Vacuum Valve Angled Guide Layout for High Closing Force
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vacuum valves require a mechanism to apply a large closing force effectively, which existing designs often fail to achieve efficiently due to limitations in drive element placement and guide orientations.
Innovation Solution
The vacuum valve employs linearly displaceable guide pieces with angled primary and secondary linear guides, allowing for a transverse displacement drive to press the closure member against the valve seat, enabling a large closing force and lever ratios, with the closure member situated remotely from the drives in the open position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If drive elements are arranged on a carrier unit within the valve housing attached to a valve rod led out of the vacuum region, then the closure member can be adjusted between positions, but the closing force applied to the valve seat is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a two-stage displacement mechanism: first longitudinal displacement parallel to the valve rod axis, then transverse displacement perpendicular to the axis. This dimensional transformation allows the closure member to approach the valve seat from a distance and then apply force effectively, resolving the contradiction between sufficient closing force and drive element arrangement complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide piece acts as an intermediary between the drive elements and the closure member. It receives longitudinal displacement input and converts it into transverse displacement of the closure member, enabling effective force application without direct attachment of drive elements to the closure member, thus reducing complexity while maintaining closing force.
2Ease of operation
If a parallel displacement of the closure member in a transverse displacement direction is realized, then the closure member can be placed against the valve seat, but the drive elements must be arranged on a carrier unit which complicates the structure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the carrier unit concept and replaces it with a guide piece that is integrated into the valve body. The guide piece provides the necessary transverse displacement guidance without requiring a separate carrier unit, simplifying the overall structure while maintaining ease of closure member adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide piece combines multiple functions: it guides the valve rod in longitudinal displacement, enables transverse displacement of the closure member, and provides structural support. This merging of functions eliminates the need for separate carrier units and reduces overall device complexity.
3Ease of operation
If the valve rod is mounted so as to pivotable about an axis at a right angle to the longitudinal displacement direction, then the valve plate can be adjusted from intermediate position into closed position, but slotted guides are required which increase device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of pivoting the valve rod about a perpendicular axis using slotted guides, the patent inverts the approach by guiding the valve rod through longitudinal displacement parallel to its axis, then converting this motion into transverse displacement through the guide piece. This eliminates the need for perpendicular pivoting and slotted guides.
Data Source
AI summary
A vacuum valve having a valve body, a closure member, a valve rod which supports the closure member, a guide piece by which the valve rod is movably guided parallel to a longitudinal displacement direction, a longitudinal travel drive by which the valve rod is displaceable with respect to the guide piece parallel to the longitudinal displacement direction, a transverse travel drive, and a slide part which is movable by the transverse travel drive, is guided by a primary linear guide to be movable with respect to the valve body, and is guided by a secondary linear guide to be movable with respect to the guide piece. The primary and secondary linear guides each run at an angle of less than 45° with respect to the longitudinal displacement direction, and the primary linear guides form an angle of more than 3° and less than 45° with the secondary linear guides.