Patent ID: 7731156

Claim:
A vacuum valve comprising: a valve housing with an interior space which forms a vacuum area of the vacuum valve and having a first valve opening and a second valve opening which have parallel longitudinal axes and which are surrounded by a first valve seat and a second valve seat; a closure member comprising a first closure plate and a second closure plate; a transverse drive unit for adjusting the closure member in an actuation direction transverse to the longitudinal axes of the valve openings between an open position, in which the closure plates free the valve openings, and an intermediate position in which the closure plates cover the valve openings but are raised from the valve seats; a first longitudinal drive unit for adjusting the closure member between the intermediate position and a first closed position in which the first closure plate is pressed against the first valve seat; and a second longitudinal drive unit for adjusting the closure member between the intermediate position and a second closed position in which the second closure plate is pressed against the second valve seat; each of the longitudinal drive units comprising a plurality of actuating elements which are guided into the vacuum area of the valve housing through vacuum feedthroughs and which have actuating ends lying inside the vacuum area; said actuating elements being adjustable by driving elements, which are located outside the vacuum area of the valve housing, between a retracted, passive position in which their actuating ends are raised from the closure member and an advanced, active position in which their actuating ends are pressed against the closure member and press the respective closure plate against the respective valve seat; wherein the first closure plate and the second closure plate are arranged at a carrier arrangement having at least two carriers which are arranged at right angles to the longitudinal axes of the valve openings and at right angles to the adjusting direction of the transverse drive unit and which extend over at least most of the width of the closure plates measured in direction of the carriers.