| 摘要 |
A valve assembly and method of actuating a valve blade in a processing chamber through the use of magnetic force coupling is disclosed. The valve assembly comprises a valve rod for imparting a reciprocal motion to a valve blade which opens and closes a valve, the valve rod having at least one magnet mounted thereupon. A housing seals the valve rod and valve blade from the ambient, and an actuator rod in the ambient, having at least one complementary magnet mounted thereupon, aligns with the magnet on the valve rod to form a magnetic coupling through the housing. An actuator mechanism then provides a reciprocal motion to the actuator rod, which transfers the motion through the magnetic coupling to the valve rod and valve blade. Multiple actuator mechanisms can also be employed to vary the force applied to the valve blade to further increase the life of the valve assembly while still providing a strong seal between processing chambers. The design allows for very high speed operation of the valve with low maintenance costs.
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