Rotatable Feed Device for Crane Cable Guidance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing crane power supply systems face challenges in efficiently guiding and connecting line cables, leading to kinking or excessive bending, which can damage the cables and complicate the connection process, especially when cranes need to move between multiple container stacking locations.
Innovation Solution
A feed device with rotatable connection parts that allow the line cable to be laid with minimal bending, featuring pivotable plug connections and a holding device to secure the connection in place, along with a motor-driven cable drum for cumulative winding, ensuring the line cable is not side by side.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the line cable is paid out on the ground in the longitudinal direction next to the crane, then the crane can move away from the docking station, but the line cable must be bent uniformly and a minimal bending radius must be maintained, which complicates the connection process and increases the risk of cable damage
Solution Approach 1:
The connection part is made rotatable around a pivot axis, allowing it to dynamically adjust its orientation during crane movement. This dynamic adjustment enables the line cable to be laid out straight without bending or kinking, while the connection part automatically adapts to different positions and angles during the crane's travel between container stacking locations.
2Reliability
If a line cable carrying assembly is provided to position and accommodate the line cable, then the line cable can be guided properly, but the assembly is costly, large, and heavy, requiring a powerful drive and increasing the crane's weight and width
Solution Approach 1:
The complex line cable carrying assembly is replaced by extracting only the essential function needed - the rotatable connection part. This simplified structure performs the cable guidance function through its rotational capability alone, eliminating the need for additional carrying assemblies and their associated complexity, cost, and weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotatable connection part dynamically positions the line cable during crane movement, replacing the static and complex line cable carrying assembly. The rotational degree of freedom allows the connection part to automatically accommodate cable layout requirements without requiring additional guiding mechanisms.
3Ease of operation
If the connection part is rotatable around a pivot axis, then the line cable can be laid with minimal bending and the connection process is simplified, but the connection must be securely locked in place to maintain reliable power supply
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is designed to prevent unwanted loosening or disconnection of the connection part during crane operation. By providing preliminary counter-action through the locking mechanism, the system ensures connection stability while maintaining the simplicity of the rotatable connection design.
Data Source
AI summary
A feed device for supplying electrical power and/or data to an electrical load, which is movable in at least one travel direction relative to the feed device, via cables. An electrical line cable carried along by the electrical load can be connected or is connected to the feed device, and to a power supply system for supplying the movable electrical load. The line cable can be output or retrieved from a reservoir, which is carried along by the load, in accordance with a distance between the reservoir and the feed device. The feed device has at least one connection part, which is rotatable about at least one pivot axis, for the line cable. This feed device, as well as a power supply system having such a feed device, provides protective guidance and storage of the line cable, reducing the risk of kinking or excessive bending of the line cable when moving the electrical load.