Grooved Drum and Roller Guide for Precise Line Winding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current hoists and winches are often bulky, complex, and expensive, lacking precision and control, making them unsuitable for various applications that require compactness, accuracy, and repeatability, and they often lack mechanisms for determining line length or load weight during operation.
Innovation Solution
A motorized lifting device with a grooved drum and passive guide system that includes a motor and transmission within the drum, a locking mechanism, and integrated electronics for precise control and data processing, allowing for accurate measurement of line length and load weight, and synchronization of multiple devices for synchronized operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If conventional hoists and winches are used, then lifting function is provided, but device complexity and bulkiness increase
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting system is divided into modular components: a motor unit with integrated electronics, a drum with groove, and a passive guide system. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while reducing overall system complexity and improving precision through specialized functionality of each module.
Solution Approach 2:
The motor and transmission components are nested within the drum structure, creating a compact integrated unit. The passive guide is nested within the groove structure, eliminating separate external guiding mechanisms and reducing overall device bulkiness while maintaining functionality.
2Manufacturing precision
If line is wound around spool without groove, then device simplicity is maintained, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to irregular winding
Solution Approach 1:
The drum surface features a localized groove structure that provides precise line guidance only where needed during winding operations. The groove has specific geometric properties (depth, width, curvature) that match the line diameter, ensuring consistent line placement and predictable effective radius without complicating the entire drum structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove acts as an intermediary element between the line and the drum surface, mediating the interaction to ensure precise line placement. The groove geometry is designed to guide the line along a predictable path, eliminating irregular winding patterns while adding minimal structural complexity.
3Measurement precision
If no measurement mechanisms are added, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision of line length and load weight is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated electronics system serves multiple functions: it controls the motor, measures line length through encoder feedback, determines load weight via current sensing, and provides synchronization capability. This multi-functionality achieves precise measurement capabilities without adding separate dedicated measurement devices, thereby limiting the increase in overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The motor and transmission components are nested within the drum structure, creating a compact integrated unit. The passive guide is nested within the groove structure, eliminating separate external guiding mechanisms and reducing overall device bulkiness while maintaining functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus includes a drum to draw in or let out a line and a motor coupled to the drum to apply a torque thereto. The drum includes a groove formed in an outer surface thereof to accommodate the line. A roller is provided that tracks the groove and extends into the groove. The roller pushes the line into the groove. In certain embodiments, the roller pushes the line to a bottom of the groove to ensure that the line is properly seated therein.