Figure 8 Hose Roller With Planetary Chain Drive
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hose rollers do not efficiently form a figure eight roll, which can lead to inefficient hose management and deployment, and existing devices lack a mechanism for collapsible and efficient hose handling.
Innovation Solution
A hose roller mechanism featuring a sun sprocket, planetary sprocket, chain, intermediate shaft, universal joint, and output shaft with a spool that forms a figure eight roll through a 3:1 gear ratio, allowing for efficient hose winding and unwinding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a simple reel or drum is used for hose winding, then the device structure is simple, but it cannot form a figure eight roll efficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by implementing a planetary gear system that converts the rotational motion of a single handle into the complex figure-eight winding pattern. The planetary sprockets and sun sprocket create dynamic motion transformation, allowing the spool to rotate in a figure-eight pattern rather than simple circular rotation, thereby achieving efficient figure-eight hose rolling while maintaining a relatively simple single-handle input structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The planetary gear system acts as an intermediary mechanism between the simple handle input and the complex figure-eight winding output. The sun sprocket, planetary sprockets, and chain assembly serve as intermediate elements that transform the input rotation into the desired figure-eight motion pattern, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and winding efficiency.
2Productivity
If a planetary gear system is used to form figure eight roll, then hose winding efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The planetary gear system dynamically transforms simple rotational input into complex figure-eight motion, achieving high winding efficiency. The mechanism uses the natural dynamics of planetary gear rotation to create the figure-eight pattern without requiring complex control systems or multiple independent actuators.
Solution Approach 2:
The planetary gear system is self-contained and automatically generates the figure-eight motion pattern through its inherent mechanical design. Once the handle is rotated, the planetary sprockets and sun sprocket automatically produce the correct winding pattern without external control or intervention, making the complexity inherent but manageable in the mechanism itself rather than requiring complex external control systems.
3Device complexity
If the output shaft is fixed in position, then the mechanism structure is simpler, but the hose cannot be properly wound in figure eight pattern
Solution Approach 1:
The output shaft is made dynamically movable relative to the input shaft through the planetary gear mechanism. As the planetary sprockets rotate around the sun sprocket, the output shaft naturally traces a figure-eight pattern. This dynamic positioning is essential for creating the figure-eight roll and cannot be achieved with a fixed output shaft, resolving the contradiction by making the output shaft position a function of the gear mechanism's operational dynamics.
Data Source
AI summary
A hose roller is described. An input shaft is coupled to a handle to be rotatably drivable by rotation thereof. A sun sprocket is drivably coupled to the input shaft. A chain is engaged with the sun sprocket and a planetary sprocket, offset from the sun sprocket, to drivably couple the planetary sprocket to the sun sprocket. An intermediate shaft is drivably coupled to the planetary sprocket. A universal joint is connected to the intermediate shaft and an output shaft, angled relative to the intermediate shaft, to drivably couple the output shaft to the intermediate shaft. An output support is offset from and drivably coupled to the input shaft. An output shaft bearing is disposed between the output shaft and the output support to support and to allow rotation of the output shaft. A spool is coupled to the output shaft to be rotataby driven by the output shaft.