Winch Assembly Right-Angled Drive Anti-Twist Bar
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing winch assemblies face difficulties in accessing the cylindrical extensions due to added components like mud guards, leading to restricted rotation and potential binding, which results in excessive wear and gear slippage at high strap tensions.
Innovation Solution
A winch assembly with a rotatably mounted shaft, a right-angled drive transferring mechanism, an anti-twist bar, and bearings to reduce friction, along with a bi-fold handle for easy operation and high tension application, allowing for mounting in confined spaces and preventing gear slippage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a cylindrical extension with radial aperture is used for manual rotation, then the winch can be operated with a simple structure, but access is restricted by mud guards and other components making rotation difficult or impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The drive transferring mechanism changes the dimension of operation from radial (inserting bar through radial aperture) to axial (inserting bar through axial aperture in drive input). This allows the operator to access the winch from the end of the shaft rather than through the side, bypassing obstructions like mud guards while maintaining structural simplicity.
2Force
If high strap tension is applied to tighten the load, then the loading is securely restrained, but binding and excessive wear occur leading to gear slippage
Solution Approach 1:
The drive transferring mechanism acts as an intermediary between the manual tool and the winch shaft. It transfers torque through meshing gears (small gear on drive input meshing with large gear on winch shaft), which distributes the high tension loads across multiple gear teeth and bearing contact points, preventing binding and excessive wear at any single point.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanism incorporates bearings (including bushing on winch shaft and bushing on drive input) that enable smooth relative motion between moving parts. This dynamic capability allows the system to handle high strap tension without binding, as the bearings accommodate load variations and prevent metal-to-metal contact that would cause wear and slippage.
3Ease of operation
If the winch shaft rotates freely without constraints, then operation is simple, but twist during rotation causes excessive wear and distortion
Solution Approach 1:
The anti-twist bar is pre-installed and attached to the bracket to counteract twisting forces before they cause damage. This preliminary restraint prevents the bracket and winch shaft from twisting during high-tension operation, eliminating excessive wear and distortion while maintaining smooth rotation operation.
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
Enables efficient high-tension strap tightening with reduced wear and distortion, facilitating operation in restricted spaces and preventing gear slippage, thus enhancing the winch's reliability and durability.
Implementation Method 1
The drive transferring mechanism includes a housing that contains a relatively small gear coupled to the tool engagement device that meshes with a relatively large gear coupled to the winch shaft
Implementation Method 2
the one or more bearings includes bushing disposed on the winch shaft
Implementation Method 3
the one or more bearings includes at least one bushing disposed on the drive input
Data Source
AI summary
A winch assembly (50) including: a winch shaft (12) rotatably mounted within a bracket (18) and adapted for rotation about a first axis (68); a substantially right-angled drive transferring mechanism having a drive input coupled to a manual tool engagement device and drive output coupled to the winch shaft (12), the tool engagement device adapted for rotation about a second axis (72) extending substantially radially from the first axis (68), wherein manual rotation of the tool engagement device causes rotation of the winch shaft (12); and an anti-twist bar (64) attached to the bracket (18) to reduce twist during rotation of the winch shaft (12).