valve

Abstract

A valve (1), in particular a vacuum valve, comprising a valve housing (2), a closing mechanism (3) for closing a valve opening (4), and a valve actuator (5) for reciprocating the closing mechanism (3) between a closed position, in which the valve opening (4) is closed by the closing mechanism (3), and an open position, in which the valve opening (4) is fully or partially opened by the closing mechanism (3), the closing mechanism (3) being connected to the valve actuator (5) by a valve rod (6) of the valve (1), the closing mechanism (3) being removably attached to the valve rod (6) by means of a detachable connecting device (7), the detachable connecting device (7) having a fixed magnet (8) for removably attaching the closing mechanism (3) to the valve rod (6) by means of magnetic attraction.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a valve, in particular a vacuum valve, comprising a valve housing, a closing mechanism for closing a valve opening, and a valve drive for reciprocating the closing mechanism between a closed position, in which the valve opening is closed by the closing mechanism, and an open position, in which the valve opening is fully or partially opened by the closing mechanism, wherein the closing mechanism is connected to the valve drive by a valve rod of the valve, and wherein the closing mechanism is or can be removably attached to the valve rod by a detachable connecting device.

[0002] Valves of this type are known in several embodiments and are used in particular also in vacuum technology. In order to be able to maintain, clean and / or replace the closing mechanism from time to time, it is known to removably attach the closing mechanism to the valve rod by means of a detachable connecting device. A common type of connecting device in the prior art is a screw connection, which is shown, for example, in DE 10 2008 061 315 A1. When using such valves in particular in vacuum technology, it is fundamental to take care to avoid particle generation. The screw connection is critical in this context, since particles can be generated both when screwing and when unscrewing.

[0003] The object of the invention is to provide a detachable connecting device for a valve of the type mentioned at the beginning, which makes it possible to better avoid particle generation when releasing the closing mechanism from the valve rod and reattaching it to the valve rod.

[0004] In order to achieve this object, the invention proposes a valve as claimed in claim 1.

[0005] Thus, a detachable connection device is configured having a fixed magnet for removably attaching the closure mechanism to the valve rod by magnetic attraction.

[0006] Thus, in contrast to the screw connection for the releasable attachment of the closing mechanism to the valve rod, which is common in the prior art, the invention provides for a magnetic attachment of the closing mechanism on the valve rod by means of magnetic attraction forces. The latter is provided by a fixed magnet of the connection device. As a result, the invention makes it possible to avoid screw connections and the associated generation of particles when disconnecting and reconnecting the connection device. Furthermore, the invention makes available a very simple type of connection device, which allows the attachment of the closing mechanism to the valve rod in an easy manner, as well as the removal of the closing mechanism from the valve rod. The fixed magnets can be arranged on the valve rod, but also on the closing mechanism. The fixed magnets can each cooperate with a magnetizable material in a respective separate component. However, it can also be provided that both the valve rod and the closing mechanism are each provided with one fixed magnet. In this case, particularly large magnetic attraction forces for the releasable attachment of the closing mechanism to the valve rod are available. The fixed magnets can be permanent magnets, but also electromagnets.

[0007] Basically, it is to be pointed out that the detachable connection device according to the present invention may have one fixed magnet or more fixed magnets. In general, the term "one" as used in the claims and the specification should be read as meaning "at least one" unless the context indicates otherwise.

[0008] The closure mechanism can be removably attached or attachable directly to the valve rod by means of a removable connecting device according to the invention. However, it can also be designed such that an attachment part, such as the cross beam element shown in DE 10 2008 061 315 A1, is arranged on the closure mechanism. In such a case, the removable connecting device according to the invention can be used to removably attach the valve rod to the attachment part, so that in this case the closure mechanism is also removably attached or attachable, so to speak, indirectly to the valve rod by means of the removable connecting device according to the invention.

[0009] To release the closure mechanism from the valve rod, it may be sufficient to pull on the closure mechanism with a correspondingly large force to overcome the attractive force provided by the fixed magnet.

[0010] However, in order to keep the forces used to remove the closing mechanism from the valve rod as small as possible, in a particularly preferred variant of the invention, the valve is configured to have a mechanically or electrically driven release device for releasing the connection between the closing mechanism and the valve rod. This release device of the valve can be arranged or formed both on the closing mechanism and on the valve rod. This release device facilitates the removal of the closing mechanism from the valve rod by weakening or counteracting the magnetic attraction force generated by the fixed magnet, thus allowing the removal of the closing mechanism from the valve rod as force-saving as possible. To achieve this, for example, the fixed magnet can be formed as an electromagnet that can be switched on and off. Another possibility for achieving this is that the release device has a corresponding magnet for weakening or counteracting the magnetic attraction force of the fixed magnet. Preferably, the release device is configured to have at least two operating states, in which in a first operating state the release device does not resist or only weakly resists the magnetic attraction force of the fixed magnet and in a second operating state in which the release device resists the magnetic attraction force of the fixed magnet at least more strongly than in the first operating state, and preferably completely counteracts it. The corresponding magnet of the release device can be arranged on the valve rod and / or on the closing mechanism. It is also conceivable that the corresponding magnet is arranged on a special removal tool for the valve, which is only used when the closing mechanism is to be removed from the valve rod or placed back on the valve rod. The corresponding magnet can be a permanent magnet or an electromagnet.

[0011] The invention can be used in valves of very different types, but otherwise known in the prior art, for removably mounting a closing mechanism on the valve rod. Typically, the closing mechanism assumes various intermediate positions on the way from the closed position to the open position. The open position recited in the claims can also be referred to as a maximum open position. This maximum open position is a position of the closing mechanism in which the valve opening is maximally opened by the closing mechanism. The open or maximum open position may be a position in which the valve opening is completely opened by the closing mechanism. However, the open or maximum open position may also be a position in which the valve opening is still partially covered by the closing mechanism.

[0012] The valves formed according to the invention may therefore be angle valves, shuttle valves or the like. However, particularly preferably, the valves according to the invention are L-shaped valves. In L-shaped valves, the closing mechanism is first moved during the opening process starting from the closed position in a first movement section into an intermediate position. In this intermediate position, the closing mechanism still indeed covers the valve opening to be closed, but does not close the valve opening any more. Then, in a second movement section, the closing mechanism is moved from the intermediate position into an opening position, in which the closing mechanism opens the valve opening completely or partially. The aforementioned paths of movement are arranged at an angle to one another. The closing process takes place in the opposite direction or in the reverse order. Such L-shaped valves are known per se in the prior art in numerous embodiments. There are several solutions in this regard in the prior art that make do with only one valve drive. However, there are also variants of L-shaped valves with a specific valve drive for each path section. All these valve drives, which are known per se, can also be used in the valves according to the invention. The valve actuator may be electric, pneumatic, hydraulic, or other valve actuator.

[0013] The valve opening is typically an opening in a valve housing. In this case, the valve opening is therefore arranged in the valve housing. However, embodiments of the valve according to the invention are also conceivable in which the valve opening, which can be closed by means of a closing mechanism, is not formed directly in the valve housing. It can, for example, be an opening in a process chamber or the like.

[0014] In order to facilitate both the removal and the attachment of the closing mechanism to the valve rod, it is preferably configured that the closing mechanism has an adapter for manually removing and / or manually attaching the closing mechanism to the valve rod. Such an adapter can, for example, be designed so that the adapter can be grasped directly by hand. However, the adapter can also be an adapter that is specially designed for attaching a manually guided removal tool to the adapter in order to be able to remove the closing mechanism from or attach it to the valve rod. To attach the removal tool to the adapter of the closing mechanism or in the adapter, very different connection types already known in the prior art can be used, for example screw connections, clamp connections, snap connections, bayonet locks, magnetic, electrostatic connections or the like.

[0015] In order to be able to remove the closing mechanism from the valve housing for maintenance, cleaning or replacement purposes, the valve housing is advantageously configured to have, on the side of the closing mechanism facing away from the valve rod, a closable housing opening for removing the closing mechanism from the valve housing, which may have, for example, a removable housing cover, flap, door or the like in the area of ​​the housing opening.

[0016] In order to ensure that the closing mechanism is always automatically aligned correctly when it is attached or reattached to the valve rod, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the valve rod and the closing mechanism are respectively provided with form-locking elements for aligning the closing mechanism on the valve rod. These form-locking elements cooperate with each other when attaching the closing mechanism to the valve rod, due to their formation, so that the closing mechanism can only be attached to the valve rod in the correct position and alignment. This makes it possible to ensure that after the closing mechanism is attached to the valve rod in the closed position, the valve opening closes optimally even with the desired pressure intensity. The form-locking elements which cooperate with each other on the valve rod and on the closing mechanism must be coordinated with each other in their shape in order to achieve the above-mentioned effect. However, apart from this, they can basically be shaped very differently. These form-locking elements can also be shaped polygonally, in particular rectangularly, or in the form of a tongue and groove joint or in another suitable manner, provided that the corresponding alignment effect is achieved by their shaping.

[0017] In principle, the closing mechanism of the valve according to the invention can be designed very differently. It can be a closing needle or the like. However, it is particularly preferred that the closing mechanism is designed in the form of a surface. In other words, it is preferably a valve plate. By means of such a valve plate, it is possible to close a correspondingly large valve opening. The valve opening can be, for example, at least 6000 mm 2 Or at least 12000mm 2 In this case, the closing mechanism or the valve plate are each designed to be correspondingly large so that they are suitable for closing a correspondingly large valve opening.

[0018] As already mentioned at the beginning, the valve according to the invention is preferably a vacuum valve, and therefore a valve that can be used in so-called vacuum technology. Vacuum technology is usually defined as a case where operating conditions with pressures below 0.001 mbar (millibar) or 0.1 Pascal are obtained. Vacuum valves are valves that are designed for these pressure ranges and / or for the corresponding corresponding pressure differences with respect to the surroundings. However, if the vacuum valve is designed for pressures below standard pressure, i.e. below 1 bar, it can also be generally referred to as a vacuum valve.

[0019] Further characteristic configurations and details of preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below by way of example with reference to the drawings based on various modified embodiments of the present invention. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 shows a first variant embodiment of a valve according to the invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is another view of the first variant embodiment of the valve according to the invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is yet another view of the first variant embodiment of the valve according to the invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is yet another view of the first variant embodiment of the valve according to the invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is yet another view of the first variant embodiment of the valve according to the invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is yet another view of the first variant embodiment of the valve according to the invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is yet another view of the first variant embodiment of the valve according to the invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is yet another view of the first variant embodiment of the valve according to the invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 shows a first alternative embodiment of a connection device according to the invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 shows a second alternative embodiment of a connecting device for a valve according to the invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 shows another second alternative embodiment of a connecting device for a valve according to the invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 shows yet another second alternative embodiment of a connecting device for a valve according to the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 shows yet another second alternative embodiment of a connecting device for a valve according to the present invention. [Figure 14] 5A-5C show further variants of how the connecting device for the valve according to the invention can be formed. [Figure 15] 5A-5C show yet another variant of how the connection device for the valve according to the invention can be formed. [Figure 16] 5A-5C show yet another variant of how the connection device for the valve according to the invention can be formed.

[0021] In the following, a first embodiment of the invention will be explained on the basis of figures 1 to 8. However, figures 1 to 7 show several characteristic features of a valve 1 according to the invention, which can also be used in other variants according to the invention, which are explained further below.

[0022] 1 shows a perspective view of a valve 1 according to the invention with a valve housing 2, which in this embodiment is embodied in two parts by having a first housing part 17 and a second housing part 18. The two housing parts 17 and 18 can be connected to one another in any suitable manner known per se, for example by means of a screw fastening. In the second housing part 18, a valve drive 5, which is not shown very precisely in this figure, is located and which can be embodied in any type known per se in the prior art. This has already been explained at the beginning.

[0023] In this embodiment, in the first housing part 17 and thus also in the valve housing 2, a valve opening 4 is located, which can be closed in its closed position by means of a closing mechanism 3. In the variant shown in this figure, the closing mechanism 3 is arranged in the first housing part 17. The closing mechanism 3 can be moved back and forth by the valve drive 5 in a manner known per se between a closed position, in which the valve opening 4 is closed by the closing mechanism 3, and an open position, in which the valve opening 4 is fully or partially opened by the closing mechanism 3.

[0024] Naturally, this may also be a one-piece valve housing 2. Likewise, the valve opening 4 may not be formed in the valve housing 2, as already explained at the beginning, but in a separate housing, which is also known per se in the prior art.

[0025] The closing mechanism 3 is connected to the valve actuator 5 via a valve rod 6. The connection between the closing mechanism 3 and the valve rod 6 is made according to the invention via a detachable connecting device 7, which is described further below in various variants.

[0026] The mounting of the valve 1 with the valve housing 2 in a corresponding process chamber, pipeline or the like is known per se and does not need to be described further herein. The assembly of the valve 1 in a corresponding process chamber or pipeline is performed in such a way that the closing mechanism 3 aligns the closable valve opening 4 with the corresponding opening of the process chamber or pipeline.

[0027] In FIG. 2, the valve 1 from FIG. 1 is shown without the first housing part 17. As can be clearly seen in FIG. 2, the closing mechanism 3 is embodied in this embodiment as a valve plate. A surrounding seal 19 is attached to this valve plate, which in the closed position seals the closing mechanism 3 against a valve seat formed in the first housing part 17 or in the valve housing 2. This, as well as the alternative embodiments thereof, are known per se and need not be described further. As can also be clearly seen in FIG. 2, the valve rod 6 is guided in this embodiment, as known per se, through a vacuum feedthrough 27 between the second housing part 18 and the first housing part 17. By means of this vacuum feedthrough 27, the valve rod 6 is sealed against these two housing parts 17 and 18, and thus also the two housing parts 17 and 18, from one another. This is likewise known per se, but is not essential here for the invention. The attachment of the valve rod 6 to the valve drive 5 is not shown in this figure, but can be carried out as in the prior art. The valve 1 shown in this figure is a so-called L-valve, as already explained at the beginning. The double arrow 28 indicates a path of movement, along which the closing mechanism 3 attached to the valve rod 6 is moved back and forth by the valve actuator 5 between an open position, in which the valve opening 4 is fully or partially open, and an intermediate position, as shown in FIG. 3. In the intermediate position, as shown in FIG. 3, the closing mechanism 3 and the valve opening 4 are already aligned, but are not yet pressed sealingly against the valve opening 4. Between the closed position, in which the valve opening 4 is closed by the closing mechanism 3, and the intermediate position, as shown in FIG. 3, the closing mechanism is moved back and forth by the valve actuator 5 in a path of movement, as shown by the double arrow 29. The two paths of movement are often oriented at right angles to one another. However, other orientations of the two paths of movement relative to one another are also possible. This is also known per se in the prior art.During the opening process, the closing mechanism 3 is in any case moved from the closed position along a path of movement indicated by a double arrow 29 first to the intermediate position shown in Figure 3 and from this intermediate position to the open position along a path of movement indicated by a double arrow 28. During the closing process, this movement takes place in the opposite direction.

[0028] FIG. 4 illustrates a preferred variant in which the valve housing 2 has, on the side 13 of the closing mechanism 3 facing away from the valve rod 6, a closable housing opening 14 for removing the closing mechanism 3 from the valve housing 2. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing opening 14 is closable by means of a housing cover 20 and a screw 21. The required sealing is provided by a seal 22. Naturally, however, the housing opening 14 can also be closed by a corresponding door, flap or the like. In any case, the housing opening 14 makes it possible in an easy manner to remove the closing mechanism 3 from the valve housing 2 for cleaning, maintenance or replacement purposes or, correspondingly, to insert the closing mechanism 3 therein for attachment to the valve rod 6. In FIG. 5, the housing cover 20 has been removed and the closing mechanism 3 has been removed from the valve rod 6. To remove the closing mechanism 3 from the valve rod 6, a manually operable removal tool 11 is used in this figure. If the closing mechanism 3 is to be removed from or attached to the valve rod 6, the removal tool 11 can be attached to an adapter 12 of the closing mechanism 3. Alternatively, it is of course also possible to arrange several adapters 12 on the closing mechanism 3, which are designed in such a way that an operator can grasp them directly by hand. Such a variant is exemplarily explained further below on the basis of figures 11 to 13.

[0029] In FIG. 6, only the valve rod 6 with the closing mechanism 3 attached thereto is shown. The adapter 12 is visible in this figure. This adapter 12 can be formed in a wide variety of ways, as explained at the beginning, so that a correspondingly formed removal tool 11 can be attached to the adapter 12. In FIG. 7, the closing mechanism 3 has already been removed from the valve rod 6 with the removal tool 11. A part of the connection device 7 according to the invention is visible, together with the seal 23 preferably arranged thereon. In FIG. 7, the form-locking element 15 of the valve rod 6, here formed as a square with rounded corners, is also visible. Correspondingly, a correspondingly formed form-locking element 16 is formed on the closing mechanism 3. As already explained at the beginning, these form-locking elements 15 and 16 are used on the valve rod 6 and on the closing mechanism 3 for aligning the closing mechanism 3 on the valve rod 6 when the closing mechanism 3 is to be attached to the valve rod 6 again. The cooperation of the form-locking elements 15 and 16 when mounting the closure mechanism 3 on the valve rod 6 ensures that the closure mechanism 3 is mounted on the valve rod 6 in the desired position, thus eliminating the need for special readjustments or the like.

[0030] What has been described so far should be understood as only one example, which can therefore also be realised in modified form in very different variant embodiments of the valve 1 according to the invention.

[0031] With reference to FIG. 8, the construction of a first embodiment of a detachable connecting device 7 according to the invention will now be described.

[0032] 8 shows a longitudinal section of the upper end of the valve rod 6 and the closing mechanism 3 attached thereto. The form-locking element 15 of the valve rod 6 reaches a certain length into the closing mechanism 3, so that it can cooperate with a form-locking element 16 in the closing mechanism 3 to align the closing mechanism 3 on the valve rod 6. A seal 23 seals the valve rod 6 against the closing mechanism 3.

[0033] Therefore, regardless of the specific embodiment, the invention advantageously provides that the form-locking element extends into the closing mechanism at a certain length on the valve rod and is configured to cooperate with the form-locking element in the closing mechanism in order to align the closing mechanism on the valve rod. It is also generally advantageous to seal the valve rod against the closing mechanism by means of a seal. A fixed magnet is also preferably arranged at the upper end of the valve rod, the seal being configured to be further away from the upper end of the valve rod than the fixed magnet. The latter is exemplarily shown in Figures 8, 9, 10 and 14.

[0034] According to the invention, the detachable connecting device 7 shown in FIG. 8 has a fixed magnet 8 for attaching the closing mechanism 3 to the valve rod 6 in a detachable manner by means of magnetic attraction. In FIG. 8, the fixed magnet 8 is a permanent magnet, which is arranged on the valve rod 6 and cooperates with the closing mechanism 3, which consists of or at least comprises a magnetizable material 24, for example iron or steel. Of course, it is also possible, in contrast to FIG. 8, for the fixed magnet 8 to be located on the closing mechanism 3 and for the valve rod 6 to then have, at least at its upper end, a corresponding magnetizable material 24 or to be formed from the magnetizable material 24. In the attached state shown in FIG. 8, the magnetic attraction of the fixed magnet 8 in any case fixes the closing mechanism 3 to the valve rod 6. In this first embodiment, no mechanically or electrically driven release device 9 is provided. Therefore, to remove the closure mechanism 3 from the valve rod 6, a correspondingly strong pull must be applied on the closure mechanism 3 so as to overcome the magnetic attraction of the fixed magnet 8 and pull the closure mechanism 3 away from the valve rod 6 in the manner shown in FIG. 7.

[0035] A first variant, not explicitly shown here, in which such a release device 9 is provided is when the fixed magnet 8 in FIG. 8 is not formed as a permanent magnet but as an electromagnet. In this case, the magnetic attraction force can be counteracted by deactivating the electromagnet. However, in this case, this variant has the disadvantage that the magnetic attraction force required for fixing the closing mechanism 3 on the valve rod 6 is only available when the fixed magnet 8 formed as an electromagnet is energized, which is a corresponding permanent energy demand.

[0036] FIG. 9 shows an alternative embodiment in which a permanent magnet is also provided on the valve rod 6 as the fixed magnet 8. This variant shown in FIG. 9, however, has an electrically driven release device 9 for disconnecting the connection between the closing mechanism 3 and the valve rod 6. This release device 9 has a counter magnet 10, by means of which the magnetic attraction of the fixed magnet 8 can be weakened or completely counteracted. This counter magnet 10 is formed as an electromagnet in FIG. 9, which can be seen in the power supply line 25. When this counter magnet 10 formed as an electromagnet is activated, it weakens the magnetic attraction of the fixed magnet 8 at least to such an extent that the closing mechanism 3 can be removed from the valve rod 6 with only a small force. When the counter magnet 10 formed as an electromagnet is deactivated, on the other hand, the magnetic attraction of the fixed magnet 8 is not influenced, so that the fixed magnet 8 cooperates with the magnetizable material 24 of the closing mechanism 3 to fasten the closing mechanism 3 to the valve rod 6 by magnetic attraction. Ignoring the differences described, the embodiment according to FIG. 9 corresponds to the embodiment according to FIG.

[0037] 10 to 13 show, by way of example, a variant in which a permanent magnet is also arranged on the valve rod as the fixed magnet 8. The fixed magnet 8 also cooperates with the magnetizable material 24 of the closing mechanism 3. However, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 10 to 13, in contrast to the variant shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a mechanically driven release device 9 is provided for releasing the connection between the closing mechanism 3 and the valve rod 6. This release device 9 also has a corresponding magnet 10, which can weaken or counteract the magnetic attraction of the fixed magnet 8 to such an extent that the closing mechanism 3 can be pulled away from the valve rod 6 with only a small force. In this case, the corresponding magnet 10 is a permanent magnet that is pivotally attached to the pivot lever 26. In one position shown in FIGS. 10 and 12, the corresponding magnet 10 is polarized in such a way that the magnetic attraction of the fixed magnet 8 is not weakened or is even enhanced by it. In this position, the closing mechanism 3 is therefore attached to the valve rod 6 by magnetic attraction. However, when the pivot lever 26 and thus also the counter magnet 10 are pivoted into the position shown in Figures 11 and 13, the counter magnet 10 is polarized in such a way that it opposes or weakens or cancels the magnetic attraction of the fixed magnet 8, so that in this case the closing mechanism 3 can be pulled away relatively easily from the valve rod 6 using only a small force, as shown in Figure 13. Of course, in this embodiment it is also possible to form the fixed magnet 8 on the closing mechanism 3. In this case the valve rod 6 can be correspondingly formed from a magnetizable material 24. In this case the counter magnet 10 can be arranged on the valve rod 6 as well as on the closing mechanism 3 together with the pivot lever 26.

[0038] For the sake of completeness, it is noted that in all embodiments the magnetizable material 24 can of course be replaced by a corresponding alternative magnet, which would result in an even greater magnetic attraction force.

[0039] 11 to 13, the closing mechanism 3 is provided with an adapter 12 for an extraction tool 11, here formed as a slit, for inserting a hand directly into the closing mechanism 3. These are merely examples, and other variations are possible.

[0040] 14 to 16 illustrate yet another variant according to the invention. Here, a permanent magnet is provided on the closing mechanism 3 as the fixed magnet 8. This fixed magnet 8 cooperates with the magnetizable material 24 of the valve rod 6, so that the closing mechanism 3 is fixed to the valve rod 6 by the magnetic attraction of the fixed magnet 8. Naturally, the magnetizable material 24 can also be replaced by another corresponding permanent magnet, so that the magnetic attraction can be further increased. In this variant shown in FIGS. 14 to 16, the release device 9 is provided on the removal tool 11. At the tip of the removal tool 11, which is inserted into the adapter 12 of the closing mechanism 3, an electromagnet is located as the corresponding magnet 10, which can be activated and deactivated via a power supply 25. The removal tool 11 correspondingly incorporates a power source, not explicitly shown, such as an accumulator or battery, and a corresponding switch for switching the corresponding magnet 10 on and off. When the corresponding magnet 10 is activated in the extraction tool 11, it can weaken or counteract the magnetic attraction of the fixed magnet 8 so that the closure mechanism 3 can be lifted in an easy manner from the valve rod 6. When the corresponding magnet 10 is deactivated and / or the extraction tool 11 is removed from the adapter 12, the closure mechanism 3 is secured to the valve rod 6 by the magnetic attraction in the position shown in FIG.

[0041] Figure 15 again shows the closing mechanism 3 attached to the valve rod 6 and the removal of the removal tool 11. Figure 16 shows the closing mechanism 3 removed from the valve rod 6 by the removal tool 11, so that here too both the form-locking element 16 and the seal 23 realized on the valve rod 6 are visible. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 1 Valve 2 Valve housing 3 Closing mechanism 4 Valve opening 5 Valve drive unit 6 Valve Rod 7 Connecting Devices 8 Fixed Magnet 9 Release device 10 Compatible magnets 11 Extraction tool 12 Adapters 13 sides 14 Housing opening 15 Shape connection elements 16 Shape connection elements 17 First housing part 18 Second housing part 19 Seal 20 Housing cover 21 Screw 22 Seal 23 Seal 24 Magnetizable materials 25 Power line 26 Rotating lever 27 Vacuum Feedthrough 28 Migration Path 29 Migration Path

Claims

1. A valve (1), wherein the valve (1) comprises: a valve housing (2); a closing mechanism (3) for closing the valve opening (4); a valve drive unit (5) for reciprocating the closing mechanism (3) between a closed position where the valve opening (4) is closed by the closing mechanism (3) and an open position where the valve opening (4) is fully or partially opened by the closing mechanism (3); In the valve (1), the closing mechanism (3) is connected to the valve drive unit (5) by a valve rod (6) of the valve (1), and the closing mechanism (3) is removably attached to or attachable to the valve rod (6) by a detachable connecting device (7). The valve (1) is characterized in that the detachable connecting device (7) has a fixing magnet (8) for removably attaching the closing mechanism (3) to the valve rod (6) by magnetic attraction force.

2. The fixing magnet (8) is disposed on the valve rod (6) and / or the closing mechanism (3), and / or The fixing magnet (8) is a permanent magnet or an electromagnet, and / or The valve (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that one fixing magnet (8) is provided on each of the valve rod (6) and the closing mechanism (3).

3. The valve (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the valve (1) has a mechanically or electrically driven release device (9) for releasing the connection between the closing mechanism (3) and the valve rod (6).

4. The valve (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the release device (9) has a corresponding magnet (10) for weakening or canceling the magnetic attraction force of the fixing magnet (8).

5. The corresponding magnet (10) is disposed on the valve rod (6) and / or the closing mechanism (3) and / or a special removal tool (11), and / or The valve (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the corresponding magnet (10) is a permanent magnet or an electromagnet.

6. The valve (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the valve (1) is an L-shaped valve.

7. The shut-off mechanism (3) has an adapter (12) for manually removing the shut-off mechanism (3) from the valve rod (6) and / or for manually attaching the shut-off mechanism (3) to the valve rod (6), characterized in that the valve (1) according to claim 1 or 2.

8. The valve housing (2) has a closable housing opening (14) for removing the shut-off mechanism (3) from the valve housing (2) on a surface (13) of the shut-off mechanism (3) facing away from the valve rod (6), characterized in that the valve (1) according to claim 1 or 2.

9. The valve rod (6) and the shut-off mechanism (3) are each formed with form-locking elements (15, 16) for aligning the shut-off mechanism (3) with the valve rod (6), characterized in that the valve (1) according to claim 1 or 2.

10. The form-locking element (15) reaches a certain length into the shut-off mechanism (3) in the valve rod (6) and cooperates with the form-locking element (16) in the shut-off mechanism (3) to align the shut-off mechanism (3) with the valve rod (6), characterized in that the valve (1) according to claim 9.

11. The closing mechanism (3) is a valve plate and / or the valve opening (4) has an opening cross-sectional area of at least 6000 mm ２ or at least 12000 mm ２ The valve (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it has an opening cross-sectional area of

12. A seal (23) seals the valve rod (6) against the shut-off mechanism (3), characterized in that the valve (1) according to claim 1 or 2.

13. The fixed magnet (8) is arranged at the upper end of the valve rod (6), and the seal (23) is further away from the fixed magnet (8) than from the upper end of the valve rod (6), characterized in that the valve (1) according to claim 12.

14. The valve (1) is a vacuum valve, the valve (1) according to claim 1 or 2.

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