Compact gate valve

Abstract

A gate valve assembly, which may be used to seal a semiconductor processing chamber to isolate the chamber and/or maintain pressure or vacuum therein. The invention includes a gate coupled to a linear axial shaft. The axial shaft is driven using a single action actuator. The gate of the present invention has an inclined surface to the shaft. Because the surface is inclined, the gate can be forced by the movement of the axial shaft against a similarly inclined gate seat surface. The angled surface translates the axial sealing force provided by the axial shaft into a positive lateral sealing force without the need for lateral movement of the gate.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.