Drive device

Abstract

A drive device serves for adjusting an operating element for a valve, a throttle, a blow-out preventor or the like, in particular in the field of gas and oil production, the operating element being actively connected to at least one driving motor via a drive train, and at least one transmission changing unit being arranged in the drive train for converting a revolution of the driving motor into a revolution of the operating element and/or a revolution/linear motion converter being arranged for converting the revolution of the driving motor into a linear motion of the operating element. In order to also have a very compact design in case of a high possible performance and to simultaneously permit a good thermal distribution within the drive device, so that separate cooling devices for carrying off the generated lost heat are superfluous, the drive train comprises at least one essentially disk- or wheel-shaped revolution introducing device which is actively connected with at least two drive shafts driven by separate driving motors.

Claims

1. Drive device for adjusting an operating element in a component used in the field of gas or oil exploitation and/or production, comprising: driving motors; a drive train actively connecting the operating element with the driving motors, the drive train comprising: at least two drive shafts, each drive shaft comprising two driving motors and a helical gear drive wheel arranged on the drive shaft; at least one transmission changing unit for converting a revolution of the driving motors into a revolution of the operating element, wherein the at least one transmission changing unit comprises a step-down gear unit comprising a harmonic drive located between one of the driving motors and one of the helical gear drive wheels; and a helical gear spur wheel connected to each helical gear drive wheel arranged on the drive shafts.

2. Drive device according to claim 1, wherein the helical gear spur wheel/helical gear drive wheel comprise gears that are self-locking.

3. Drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that a helical angle of the teeth of the helical gearing is between 40 and 85.

4. Drive device according to claim 1, wherein at least two driving motors are assigned to each drive shaft at one end.

5. Drive device according to claim 1, wherein the drive shafts are arranged in parallel to the longitudinal direction of the operating element.

6. Drive device according to claim 1, wherein the drive shafts are mounted in a floating fashion.

7. Drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that a helical angle of the teeth of the helical gearing is between 60 and 80.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following, advantageous embodiments of the invention are illustrated more in detail with reference to the Figures enclosed in the drawing.

(2) in the drawings:

(3) FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through an embodiment of a drive device 1 according to the invention, the longitudinal section corresponding to a section along line I-I of FIG. 2;

(4) FIG. 2 shows a section along line II-II of FIG. 1; and

(5) FIG. 3 shows a simplified representation of a second embodiment of the drive device according to the invention with double helical gearing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(6) FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through an embodiment of a drive device 1 according to the invention.

(7) For simplification, only a part of a corresponding operating element 2 and a rotating spindle 27 connected to such an operating element, respectively, is depicted. Moreover, for simplification, corresponding devices, in particular of the gas or oil production, such as valves, throttles, blow-out preventors or the like, in which the operating element triggers a corresponding activity, such as opening and closing the valve, changes in the throttling or the like, are not depicted.

(8) The drive device 1 has an essentially cylindrical housing 31, the cross-section of which is reduced in degrees towards the operating element 2 by correspondingly skewed fitting surfaces 32. These three fitting surfaces 32 and the cross-sectional reduction facilitate an insertion of the device housing into a corresponding device underneath sea level, on the ocean bed or in other impracticable areas, in particular by telecontrolled vehicles.

(9) A drive train 3 connecting the operating element 2, 27 with driving motors 4, 7, 8, 9, see FIG. 2, is arranged within the device housing 31. In the shown embodiment according to FIG. 1, it comprises, for example, the rotating spindle 27, a gear transmission unit 28 designed as harmonic drive, a transmission changing unit 5, an essentially disk- or wheel-shaped revolution introducing device 6, and the further driving connections to the driving motors 4, 7, 8, 9, see in particular FIG. 2 and the further embodiment according to FIG. 3.

(10) With respect to the rotating spindle 27, it should be noted that in the represented embodiment it is mounted rotatably but axially stationarily. It is also possible to produce a motion connection to a recirculating ball nut instead of a motion connection to the rotating spindle 27 with the step-down gear unit 28, the recirculating ball nut being mounted rotatably, but axially stationarily, so that the rotating spindle 27 would be correspondingly adjustable in the axial direction. Further possibilities, in particular for the connection of the step-down gear unit 28 with a corresponding operating element 2, can be considered.

(11) The step-down gear unit 28 designed as harmonic drive is employed such that the flexible, cup-shaped shell of the harmonic drive is connected to the rotating spindle 27, and the wave generator of the harmonic drive is connected to the revolution introducing device 6. The other part of the harmonic drive, the fixed ring with internal toothing, serves for rolling off the cup-shaped shell provided with a corresponding external toothing, the wave generator pressing essentially opposing areas of the shell into engagement with the internal toothing of the fixed ring.

(12) The revolution introducing device 6 is disk- or wheel-shaped and formed with an external toothing 14 arranged along its peripheral direction 15, see FIG. 2. In the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 and 2, the revolution introducing device 6 is designed as worm wheel 16 which is in engagement with corresponding worms 17, 18 and their external toothing. The worms 17, 18 are in abutment at essentially opposing places of the worm wheel 16 and are arranged on corresponding drive shafts 10, 11.

(13) The worm wheel 16 is rotatably mounted relatively to the device housing 31 via pivot bearings 33, 34. Furthermore, a positioning sensor 26 is assigned to one end of the drive train 3, which can in particular detect the angle of rotation of the drive train or the worm wheel 16, respectively, and convert it into a rotation or a linear adjustment, respectively, of the operating element 2.

(14) FIG. 2 corresponds to a section along line II-II of FIG. 1, identical parts being provided with identical reference numerals in this as well as in the other Figures and reference being partially made to the respective other Figures for describing the corresponding characterized parts.

(15) In FIG. 2 corresponding to a section along line II-II of FIG. 1, one can see in particular that two different drive shafts 10, 11 are arranged at both sides of the worm wheel 16 and drive the same via corresponding worms 17, 18. Each of the drive shafts 10, 11 comprises driving motors 4, 7, and 8, 9, respectively, at their opposite ends 19, 20. Directly adjacent to the driving motors, the drive shafts 10, 11 are each rotatably mounted and essentially integral with the motor shafts.

(16) It is also possible for the drive shafts to be mounted in a floating fashion, also see the further embodiment according to FIG. 3.

(17) It is furthermore possible for further drive shafts to be arranged which are correspondingly in motion connection with the worm wheel 16 or another worm wheel offset in parallel thereto. Further driving motors/drive shafts are assigned to this additional worm/drive wheel, too.

(18) For synchronizing the various drive shafts, on the one hand, an electrical synchronization of the electromotors 4, 7, and 8, 9, and on the other hand, an essentially mechanical synchronization of the drive shafts 10, 11, can be effected directly with one another by means of non-depicted sprocket belts, chains, or the like.

(19) In the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 and 2, it should be noted that the corresponding drive shafts 10, 11, are essentially oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 21 of the operating element 2 or the rotating spindle 27, respectively.

(20) In the further embodiment according to FIG. 3 corresponding to a simplified view according to FIG. 1, the revolution introducing device 6 is designed as helical gear spur wheel 22. Otherwise, the design of the drive train can be constructed analogously to FIG. 1.

(21) The helical gear spur wheel 22 forms a part of a dually arranged double helical gearing 30, one double helical gearing 30 each being formed by a helical gear spur wheel 22 and a helical gear drive wheel 23 in engagement therewith. One of these drive wheels 23 each is actively connected with a corresponding drive shaft 12 or 13, respectively.

(22) The drive shafts 12, 13 according to FIG. 3 are rotatably mounted at both ends in the device housing and at one end two driving motors 4, 7, and 8, 9, respectively, are assigned to each of the drive shafts 12, 13. Between the driving motors 4, 7, and 8, 9, respectively, of each drive shaft 12, 13 and the corresponding drive wheel 23, a step-down gear unit 24 designed as harmonic drive 25 is arranged. In this drive, the flexible, cup-shaped shell is actively connected with the respective drive shaft and the wave generator is connected with the drive wheel 23.

(23) In the embodiment according to FIG. 3, too, it is possible to arrange three, four, or even more drive shafts in the peripheral direction in a spaced manner around the spur wheel 22 as revolution introducing device 6, correspondingly all drive wheels 23 being engaged with the spur wheel 22. It is also possible to arrange two of the helical gear spur wheels offset in parallel to one another and to connect them with two, three, or even more drive wheels.

(24) It should be finally noted that of course also a combination of the embodiments according to FIG. 1, 2 or 3, respectively, is possible, so that a worm gear pair according to FIG. 1 or 2, respectively, and a double helical gearing 30 according to FIG. 3 are employed together for one drive train 3. The helical angle of the gearing is between 40 and 85, preferably between 60 and 80.

(25) The assignment of two or even more driving motors, which are preferably designed as electromotors, to each drive shaft permits a redundancy with respect to the motors and furthermore the use of smaller electromotors having less power, the plurality of motors generating the corresponding power for the adjustment of the operating element 2. The various driving motors are distributed in the device housing 31, so that correspondingly the generated lost heat in the housing is also distributed. This makes superfluous separate cooling devices, and instead, the corresponding lost heat can be carried off via the environment. With respect to the two employed gears, worm gear pair and double helical gearing, it should be noted that these are self-locking, so that an automatic rotation of the gears in particular opposed to the sense of rotation transmitted by the electromotors, is avoided. In the double helical gearing 30 according to FIG. 3, furthermore a self-braking option is realized on the driving end of the corresponding gear.

(26) The drive shafts 10, 11 or 12, 13 may be synchronized by a mechanical coupling device 35. The coupling device comprises e.g. a pinion 36 on each of the drive shafts 10, 11, or 12, 13, respectively, and a chain 37 or a corresponding sprocket belt, respectively, connecting the motion of the various pinions. It is furthermore possible for a gear rim to be also mounted in the housing with which all pinions are engaged for forming a mechanical coupling device.

(27) It is finally also possible that the coupling device 35 is formed by a gear wheel set.

(28) The mechanical coupling device 35 makes it possible, for example, to also transmit the self-braking or self-locking effect by the corresponding gear units, see worm gear pair and double helical gearing in FIGS. 2 and 3, for example, from a drive shaft which is self-braked or self-locked by such a gear unit to the other drive shafts. The transmission can also be employed for the driving power, so that with a drive of only one of the drive shafts directly by motors, the driving power can be transmitted to all other drive shafts via the mechanical coupling device.

(29) If the corresponding disk- or wheel-shaped revolution introducing device of the drive train is directly actively connected with the mechanical coupling device, in a further embodiment of the invention it is possible to completely dispense with the self-braking or self-locking gear unit, so that the driving power can be transmitted to the rotating spindle by the mechanical coupling device and the same is correspondingly designed to offer at least a certain degree of self-braking and self-locking effects.

(30) Corresponding combinations of mechanical coupling device, number of drive shafts, drive of the drive shafts by one or a plurality of motors, arrangement and number of gear units are possible.