Enclosed Pulley System with Beveled Passthrough Window
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lure coursing systems pose risks of injury to animals and humans due to open or exposed pulleys, misalignment, and failure during turbulence, and do not allow unimpeded passage of objects attached to the line around pulleys.
Innovation Solution
A closed-pulley system with beveled pulley shields and hinged housings that form a solid inner surface for object passthrough, allowing continuous loop configurations and safe operation with break-away tethers for added safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If open or exposed pulley systems are used, then the system structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the system creates injury hazards to animals and humans and causes operational failures during turbulence
Solution Approach 1:
The pulley system is segmented into enclosed housing units with separate compartments for the pulley mechanism and the lure passage. The housing is divided into a base and a removable cover, allowing the pulley to be protected while maintaining access for maintenance. This segmentation isolates the dangerous moving parts from animals and operators while preserving the functional integrity of the system.
Solution Approach 2:
The pulley is nested within an enclosed housing structure that provides protection. The lure passes through a designated window in the housing, allowing the lure to access the pulley groove for friction engagement while preventing direct contact with the pulley itself. This nested configuration protects the pulley mechanism while enabling its function.
2Device complexity
If traditional pulley housings are used, then the housing structure is simple, but the object attached to the line (lure) is impeded or becomes entangled causing system failure
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is designed with different local qualities: the exterior housing provides structural protection, while the interior surface forming the lure passage is substantially solid and smooth to prevent entanglement. The lure passage window is specifically positioned and sized to allow the lure to pass through without contacting the pulley housing, creating a localized smooth passage that prevents entanglement while maintaining overall housing simplicity.
3Reliability
If the pulley housing is fully enclosed, then safety is improved, but the lure cannot pass through the housing around the pulley
Solution Approach 1:
The lure passage window is nested within the enclosed housing structure, creating a protected pathway for the lure. The window is positioned such that the lure can pass through the housing and access the pulley groove from the interior side, maintaining safety while enabling operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The pulley groove acts as an intermediary element that the lure contacts for friction engagement without requiring direct access to the pulley. The groove is positioned within the housing such that the lure can engage it through the passage window, mediating between the lure's need for friction and the housing's need to enclose the pulley.
Data Source
AI summary
A pulley system for enabling an object attached to a line to pass around a rotating pulley at least partially enclosed by a housing, without causing the object to encounter interference from the housing structure as the object passages through. An inward beveled edge of the housing structure may act to guide the line into the pulley groove. An object passthrough window for allowing the object to pass around the pulley while the pulley is rotating, without encumbrance of the object, may comprise a substantially solid, or continuous, inner surface formed of the inward beveled edge and the pulley groove. An exemplary use of the pulley system is in drive or transfer pulleys, or both, in systems utilizing pulley arrangements: for example, in systems such as lure coursing systems that continuously loop a line having a lure attached, for the enjoyment of domesticated animals.