Patent ID: 6669170
Filing Date: 2003-12-30
Classification: F16K

Abstract:
A vacuum valve comprising:a valve housing having a continuous line; a movably supported valve body in said valve housing having a movement path relative to said valve housing, the position of said movably supported valve body along said movement path defining a respective conductance through said line; a displaceable setting device operationally acting upon said movably supported valve body, thereby setting said position and having a displacement path; snap-in devices along said displacement path for snap-in positioning said setting device at predetermined positions along said displacement path; said snap-in devices being releasable again by an increase of a displacement force acting upon said setting device; said movement path having two ends; and wherein at least one of the subsequent is valid: the extent of said movement path from one of said ends to a first next subsequent position as set by said setting device at a first predetermined position is different from an extent of said movement path from said first next subsequent position to a further next subsequent position as set by said setting device at a second predetermined position; and the extent of said movement path from a first position as set by said setting device at a first predetermined position to a second position as set by said setting device at a second and next subsequent predetermined position is different from the extent from said second position to a third position as set by said setting device at a third next subsequent predetermined position.