Rope guide mechanism and rope hoist

Abstract

Provided is a rope guide mechanism capable of reducing man-hours during installation, making the dimension around a rope drum smaller, and reducing friction caused by contact with a rope groove. A rope guide mechanism 150 comprises a rope guide set 170 which is in threaded engagement with a rope groove 121 and is provided in an arc shape, and a support member 160 which guides sliding of the rope guide set 170. The rope guide set 170 comprises: at least two guide members 200, 210 which freely move while being in contact with the support member 160; a first guide member 180 which comprises a ridge 182 in threaded engagement with the rope groove 121 and to which one guide member 200 is attached; a second guide member 190 to which the other guide member 210 is attached; and a pressing roller body 220 which comprises a pressing roller 222 for contacting a wire rope W wound around the rope groove 121 and a biasing member 223 for applying a biasing force.

Description

Rope guide mechanism and rope hoist

[0001] The present invention relates to a rope guide mechanism and a rope hoist.

[0002] An example of a rope guide mechanism provided in a rope hoist is shown in Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 discloses a rope guide mechanism in which a ring member is formed by connecting a first sliding member and a second sliding member with a connecting means, and the ring member exists around the entire circumference of the rope drum in the circumferential direction.

[0003] WO2020 / 153088 publication

[0004] In the rope guide mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1, the ring member must be attached so that it extends around the entire circumference of the rope drum. To achieve this, bolts are inserted into corresponding through-holes on one end of the first sliding member and one end of the second sliding member, allowing them to rotate relative to each other around the bolt. Then, while holding the first sliding member with one hand to prevent it from rotating relative to the rope drum, the other end of the second sliding member is rotated toward the other end of the first sliding member. The other end of the first sliding member and the other end of the second sliding member are then connected with a bolt. Therefore, the process of attaching the ring member to the rope drum is problematic in that it requires a lot of time and effort.

[0005] In addition, since the rope guide mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1 is provided around the entire outer periphery of the rope drum, it is necessary to provide a gap around the entire periphery of the rope drum to accommodate the rope guide mechanism, which increases the dimensions around the rope drum by the size of the gap.

[0006] Furthermore, the rope guide mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a pressure roller body, which includes a biasing spring. In this configuration, the spring force of the biasing spring causes the protrusions of the ring member on the opposite side of the rope drum from the position where the pressure roller body is located to be pulled by the pressure roller and the rope groove into which the protrusions are inserted, resulting in strong contact. This contact causes wear on the protrusions, which increases the clearance between the rope groove and the protrusions, requiring periodic adjustment using a spacer.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a rope guide mechanism and a rope hoist that can reduce the number of steps required for installation, enable the dimensions around the rope drum to be reduced, and reduce the number of steps required for maintenance of clearance adjustment by reducing wear due to contact with the rope grooves.

[0008] [1] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rope guide mechanism for preventing a wire rope wound around a rope drum having a spiral rope groove formed on its outer periphery at a constant lead angle from being unwound, the rope guide mechanism comprising: a rope guide set that is threaded into the rope groove and is arranged in an arc; and a support member that guides the sliding of the rope guide set. The rope guide set contacts the support member and has at least two guide members that are in contact with the support member and are freely movable in the axial direction of the rope drum relative to the support member; a first guide member that is threaded into the rope groove and has one guide member attached thereto; and a second guide member that has the other guide member attached thereto; and a pressure roller that contacts the wire rope wound around the rope groove, the pressure roller presses the wire rope, and the pressure roller has a biasing member that applies a biasing force to press the two guide members against the support member.

[0009] [2] In addition, in another aspect of the present invention, in the invention of [1] above, it is preferable that the rope guide set has a circumferential length of less than half the circumference of the rope drum.

[0010] [3] In addition, as another aspect of the above, in the inventions of [1] and [2] above or a combination thereof, one guide member and the other guide member are guide rollers that roll along the support member, and one guide roller and the other guide roller have a predetermined interval in the axial direction of the rope drum. It is preferable that they are arranged with a predetermined interval on one side of a surface that is perpendicular to the plate portion and passes through the center of the rope drum and on the other side of the surface.

[0011] [4] As another aspect of the invention described above, in the inventions [1] to [3] above or a combination thereof, it is preferable that one guide roller is rotatably attached to the first guide member via a first roller mounting portion, and the other guide roller is rotatably attached to the second guide member via a second roller mounting portion, and an arrangement space is provided between the first roller mounting portion and the second roller mounting portion, and a pressure roller body is arranged in the arrangement space.

[0012] [5] In addition, as for the other aspects described above, in the inventions [1] to [4] above or a combination thereof, it is preferable that the second guide member is provided with a rope guide portion, and that the rope guide portion is positioned in a position that does not contact the outer periphery of the wire rope in the radial direction of the rope drum when the wire rope is wound around the rope drum without slack.

[0013] [6] Furthermore, the second aspect described above is preferably a rope hoist characterized by using the rope guide mechanism according to the inventions [1] to [5] above.

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a rope guide mechanism and a rope hoist that can reduce the number of steps required for installation, that can reduce the dimensions around the rope drum, and that can reduce the number of steps required for maintenance of clearance adjustment by reducing wear due to contact with the rope groove.

[0015] 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a rope hoist according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the configuration of the rope hoist shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a view showing the configuration in the vicinity of a rope drum mechanism of the rope hoist shown in FIG. 1, showing the vicinity of the rope drum in cross section. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the rope guide mechanism of the rope hoist shown in FIG. 1, together with the drum frame and the rope drum. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the positional relationship between a support plate and a rope guide assembly in the rope hoist shown in FIG. 1, showing a state in which the support plate is cut in the YZ plane. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the rope guide assembly in the rope guide mechanism of the rope hoist shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the rope guide assembly in the rope guide mechanism of the rope hoist shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a rope guide mechanism according to a comparative example. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the rope guide mechanism of the rope hoist shown in FIG. 1. These figures relate to modified examples of the support member of the rope hoist of the present invention, where (A) shows a case where two support rails are used, and (B) shows a case where a support plate having a groove is used. 1A and 1B show modified examples of the support member of the rope hoist of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A shows a case where a support plate having a bent portion is used, and FIG. 1B shows a case where a support plate having a stepped portion is used.

[0016] A rope hoist 10 having a rope guide mechanism 150 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system will be used as necessary. In the XYZ Cartesian coordinate system, the X direction refers to the axial direction of the rope drum 120, the X1 side refers to the side (front side) of the longitudinal direction of the rope hoist 10 where the drum motor 130 is located, and the X2 side refers to the opposite side where the other end frame 112 is located.

[0017] The Z direction refers to the vertical direction, the Z1 side refers to the upper side (i.e., the side where the wheels 31 are located when viewed from the hook block 60), and the Z2 side refers to the opposite lower side. The Y direction refers to the direction perpendicular to the X and Z directions (the width direction of the rail (not shown)), the Y1 side refers to the side where the rope drum mechanism 100 is located when viewed from the control unit 80, and the Y2 side refers to the opposite side.

[0018] 1. Overall Configuration of Rope Hoist 10 Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the rope hoist 10. Fig. 2 is a front view showing the configuration of the rope hoist 10.

[0019] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the rope hoist 10 includes a frame structure 20, a trolley mechanism 30, an intermediate sheave body 40, a rope fixing member 50, a hook block 60, a counterweight 70, a control unit 80, a braking resistor 90, and a rope drum mechanism 100.

[0020] The frame structure 20 is a portion for supporting the entire rope hoist 10. The rope hoist 10 also has a trolley mechanism 30. The trolley mechanism 30 includes a plurality of wheels 31 (a total of four in FIG. 1 ) attached to the frame structure 20, and a traverse motor 32. The wheels 31 are driven by operation of the traverse motor 32, thereby enabling the rope hoist 10 to move along the rails on which the wheels 31 are placed.

[0021] In addition, an intermediate sheave body 40 is attached to the frame structure 20 of the rope hoist 10. The intermediate sheave body 40 has an intermediate sheave (pulley; not shown) on which the wire rope W is hung. The presence of such an intermediate sheave makes it possible for the intermediate sheave body 40 to relay the wire rope W between adjacent hook sheaves of a hook block 60, which will be described later.

[0022] A rope fixing member 50 is also attached to the frame structure 20 of the rope hoist 10. The rope fixing member 50 is a member for fastening one end of the wire rope W. The other end of the wire rope W is fixed to the rope drum 120 using a rope holding bracket 122, which will be described later. By fixing the ends of the wire rope W with the rope fixing member 50 and the rope holding bracket 122, respectively, the wire rope W can be let out from the rope drum 120 as the rope drum 120 rotates to lower the hook block 60, or the wire rope W can be reeled in around the rope drum 120 to raise the hook block 60.

[0023] 1 and 2, the rope hoist 10 includes a hook block 60. The hook block 60 is suspended midway between one end and the other end of the wire rope W. The hook block 60 includes a pair of hook sheaves (pulleys) (not shown), and the wire rope W is looped around the hook sheaves. The hook block 60 also includes a hook 61, which is a portion on which a load is hung.

[0024] The rope hoist 10 is also provided with a counterweight 70 made of, for example, thick steel material. The counterweight 70 is provided to balance the rope hoist 10 in the width direction (Y direction). That is, a rope drum mechanism 100 is provided at one end (Y1 side) of the rope hoist 10 in the width direction (Y direction), and the rope drum mechanism 100 is relatively heavy. To balance the weight of the rope drum mechanism 100, the counterweight 70 is connected to the other end (Y2 side) of the rope hoist 10 in the width direction (Y direction).

[0025] The rope hoist 10 is also provided with a control unit 80. The control unit 80 is a part that controls the driving of the rope hoist 10, including the drum motor 130 and the traversing motor 32. Therefore, the control unit 80 has control devices therein for executing these controls. The control unit 80 is also provided with a braking circuit for controlling the flow of current through the braking resistor 90.

[0026] The rope hoist 10 is also provided with a braking resistor 90. The braking resistor 90 is provided for inverter control of the drum motor 130, and enables the drum motor 130 to exhibit regenerative braking capability when it is in a lowering operation (lowering operation). The braking resistor 90 includes a resistor (not shown), and converts electrical energy generated by the drum motor 130 in a lowering operation into heat and releases it by passing the electrical energy through the resistor.

[0027] 2. Rope Drum Mechanism 100 As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the rope drum mechanism 100 includes a drum frame 110, a rope drum 120, a drum motor 130, a speed reduction mechanism 140, and a rope guide mechanism 150 as main components.

[0028] 3 is a diagram showing the configuration in the vicinity of the rope drum mechanism 100, and shows a cross section in the vicinity of the rope drum 120. As shown in FIG. 3, the drum frame 110 includes a one-end frame 111, an other-end frame 112, and a support shaft 113.

[0029] The one-end frame 111 is a frame member located on one end side (X1 side) of the rope drum 120, and pivotally supports the one end side (X1 side) of the rope drum 120 via a bearing B1. The other-end frame 112 is a frame member located on the other end side (X2 side) of the rope drum 120, and pivotally supports the other end side (X2 side) of the rope drum 120 via a bearing B2.

[0030] The rope drum 120 is a drum-shaped member that winds up the wire rope W, and on its outer periphery is formed a concave rope groove 121 for winding up the wire rope W in a single aligned manner. The rope groove 121 is formed in a spiral shape with a constant lead angle (equal pitch) on the outer periphery of the rope drum 120, and is formed to correspond to the rope diameter of the wire rope W.

[0031] The shape of the one end frame 111 and the other end frame 112 when viewed from the front is a rectangle with two right-angled triangles removed, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 9, etc., thereby saving space.

[0032] A rope presser 122 for fixing one end of the wire rope W is attached to one end (front side; X1 side) of the rope drum 120. Shafts 123 and 124 are attached to one end (front side; X1 side) and the other end (rear side; X2 side) of the rope drum 120, respectively. As shown in FIG. 3 , a drum rotation shaft (not shown) is connected to the shaft 123 on the one end (front side; X1 side) by, for example, a spline connection. The shaft 123 is attached to the one end frame 111 via the above-mentioned bearing B1.

[0033] In addition, the shaft portion 124 on the other end side (rear side; X2 side) of the rope drum 120 is attached to the other end side frame 112 via a bearing B2. Thereby, the other end side of the rope drum 120 is also supported rotatably.

[0034] 3, a drum motor 130 is attached to the gear housings 126a and 126b. The drum motor 130 provides a driving force to rotate the rope drum 120. The rotation of a motor shaft (not shown) of the drum motor 130 is transmitted to the shaft portion 123 via a reduction mechanism 140, causing the rope drum 120 to rotate.

[0035] Furthermore, a support shaft 113 is provided between the one-end frame 111 and the other-end frame 112. The support shaft 113 is disposed on the side away from the frame structure 20 (Y2 side), and is also disposed on the side away from a support plate 160 (described later) (below the support plate 160; Z2 side). This prevents twisting and the like from occurring between the one-end frame 111 and the other-end frame 112, improving rigidity.

[0036] <3. Rope guide mechanism 150> Next, the rope guide mechanism 150 will be described. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the rope guide mechanism 150 together with the drum frame 110 and the rope drum 120. Note that the support shaft 113 is omitted from Fig. 4. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the positional relationship between the support plate 160 and the rope guide assembly 170, showing the support plate 160 cut in the YZ plane. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the rope guide mechanism 150 includes the support plate 160 and the rope guide assembly 170.

[0037] The support plate 160 corresponds to a support member. This support plate 160 is formed by bending both ends in the width direction (Y direction) of a long metal plate-shaped member. That is, the support plate 160 includes a plate portion 161 and a pair of flange portions 162, 162. This support plate 160 is attached to the upper portions of the one-end frame 111 and the other-end frame 112 via, for example, bolts or the like.

[0038] Of these, the plate portion 161 is the portion along which the guide rollers 200 and 210 described below run, and is provided in a flat plate shape so as not to interfere with the running of the guide rollers 200 and 210. The flange portions 162, 162 are portions that are bent, for example, perpendicular to the plate portion 161 in order to prevent the plate portion 161 from flexing or bending.

[0039] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the rope guide set 170. Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the rope guide set 170. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the rope guide set 170 is a member provided in an arc shape of less than half a circumference. This rope guide set 170 includes a first guide member 180, a second guide member 190, guide rollers 200 and 210, and a pressure roller body 220.

[0040] The first guide member 180 is formed from, for example, resin. The first guide member 180 has a protrusion forming portion 181 and a roller mounting portion 183. The protrusion forming portion 181 is a portion on whose inner periphery a protrusion 182 is formed. This protrusion 182 is a portion that screws into the rope groove 121, and therefore the protrusion 182 is part of a spiral that corresponds to the spiral pitch of the rope groove 121.

[0041] The roller mounting portion 183 is a portion that protrudes from the ridge-forming portion 181 to one side (X1 side) in the axial direction (X direction) and is a portion for mounting the guide roller 200. Therefore, a pair of roller shaft support portions 183a, 183b are provided in a protruding state on the roller mounting portion 183 to support the roller shaft (reference number omitted) of the guide roller 200. The roller mounting portion 183 corresponds to the first roller mounting portion.

[0042] Further, the protrusion forming portion 181 is provided with a mounting hole 184. The mounting hole 184 is a hole portion for mounting the pressure roller body 220 to the first guide member 180, and a mounting shaft 224 (described later) is inserted into the mounting hole 184.

[0043] In addition, the first guide member 180 has a wire rope entrance / exit 185 on the Y2 side of the circumferential end, next to the X1 direction of the protrusion forming portion 181, through which the wire rope W is wound onto or unwound from the rope drum 120.

[0044] The first guide member 180 is also provided with a pressure roller body support portion 186 for holding the pressure roller body 220, which protrudes from the mounting hole 184 on the X1 side on the inner diameter side of the rope drum radial direction, in an open state when the pressure roller body 220 tries to close due to a biasing spring 223 (described later). This allows the rope guide set 170 to be attached to the rope drum 120 with a light force.

[0045] Similarly to the first guide member 180, the second guide member 190 is also formed of, for example, resin. The second guide member 190 is connected to the first guide member 180 using fasteners such as bolts. The second guide member 190 has a rope guide portion 191 and a roller mounting portion 193. The rope guide portion 191 is an arc-shaped portion that holds down the wound wire rope W from the outer periphery to prevent the slack in the wire rope W wound around the rope drum 120 from increasing. Therefore, when the wire rope W wound around the rope drum 120 is not slackened, a predetermined gap is set between the rope guide portion 191 and the wire rope W so that the rope guide portion 191 does not come into contact with the wire rope W.

[0046] Furthermore, the second guide member 190 does not have a protrusion that screws into the rope groove 121 that is provided on the first guide member 180, so the wire rope W can move freely in the axial direction (X direction) even when it is wound around the rope drum.

[0047] The roller mounting portion 193 is a portion provided so as to be positioned on the outer diameter side of the arc-shaped rope guide portion 191, and is a portion for mounting the guide roller 210, similar to the roller mounting portion 183 described above. Therefore, the roller mounting portion 193 is provided with a pair of roller shaft supports 193a, 193b for supporting the roller shaft (reference numeral omitted) of the guide roller 210, in a state where they protrude beyond the rope guide portion 191. The roller mounting portion 193 corresponds to the second roller mounting portion.

[0048] Furthermore, when the wire rope W is wound around the rope drum 120, the guide roller 200 (guide member) can rotate in the circumferential direction of the rope drum 120, from the position where it contacts the support plate 160 (support member), toward the wire rope entrance 185 (Y2 direction in FIG. 5). On the other hand, rotation in the opposite direction from the wire rope entrance 185 (Y1 direction in FIG. 5) is suppressed by the support plate 160.

[0049] Furthermore, when the wire rope W is wound around the rope drum 120, the guide roller 210 (guide member) is restricted from rotating in the circumferential direction of the rope drum 120 and in the direction of the wire rope entrance / exit 185 (Y1 direction in FIG. 5 ) from the position where it contacts the support plate 160 (support member). On the other hand, it is rotatable in the direction opposite to the wire rope entrance / exit 185 (Y2 direction in FIG. 5 ).

[0050] The combination of the guide rollers 200 and 210 restricts the rope guide set 170 from rotating in both the direction toward the wire rope entrance / exit 185 (the Y2 direction in FIG. 5 ) and the opposite direction (the Y1 direction in FIG. 5 ). However, the rope guide set 170 is free to move in the axial direction (the X direction).

[0051] When the first guide member 180 and the second guide member 190 are joined together, an arrangement space S1 for arranging the pressure roller body 220 is formed between the roller shaft support portion 183a and the roller shaft support portion 193a.

[0052] Moreover, the roller shaft support portions 183a and 183b are inclined toward one end side (front side; X1 side) of the rope drum 120 as they move toward the upper side (Z1 side). On the other hand, the roller shaft support portions 193a and 193b are inclined toward the other end side (rear side; X2 side) of the rope drum 120 as they move toward the upper side (Z1 side).

[0053] As shown in Figure 6, the guide rollers 200 attached to the roller shaft supports 183a and 183b are arranged so that the guide roller 200 is located on one end side (front side; X1 side) of the rope drum 120, while the guide roller 210 is located on the other end side (rear side; X2 side) of the rope drum 120, with the center line L of the rope guide set 170 sandwiched between them. The center line L is as follows: When the width direction of the rope guide set 170 is along the axial direction (X direction) of the rope drum 120, the center line L passes near the center of the pressure roller body 220 in the width direction (X direction) and is a line along the width direction (Y direction) of the rope hoist 10.

[0054] As described above, the guide rollers 200 are wheels rotatably attached to the roller shaft supports 183 a and 183 b via rotation shafts 201, and run along the plate portion 161 of the support plate 160. Similarly, the guide rollers 210 are wheels rotatably attached to the roller shaft supports 193 a and 193 b via rotation shafts 211, and run along the plate portion 161 of the support plate 160, but are provided so as to be parallel to the guide rollers 200.

[0055] It is preferable that the guide rollers 200, 210 are made of metal in consideration of the fact that they are parts that are subjected to load and of wear resistance, but it goes without saying that they can also be made of a material such as resin as long as it has the load resistance and wear resistance. The guide rollers 200, 210 correspond to guide members.

[0056] Next, we will explain the pressure roller body 220. The pressure roller body 220 presses the wire rope W wound around the rope drum 120 against the rope groove 121 from the outer circumferential direction, thereby suppressing slack in the wire rope W wound around the rope drum 120 and preventing the wire rope W from being wound irregularly.

[0057] For example, in the rope hoist 10, the hook block 60 may land on the floor or the like, and the tension in the wire rope W may decrease to the weight of the wire rope W alone, reducing the tension in the wire rope W. Even in such a case, the pressure roller body 220 presses the wire rope W toward the rope groove 121 so that the wire rope W wound around the rope drum 120 does not come off the rope groove 121, and a predetermined frictional force acts between the wire rope W and the rope groove 121, thereby preventing the wire rope W from loosening when wound around the rope groove 121.

[0058] The pressure roller body 220 has a pair of roller supports 221, a pressure roller 222, a biasing spring 223, and a mounting shaft 224. Of these, each roller support 221 has a base portion 221a, a pair of opposing wall portions 221b, and a strip portion 221c (described later), which form a generally U-shape. The strip portion 221c is offset in the width direction by the thickness of the roller support 221 from the center of the pair of opposing wall portions 221b in the width direction. As a result, by assembling the two roller supports 221 alternately, both strip portions 221c are positioned in the same width direction. The two roller supports 221 are connected via the mounting shaft 224.

[0059] The strips 221c protruding from the respective base portions 221a support the end sides of the biasing springs 223. Therefore, the length of the base portions 221a is set shorter than the length of the opposing wall portions 221b so that the biasing springs 223 can be positioned between the two base portions 221a, thereby forming an opening (reference numeral omitted) between the two base portions 221a.

[0060] Here, the biasing spring 223 is a compression spring that applies a biasing force to each pressure roller 222 in a direction that presses the wire rope W against the rope groove 121. As a result, the pair of roller supports 221 rotate about the mounting shaft 224 from a state in which they form a roughly "I" shape to a state in which they form a roughly "L" shape. Therefore, the rope guide set 170 is biased to move upward (toward the Z1 side) with the pressure roller 222 pressing the wire rope W as a fulcrum, and this biasing force presses the guide rollers 200, 210 against the plate portion 161. The biasing spring 223 corresponds to a biasing member.

[0061] Therefore, when the rope drum 120 rotates, the rope guide set 170 is prevented from rotating with it, and accordingly, when the rope guide set 170 attempts to move in the axial direction (X direction), the guide rollers 200, 210 run on the plate portion 161, thereby making it possible to effectively guide the movement of the rope guide set 170 in the axial direction (X direction).

[0062] The opposing wall portion 221b is also provided with a shaft hole 221b1, which rotatably supports the support shaft of the pressure roller 222. The opposing wall portion 221b is also provided with a connecting hole 221b2 for connecting the two roller supports 221. The connecting hole 221b2 of the roller support 221 located on the outer side is aligned with the connecting hole 221b2 of the roller support 221 located on the inner side, and the mounting shaft 224 is inserted through these connecting holes 221b2. The mounting shaft 224 is connected to the protrusion forming portion 181 by being inserted into the mounting hole 184 of the first guide member 180.

[0063] The pressure roller body 220 is also provided so that the guide rollers 200, 210 are disposed at positions shifted in the X1 direction from the X-direction position of the wire rope entrance 185 by an amount that corresponds to the lead angle of the rope groove 121 of the rope drum 120. The pressure roller body 220 is also provided so that it can press the wire rope W within 1 / 4 of the circumference from the wire rope entrance 185. This prevents the wound wire rope W from loosening.

[0064] In addition, the guide rollers 200, 210 are arranged so that the guide roller 200 is positioned in the Y2 direction and the guide roller 210 is positioned in the Y1 direction with respect to the XZ plane passing through the center of the circle of the rope drum 120, thereby preventing the rope guide set 170 from rotating in conjunction with the rotation of the rope drum 120.

[0065] <4. Assembling the rope guide mechanism 150> When assembling the rope guide mechanism 150 configured as described above, first, the worker attaches the support plate 160 to the one end frame 111 and the other end frame 112 via, for example, bolts.

[0066] Furthermore, apart from attaching the support plate 160, the worker attaches the guide roller 200 to the first guide member 180 and also attaches the pressure roller body 220. The worker also attaches the guide roller 210 to the second guide member 190.

[0067] Thereafter, the protrusion 182 of the first guide member 180 is brought into engagement with the rope groove 121, and further, when the wire rope W is wound in the rope groove 121, the pressure roller 222 of the pressure roller body 220 is brought into a state in which it presses the wire rope W located at the end of the wound portion. Then, while maintaining the above-mentioned engagement, the rope drum 120 is moved in the circumferential direction, and the guide roller 200 is brought into contact with the plate portion 161.

[0068] Next, with guide roller 210 in contact with plate portion 161, the worker moves second guide member 190 along the axial direction (X direction) to align first guide member 180 and second guide member 190, and then fixes them together using bolts or the like. In other words, the worker can fix second guide member 190 to first guide member 180 without rotating second guide member 190, which would involve moving it in the circumferential direction.

[0069] <5. Operation> In the rope hoist 10 configured as described above, the rope drum 120 rotates in response to the operation of the drum motor 130, and the wire rope W is unwound or wound in response to this rotation.

[0070] In this state, the pressure roller 222 presses the wire rope W at the portion of the wire rope W immediately after it is wound. Therefore, the wire rope W is prevented from coming off the rope groove 121.

[0071] In addition, the guide rollers 200, 210 are pressed against the plate portion 161 of the support plate 160 by the biasing force of the biasing spring 223, with the portion where the pressure roller 222 presses against the wire rope W as a fulcrum. Therefore, the rope guide set 170 is prevented from rotating as the rope drum 120 rotates.

[0072] Furthermore, because the protrusion 182 of the first guide member 180 is screwed into the rope groove 121, when the rope drum 120 rotates, the rope guide set 170 moves in the axial direction (X direction) of the rope drum 120 due to the screw action, and during this movement, the guide rollers 200, 210 run on the plate portion 161. This allows the rope guide set 170 to move smoothly in the axial direction (X direction).

[0073] <6. Action and effect> The rope guide mechanism 150 configured as described above prevents the wire rope W wound around the rope drum 120 having a spiral rope groove 121 formed on the outer periphery at a constant lead angle from being wound randomly, and includes a rope guide set 170 that is threaded into the rope groove 121 and is provided in an arc shape, and a support plate 160 (support member) that guides the sliding of the rope guide set 170. The rope guide set 170 also includes at least two guide rollers 200, 210 (guide members) that contact the support plate 160 (support member) and are freely movable in the axial direction (X direction) of the rope drum 120 relative to the support plate 160 (support member), a first guide member 180 that is provided with a protrusion 182 that screws into the rope groove 121 and to which one of the guide rollers 200 (guide member) is attached, and a second guide member 190 to which the other guide roller 210 (guide member) is attached, and a pressure roller 222 that contacts the wire rope W wound in the rope groove 121, and the pressure roller 222 presses the wire rope W and includes a pressure roller body 220 that is provided with a biasing spring 223 (biasing member) that applies a biasing force to press the two guide rollers 200, 210 (guide members) against the support plate 160 (support member).

[0074] In this way, the guide rollers 200, 210 (guide members) can move freely relative to the support plate 160 (support member). Therefore, based on this freedom of movement, the first guide member 180 to which the guide roller 200 (guide member) is attached can be moved, for example, in the circumferential direction, and the second guide member 190 to which the guide roller 210 (guide member) is attached can be moved in the axial direction (X direction) to fix the two together. Therefore, the worker can fix the second guide member 190 to the first guide member 180 without rotating the second guide member 190, which makes it possible to reduce the number of steps required to install the rope guide mechanism 150.

[0075] In addition, the pressure roller 222 presses the wire rope W, and the guide rollers 200, 210 (guide members) apply a biasing force to the support plate 160 (support member) by a biasing spring 223 (biasing member). Therefore, there is no need to arrange a support shaft to prevent rotation of the rope guide mechanism 150, and the dimensions around the rope drum 120 can be reduced accordingly.

[0076] The realization of such miniaturization will be explained with reference to Fig. 8 and Fig. 9. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a rope guide mechanism 150A according to a comparative example. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the rope guide mechanism 150 according to the present embodiment. In Fig. 8 and Fig. 9, the dashed lines are at equal distances from the centers of the rope drum 120A and the rope drum 120, respectively.

[0077] As shown in Figure 8, the rope guide mechanism 150A according to the comparative example includes a rope guide set 170A that covers the entire circumference of the rope drum 120A. Therefore, a corresponding amount of space is required around the rope drum 120A. Furthermore, to prevent rotation of the rope guide set 170A, the rope guide set 170A includes a hook-shaped shaft engaging portion 171A, which is engaged with a support shaft 113A. Therefore, support shafts 113A are required to prevent rotation of the rope guide mechanism 150A, which increases the number of support shafts 113A and the labor required for their installation.

[0078] In contrast, as shown in Figure 9, the rope guide mechanism 150 according to this embodiment includes a rope guide set 170 that covers less than half the circumference of the rope drum 120, rather than the entire circumference. Therefore, the space around the rope drum 120 can be reduced accordingly. Furthermore, since the rope guide set 170 does not include a hook-shaped shaft engaging portion 171A to prevent rotation of the rope guide set 170, a support shaft is not required to prevent rotation of the rope guide mechanism 150, which reduces the space required and also reduces the man-hours required to attach the support shaft.

[0079] In addition, the rope guide set 170 is provided in an arc shape. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the rope guide set 170A covers the entire circumference of the rope drum 120 as shown in Fig. 8, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of areas where the rope guide set 170 comes into contact with the rope drum 120 or the wire rope W. This makes it possible to reduce wear due to contact between the rope guide set 170 and the rope drum 120 or the rope groove 121.

[0080] In addition, in this embodiment, it is preferable that the rope guide set 170 is configured to have a circumferential length that is less than half the circumference of the rope drum 120.

[0081] In this configuration, when the rope guide set 170 moves toward the support plate 160, the biasing force of the biasing spring 223 (biasing member) can prevent the rope guide set 170 from coming into contact with the rope drum 120 or the wire rope W. Therefore, it is possible to further reduce wear on the rope guide set 170.

[0082] In addition, in this embodiment, the support plate 160 (support member) has a planar plate portion 161, and one guide member and the other guide member are guide rollers 200, 210 that roll along the plate portion 161. The one guide roller 200 and the other guide roller 210 have a predetermined interval in the axial direction (X direction) of the rope drum 120, and are arranged with a predetermined interval on one side of a plane perpendicular to the plate portion 161 and passing through the center of the rope drum 120 and on the other side of the plane.

[0083] Therefore, when guiding the rope guide set 170 along the plate portion 161, the guide rollers 200, 210 roll, thereby reducing friction when the rope guide set 170 moves in the axial direction (X direction).

[0084] Moreover, one guide roller 200 and the other guide roller 210 are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction (X direction) of the rope drum 120, and are arranged at a predetermined distance on one side and the other side of a plane perpendicular to the plate portion 161 and passing through the center of the rope drum 120. Therefore, even when only the two guide rollers 200, 210 roll along the plate portion 161 while receiving the biasing force from the biasing spring 223 (biasing member), it is possible to effectively prevent the rope guide set 170 from tilting.

[0085] Furthermore, one guide roller 200 and the other guide roller 210 are perpendicular to the planar plate portion 161 and are arranged at a predetermined interval on one side and the other side of a plane passing through the center of the rope drum 120. Therefore, even if the rope drum 120 rotates, these guide rollers 200, 210 are prevented from rotating in the rotation direction of the rope drum 120.

[0086] Furthermore, in this embodiment, one guide roller 200 is rotatably attached to the first guide member 180 via a roller mounting portion 183 (first roller mounting portion), and the other guide roller 210 is rotatably attached to the second guide member 190 via a roller mounting portion 193 (second roller mounting portion), and an arrangement space S1 is provided between the roller mounting portion 183 (first roller mounting portion) and the roller mounting portion 193 (second roller mounting portion), and a pressure roller body 220 is arranged in this arrangement space S1.

[0087] In this way, since the pressure roller body 220 is disposed in the arrangement space S1 between the roller mounting portion 183 (first roller mounting portion) and the roller mounting portion 193 (second roller mounting portion), it is possible to prevent the pressure roller body 220 from protruding in the axial direction (X direction), thereby making it possible to save space for the rope guide assembly 170.

[0088] In addition, in this embodiment, the second guide member 190 is provided with a rope guide portion 191, and the rope guide portion 191 is positioned in a position where it does not come into contact with the outer periphery of the wire rope W in the radial direction of the rope drum 120 when the wire rope W is wound around the rope drum 120 without slack.

[0089] When configured in this manner, the rope guide portion 191 can prevent the wire rope W from becoming too loose.

[0090] 7. Modifications Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention can be modified in various other ways, which will be described below.

[0091] In the above-described embodiment, the rope guide set 170 is configured to include two guide rollers 200, 210. However, the rope guide set may be configured to include three or more guide rollers.

[0092] In the above-described embodiment, the guide rollers 200 and 210 are described as the guide members. However, the guide members may have a structure in which a sphere is embedded at the tip and the sphere is rolled (see FIG. 11A). The rope guide assembly 170C in FIG. 11A discloses a configuration in which guide spheres 200C and 210C are used as the guide members.

[0093] Furthermore, a sliding member that slides without rolling may be used as the guide member. When using such a sliding member, friction may be reduced by using grease or a low-friction resin. Unlike the guide rollers 200 and 210, when such a sliding member is used as the guide member, foreign matter can be removed from the plate portion 161 with each sliding movement, thereby preventing foreign matter from riding up onto the guide member.

[0094] In addition, one protruding portion may be used as the roller mounting portion 183, 193, and two wheels may be arranged to sandwich the protruding portion, and the two wheels may be used as guide rollers (guide members).

[0095] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the support plate 160 has been described as the support member. However, as illustrated in Fig. 10(A), for example, the support member may be configured such that a plurality of long rail-shaped support rails 160A (two in Fig. 10(A)) are provided and the guide rollers 200, 210 roll along the support rails 160A. When such a support rail 160A is used, it is also possible to provide a wraparound portion that wraps around the upper side of the support rail 160A, which makes it possible to more reliably configure the rope guide set 170 to move toward the rope drum 120.

[0096] As an example of the support member, as shown in FIG. 10B, a support plate 160B having a groove 163B into which the guide rollers 200 and 210 can be inserted may be used.

[0097] 11A, the support member may be a support plate 160C having a bent portion 164C. In the configuration shown in FIG. 11A, a total of two bent portions are provided on the support plate 160C, and guide spheres 200C and 210C abut near the bent portions 164C.

[0098] As an example of the support member, as shown in FIG. 11B, a support plate 160D having a step portion 165D such that the heights of the guide rollers 200 and 210 in the Z direction are different may be used.

[0099] In the above embodiment, the biasing member is a compression spring, ie, the biasing spring 223. However, other biasing members such as a tension spring (for example, a link mechanism that reverses the force when a pressure roller is used) or a leaf spring may also be used as the biasing member.

[0100] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the rope guide set 170 is provided with a circumferential length of less than half the circumference of the rope drum 120, but the rope guide set 170 may have a circumferential length slightly longer than half the circumference.

[0101] 10... Rope hoist, 20... Frame structure, 30... Trolley mechanism, 31... Wheel, 32... Traverse motor, 40... Intermediate sheave body, 50... Rope fixing member, 60... Hook block, 61... Hook, 70... Counterweight, 80... Control unit, 90... Braking resistor, 100... Rope drum mechanism, 110... Drum frame, 111... One end side frame, 112... Other end side frame, 113... Support shaft, 120... Rope drum, 121... Rope groove, 122... Rope holding metal fitting, 123, 124... Shaft portion, 126a, 126b... Gear housing, 130... Drum motor, 140... Reduction mechanism, 150... Rope guide mechanism, 160... Support plate (corresponding to support member), 161... Plate portion, 162... Flange portion, 170... Rope guide assembly, 180... First guide portion material, 181... rib forming portion, 182... rib, 183... roller mounting portion (corresponding to first roller mounting portion), 183a, 183b... roller shaft support portion, 184... mounting hole, 185... wire rope entrance / exit, 186... pressure roller body support portion, 190... second guide member, 191... rope guide portion, 193... roller mounting portion (corresponding to second roller mounting portion), 193a, 193b... roller shaft support portion, 200, 210... Guide roller (corresponding to guide member), 201, 211...rotating shaft, 220...pressure roller body, 221...roller support, 221a...base portion, 221b...opposing wall portion, 221b1...shaft hole, 221b2...connecting hole, 221c...strip portion, 222...pressure roller, 223...urging spring (corresponding to urging member), 224...mounting shaft, B1, B2...bearing, L...center line, S1...arrangement space, W...wire rope

Claims

1. A rope guide mechanism that prevents a wire rope wound around a rope drum having a spiral rope groove formed on its outer periphery at a constant lead angle from becoming unbalanced, comprising: a rope guide set that screws into the rope groove and is arranged in an arc; and a support member that guides the sliding of the rope guide set, wherein the rope guide set comprises: at least two guide members that contact the support member and move freely in the axial direction of the rope drum relative to the support member; a first guide member that has a protrusion that screws into the rope groove and has one of the guide members attached to it; and a second guide member that has the other guide member attached to it; and a pressure roller that contacts the wire rope wound around the rope groove, the pressure roller pressing the wire rope and having a biasing member that applies a biasing force to press the two guide members against the support member.

2. A rope guide mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the rope guide set has a circumferential length equal to or less than half the circumference of the rope drum.

3. A rope guide mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the support member has a planar plate portion, one of the guide members and the other of the guide members are guide rollers that roll along the plate portion, and one of the guide rollers and the other of the guide rollers have a predetermined gap in the axial direction of the rope drum, and are respectively arranged with a predetermined gap on one side and the other side of a plane that is perpendicular to the plate portion and passes through the center of the rope drum.

4. A rope guide mechanism according to claim 3, wherein one of the guide rollers is rotatably attached to the first guide member via a first roller mounting portion, and the other of the guide rollers is rotatably attached to the second guide member via a second roller mounting portion, and an arrangement space is provided between the first roller mounting portion and the second roller mounting portion, and the pressure roller body is arranged in this arrangement space.

5. A rope guide mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that the second guide member is provided with a rope guide portion, and the rope guide portion is positioned so as not to come into contact with the outer periphery of the wire rope in the radial direction of the rope drum when the wire rope is wound around the rope drum without slack.

6. A rope hoist characterized by using a rope guide mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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