Illuminated Winch Handle Layout for Drum Visibility at Night
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing winch handles suffer from structural weakening due to the presence of a cavity for a light source, and their lighting orientation does not allow proper viewing of the winch drum, leading to potential issues with irregular windings and visibility problems, especially at night.
Innovation Solution
A winch handle with a freely rotating grip and a selectively activatable lighting device mounted on the arm, oriented to project a beam that illuminates the coupling member and winch drum, using LEDs that emit light without disturbing night vision, and optionally serving as a reading light or emergency illumination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a cavity is created in the handle arm to house a light source, then lighting function is provided, but the structural strength of the handle is weakened
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting device is nested within an existing through recess in the handle arm, utilizing the empty space between the two rod-like members. This allows the light source to be housed without creating additional structural weaknesses, as the recess already exists in the design. The lighting device fits into this pre-existing void, eliminating the need to compromise the handle's structural integrity by creating new cavities.
Solution Approach 2:
A dedicated lighting device acts as an intermediary component that provides the lighting function while being mounted on the handle arm rather than being integrated into the arm's structure. This separation allows the handle arm to maintain its full structural strength while the lighting function is added as a separate, attachable component.
2Illumination intensity
If the light source is oriented to illuminate downward, then the winch drum area is lit, but the operator's ability to see and recover night vision is impaired
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting device provides localized illumination specifically targeted at the winch drum and coupling member areas, rather than illuminating the operator's field of view. The light is directed downward onto the work area through strategic positioning and orientation of the light source, ensuring that only the necessary mechanical components are illuminated while the operator's vision remains undisturbed.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting device is selectively activatable, meaning it operates periodically or on-demand rather than continuously. This allows the operator to activate lighting only when needed for specific tasks such as inspecting the winch drum or performing maneuvers in low visibility conditions, and then deactivate it to allow night vision to recover, thus balancing illumination needs with night vision preservation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a through recess is created in the handle arm for mounting the lighting device, then the lighting function is added, but the handle structure is modified
Solution Approach 1:
The handle arm is designed with a universal through recess that serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, allows passage of cables or rods, and serves as a mounting location for the lighting device. By making the recess a feature of the standard handle design rather than a custom modification, the same basic handle structure can serve multiple purposes without requiring different manufacturing processes for each application.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The handle provides reliable and robust operation in poor visibility conditions, facilitating winch maneuvers and easy retrofitting, while maintaining night vision capabilities and enhancing user comfort.
Implementation Method 1
using LEDs that emit light without disturbing night vision
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
Figure 5~7
AI summary
Handle (1) for winches and the like comprising an arm (5) with a main longitudinal extension having longitudinally opposing ends (6, 7), a first end (6) and a second end (7), respectively, on which there are mounted a coupling member (8) for connection to a winch (2) and a grip (9), respectively. The coupling member (8) and grip (9) extend from a transversely opposite first face (12) and second face (13), respectively, of said arm (5). The handle (1) comprises at least one lighting device (16) which can be selectively activated, mounted on said arm (5) in an intermediate position between said longitudinally opposing ends (6, 7) and orientated to project at least one lighting beam (23) from the first face (12).