Winch Drum Hub Design Eliminating Strap Bolt Eccentricity
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing winch assemblies lack a housing to encase moving parts, leading to exposure to elements and increased wear, and often require complex and costly manufacturing with additional parts, while also experiencing mechanical disadvantages due to strap bolts causing eccentric rotation.
Innovation Solution
A winch assembly with a housing that includes a drum hub design eliminating the need for a strap bolt, featuring a concave recess for the strap connection and integrated strap guide to prevent eccentric rotation, and an easy installation system with apertures and slots for improved accessibility and assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a housing is added to encase moving parts, then protection from elements and aesthetics are improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is integrated with the drum assembly as a unified structure, combining the protective enclosure function with the existing mechanical components. This merging eliminates the need for separate housing manufacturing and assembly operations, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining protection from elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it protects moving parts from elements, provides mounting surfaces for the drum assembly, and acts as a structural support for the winch mechanism. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, simplifying manufacturing.
2Ease of operation
If a strap bolt is used to assemble the strap to the drum, then ease of assembly is improved, but mechanical performance deteriorates due to eccentric rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The strap bolt is completely removed from the design. Instead of using a bolt to attach the strap to the drum, the invention uses a strap guide channel that directs the strap around the drum hub without requiring any fastening hardware that would create eccentric rotation. This extraction of the problematic component eliminates the mechanical disadvantage while maintaining ease of assembly through the simplified channel design.
Solution Approach 2:
The strap guide channel acts as an intermediary element between the strap and the drum hub. It provides a smooth, controlled path for the strap to follow, eliminating the need for direct bolt attachment that would create eccentricity. The channel mediates the connection, ensuring the strap wraps concentrically around the drum for optimal mechanical performance.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional mounting fasteners are used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but ease of installation deteriorates due to limited accessibility
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of providing mounting fasteners on the traditional top side of the winch assembly where access is difficult, the invention relocates the mounting interface to the bottom side. This inversion of the mounting location provides easy accessibility for installation while maintaining compatibility with standard fastener types, as the bottom mounting surface is easily accessible during installation.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a winch assembly that may include a first housing member having a first retaining member formed therein and a second housing member having a second retaining member formed therein, the second housing member secured to the first housing member forming a winch housing. The winch assembly may further include a drive system generally positioned within the winch housing, and a winch drum operatively coupled with the drive system and rotationally secured with the first and second retaining members.