# US 12,760,798 B2 · Gate valve

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- Number: US 12,760,798 B2
- Document ID: US12760798B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/994,233
- Filed: 2023-08-30
- Published: 2026-08-27
- Granted: 2026-10-13
- Earliest claimed: 2022-09-07
- Assignees: Hirata Corporation
- Applicants: Hirata Corporation
- Inventors: Bungo Matsumoto
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12760798B2

## CPC

- F16K 3/182: {by means of toggle links}
- F16K 3/0218: {with only one sealing face}
- H10P 72/0466: {characterised by the construction of the load-lock chamber}
- 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)}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A gate valve includes: a moving body that integrally moves with the valve element; and a converting mechanism that moves the moving body in a perpendicular direction to the opening surface and an intersecting direction intersecting with the perpendicular direction. The converting mechanism includes: a first operation mechanism that moves in the intersecting direction and makes the moving body move in the intersecting direction, and a second operation mechanism that makes the moving body move in the perpendicular direction. An operation performed by the second operation mechanism includes an operation due to additional movement of the first operation mechanism to the intersecting direction from a state where the movement of the moving body in the intersecting direction is restricted.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A gate valve configured to press a valve element that includes a seal member to an opening surface where an opening that communicates with a processing part of a processing device that performs processing in vacuum thus sealing the opening, the gate valve comprising:
a moving body configured to move integrally with the valve element;
a conversion mechanism configured to move the moving body in respective directions consisting of a perpendicular direction to the opening surface and an intersecting direction that intersects with the perpendicular direction; and
a transmission mechanism configured to transmit power to the conversion mechanism from a drive source, wherein
the conversion mechanism includes:
a first operation mechanism configured to move in the intersecting direction so as to make the moving body move in the intersecting direction; and
a second operation mechanism configured to make the moving body move in the perpendicular direction, and
an operation performed by the second operation mechanism includes an operation due to additional movement of the first operation mechanism in the intersecting direction from a state where the movement of the moving body in the intersecting direction is restricted,
the gate valve includes: a housing in which the second operation mechanism is disposed; and a guide member whose movement in the intersecting direction is restricted by housing, the guide member being configured to be movable in the perpendicular direction together with the moving body, and
the second operation mechanism includes:
a support portion configured to be supported the housing;
an engaging portion configured to engage with the guide member; and
an input portion configured to engage with or to disengage from the first operation mechanism.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The gate valve according to claim 1, wherein the second operation mechanism is disposed at a preliminarily fixed position irrelevant to movement of the moving body in the intersecting direction.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The gate valve according to claim 1, wherein the second operation mechanism is a link mechanism that includes: a perpendicular link portion that includes the engaging portion; and a transmission link portion that includes the input portion, and
the transmission link portion is configured to transmit a force that is inputted to the input portion from the first operation mechanism.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The gate valve according to claim 3, wherein the moving body is mounted on the guide member in a state where the moving body is movable in a vertical direction that forms the intersecting direction,
the first operation mechanism is constituted of a lift body that is configured to make the moving body move to the vertical direction in the guide member,
the link mechanism that forms the second operation mechanism is configured to make the moving body move in the perpendicular direction together with the guide member, and
the link mechanism is disposed at a preliminarily fixed another position that differs from the lift body irrelevant to movement of the moving body in the vertical direction.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The gate valve according to claim 4, wherein
the link mechanism includes a swing pivot shaft that connects a plurality of link bodies in a relatively rotatable manner,
the link mechanism includes, as the support portion, a plurality of housing pivot shafts that are pivotally supported on the housing,
the link mechanism includes a first engaging shaft configured to engage with the guide member,
the link mechanism includes, as the perpendicular link portion, a follower link body that is interposed between the first engaging shaft at one end portion and a swing pivot shaft at an other end portion, and a tension link body that is interposed between the swing pivot shaft at another end portion of the follower link body and the housing pivot shaft, and
the link mechanism includes, as the transmission link portion, a prime mover link body that is connected to at least the follower link body or the tension link body at one end portion thereof by way of a swing pivot shaft, and
the prime mover link body includes, as the input portion, a second engaging shaft that is configured to engage with or disengage from the lift body at an other end portion thereof, and is configured to engage with the lift body and to follow additional movement of the lift body in the vertical direction.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The gate valve according to claim 5, wherein the link mechanism is configured to move the moving body from movement in the intersecting direction to movement in the perpendicular direction by way of the follower link body and the tension link body.

### Claim 7

A gate valve configured to press a valve element that includes a seal member to an opening surface where an opening that communicates with a processing part of a processing device that performs processing in vacuum thus sealing the opening, the gate valve comprising:
a housing;
a perpendicular moving body being held in the housing and being movable in a perpendicular direction to the opening surface; and
a perpendicular operation mechanism disposed between the housing and the perpendicular moving body,
the perpendicular moving body includes:
a moving body configured to move integrally with the valve element;
a lift body configured to move together with the moving body in an intersecting direction that intersects with the perpendicular direction;
a drive source configured to make the lift body move in the intersecting direction, and
a lift operation mechanism disposed between the lift body and the moving body,
the lift body is configured to be movable in the intersecting direction between a first operation region where the lift body moves in the intersecting direction together with the moving body by way of the lift operation mechanism and a second operation region where, in a state where the movement of the moving body in the intersecting direction is restricted, the lift body is further moved in the intersecting direction by operating the perpendicular operation mechanism, and
the perpendicular operation mechanism is configured, along with the movement of the lift body in the intersecting direction in the second operation region, the perpendicular moving body is further moved in the perpendicular direction,
the perpendicular moving body includes:
a restricting member configured to restrict movement of the moving body in the intersecting direction in the second operation region; and
a first engaging member configured to engage with the perpendicular operation mechanism,
the perpendicular operation mechanism is a link mechanism, and includes:
a tension link body having one end portion thereof rotatably and pivotally connected to the housing;
a follower link body having one end portion thereof relatively rotatably connected to the tension link body and having an other end thereof engage with the first engaging member; and
a prime mover link body having one end portion thereof connected to at least either one of the tension link body and the follower link body,
the lift body includes a second engaging member configured to engage with the prime mover link body, and
the link mechanism is configured to perform, in the second operation region, configuration displacement between the tension link body and the follower link body by displacing the prime mover link body by way of the second engaging member.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The gate valve according to claim 7, wherein the configuration displacement between the tension link body and the follower link body in the link mechanism includes two configurations consisting of:
a bending configuration where the tension link body and the follower link body intersect with each other such that the bent configuration protrudes downward; and
a straight line configuration where the tension link body and the follower link body are aligned in a straight line in the perpendicular direction, and
the moving body is, in a state of the bent configuration of the link mechanism, to separate the valve element from the opening surface so as to bring the opening into an open state, and
the moving body is configured, in the straight line configuration of the link mechanism, the moving body brings the valve element into hermetic contact with the opening surface thus bringing the opening into a closed state.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The gate valve according to claim 8, wherein the second engaging member includes a fit-in groove portion that is formed of: a lower side groove wall extending along the perpendicular direction; an upper side groove wall extending along the perpendicular direction and having a shorter length than the lower side groove wall; and a longitudinal side groove wall configured to connect the lower side groove wall and the upper side groove wall,
the fit-in groove portion includes an entrance opening having an opening on an upper side;
the lift body is configured to, in the second operation region, to make the upper side groove wall engage with the prime mover link body thus bringing the link mechanism into the bent configuration, and
to make the lower side groove wall engage with the prime mover link body so as to bring the link mechanism into the straight line configuration.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The gate valve according to claim 9, wherein the prime mover link body includes an input portion that engages with or disengages from the second engaging member at an other end portion thereof,
the prime mover link body makes the input portion opposedly face the entrance opening in a state where the lift body is positioned in the first operation region.