Motorized Lifting Device with Grooved Drum for Precise Line Control
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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 applications requiring compactness, high accuracy, and repeatability, and they often lack mechanisms for determining line length or load weight.
Innovation Solution
A motorized lifting device with a grooved drum and passive guide that tracks the groove to ensure precise line management, coupled with a motor and transmission system that includes a locking mechanism, power sensors, and logistics electronics for data processing and synchronization, allowing for accurate line control and load calculation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If conventional hoists and winches are used, then lifting function is provided, but the devices are bulky and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The motor, transmission system, drum, and control electronics are integrated into a single compact motorized lifting device unit, eliminating the need for separate components and reducing overall device volume while maintaining functional complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The transmission system and motor are housed within the drum structure, with components nested concentrically to maximize space utilization and minimize the external dimensions of the device
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional hoists and winches are used, then lifting function is provided, but precision and control are lacking
Solution Approach 1:
Power sensors continuously monitor the mechanical power transmitted through the drum and provide real-time feedback to the control system, enabling precise control of line payout and retrieval by adjusting motor operation based on actual load conditions
Solution Approach 2:
Traditional mechanical control linkages are replaced with an electronic control system that uses power sensor data to electronically regulate motor operation, achieving higher precision with reduced mechanical complexity
3Measurement precision
If conventional hoists and winches are used, then lifting function is provided, but mechanisms for determining line length or load weight are lacking
Solution Approach 1:
The power sensor provides continuous feedback on the mechanical power being transmitted, which the control system uses to calculate both line length (by integrating power over distance) and load weight (by analyzing power at stationary positions), enabling precise measurements without additional sensors
Solution Approach 2:
The power sensor serves multiple functions simultaneously: it controls motor operation for precise line management, calculates line length, determines load weight, and monitors operating conditions, eliminating the need for separate measurement systems
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes two or more lifting devices attached to a structure each lifting device having a drum rotated by a motor to draw in or let out a line from the drum. The drum includes a groove formed in an outer surface thereof to accommodate the line. In certain embodiments, each of the lifting devices are quickly and easily detachable from the structure by way of a flange and mounting bracket. The flange and mounting bracket have holes which are coaxially aligned. A pin or other fastener is used to join the flange and mounting bracket together. Two or more lifting devices may be connected to and moved along a mounting bracket.