# US 2019/0170222 A1 · Drive device and method for speed limitation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0170222 A1 - Document ID: US20190170222A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/321,116 - Filed: 2017-07-14 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-26 - Assignees: Voith Patent GmbH - Applicants: Voith Patent GmbH - Inventors: BERND LAUTER; JOCHEN LINDENMAIER - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190170222A1 ## CPC - F16H 3/727: {with at least two dynamo electric machines for creating an electric power path inside the gearing, e.g. using generator and motor for a variable power torque path} - F16H 2061/122: {Avoiding failures by using redundant parts} - F16H 2200/2005: with one sets of orbital gears - F16H: GEARING ## Abstract A drive device includes a superposition transmission, a main drive machine connected to an input shaft of the transmission, auxiliary drives and an output shaft of the transmission connectable to a work machine. The transmission has a planetary transmission with an internal gear, sun gear, planet carrier and planet gears. The input shaft is connected to the internal gear, the output shaft is connected to the sun gear, and the auxiliary drives are connected by a first transmission stage with constant transmission ratio to the planet carrier. An auxiliary drive connection with constant transmission ratio is between the auxiliary drive and the internal gear or a pinion on the input shaft. A switchable clutch in the auxiliary drive connection can activate or interrupt the auxiliary drive connection, so that upon interruption, the connection between auxiliary drive and planet carrier remains activated by the clutch through the first transmission stage. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-15. (canceled) ### Claim 16 A drive device, comprising: a main drive machine; at least one auxiliary drive; a superposition transmission including an input shaft connected to said main drive machine, an output shaft to be connected to a work machine, a planetary transmission having an internal gear connected to said input shaft, a sun gear connected to said output shaft, a planet carrier and a plurality planet gears; a first transmission stage with a constant transmission ratio connecting said at least one auxiliary drive to said planet carrier; and an auxiliary drive connection with a constant transmission ratio having one side disposed at said at least one auxiliary drive and another side disposed at said internal gear or a pinion on said input shaft; said auxiliary drive connection including a switchable clutch configured to activate or interrupt said auxiliary drive connection, said switchable clutch maintaining an activated connection between said at least one auxiliary drive and said planet carrier through said first transmission stage upon an occurrence of an interruption. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The device according to claim 16, wherein said main drive machine is operable only at a constant rotational speed, and said at least one auxiliary drive is operable with rotational speed control. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The device according to claim 17, wherein said at least one auxiliary drive is at least one low-voltage motor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The device according to claim 16, wherein said at least one auxiliary drive has at least one respective external cooler constructed as an external fan with a separate fan motor. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The device according to claim 19, wherein said external fan has at least one sensor for monitoring a winding temperature at said separate fan motor. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The device according to claim 16, wherein said at least one auxiliary drive has at least one respective external cooler constructed as a water-type cooler. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The device according to claim 21, wherein said water-type cooler has a sensor for monitoring at least one of a cooling water temperature in a cooler return line or a cooling water pump. ### Claim 23 (depends on 16) The device according to claim 16, which further comprises an auxiliary drive shaft and a second transmission stage, said auxiliary drive connection acting from said auxiliary drive shaft through said second transmission stage directly on said internal gear or said pinion. ### Claim 24 (depends on 16) The device according to claim 16, which further comprises an auxiliary drive shaft from which said auxiliary drive connection acts: through said first transmission stage on said planet carrier; through a second transmission stage on an intermediate shaft; and through a third transmission stage on said internal gear or said pinion. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The device according to claim 24, wherein at least one of said first transmission stage or said third transmission stage is constructed as a gear train composed of at least two respective gearwheels. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The device according to claim 24, wherein said clutch is disposed between said second transmission stage and said third transmission stage. ### Claim 27 (depends on 16) The device according to claim 16, wherein said clutch is configured to move into a non-activated state upon an occurrence of an energy failure. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The device according to claim 27, wherein said clutch is a multiplate clutch or dog clutch or viscous coupling or hydrodynamic clutch. ### Claim 29 (depends on 16) The device according to claim 16, which further comprises at least one of pulse generators disposed on the drive or a rotational speed sensor, for detecting or measuring at least two of three rotational speeds of said main drive machine, said output shaft and said at least one auxiliary drive. ### Claim 30 (depends on 16) The device according to claim 16, wherein at least one of said at least one auxiliary drive or said main drive machine has at least one of a sensor for detecting a winding temperature or a sensor for detecting a bearing temperature. ### Claim 31 A method for rotational speed limitation on a drive device, the method comprising the following steps: providing a drive device including: a main drive machine; at least one auxiliary drive; a superposition transmission including an input shaft connected to the main drive machine, an output shaft to be connected to a work machine, a planetary transmission having an internal gear connected to the input shaft, a sun gear connected to the output shaft, a planet carrier and a plurality planet gears; a first transmission stage with a constant transmission ratio connecting the at least one auxiliary drive to the planet carrier; and an auxiliary drive connection with a constant transmission ratio having one side disposed at the at least one auxiliary drive and another side disposed at the internal gear or a pinion on the input shaft, the auxiliary drive connection including a switchable clutch configured to activate or interrupt the auxiliary drive connection, the switchable clutch maintaining an activated connection between the at least one auxiliary drive and the planet carrier through said first transmission stage upon an occurrence of an interruption; and upon a failure or fast shutdown of the main drive machine or of an auxiliary drive: a) detecting the failure or fast shutdown of the main drive machine or of the auxiliary drive; and s) subsequently closing the clutch. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The method according to claim 31, which further comprises additionally carrying out the following steps: b) repeatedly determining or measuring rotational speeds at one of the auxiliary drives or the planet carrier, at the input shaft or the main drive machine and at the output shaft or the work machine; c) calculating a synchronization point from a condition in which the rotational speed of the main drive machine before closing the clutch is equal to the rotational speed after closing the clutch; s1) immediately closing the clutch only if the rotational speed of the auxiliary drive is moving away from the synchronization rotational speed, and s2) otherwise closing the clutch with a delay when the rotational speed of the auxiliary drive deviates from the synchronization rotational speed at most by 5% or at most by 3%. ### Claim 33 (depends on 31) The method according to claim 31, which further comprises using at least one temperature sensor to monitor upper temperature limits for at least one of a winding temperature or a bearing temperature of the drives to detect an impending failure or fast shutdown of the main drive machine before an onset of the failure or fast shutdown of the main drive machine. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The method according to claim 33, which further comprises additionally using present acceleration values from the measured or determined rotational speeds for the detection of a failure or impending failure. ### Claim 35 (depends on 31) The method according to claim 31, which further comprises upon a failure or malfunction of the main drive machine, applying a rotational speed preset or torque preset to the auxiliary drives to bring the auxiliary drives into a vicinity of a synchronization rotational speed.