Method for control of a vacuum valve arranged between two vacuum chambers

A method for controlling a vacuum valve arranged between two vacuum chambers which vacuum valve comprises:

• a valve body with a valve opening;
• a closure member which closes the valve opening in a closed state of the vacuum valve and which releases the valve opening in an open state of the vacuum valve;
• wherein, for closing the valve opening by the closure member in the closed state of the vacuum valve, at least one flexible seal contacts a sealing surface of the vacuum valve, which seal is acted upon by a pressing force in the closed state of the vacuum valve;
• an actuating device for opening and closing the vacuum valve with at least one actuator by which seal is placed against the sealing surface for closing the vacuum valve;
• and
• a control unit which controls this at least one actuator, pressure measurement values being supplied to this control unit as input signals from pressure sensors which detect the respective pressure in the two vacuum chambers;
• the method comprises the steps of:
• determining a differential pressure between the two vacuums by the control unit;
• controlling the magnitude of the pressing force acting on the seal in the closed state of the vacuum valve by controlling the at least one actuator by the control unit;
• wherein the magnitude of the pressing force is controlled in dependence of the determined differential pressure between the two vacuum chambers.

A vacuum valve which is arranged between two vacuum chambers and which vacuum valve comprises:

• a valve body with a valve opening;
• a closure member which closes the valve opening in a closed state of the vacuum valve and which releases the valve opening in an open state of the vacuum valve;
• wherein, for closing the valve opening by the closure member in the closed state of the vacuum valve at least one flexible seal contacts a sealing surface of the vacuum valve, which seal is acted upon by a pressing force in the closed state of the vacuum valve;
• an actuating device for opening and closing the vacuum valve with at least one actuator by which seal is placed against the sealing surface for closing the vacuum valve;
• and
• a control unit which controls this at least one actuator and to which pressure measurement values are supplied as input signals from pressure sensors which detect the respective pressure in the two vacuum chambers;
• wherein a differential pressure between the two vacuum chambers is determined by the control unit and the magnitude of the pressing force acting on the seal in the closed state of the vacuum valve is controlled by the control unit depending on the determined differential pressure by controlling the at least one actuator.