Abstract:
A pendulum gate valve incorporates an improved power transmission device for transmitting the movement of a pivot arm of the valve to a valve disk that selectively closes the valve. The power transmission device has a supporting plate and a valve disk support that is fixed to a tip end of the pivot arm and movable relative to the valve disk. First and second facing roller guide grooves, formed on the valve disk and on the valve disk support, respectively, extend obliquely downwardly so as to be separated from the valve disk. Third and fourth facing roller guide grooves, formed on the valve disk support and the supporting plate, respectively, extend obliquely downwardly so as to approach the valve disk. A first roller engages the first and second roller guide grooves, and a second roller engages the third and fourth roller guide grooves.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a gate valve and, more particularly, relates to a pendulum gate valve for use in a processing device for processing a semiconductor wafer or the like.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0004]    In a processing device for processing a semiconductor wafer, a liquid crystal substrate or the like, the wafer or the substrate is inserted into or taken out from one of many kinds of processing rooms through passages each having a gate valve, for example, a pendulum gate valve. It is necessary to prevent as much as possible foreign matters from entering into the processing room.  
           [0005]    Such gate valve is described in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,537. In such gate valve, a valve disc is moved up and down while separating from a valve seat, and the valve disc is brought into contact with the valve seat by urging the side surface of the valve disc toward the valve seat when the valve disc is positioned to face to the valve seat.  
           [0006]    [0006]FIG. 17 and FIG. 18 show the conventional pendulum gate valve having a hollow box-like valve housing  1  in the shape of oval in cross section, defining an interior space. The valve housing  1  includes a pair of opposing circular openings  2  and  3  through which an article to be processed and/or processing gas pass into a process chamber when the gate valve is opened.  
           [0007]    The gate valve includes a valve disk  5 . When the gate valve is closed, the valve disk  5  comes into contact with a valve seat  4  provided in the interior space around the edge of the opening  2 . The valve disk  5  is held by a pivot arm  6  and moved by an arm driving device  8  centering around a pivotal point  7  formed on the valve housing  1  between a completely opened position and a completely closed position.  
           [0008]    In the above conventional pendulum gate valve, the valve disk  5  in the completely closed position is urged toward the valve seat  4  through the tip end of the arm  6  by the arm driving device  8 . Accordingly, it is necessary to use the arm driving device  8  large in power and size, and the arm  6  large in diameter.  
           [0009]    Other conventional gate valve is disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 277,876/91. In this gate valve, a valve plate is provided facing the valve disk, and a pressure fluid is introduced into a space between the valve plate and the valve disk to separate with each other, so that the valve disk is urged to the valve seat by utilizing the reaction force to the force applied to the valve plate.  
           [0010]    In this gate valve, however, a device for introducing the pressure fluid into the space must be provided, so that the gate valve becomes large in size.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a pendulum gate valve free from the above defects.  
           [0012]    The invention can be summarized as follows.  
           [0013]    A pendulum gate valve of the present invention comprises a valve housing including an interior space and first and second openings opposite to each other;  
           [0014]    a valve seat disposed in the interior space around the edge of the first opening;  
           [0015]    a valve disk mounted relative to the valve housing so that the valve disk is movable within the interior space between a completely opened position and a completely closed position, the valve disk being constructed so that when the valve disk is moved to the closed position the valve disk engages the valve seat and seals the first opening;  
           [0016]    a pivot arm, the base end of which is pivotally secured to the valve housing;  
           [0017]    an arm driving device for moving a tip end of the pivot arm between a first position where the valve disk is in the completely opened position and a second position where the valve disk is in the completely closed position; and  
           [0018]    a power transmission device for transmitting the movement of the pivot arm to the valve disk;  
           [0019]    the power transmission device having a first roller guide groove formed on the valve disk, a valve disk support fixed to the tip end of the pivot arm, movable relative to the valve disk, a second roller guide groove formed on the valve disk support so as to face to the first roller guide groove, a third roller guide groove formed on the valve disk support, a supporting plate, a fourth roller guide groove formed on the supporting plate so as to face to the third roller guide groove, a first roller engaging with the first and second roller guide grooves, and a second roller engaging with the third and fourth roller guide grooves, each of the first and second roller guide grooves extending downwards obliquely so as to be separated from the valve disk, and each of the third and fourth roller guide grooves extending downwards obliquely so as to approach to the valve disk.  
           [0020]    A pendulum gate valve of the present invention comprises a valve housing including an interior space and first and second openings opposite to each other;  
           [0021]    a valve seat disposed in the interior space around the edge of the first opening;  
           [0022]    a valve disk mounted relative to the valve housing so that the valve disk is movable within the interior space between a completely opened position and a completely closed position, the valve disk being constructed so that when the valve disk is moved to the closed position the valve disk engages the valve seat and seals the first opening;  
           [0023]    a pivot arm, the base end of which is pivotally secured to the valve housing;  
           [0024]    an arm driving device for moving a tip end of the pivot arm between a first position where the valve disk is in the completely opened position and a second position where the valve disk is in the completely closed position; and  
           [0025]    a power transmission device for transmitting the movement of the pivot arm to the valve disk;  
           [0026]    the power transmission device having a first roller guide groove formed on the valve disk, a valve disk support fixed to the tip end of the pivot arm, movable relative to the valve disk, a second roller guide groove formed on the valve disk support so as to face to the first roller guide groove, a third roller guide groove formed on the valve disk support, a supporting plate, a fourth roller guide groove formed on the supporting plate so as to face to the third roller guide groove, a first roller engaging with the first and second roller guide grooves, and a second roller engaging with the third and fourth roller guide grooves, the first roller guide groove extending downwards obliquely so as to be separated from the valve disk and then extending downwards substantially vertically, the second roller guide groove extending upwards obliquely so as to approach to the valve disk and then extending upwards substantially vertically, the third roller guide groove extending downwards obliquely so as to approach to the valve disk and then extended downwards substantially vertically, and the fourth roller guide groove extending upwards obliquely so as to be separated from the valve disk and then extended upwards substantially vertically.  
           [0027]    A pendulum gate valve of the present invention comprises a valve housing including an interior space and first and second openings opposite to each other;  
           [0028]    a valve seat disposed in the interior space around the edge of the first opening;  
           [0029]    a valve disk mounted relative to the valve housing so that the valve disk is movable within the interior space between a completely opened position and a completely closed position, the valve disk being constructed so that when the valve disk is moved to the closed position the valve disk engages the valve seat and seals the first opening;  
           [0030]    a pivot arm, the base end of which is pivotally secured to the valve housing;  
           [0031]    an arm driving device for moving a tip end of the pivot arm between a first position where the valve disk is in the completely opened position and a second position where the valve disk is in the completely closed position; and  
           [0032]    a power transmission device for transmitting the movement of the pivot arm to the valve disk;  
           [0033]    the power transmission device having a pair of holders facing each other with a space therebetween, mounted on a back surface of the valve disk opposite to the valve seat, a first roller guide groove formed on each of opposite surfaces of the holders, a valve disk support fixed to the tip end of the pivot arm, movable relative to the valve disk, a second roller guide groove formed on the valve disk support so as to face to the first roller guide groove, a third roller guide groove formed on the valve disk support, a supporting plate, a fourth roller guide groove formed on the supporting plate so as to face to the third roller guide groove, a first roller engaging with the first and second roller guide grooves, and a second roller engaging with the third and fourth roller guide grooves, each of the first and second roller guide grooves extending downwards obliquely so as to be separated from the valve disk, and each of the third and fourth roller guide grooves extending downwards obliquely so as to approach to the valve disk.  
           [0034]    A pendulum gate valve of the present invention comprises a valve housing including an interior space and first and second openings opposite to each other;  
           [0035]    a valve seat disposed in the interior space around the edge of the first opening;  
           [0036]    a valve disk mounted relative to the valve housing so that the valve disk is movable within the interior space between a completely opened position and a completely closed position, the valve disk being constructed so that when the valve disk is moved to the closed position the valve disk engages the valve seat and seals the first opening;  
           [0037]    a pivot arm, the base end of which is pivotally secured to the valve housing;  
           [0038]    an arm driving device for moving a tip end of the pivot arm between a first position where the valve disk is in the completely opened position and a second position where the valve disk is in the completely closed position; and  
           [0039]    a power transmission device for transmitting the movement of the pivot arm to the valve disk;  
           [0040]    the power transmission device having a pair of holders facing each other with a space therebetween, mounted on a back surface of the valve disk opposite to the valve seat, a first roller guide groove formed on each of opposite surfaces of the holders, a valve disk support fixed to the tip end of the pivot arm, movable relative to the valve disk, a second roller guide groove formed on the valve disk support so as to face to the first roller guide groove, a third roller guide groove formed on the valve disk support, a supporting plate, a fourth roller guide groove formed on the supporting plate so as to face to the third roller guide groove, a first roller engaging with the first and second roller guide grooves, and a second roller engaging with the third and fourth roller guide grooves, the first roller guide groove extending downwards obliquely so as to be separated from the valve disk and then extending downwards substantially vertically, the second roller guide groove extending downwards obliquely so as to approach to the valve disk and then extending downwards substantially vertically, the third roller guide groove extending downwards obliquely so as to approach to the valve disk and then extended downwards substantially vertically, and the fourth roller guide groove extending upwards obliquely so as to be separated from the valve disk and then extended upwards substantially vertically.  
           [0041]    The pendulum gate valve has a member for preventing the supporting plate from moving relative to the valve disk in the moving direction of the pivot arm.  
           [0042]    The pendulum gate valve has a member for preventing resiliently the supporting plate from moving relative to the valve disk in the moving direction of the pivot arm.  
           [0043]    The pendulum gate valve has a member for preventing resiliently the valve disk from moving relative to the valve disk support in the moving direction of the pivot arm.  
           [0044]    The pendulum gate valve has a member for preventing resiliently the valve disk from moving relative to the valve disk support in the moving direction of the pivot arm.  
           [0045]    The pendulum gate valve has a stopper projected downwards from the lower end of the valve disk.  
           [0046]    Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0047]    [0047]FIG. 1 is a vertically sectioned front view of a pendulum gate valve in accordance with the present invention in a state before the gate valve is closed;  
         [0048]    [0048]FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along line X-X of FIG. 1;  
         [0049]    [0049]FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along line Y-Y of FIG. 1;  
         [0050]    [0050]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a power transmission device of the pendulum gate valve in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0051]    [0051]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a power transmission device of the pendulum gate valve in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0052]    [0052]FIG. 6 is a side view of a first roller guide groove of the pendulum gate valve in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0053]    [0053]FIG. 7 is a side view of second and fourth roller guide grooves of the pendulum gate valve in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0054]    [0054]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a power transmission device of the pendulum gate valve in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0055]    [0055]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a power transmission device of the pendulum gate valve in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0056]    [0056]FIG. 10 is a side view of a third roller guide groove of the pendulum gate valve in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0057]    [0057]FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional front view of the pendulum gate valve in accordance with the present invention in a state just before the gate valve is closed;  
         [0058]    [0058]FIG. 12 is a cross sectional view taken along line X-X of FIG. 11;  
         [0059]    [0059]FIG. 13 is a cross sectional view taken along line Y-Y of FIG. 11;  
         [0060]    [0060]FIG. 14 is a vertical sectional front view of the pendulum gate valve in accordance with the present invention in a state just the gate valve is closed;  
         [0061]    [0061]FIG. 15 is a cross sectional view taken along line X-X of FIG.14;  
         [0062]    [0062]FIG. 16 is a cross sectional view taken along line Y-Y of FIG. 14;  
         [0063]    [0063]FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a power transmission device of the conventional pendulum gate valve; and  
         [0064]    [0064]FIG. 18 is a vertical sectional side view of a part of the conventional gate valve. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0065]    As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, a pendulum gate valve in accordance with the present invention comprises a hollow box-like valve housing  1  in the shape of oval in cross section, defining an interior space, a pair of opposing circular openings  2  and  3 , a valve seat  4  provided in the interior space of the valve housing  1  around the edge of opening  2 , a valve disk  5 , which comes into contact with the valve seat  4  when the valve disk  5  is in the closed position, a pivot arm  6  connected at the tip end thereof to the valve disk  5  and connected pivotally at the base end thereof to a pivotal shaft  7  formed on the valve housing  1 , an arm driving device  8  for moving the valve disk  5  between a completely opened position (as illustrated in FIG. 1) and a completely closed position (as illustrated in FIG. 14), and a power transmission device  9  for urging the valve disk  5  toward the valve seat  4 . As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 9, the power transmission device  9  comprises two pairs of holders  10  facing each other with a space therebetween, mounted on a back surface  5   a  of the valve disk  5  opposite to the valve seat  4 , two pairs of first roller guide grooves  11  formed on opposite surfaces of said holders  10 , two first rollers  12 , both ends of each first roller  12  being inserted into said each pair of first roller guide grooves  11 , a valve support  13  inserted between each pair of holders  10  and secured to said pivot arm  6 , and two second roller guide grooves  14  formed passing through said valve disk support  13  for receiving therein said first rollers  12 , respectively.  
         [0066]    The first roller guide groove  11  formed on the holder  10  is extended downwards obliquely so as to be separated from the valve disk  5  and then extended downwards substantially vertically, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 6. Said first roller guide groove  11  is in the form of an elongated hole having a width similar substantially to the diameter of the first roller  12 . The second roller guide groove  14  formed on the valve disk support  13  is extended upwards obliquely so as to approach to the valve disk  5  and then extended upwards substantially vertically at a position corresponding to the position of said first roller guide groove  11 , as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 7. Said second roller guide groove  14  is in the form of an elongated hole having a width similar substantially to the diameter of the first roller  12 .  
         [0067]    Said valve disk  5  is separated from and approaches to the valve seat  4  relative to the valve disk support  13 , when said valve disk support  13  is moved up and down along said holder  10  as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 15.  
         [0068]    Further, in the present invention as shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 5, FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the power transmission device  9  comprises a pair of supporting plates  15  arranged at both sides of said valve disk support  13 , two connecting bars  16  inserted between said pair of supporting plates  13  to connect them together, two pairs of third roller guide grooves  17  formed on opposite surfaces of said supporting plates  15 , two second rollers  18 , both ends of each second roller  18  being inserted into said each pair of third roller guide grooves  17 , two fourth roller guide grooves  19  formed passing through said valve disk support  13  for receiving therein said second rollers  18 , respectively, two pairs of plate springs  20  for connecting each of said holders  10  and each of said supporting plate  15  corresponding thereto together, a tension spring  21 , one end of which is fixed to the tip end of said pivot arm  6  and the other end of which is fixed to said valve disk  5  so as to urge always said pivot arm  6  in one direction relative to said valve disk  5 , and a stopper  22  formed of a plate spring etc. projected downwards from the lower end of said valve disk  5 .  
         [0069]    Said plate spring  20  serves such that the holder  10  and the supporting plate  15  are prevented from moving relative to each other in the moving direction of the pivot arm  6 , but allows the relative movement of them in a direction normal to the moving direction of the pivot arm  6  shown by an arrow in FIG. 9.  
         [0070]    The third roller guide groove  17  formed on the supporting plate  15  is extended downwards obliquely so as to approach to the valve disk  5  and then extended downwards substantially vertically, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 10. Said third roller guide groove  17  is in the form of an elongated hole having a width similar substantially to the diameter of the second roller  18 . The fourth roller guide groove  19  formed on the valve disk support  13  is extended upwards obliquely so as to be separated from the valve disk  5  and then extended upwards substantially vertically at a position corresponding to the position of said third roller guide groove  17 , as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 7. Said fourth roller guide groove  19  is in the form of an elongated hole having a width similar substantially to the diameter of the second roller  18 .  
         [0071]    Said supporting plate  15  is separated from and approach to the opening  3  of the valve housing  1  relative to the valve disk  5 , as shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 16 when said valve disk support  13  is moved up and down along said holder  10  and the supporting plate  15  as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 15.  
         [0072]    The pendulum gate valve according to the present invention is constructed as mention above, and accordingly, when the arm driving device  8  is operated so as to swing the arm  6  in the direction shown by the arrow in FIG. 9 from a position shown in FIG. 1 where the openings  2  and  3  are opened to a position shown in FIG. 11 where the valve disk  5  faces to the opening  2 , the stopper  22  projected from the lower end of the valve disk  5  is brought into contact with the inside surface of the valve housing  1 , as shown in FIG. 11, and the movement of the valve disk  5  is stopped. When the arm  6  is moved further in the direction shown by the arrow in FIG. 9, the valve disk support  13  fixed to the arm  6  is also moved against the force of the tension spring  21  relative to the valve disk  5 , as shown in FIG. 14 to FIG. 16, so that the first roller  12  is moved while rotating along the first roller guide groove  11  and reaches finally to the lower vertical portion of the first roller guide groove  11 , as shown in FIG. 16 and that the first roller  12  is moved while rotating along the second roller guide groove  14  and reaches finally to the upper vertical portion of the second roller guide groove  14 , as shown in FIG. 15.  
         [0073]    At the same time, the second roller  18  passing through the fourth roller guide groove  19  of the valve disk support  13  is moved while rotating along the third roller guide grooves  17  of the supporting plate  15  and reaches finally to the lower vertical portion of the third roller guide groove  17 , shown in FIG. 16, and at the same time the second roller  18  is moved while rotating along the fourth roller guide groove  19  and reaches finally to the upper vertical portion of the fourth roller guide groove  19  of the valve disk support  13 , as shown in FIG. 15.  
         [0074]    As a result, the supporting plate  15  is pressed to the valve housing  1  around the edge of the opening  3  with a large force and reaction force thereof is applied to the valve disk  5 , so that the valve disk  5  is urged strongly to the valve seat  4 .  
         [0075]    In this state, even if the arm driving device  8  is deenergized to stop the movement of the arm  6  the valve disk  5  is maintained at the pressure contact state to the valve seat  4 .  
         [0076]    In case that the gate valve is to be opened, the arm driving device  8  is actuated to move through the arm  6  the valve disk  5  from the closed position to the open position, so that the valve disk support  13  is moved at first relative to the holder  10  and the supporting plate  15  by the spring force of the tension spring  21 , and that the first and second rollers  12  and  18  are moved together with the valve disk support  13  while rotating along the first and third roller guide grooves  11  and  17 , respectively. As a result, the valve disk  5  is separated from the valve seat  4  as well as the supporting plate  15  is separated from the opening  3 . A further movement of the arm  6  results in the movement of the valve disk  5 , so that the openings  2  and  3  are opened perfectly.  
         [0077]    In an another embodiment of the present invention, the holder  10  and the valve disk  5  are formed as a unit.  
         [0078]    In the other embodiment of the present invention, each of the first and second roller guide grooves  11  and  14  is extended downwards obliquely so as to be separated form the valve disk  5 , and each of the third and fourth roller guide grooves  17  and  19  is extended downwards obliquely so as to approach to the valve disk  5 .  
       EFFECT OF THE INVENTION  
       [0079]    The present invention provides important advantages over the conventional gate valve. For example, the pendulum gate valve of the present invention uses the power transmission device  9  having two rollers  12  and  18  and four roller guide grooves  11 ,  14 ,  17  and  19 , so that the valve disk  5  can be urged toward the valve seat  4  with a very strong force. Further, the roller  12  and  18  are moved in the roller guide grooves  11 ,  14 ,  17  and  19  while rotating without using any lubricant, so that foreign matters which would probably be produced due to the frictional movements of the rollers can be prevented from being produced on the contrary to the conventional gate valve. The valve disk  5  is urged to the valve seat  4  by the reaction force of the supporting plate  15 , so that the arm driving device  8  and the arm  6  can be made simple in construction and small in size.  
         [0080]    Furthermore, the gate valve can be closed by the continuous swing motion of the pivot arm  6  to move the valve disk  5  toward the opening and to urge the valve disk  5  toward the valve seat  4 , so that the continuous control of the flow of the fluid can be carried out, if the gate valve is used as a fluid flow control valve.  
         [0081]    While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.