Patent Application
20180044151
This invention relates generally to the field of winches and hoists.
Ah, the winch: a tried and true tool indispensable in so very many applications! Be it pulling a Jeep from the mud, hoisting a 454 out of a classic Chevy, or simply tightening down a heavy load, the winch has been an enduring marvel of fundamental engineering. The sheer magnitude of the winch's usefulness has made problems with its use seem miniscule in comparison, enough so that these problems have been left unresolved for as long as the winch has been an implement. Take, for example, the simple issue of paying out a line. In many instances, the line is a sturdy rope that, when paying out, tends to back up on the drum, resulting in an unnavigable rat's nest, and thereby rendering the winch useless for anything but a bludgeon. Similarly, when a force is exerted on the line in the direction of the drum as the line is paying out, veritable chaos ensues. The solution so often implemented has been simply to pull on the line as it pays out. However, in so many applications, this is impractical, if not utterly impossible. Therefore, there is at least one problem with winch-tech that, having been left unresolved, accordingly leaves the winch in a lesser state than it could possess.
A winch is disclosed herein that overcomes the limitations discussed above. In general, the winch includes a tensioning mechanism that ensures a line paying out from the winch stays tight on the winch, avoiding loosening of the line from the winch and the subsequent tangling that occurs. In one embodiment, a winch is described that includes a drum, a motor and transmission, and a tensioner. The motor and transmission apply torque to the drum, thereby enabling the drum to draw in and let out a line. The tensioner is positioned adjacent to the drum, such that when the line passes between the tensioner and drum, the line is in frictional contact with the tensioner and drum. The tensioner rotates with a linear speed exceeding a linear speed of the drum as the line is let out from the drum, and rotates freely as the line is drawn onto the drum.
In another embodiment of the claimed invention, a method of using a winch is described. The method includes providing a winch, providing a line, and causing the winch to rotate. The winch includes a drum that draws in and lets out a line, a motor and transmission that apply torque to the drum, and a tensioner positioned adjacent to the drum. The tensioner is positioned such that when the line passes between the tensioner and drum, the line is in frictional contact with the tensioner and drum. Additionally, the tensioner rotates with a linear speed exceeding a linear speed of the drum as the line is let out from the drum, and rotates freely as the line is drawn in. In providing the line, the line passes between the tensioner and the drum.
In yet another embodiment, a method of making a winch is also described. The method includes providing a drum, coupling a motor and transmission to the drum, and coupling a tensioner to the drum. The motor and transmission apply torque to the drum, and a line passes between the tensioner and drum such that the line is in frictional contact with the tensioner and drum. The tensioner is also coupled to the drum, such that the tensioner rotates with a linear speed exceeding a linear speed of the drum as the line is let out from the drum, and such that the tensioner rotates freely as the line is drawn onto the drum.
A more particular description of the invention briefly described above is made below by reference to specific embodiments. Several embodiments are depicted in drawings included with this application, in which:
A detailed description of the claimed invention is provided below by example, with reference to embodiments in the appended figures. Those of skill in the art will recognize that the components of the invention as described by example in the figures below could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the detailed description of the embodiments in the figures is merely representative of embodiments of the invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as claimed.
The descriptions of the various embodiments include, in some cases, references to elements described with regard to other embodiments. Such references are provided for convenience to the reader, and are not intended to limit the described elements to only the features described with regard to the other embodiments. Rather, each embodiment is distinct from each other embodiment.
Throughout the detailed description, various elements are described as “off-the-shelf.” As used herein, “off-the-shelf” means “pre-manufactured” and/or “pre-assembled.”
In some instances, features represented by numerical values, such as dimensions, quantities, and other properties that can be represented numerically, are stated as approximations. Unless otherwise stated, an approximate value means “correct to within 50% of the stated value.” Thus, a length of approximately 1 inch should be read “1 inch +/−0.5 inch.” Similarly, other values not presented as approximations have tolerances around the stated values understood by those skilled in the art. For example, a range of 1-10 should be read “1 to 10 with standard tolerances below 1 and above 10 known and/or understood in the art.”
Drum 101 is, in many embodiments, a right circular cylindrical drum. However, in some embodiments, drum 101 is any of a variety of cylindrical shapes, such as an elliptic cylinder, a parabolic cylinder, a hyperbolic cylinder, and/or an oblique cylinder. In yet other embodiments, drum 101 is a cuboid, a rounded cuboid, a triangular prism, and/or any of a variety of other polyhedral shapes. Additionally, in some embodiments, drum 101 is hollow, such as in embodiments where the motor and transmission are positioned within drum 101. In other embodiments, drum 101 is partially hollow or completely solid. Additionally, as depicted, in some embodiments, drum 101 includes helical groove 101a that guides line 102 as line 102 is wound onto drum 101.
Line 102 winds around drum 101, and is any of a variety of off-the-shelf lines compatible with use on a winch, such as nylon, polypropylene, polyester, UHMWPE, aramid, cotton, Kevlar, steel cable, and/or coated steel cable, among others. Additionally, in some embodiments, line 102 is a rope, whereas in other embodiments line 102 is a strap. In some embodiments line 102 comprises a wear-resistant material sufficient to withstand wear from tensioner 104 for longer than a service life of line 102. As used herein, “service life” refers to a number of uses of a line before line 102 frays or otherwise deteriorates from load-bearing that the line can no longer sustain loads for which the line is useful and/or the winch can tolerate. In some embodiments, the line comprises a tribological material having a coefficient of friction greater than 1.
Line guide 103 guides line 102 as line 102 pays out from, and is drawn onto, drum 101. In some embodiments, line guide 103 is coupled to drum 101 by threaded rods 103a, 103b. Threaded rods 103a, 103b enable line guide 103 to accurately spool line 102 onto drum 101. In other embodiments, line guide 103 slides along smooth rods and assists grooves 101a in spooling line 102.
Tensioner 104 includes, in the depicted embodiment, a wheel positioned in line guide 103. However, tensioner 104 includes, in other embodiments, any of a variety of shapes sufficient for providing payout tension to line 102 as line 102 is payed-out from drum 101. The payout tension causes line 102 to remain firmly wrapped around drum 101 as it is payed-out so that it does not back up on drum 101 and cause the rest of line 102 on drum 101 to loosen and, in some cases tangle. Thus, in some embodiments, tensioner 104 includes a sphere or a belt. In other embodiments, tensioner 104 includes teeth that bite into line 102. In some embodiments, such as the depicted embodiment, tensioner 104 includes groove 104a that fits around line 102 to provide greater surface area for frictional contact between tensioner 104 and line 102.
Drum gear 105 approximately matches a diameter of drum 101, and is positioned to engage tensioner gear 106. In some embodiments, drum gear 105 is integrally incorporated into drum 101, and is manifested as teeth protruding from drum 101. In other embodiments, such as the depicted embodiment, drum gear is a separate component coupled to drum 101. This is beneficial in cases where drum gear 105 gets stripped and needs to be replaced; drum gear 105 is replaceable without having to replace the entire drum 101. Tensioner gear 106 is coupled to tensioner 104 by tensioner rod 106a. As depicted, tensioner gear 106 has a smaller diameter than drum gear 105. In various embodiments, the gear ratio between tensioner gear 106 and drum gear 105 ranges from 1.1 turns of the tensioner gear for every 1 turn of the drum gear, to 100 turns of the gear ratio for every 1 turn of the drum gear. For example, in some embodiments, the tensioner gear to drum gear ratio ranges from 1.1:1 to 25:1. 25:1 to 50:1, 50:1 to 75:1, and/or 75:1 to 100:1. Ranges in other embodiments also include 1.1:1 to 10:1, 10:1 to 20:1, 20:1 to 30:1, 30:1 to 40:1, 40:1 to 50:1, 50:1 to 60:1, 60:1 to 70:1, 70:1 to 80:1, 80:1 to 90:1, and/or 90:1 to 100:1. For example, in one embodiment, the gear ratio is 6:1, in another it is 40:1, and in yet another it is 47:1. Additionally, in the depicted embodiment, drum gear 105 rotates at a same speed as drum 101, and tensioner gear 106 rotates at a same speed as tensioner 104. However, in other embodiments, further gear reduction occurs. For example, in one embodiment, a diameter of tensioner 104 is larger than the diameter of tensioner gear 106, and tensioner 104 rotates with a higher linear speed than tensioner gear 106. Similarly, in some embodiments, drum gear 105 is smaller than drum 101, and rotates at a lower linear speed than drum 101. Alternatively, in some embodiments, drum gear 105 includes a set of planetary gears.
Mount 107 mounts winch 100 to any of a variety of surfaces in any of a variety of orientations, such as horizontal, vertical, right-side up, and upside down. Thus, mount 107 is made of any of a variety of materials sufficient to withstand torque created by winch 100 bearing a load and, in some cases, additional torque caused by gravity. In some embodiments, mount 107 is a steel and/or aluminum alloy. In other embodiments, mount 107 is a hardened and/or thermoset plastic, such as nylon, acrylic, HDPE, and/or melamine.
As in previously described embodiments, drum 301 is coupled to drum gear 304, which drives one or more of threaded guide rods 308 and the tensioner (not visible in this view, but as depicted in
In embodiments that include motor 503, the winch motor and motor 503 communicate such that motor 503 always rotates tensioner 501 with a greater linear speed than a payout speed of a winch line (such as is depicted with regard to
