JP2000257751A - Vacuum gate valve - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make a gate valve compact by minifying the thickness of a valve casing, on a vacuum gate valve moving so as to contact/separate to/from its opening and having a valve plate for opening/closing the opening in the valve casing. SOLUTION: In this gate valve, a valve plate supporter 10 for guiding and supporting the valve plate 5 contactingly/separatingly is provided and a cylindrical supporter drive rod 36 for advancing/retreating vertically is connected integrally to this valve plate supporter 10. A valve plate drive rod 37 for advancing/ retreating in the direction nearly right angle to the open/close moving direction of the valve plate 5 is stored in the supporter drive rod 36 and the upper end of this valve plate drive rod 37 is connected to the valve plate 5 so that the valve plate 5 is contacted/separated with respect to the valve plate drive rod 37 following to the elevating of the valve plate drive rod 37 by a parallel link mechanism 22 and the parallel link mechanism 22 is connected to the valve plate drive rod 37 directly by a compact structure and the thickness of the valve casing 1 or vacuum gate valve G is minified.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vacuum gate valve having a valve plate for opening and closing an opening of a valve box or the like communicating with a vacuum vessel, and more particularly to a technical field for making the valve compact.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various types of vacuum gate valves of this type have been known. For example, 62-19
In the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 9567, a valve plate support is arranged in a valve box having an opening communicating with a vacuum vessel so as to be able to move up and down while being guided by a guide roller supported on the back surface of the valve plate support. A valve plate that opens and closes the opening of the valve box is connected to and releasable from the front side of the valve via a parallel link mechanism, and the valve plate comes into contact with the valve plate when the valve plate support moves to the valve closing position. Providing a stopper that relatively moves in the closing direction away from the support,
Outside the valve box, a cylinder having a piston rod that penetrates the wall of the valve box in an airtight manner is attached, and the tip of the piston rod is connected to a valve plate support in the valve box. When the plate support is moved in the valve box to open and close the valve plate, and the valve plate support is moved to the valve opening position by the cylinder, the valve plate is moved together with the valve plate support to open the valve box. On the other hand, when the valve plate support is moved to the valve-closing position while being opened, the valve plate is brought into contact with the stopper in the middle thereof and separated from the valve plate support by the parallel link mechanism. The valve plate is pressed around the opening of the valve box in a state of tension between the support and the valve plate, whereby the opening is sealed and closed by the valve plate.

[0003]

By the way, as in the prior art, the valve plate connected to the valve plate support is separated from the valve plate support at the closed position to close the opening with the valve plate. In such a structure, since the valve plate is connected to the valve plate support via the parallel link mechanism, the valve box and the vacuum gate are provided only by the connection between the parallel link mechanism and the valve plate support. There was a limit to reducing the thickness of the valve, leaving room for improvement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing, and an object of the present invention is to improve the opening / closing structure of a valve plate of a vacuum gate valve so as to connect a valve plate support to a parallel link mechanism. An object of the present invention is to reduce the thickness of the gate valve by eliminating the structure.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a parallel link mechanism connected to a valve plate is not provided on a valve plate support but in a direction substantially perpendicular to the moving direction of the valve plate. The valve plate is moved toward and away from the rod through a parallel link mechanism to open and close the opening.

More specifically, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a valve plate which moves in a direction approaching / separating from an opening communicating with the vacuum vessel to open / close the opening, and a direction substantially perpendicular to the moving direction of the valve plate. Plate drive rod that moves forward and backward in the direction, and a parallel link mechanism that connects the valve plate drive rod and the valve plate so that the valve plate moves toward and away from the valve plate drive rod as the valve plate drive rod moves. It is characterized by having.

With the above arrangement, when the gate valve is opened and closed, when the valve plate drive rod moves forward and backward, the valve plate connected to this rod via a parallel link mechanism is moved in a direction substantially perpendicular to the valve plate drive rod. The valve plate moves toward and away from the drive rod, and the valve plate contacts and separates from the opening to open and close the opening. At this time, since the valve plate is connected to the valve plate drive rod via the parallel link mechanism, the parallel link mechanism and the valve plate drive rod can be directly connected in a compact structure, and the parallel There is no need to provide a connecting portion between the link mechanism and the valve plate support, and accordingly, the thickness of the vacuum gate valve can be reduced and its size can be reduced.

[0008] In the second aspect of the present invention, the parallel link mechanism is formed by connecting a valve plate side link shaft connected to a valve plate and a rod side link shaft connected to a valve plate drive rod by a link. And The rod-side link shaft and the valve plate drive rod have a structure in which fitting portions formed by cutting out the respective outer peripheral portions are fitted and connected and fixed. In this case, the axial centers of the rod-side link shaft and the valve plate drive rod are arranged close to each other by the notch-shaped fitting portion, and the connecting structure between the link shaft and the rod is compact. Thus, the thickness of the vacuum gate valve can be further reduced.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a valve plate support for guiding and supporting the valve plate so as to be able to contact and separate therefrom is connected to the valve plate support so as to move integrally therewith, and moves in the same direction as the moving direction of the valve plate driving rod. And a support driving rod that moves forward and backward. With this,
By moving the support drive rod back and forth in the length direction, the valve plate support can be moved between a position corresponding to the opening and another position while supporting the valve plate on the valve plate support. If only the valve plate drive rod is moved forward and backward in the longitudinal direction at a position where the valve plate is supported, the valve plate is guided to contact and separate from the valve plate support while being supported by the valve plate support, and the valve plate is opened and closed. The operation, that is, the operation of approaching and separating from the opening is performed smoothly. Therefore, smooth opening and closing of the gate valve can be achieved.

In this case, according to the invention of claim 4, the valve plate driving rod and the support driving rod are arranged coaxially. With this arrangement, the arrangement space for both rods can be reduced, and the size of the gate valve can be further reduced, as compared with the case where both rods are arranged at different positions.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, a roller is supported on each link shaft of the parallel link mechanism, and at least the roller on the valve plate-side link shaft is provided on the valve plate support in the opening and closing movement direction of the valve plate. It is assumed that a guide portion for guiding in the direction is provided. With this, when the valve plate driving rod is opened and closed via the parallel link mechanism by the forward and backward movement of the valve plate driving rod, the roller on the valve plate side link shaft of the parallel link mechanism is moved by the guide portion in the opening and closing movement direction of the valve plate. You will be guided in the same direction. Therefore, by the guide of the rollers of the parallel link mechanism by the guide portion, the operation of the parallel link mechanism can be smoothed while the valve plate support body has a compact structure.

In the invention according to claim 6, a chamfered portion for preventing interference with the link of the parallel link mechanism is provided at a corner of the guide portion on the valve plate drive rod side. As a result, when the link of the parallel link mechanism tilts due to the opening and closing movement of the valve plate, the link enters the chamfered portion, so that the two do not interfere with each other, and the gate valve is made compact. However, swing of the link of the parallel link mechanism can be ensured.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, at least one of the links of the parallel link mechanism, which is located at the rear side in the moving direction of the valve plate driving rod when the valve plate is separated from the valve plate driving rod (in other words, the valve plate). A recess for preventing interference with other members is provided at an intermediate portion of a link which is on the front side in the moving direction of the valve plate driving rod when the valve approaches the valve plate driving rod.
According to this configuration, when the link of the parallel link mechanism is tilted, another member enters the concave portion of the link. Therefore, in this case as well, the swing of the link of the parallel link mechanism can be ensured while reducing the size of the gate valve, as in the invention of the sixth aspect.

[0014]

FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 show a vacuum gate valve G according to an embodiment of the present invention. This vacuum gate valve G is
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the internal spaces (vacuum spaces) of the two vacuum containers C1 and C2 are disposed between the first and second vacuum containers C1 and C2 located at the front and rear so as to communicate or cut off the communication. Is done.

The vacuum gate valve G is connected to both vacuum vessels C1,
A rectangular valve box 1 is hermetically sandwiched between C2, and the upper part of the front wall (left side wall in FIGS. 1, 2 and 6) of the valve box 1 communicates with the first vacuum vessel C1. A front opening 2 and a rear opening 3 communicating with the second vacuum vessel C2 are formed at the same height position on the upper portion of the rear wall (the same right side wall). (In the direction orthogonal to the plane of the paper of FIG. 6; the horizontal direction in FIG. 7), it has a rectangular shape and the same size. It communicates with the inside of C2.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 in an enlarged manner, a valve plate 5 which moves in the front-rear direction to contact and separate from the front side opening 2 to open and close the front side opening 2 is provided in the valve box 1. Are located. The valve plate 5 is made of a rectangular plate member slightly longer than the front opening 2 and is long in the left-right direction. A seal receiving groove 6 is formed in the outer peripheral portion of the front surface of the valve plate 5 so as to extend over the entire valve plate 5. In the groove 6, a rubber sealing member 7 that presses and deforms against the inner surface of the front wall of the valve box 1 to seal between the valve plate 5 and the inner surface of the front wall around the front opening 2 of the valve box 1 is housed and fixed. ing.

The valve plate 5 has a parallel link mechanism, which will be described later, provided by a valve plate support 10 at two positions (or three or more positions) on both left and right sides which are separated in the left-right direction, which is the length direction, from the rear side. The front opening 2 is closed by being pressed through 22, 22, and the valve plate support 10 is disposed in the valve box 1 on the rear side of the valve plate 5. That is, the valve plate support 10 guides and supports the valve plate 5 so as to be able to come and go.
Together with the valve opening position located on the lower side in the valve box 1 and the valve box 1
The upper side of the inside and between the valve closing positions corresponding to the front and rear openings 2 and 3 can be moved up and down substantially in parallel with a vertical plane along the front side opening 2. The valve plate support 10 has a rectangular plate-shaped main body 11 that is larger than the rear opening 3 of the valve box 1, and a front surface of the main body 11 has a portion corresponding to the left and right pressing positions of the valve plate 5. Guide members 12 for guiding the respective guide rollers 31 and 32 of the respective parallel link mechanisms 22 are integrally mounted and fixed by an annular mounting member 20. That is, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the guide member 12 has a shallow dish-like shape that opens rearward, and its lower side wall is cut out and opened. A flange 12a extending radially outward is formed at the rear end of the half portion, and the mounting member 20 is bolted to the bolts 21, 21,... (1) while the flange 12a is locked to the inner peripheral portion of the mounting member 20. Only one is shown)
1, each guide member 12 is attached and fixed to the front surface of the main body 11 via the attachment member 20.

The lower edge of the mounting member 20 of the valve plate support 10 has a cylindrical shape which moves forward and backward in the same direction (vertical direction) as a moving direction of a valve plate driving rod 37 described later in the valve box 1. The upper end portion (inner end portion) of the support driving rod 36 is fixed by welding in a moving and airtight manner, and the valve plate support 10 is moved up and down (moving in the length direction) by the support driving rod 36. Move between valve open and valve closed positions.

A vertically long rectangular opening 14 is formed through the center of the front wall (bottom wall) of the guide member 12. On the front surface of the guide member 12, a pair of upper and lower projecting pieces 15, 16 extending in parallel from the upper and lower edges of the opening 14 to the horizontal front side, respectively, are integrally formed. The upper surface of the upper edge portion and the upper surface of the lower protruding piece 16 are flush with the upper surface of the lower edge portion of the opening 14, respectively.
On the front surface of the main body 11 of the valve plate support 10, a rectangular recess 11 a having a predetermined depth is formed corresponding to the opening 14 of each guide member 12. Then, the guide member 1
2, a vertical guide portion 13 extending in the same direction as the advance / retreat movement direction (vertical direction) of a valve plate drive rod 37, which will be described later, and a pair of upper and lower protrusions. By means of the pieces 15, 16 or the opening 14, the valve plate 5
Horizontal guide portions 17 are formed as guide portions extending in the same direction as the opening / closing movement direction (front-back direction).
As shown in FIG. 5, the lower part of the opening 14 at the rear surface of the front wall of the guide member 12 forming the vertical guide part 13 and the rear end of the upper surface of the lower projecting piece 16 at the horizontal guide part 17 are formed. A chamfered portion 18 is formed at an intersection (a rear corner of the horizontal guide portion 17 on the valve plate drive rod 37 side) so as to avoid interference with a lower link 28 described later. ing.

In each of the left and right guide members 12 of the valve plate support 10, the valve plate 5 is moved back and forth with respect to a valve plate drive rod 37, which will be described later, as the valve plate drive rod 37 moves up and down. A parallel link mechanism 22 for moving in the direction and connecting the valve plate driving rod 37 so as to be in contact with or separated from the valve plate driving rod 37 is provided. That is, between the upper and lower projecting pieces 15, 16 of each of the guide members 12, upper and lower front link shafts 2 extending in the horizontal direction and serving as a valve plate side link shaft connected to the valve plate 5.
3 and 23 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction, and each of the front link shafts 23 has a front notch 23a, 2
3a (see FIG. 3), bolts 24,
The valve plate mounting member 25 is fixed to the rear surface of the valve plate 5 by bolts 26, 26,.

On the other hand, a valve plate drive is provided in each of the vertical guide portions 13, that is, between the rear surfaces of the front walls of the right and left sides of the opening 14 of the guide member 12 and the bottom surface (front surface) of each rectangular recess 11 a on the front surface of the main body 11. Upper and lower rear link shafts 27 extending horizontally and horizontally as rod side link shafts connected to the rod 37;
27 are arranged in the up-down direction at the same interval as the front link shafts 23,23. And, as shown in FIG.
Front ends of left and right links 28, 28 made of resin or the like are swingably supported at portions located on the left and right sides of the front link shafts 23, respectively. The left and right link shafts 23 and 27 are swingably supported on the left and right sides of the rear link shaft 27 corresponding to the rear side of the link shaft 23, and the front and rear link shafts 23 and 27 are connected by a pair of left and right links 28 and 28. Have been. In the middle part of each link 28, a concave part 29 having a shape in which the lower surface is cut out is provided.
As shown in FIG. 2, when each link 28 is inclined backward so as to lower the rear side portion, the concave portion 29 does not interfere with the rear end of the upper surface of the lower edge of the opening 14 of the guide member 12. (Note that the valve plate driving rod 3 when the valve plate 5 advances away from the valve plate driving rod 37)
The recess 29 may be formed only in the middle part of the lower link 28 which is the rear side in the upward movement direction of the link 7.

Further, the upper and lower rear link shafts 27, 27
Are fixed to the upper end of a valve plate drive rod 37 extending in the guide member 12 in the vertical direction at the left and right central portions at the above-mentioned intervals. The connecting structure of the upper and lower rear link shafts 27, 27 with the valve plate drive rod 37 is the same. The rear link shaft 27 and the valve plate drive rod 37 intersect with each other, and a fitting portion 37a is formed in the valve plate drive rod 37. In addition, in a state of being fitted at the respective fitting portions 27a, 37a, the two are integrally fastened and fixed by a bolt 38 penetrating the both in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the link shafts 23, 23, 27,
27 and the upper and lower links 28 constitute a parallel link mechanism 22.

At the left and right central portions of the front link shafts 23,
A front guide roller 31 made of resin or the like guided in the horizontal front-rear direction by the horizontal guide portion 17 is rotatably supported. That is, the front guide roller 31 on the front link shaft 23 located on the upper side is
The front guide roller 31 on the front link shaft 23 located on the lower surface or the upper edge portion of the opening 14 along the lower surface of the upper link portion 23 is located along the upper surface of the lower projecting piece 16 or the upper surface of the lower edge portion of the opening 14. Front-back direction (same direction as the opening and closing movement direction of valve plate 5)
The upper and lower front guide rollers 31, 31 prevent the valve plate 5 from moving relative to the guide member 12 (valve plate support 10) in the vertical direction. It moves back and forth while positioned.

The left and right ends of each of the rear link shafts 27 are made of resin or the like guided in the vertical direction (the same direction as the moving direction of the valve plate driving rod 37) by the vertical guide portion 13. Guide rollers 32, 32 are rotatably supported. That is, these rear guide rollers 3
The guide members 2 and 32 are guided by rolling between the rear surfaces of the front walls on both the left and right sides of the opening 14 of the guide member 12 and the bottom surfaces of the concave portions 11a on the front surface of the main body 11.

When the valve plate supporting member 10 is in the valve closing position on the upper side in the valve box 1, only the valve plate driving rod 37 is moved up and down inside the valve plate supporting member 10.
The valve plate 5 is moved back and forth (in the direction in which the two vacuum vessels C1 and C2 are arranged) so as to contact and separate from the valve plate support 10 to open and close the front opening 2 of the valve box 1 as shown in FIG. When the valve plate driving rod 37 is lowered, each link 28 of the parallel link mechanism 22 is inclined so as to face rearward and downward, and the valve plate 5 is moved to the valve plate support 10 (the valve plate driving rod). 37), the opening 2 is opened by separating from the front wall around the front opening 2 of the valve box 1, and when the valve plate driving rod 37 is raised as shown in FIG.
Each link 28 of the parallel link mechanism 22 is horizontally arranged in the front-rear direction, and the valve plate 5 is separated from the valve plate support 10 to open the front opening 2.
The opening 2 is closed by pressing against the inner surface of the surrounding front wall.

Each mounting member 2 in the valve plate support 10
A metal cylindrical mechanism accommodating bellows 34 is provided between the front end of the valve member 0 and the rear surface of each of the valve plate mounting members 25 on the front side so as to be able to expand and contract in the direction of contact and separation between them. The front and rear ends of the mechanism accommodating bellows 34 are hermetically welded to the valve plate attaching member 25 and the attaching member 20, respectively. The mechanism accommodating bellows 34, the valve plate 5 (valve plate attaching member 25), and the valve plate support are provided. Parallel link mechanism 2 in an airtight space surrounded by 10
2 are accommodated. That is, the mechanism housing bellows 34
Is to prevent the dust generated from the parallel link mechanism 22 from being released into the valve box 1 by enclosing the dust in the closed space.

The valve plate support 10 moves up and down between the valve-opening position and the valve-closing position in the valve box 1;
On the other hand, the movement of the valve plate 5 to come and go is performed by driving from the outside of the bottom wall of the valve box 1. That is, openings 1a, 1a are formed in the bottom wall of the valve box 1 directly below the parallel link mechanisms 22 (portions corresponding to the left and right pressing positions of the valve plate 5).
a upper end of a bottomed cylindrical portion 40 extending vertically and opening at the upper end is concentrically and airtightly joined to the lower surface,
A center hole 40a is formed through the center of the bottom of the cylindrical portion 40. Further, a cylindrical stopper 41 is concentrically connected and fixed below the cylindrical portion 40.

The support driving rod 36 is inserted through the opening 1a of the bottom wall of the valve box 1 or the cylindrical portion 40. The lower end (outer end) of the support driving rod 36 is connected to the cylindrical portion 4.
After passing through the center hole 40a of the bottom part in an airtight manner, it extends downward inside the stopper 41 outside the valve box 1 and protrudes downward, and a disk-shaped upper plate 42 moves integrally with this lower end part. The valve plate support 10 is moved between the valve-opening position and the valve-closing position by elevating and lowering (moving in the length direction) of the support driving rod 36. 1 is set to the valve opening position of the valve plate support 10 when it moves to the position of the bottom wall, and is set to the valve closing position when the upper plate 42 contacts the lower surface of the stopper 41.

On the other hand, the valve plate drive rod 37 for opening and closing the valve plate 5 by bringing the valve plate 5 into and out of contact with the valve plate support 10.
The rod moves forward and backward in a vertical direction substantially perpendicular to the opening and closing movement direction of the valve plate 5, and is inserted into the cylindrical support driving rod 36 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction coaxially therewith. The valve plate drive rod 37 is inserted through a through hole 20a formed concentrically with the support member drive rod 36 at the lower end of the mounting member 20 of the valve plate support 10, and the upper end thereof is connected to the valve as described above. The parallel link mechanism 22 is located within the guide member 12 of the plate support 10 and is coupled to the rear link shafts 27 and 27 so as to move integrally. The lower end (outer end) of the valve plate drive rod 37 projects out of the lower end of the support drive rod 36 and extends outside the valve box 1. The side plate 43 is attached and fixed integrally with the movement, and the valve plate drive rod 37 slides relative to the support body drive rod 36 to move in the length direction.
The valve plate 5 is switched between an open state and a closed state, and when the lower plate 43 is farthest from the upper plate 42 and link mechanisms 46, 46 described later extend, the valve plate 5 is
0, and when the lower plate 43 is closest to the upper plate 42 and the link mechanisms 46, 46 are contracted, the valve plate 5 is in the closed state separated from the valve plate support 10. Like that.

As shown in FIG. 7, one air cylinder 57 as driving means is drivingly connected to the lower plates 43, 43 at the lower ends of the left and right valve plate driving rods 37, 37. That is, the air cylinder 57 has a vertical cylinder axis disposed at a central lower position between the left and right pressing positions of the valve plate 5, and the upper end of the body is fixed to the valve box 1 so as not to be relatively movable. ing. A bracket 5 is provided at the upper end (tip) of the piston rod 57a of the cylinder 57.
8 are connected at the left and right central portions. This bracket 58
Is made of a member bent in a substantially U-shape so that the left and right ends are lower than the left and right central parts. The left and right lower plates 43 are connected to the left and right ends, respectively. By the expansion and contraction operation of the cylinder 57, the left and right valve plate drive rods 37, 37 connected to the upper end of the piston rod 57a via the bracket 58 are moved up and down in the longitudinal direction, and the support drive rods 36, 36 are moved. The valve plate support 10 is moved up and down between the valve opening position and the valve closing position by integral movement with the valve plate 5, and the valve plate 5 is switched between the open state and the closed state by movement of only the valve plate drive rods 37. Like that.

A compression spring 44 disposed around the lower end of the valve plate drive rod 37 is compressed between the upper and lower plates 42 and 43 outside the valve box 1. When the valve plate drive rod 37 is moved to the support drive rod 36, the valve plate 5 approaches the valve plate support 10 and the valve box 1
The front side opening 2 is biased so as to move relatively downward.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the upper and lower plates 42, 43 are connected to each other by a pair of link mechanisms 46, 46 arranged at diametrically opposed positions. Each link mechanism 46 has an upper link 47 whose upper end is pivotally supported by the upper plate 42 with a horizontal axis, and a horizontal connecting shaft 49 whose upper end is connected to the lower end of the upper link 47. And a lower link 48 whose lower end is pivotally supported by the lower plate 43 so as to be pivotable with a horizontal axis. A guide roller 50 rotates around the connection shaft 49. Supported as possible. Then, each link mechanism 46 is connected to the upper and lower links 4.
When the members 7 and 48 are extended so as to be substantially aligned in the vertical direction, the lower plate 43 is separated from the upper plate 42 so that the valve plate 5 approaches the valve plate support 10 while the link mechanism 46 is moved vertically. Links 47 and 48 are outside (connection shaft 4
When it is contracted so as to bend (to the side away from the valve plate drive rod 37), the lower plate 43 approaches the upper plate 42 to separate the valve plate 5 from the valve plate support 10.

At a position directly below each of the stoppers 41, link restricting portions 52, 52 having a predetermined length corresponding to the stroke of the cylinder 57 are arranged and fixed. The two link restricting portions 52, 52 are opposed to each other so that the upper and lower plates 42, 43 move up and down with a predetermined gap therebetween.
The left and right ends of the bracket 58 are vertically movably inserted between the brackets 2 and 52, and the link mechanisms 46 are extended in accordance with the raising and lowering operations of the lower plates 43 by the expansion and contraction of the cylinder 57. Alternatively, when the valve plate support 10 is moved up and down between the valve opening position and the valve closing position in accordance with the expansion and contraction operation of the cylinder 57, the valve plate support 10 is moved to a position other than the valve closing position at the rising end. In a certain state, each of the link mechanisms 46 is placed in the link restricting section 52 (both link restricting sections 5).
Between the upper and lower links 47 and 48).
While the upper guide roller 50 is sunk so as to be rolled and guided on the inner surface of each link regulating portion 52 and held in an extended state,
When the valve plate support 10 is in the closed position at the rising end, each link mechanism 46 is protruded from the upper end of the link restricting portion 52 to switch to the contracted state. Note that the upper end surface of each link restricting portion 52 is outwardly outward (on the side away from the partner-side link restricting portion 42) so that the guide roller 50 smoothly moves in and out of the link restricting portion 52 when the guide roller 50 moves up and down. It is formed on an inclined surface which is inclined.

A bellows mounting flange 54 is air-tightly and integrally fixed to a portion near the upper end of the support driving rod 36 at a lower portion in the valve box 1. The lower surface of the bellows mounting flange 54 is provided with a support driving rod 3.
The upper end of a metal extendable rod housing bellows 55 arranged around the upper end 6 is hermetically welded and fixed, and the lower end of the rod housing bellows 55 is connected to the bottom surface of the cylindrical portion 40 on the bottom wall of the valve box 1. The through-hole of the support drive rod 36 is hermetically sealed by a rod accommodating bellows 55.

Further, on the rear surface of the main body 11 of the valve plate support 10, the upper and lower positions of each of the left and right parallel link mechanisms 22, that is, through the respective parallel link mechanisms 22, and the valve plate 5
The vertical elasticity extending in the left-right direction at a position included in the front-rear vertical plane along the operating direction (swinging direction of each link 22) of each parallel link mechanism 22 when each comes into contact with and separates from the valve plate support 10. Member mounting grooves 60, 60 are formed, and in each of the mounting grooves 60, an elastic member 61 made of rubber (which may be made of resin) in the shape of a round bar having substantially the same length as the mounting groove 60 partially projects from the rear surface of the main body 11. Each of the elastic members 61 is held in the mounting groove 60 by a screwed holding member 6.
2 for mounting. Each of the elastic members 61 is
When the valve plate 5 closes the front opening 2 of the valve box 1, the valve box 1 is closed.
Is pressed against the inner surface (front surface) of the rear wall around the rear opening 3, and the valve plate support 10 is urged forward in the closing direction of the valve plate 5 by the elastic reaction force of the elastic member 61 in this pressed state. It is supposed to be.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described. When the vacuum gate valve G is open, the cylinder 57 contracts and is at the stroke end. For this reason, the upper and lower plates 42 and 43 are located between the link restricting portions 52 and 52 together with the link mechanisms 46 and 46 connecting the two, and the respective link mechanisms 46 are extended and the two plates 42 and 43 are extended.
43 are spaced apart. As a result, the valve plate support 10 is in the valve open position, and the upper end of the valve plate drive rod 37 is located below the valve plate support 10, and each link 28 of each parallel link mechanism 22. Are inclined downward toward the rear side (see FIG. 2), and the valve plate 5 is located at the rear side close to the valve plate support 10 and is separated from the inner surface of the front wall of the valve box 1. . Further, both the mechanism housing bellows 34 and the rod housing bellows 55 are contracted.

When the gate valve G is closed from this state, the cylinder 57 extends and the piston rod 57a rises. With the upward movement of the piston rod 57a, each lower plate 43 connected to the upper end thereof via the bracket 58 and the valve plate drive rod 37 connected to the lower plate 43 at the lower end rise. I do. At this time, the link mechanisms 46, 46 connecting the lower plate 43 and the upper plate 42 are restrained in an extended state therebetween by link restricting portions 52, 52, and the compression between the two plates 42, 43 is performed. Since the spring 44 is interposed, the upper plate 42 follows the upward movement of the lower plate 43 while being separated from the lower plate 43 with the upward movement of the lower plate 43, so that the relative movement between the two does not occur. As a result, while the rod accommodating bellows 55 is extended, the support driving rod 36 is raised together with the upper plate 42, and the valve plate support 10 connected to the upper end of the support driving rod 36 is moved from the valve opening position. It rises together with the valve plate 5 toward the valve closing position. Further, since there is no relative movement between the rods 36 and 37, the valve plate 5 is kept close to the valve plate support 10 without switching to the closed state, and when the valve plate 5 rises, the front wall of the valve box 1 is closed. Do not touch the inner surface.

When the cylinder 57 further extends and reaches near the extension stroke end, the upper plate 42 is connected to the stopper 41 joined to the cylindrical portion 40 on the lower surface of the bottom wall of the valve box 1.
Further contact with the lower surface restricts further upward movement. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the valve plate support 10 stops at the valve closing position, and the valve plate 5 is positioned at a position corresponding to the front opening 2 in the valve box 1. In this state, each of the link mechanisms 46 has begun to come off from the upper end of the link restricting portion 52, and the further extension operation of the cylinder 57 causes each of the link mechanisms 46 to change to the contracted state and the compression spring 44 to move.
Is compressed, only the lower plate 43 rises with respect to the upper plate 42 whose stop is restricted by the stopper 41. As a result, as shown in FIG. 1, only the valve plate driving rod 37 rises relatively to the valve plate support 10 stopped and held together with the support driving rod 36, and the valve plate driving rod 37 With only the upward movement, while the mechanism accommodating bellows 34 extends, each link 28 of each parallel link mechanism 22 rotates horizontally in the front-rear direction, and the valve plate 5 moves forward so as to separate from the valve plate support 10. Then, the inner surface of the front wall around the front opening 2 of the valve box 1 is pressed, and the opening 2 is hermetically closed by the seal member 7, and the gate valve G is closed.

On the other hand, when the gate valve G in the closed state as described above is opened, the cylinder 57 contracts and the piston rod 57a descends. With the downward movement of the piston rod 57a, each lower plate 43 descends together with the valve plate drive rod 37, and this valve plate drive rod 37
As the mechanism accommodating bellows 34 contracts, the respective links 28 of the respective parallel link mechanisms 22 rotate in the inclined direction, and the valve plate 5 moves backward so as to approach the valve plate support 10 to move the valve box. The opening 2 is opened away from the inner surface of the front wall around the front opening 2. Thereafter, both rods 36 and 37 are integrally lowered by the restriction of the extension of the link mechanism 46 by the link restriction portion 52, the valve plate support 10 moves to the valve-opening position together with the valve plate 5, and the gate valve G is opened. I do.

In this embodiment, since the valve plate 5 is connected to each valve plate drive rod 37 via each parallel link mechanism 22, the parallel link mechanism 22 and the valve plate drive rod 37 are directly connected. To provide a compact connection structure, eliminating the need for providing a connecting portion between the parallel link mechanism and the valve plate support as in the prior art, and reducing the front and rear thicknesses of the valve box 1 and thus the vacuum gate valve G. The size can be reduced.

The rear link shaft 27 and the valve plate drive rod 37 in each of the parallel link mechanisms 22 are connected to the fitting portion 27a in which the front side of the rear link shaft 27 is cut off and the rear side of the valve plate drive rod 37. Since the fitting portions 37a with the notched portions are fitted and fastened in a state of intersecting with each other, the axes of the fitting portions 27a and 37a can be brought closer to each other by the notch. For this reason, the parallel link mechanism 22 and the valve plate drive rod 37 are combined with the fact that the valve plate drive rod 37 is located on the front side of each rear link shaft 27 and does not project to the rear side of each rear link shaft 27. 37 can be made compact in the front-rear direction.
Alternatively, the thickness of the gate valve G can be further reduced.

The valve plate 5 is connected to a valve plate drive rod 37 so as to move and be integrated. On the other hand, the valve plate support 10 which guides and supports the valve plate 5 so as to be able to come and go is a valve plate drive rod 37.
Is moved and integrally connected to the support driving rod 36 which moves up and down in the same direction as the moving direction of the support plate, so that the valve plate support 10 is moved by moving the support driving rod 36 in the longitudinal direction. While the plate 5 is supported, the valve plate 1 is moved between the valve closing position and the valve opening position corresponding to the front opening 2, and only the valve plate driving rod 37 is moved forward and backward at the valve closing position. The opening and closing operation can be performed, and the opening and closing of the gate valve G can be smoothly performed.

Front guide rollers 31 are provided at the left and right central portions of the front link shafts 23 of the parallel link mechanisms 22, and left and right rear guide rollers 32 are provided at the left and right sides of the rear link shaft 27. Supported, valve plate drive rod 37
When the valve plate 5 moves back and forth in accordance with only the vertical movement, the front guide roller 31 on the front link shaft 23 located on the upper side is formed by the lower surface of the upper protruding piece 15 of the guide member 12 or the upper edge of the opening 14 in the horizontal guide portion 17. The front guide roller 31 on the front link shaft 23 located on the lower side and along the lower surface of the lower portion is movably rolled in the front-rear direction along the upper surface of the lower projecting piece 16 or the upper surface of the lower edge portion of the opening 14. On the other hand, each rear guide roller 32 rolls and guides between the vertical guide portion 13, that is, the rear surface of the front wall on the left and right sides of the opening 14 in the guide member 12 and the bottom surface of each rectangular recess 11 a on the front surface of the main body 11. Is done. Each guide roller 31, 32 is guided by the horizontal guide portion 17 and the vertical guide portion 13 so that each link 2
8 can be smoothly swung, and the operation of moving the valve plate 5 toward and away from the valve plate support 10 is smoothly performed. That is, the vertical guide portion 13 and the horizontal guide portion 17 are provided on the valve plate support 10, and the guide rollers 31, 32 of the parallel link mechanism 22 are rolled and guided by these guide portions 13, 17, so that the valve plate support is provided. The operation of each parallel link mechanism 22 can be smoothed while the body 10 has a compact structure.

Further, since the support driving rod 36 is cylindrical and the valve plate driving rod 37 is inserted therein, both rods are arranged in different positions as solid rods. In comparison with the above, the arrangement space for the rods 36 and 37 can be reduced, and the size of the valve box 1 or the gate valve G can be further reduced.

A chamfer 18 is formed at the intersection of the lower portion of the opening 14 on the rear surface of the front wall of the guide member 12 and the rear end of the upper surface of the lower projecting piece 16 on the horizontal guide portion 17. On the other hand, in the middle part of each link 28 on the lower side of each parallel link mechanism 22, a concave portion 2 having a shape in which its lower surface is cut out is provided.
9, each link 2 is formed as shown in FIG.
When the rear member 8 is inclined backward so as to lower the rear side portion, the mating member enters the chamfered portion 18 and the concave portion 29 respectively, and the intermediate portion of the lower link 28 and the rear surface of the front wall of the guide member 12 are formed. The lower portion of the opening 14 does not interfere with each other. That is, the swing of each link 28 of the parallel link mechanism 22 can be ensured while the gate valve G is made compact.

Also, in this embodiment, the left and right parallel link mechanisms 22,
The elastic member mounting grooves 60 at the upper and lower positions
When the gate valve G is closed, the valve plate 5 separated from the valve plate supporting member 10 is filled with the elastic members 61, 61 so as to partially protrude from the rear surface of the main body 11. Is pressed against the inner surface of the front wall around the front opening 2
Is closed, the elastic members 61 are pressed against the inner surface (front surface) of the rear wall around the rear opening 3 of the valve box 1 and are compressed and deformed. The valve plate support 10 is urged against the valve box 1 in the forward direction as the closing direction of the valve plate 5. By urging the valve plate support 10 in the closing direction of the valve plate 5 when the valve is closed in this manner, the valve box 1 may be temporarily worn due to the wear of the parallel link mechanisms 22 and the seal members 7 due to long-term use of the gate valve G. Even if play occurs in the sealing structure of the valve plate 5 with respect to the front opening 2 of the valve body, the play is absorbed by the urging force of the valve plate support 10 by the elastic member 61. In other words, even if there is play, the valve plate 5 is always pressed against the inner surface of the front wall around the front opening 2 with a substantially constant pressure so as to compensate for the play. As a result, the reduction in the vacuum sealing performance and the pressure resistance performance of the gate valve G is suppressed for a long period of time, and the maintenance cycle of the parallel link mechanism 22 and the seal member 7 can be extended accordingly.

Each of the elastic members 61 is connected to the valve plate support 1.
0, the left and right parallel link mechanisms 2
2, 22, that is, along the swinging direction of each link 22 of each parallel link mechanism 22 when passing through each parallel link mechanism 22 and the valve plate 5 comes into contact with or separates from the valve plate support 10. Is located at a position included in the front-rear vertical plane and receives the reaction force from the closed valve plate 5 in a concentrated manner. Is obtained.

Further, the spring constant of the elastic member 61 is
Since the spring constant of the sealing member 7 for sealing between the valve plate 5 and the inner surface of the front wall around the front opening 2 is equal to or less than the spring constant, the play of the sealing structure by the elastic member 61 is maintained while the pressing stroke of the valve plate 5 is properly maintained. The suppression effect is obtained. That is, as the spring constant of the elastic member 61 is lower, the play of the seal structure can be more stably suppressed, but on the other hand, the stroke in the front-rear direction for pressing the valve plate 5 against the inner surface of the front wall of the valve box 1 increases. And to shorten this pressing stroke,
It is necessary to increase the spring constant of the elastic member 61, but if the spring constant is larger than the spring constant of the seal member 7, it becomes difficult to suppress the play of the seal structure. Therefore, by setting the spring constant of the elastic member 61 to be equal to or less than the spring constant of the seal member 7, it is possible to achieve both the optimization of the pressing stroke of the valve plate 5 and the effect of the elastic member 61 to suppress the play of the seal structure. .

In the above embodiment, the rear link shaft 27 of each parallel link mechanism 22 and the valve plate drive rod 37 are connected and fixed by fitting the fitting portions 27a, 37a. It is not always necessary to provide the joint portions 27a and 37a, and the rear link shaft 27 and the valve plate drive rod 37 may be directly connected. However, it is desirable to adopt the above-mentioned fitting structure in that the connecting structure between the link shaft 27 and the rod 37 can be made compact.

In the above embodiment, the support drive rod 36 is cylindrical and the valve plate drive rod 37 is accommodated coaxially therein. However, both rods are solid and different from each other. It may be arranged at a position. But,
The structure of the above embodiment is desirable in that the arrangement space for both rods can be reduced.

Further, a chamfered portion 18 formed at the intersection of the lower portion of the opening 14 at the rear surface of the front wall of the guide member 12 and the rear end of the upper surface of the lower projecting piece 16 at the horizontal guide portion 17, Each link 2 on the lower side of each parallel link mechanism 22
The recess 29 formed in the middle part of 8 can be omitted.

In the above embodiment, the air cylinder 57 is used as the driving means. However, a hydraulic cylinder may be used. In addition, a rotary actuator may be used, and various electromagnetic actuators may be used. . Further, the structure for guiding and supporting the valve plate support 10 and the valve plate 5 that comes in contact with and away from the valve plate support, the drive structure for the valve plate support 10 and the like are not limited to the above-described embodiment, and are within a range that does not impair the technical idea of the present invention. Can be changed.

In the above embodiment, the valve plate support 10
The valve plate 5 is moved upward to open the valve, and is moved downward to close the valve. Conversely, the valve plate support 10 and the valve plate 5 are opened by the downward movement, and the valve plate is closed by the upward movement. You may make it. Further, it is needless to say that the direction of the opening / closing operation of the valve plate support 10 and the valve plate 5 does not necessarily need to be limited to the vertical direction.

[0054]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a valve plate which moves so as to approach / separate from an opening of a valve box or the like in a vacuum gate valve to open / close the opening, and movement of the valve plate A valve plate drive rod that moves forward and backward in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction, and connects the valve plate drive rod and the valve plate to the valve plate drive rod with the movement of the valve plate drive rod by a parallel link mechanism. By being connected apart, the parallel link mechanism and the valve plate drive rod can be directly connected with a compact structure, and the thickness of the vacuum gate valve can be reduced to make it compact.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, in the parallel link mechanism, the rod-side link shaft connected to the valve plate drive rod and the valve plate drive rod are fitted with fitting portions formed by cutting out the outer peripheral portions thereof. By connecting and fixing together, the shaft centers of the rod side link shaft and the valve plate drive rod can be arranged close to each other, and the connection structure between the two can be made compact to further reduce the size of the vacuum gate valve. it can.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the valve plate support for guiding and supporting the valve plate is connected to the valve plate support so as to move integrally therewith, and moves forward and backward in the same direction as the moving direction of the valve plate driving rod. By providing the support drive rod, the valve plate support is moved to a position corresponding to the opening while supporting the valve plate on the valve plate, and the valve plate is moved by the advance and retreat movement of only the valve plate drive rod at that position. The guide can be supported by the support, and the opening and closing of the gate valve can be smoothly performed.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the valve plate driving rod and the support member driving rod are arranged coaxially,
The gate valve can be further miniaturized by reducing the arrangement space for both rods.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, a roller is supported on each link shaft of the parallel link mechanism, and at least the roller on the valve plate side link shaft is provided on the valve plate support in the opening and closing movement direction of the valve plate. By providing a guide portion for guiding in the direction, the rollers of the parallel link mechanism can be smoothly guided by the guide portion, and the operation of the parallel link mechanism can be smoothed while the valve plate support has a compact structure. .

In the invention according to claim 6, a chamfered portion for preventing interference with the link of the parallel link mechanism is provided at the corner of the guide portion on the valve plate drive rod side. In the invention according to claim 7, at least one of the links of the parallel link mechanism is provided at an intermediate portion of the link that is located on the rear side in the moving direction of the valve plate driving rod when the valve plate is separated from the valve plate driving rod. A recess for preventing interference with the member was provided. Therefore, according to these inventions, it is possible to prevent interference when the link of the parallel link mechanism is tilted due to the opening and closing movement of the valve plate, and to secure the swing of the link of the parallel link mechanism while reducing the size of the gate valve. be able to.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an enlarged side sectional view of a main part showing a closed state of a vacuum gate valve.

FIG. 2 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 showing a state in which a valve plate of a vacuum gate valve opens a front opening of a valve box.

FIG. 3 is a partially broken plan view showing a part of a parallel link mechanism in an enlarged manner.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view of a guide member.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side view showing the overall configuration of the vacuum gate valve.

FIG. 7 is a front view showing the entire configuration of the vacuum gate valve.

[Explanation of symbols]

 G Vacuum gate valve 1 Valve box 2 Front opening 5 Valve plate 7 Seal member 10 Valve plate support 12 Guide member 13 Vertical guide portion 17 Horizontal guide portion (guide portion) 18 Chamfer portion 22 Parallel link mechanism 23 Front link shaft (valve) Plate side link shaft) 27 Rear link shaft (Rod side link shaft) 27a Fitting part 28 Link 29 Depression 31, 32 Guide roller 36 Support member drive rod 37 Valve plate drive rod 37a Fitting part 57 Cylinder

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A valve plate which moves in a direction approaching and separating from an opening communicating with a vacuum vessel to open and close the opening, a valve plate driving rod which moves forward and backward in a direction substantially perpendicular to the moving direction of the valve plate. And a parallel link mechanism for connecting the valve plate drive rod and the valve plate so that the valve plate comes into contact with and separates from the valve plate drive rod as the valve plate drive rod moves. valve. 2. The vacuum gate valve according to claim 1, wherein the parallel link mechanism connects a valve plate side link shaft connected to the valve plate and a rod side link shaft connected to the valve plate drive rod by a link. The above-mentioned rod side link shaft and the valve plate drive rod are connected and fixed by fitting fitting portions formed by cutting out respective outer peripheral portions. 3. The vacuum gate valve according to claim 1, wherein a valve plate support that guides and supports the valve plate so as to be able to contact and separate therefrom, and is integrally connected to the valve plate support to move the valve plate driving rod. A support driving rod that moves forward and backward in the same direction as the direction of the vacuum gate valve. 4. The vacuum gate valve according to claim 3, wherein the valve plate drive rod and the support member drive rod are coaxially arranged. 5. The vacuum gate valve according to claim 3, wherein a roller is supported on each link shaft of the parallel link mechanism, and at least a roller on the valve plate side link shaft is provided on the valve plate support. A vacuum gate valve provided with a guide portion for guiding in the same direction as the opening and closing movement direction of the plate. 6. The vacuum gate valve according to claim 5, wherein a chamfer for preventing interference with the link of the parallel link mechanism is provided at a corner of the guide portion on the valve plate drive rod side. Vacuum gate valve. 7. The vacuum gate valve according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the links of the parallel link mechanism is moved rearward in a moving direction of the valve plate driving rod when the valve plate is separated from the valve plate driving rod. A concave portion for preventing interference with other members is provided in an intermediate portion of a link to be a vacuum gate valve.