Wire Rope Rotary Plate Follower for Low-Cost Twist Inspection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rotating movable bodies for wire ropes require laborious processing and high manufacturing costs due to the need for a spiral-shaped portion on the tubular member, and the use of metal materials increases weight, while inspection methods like flaw detectors are expensive, making wire rope inspection costly.
Innovation Solution
A rotating movable body with rope engaging portions, including rotary plates and projecting portions, that follow the twist of the wire rope strands, reducing processing labor and weight, and incorporating a needle sensor for surface shape detection to facilitate low-cost inspection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a spiral-shaped portion is formed on the entire inner peripheral surface of a single tubular member, then the rotating movable body can follow the twist of the wire rope strands, but the processing labor and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single tubular member into multiple separate tubular members (first tubular member, second tubular member, etc.). Each tubular member has a simpler inner peripheral surface without requiring a complete spiral shape. The rope engaging portions are distributed across multiple segments, eliminating the need for complex spiral machining on a single piece while maintaining the ability to follow strand twist.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of forming a spiral-shaped portion on the entire inner peripheral surface, the patent applies rope engaging portions only at specific local positions where strands make contact. Each tubular member has rope engaging portions at its ends or at specific locations, rather than requiring a continuous spiral pattern along the entire surface.
2Device complexity
If a single tubular member is used for the rotating movable body, then the structure is simple, but the weight increases when formed of metal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single heavy tubular member into multiple lighter tubular members. Each tubular member can be optimized for minimal weight while maintaining structural integrity for its specific function. The distributed configuration allows each segment to be smaller and lighter than a single comprehensive tubular member would require.
3Reliability
If a flaw detector is used to measure leakage flux from the wire rope, then inspection for deformations can be performed, but the operation cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rotating movable body with rope engaging portions enables the wire rope inspection system to detect deformations through mechanical interaction itself. As the rotating movable body moves along the wire rope, variations in rotation or movement characteristics reveal strand deformations, eliminating the need for expensive external flaw detectors that measure leakage flux.
Data Source
AI summary
A rotating movable body for a wire rope includes a rotating portion through the interior of which a wire rope passes, the wire rope being formed by twisting together eight strands, and rotary plates provided on the rotating portion so as to engage with parts of the outer shape of the wire rope, wherein the rotary plates are arranged at a predetermined interval in the extension direction of the wire rope, and in a state where each of the plurality of strands is in contact with one of the rotary plates, the rotating portion moves in the extension direction of the wire rope and rotates so as to follow the twist of the strands.