Traction Rope Take-Up Mechanism With Load Sensing and Low Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional traction apparatuses cause rope wear due to multiple pulley bends and the use of a winding groove on the take-up drum, leading to malfunction and reduced rope life.
Innovation Solution
A simplified rope take-up mechanism with a first pulley and load sensor plate system that detects rope load without direct attachment to the outer frame, using a load cell on the load sensor plate to calculate the load on the body, and a second pulley that rotates with the take-up position to prevent rope wear by eliminating the need for a winding groove.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the rope is bent multiple times by a plurality of pulleys to transmit load, then the load transmission function is achieved, but the rope life is shortened due to wear and surface cutting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the winding groove from the take-up drum surface. Instead of having the rope wrap around a grooved drum, the rope is guided through pulleys that redirect the force, and the take-up drum simply winds the rope onto its cylindrical surface without grooves, thereby eliminating the wear-causing groove edges while maintaining load transmission capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces pulleys as intermediary elements between the rope and the take-up drum. These pulleys serve as mediators that redirect the rope's path and transmit the load without requiring the rope to bend multiple times around the drum itself, reducing wear at critical contact points
2Ease of operation
If a winding groove with semi-circular cross-section is provided on the take-up drum surface to take up the rope orderly, then the rope winding function is improved, but the rope is worn by the edge of the groove leading to surface cutting and scrap generation
Solution Approach 1:
The winding groove is completely removed from the take-up drum design. The drum surface is made smooth and grooveless, eliminating the harmful edges that cause rope wear and surface cutting while the rope is still guided orderly by external pulleys
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of groove edges by eliminating them entirely and using pulleys to provide the necessary guidance. The smooth drum surface prevents wear, and the pulley system compensates for the lost groove guidance function, actually improving rope life
3Measurement precision
If a coil spring is used for load detection on the pulley, then the load detection function is achieved, but the structure becomes intricate and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical coil spring and potentiometer system with a load cell that directly measures the force applied to the pulley. This substitution simplifies the structure by eliminating the need for mechanical displacement detection while maintaining accurate load measurement capability
Solution Approach 2:
The load cell serves multiple functions: it detects the load on the rope, provides feedback for control systems, and can be integrated into the pulley mounting structure. This multi-functional component replaces the separate coil spring and potentiometer assembly, reducing overall structural complexity
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
This configuration effectively detects rope load, simplifies the take-up mechanism, and prevents rope wear on the take-up drum, ensuring smooth operation and extended rope life.
Implementation Method 1
a load cell adhered to a surface of the load sensor plate
Data Source
AI summary
A traction apparatus which impresses a desired traction force to a body to be pulled is provided. The traction apparatus includes: a traction mechanism that includes a harness coupled to the body to be pulled, a rope having one end attached to the harness, and a take-up drum attaching to an other end of the rope and impressing the traction force on the body to be pulled by taking up the rope; a first pulley that engages at a predetermined wrapping angle the rope to which the traction force is impressed by being taken up by the take-up drum, a rope load being impressed to the first pulley from the rope; a coupling plate that rotatably holds the first pulley, the rope load being impressed to the coupling plate from the first pulley; a load sensor plate that holds the coupling plate at one end portion thereof, the rope load being impressed to the load sensor from the coupling plate; an outer frame that fixes an other end portion of the load sensor plate; and a load cell adhered to a surface of the load sensor plate.