VALVE

Abstract

A valve with an opening surrounded by a seat, and a closure member, which, in a closed position, presses onto the seat and closes the opening and, in an intermediate position, is raised from the seat and overlaps with the opening and, in a maximum opening position, at least partially releases the opening. The valve has a frst valve drive for moving the closure member between the maximum opening position and the intermediate position along a first movement track, and a second valve drive for moving the closure member between the intermediate position and the closed position along a second movement track which is at an angle to the first movement track. The valve has at least one transmission part which is provided for reversible deformation by the second valve drive, and the first valve drive acts on the closure member with the interposition of the transmission part.

Claims

1. A valve comprising: an opening surrounded by a valve seat, a closure member that is movable from a closed position, in which the closure member is pressed onto the valve seat and closes the opening, to an intermediate position in which the closure member is raised from the valve seat and is arranged overlapping the opening, and a maximum opening position, the closure member at least partially releases the opening, at least one first valve drive that moves the closure member at least one of to or fro between the maximum opening position and the intermediate position along a first movement track, and at least one second valve drive that moves the closure member at least one of to or fro between the intermediate position and the closed position along a second movement track, and the first movement track and the second movement track are arranged in an angled manner with respect to each other, at least one transmission part which is provided for reversible deformation by the second valve drive, and the first valve drive acts on the closure member with the interposition of the transmission part, wherein the transmission part has at least one switching element for switching a switch for activating at least one of the first or the second valve drives, and the switching element is configured to strike against the switch, wherein the switch is fastened to the valve housing.

2. The valve according to claim 1, wherein, in the closed position, the closure member takes up a position which is a parallel displacement of the position of the closure member in the intermediate position.

3. The valve according to claim 1, wherein the transmission part has or is formed including at least one longitudinally extended bending region.

4. The valve according to claim 1, wherein the transmission part has at least two joints which are connected to one another by at least one intermediate web, and each of said joints permits pivoting about at least one axis.

5. The valve according to claim 1, wherein the switching element is fastened to the transmission part in a manner for movement at least with the transmission part parallel to the first movement track.

6. The valve according to claim 1, wherein the transmission part is designed to be stiffer in a direction parallel to the first movement track than in a direction parallel to the second movement track.

7. The valve according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first valve drive or the second valve drive has at least two valve drive parts which are movable relative to each other.

8. The valve according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the first valve drive or the second valve drive has a piston-cylinder arrangement, and at least one of the valve drive parts of the valve drives is a cylinder and at least one other of the valve drive parts of the valve drive is a piston which is guided movably in the cylinder.

9. The valve according to claim 1, wherein each of the first valve drive and the second valve drive have at least two valve drive parts which are movable relative to each other, and in each case, one of the valve drive parts is arranged fixed with respect to a valve housing of the valve.

10. The valve according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the first valve drive or the second valve drive has a piston-cylinder arrangement, and at least one of the valve drive parts of the valve drives is a cylinder and at least one other of the valve drive parts of the valve drive is a piston which is guided movably in the cylinder.

11. The valve according to claim 1, wherein the first valve drive and the second valve drive in each case have at least two valve drive parts which are movable relative to one another, and the transmission part is at least one of arranged or acts between valve drive parts of the valve drives that are movable in each case relative to a valve housing of the valve.

12. The valve according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the first valve drive or the second valve drive has a piston-cylinder arrangement, and at least one of the valve drive parts of the valve drives is a cylinder and at least one other of the valve drive parts of the valve drive is a piston which is guided movably in the cylinder.

13. A valve comprising: an opening surrounded by a valve seat, a closure member that is movable from a closed position, in which the closure member is pressed onto the valve seat and closes the opening, to an intermediate position in which the closure member is raised from the valve seat and is arranged overlapping the opening, and a maximum opening position, the closure member at least partially releases the opening, at least one first valve drive that moves the closure member at least one of to or fro between the maximum opening position and the intermediate position along a first movement track, and at least one second valve drive that moves the closure member at least one of to or fro between the intermediate position and the closed position along a second movement track, and the first movement track and the second movement track are arranged in an angled manner with respect to each other, at least one transmission part which is provided for reversible deformation by the second valve drive, and the first valve drive acts on the closure member with the interposition of the transmission part, wherein the transmission part is configured as a single object having an L- or U-shape in regions.

14. The valve according to claim 13, wherein the transmission part is configured as a monolithic object.

15. The valve according to claim 1, wherein the switching element strikes against the switch in the intermediate position of the closure member.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Variant embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example in the figures, in which:

[0021] FIGS. 1 to 5 show illustrations in which the closure member of the valve of the first exemplary embodiment is in the maximum opening position;

[0022] FIGS. 6 to 10 show illustrations in which the closure member of the valve of the first exemplary embodiment is in the intermediate position;

[0023] FIGS. 11 to 15 show illustrations in which the closure member of the valve of this first exemplary embodiment is in the closed position;

[0024] FIG. 16 shows an illustration of an alternative embodiment of the invention;

[0025] FIG. 17 shows a schematized illustration of the parallel displacement of the closure member;

[0026] FIG. 18 shows a schematized illustration of the reversible deformation of a longitudinally extended bending region of a transmission part according to the invention, and

[0027] FIG. 19 shows a schematized illustration of the reversible deformation of a transmission part according to the invention with intermediate web and two joints.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] The valve 1 of the first exemplary embodiment is a vacuum valve which can be used in vacuum technology in order to close openings in process chambers, through which the work pieces to be machined are introduced into the process chamber and/or are removed therefrom, in a pressure-resistant and/or gas-tight manner. In the exemplary embodiments shown here, the closure member 4 is a valve disk. The opening 3 to be closed in the valve 1 is designed here to be approximately rectangular with rounded corners. The opening 3 is surrounded by the valve seat 2 of the valve 1. The valve seat 2 here is part of the valve housing 20. However, this does not have to be so and the valve seat 2 can in principle also be formed on a separate component. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the seal 26 is located on the closure member 4. This also does not necessarily have to be so, and a seal 26 can equally readily be arranged on the valve seat 2 or both on the valve seat 2 and on the closure member 4.

[0029] FIGS. 1 to 5 illustrate this first exemplary embodiment according to the invention of the valve 1 in the maximum opening position of the closure member 4. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the closure member 4 completely releases the opening 3 in said maximum opening position. This can be particularly readily seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 1 shows a frontal view of the valve 1, FIG. 2 shows the horizontal section along the intersecting line AA, FIG. 3 shows the vertical section along the intersecting line BB, FIG. 4 shows the vertical section along the intersecting line CC. FIG. 5 is an illustration in which numerous parts of the valve 1 have been omitted in order to be able better to illustrate one of the transmission parts 9 and the connection thereof.

[0030] FIGS. 6 to 10 show the situation when the closure member 4 is in the intermediate position. In the latter, the closure member 4 is raised from the valve seat 2 and brought to overlap with the opening 3, but is still not yet pressed onto the valve seat 2. This position can be seen particularly readily in FIGS. 8 and 9. The movement of the closure member 4 between the maximum opening position according to FIGS. 1 to 5 into the intermediate position according to FIGS. 6 to 10 and back takes place along the first movement track 6 by means of the first valve drive 5. In the exemplary embodiment shown, this is a pure vertical stroke. The movement track 6 and parallels thereto, which are also denoted by the reference number 6 for the sake of simplicity, are shown. FIG. 6 shows a frontal view as FIG. 1, FIG. 7 shows the section along the intersecting line DD, FIG. 8 shows the section along the intersecting line EE, and FIG. 9 shows the section along the intersecting line FF in FIG. 6. FIG. 10 shows a similar illustration as FIG. 5, but wherein, as stated, the closure member 4 is in the intermediate position.

[0031] FIGS. 11 to 15 show illustrations of the closed position. In the latter, the closure member 4 closes the opening 3 by the closure member 4 being pressed here with the seal 26 thereof against the valve seat 2. In this closed position, the opening 3 is closed, preferably in a gas-tight manner, by means of the closure member 4 for the designated pressure ranges. The movement of the closure member 4 between the intermediate position according to FIGS. 6 to 10 and the closed position according to FIGS. 11 to 15 takes place along the second movement track 8 by means of the second valve drive 7. The movement track 8 and parallels thereto, which are also referred to by the reference number 8 for the sake of simplicity, are shown. FIG. 11 in turn shows a frontal view, FIG. 12 shows the section along the intersecting line GG, FIG. 13 shows the section along the intersecting line HH and FIG. 14 shows the section along the intersecting line II. FIG. 15 shows an illustration, which is analogous to FIGS. 5 and 10, in this situation.

[0032] The second movement track 8 can also not run exactly linearly because of the reversible deformation of the transmission part 9 during the movement of the closure member 4 between the intermediate position and the closed position. However, in preferred embodiments, as shown here, it is preferably provided that the first movement track 6 and a tangent to the second movement track 8 are arranged orthogonally with respect to each other at the transition from the first movement track 6 to the second movement track 8.

[0033] In the exemplary embodiment shown according to FIGS. 1 to 15, two first valve drives 5 are provided for moving the closure member 4 along the first movement track 6. In this exemplary embodiment, said valve drives are in each case designed here as double-action piston-cylinder arrangements, as can be seen particularly readily in the sectional illustrations of FIGS. 3, 8 and 13. By means of corresponding action upon the cylinder spaces of the cylinders 17 of the first valve drives 5, the pistons 16 can be moved in both directions along or parallel to the first movement track 6, as a result of which the closure member 4 can be moved to and fro between the maximum opening position and the intermediate position. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the valve drive parts 17 in the form of the cylinders are arranged fixed with respect to the valve housing 20 of the valve 1. In FIGS. 3, 8 and 13, this can readily be seen by way of the integral design of the cylinder 17 in the valve housing 20. The movable valve drive parts 16 in each case form the pistons. Strictly speaking, in the exemplary embodiments shown here, the valve drive parts 16 are in each case formed from a piston and the piston rod fastened thereto. However, in a simplification, the unit consisting of a piston and a piston rod fastened thereto is referred to as the piston. Of course, the design realized here could also be constructed a different way around by the valve drive parts 16 in the form of the pistons being designed in a fixed manner with respect to the valve housing 20 and the valve drive parts 17 in the form of the cylinders being moved relative thereto.

[0034] The second valve drive 7 is also present here in double or twin form. Piston-cylinder arrangements in which one valve drive part 18 in each case forms a piston and the other valve drive part 19 forms a cylinder are again involved. The valve drive parts 19 in the form of the cylinders are also formed here in a fixed manner with respect to the valve housing 20. The valve drive parts 18 in the form of the pistons of the second valve drives 7 are in each case connected fixedly to guide rods 23 on which a yoke 22 is mounted displaceably. The valve rod 21 which is sealed with respect to the valve housing 20 by means of the bellows lead-through 24 is fastened to the yoke 22. A separation between the vacuum region in the region of the opening 3 and the region which is located outside the vacuum region and in which, in the exemplary embodiment shown, for example, both the first valve drives 5 and the second valve drives 7 are located, also takes place by this means. The closure member 4 is fastened to the valve rod 21.

[0035] In the first exemplary embodiment of the invention, the valve 1 has two transmission parts 9 according to the invention which are provided for reversible deformation by means of the second valve drives 7, wherein the first valve drive 5 in each case acts on the closure member 4 with the interconnection of a transmission part 9. In the first exemplary embodiment, the transmission parts 9 are of U-shaped or L-shaped design at least in regions or at least have such regions, as can be seen particularly readily in FIGS. 1, 6 and 11. The right transmission part 9 has a switching element 14 for switching a switch 15 for activating the first and/or the second valve drive 5, 7. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the switching element 4 is formed integrally on said transmission part 9. In the variant illustrated, the transmission part 9 connects the valve drive parts 16 or pistons of the first valve drives 5 in each case to the yoke 22. The fastening points of the transmission parts 9 to said components are in each case provided with the reference number 25. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the first valve drive 5 therefore acts on the closure member 4 in each case with the interconnection of a transmission part 9, of the yoke 22 and of the valve rod 21. In other embodiments, the interconnection of more or fewer components is also conceivable. It would also be possible, for example, for the transmission parts 9 to be fastened directly to the closure member 4 or directly to the valve rod 21.

[0036] In the first exemplary embodiment, each of the transmission parts 9 has a bending region 10 which is provided for reversible deformation by means of the respective second valve drive 7. This longitudinally extended bending regions 10 can be designed, for example, in the form of a leaf spring. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the entire transmission part 9 in each case consists of a leaf spring. For simple connection both to the pistons or valve drive parts 16 and to the yoke 22, the transmission parts 9 are advantageously of L- or U-shaped design in regions, as shown here. In the variant shown, a second bending region 10 is also in each case produced on the transmission part 9. A torsional deformation can take place in said bending region 10. By contrast, the bending regions 10 are deflected in the manner which can readily be seen by way of the comparison between FIG. 9, in which the intermediate position is illustrated, and FIG. 14, in which the closed position is illustrated. Of course, numerous modification possibilities are provided for the variant shown, and so the transmission part 9 could, of course, also be of stiff design in regions to the effect that there is either only the bending region 10 or only the bending region 10. Furthermore, of course, numerous other possibilities for the design of longitudinally extended bending regions 10 and/or 10 on the transmission part 9 are also conceivable.

[0037] In order firstly to be able to transmit the movement of the first valve drives 5 along the first movement track 6 as a more or less rigid element to the closure member 4 and secondly to permit the reversible deformation by means of the second valve drive 7, the transmission part 9 is designed to be stiffer in the direction parallel to the first movement track 6 than in the direction parallel to the second movement track 8. In the exemplary embodiment shown, this is achieved by the width of the transmission part 9, which is designed in the manner of a leaf spring, of this exemplary embodiment being significantly greater than the thickness of the transmission part 9.

[0038] A closing operation, starting from the maximum opening position according to FIGS. 1 to 5 via the intermediate position according to FIGS. 6 to 10 to the closed position according to FIGS. 11 to 15 is now explained by way of example below.

[0039] Starting from the maximum opening position, the chambers of the valve drive parts 17, which are designed as cylinders, of the first valve drives 5 are acted upon in such a manner that the valve drive parts 16, which are designed as pistons, are lowered. This movement of the valve drive parts 16 or pistons is transmitted via the transmission parts 9 to the yoke 22. The yoke 22 slides downwards along the guide rods 23 and, in the process, carries the piston rod 21 and therefore also the closure member 4 along the first movement track 6 until the intermediate position according to FIGS. 11 to 15 is reached. When the latter is reached, the switching element 14 of the right transmission part 9 strikes against the switch 15. By this means, the second valve drives 7 are switched on in the exemplary embodiment shown.

[0040] By this means, in order to move the closure member 4 from the intermediate position into the closed position, the corresponding cylinder chambers of the valve drive parts 19, which are designed as cylinders, of the second valve drives 7 are now acted upon such that the valve drive parts 18, which are designed as pistons, of the second valve drives 7 are moved together with the guide rods 23 and the yoke 22 mounted thereon along the second movement track 8. By this means, the valve rod 21 which is fastened to the yoke 22 is also moved with the closure member 4 along the second movement track 8 in that direction of the valve seat 2, and therefore the closure member 4 which is also raised from the valve seat 2 in the intermediate position is then pressed with the seals 26 thereof in a sealing manner against the valve seat 2 in the closed position. During the movement along the second movement track 8, the transmission part 9 is reversibly deformed by means of the second valve drive 7. In the exemplary embodiment shown, this deformation of the transmission parts 9 is essentially implemented in the bending regions 10, as can readily be seen by way of comparing FIGS. 9 and 14.

[0041] The process for opening the valve from the closed position via the intermediate position to the maximum opening position takes place substantially in an analogous manner in a reverse sequence. However, the switch 27 which, in the exemplary embodiment shown, is actuated by the guide rod 23 should also be mentioned in this connection. As long as the closure member 4 is in the maximum opening position or in the intermediate position or in positions in between, the switch 27 is held in the pressed position by the guide rod 23. On the route from the intermediate position into the closed position, the guide rod 23 is raised from the switch 27. During the closing operation, the switch 27 is then pressed again at the end of the movement along the second movement track 8 from the closed position toward the intermediate position when the intermediate position is reached, and therefore the first valve drives 5 are switched on in the exemplary embodiment shown.

[0042] In the exemplary embodiment shown here, the first valve drives 5 and the second valve drives 7 are designed as piston-cylinder arrangements which are preferably actuated pneumatically. Of course, a hydraulic actuation is also conceivable. However, it should also be pointed out that the first and the second valve drives 5 and 7 cannot only be designed in each case as double-action piston-cylinder arrangements but also a single-action piston-cylinder arrangement. The opposed stroke can then take place, for example, by means of corresponding springs or other elastic bodies. Of course, alternatively thereto, other drives, such as, for example, electric or electromagnetic drives, in particular linear drives, are also conceivable in order to realize the first and the second valve drives 5 and 7.

[0043] As already mentioned at the beginning, the reversible deformation of the transmission part 9 does not necessarily have to take place in the form of bending or twisting of a longitudinally extended bending region 10 or 10. FIG. 16 shows an alternative in this regard in an illustration analogous to FIGS. 5, 10 and 15. The remainder of the valve 1 of this second exemplary embodiment can be designed as explained with regard to the first exemplary embodiment. There is then substantially the same manner of operation which is not explained once again here.

[0044] In the second exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 16, the transmission part 9 has two joints 12 which are connected to each other by means of the intermediate web 11. Each of said joints 12 can be pivoted about an axis 13. This exemplary embodiment involves simple joints 12 which are pivotable about a single axis 13. However, ball and socket joints or joints 12 which are pivotable about a plurality of axes can also be used. In this exemplary embodiment, the intermediate web 11 is of rigid design, and therefore the transmission part 9 of this second exemplary embodiment is deformed exclusively by the movement in the joints 12. Of course, in a departure from the two exemplary embodiments shown previously, mixed forms are also conceivable here. For example, the intermediate web 11 could also be designed as a longitudinally extended bending region 10.

[0045] A common feature of the two previously shown and discussed variant embodiments of the invention is that, in the closed position, the closure member 4 takes up a position which is a parallel displacement of the position of the closure member 4 in the intermediate position. This parallel displacement of the closure member 4 is illustrated in schematized form in FIG. 17. The rectangle 4 illustrated by continuous lines shows the closure member 4 in the intermediate position according to FIGS. 6 to 10. The closure member 4 illustrated by dashed lines symbolizes the closed position in which the closure member 4 is pressed with the seals 26 thereof against the valve seat 2, which is still not illustrated in FIG. 17. The arrows 28 symbolize the displacement vectors of said parallel displacement. The angle between the second movement track 8 and the first movement track 6 is illustrated in exaggerated form in FIG. 17. The slight raising of the closure member 4 in the direction parallel to the first movement track 6 during the movement of the closure member 4 from the intermediate position into the closed position, i.e. along the second movement track 8, is inevitably produced by the fact that the transmission part 9 retains the length thereof during the reversible deformation thereof by means of the second valve drive 7. FIGS. 18 and 19 are also attached in order to illustrate this at least schematically. FIG. 18 shows the deformation of a longitudinally extended bending region 10 of a transmission part 9. FIG. 19 shows the deformation of the transmission part 9 which, according to FIG. 16, has two joints 12 with an intermediate web 11 located in between. The situation in the intermediate position is in each case illustrated by continuous lines. The deformed state in the closed position of the closure member (not illustrated in FIGS. 18 and 19) is in each case illustrated by dashed lines.

[0046] Finally, it is also pointed out once again that, in a departure from the exemplary embodiments shown, there can in each case also be only one first valve drive and/or only one second valve drive or else more than two first and/or second valve drives in other valves according to the invention.

KEY FOR THE REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0047] 1 Valve [0048] 2 Valve seat [0049] 3 Opening [0050] 4 Closure member [0051] 5 First valve drive [0052] 6 First movement track [0053] 7 Second valve drive [0054] 8 Second movement track [0055] 9 Transmission part [0056] 10,10 Bending region [0057] 11 Intermediate web [0058] m12 Joint [0059] 13 Axis [0060] 14 Switching element [0061] 15 Switch [0062] 16 Valve drive part [0063] 17 Valve drive part [0064] 18 Valve drive part [0065] 19 Valve drive part [0066] 20 Valve housing [0067] 21 Valve rod [0068] 22 Yoke [0069] 23 Guide rod [0070] 24 Bellows lead-through [0071] 25 Fastening point [0072] 26 Seal [0073] 27 Switch [0074] 28 Displacement vector