parallel to the clamping force acting on the corresponding clamping piece.

14. The closing unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one clamping surface is constructed as an angular surface and is set at an angle between 20°

and 70°

to the clamping force acting on the clamping piece.

10. A vacuum valve comprising:

a valve housing with a first valve opening that is surrounded by a first valve seat and a second valve opening that is surrounded by a second valve seat, and

a closing unit arranged in the valve housing,

the closing unit comprising

a first valve plate for closing the first valve opening of the valve housing,

a second valve plate for closing the second valve opening of the valve housing,

a carrier plate that lies between the valve plates and to which the valve plates are fastened detachably, and

at least one clamping piece by which interacting clamping surfaces are clamped with each other for fastening a corresponding valve plate to the carrier plate, at least one of the interacting clamping surfaces is constructed as an angular surface by which the corresponding valve plate is pressed against the carrier plate,

at least one clamping screw interacting with the clamping piece for clamping the clamping piece by exerting a clamping force onto the clamping piece, and

a guide for each of the first and second valve plates, which is constructed between the respective valve plate and the carrier plate and by which the valve plate is guided along a guide path,

wherein for joining the respective valve plate with the carrier plate, the valve plate is inserted in the guide and moved relative to the carrier plate along the guide path up to an end position in which the interacting clamping surfaces of the carrier plate and the valve plate, which are distanced before reaching the end position and approach each other when moving the valve plate along the guide path towards the end position, come into mutual engagement and wherein the guide secures the valve plate against lifting from the carrier plate.

11. A vacuum valve according to claim 10, wherein the closing unit is attached to a valve rod by which the closing unit can be adjusted between an open position releasing the first and second valve opening, an intermediate position covering the first and second valve opening viewed in a direction of axes of the first and second valve opening but lifted from the first and second valve seats, a first closed position in which the first valve plate is pressed against the first valve seat and the second valve plate is lifted from the second valve seat, and a second closed position in which the second valve plate is pressed against the second valve seat and the first valve plate is lifted from the first valve seat.

13. The valve plate according to claim 10, wherein the at least one clamping surface constructed in the form of an angular surface forms a stop for limiting a pushing of the valve plate on the carrier plate.

15. The vacuum valve according to claim 10, wherein the at least one clamping surface is constructed as an angular surface and is set at an angle between 20°

and 70°

to the clamping force acting on the clamping piece.

16. The vacuum valve according to claim 10, wherein the guide path specified by the guide between the corresponding valve plate and the carrier plate is oriented parallel to the clamping force acting on the corresponding clamping piece.

12. A valve plate for fastening to a carrier plate of a closing unit comprising

at least one clamping surface constructed as an angular surface by which the valve plate can be pressed against the carrier plate by a clamping of the valve plate with the carrier plate by at least one clamping piece,

a groove or a projection arranged on a side of the valve plate intended to face the carrier plate in the mounted state of the valve plate, the groove or projection having undercut side walls which form guide surfaces defining a guide path for guiding the valve plate relative to the carrier plate when joining the valve plate and the carrier plate,

wherein the guide path stands at an angle to a direction of a longitudinal extent of the clamping surface formed as an angular surface.

17. The valve plate according to claim 12, wherein the guide path stands at a right angle to the direction of longitudinal extent of the clamping surface constructed as an angular surface.