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US 2023/0057447 A1Published application
Vacuum valve with position sensor
AssigneeVAT Holding AG
InventorsChristoph BÖHM, Adrian ESCHENMOSER, Kyle Axle ELFORD
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a vacuum valve having a valve closure and having a drive unit which is coupled to the valve closure and which has at least one adjustment element. The vacuum valve furthermore has a position sensor, in particular a travel or distance sensor, such that a position of the valve closure and/or of the at least one adjustment element relative to a zero position, in particular an open position or closed position of the vacuum valve, can be measured.
Claims17
A vacuum valve, including a vacuum slide valve, pendulum valve, or monovalve, for a regulation of a volume or mass flow and/or for a gas-tight interruption of a flow path, comprising:
- a valve seat, which has a valve opening defining an opening axis and a first sealing surface circumferential around the valve opening,
- a valve closure for the regulation of the volume or mass flow and/or for the interruption of the flow path, comprising a second sealing surface corresponding to the first sealing surface;
- a drive unit coupled to the valve closure, comprising at least one movable adjustment element, wherein the drive unit is configured to execute an adjustment movement, such that the valve closure is movable to and from
- an open position, in which the valve closure and the valve seat are provided without contact in relation to one another, and
- a closed position, in which an axially sealing contact with respect to the opening axis exists between the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface, via a seal, and the valve opening is thus closed gas-tight,
- wherein the vacuum valve further comprises at least one position sensor, wherein the at least one position sensor is arranged in the vacuum valve such that, in an ongoing manner, a position of the valve closure or the at least one movable adjustment element is measurable with respect to a null position, the open position, or the closed position, and
- wherein at least one of the following is satisfied, including:
- the at least one position sensor being arranged in the vacuum valve such that a position measurement is performed via the at least one position sensor with respect to at least two adjustment directions of the valve closure essentially orthogonal to one another, or
- the at least one position sensor including at least two position sensors, which are arranged in the vacuum valve such that a position with respect to a first adjustment direction is measurable by a first position sensor and a position with respect to a second adjustment direction is measurable by a second position sensor, the first adjustment direction and the second adjustment direction being essentially orthogonal to one another.
6 more elements
A method for monitoring a vacuum valve, including a vacuum slide valve, pendulum valve, or monovalve,
- regulating, via the vacuum valve, a volume or mass flow and/or for a gas-tight interruption of a flow path, the vacuum valve having
- a valve seat, which has a valve opening defining an opening axis and a first sealing surface circumferential around the valve opening,
- a valve closure comprising a second sealing surface corresponding to the first sealing surface, and
- a drive unit coupled to the valve closure, comprising at least one movable adjustment element;
- executing, via the drive unit, an adjustment movement, such that the valve closure being movable to and from
- an open position, in which the valve closure and the valve seat are provided without contact in relation to one another, and
- a closed position, in which an axially sealing contact with respect to the opening axis exists between the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface, via a seal, and the valve opening is thus closed gas-tight;
- measuring, via at least one position sensor, a position of the valve closure in an ongoing manner, position measurements are performed regarding at least two adjustment directions essentially orthogonal to one another, and regarding an absolute position of the valve closure or regarding the at least one movable adjustment element with respect to a null position, the open position, or the closed position;
- and
- processing, via a processing and control unit, to monitor the vacuum valve based on the measured position.
7 more elements
A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing a computer program which, when being executed by a control and processing unit of a vacuum valve, causes the vacuum valve to perform a method comprising:
- regulating, via the vacuum valve, a volume or mass flow and/or for a gas-tight interruption of a flow path, the vacuum valve having
- a valve seat, which has a valve opening defining an opening axis and a first sealing surface circumferential around the valve opening,
- a valve closure comprising a second sealing surface corresponding to the first sealing surface, and
- a drive unit coupled to the valve closure, comprising at least one movable adjustment element;
- executing, via the drive unit, an adjustment movement, such that the valve closure being movable to and from
- an open position, in which the valve closure and the valve seat are provided without contact in relation to one another, and
- a closed position, in which an axially sealing contact with respect to the opening axis exists between the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface, via a seal, and the valve opening is thus closed gas-tight;
- measuring, via at least one position sensor, a position of the valve closure in an ongoing manner, position measurements are performed regarding at least two adjustment directions essentially orthogonal to one another, and regarding an absolute position of the valve closure or regarding the at least one movable adjustment element with respect to a null position, the open position, or the closed position;
- and
- monitoring the vacuum valve based on the measured position.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.