Patent ID: 8348234

Claim:
A vacuum valve comprising: a valve housing with an inner space that forms a vacuum region of the vacuum valve and that is bounded on a first side by a first wall and on an opposite second side by a second wall; the first wall has a first opening and a valve seat, the valve seat surrounds the first opening and has a sealing surface lying in a plane or a sealing ring lying in a plane; the second wall has a second opening; a valve plate that is arranged in the inner space of the valve housing and that can be adjusted over a closing path from an open position, in which it frees the first opening, into a closed position, in which it closes the first opening, the valve plate has a sealing ring that is pressed in the closed position onto the sealing surface of the valve seat or a sealing surface on which the sealing ring of the valve seat is pressed in the closed position, and during the closing of the vacuum valve, the valve plate is moved from the open position of the valve plate over a main section of the closing path in a main closing direction that is parallel to the valve plate and parallel to the plane of the sealing surface or the sealing ring of the valve seat and is then moved, following the main section of the closing path, over a final section of the closing path running at an angle to the valve plate and at an angle to the plane of the sealing surface or the sealing ring of the valve seat for guiding the valve plate onto the valve seat; a first guide element that guides the valve plate over the final section of the closing path is arranged on the first wall in front of the valve opening with respect to the main closing direction; a second guide element which is arranged on the valve plate interacts with the first guide element, wherein the valve plate is guided over the final section of the closing path by guide surfaces at an angle to a plane of the sealing surface or the sealing ring of the valve seat, and at least one of the guide surfaces is arranged on the first guide element or on the second guide element, and wherein the first guide element is L-shaped and is formed by a projection of the first wall or a part attached to the first wall, and projects into a recess in the valve plate, with the recess lying in front of the first opening with respect to the main closing direction, or the second guide element is L-shaped and is formed by a projection of the valve plate or a part attached to the valve plate, and projects into a recess in the first wall, with the recess lying in front of the first opening with respect to the main closing direction.