Ratchet Winding Assembly for Counterbalancing Shafts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional counterbalancing systems for overhead truck doors, particularly those with 'dead' axle shafts, face challenges such as limited space for adjusting spring tension, accessibility issues, and deformation of the tubular shaft during re-adjustment, leading to inefficient and potentially damaging operations.
Innovation Solution
A tensioning assembly featuring a support bracket, collar portion with a ratchet wheel and pawl component that allows for easier and more secure winding of the shaft, enabling rotation in the winding direction while blocking unwinding, thus simplifying and enhancing the counterbalancing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If set screws are used to secure the winding plug to the shaft, then the shaft can be fixed in position, but the shaft becomes deformed and weakened during repeated tightening and loosening
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the winding function from the shaft by introducing a separate drum that rotates independently on the shaft. The drum is secured with set screws while the shaft itself remains undeformed and is not repeatedly tightened or loosened, thus preserving shaft integrity while enabling easy re-adjustment of the spring tension.
2Reliability
If the winding plug is fixed to the shaft with set screws, then tension can be secured, but accessibility to the winding holes and set screws is limited due to space constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The invention positions the drum and its winding mechanism in a different spatial arrangement, allowing the drum to rotate on the shaft while being accessible from the end of the shaft. This dimensional repositioning improves accessibility to the winding operation and set screws without compromising tension security.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple winding holes are provided in the winding plug, then tension adjustment is possible, but at least 2 holes must be accessible simultaneously which complicates the operation
Solution Approach 1:
The drum is pre-configured with multiple winding holes arranged circumferentially, but only one hole needs to be accessible at any given time for winding operations. The drum can be rotated to bring different holes into position, eliminating the requirement to have multiple holes accessible simultaneously and simplifying the operation.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the tubular shaft is repeatedly tightened and loosened during re-adjustment, then spring tension can be modified, but the shaft progressively becomes oval-shaped and weaker
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the winding function from the shaft by introducing a separate drum that rotates independently on the shaft. The drum is secured with set screws while the shaft itself remains undeformed and is not repeatedly tightened or loosened, thus preserving shaft integrity while enabling easy re-adjustment of the spring tension.
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 solution facilitates easier, faster, and more reliable tensioning of the counterbalancing system, reducing the need for frequent adjustments and minimizing shaft deformation, while ensuring secure tensioning without compromising the structural integrity of the tubular shaft.
Implementation Method 1
a ratchet wheel (17) securely mounted onto the collar portion (13) and being rotatable therewith, the ratchet wheel (17) being positionable adjacent to the support bracket (9), and being provided with a plurality of teeth (19) and a plurality of corresponding recesses (21); and a pawl component (23) operatively mountable on the support bracket (9) and being moveable with respect to said support bracket (9), the pawl component (23) having an extremity (25) being positioned, shaped and sized with respect to at least one recess (21) of the ratchet wheel (17) for allowing rotation of the shaft (3) along the winding direction (7a), and for blocking rotation of the shaft (3) along the unwinding direction (7b)
Data Source
AI summary
A tensioning assembly for winding a winding system includes a support bracket connectable to a fixed frame, a collar portion removably mountable onto a shaft of the winding system proximate to the support bracket, a ratchet wheel, and a pawl component. The collar portion is removably secured onto the shaft. The ratchet wheel is securely mounted onto the collar portion and is rotatable therewith. The ratchet wheel has a plurality of teeth and a plurality of corresponding recesses. The pawl component is operatively mountable on the support bracket and is moveable with respect to said support bracket, the pawl component having an extremity being positioned, shaped and sized with respect to at least one recess of the ratchet wheel for allowing rotation of the shaft along a winding direction, and for blocking rotation of the shaft along an unwinding direction.