Vacuum valve

A vacuum valve for a medium-, high-and/or ultra-high vacuum system, the vacuum valve comprising:

• a valve housing defining a passage connecting a first opening and a second opening of the valve housing,
• a valve body and a complementary seat, the valve body comprising a valve shaft extending in an axial direction and being actuable to move the valve body between an open position and a closed position, wherein the valve body cooperates with the seat in the closed position so as to close the passage gas-tightly, and
• a locking unit configured to secure the valve body in a locked position, wherein the locking unit comprises a locking mechanism configured to urge, upon actuation of the locking unit, at least one locking element in a radial direction disposed in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction towards the valve shaft to assume a locking position,
• wherein the locking unit is actuable by a rotatable actuating element,
• wherein the locking unit comprises a conversion mechanism disposed between the actuating element and the locking mechanism and configured to convert a rotary movement of the actuating element into a linear movement of the locking mechanism,
• wherein the conversion mechanism comprises an actuation shaft with a thread, and
• wherein the locking unit comprises a hollow shaft with a thread that cooperates with the thread of the actuation shaft.