Gate valve with sliding guide

A Vacuum valve, for substantially gas-tight closure of an opening defining an opening axis, having

• a closure element having a closure side and a coupling unit arranged on a rear side opposite the closure side,
• a valve wall with a valve seat surrounding the opening,
• a linear drive unit, by means of which the closure element can be adjusted in at least two adjustment directions essentially orthogonally to the opening axis along an adjustment axis and thus the closure element can be adjusted between
• an open position exposing the opening,
• an intermediate position pushed over the opening, in which the closure element is at least partially in a substantially parallel spaced-apart opposite position to the valve seat, and
• a closed position closing the opening, wherein the closure element is pressed with its closing side onto the valve seat and closes the opening, in particular closes it in a gas-tight manner,
• the vacuum valve comprises a guide for the closure element associated with the opening,
• the closure element comprises a guide element interacting with the guide during a displacement from the open position to the closed position and back,
• the guide and the guide element are shaped and interact in such a way that, in the course of the adjustment from the intermediate position into the closed position, a tilting of the closure element transversely to the adjustment axis is initiated and/or effected in a first partial movement;
• and
• wherein the coupling unit comprises a further guide element which interacts with the guide at least in the context of the displacement from the intermediate position into the closed position.

A Vacuum valve, for substantially gas-tight closure of an opening defining an opening axis, having

• a closure element having a closure side and a coupling unit arranged on a rear side opposite the closure side,
• a valve wall with a valve seat surrounding the opening,
• a linear drive unit, by means of which the closure element can be adjusted in at least two adjustment directions essentially orthogonally to the opening axis along an adjustment axis and thus the closure element can be adjusted between
• an open position exposing the opening,
• an intermediate position pushed over the opening, in which the closure element is at least partially in a substantially parallel spaced-apart opposite position to the valve seat, and
• a closed position closing the opening, wherein the closure element is pressed with its closing side onto the valve seat and closes the opening, in particular closes it in a gas-tight manner,
• the vacuum valve comprises a guide for the closure element associated with the opening,
• the closure element comprises a guide element interacting with the guide during a displacement from the open position to the closed position and back,
• the guide and the guide element are shaped and interact in such a way that, in the course of the adjustment from the intermediate position into the closed position, a tilting of the closure element transversely to the adjustment axis is initiated and/or effected in a first partial movement;
• and
• wherein the coupling unit comprises
• a retaining element rigidly arranged on the rear side of the closure element,
• a pivoting element pivotally mounted on the rear side of the closure element and
• a restoring element which is connected to the retaining element and the pivoting element in particular wherein the restoring element is designed as a spring or as an elastic element, and is present in a pretensioned manner in the open position and the intermediate position.