# US 12,181,064 B2 · Valve > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,181,064 B2 - Document ID: US12181064B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/168,020 - Filed: 2023-02-13 - Published: 2023-08-17 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2022-02-11 - Assignees: VAT Holding AG - Applicants: VAT Holding AG - Inventors: Thomas Mayer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12181064B2 ## CPC - F16K 29/00: Arrangements for movement of valve members other than for opening and closing the valve, e.g. for grinding-in, for preventing sticking - F16K 3/18: by movement of the closure members - F16K 3/314: Forms or constructions of slides; Attachment of the slide to the spindle - F16K 51/02: specially adapted for high-vacuum installations - F16K 2200/302: Plurality of biasing means, e.g. springs, for opening or closing single valve member - F16K 2200/3051: Generally flat springs - 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) with a valve housing (2) and valve openings (3), and with a closing element (5) and at least one valve drive (6). The valve also has two mutually opposite flanges (9, 10) each having a passage opening (11). The flanges can be moved towards and away from one another by the valve drive and are force-coupled to the closing element with respect to the movements of the closing element and in the fully opened position of the closing element are pressed against the wall regions (4) of the valve housing and thus the passage openings of the flanges connect the valve openings together. The two flanges (9, 10) each include a sequence of fingers (12) and recesses (13) arranged in between, and the fingers surround the passage openings and the fingers of the one flange engage in the respective recesses of the other flange. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A valve, comprising: a valve housing having valve openings in mutually opposite wall regions of the valve housing; a closing element that in a closed position closes at least one of the valve openings, in an intermediate position is raised from both of the valve openings and is arranged between the valve openings, and in a fully opened position fully opens the valve openings; at least one valve drive configured to move the closing element to and fro in mutually opposite first movement directions between the fully opened position and the intermediate position, and in mutually opposite second movement directions between the intermediate position and the closed position; two mutually opposite flanges, each having a passage opening; the flanges are movable towards and away from one another by the at least one valve drive and are connected to the closing element by forced coupling moveably with respect to movements of the closing element in the first movement directions; the flanges in the fully opened position of the closing element are pressed against the mutually opposite wall regions of the valve housing and thus the passage openings of the flanges connect the valve openings together; and the two flanges each comprise a sequence of fingers and recesses arranged respectively between two adjacent fingers, and the fingers of the respective flange surround the passage opening of the respective flange, and the fingers of one said flange engage in the respective recesses of the other said flange. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of a) the fingers of the one flange each engage in the recesses of the respective other flange in all positions of the flanges relative to one another, or b) the fingers of the one flange do not touch the fingers of the other flange. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of a) the fingers of the respective flange surround the passage opening of the respective flange as a ring, or b) the fingers of the respective flange are formed as at least one of straight or elongate towards the other flange. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein opening cross-sections of the passage openings of the flanges are a same size at least in a region of the fingers. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flanges are arranged in a region of the fingers inside a bush which connects the flanges together. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said flange has a respective peripheral and outwardly protruding bead on an outside thereof opposite the passage opening. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flanges are connected together electrically conductively by a contact plate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The valve as claimed in claim 7, wherein the contact plate is at least one of peripherally closed or tubular and at least partially surrounds the fingers of the flanges. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The valve as claimed in claim 7, wherein each said flange has a respective peripheral and outwardly protruding bead on an outside thereof opposite the passage opening, and the contact plate lies on the bead of the respective flange. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The valve as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a takeoff connector arranged on an outside of the respective flange opposite the passage opening, and the contact plate is guided between the respective takeoff connector and the respective flange. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The valve as claimed in claim 10, wherein each said takeoff connector has a peripheral and inwardly protruding bead by which the respective takeoff connector presses against the contact plate.