Double Movable Pulley Hoist for Hose Tangling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lifting assist devices with vacuum attachment connectors often experience tangling issues with vacuum hoses when operators rotate around the device, necessitating work stoppages to untangle them, as these devices are not weight-balanced and cannot be easily attached to swivel connections.
Innovation Solution
A load-balancing hoist design featuring multiple pulleys that translate relative to a stationary center pulley, operated by pressurized control fluid, allowing the device to swivel without tangling vacuum hoses, as the pulleys move in a synchronized manner to maintain stability and usability, enabling attachment to overhead systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a lift assist device is used with vacuum attachment connectors, then the ability to quickly attach and release loads is improved, but the vacuum hose becomes tangled with the lift device when operators rotate around it
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies counterweight principles by incorporating a balance mechanism that offsets the weight of the lift device itself. This allows the device to be weight-balanced, enabling it to be attached to swivel connections without causing the vacuum hose to tangle during operator rotation. The counterweight system stabilizes the device's center of gravity, preventing hose entanglement while maintaining quick attach/release functionality.
2Device complexity
If the lift assist device is not weight balanced, then the structure is simpler, but it cannot be attached to swivel connections without causing hose tangling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a balance mechanism that counteracts the device's own weight, making it weight-balanced. This enables the device to be connected to swivel connections without causing vacuum hose tangling during rotation, thereby improving adaptability while maintaining reasonable structural simplicity through the counterweight design.
3Ease of operation
If operators rotate around the lift assist device during use, then ergonomic flexibility is improved, but work must stop to untangle the vacuum hose
Solution Approach 1:
By implementing a weight-balanced design with counterweight mechanism, the device allows operators to rotate around it during use without causing vacuum hose tangling. This maintains both ergonomic flexibility for operators and continuous work capability, eliminating the need to stop and untangle hoses.
4Stability of the object's composition
If the movable pulleys move at the same rate and distance, then the center of mass remains centered, but the device complexity increases with multiple pulleys and pressurized fluid system
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a pressurized fluid system (pneumatics or hydraulics) to control the movement of multiple pulleys. The pressurized fluid ensures that movable pulleys move at synchronized rates and distances, maintaining the center of mass stability while managing the complexity through fluid-powered coordination rather than complex mechanical linkages.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressurized fluid system serves multiple functions: it controls pulley movement synchronization, maintains center of mass stability, and enables the weight-balancing mechanism. This multi-functionality manages device complexity by using a single fluid system to achieve multiple objectives simultaneously.
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 load-balancing hoist effectively lifts and lowers heavy loads while maintaining stability and preventing vacuum hose tangling, allowing for continuous operation without interruptions, even when used with auxiliary lifting features like vacuum attachment connections.
Implementation Method 1
a pressurized control fluid is introduced into the pressure chamber. The pressurized control fluid contacts the movable pulleys and/or pistons, pushing the movable pulleys away from the stationary pulley
Implementation Method 2
a cable wound at least partially around the first movable pulley, the second movable pulley, and the stationary pulley can be drawn into the load-balancing hoist housing, lifting a load attached to a terminal end of the cable
Implementation Method 3
When the pressurized control fluid is allowed to discharge from the pressure chamber, the movable pulleys can move back toward the stationary pulley, lowering the cable and/or the load attached to the terminal end of the cable
Data Source
AI summary
A load-balancing device can be used to assist the lifting and lowering of heavy objects. In some examples, a load-balancing device includes a housing, a first movable pulley, a second movable pulley, a stationary pulley positioned between the first movable pulley and the second movable pulley, and a cable wound at least partially around the first movable pulley, the second movable pulley, and the stationary pulley. In operation, a pressurized control fluid may be introduced into a pressure chamber defined between the housing, the first movable pulley, and the second movable pulley. This can cause the first movable pulley and the second movable pulley to move away from the stationary pulley, withdrawing the cable into the housing and lifting a load attached to the cable.