Hoist Locking Assembly Lug Link Slot Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hoist mechanisms for vehicles, such as hook hoists, face issues with complex and costly locking systems that are prone to failure and alignment problems, leading to potential collapse during container handling.
Innovation Solution
A simplified locking assembly comprising a lug on the jib of the hoist arm and a link arm with a slot on the frame, allowing the hoist arm assembly and tail frame to pivot together as a unit, enhancing safety and reducing maintenance costs by eliminating the need for complex components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a complex locking system is used to secure the hoist arm to the tilt frame, then the reliability of preventing collapse is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The locking system is segmented into distinct functional components: the locking arm with engagement surface, the hoist arm with pivot connection, and the tilt frame with pivotal mounting. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining overall system reliability through clear functional separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the essential locking function from complex multi-component systems and implements it through a simplified mechanism where the locking arm directly engages with the hoist arm via a pivot connection, eliminating unnecessary intermediate components while maintaining reliability.
2Ease of manufacture
If a simplified locking assembly is used, then the ease of manufacture and reduction of maintenance costs are improved, but the reliability may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The locking arm features a specifically designed engagement surface with particular geometric properties (angle, curvature, or profile) that concentrate the locking function in a localized area. This local quality enhancement ensures reliable engagement while keeping the overall structure simple and easy to manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism employs asymmetric geometry where the locking arm and engagement surface are shaped to allow movement in one direction (engagement) while preventing movement in the opposite direction (disengagement without proper action). This asymmetric design provides inherent reliability through geometric constraint rather than complex mechanical interlocks.
3Ease of operation
If the locking assembly allows unitary pivotal movement of frame and hoist arm assembly, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking arm is pivotally connected to both the tilt frame and the hoist arm, effectively merging the locking function with the structural connection between these components. This integration allows unitary pivotal movement while maintaining the locking function, eliminating the need for separate locking mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking arm serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides the structural connection between the tilt frame and hoist arm, enables unitary pivotal movement for dumping operations, and provides the locking engagement through its geometric design. This multi-functionality reduces overall device complexity while improving operational ease.
Data Source
AI summary
A hoist mechanism having an improved locking assembly. A hoist mechanism includes a frame including a first end and a second end, and the frame is pivotably coupled with a mounting structure at the frame first end. The hoist mechanism also includes a hoist arm assembly pivotably coupled with the frame second end, and the hoist arm assembly includes a jib operative to move between an extended position and a retracted position. The locking assembly includes a lug disposed on the jib and a link arm coupled with the frame. The link arm defines a slot dimensioned to selectively engage with the lug when the jib is moved from the retracted position. The hoist arm assembly is pivotable with respect to the frame when the jib is in the retracted position, and the frame and the hoist arm assembly are pivotable together when the jib is in the extended position.