ELECTRIC WINCH PROTECTION DEVICE

Abstract

An electric winch protection device comprises an electric winch (1), a winch mechanism (11), a transmission mechanism (13), a drive motor (14), and a Hall effect sensor element. The winch mechanism (11) includes a steel cable (12) mounted on it. The winch mechanism (11) is functionally coupled to the transmission mechanism (13). The drive motor (14) is connected to the transmission mechanism (13) to rotate the winch mechanism (11) by means of the transmission mechanism (13). The Hall effect sensor element is mounted on the electric winch (1) and is capable of calculating the angle of rotation and the number of revolutions of the winch mechanism (11), the transmission mechanism (13), or the drive motor (14) in order to determine the relative length of the steel cable (12). Figure for the abstract: 1

Description

Title of the invention: DEVICE FOR PROTECTING AN ELECTRIC WINCH TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates generally to a device for protecting an electric winch which helps to prevent damage to a cable due to excessive rotation of a winch mechanism.

[0002] DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART

[0003] A known winch apparatus comprises a motor driving a reduction gear, which in turn rotates a cable drum to pay out or wind up a cable, while a free end of the cable is connected to an object to be moved. In the known winch device, a switch is included, so that up or down buttons provided on the switch can be manually operated to move the object to a desired location within a specific range of motion.

[0004] However, the winch operator may be distracted, and the engine may run excessively, so that the cable wound by the engine-driven winch remains taut even if it has been wound to its end. This leads to cable breakage and can also damage a gear in a gearbox or a gear attached to the engine, or even permanently damage the engine. Since the cable, once wound to the end, is made to rotate in the opposite direction, the most concerning problem is that of repeated forward and backward rotations. Under these conditions, the end of the cable becomes fatigued and breaks. Therefore, a clutch is often included in the mechanism so that, with such a clutch, when the winch winds to a certain extent, the clutch engages to effectively protect the gears from damage.However, every operation involves wear and abrasion, and over a prolonged period, the tensile force decreases. If the overall torque increases, the mechanism is damaged. Thus, a limit switch is often included in the mechanism; however, such a technical solution can result in the cable being easily pulled or broken, and in poor contact. When the cable oscillates within a certain range, the limit switch is no longer maintained in contact with it and generally loses its function. Furthermore, there are also problems with electrical cables which, if stretched, can also cause associated malfunctions. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present invention provides an arrangement of a Hall effect sensor element to enable the present invention to identify whether a steel cable has been pulled inward or released toward a terminal end portion and to perform a corresponding responsive operation when it approaches the terminal end portion so as to effectively prevent the steel cable from being excessively stretched to the point of breaking.

[0006] The present invention comprises a protection device for an electric winch, which includes an electric winch assembly, a winch mechanism, a transmission mechanism, a drive motor, and a Hall effect sensor element. The winch mechanism, the transmission mechanism, and the drive motor are all part of the electric winch. The winch mechanism includes a steel cable mounted on it. The transmission mechanism is functionally coupled to the winch mechanism. The drive motor is connected to the transmission mechanism to drive the winch mechanism in rotation by means of the transmission mechanism.The Hall effect sensor element is mounted on the electric winch and is capable of calculating the angle of rotation and the rotational revolutions of the winch mechanism, the transmission mechanism, or the drive motor in order to determine the relative length of the steel cable, so as to avoid excessive rotation of the winch mechanism which damages the steel cable, thus effectively remedying the aforementioned deficiencies in the prior art.

[0007] According to another aspect of the invention, the electric winch includes an alarm device in information connection with the Hall effect sensor forming element mounted thereon in order to generate an alarm operation as a function of the angle of rotation and the rotation turns detected by the Hall effect sensor forming element for the steel cable which is wound or unwound to an end terminal part.

[0008] According to another aspect of the invention, the alarm device includes an audible warning device, a lighting device and a speed reduction device.

[0009] According to another aspect of the invention, the drive motor is electrically connected to a control device to control the operation of the drive motor.

[0010] According to another aspect of the invention, the transmission mechanism includes a gearbox. Brief description of the drawings

[0011] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment.

[0012] The [Fig.2] is a functional diagram of the first embodiment.

[0013] Figure 3 is a schematic view showing the operation of the first mode of realization.

[0014] Fig. 4 is another schematic view showing the operation of the first embodiment.

[0015] Fig. 5 is a schematic view showing the audible alarm of a second embodiment.

[0016] Fig. 6 is a schematic view showing the lighting alarm of a third embodiment.

[0017] Fig. 7 is a schematic view showing the implementation of a fourth embodiment.

[0018] Fig. 8 is a schematic view showing the implementation of a fifth embodiment.

[0019] Fig. 9 is a schematic view showing the implementation of a sixth embodiment.

[0020] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED IMPLEMENTATION METHOD

[0021] With reference to Figures 1 and 2, it appears that the present invention comprises:

[0022] an apparatus 1 forming an electric winch, which comprises:

[0023] a winch mechanism 11, on which a steel cable 12 is mounted,

[0024] a transmission mechanism 13, which is functionally connected to the winch mechanism 11, and

[0025] a drive motor 14, which is connected to the transmission mechanism 13 in order to drive the winch mechanism 11 in rotation by means of the transmission mechanism 13; and

[0026] an element 2 forming a Hall effect sensor, mounted on the device 1 forming an electric winch to calculate an angle of rotation and rotation turns of the winch mechanism 11, the transmission mechanism 13 or the drive motor 14 in order to determine a relative length of the steel cable 12.

[0027] In the device, the transmission mechanism 13 includes a gearbox.

[0028] In the device, element 2, forming a Hall effect sensor, is a sensor that operates according to the Hall effect to detect a variation in a magnetic field. When a specific magnetic field is applied to a P-type semiconductor, under the influence of the magnetic field, the Lorentz force acts, according to the right-hand rule, between three mutually perpendicular fingers of the right hand, the direction indicated by the thumb is the direction of movement of a conductor; the index finger indicates the direction of the magnetic field; and the middle finger indicates the direction of the electric current. Positive charges move towards an upper side of the P-type semiconductor and negative charges move towards a lower side, so that a potential difference measured by a device This measurement is called Hall voltage. In summary, a Hall effect sensor is a transducer that converts changes in the magnetic field into changes in the output voltage. The Hall effect sensor element can be connected to a circuit to allow a device to operate in digital mode (ON / OFF), and in this case, it can be called a switch, as used in proximity switches, position measurement devices, distance measurement devices, rotational speed measurement devices, and electric current measurement devices.

[0029] In the present invention, the Hall effect sensor element 2 defines rotational turns according to angles. For example, a full turn is defined as 360 degrees, and a half turn as 180 degrees. The Hall effect sensor element 2 is capable of detecting a rotational angle, and an angle signal is generated for each rotational movement of an angle, so as to calculate the rotational turns, the two complementing each other.

[0030] In the device, the element 2 forming a Hall effect sensor mounted on the winch mechanism 11 is taken as an example for the present embodiment.

[0031] Referring to Figures 1 to 4, in this embodiment, the electric winch 1 is mounted on a transport vehicle 5, and the length of the steel cable 12 is defined as a total length of 500 centimeters. One stroke of the winch mechanism 11 for each rotation corresponds to a length of twenty centimeters of the steel cable 12. And, for a detection threshold by the Hall effect sensor element 2, the terminal twenty centimeters of the steel cable 12 are taken as an example for illustration, the drive motor 14 being electrically connected to a control device 3 to control the operation of the drive motor 14, and a push button for activation / deactivation being taken as an example for the control device 3 in this embodiment.

[0032] When the electric winch apparatus 1 is put into operation for winding, as shown in [Fig. 3], an operator operates, by means of the control device 3, the drive motor 14 to rotate, and a rotation shaft of the drive motor 14 drives gears in the transmission mechanism 13, so that the gears drive the winch mechanism 11 to perform a rotation operation so that the steel cable 12 is wound, being pulled, by the winch mechanism 11.

[0033] During the winding operation of the steel cable 12, in the case where the operator does not notice that the steel cable 12 is wound near the terminal end and therefore does not operate the control device 3 to stop the operation, the Hall effect sensor element 2, by recording the angle and rotational revolutions of the winch mechanism 11, is able to calculate and determine a lengthcorresponding to the steel cable 12, so that after the winch mechanism 11 has rotated for 24 revolutions, which corresponds to the winding of 480 centimeters of the steel cable 12 by the winch mechanism 11, only the terminal twenty centimeters are left, and in such a condition, the Hall sensor element 2, after the rotation has been completed for 24 revolutions, forces the drive motor 14 to stop or an alarm device 4 which is placed in the information related to the Hall sensor element 2 and includes or is a speed reduction device 4 to force the drive motor 14 to reduce the rotation speed in order to reduce the pulling speed in the steel cable 12 so as to remind the user to prevent the winch mechanism 11 from rotating too much at the risk of breaking the steel cable 12. For a winding condition as shown in [Fig.4], the operation is similar in a reversed manner.Thus, excessive winding or excessive unwinding of the steel cable 12 can be prevented, to prevent damage. Furthermore, the speed reduction device can be a circuit module that controls the voltage of the drive motor 14 to control, by means of the voltage, the rotational speed of the drive motor 14.

[0034] Referring to [Fig. 5], it appears that the electric winch 1 is provided with an alarm device 4, which is in informational connection with the Hall effect sensor element 2 and is operable to generate an alarm operation depending on the rotation angle and rotation revolutions detected by the Hall effect sensor element 2 for the steel cable 12 which is pulled or released at its terminal end portion. In the present embodiment, a buzzer is taken as an example for the alarm device 4, for illustration.When the operator fails to notice a situation in which the steel cable 12 is about to wind or unwind excessively, in addition to the fact that the Hall effect sensor element 2 forces the drive motor 14 to stop, a message is also sent to the alarm device 4 to emit a sound to remind the operator that the steel cable 12 is approaching a situation of excessive winding or unwinding, so that the operator can immediately take emergency action.

[0035] Referring to [Fig. 6], it appears that the electric winch apparatus 1 is equipped with an alarm device 4, which is in information connection with the Hall sensor element 2 and is capable of generating an alarm operation depending on the rotation angle and rotation revolutions detected by the Hall sensor element 2 for the steel cable 12 which is wound or unwound to the end portion. In the present case, a lighting device is taken as an example of the alarm device 4 for illustration purposes. When the operator does not pay attention to a situation in which the steel cable 12 is going to be excessively wound or unwound, in addition to the fact that the Hall sensor element 2 forces the motor drive 14 to stop, a message is also transmitted to the alarm device 4 to change or flash the light to remind the operator that the steel cable 12 is approaching an excessive winding or unwinding situation, so that the operator can immediately take emergency action.

[0036] With reference to [Fig.7], it appears that the Hall effect sensor element 2 is mounted inside the transmission mechanism 13. The transmission mechanism 13 comprises a gearbox formed of several gears, and the Hall effect sensor element 2 is combined with one of the gears to efficiently count the revolutions and the angle of rotation, the logic of operation being similar to that which has been set out concerning the previous embodiments.

[0037] The arrangement provided in this embodiment indicates that the Hall effect sensor element 2 is not limited to being mounted on the winch mechanism 11 and that, as illustrated in this embodiment, it can be mounted on the transmission mechanism 13 so as to similarly acquire the relative length of the steel cable 12 and that it has the advantage of stopping immediately in the event of excessive winding or unwinding.

[0038] Referring to [Fig. 8], it appears that the Hall effect sensor element 2 is mounted inside the drive motor 14. The drive motor 14 comprises a spindle motor 141, and the Hall effect sensor element 2 uses the spindle motor 141 to efficiently count the revolutions and the angle of rotation, the operating logic being similar to that described in previous embodiments. The arrangement provided in the present embodiment indicates that the Hall effect sensor element 2 is not limited to being mounted on the winch mechanism 11 or the transmission mechanism 13 and, as illustrated in the present embodiment, that it can be mounted on the drive motor 14 in order to similarly acquire the relative length of the steel cable 12 and that it has the advantage of an immediate stop in the event of excessive winding or unwinding.

[0039] [Fig. 9] shows an example in which it is intended that the electric winch apparatus 1 is mounted on a vertical displacement mechanism 6, and this means that the present invention is not limited to a specific mounting location and the winch can be mounted on any device that rotates for operation (such as a gearbox, a drive motor or a winch mechanism).

[0040] Thus, the advantages of the present invention are as follows:

[0041] (1) A Hall effect sensor element 2 is provided to allow the present invention of detecting whether a steel cable 12 has been wound or unwound to its terminal end portion and performing an appropriate response operation when the terminal end approaches, so as to effectively prevent the cable from 12 steel is excessively stretched and thus breaks.

[0042] (2) An alarm device 4 is provided to remind the operator of the situation in which the steel cable 12 approaches a situation where it is excessively pulled or slack, so that the operator can immediately carry out an emergency intervention.

[0043] (3) The element 2 forming a Hall effect sensor makes it possible to reduce the cost and to retain a certain degree of stability.

Claims

Claims

1. A device for protecting an electric winch, characterized in that it comprises: an electric winch apparatus (1), which comprises: a winch mechanism (11), the winch mechanism (11) comprising a steel cable (12) mounted thereon, a transmission mechanism (13) in operative coupling relationship with the winch mechanism (11), a drive motor (14) connected to the transmission mechanism (13) in order to drive the winch mechanism (11) to rotate by means of the transmission mechanism (13); and a Hall effect sensor element (2) mounted on the electric winch (1), the Hall effect sensor element (2) being adapted to calculate a rotation angle and rotation revolutions of the winch mechanism (11), the transmission mechanism (13) or the drive motor (14) in order to determine a relative length of the steel cable (12).

2. The electric winch protection device according to claim 1, characterized in that the electric winch (1) comprises an alarm device (4) in information connection with the Hall sensor element (2) mounted thereon to generate an alarm operation depending on the rotation angle and rotation revolutions detected by the Hall sensor element (2) for the steel cable (12) which is wound or unwound to an end terminal portion.

3. The electric winch protection device according to claim 2, characterized in that the alarm device (4) comprises an audible warning device, a lighting device and a speed reduction device.

4. The electric winch protection device according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive motor (14) is electrically connected to a control device for controlling the operation of the drive motor (14).

5. The electric winch protection device according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmission mechanism (13) comprises a gearbox.

Images