Valve mechanism and method of operating the same
The valve mechanism addresses sealing issues in high-vacuum and high-temperature environments by using a compensation member to pre-adjust the sealing disc's orientation, ensuring parallel contact and symmetrical force application, enhancing sealing performance and lifespan.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2025116955
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2025-06-09
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-11
- Publication Date
- 2026-01-28
AI Technical Summary
Conventional vacuum valves face issues with sealing performance in high-vacuum and high-temperature environments due to the use of rubber-like elastic materials, and all-metal valves experience reduced lifespan and sealing surface degradation from repeated use and thermal expansion.
A valve mechanism with a displacement member, support plates, and a sealing disc that performs reciprocating motions, combined with a compensation member to pre-adjust the sealing disc's orientation to ensure parallel contact with the opening port, using all-metal construction for improved sealing.
The mechanism achieves a symmetrical force application, reduces wear, and maintains a constant vacuum seal, even in ultra-high vacuum conditions, with improved centering performance and extended service life.
Smart Images

Figure 2026013401000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to valves, and more particularly to valve mechanisms and methods of operating the same. [Background technology]
[0002] Conventional vacuum valves often use a rubber-like elastic material called an O-ring as the sealing member between the valve plate and the valve. O-rings achieve the required sealing effect through deformation due to compression, so they can only be applied to valves that do not require high sealing performance. For this reason, this type of sealing member cannot be used in high-vacuum systems or in high-temperature environments.
[0003] Some high-vacuum systems use all-metal valves instead of non-metal valves with rubber sealing members. However, because two metal layers press against each other to form a sealing surface, the closing force increases with the number of times the vacuum valve is opened and closed, shortening its lifespan. Furthermore, dimensional changes in the metal layers due to heating and cooling can cause relative movement between the two metal layers, resulting in shear deformation and destruction of the sealing surface. Furthermore, because conventional vacuum valves use a support piece that presses against the sealing disk, it is common for the non-driving support piece (e.g., the support piece located in the upper position) to fall off. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] The main object of the present invention is to provide a valve mechanism having a correction member (also called a guide member) that pre-adjusts (also called corrects) the orientation of the sealing disc mounted on the second elastic sheet depending on the orientation of the first opening port in the chamber at the moment when the sealing disc contacts the first opening port or before the sealing disc contacts the first opening port, thereby maintaining the sealing disc in a state where it is perfectly parallel to the first opening port. [Means for solving the problem]
[0005] The valve mechanism according to the present invention is applicable to a first opening port that selectively seals or opens a chamber, and is characterized by comprising: a displacement member that performs a first reciprocating motion along a first axial direction; two support plates that are movably mounted on both sides of the displacement member, that perform a second reciprocating motion along the first axial direction in accordance with the first reciprocating motion of the displacement member, and that are driven by the displacement member to perform a third reciprocating motion in an opposite direction along the second axial direction; a sealing disc that performs a second reciprocating motion along the first axial direction in accordance with the first reciprocating motion of the displacement member, and that performs a fourth reciprocating motion between a half-opened position and a hard-sealed position in response to the third reciprocating motion of one of the two support plates; and a compensation member that compensates the orientation of the sealing surface of the sealing disc according to the orientation of the sealing surface of the first opening port in the chamber during the sealing disc's fourth reciprocating motion and during its movement from the half-opened position to the hard-sealed position, so that the sealing surface of the sealing disc is parallel to the sealing surface of the first opening port in the chamber, thereby applying a symmetrical force to seal the first opening port in the chamber.
[0006] The operating method of the valve mechanism according to the present invention includes a driving step of: causing the displacement member to perform a first reciprocating motion along a first axial direction, causing two support plates to perform a second reciprocating motion along the first axial direction according to the first reciprocating motion of the displacement member, and the displacement member further drives the two support plates to perform a third reciprocating motion in an opposite direction along the second axial direction, causing the sealing disc to perform a second reciprocating motion along the first axial direction according to the first reciprocating motion of the displacement member, and the sealing disc performs a fourth reciprocating motion between a half-open position and a hard seal position according to the third reciprocating motion of one of the two support plates; and a correcting step of using the correcting member to correct the orientation of the sealing surface of the sealing disc according to the orientation of the sealing surface of the first open port in the chamber during the process of the sealing disc moving from the half-open position to the hard seal position, so that the sealing surface of the sealing disc is parallel to the sealing surface of the first open port in the chamber, thereby applying a symmetrical sealing force to the first open port in the chamber. [Effects of the Invention]
[0007] The valve mechanism and the method for operating the valve mechanism according to the present invention have the following advantages. (1) The valve mechanism has a compensating member (also called a guide member) that pre-adjusts (also called a correcting member) the orientation of the sealing disc mounted on the second elastic sheet depending on the orientation of the first opening port in the chamber at the moment when the sealing disc contacts the first opening port or before the sealing disc contacts the first opening port, thereby keeping the sealing disc perfectly parallel to the first opening port.
[0008] (2) The sealing disc contacts the first opening port of the chamber in a manner that is parallel to the first opening port and uniforms the stress distribution and contact pressure distribution, thereby applying a symmetrical force to the first opening port to seal it, and also reducing the wear that occurs when the sealing disc contacts the first opening port.
[0009] (3) The correcting member of the valve mechanism may be a second elastic sheet having a bending area, which can achieve the effect of pre-adjusting (or correcting) the orientation of the sealing disc provided on the second elastic sheet.
[0010] (4) The correction member of the valve mechanism may be a kit frame and have a restoring member, which can be pushed up onto the support plate according to the orientation of the first opening port in the chamber, thereby achieving the effect of pre-adjusting (or correcting) the orientation of the sealing disk provided on the support plate. The correction member may selectively adopt a design having a structure that perfectly fits with the first opening port in the chamber.
[0011] (5) The compensation member may have an extension plate extending outward horizontally or vertically. This prevents the sealing disk from contacting the first opening in the chamber before the compensation member does. Increasing the contact area allows for more even distribution of force when two objects approach each other, and using a spring with a small elastic modulus can expand the range of force transmission.
[0012] (6) By fitting the tenon plate into the guide groove, it is possible to replace some or all of the support pieces, thereby solving the problem of the support pieces falling off when being driven as in the past.
[0013] (7) The valve mechanism may employ a pressure plate instead of a pressure ring to press against the second opening port in the chamber, so that the sealing performance of the sealing disc is not affected by the geometry of the pressure ring.
[0014] (8) The valve mechanism has a very small left-right misalignment in the chamber. Compared with the conventional valve mechanism without compensation design, the valve mechanism of the present invention has a significantly improved centering performance during the movement process, so there is no need to consider the influence of the geometric shape of the pressure ring on the sealing effect.
[0015] (9) The valve mechanism now realizes the design principle of maintaining drive with a single drive unit within the limited chamber space.
[0016] (10) The valve mechanism can be entirely made of metal. The sealing surface of the sealing disc can be pressed directly against the sealing surface of the first opening port in the chamber to achieve a vacuum seal. It can also achieve an ultra-high vacuum seal, eliminating the need for additional washers or gaskets. Even in an ultra-high vacuum environment, the sealing disc can simultaneously withstand both the closing force applied from inside the vacuum valve chamber and the atmospheric pressure applied from outside the vacuum valve chamber. Furthermore, the sealing surface of the sealing disc can rotate relative to the sealing surface of the first opening port in the chamber, maintaining constant contact. This provides a lubricating effect when the metal sealing surfaces press against each other, allowing for compensation and adjustment, improving sealing performance and extending the service life, while maintaining constant vacuum sealing.
[0017] In order to better understand the technical features and achievable technical effects of the present invention, better embodiments and detailed descriptions are provided below. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a valve mechanism according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 2] 1 is a front view showing a state in which a chamber is sealed or opened by a valve mechanism according to a first embodiment of the present invention, showing that a displacement member has reached a full folded height H1. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a front view showing the state in which a chamber is sealed or opened by the valve mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present invention, with the displacement member at a half-extended height H2 and the sealing disc at a half-open / closed position W1. [Figure 4] 1 is a side view showing a state in which a chamber is sealed by the valve mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present invention, showing that the sealing disc has reached the hard seal position W2. FIG. [Figure 5]2 is a flowchart showing the valve mechanism shown in FIG. 1 sealing a chamber, showing only a portion of the structure, (A) showing the displacement member reaching the half-extension height H2, (B) showing the displacement member moving within a distance difference (distance D1) to move the position of the sealing disc, and (C) showing the displacement member driving the sealing disc to reach the hard seal position W2. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the structure of a correction member according to a first embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a front view and (B) is a side view. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a valve mechanism according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a side view of FIG. [Figure 9] 8 is a flow chart showing the valve mechanism shown in FIG. 7 sealing the chamber, showing only some of the structure. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are front and side views showing a correction member and a pressing plate according to a second embodiment of the present invention, where (A) is a side view showing the pressing plate, (C) is a front view showing the pressing plate, (B) is a side view showing the correction member and a sealing disk, and (D) is a front view showing the correction member and a sealing disk. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a side view showing another aspect of the valve mechanism according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] 12 is a flow chart showing the valve mechanism shown in FIG. 11 sealing the chamber, showing only some of the structure. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a valve mechanism according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] 14 is a flow chart showing the valve mechanism shown in FIG. 13 sealing the chamber, showing only some of the structure. [Figure 15] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a first embodiment of a sealing disk according to the present invention, in which the bottom surfaces of the auxiliary base and the connecting base are at the same height. [Figure 16]1 is a cross-sectional view showing a sealing disk according to a first embodiment of the present invention, in which the bottom surfaces of the auxiliary base and the connecting base are at different heights. [Figure 17] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a second embodiment of a sealing disk according to the present invention. [Figure 18] 10 is a flow chart illustrating sealing a chamber with a valve mechanism according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The proportions of the components in the drawings of the embodiments of the present invention are shown for ease of understanding and are not actual proportions. Furthermore, the dimensional proportions of the assemblies shown in the drawings are for the purpose of explaining the components and their structures, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Meanwhile, for ease of understanding, the same components in the following embodiments will be described with the same reference numerals.
[0020] Furthermore, terms used throughout the specification and claims generally have their ordinary meanings as used in the art, in the context disclosed herein, and in the particular context, unless otherwise specified. Some terms used to describe the present invention are explained below or elsewhere in this specification to provide those of ordinary skill in the art with additional guidance regarding the description of the present invention.
[0021] The use of "first," "second," "third," etc. in this article does not denote a specific order or sequence, nor is it used to limit the invention, but is used only to distinguish between components or operations that are described with the same terminology.
[0022] Secondly, when this article uses terms such as "including," "comprising," "having," and "containing," they are all open terms, meaning including but not limited to.
[0023] The valve mechanism of the present invention is applicable to selectively sealing or opening a first open port in a chamber. The valve mechanism of the present invention uses a compensation member to pre-adjust the orientation of the first open port in the chamber, allowing the sealing disc to apply a symmetrical force to the first open port in the chamber to seal it. The sealing disc seals the first open port by horizontally contacting and applying a horizontal force (also called horizontal seal or parallel seal), and further, uniform stress distribution and contact pressure distribution ensure good contact with the first open port. According to the present invention, it is possible to selectively avoid the use of non-metallic sealing members (e.g., members such as packings and O-rings) that are commonly used in sealing techniques that apply asymmetric forces, such as conventional non-horizontal sealing (i.e., the sealing surface of the sealing disk contacts and adjusts the orientation with the sealing surface of the first opening port), and it is also possible to effectively reduce wear caused by non-uniform stress distribution and contact pressure distribution in conventional non-horizontal sealing techniques. The valve mechanism of the present invention can realize an all-metal valve with an automatic or active compensation design, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The materials of the valve mechanism of the present invention and the chamber to which it is applied are not particularly limited, and they may be entirely made of metal or partially made of non-metallic materials. For example, the chamber may be, for example, the chamber of various vacuum valves. Meanwhile, the chamber to which the valve mechanism of the present invention is applied is not limited to a specific structure, shape, or material; any chamber capable of sealing or opening a first opening port in the chamber is within the scope of the present invention. The valve mechanism of the present invention may be, for example, a single-sided or double-sided seal type. That is, the valve mechanism of the present invention can not only apply a force symmetrically to the first opening port in the chamber to seal it, but can also selectively apply a force symmetrically to the first and second opening ports in the chamber simultaneously to seal them.
[0024] 1 to 6 and other figures, a valve mechanism 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention is for sealing or opening a first opening port 110a in a chamber 100. The valve mechanism 10 and the chamber 100 constitute a valve device. The chamber 100 mainly comprises a chamber wall 102, a chamber bottom 106, a chamber top 108, and an accommodating space 104. The accommodating space 104 is mainly composed of the chamber wall 102, the chamber bottom 106, and the chamber top 108. The valve mechanism 10 is disposed in the accommodating space 104 of the chamber 100. The chamber 100 further includes a second opening port 110b. The second opening port 110b is disposed, for example, on the opposite side of the first opening port 110a. The first opening port 110a and the second opening port 110b are, for example, chamber walls 102 on opposite sides of the chamber 100, with openings provided in the chamber walls 102. Alternatively, the first opening port 110a and the second opening port 110b are, for example, first flanges 118a and second flanges 118b on opposite sides of the chamber 100, with openings provided in the chamber walls 102. For convenience in describing the method of implementing the present invention, the following description will mainly take as an example the operation of the valve mechanism 10 to close the first opening port 110a of the chamber 100. However, a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can understand, based on the disclosure of the present invention, how the valve mechanism 10 of the present invention opens the first opening port 110a, and therefore the explanation is omitted.
[0025] The valve mechanism 10 according to the present invention mainly comprises a displacement member 20, support plates 40a and 40b, a sealing disk 60, and a correction member 80. The displacement member 20 moves the sealing disk 60 by causing at least one of the support plates 40a and 40b (e.g., the support plate 40a) to move sequentially along two different axial directions (e.g., the Z-axis direction and the X-axis direction). A feature of the valve mechanism 10 according to the present invention is that the compensation member 80 (or the first compensation member) adjusts the orientation of the sealing surface 62 of the sealing disk 60 in advance according to the orientation of the sealing surface of the first opening port 110a. This compensates the sealing surface 62 of the sealing disk 60 so that the sealing surface 62 is actually (e.g., completely) parallel to the sealing surface 112 of the first opening port 110a at the moment of contact with or before contact with the sealing surface 112 of the first opening port 110a, thereby achieving uniform stress and contact pressure distribution and parallel contact with the first opening port 110a. This achieves the effect of applying a symmetrical force to the first opening port 110a to seal it. The Z-axis and X-axis directions are, for example, perpendicular to each other and also perpendicular to a third axis direction (e.g., the Y-axis direction).
[0026] For example, in the valve mechanism 10 according to the present invention, the displacement member 20 may be, for example, a block, and may be driven by a drive unit 120 to perform a first reciprocating motion M1 along a first axial direction Z (e.g., the Z-axis direction) to move between, for example, a fully folded height H1 and a fully deployed height H3. The drive unit 120 may be, for example, a pneumatic or electric drive cylinder or other drive device, and may have, for example, a moving rod (e.g., a piston rod), and may be controlled in whole or in part by manual control, automatic control, automatic pressure control (APC), or other methods. The drive unit 120 is connected to the displacement member 20 via, for example, a moving rod 122. The movement of the moving rod 122 moves the displacement member 20 (e.g., its bottom) between the fully folded height H1 and the fully deployed height H3. For example, if the drive unit 120 is an air cylinder, the present invention may achieve smooth closing, smooth opening, or smooth operation by, for example, controlling the supply of air pressure or airflow to the air cylinder. The valve mechanism 10 according to the present invention may further include a solenoid valve, a piezoelectric pressure regulator, or a voice coil pressure regulator, which may be used to control the air pressure and / or air flow supplied to the air cylinder. During the first reciprocating motion M1 of the displacement member 20 along the first axial direction Z, the driving device 120 (e.g., a pneumatic or electric driving device) may selectively drive the displacement member 20 at a single pressure and / or speed and / or at multiple pressures and / or speeds. Meanwhile, the driving device 120 is not limited to driving the displacement member 20 by open-loop control or closed-loop control.
[0027] In the valve mechanism 10 according to the present invention, the two support plates 40a and 40b are movably located on either side of the displacement member 20, and move simultaneously as the displacement member 20 performs a first reciprocating motion M1 along the first axial direction Z and a second reciprocating motion M2 along the first axial direction Z, thereby moving the displacement member 20 between a fully folded height H1 and a half-extended height H2. To explain by way of example, in the valve mechanism 10 according to the present invention, the support plates 40a and 40b are movably located on either side of the displacement member 20, respectively, via at least one support member 21 [for example, at least one support piece 22 (e.g., four pieces), at least one tenon plate 24 (e.g., four pieces), and / or at least one support piece 22 (e.g., two pieces) mated with at least one tenon plate 24 (e.g., two pieces)]. The displacement member 20 and the support plates 40a, 40b each have a limiting slot 23, for example, and the support piece 22 is, for example, a strip-shaped rod, with both ends movably received in the limiting slot 23 of the displacement member 20 and the support plates 40a, 40b, respectively. Alternatively, in the present invention, a tenon plate 24 may be selectively used instead of some or all of the support pieces 22, and for example, the displacement member 20 may selectively have a guide groove 25. The top surface of the guide groove 25 is a guide surface 27 (for example, configured with a single inclination or including multiple different inclinations), and one end of the tenon plate 24 is fixed to the support plates 40a and / or 40b, and the other end extends to the displacement member 20. The tenon plate 24 may be, for example, integrated with the support plates 40a and / or 40b, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In the present invention, by replacing some or all of the support pieces 22 with tenon plates 24, the general problem of the upper support plates 22 falling off, which is unavoidable in the prior art, can be solved.
[0028] Furthermore, the first reciprocating motion M1 and the second reciprocating motion M2 may have the same direction of movement (for example, the valve device composed of the valve mechanism 10 and the chamber 100 moves from top to bottom in the drawing when changing from a fully open state to a half-open / half-open state, and the valve device moves from bottom to top in the drawing when changing from a half-open / half-open state to a fully open state), but the path lengths of the first reciprocating motion M1 and the second reciprocating motion M2 are different (for example, the first motion path of the first reciprocating motion M1 has a longer distance difference (for example, distance D1) than the second motion path of the second reciprocating motion M2). Therefore, when the displacement member 20 moves during a portion of the first reciprocating motion M1 (i.e., the above-mentioned distance difference (distance D1)), the displacement member 20 can rotatably deploy or retract the support member 21, thereby driving the support plates 40a, 40b to perform a third reciprocating motion M3 in the opposite direction (e.g., moving away from or toward each other) along the second axial direction X (e.g., the X-axis direction) between the half-open / closed position (or intermediate position) W1′ and the hard seal position W2′. Accordingly, the sealing disk 60 performs a fourth reciprocating motion M4 between the half-open / closed position (or intermediate position) W1 and the hard seal position W2. Then, as the displacement member 20 rotatably deploys or retracts the support member 21, the support plates 40a, 40b perform the third reciprocating motion M3. Therefore, the movement distances of the upper and lower sides of the support plates 40a, 40b are different, and the higher the position, the greater the distance (gap) between the displacement member 20. For this reason, the freely insertable support pieces 22 (especially the upper support pieces 22) are likely to fall off during the driving process. In other words, in the embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. 1, instead of fitting some or all of the support pieces 22 into the limiting slots 23, a combination is adopted in which the tenon plate 24 is fitted into the guide groove 25, thereby solving the problem of the conventional case in which the driven support pieces 22 are likely to fall off when they rotate or displace.
[0029] From the above, it can be seen that the support plates 40a, 40b of the valve mechanism 10 according to the present invention can perform a second reciprocating motion M2 along the first axial direction Z in accordance with the first reciprocating motion M1 of the displacement member 20 along the first axial direction Z, and the sealing disc 60 can perform a fourth reciprocating motion M4 between the half-open / closed position W1 and the hard seal position W2 in accordance with the third reciprocating motion M3 of the support plate 40a. For example, the sealing disc 60 is located on one side of the support plate 40a, 40b. For example, the sealing disc 60 is movably adjacent to the side of the support plate 40a or fixed to the side of the support plate 40a. Thus, the sealing disc 60 moves as the support plate 40a moves in the second reciprocating motion M2 and the third reciprocating motion M3, and the relative positions and / or orientations of the sealing disc 60 and the support plate 40a can be changed or cannot be changed. For example, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the sealing disc 60 is mounted on the second elastic sheet 44a (i.e., the sealing disc 60 is not mounted on the support plate 40a), so that the sealing disc 60 is movably located on the side of the support plate 40a. In other words, the sealing disc 60 performs a fourth reciprocating motion M4 between the half-open position W1 and the hard seal position W2 in response to the third reciprocating motion M3 of the support plate 40a. In the present invention, the displacement member 20 is described as a plate (e.g., a rectangular plate) as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and any form (i.e., shape and structure) of the displacement member 20 is within the scope of the protection sought by the present invention as long as the displacement member 20 performs the first reciprocating motion M1 to cause the support plates 40a, 40b to perform the second reciprocating motion M2 and the third reciprocating motion M3 in sequence. Meanwhile, the shapes and structures of the support plates 40a, 40b of the present invention may be the same or different, and as long as they are positioned between the displacement member 20 and the sealing disc 60 and can sequentially move the sealing disc 60 along two different axial directions (e.g., the Z-axis direction and the X-axis direction) in the second reciprocating motion M2 and the third reciprocating motion M3 in accordance with the first reciprocating motion M1 of the displacement member 20, all fall within the scope of the protection sought by the present invention.
[0030] One of the features of the valve mechanism 10 according to the present invention is the inclusion of a compensation member 80. The compensation member 80 is used to directly or indirectly adjust the orientation of the sealing surface 62 of the sealing disc 60, for example, automatically or actively (or passively) adjusting the sealing surface 62 of the sealing disc 60 from any orientation to be parallel to the sealing surface 112 of the first open port 110a. For example, the compensation member 80 compensates the orientation of the sealing surface 62 of the sealing disc 60 according to the orientation of the sealing surface 112 of the first open port 110a in the chamber 100 during the sealing disc 60's fourth reciprocating motion M4 (e.g., moving from the half-open position W1 to the hard seal position W2), thereby ensuring that the sealing surface 62 of the sealing disc 60 is parallel to the sealing surface 112 of the first open port 110a in the chamber 100. This allows for symmetrical application of force to the first open port 110a in the chamber 100 for sealing. The above-mentioned "correction" (or adjustment) refers to pre-adjusting the orientation of the sealing surface 62 of the sealing disk 60 so that the sealing surface 62 of the sealing disk 60 is parallel to the sealing surface 112 of the first open port 110a at or before the moment when the sealing surface 62 of the sealing disk 60 contacts the sealing surface 112 of the first open port 110a in the chamber 100, and after the sealing surface 62 contacts the sealing surface 112, the sealing surface 62 of the sealing disk 60 can move relatively to be parallel to the sealing surface 112 of the first open port 110a. This allows the sealing disk 60 to be tightly pressed against the first open port 110a in the chamber 100, thereby achieving an airtight seal. From the above, it can be seen that the present invention does not involve adjusting the orientation of the sealing surface 62 of the sealing disk 60 after the sealing surface 62 of the sealing disk 60 comes into contact with the sealing surface 112 of the first open port 110a in the chamber 100.
[0031] The valve mechanism 10 according to the present invention further includes first elastic sheets 42a, 42b and a second elastic sheet 44a. The support plates 40a, 40b are provided on first sides (e.g., top sides) of the first elastic sheets 42a, 42b, respectively, and are located on two side edges of the displacement member 20. The two side edges of the displacement member 20 optionally have fitting grooves (not shown), and the top sides of the first elastic sheets 42a, 42b are fitted into the fitting grooves. The second elastic sheet 44a is located on a side edge of the first elastic sheet 42a. The valve mechanism 10 according to the present invention further optionally includes a base 12. The outer shape of the base 12 may be, for example, slightly U-shaped, but the present invention is not limited thereto; that is, both sides are higher and the central area is lower. The second sides (e.g., bottom sides) of the first elastic sheets 42a, 42b and the second elastic sheet 44a are provided on the base 12 (e.g., the bottom edge of the side surface of the base 12). The displacement member 20 is located above the base 12 and suspended from the base 12 at a certain distance (e.g., distance D1) from the base 12. The support plates 40a, 40b are provided above the base 12 via the first elastic sheets 42a, 42b and the support member 21 and are located on two side edges of the displacement member 20. The second sides (e.g., bottom sides) of the first elastic sheets 42a, 42b and the second elastic sheet 44a and the base 12 each have, for example, openings 14. The configurations (e.g., shape and dimensions) of these openings 14 may be the same or different and may be the same as, for example, the first opening port 110a and the second opening port 110b, but the present invention is not limited thereto. When the sealing disk 60 hard seals the first open port 110a in the chamber 100, the positions of these openings 14 are offset, for example, completely or partially offset, from the position of the first open port 110a. Although the present invention has been described as being completely offset, the present invention is not limited thereto. The first elastic sheet 42b, together with the first elastic sheet 42a and the second elastic sheet 44a, are respectively located on both sides of the base 12. The first elastic sheet 42a and the second elastic sheet 44a are located on the same side of the base 12, and a fixing block 43 is optionally provided therebetween. The thickness of the fixing block 43 separates the first elastic sheet 42a and the second elastic sheet 44a by a distance D4. In the present invention, the distance between the sealing disc 60 and the first opening port 110a can be adjusted simply by adjusting the thickness of the fixing block 43. This allows the correction member 80 to accurately and precisely correct the orientation of the sealing disc 60.
[0032] Meanwhile, the displacement member 20 according to the present invention may not necessarily have a pin 28 on its bottom side, and the base 12 may optionally have guide slots 18, such as those provided on the top sides of both sides of the base 12, but this is not intended to limit the present invention. The depth of the guide slots 18 is preferably equal to the distance D1, but this is not intended to limit the present invention. By stably moving the pins 28 through the guide slots 18, the displacement member 20 can more stably move within the distance D1 during the first reciprocating motion M1. In other words, when the pins 28 stably move through the guide slots 18, the support plates 40a, 40b can also stably perform the third reciprocating motion M3 in opposite directions (e.g., directions moving away from or toward each other) along the second axial direction X (e.g., the X-axis direction). This allows the sealing disc 60 to more stably perform the fourth reciprocating motion M4 between the half-open / closed position W1 and the hard seal position W2.
[0033] When the sealing disc 60 fully opens the first open port 110a in the chamber 100, the second sides (e.g., bottom sides) of the first elastic sheets 42a, 42b and the second elastic sheet 44a and these openings 14 in the base 12 move to positions corresponding to the first open port 110a in the chamber 100. There is a distance D1, for example, between the second side (e.g., bottom side) of the displacement member 20 and the first side (e.g., top side) of the base 12. Due to the distance difference (i.e., distance D1) between the first motion path in which the displacement member 20 performs a first reciprocating motion M1 along the first axial direction Z and the second motion path in which the support plates 40a, 40b perform a second reciprocating motion M2 along the first axial direction Z, the displacement member 20 drives the support plates 40a, 40b respectively by the support member 21 to perform a third reciprocating motion M3 in the opposite direction along the second axial direction X until the second side (e.g., bottom side) of the displacement member 20 presses against the first side (e.g., top side) of the base 12.
[0034] In the first embodiment of the present invention, the bent portion 48 located on the second elastic sheet 44a serves as the correction member 80, which is an elastic sheet having any bent shape, such as a leaf spring. To explain by way of example, the first elastic sheet 42a has a straight portion 45 and extends along the first axial direction Z. The second elastic sheet 44a has a straight portion 46 and extends along the first axial direction Z. Second sides (e.g., bottom sides) of the first elastic sheets 42a, 42b and the second elastic sheet 44a are provided on the base 12. Meanwhile, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the second elastic sheet 44a mainly includes a bent portion 48 and a straight portion 46. The bent portion 48 is located on the straight portion 46 (e.g., on the top side) and may be integrated with the straight portion 46, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The sealing disk 60 is provided on the bent portion 48 of the second elastic sheet 44a and is movably located on the side of the support plate 40a. As a result, the bent portion 48 located on the second elastic sheet 44a can be used as a correction member 80. In one possible implementation of the first embodiment of the present invention, the second elastic sheet 44a includes the bent portion 48 and the straight portion 46. The second elastic sheet 44a of the present invention is not limited to being composed of the straight portion 46 and the bent portion 48, and the correction member 80 may be any elastic sheet having a bending angle.
[0035] When the support plates 40a, 40b are driven by the displacement member 20 to perform the third reciprocating motion M3 in opposite directions (e.g., away from each other) along the second axial direction X, the support plate 40a also synchronously pushes the sealing disc 60 fixed to the bent portion 48 of the second elastic sheet 44a, so that the trajectory (e.g., a slightly arc-shaped trajectory) of the sealing disc 60 can exactly compensate for the orientation error that would normally occur. In other words, according to the present invention, by using the correction member 80, when the sealing surface 62 of the sealing disc 60 is about to come into contact with the sealing surface 112 of the first open port 110a in the chamber 100, the orientation of the sealing surface 62 of the sealing disc 60 is adjusted at the moment of contact or before contact, i.e., to correspond in advance to (e.g., be parallel to) the sealing surface 112 of the first open port 110a. The bent portion 48 of the second elastic sheet 44a is provided, for example, on the top side of the straight portion 46, and is bent (also referred to as being curved inward) from the bent point P0 toward the support plate 40a at a bending angle θ. This allows the top (e.g., uppermost end) of the sealing surface 62 of the sealing disc 60 to be farther from the first open port 110a in the chamber 100 than the bottom (e.g., lowermost end) of the sealing surface 62 when the sealing disc 60 is about to reach the hard seal position W2 or at the moment when the sealing disc 60 has reached the hard seal position W2, so that the entire periphery (including the top and bottom) of the sealing surface 62 of the sealing disc 60 can be parallel to the first open port 110a in the chamber 100. This allows contact with the first open port 110a with uniform stress and contact pressure distribution. The refraction angle θ is, for example, any angle between 0 and 180 degrees, preferably any angle between 0 and 90 degrees, and more preferably any angle between 0 and 30 degrees, for example, approximately 5 degrees. For example, the sealing disc 60 is fixed to the bending portion 48 of the second elastic sheet 44a, and the elevation angle of the sealing surface 62 is actually the same as the bending angle θ of the bending portion 48. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the elevation angle of the sealing surface 62 may be different from the bending angle θ according to actual needs. In the present invention, by utilizing a pre-load design in which the second elastic sheet 44a is bent inward (e.g., about 5 degrees), even if the support plate 40a is not parallel to the first opening port 110a in the expanded state (e.g., the upper end of the support plate 40a is expanded more than the lower end), the sealing disc 60 can be parallel to the first opening port 110a when pushed to reach the first opening port 110a.
[0036] Meanwhile, the structural configuration of the bent portion 48 according to the present invention can be adjusted according to the configuration of other components of the valve mechanism 10. For example, the bent angle θ of the bent portion 48 is adjusted according to the distance D2 between the half-open position W1 and the hard seal position W2 of the sealing disc 60, the length ratio of the bent portion 48 to the straight portion 46 of the second elastic sheet 44a is adjusted according to the distance D2 between the half-open position W1 and the hard seal position W2, and / or the position of the bent portion 48 of the sealing disc 60 is adjusted according to the length ratio of the bent portion 48 to the straight portion 46 of the second elastic sheet 44a. The length of the straight portion 45 of the first elastic sheet 42a is, for example, greater than the length of the straight portion 46 of the second elastic sheet 44a, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In other words, the shape of the second elastic sheet 44a is not particularly limited, and any shape that can pre-correct the orientation of the sealing surface 62 of the sealing disk 60 when or before the sealing disk 60 contacts the first opening port 110a on the chamber 100 is within the scope of the protection sought by the present invention. Similarly, the shape of the first elastic sheets 42a, 42b according to the present invention is not particularly limited, and any structure that can support the support plates 40a, 40b can be applied to the present invention.
[0037] In the first embodiment of the present invention, the valve mechanism 10 further optionally includes a pressing disk 68. The pressing disk 68 is provided on one of the support plates 40a, 40b (e.g., support plate 40b). When the support plates 40a, 40b perform the third reciprocating motion M3, the sealing disk 60 and the pressing disk 68 perform a fourth reciprocating motion M4 in opposite directions (e.g., away from each other), thereby pressing against the first opening port 110a and the second opening port 110b in the chamber 100, respectively, when the valve mechanism 10 hard seals the chamber 100. The structural configuration of the pressing disk 68 may be the same as or different from that of the sealing disk 60, for example. In the first embodiment of the present invention, the structural configuration of the pressing disk 68 has been described as being the same as that of the sealing disk 60, but the present invention is not limited thereto.
[0038] During the process of the displacement member 20 performing the first reciprocating motion M1 and moving from the fully folded height H1 to the fully deployed height H3, the distance D1 between the second side (e.g., bottom side) of the displacement member 20 and the first side (e.g., top side) of the base 12 is a fixed value when and before the displacement member 20 reaches the fully deployed height H3. That is, when and before the base 12 contacts the bottom side of the chamber 100, the first reciprocating motion M1 of the displacement member 20 does not drive the support plates 40a, 40b to perform the third reciprocating motion M3. The magnitude of the distance D1 can be adjusted, for example, depending on the required path length of the third reciprocating motion M3 and may be, for example, any preset value. When the base 12 contacts the bottom side of the chamber 100 (i.e., the chamber bottom 106), the displacement member 20 reaches the half-extended height H2, and the sealing disk 60 is positioned in the half-open / closed position W1. A feature of the present invention is that the displacement member 20 performs a first reciprocating motion M1 using a distance D1 until the second side (e.g., bottom side) of the displacement member 20 presses against the first side (e.g., top side) of the base 12 (i.e., the displacement member 20 reaches the full deployed height H3). In other words, after the base 12 contacts the chamber 100 (i.e., the half-extended height H2), as the displacement member 20 continues to move toward the full deployed height H3, the distance between the displacement member 20 and the base 12 (i.e., distance D1) gradually decreases, and the displacement member 20, via the support member 21, synchronously drives the support plates 40a and 40b to perform a third reciprocating motion M3 in opposite directions (e.g., away from each other) along the second axial direction X. At the same time, the sealing disc 60 and the pressing disc 68 perform a fourth reciprocating motion M4 in directions away from each other due to the third reciprocating motion M3 of the support plates 40a and 40b. In other words, when the displacement member 20 moves to the full deployment height H3, the value of the distance D1 becomes zero (i.e., the displacement member 20 contacts the base 12). At this time, the sealing disc 60 and the pressing disc 68 reach the hard seal position W2.
[0039] In other words, during the process of sealing the first opening port 110a of the valve mechanism 10 according to the present invention, after the base 12 presses against the bottom of the chamber 100 according to the first reciprocating motion M1 of the displacement member 20, the displacement member 20 can continue to move within a distance D1, thereby pushing the support plates 40a, 40b outward. At the same time, the first elastic sheets 42a, 42b and the second elastic sheets 44a located on both sides of the support plates 40a, 40b can also store elastic potential energy. Similarly, when the valve mechanism 10 attempts to open the first opening port 110a in the chamber 100 (i.e., when the driving device 120 drives the displacement member 20 to perform the first reciprocating motion M1 from the fully deployed height H3 to the fully folded height H1), the sealing disc 60 and the pressing disc 68 reach the half-opened position W1 from the hard-sealed position W2 due to the release of the elastic potential energy of the first elastic sheets 42a, 42b and the second elastic sheet 44a.
[0040] From the above, it can be seen that the first embodiment of the valve mechanism 10 according to the present invention uses the bent portion 48 located on the second elastic sheet 44a as the compensation member 80 to adjust the trajectory of the sealing surface 62 of the sealing disc 60 during the fourth reciprocating motion M4. This allows the sealing surface 62 to horizontally contact the first opening port 110a and apply a sealing force (also referred to as a horizontal seal or parallel seal). The uniform stress and contact pressure distribution ensure good contact with the first opening port 110a. This effectively reduces wear associated with conventional non-horizontal sealing techniques. Therefore, the valve mechanism 10 according to the present invention achieves the technical effect of automatically or actively compensating the sealing disc 60, and furthermore, it allows for an all-metal valve with an automatic or active compensation design. Furthermore, the valve mechanism 10 according to the present invention effectively solves the common problem of the support member 21 falling off by improving the structure of the support member 21.
[0041] When the sealing disc 60 of the valve mechanism 10 according to the present invention is applied to a vacuum seal, the sealing disc 60 according to the present invention can not only withstand the closing force F applied to the sealing disc 60 from inside the chamber 100, but also withstand the atmospheric pressure applied to the sealing disc 60 from outside the chamber 100 when the chamber 100 is in a vacuum state. The higher the degree of vacuum in the chamber 100, the higher the closing force F and the atmospheric pressure. For example, when the sealing disc 60 is made of stainless steel with a thickness of about 1.8 mm, the withstandable closing force F is about 500 kg, and when in a vacuum state, the vacuum degree is about 7.33×10 -11 You can become a torrent. The present invention can be applied to an all-metal radio-frequency shielded gate valve installed in the electron beam channel of a superconducting accelerator. The sealing disk 60 of the present invention clearly meets the specifications for ultra-high vacuum valves with its sealing performance, cleanliness, and structural strength. The sealing surface 62 of the sealing disk 60 may be, for example, a beveled, arcuate, or spherical surface, but the present invention is not limited thereto. When the sealing disk 60 moves from the half-open position W1 to the hard-seal position W2, the sealing surface 62 of the sealing disk 60 can contact the sealing surface 112 of the first opening port 110a in the chamber 100. Therefore, even if the sealing disk 60 undergoes some elastic deformation due to the closing force F applied from inside the chamber 100, the sealing surface 62 can rotatably press against the sealing surface 112. This allows the vacuum seal to be maintained at all times, and according to the present invention, the corrective and adjusting movements when the sealing surfaces made of metal press against each other can improve the seal, extend the service life, and avoid abrasion caused by collision between metals.
[0042] 15, 16, and other figures. A first embodiment of the sealing disk 60 of the valve mechanism 10 according to the present invention includes a base 70 and a sealing plate 74. The base 70 includes a connecting base 78 and an auxiliary base 72. The auxiliary base 72 is annularly attached to the side of the connecting base 78 so as to be integrated with the connecting base 78. The surface heights of the bottom sides (i.e., the upper side of the drawing) of the auxiliary base 72 and the connecting base 78 may be the same as shown in FIG. 15, or may be different as shown in FIG. 16. The auxiliary base 72 has an annular inclined surface 73 located on the top side. The sealing plate 74 is annularly connected to the auxiliary base 72 of the base 70. The sealing surface 62 of the sealing disk 60 is rotatably pressed against the sealing surface 112 of the first open port 110a in the chamber 100 at the hard seal position W2, thereby maintaining a vacuum seal of the first open port 110a.
[0043] The sealing plate 74 of the sealing disk 60 of the valve mechanism 10 according to the present invention comprises a first vane 75 and a second vane 76. The first vane 75 is annularly connected to the auxiliary base 72 of the base 70 at a first annular connection point R1 and extends outwardly away from the first annular connection point R1 at a first angle α1. The first vane 75 extends obliquely outwardly from the top side of the base 72 to the bottom side of the base 72. The second vane 76 is annularly connected to the first vane 75 at a second annular connection point R2 and extends outwardly away from the base 70 at a second angle α2. The second vane 76 extends obliquely outwardly from the bottom side of the base 70 to the top side of the base 70. The sealing surface 62 of the sealing disk 60 is located at the edge of the second vane 76. The angle formed between the second vane 76 and the sealing surface 62 of the sealing plate 74 is a third angle α3.
[0044] The connecting base 78 is a first cylindrical body having a connecting hole 79. The auxiliary base 72 is a second cylindrical body having an annular inclined surface 73. The inclination angle of the annular inclined surface 73 of the auxiliary base 72 is the same as the inclination angle (first angle α1) of the first blade 75. The angle value of the first angle α1 is between 5 degrees and 45 degrees and may be any value therein. The angle value of the third angle α3 is between 5 degrees and 45 degrees and may be any value therein. The sum of the angle values of the first angle α1, the second angle α2, and the third angle α3 is 180 degrees. The angle value of the first angle α1 is, for example, the same as the angle value of the third angle α3. In various embodiments of the sealing disk 60 according to the present invention, the cross-sectional shape of the sealing plate 74 of the sealing disk 60 may be, for example, a folded plate, a corrugated plate, a curved plate, or a vane, which can increase the structural strength, rigidity, and toughness of the structure. This provides the sealing disk 60 with a tough structure that simultaneously possesses strength and rigidity, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The thickness of the first vane 75 may be, for example, the same as the thickness of the second vane 76, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The joint projected length of the first vane 75 and the auxiliary base 72 may be, for example, the same as the projected length of the second vane 76, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The joint projected length of the first vane 75 and the auxiliary base 72 is approximately 0.8 to 1.5 times the projected length of the second vane 76, and may be any value within that range. The projected length of the base 70 is approximately 1 to 5 times the joint projected length of the first vane 75 and the auxiliary base 72, and may be any value within that range. However, the above numerical values are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. The sealing surface 62 of the sealing plate 74 of the sealing disk 60 of the present invention is optionally lubricated and polished (preferably using a dry polishing technique), such as dry blasting or fluid-jet polishing. The jet polishing particles reduce surface roughness and increase lubricity. The surface roughness (Ra) is preferably less than about 0.3 μm, and more preferably less than about 0.1 μm.
[0045] 17 and other figures, the sealing disk 60 of the valve mechanism 10 according to the present invention further includes a second embodiment. The second embodiment is mostly the same as the first embodiment, except that the auxiliary base 72 has an annular concave surface 73' located on the bottom side (i.e., the upper side of the drawing), so that the surface heights of the bottom sides (i.e., the upper side of the drawing) of the auxiliary base 72 and the connecting base 78 are different, and the auxiliary base 72 is an annular arc body located on the side of the connecting base 78.
[0046] 7 to 10 and other figures, the valve mechanism 10 according to the present invention has a second embodiment, and differs from the first embodiment in that the sealing disk 60 is fixed to one of the support plates 40a, 40b (for example, the support plate 40a), the support plates 40a, 40b are provided on first sides (for example, top sides) of the first elastic sheets 42a, 42b, the first elastic sheets 42a, 42b each have a straight portion 45 extending along the first axial direction Z, and the second elastic sheets 44a, 44b each have a straight portion 46 extending along the first axial direction Z, and second sides (for example, bottom sides) of the first elastic sheets 42a, 42b and the second elastic sheets 44a, 44b are provided on the base 12.
[0047] In the second embodiment, a plate (also referred to as a kit frame) having a slot 82 is used as the correction member 80. The correction member 80 is provided on a first side (e.g., the top side) of the second elastic sheet 44a and is pressed against one (e.g., 40a) of the support plates 40a, 40b via at least one restoring member 84. This allows the correction member 80 to be pressed against the support plate 40a via the restoring member 84, and the orientation of the sealing surface 62 of the sealing disk 60 provided on the support plate 40a can be indirectly adjusted. The shape of the compensation member 80 having the slot 82 allows it to surround the sealing disc 60 and to be pressed against the first open port 110a before the sealing disc 60 for subsequent compensation. By way of example, the thickness of the compensation member 80 is selectively designed to be the same as the distance between the support plate 40a and the first open port 110a when in the hard seal state, but the present invention is not limited thereto.
[0048] More specifically, when the support plate 40a performs the third reciprocating motion M3, the correcting member 80 is positioned outside the sealing disc 60, and therefore the correcting member 80 comes into contact with the chamber 100 before the sealing disc 60. As a result, depending on the orientation of the sealing surface 112 of the first opening port 110a in the chamber 100, the correcting member 80 is pressed against the support plate 40a via the restoring member 84 (i.e., the restoring member 84 can change the rotation angle of the support plate 40a), thereby correcting the orientation of the sealing surface 62 of the sealing disc 60 provided on the support plate 40a. The restoring member 84 is, for example, an elastic member or elastic pusher such as a spring (e.g., a short spring, a push spring) having a preset elastic coefficient (e.g., about 50 N / mm). The restoring member 84 is, for example, provided on the peripheral side (e.g., the side of the upper edge) of the plate of the compensation member 80, and is located between the support plate 40a and the compensation member 80. The number of restoring members 84 can be determined according to actual needs, for example, one, two, or more than two. This allows the support plate 40a to be adjusted in a one-sided or multi-sided (or one-directional or multi-directional) pushing-up manner, and thus the orientation of the sealing surface 62 of the sealing disk 60 can be preset. The restoring member 84 of the present invention can correct the support plate 40a by providing a preset force when the support plate 40a moves to the hard seal position W2, and assists the second elastic sheet 44a to fold the support plate 40a when trying to move the support plate 40a to the half-open / closed position W1.
[0049] For example, the compensation member 80 according to the second embodiment is a plate (or kit frame) having a slot 82. The opening of the slot 82 has a ring-like shape, e.g., a circular shape, corresponding to the sealing disk 60, and accommodates the sealing disk 60. The slot 82 of the compensation member 80 may have openings with different inner diameters on both sides of the plate, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The inner diameter of the opening on one side (e.g., the outer side) of the plate is larger than the diameter of the sealing disk 60, and the inner diameter of the opening on the other side (e.g., the inner side) of the plate is smaller than the diameter of the sealing disk 60. The shape of the inner edge surface of the slot 82 corresponds to the sealing disk 60, so that the sealing disk 60 is movable and limited within the slot 82 of the compensation member 80. The cross-sectional shape of the peripheral edge of the plate of the compensation member 80 is, for example, L-shaped or stepped. The sealing disk 60 is fixed to one of the support plates 40 a , 40 b (for example, the support plate 40 a ), is movable (for example, reversible), and is positioned in a slot 82 of the compensation member 80 . The correcting member 80 pushes up the support plate 40a on one side via the return member 84, thereby inverting the support plate 40a and correcting the orientation of the sealing surface 62 of the sealing disk 60. In the second embodiment of the present invention, the slots 82 of the correcting member 80 have openings with different inner diameters on both sides of the plate. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The slots 82 may have openings with the same inner diameter on both sides of the plate. Meanwhile, in the second embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the sealing disk 60 and the first opening port 110a can be adjusted by adjusting the thickness of the fixing block 43 located between the first elastic sheet 42a and the second elastic sheet 44a. This allows the correcting member 80 to contact the first opening port 110a first, and then maintain a sufficient distance to correct the orientation of the sealing disk 60.
[0050] To briefly explain, in the second embodiment of the valve mechanism 10 according to the present invention, the relative position and / or orientation relationship between the sealing disc 60 and the support plate 40a is fixed, while the relative position and / or orientation relationship between the sealing disc 60 and the compensation member 80 is not fixed by inverting the support plate 40a. Thus, the compensation member 80 can pre-adjust the orientation of the sealing surface 62 of the sealing disc 60 according to the orientation of the sealing surface of the first open port 110a, and by compensating the sealing surface 62 of the sealing disc 60 so that it is actually (e.g., completely) parallel to the sealing surface 112 of the first open port 110a, the sealing surface 112 comes into parallel contact with the first open port 110a through uniform stress distribution and contact pressure distribution.
[0051] On the other hand, in the second embodiment of the valve mechanism 10 according to the present invention, the compensation member 80 is a plate (or kit frame) having a slot, and optionally includes, for example, an extension plate 86, which is horizontally (for example, vertically or at another angle) attached to the plate of the compensation member 80, for example, on the top side. This gives the side of the compensation member 80 a substantially L-shaped configuration. The fitting surface of the plate of the compensation member 80 and the sealing surface 112 of the first opening port 110a in the chamber 100 have, for example, corresponding shapes and structures. The extension plate 86 has a limiting effect, and can limit the position of the support plate 40a and the sealing disc 60 to a specific position (for example, by limiting the position to the space defined by the plate and the extension plate, the distance between the compensation member 80 and the support plate 40a and the sealing disc 60 is always constant). This prevents the support plate 40a and the sealing disc 60 from shifting positions and coming into contact with the first opening port 110a before the compensation member 80 after the valve mechanism 10 is opened or sealed.
[0052] 7 to 10 and other figures. In another possible mode of the second embodiment of the valve mechanism 10 according to the present invention, the valve mechanism 10 according to the present invention employs a pressure plate 90 instead of the pressure disk 68, and the support plates 40a and 40b are respectively mounted on the first elastic sheets 42a and 42b. The compensation member 80 and the pressure plate 90 are respectively mounted on the second elastic sheets 44a and 44b, and are pressed against the support plates 40a and 40b by at least one return member 84. As a result, the compensation member 80 and the pressure plate 90 simultaneously push up both sides of the chamber 100 according to the third reciprocating motion M3 of the support plates 40a and 40b. Meanwhile, the compensation member 80 and the pressure plate 90 are, for example, plates (or kit frames) having slots 82 and 82', and the structural shapes and outer surface shapes thereof may be the same or different. The compensation member 80 and the pressure plate 90 contact the first opening port 110a and the second opening port 110b in the chamber 100, respectively, through uniform stress distribution and contact pressure distribution. For example, the diameter of the slot 82' in the pressure plate 90 may be smaller or larger than the diameter of the slot 82 in the compensation member 80. Because the pressure plate 90 is intended to replace the pressure disk 68, it is not necessary for it to receive the sealing disk 60. Therefore, the pressure plate 90 may or may not have the slot 82'. Meanwhile, both the support plate 40a and the displacement member 20 of the present invention may optionally have holes through which a tightening tool (e.g., a screwdriver or wrench) can be inserted. This allows a tightening member (e.g., a bolt) to tighten the sealing disk 60 to the screw hole in the support plate 40a through the holes in the support plate 40a and the displacement member 20. Furthermore, the second elastic sheet 44a may optionally have a recessed region (not shown). As a result, when the first elastic sheet 42a presses against the second elastic sheet 44a (i.e., when the sealing disk 60 hard seals the first opening port 110a), the recessed area accommodates the protrusions provided on the support plate 40a that secure the second elastic sheet 44a, thereby avoiding interference between the components.
[0053] In a possible implementation of the second embodiment of the valve mechanism 10 according to the present invention, as shown in Figures 11 and 12, the valve mechanism 10 further optionally includes a pressing disk 68. The pressing disk 68 is provided on one of the support plates 40a, 40b (for example, support plate 40b). The support plates 40a, 40b are provided on the first elastic sheets 42a, 42b, respectively. The correction member 80 is provided on the second elastic sheet 44a.
[0054] 13, 14 and other figures, the third embodiment of the valve mechanism 10 according to the present invention is substantially the same as the second embodiment, except that the compensation member 80 is a plate (also referred to as a kit frame) having a slot 82 and has an extension plate 86, which is provided on the plate (e.g., top side) of the compensation member 80 in a vertical direction (e.g., horizontal direction or at another angle) to increase the contact area and the force arm, the support plate 40a and / or 40b may or may not have an extension plate 41, which is provided on the plate (e.g., top side) of the support plate 40a and / or 40b in a vertical direction (e.g., horizontal direction or at another angle), and the pressure plate 90 also optionally has an extension plate 86', which is provided on the plate (e.g., top side) of the pressure plate 90 in a vertical direction (e.g., horizontal direction or at another angle). The extension plate 86 protrudes from the outside of the plate of the compensation member 80, for example, vertically, giving the side of the compensation member 80 an approximately I-shaped configuration. Therefore, the upper edge of the compensation member 80 with the extension plate 86 can contact the first opening port 110a earlier than the upper edge of the compensation member 80 without the extension plate 86. This allows the sealing disk 60 to be pre-aligned so that it is parallel to the first opening port 110a at a greater distance from the first opening port 110a. The extension plate 86 increases the contact area between the compensation member 80 and the first opening port 110a, making the force more uniform when they press against each other. The extension plate 86 also increases the force arm of the compensation member 80, allowing the return member 84 to use a spring with a smaller elastic modulus. The two return members 84 may be located, for example, on two extension plates 86, but the present invention is not limited to this. The number of extension plates 86 may be, for example, one or two. When there are two extension plates 86, they may be selectively provided on both sides of the top of the plate of the correction member 80, for example, with a distance D3 therebetween. The distance D3 serves as a buffer space for displacement and prevents interference between the two return members 84 and the support plates 40a, 40b. The value of the distance D3 may be any value, and as long as it can prevent interference, it can be applied to the present invention.
[0055] 18 and other figures, the operating method of the valve mechanism 10 according to the present invention mainly includes the following steps: providing the valve mechanism 10 described in each of the above embodiments (step S10), driving the displacement member 20, the support plates 40a, 40b, and the sealing disk 60 to perform a first reciprocating motion M1, a second and third reciprocating motion M2, M3, and a fourth reciprocating motion M4 (step S20), and correcting the displacement member 20, the support plates 40a, 40b, and the sealing disk 60 to make a first reciprocating motion M1, a second and third reciprocating motion M2, M3, and a fourth reciprocating motion M4, respectively, via the correcting member 80, so that the sealing disk 60 contacts the first opening port 110a of the chamber 100 in a manner of uniform stress distribution and contact pressure distribution, and applies a force symmetrically to the first opening port 110a to seal the first opening port 110a (step S30). More specifically, in the driving step (step S20), the valve mechanism 10 of the present invention causes the displacement member 20 to perform a first reciprocating motion M1 along the first axial direction Z, causing the support plates 40a, 40b to perform a second reciprocating motion M2 along the first axial direction Z in accordance with the first reciprocating motion M1 of the displacement member 20, and the displacement member 20 further drives the support plates 40a, 40b to perform a third reciprocating motion M3 in the opposite direction along the second axial direction X. The sealing disc 60 performs a second reciprocating motion M2 along the first axial direction Z in accordance with the first reciprocating motion M1 of the displacement member 20, and the sealing disc 60 performs a fourth reciprocating motion M4 between the half-open / closed position W1 and the hard seal position W2 in accordance with the third reciprocating motion M3 of one of the support plates 40a, 40b (e.g., the support plate 40b). Meanwhile, in the correction step (step S30), the correction member 80 corrects the orientation of the sealing surface 62 of the sealing disc 60 according to the orientation of the sealing surface 112 of the first open port 110a in the chamber 100 while the sealing disc 60 is moving from the half-open position W1 to the hard seal position W2, so that the sealing surface 62 of the sealing disc 60 is parallel to the sealing surface 112 of the first open port 110a in the chamber 100. This allows a symmetrical force to be applied to the first open port 110a in the chamber 100 to seal it.
[0056] The valve mechanism and the method for operating the valve mechanism according to the present invention have the following advantages. (1) The valve mechanism has a correction member (also called a guide member) that pre-adjusts (also called corrects) the orientation of the sealing disc mounted on the second elastic sheet depending on the orientation of the first opening port in the chamber at the moment when the sealing disc contacts the first opening port or before the sealing disc contacts the first opening port, thereby maintaining the sealing disc perfectly parallel to the first opening port.
[0057] (2) The sealing disc contacts the first opening port of the chamber in a manner that is parallel to the first opening port and uniforms the stress distribution and contact pressure distribution, thereby applying a symmetrical force to the first opening port to seal it, and also reducing the wear that occurs when the sealing disc contacts the first opening port.
[0058] (3) The correcting member of the valve mechanism may be a second elastic sheet having a bending area, which can achieve the effect of pre-adjusting (or correcting) the orientation of the sealing disc provided on the second elastic sheet.
[0059] (4) The correction member of the valve mechanism may be a kit frame and have a restoring member, which can be pushed up onto the support plate according to the orientation of the first opening port in the chamber, thereby achieving the effect of pre-adjusting (or correcting) the orientation of the sealing disk provided on the support plate. The correction member may selectively adopt a design having a structure that perfectly fits with the first opening port in the chamber.
[0060] (5) The compensation member may have an extension plate extending outward horizontally or vertically. This prevents the sealing disk from contacting the first opening in the chamber before the compensation member does. Increasing the contact area allows for more even distribution of force when two objects approach each other, and using a spring with a small elastic modulus can expand the range of force transmission.
[0061] (6) By fitting the tenon plate into the guide groove, it is possible to replace some or all of the support pieces, thereby solving the problem of the support pieces falling off when being driven as in the past.
[0062] (7) The valve mechanism may employ a pressure plate instead of a pressure ring to press against the second opening port in the chamber, so that the sealing performance of the sealing disc is not affected by the geometry of the pressure ring.
[0063] (8) The valve mechanism has a very small left-right misalignment in the chamber. Compared with the conventional valve mechanism without compensation design, the valve mechanism of the present invention has a significantly improved centering performance during the movement process, so there is no need to consider the influence of the geometric shape of the pressure ring on the sealing effect.
[0064] (9) The valve mechanism now realizes the design principle of maintaining drive with a single drive unit within the limited chamber space.
[0065] (10) The valve mechanism can be entirely made of metal. The sealing surface of the sealing disc can be pressed directly against the sealing surface of the first opening port in the chamber to achieve a vacuum seal. It can also achieve an ultra-high vacuum seal, eliminating the need for additional washers or gaskets. Even in an ultra-high vacuum environment, the sealing disc can simultaneously withstand both the closing force applied from inside the vacuum valve chamber and the atmospheric pressure applied from outside the vacuum valve chamber. Furthermore, the sealing surface of the sealing disc can rotate relative to the sealing surface of the first opening port in the chamber, maintaining constant contact. This provides a lubricating effect when the metal sealing surfaces press against each other, allowing for compensation and adjustment, improving sealing performance and extending the service life, while maintaining constant vacuum sealing.
[0066] The foregoing description is by way of example only and is not intended to be limiting. Any equivalent modifications or variations thereto that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention are intended to be encompassed within the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]
[0067] 10 Valve mechanism 12 Pedestal 14 Openings 18 Guide slot 20 Displacement member 21 Support member 22 Support piece 23 Limited Slots 24 Tenon board 25 Guide groove 27 Guide surface 28-pin 40a, 40b Support plate 41 Extension plate 42a, 42b First elastic sheet 45 Straight section 43 Fixed Block 44a, 44b Second elastic sheet 46 Straight section 48 Refraction 60 Sealing Disc 62 Sealing surface 68 Pressing disc 70 base 72 Auxiliary stand 73 Circular Slope 73' annular concave 74 Sealing plate 75 1st wing plate 76 Second wing plate 78 Joining table 79 coupling holes 80 Correction member 82,82' slot 84 Return member 86,86' extension board 90 Pressing plate 100 chambers 102 Chamber wall 104 Containment Space 106 Chamber bottom 108 Top of chamber 110a First opening port 110b Second opening port 112 Sealing surface 118a First flange 118b Second flange 120 Drive Unit 122 Moving Rod S10, S20, S30 steps D1, D2, D3, D4 distance M1 1st reciprocating motion M2 2nd reciprocating motion M3 3rd reciprocating motion M4 4th reciprocating motion H1 Full folding height H2 half-extended height H3 Fully deployed height W1,W1' Half open / closed position W2,W2' hard seal position P0 bending point θ Refraction angle α1 First angle α2 Second Angle α3 Third Angle R1 First circular connection point R2 Second circular connection point Z 1st axis direction X 2nd axis direction Y 3rd axis direction F Closing force
Claims
1. applicable to a first opening port that selectively seals or opens the chamber; a displacement member that performs a first reciprocating motion along a first axial direction; two support plates movably provided on both sides of the displacement member, which perform a second reciprocating motion along the first axial direction in accordance with the first reciprocating motion of the displacement member, and which are driven by the displacement member to perform a third reciprocating motion in the opposite direction along the second axial direction; a sealing disk that performs the second reciprocating motion along the first axial direction in accordance with the first reciprocating motion of the displacement member, and performs a fourth reciprocating motion between a half-opened position and a hard seal position in response to the third reciprocating motion of one of the two rest plates; a compensating member for compensating an orientation of a sealing surface of the sealing disk according to an orientation of a sealing surface of the first open port in the chamber during the fourth reciprocating motion and during the process of the sealing disk moving from the half-open position to the hard seal position, so that the sealing surface of the sealing disk becomes parallel to the sealing surface of the first open port in the chamber, thereby applying a force symmetrically to the first open port in the chamber to seal; A valve mechanism comprising:
2. 2. The valve mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the displacement member drives the two support plates to perform the third reciprocating motion in the opposite direction along the second axial direction based on a distance difference between a first motion path of the first reciprocating motion of the displacement member along the first axial direction and a second motion path of the second reciprocating motion of the two support plates along the first axial direction.
3. 3. The valve mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the displacement member uses at least one support piece and at least one tenon plate at the distance difference, and / or matches the support piece with the tenon plate to drive the two support plates, respectively, to perform the third reciprocating motion in opposite directions along the second axial direction.
4. 3. The valve mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the two support plates are respectively provided on first sides of two first elastic sheets, the sealing disk is provided on the first side of the second elastic sheet or on one of the two support plates, the first elastic sheet has a straight portion extending along the first axial direction, the second elastic sheet has a straight portion extending along the first axial direction, and second sides of the two first elastic sheets and the second elastic sheet are provided on a base.
5. 5. The valve mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the displacement member drives the two support plates by the distance difference between the first motion path and the second motion path to perform the third reciprocating motion in the opposite direction along the second axial direction until the displacement member pushes up against the base.
6. 5. The valve mechanism of claim 4, wherein the second sides of the two first elastic sheets and the second elastic sheet and the base each have a slot, and when the sealing disc seals the first open port in the chamber, the slots are offset from the first open port, and when the sealing disc opens the first open port in the chamber, the positions of the slots correspond to the first open port in the chamber.
7. 5. The valve mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the second elastic sheet further has a bent portion provided on the straight portion, the bent portion being the correction member, and the sealing disk being provided on the bent portion of the second elastic sheet.
8. 8. The valve mechanism of claim 7, wherein the bent portion of the second elastic sheet is bent from the bent point to one of the two support plates at a bending angle, so that when the sealing disk is in the half-open or half-closed position, the top of the sealing surface is farther from the first open port in the chamber than the bottom.
9. 9. The valve mechanism according to claim 8, wherein the bending angle of the bending portion is adjusted corresponding to a distance between the half-opened / closed position and the hard seal position of the sealing disk, the length ratio of the bending portion to the straight portion of the second elastic sheet is adjusted corresponding to the distance between the half-opened / closed position and the hard seal position, and / or the position of the bending portion of the sealing disk is adjusted corresponding to the length ratio of the bending portion to the straight portion of the second elastic sheet.
10. 3. The valve mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the sealing disc is mounted on one of the two support plates, the compensating member is mounted on a second elastic sheet, and at least one return member is pressed against one of the two support plates, so that when one of the two support plates performs the third reciprocating motion, the compensating member contacts the chamber earlier than the sealing disc, thereby compensating the orientation of the sealing surface of the sealing disc according to the orientation of the sealing surface of the first opening port in the chamber by using the return member to press one of the two support plates.
11. 11. The valve mechanism according to claim 10, wherein the correcting member is a plate having a slot, the sealing disc is provided on one of the two support plates and is movably positioned in the slot of the correcting member, and the correcting member presses one of the two support plates on one side of the restoring member, thereby inverting one of the support plates to correct the orientation of the sealing surface of the sealing disc.
12. The valve mechanism according to claim 11, wherein the correction member further comprises an extension plate, the extension plate being provided horizontally or vertically to the plate.
13. 12. The valve mechanism according to claim 11, wherein the fitting surface of the plate of the compensation member and the sealing surface of the first opening port in the chamber have corresponding shapes and structures.
14. 2. The valve mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising a pressure disk, wherein the two support plates are respectively mounted on two first elastic sheets, the sealing disk is mounted on one of the second elastic sheet or the two support plates, and the pressure disk is mounted on the other of the two support plates, and the sealing disk and the pressure disk respectively perform the fourth reciprocating motion in opposite directions to each other to press against the first opening port and the second opening port in the chamber.
15. 2. The valve mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising a pressure plate, wherein the two support plates are respectively mounted on two first elastic sheets, and the correction member and the pressure plate are respectively mounted on two second elastic sheets, and are pressed against the two support plates by at least one return member, so that the correction member and the pressure plate simultaneously press up both sides of the chamber according to the third reciprocating motion of the two support plates.
16. 16. The valve mechanism according to claim 15, wherein the compensation member and the pressing plate are plates having slots.
17. 2. The valve mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the displacement member is a plate, and is driven by a driving device to perform the first reciprocating movement between a fully folded height and a fully deployed height, and the two support plates and the sealing disc perform the second reciprocating movement between the fully folded height and the half-opened / closed position according to the first reciprocating movement of the displacement member.
18. 10. The valve mechanism of claim 1, wherein the valve mechanism is an all-metal valve.
19. The sealing disc is The device includes a connecting base and an auxiliary base, the auxiliary base being annularly attached to one side of the connecting base so as to be integrated with the connecting base, the heights of the bottom surfaces of the auxiliary base and the connecting base being the same or different, and the auxiliary base having a base with an annular slope located on its top side; a sealing plate annularly connected to the auxiliary base of the base, the sealing surface of the sealing disk rotatably pressing against the sealing surface of the first open port in the chamber at the hard seal position, thereby maintaining a vacuum state at the first open port; The valve mechanism according to claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises:
20. The sealing plate is a first vane integrally annularly connected to the base support at a first annular connection point and extending outward at a first angle away from the first annular connection point, the first vane extending obliquely outward in a direction from the top side of the base to the bottom side of the base; a second vane integrally annularly connected to the first vane at a second annular connection point and extending outwardly away from the base at a second angle, and extending obliquely outwardly from the bottom side of the base toward the top side of the base, the sealing surface of the sealing disk being located at an edge thereof and forming a third angle with the sealing surface of the sealing plate; 20. The valve mechanism of claim 19, comprising:
21. 21. The valve mechanism according to claim 20, wherein the coupling base is a first cylindrical body having a coupling hole, and the auxiliary base is a second cylindrical body having an annular inclined surface.
22. 21. The valve mechanism according to claim 20, wherein the coupling base is a first cylindrical body having a coupling hole, and the auxiliary base is an annular arc body located on a side of the coupling base.
23. 21. The valve mechanism of claim 20, wherein the first vane extends diagonally outward in a direction from the top side of the base to the bottom side of the base, and the second vane extends diagonally outward in a direction from the bottom side of the base to the top side of the base.
24. 21. The valve mechanism of claim 20, wherein the first angle is between 5 degrees and 45 degrees, the third angle is between 5 degrees and 45 degrees, and the sum of the first angle, the second angle, and the third angle is 180 degrees.
25. 2. The valve mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising a drive device that is driven pneumatically or electrically, wherein the displacement member is driven by the drive device to perform the first reciprocating motion along the first axial direction.
26. 26. The valve mechanism according to claim 25, wherein all or part of the drive device drives the displacement member under manual control, automatic control, or automatic pressure control (APC).
27. 26. The valve mechanism according to claim 25, wherein the driving device is an air cylinder driven by air pressure, and the closing, opening or operation is achieved by controlling the air pressure or air flow supplied to the air cylinder.
28. 28. The valve mechanism according to claim 27, further comprising a solenoid valve, a piezoelectric pressure regulating valve, or a voice coil pressure regulating valve, thereby controlling the air pressure or air flow supplied to the air cylinder.
29. 26. The valve mechanism of claim 25, wherein the drive device drives the displacement member at a plurality of pressures and / or velocities during the course of the displacement member performing the first reciprocating movement along the first axial direction.
30. 26. The valve mechanism according to claim 25, wherein the drive device drives the displacement member by open loop control or closed loop control.
31. Providing a valve mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 30; a driving step in which the displacement member performs the first reciprocating motion along the first axial direction, causing the two support plates to perform the second reciprocating motion along the first axial direction in accordance with the first reciprocating motion of the displacement member, and the displacement member further drives the two support plates to perform the third reciprocating motion in the opposite direction along the second axial direction, the sealing disk performs the second reciprocating motion along the first axial direction in accordance with the first reciprocating motion of the displacement member, and the sealing disk performs the fourth reciprocating motion between the half-opened position and the hard seal position in accordance with the third reciprocating motion of one of the two support plates; a correcting step of correcting the orientation of the sealing surface of the sealing disk according to the orientation of the sealing surface of the first open port in the chamber, during the process of the sealing disk moving from the half-open position to the hard seal position, so that the sealing surface of the sealing disk is parallel to the sealing surface of the first open port in the chamber, thereby applying a symmetrical sealing force to the first open port in the chamber; A method for operating a valve mechanism, comprising: