Patent ID: 8177190

Claim:
A vacuum valve comprising: a valve body with a valve orifice; at least one closure member for closing the valve orifice; a first piston-cylinder unit having an opening cylinder space and a closing cylinder space; and a second piston-cylinder unit having an opening cylinder space and a closing cylinder space; a first control element for controlling the application of pressure to the opening cylinder space of the second piston-cylinder unit, where the first control element is moved along with the piston of the first piston-cylinder unit; and a second control element for controlling the application of pressure to the closing cylinder space of the first piston-cylinder unit, where the second control element is moved along with a piston of the second piston-cylinder unit; wherein pressure is applied to the opening cylinder space of the first piston-cylinder unit by a pressure medium over the course of a first part of the opening process when opening the vacuum valve; wherein pressure is applied to the closing cylinder space of the first piston-cylinder unit by a pressure medium over the course of a second part of the closing process when closing the vacuum valve; wherein pressure is applied to the opening cylinder space of the second piston-cylinder unit by a pressure medium over the course of a second part of the opening process when opening the vacuum valve; wherein pressure is applied to the closing cylinder space of the second piston-cylinder unit by a pressure medium over the course of a first part of the closing process when closing the vacuum valve; wherein a pressure medium line for the application of pressure to the opening cylinder space of the second piston-cylinder unit is blocked during the opening of the vacuum valve over the course of the first part of the opening process, and the pressure medium line for the application of pressure to the opening cylinder space of the second piston-cylinder unit is released at the end of the first part of the opening process by the first control element; and wherein a pressure medium line for the application of pressure to the closing cylinder space of the first piston-cylinder unit is blocked during the closing of the vacuum valve over the course of the first part of the closing process, and the pressure medium line for the application of pressure to the closing cylinder space of the first piston-cylinder unit is released by the second control element at the end of the first part of the closing process.