Patent ID: 7762527

Claim:
A vacuum valve comprising: a valve body with a valve opening having a longitudinal axis and a valve seat surrounding the valve opening; a valve plate which is adjustable from an open position, in which it releases the valve opening, to an intermediate position, in which it covers the valve opening but is lifted from the valve seat, into a closed position in which it contacts the valve seat, and from the closed position to the intermediate position into the open position; a valve rod carrying the valve plate; a transverse drive unit by which the valve plate can be displaced in a transverse adjusting direction extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of the valve opening from its open position into its intermediate position and opposite the transverse adjusting direction from its intermediate position into its open position; a longitudinal drive unit by which the valve plate can be displaced in a longitudinal adjusting direction extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the valve opening from its intermediate position into its closed position and opposite the longitudinal adjusting direction from its closed position into its intermediate position; a guide device by which the transverse drive unit is guided so as to be displaceable relative to the valve body parallel to the longitudinal adjusting direction; and said transverse drive unit being displaced relative to the valve body parallel to the longitudinal adjusting direction when the valve plate is adjusted from its intermediate position to its closed position and from its closed position to its intermediate position.