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CA-3182328-C - USE OF A BALL SCREW DRIVE, AND ACTUATING DRIVE ASSEMBLY

CA3182328CCA 3182328 CCA3182328 CCA 3182328CCA-3182328-C

Abstract

The invention is directed toward improvements in the technical field of actuating drives (2). Proposed to this end is, inter alia, the use of a ball screw drive (3) for activating a self-closing, linearly activated fitting (4) While the opening of the fitting (4) by means of an actuating drive (2) takes place by an electric motor by way of the ball screw drive (3), a restoring movement is transmitted to the spindle (6) when closing the automatically closing fitting (4). The restoring movement, and thus also a closing movement of the fitting (4), can be at least indirectly decelerated by way of the ball screw drive (3), this being able to protect the fitting (4) and ultimately also the ball screw drive (3) and optionally further components connected to the fitting (4) and/or the ball screw drive (3) from damage, and moreover also being able to facilitate a fail-safe function. (Fig. 1)

Inventors

  • Benjamin Hofmann
  • Holger Graf

Assignees

  • AUMA RIESTER GMBH & CO. KG

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20210520
Priority Date
20200522

Claims (18)

  1. 90168821 CLAIMS: 1. A use of a ball screw drive for activating a self-closing, linearly activated fitting, wherein a nut of the ball screw drive for opening the fitting is driven by an electric motor so as to 5 thereby move in a translatory manner a spindle of the ball screw drive in the opening direction of the fitting and to open the fitting, and wherein for closing the fitting a linear restoring movement, comprising a relaxing movement, is transmitted to the spindle, wherein the spindle at the end of the restoring movement 10 continues to run and is axially released from a connection to the fitting, wherein a restoring force that has been introduced into the spindle by the restoring movement, in the direction of force, is at least partially dissipated behind the ball screw drive, specifically by a centrifugal brake of an actuating drive connected 15 to the ball screw drive.
  2. 2. The use as claimed in claim 1, wherein the restoring movement is at least one of: (i) a relaxing movement which is imparted by a pressurized medium that is switched by the fitting, and 20 (ii) a relaxing movement of a restoring unit, wherein the restoring unit comprises at least one restoring element comprising a spring.
  3. 3. The use as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a restoring force that has been introduced into the spindle by the restoring movement, in the direction of force, is at least partially 25 dissipated by a brake of an actuating drive connected to the ball screw drive.
  4. 4. An actuating drive assembly having an actuating drive, a ball screw drive which is driven by the actuating drive, and having a 90168821 21 linearly activated fitting, wherein the ball screw drive comprises a nut and a spindle which is at least indirectly connectable or connected to the fitting, wherein the fitting is able to be opened by means of an opening movement of the spindle, which is driven by 5 way of the actuating drive and the nut, directed in the opening direction of the fitting, and is able to be closed by means of a restoring movement which in the closing direction of the fitting acts on the spindle and is caused by a restoring unit, wherein the actuating drive, has a brake unit which comprises a centrifugal 10 brake, and wherein a releasable interface which is able to be opened when at least one of closing and opening the fitting is configured between the spindle and the restoring unit.
  5. 5. The actuating drive assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the restoring unit has at least one restoring element, comprising at 15 least one restoring spring, and wherein the restoring movement is a restoring movement or relaxing movement of the at least one restoring element.
  6. 6. The actuating drive assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein at least one of: 20 (i) the restoring unit and the actuating drive are integrated in a fail-safe unit, and (ii) the actuating drive has at least one of terminal detents and terminal switches for the fitting.
  7. 7. The actuating drive assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 25 to 6, wherein the actuating drive has a rotary encoder for detecting terminal positions of the fitting, wherein the rotary encoder is specified for at least indirectly ascertaining a rotating movement of the nut and for converting said rotating 90168821 22 movement into a linear movement acting on at least one of terminal detents and terminal switches.
  8. 8. The actuating drive assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the nut of the ball screw drive is mounted by means 5 of at least one axial bearing which is specified for absorbing axial forces that are transmitted to the spindle by the restoring movement when at least one of opening and closing the fitting.
  9. 9. The actuating drive assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the spindle has a thread pitch of 16 millimeters. 10
  10. 10. The actuating drive assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the brake unit comprises an operating current brake.
  11. 11. The actuating drive assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein a gearbox, comprising at least one of a planetary gear and a worm gear is disposed between a drive motor of the 15 actuating drive and the ball screw drive.
  12. 12. The actuating drive assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein the gearbox is not self-locking.
  13. 13. The actuating drive assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein a releasable interface is configured between the 20 spindle, and the restoring unit, at least one of: (i) said releasable interface being able to be opened when at least one of closing and opening the fitting, specifically by tensile forces acting at least one of in the closing direction and in the opening direction, and 25 (i) said releasable interface being specified for transmitting compressive forces in the closing direction and in the opening direction. 90168821 23
  14. 14. The actuating drive assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the interface is specified for rotationally fixing the spindle, wherein the interface has a guide element which couples a drive output of the restoring element to the spindle. 5
  15. 15. The actuating drive assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the guide element has axial play which is of such a dimension that the rotational fixing is maintained when opening and closing the fitting.
  16. 16. The actuating drive assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 10 to 15, wherein the actuating drive assembly for rotationally fixing the spindle has a bush which is rotationally fixed in a housing part of the actuating drive assembly and prevents relative rotation at least one of: (i) between the spindle and the bush, and 15 (ii) between the spindle and the housing part.
  17. 17. The actuating drive assembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein the bush at least one of is mounted so as to be axially displaceable in the housing part and is axially fixed to the spindle. 20
  18. 18. The actuating drive assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein at least one of: (i) an axial stroke of the fitting between the open position thereof and the closed position thereof, and (ii) an axial stroke of the spindle, 25 Is of such a dimension that balls of the ball screw drive cannot perform a complete recirculation in the ball screw drive.

Description

1 Use of a ball screw drive, and actuating drive assembly The invention relates to the use of a ball screw drive for activating a self-closing, linearly activated fitting, and to an actuating drive assembly which comprises an actuating 5 drive, a ball screw drive which is driven by the actuating drive, and a linearly activated fitting. Fittings of this type are used in oil and gas production facilities, for example. It is known for fittings to be used 10 here which are configured so as to be self-closing by a compressive load, on the one hand, and are equipped with a fail-safe function, on the other hand, the latter also permitting the fitting to be closed in a non-pressurized state, for example in the case of a malfunction. Known from US 2018/058602 Al are an electric activation system and a method, the embodiments thereof comprise an actuator having a motor which generates a driving force for controlling a valve. A valve assembly having a valve body and a valve element is known from US 2019/376610 Al, said valve element being configured such that it moves between an open position and a closed position. A torque reducer for a high-pressure gate is known from US 10 060 548 Bl, said torque reducer comprising a recirculating ball spindle assembly and a plunger gear assembly having a low torque, this permitting an individual user to activate a 30 handwheel so as to open or close a gate under very high pressure without a reduction gear and a compensation spindle being required. AMENDED SHEETS Date Re9ue/Date Received 2022-11-04 90168821 la To date, it has been customary for the activation of the fittings to be performed hydraulically or pneumatically. However, the hydraulic components used to this end are 5 comparatively expensive and moreover also demanding in terms of maintenance. The object of the invention now lies in achieving alternatives to the hydraulic activation of fittings of this type. In order for this object to be achieved, it is first proposed that a ball screw drive is used for activating a self-closing, linearly activated fitting, said ball screw drive having the features described herein directed toward the use of this type. 15 In order for the object to be achieved, it is thus proposed in particular that a ball screw drive is used for activating a self-closing, linearly activated fitting, wherein a nut of the ball screw drive for opening the fitting is driven by an electric motor so as to thereby move in a 2 translatory manner a spindle of the ball screw drive in the opening direction of the fitting and to open the fitting. For closing the fitting a linear restoring movement, for example a relaxing movement, is transmitted to the spindle. The 5 transmission of the linear restoring movement to the spindle can result in the nut of the ball screw drive being driven by the spindle. In the use of the ball screw drive it is thus provided that an 10 electric-motor drive, for example a drive motor of an actuating drive which is connected to the ball screw drive, is used for opening the fitting. As has already been mentioned above, the fitting is self-closing. This can take place, for example, by an operating pressure of a conveyed medium acting 15 on the fitting, said conveyed medium being oil or gas to be conveyed, for example, or else take place by a restoring movement and a restoring force of a restoring unit which is yet to be explained in more detail further below. In the case of a malfunction, thus in the event of a power blackout, when 20 an electric-motor drive of the nut of the ball spindle drive can no longer be used for the necessary closing of the fitting, it is provided that the restoring movement, which can be transmitted to the spindle of the ball screw drive, is utilized for closing the fitting. In this context, it is 25 advantageous for the ball screw drive not to be self-locking. In this way, a translatory restoring movement of the spindle counter to the opening direction of the fitting can be converted into a rotation of the nut of the ball screw drive and also into a rotation of a connected drive motor. This can 30 have the effect that the restoring movement for closing the fitting is decelerated. Deceleration can take place above all when a closing movement of the fitting is performed at an excessive speed, the latter owing to a comparatively high restoring force. In this way, the ball screw drive, the 35 fitting and an actuating drive which is potentially connected Date Re9ue/Date Received 2022-11-04 3 to the ball screw drive, including the components of said actuating drive, can be protected from damage. The restoring movement mentioned above can be, for example, a 5 relaxing movement which is imparted by a pressurized medium that is switched by the fitting. The medium switched by the fitting, for example oil or else gas, is typically pressurized. The pressure of the medium can be used for moving the fitting back to the closed position thereof. The restoring 10 movement carried