# US 10,502,325 B2 · Valve, preferably vacuum valve

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- Number: US 10,502,325 B2
- Document ID: US10502325B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/746,939
- Filed: 2016-07-13
- Published: 2018-08-09
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2015-08-06
- Assignees: VAT Holding AG
- Applicants: VAT Holding AG
- Inventors: Thomas Mayer
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10502325B2

## CPC

- F16K 3/18: by movement of the closure members
- F16K 3/0218: {with only one sealing face}
- F16K 3/0227: {Packings}
- F16K 3/188: {by means of hydraulic forces}
- F16K: VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING {(devices for emptying and evacuating the excess liquid in valves or conduits F16L55/07)}

## Abstract

A valve (1), preferably a vacuum valve, is provided including at least one closure element (2), at least one valve seat (3), and at least one drive unit (4). The closure element (2) is pressed against the valve seat (3) in a closed position and is raised from the valve seat (3) in a raised position, and the closure element can be moved by a drive unit (4) in a closing direction (5) from the raised position into the closed position, in particular in a linear closing direction. The closure element (2) is mounted on a support body (6) of the drive unit (4) in a movable manner in at least one direction (7) orthogonally or transversely to the closing direction (5) in order to align the closure element (2) when pressing against the valve seat (3).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A valve comprising a closure member, a valve seat, and a drive unit, the closure member, in a closed position, is pressed against the valve seat and, in a raised position, is raised from the valve seat, and is movable by the drive unit, in a closing direction, from the raised position into the closed position, and for alignment of the closure member as it is pressed against the valve seat, the closure member is mounted on a support body of the drive unit displaceably in at least one direction orthogonally or transversely to the closing direction; and
a pretensioning spring for elastic pretensioning of the closure member in a direction toward a neutral position relative to the support body of the drive unit, wherein the pretensioning spring is configured as a circumferential spring of star-shaped contour, which is disposed in an annular receiving space between the support body and the closure member.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the closure member, for the alignment of the closure member as it is pressed against the valve seat, is mounted on the support body of the drive unit so as to be displaceable, in a plane orthogonally or transversely to the closing direction, in all directions.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the closure member is a valve disk.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The valve as claimed in claim 3, wherein the closing direction defines a normal to a closing plane of the valve disk.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the closure member, the valve seat, or at least one seal disposed, in the closed position, between the closure member and the valve seat, has or have, for the alignment of the closure member as it is pressed against the valve seat, a cross-sectional area which tapers in the closing direction.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The valve as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one slide bearing, and the closure member is mounted displaceably on the support body of the drive unit with the slide bearing.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the closure member, starting from the raised position, is movable in a direction angled off from the closing direction into an opening position, and the closure member, in the opening position is brought at least partially out of registration with a valve opening surrounded by the valve seat.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The valve as claimed in claim 7, wherein the closure member, starting from the raised position, is movable in a direction orthogonal from the closing direction by at least a second drive unit into an opening position.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valve comprises a vacuum valve.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the closure member, the valve seat, or at least one seal disposed, in the closed position, between the closure member and the valve seat, has or have, for the alignment of the closure member as it is pressed against the valve seat, a conically configured cross-sectional area which tapers in the closing direction.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the annular receiving space is situated between the support body and a bearing element of the closure member.