Marine Winch Safety Knockout Override Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

Manual marine winches with existing knockout tension release mechanisms face issues of unintended handle movement during tension release, which can lead to accidents and injuries, especially when a cheater bar is left engaged with the gearing.

Innovation Solution

A safety knockout override mechanism is integrated into the winch, featuring a pair of leg members pivoting about a pivot member on the winch housing, with a spring biasing the override to prevent tension release unless the handle is in the stowed position, ensuring the handle is disengaged from the gearing before allowing tension release.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a knockout tension release mechanism is provided on the winch, then tension release capability is improved, but unintended handle movement during tension release occurs causing safety hazards

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetension release capabilityVSAvoidunintended handle movement

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The safety knockout override mechanism applies preliminary anti-action by preventing the knockout from disengaging the pawl when the handle is not in the stowed position. The override lever physically blocks the knockout lever from moving the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet gear, thereby preventing unintended handle movement before it can occur.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Solution Approach 2:

The safety knockout override acts as an intermediary between the handle position and the knockout mechanism. It mediates by detecting whether the handle is in the stowed position and only allows tension release when appropriate, thus preventing direct harmful interaction between the knockout mechanism and an improperly positioned handle.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If the handle can be left engaged with gearing, then ease of operation is improved, but accidents and injuries can occur during tension release

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehandle engagement flexibilityVSAvoidoperational safety

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The safety knockout override provides feedback about the handle position to the knockout mechanism. When the handle is not in the stowed position, the override lever is positioned to block the knockout mechanism, providing negative feedback that prevents tension release. When the handle is properly stowed, the override lever moves to allow knockout operation, providing positive feedback.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Force

If a cheater bar is engaged with the gearing to increase mechanical advantage, then winch tension capability is improved, but violent handle movement can cause serious injury during unexpected tension release

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewinch tension capabilityVSAvoidviolent handle movement injury

Core Design Contradiction:

ForceVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The safety knockout override mechanism applies preliminary anti-action by blocking the knockout mechanism when the handle is engaged with gearing (including cheater bars). This prevents unexpected tension release that would otherwise cause violent handle movement and injury to operators using mechanical advantage multipliers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

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

The safety knockout override effectively prevents unintended handle movement and tension release when the handle is not in the stowed position, enhancing safety by ensuring controlled and safe operation of the winch, reducing the risk of accidents and injuries.

Implementation Method 1

with a spring biasing the override to prevent tension release unless the handle is in the stowed position

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSpring bias: Spring

Data Source

PatentUS10087053B2Manual marine winch with safety knockout override preventing release of winch tension without the handle in the stowed position

Publication Date: 2018.10.02 W W PATTERSON CO

AI summary

A manual marine winch includes a safety knockout override preventing release of winch tension without the handle in stowed position. The winch includes a housing; a rotating drum on the housing; a winch line on the drum; a control for spooling and un-spooling the winch line on the drum, wherein the control includes a handle for selectively tensioning the drum and moveable between a position engaged with the drum and a disengaged stowed position; a tension holding mechanism on the housing comprising a ratchet gear coupled to the drum, a pawl selectively engaged with the ratchet gear, and a knockout configures to selectively disengage the pawl from the gear to allow for release of winch tension; and a safety knockout override coupled to the housing and selectively engaged by the handle and configured to prevent release of winch tension when the handle is not in the stowed position.