Side-Mounted Debogging Winch With Bidirectional Cable Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing winches mounted on vehicles, particularly off-road vehicles, face challenges such as limited directional use, prominent positioning leading to safety risks, and interference with vehicle components due to cable movement, making installation difficult and costly.
Innovation Solution
A side-mounted winch design with a motorized drum and a return device allowing cable deployment in both forward and rearward directions, using a synthetic cable and a distributor device to maintain a constant entry position, reducing bulk and weight, and integrating with the vehicle chassis without overhang.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the winch is mounted on the front or rear of the vehicle, then the assembly is simple and compact, but the winch is prominent posing safety risks and exposed to impacts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions the winch mounting from the traditional front/rear position to a lateral position on the vehicle chassis. This dimensional change relocates the winch to the side of the vehicle, reducing its prominence in the forward direction and thereby lowering safety risks and exposure to frontal impacts while preserving assembly simplicity through standardized mounting interfaces.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the winch is mounted laterally on the side of the vehicle, then safety risks are reduced, but it requires space between functional parts which is not designed for this
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by selecting a specific lateral location on the chassis that has sufficient clearance from other functional components. The winch is positioned at a lateral spot that naturally provides the necessary space for cable deployment and drum rotation, rather than requiring modifications to the overall vehicle design. This localized placement resolves the space conflict by utilizing an area already suited for such mounting.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the cable is wound on a laterally mounted winch, then the cable can be deployed forward or backward, but the cable movement interferes with vehicle components such as suspension and steering
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cable guide as an intermediary component that directs the cable path between the laterally mounted winch and the vehicle's front or rear. This guide ensures the cable travels along a predetermined route that avoids interference with suspension and steering components, while still allowing the cable to be deployed in either forward or backward direction as needed.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the winch is mounted laterally with the drum axis transverse to the vehicle, then the cable can be deployed towards front or rear, but it requires transverse footprint of around 200mm while available space is often less than 100mm
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a swiveling cable guide mechanism that can dynamically adjust its orientation. When the winch needs to deploy cable forward, the guide swivels to direct the cable forward; when rearward deployment is needed, the guide rotates to redirect the cable backward. This dynamic adjustment allows a single laterally mounted winch to provide bidirectional cable deployment capability while maintaining a compact transverse footprint that fits within the available 100mm space.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a side-mounted debogging winch, for example on a chassis side member, and a method for installing such a winch. It comprises a motorised drum (11) receiving a cable (8) via a fixed hawsehole (14) point. Its frame (19) is fixed to the chassis (91) on either side of the hawsehole point, and carries a return device (15) allowing the cable to be deployed towards the front (D1) or towards the rear (D2). The invention also proposes an assembly method using a same model of winch in order to mount it selectively on the transverse or lateral face, for example by adding an adapter (195) carrying the return device. Typically, its axis (Ail) is longitudinal to the vehicle (9), on a plate carrying a double return around axes perpendicular to said plate. Preferably, it uses a synthetic cable that is wound and returned by sliding on fixed elements (13, 151, 152).