CABLE WINCH AND HOISTING DEVICE HAVING SUCH A CABLE WINCH

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cable winch, in particular a hoisting gear winch of a hoist, comprising a cable drum, an entry guide for a cable to be wound onto the cable drum, and an actuating drive for adjusting the entry guide relative to the cable drum. The invention also relates to a hoisting device, in particular in the form of a crane, having such a cable winch. According to the invention, a detection unit for detecting an image of the progression of the winding of the cable wound onto the cable drum is provided and the control unit is designed to adjust the entry guide relative to the cable drum depending on the winding progression image captured.

Claims

1. A cable winch comprising a hoisting gear winch of a hoisting device, wherein the winch is for winding and unwinding a cable, the winch comprising: a cable drum; an entry guide for guiding the cable to be wound onto and unwound from the cable drum; an actuating drive for adjusting the entry guide relative to the cable drum; a controller for controlling the actuating drive; and a detection device for detecting the cable and an image of the progression of the winding of the cable on the cable drum; wherein the controller is configured to adjust the entry guide relative to the cable drum depending on the detected cable and the winding progression image captured.

2. The winch of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to dynamically adapt the adjustment of the entry guide depending on a change in a cable parameter detected during the winding and/or unwinding of the cable to increase and/or decrease the adjustment speed depending on a cable diameter changing due to varying cable tension forces.

3. The winch of claim 1, wherein the detection device is configured to determine an envelope contour of a cable winding on the cable drum, wherein the controller is configured to variably adjust the entry guide relative to the cable drum as a function of the envelope contour.

4. The winch of claim 1, wherein the detection device comprises an optical image acquisition device for detecting an image of the cable winding and an image evaluation device for evaluating the detected image of the cable winding and determining parameters of the image of the progression of an envelope contour of the cable winding and/or the cable diameter.

5. The winch of claim 4, wherein the image evaluation device is configured to determine the envelope contour of the cable winding from the captured image thereof.

6. The winch of claim 4, wherein the optical image acquisition device comprises at least one camera observing the cable drum.

7. The winch of claim 6, wherein the image evaluation device is configured to determine the envelope contour of the cable winding from the captured image thereof.

8. The winch of claim 1, further comprising an image evaluation device configured to determine a pitch and/or a spacing of the winding turns on the cable drum from the captured image of the cable winding.

9. The winch of claim 1, wherein the controller has a comparison device for comparing a detected or determined actual envelope contour with a predetermined target envelope contour and is configured to adjust the entry guide depending on the deviations between the actual envelope contour and the target envelope contour determined during the comparison.

10. The winch of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to dynamically adapt the target envelope contour as the cable winding and/or cable unwinding progresses.

11. The winch of claim 1, wherein the controller has a cross-winding mode of operation in which the controller adjusts the entry guide so the cable is wound crosswise onto the cable drum.

12. The winch of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to compare the detected actual winding progression image with a predetermined target crosswise winding progression image and to adjust the entry guide depending on the deviations between the actual winding progression image and the target crosswise winding progression image.

13. The winch of claim 1, further comprising an image evaluator for determining a cable diameter of the cable to be wound onto the cable drum, wherein the controller is configured to emit a warning signal and/or a discard signal and/or a predetermined control signal when a predetermined cable diameter is exceeded or cannot be reached.

14. The winch of claim 1, wherein the image evaluator is configured to determine a cable length of the cable wound onto the cable drum and/or the cable unwound from the cable drum on the basis of cable markings identified in the image captured.

15. The winch of claim 1, wherein the image evaluator is configured to determine a deformation of flanged wheels, which together with a drum shell delimit a winding region of the cable drum and project beyond said drum shell, from a captured image of the cable drum.

16. The winch of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to change the adjustment of the entry guide and/or to emit a warning signal and/or to stop winch operation when a predetermined flanged wheel deformation is exceeded.

17. The winch of claim 15, wherein the image evaluator is configured to identify a distance of the flanged wheels in a camera image and/or determines a distance of each flanged wheel from a drum center.

18. The winch of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to change the adjustment of the entry guide and/or to emit a warning signal and/or to stop winch operation when a predetermined flanged wheel deformation is exceeded.

19. The winch of claim 1, further comprising a temperature determiner for determining a temperature of the cable, wherein the controller is configured to change a remaining service life of the cable depending on the determined cable temperature and/or to emit a warning signal and/or a predetermined control signal when a predetermined cable temperature is exceeded or cannot be reached.

20. The winch of claim 19, wherein the temperature determiner comprises a thermal imaging camera directed at the cable drum or the cable and/or are integrated into the camera of the image acquisition device observing the cable drum, further comprising an image evaluator configured to determine the cable temperature from a captured image of the cable drum and/or the cable.

21. The winch of claim 1, wherein the cable drum has a smooth, grooves-free drum shell.

22. The winch of claim 1, wherein the cable drum has inclined flanged wheels which delimit between them a winding region which widens outwards with increasing distance from the drum shell.

23. A hoisting device comprising a crane, wherein the device comprises a cable winch configured according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of a preferred exemplary embodiment and the corresponding drawings. The drawings show:

[0052] FIG. 1: a hoisting device in the form of a crane, from the boom of which there runs off a hoist cable, which can be wound onto a cable winch,

[0053] FIG. 2: a representation of the cable winch of the hoisting device of FIG. 1, wherein the partial view (a) shows a top view and the partial view (b) shows a side view of the lifting winch, wherein an uneven cable winding with a correspondingly curved envelope curve is shown on the cable drum, as can occur in the case of inadequate regulation of the adjustment of the entry guide,

[0054] FIG. 3: a top view of the cable drum of FIG. 2, showing a uniform cable winding with a stepped envelope contour when the adjustment of the entry guide has been adjusted, and

[0055] FIG. 4: a top view of a cable winch similar to FIG. 2, wherein the cable winch has inclined flanged wheels to facilitate crosswise winding of the drum.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] As FIG. 1 shows, the cable winch 5 can be used in a hoisting device 1, which can be configured as a crane, for example in the form of a tower crane. Independently thereof, the cable winch 5 serves to wind up a cable 6 which, when the cable winch 5 is used in the hoisting device 1, can be its hoist cable. If the hoisting device 1 is configured as a crane, the cable 6 can, for example, run off a boom 2 and carry a load hook that can be raised and lowered by retracting or unwinding the cable 6. Independently thereof, the cable winch 5 may be arranged, for example, on a counter boom 3 of the crane or on a revolving stage 4, which may support the boom 2 directly or a tower to which the boom 2 may be articulated.

[0057] Said cable 6 may be, in particular, a high-strength fiber rope of the type described at the beginning or another cable which has limited resistance under compressive stresses. In principle, however, the cable winch 5 can also be used to wind up conventional steel cables.

[0058] As shown in FIGS. 2-4, the cable winch 5 comprises a cable drum 7 which may have a substantially cylindrical drum shell 8. On the outer circumferential side, the drum shell 8 can be smooth, i.e. without cable grooving, although grooving could also be provided.

[0059] Flanged wheels 9 can be arranged on the right and left or on the end face sections of the cable drum 7, which delimit the cable winding area together with the drum shell 8. Said flanged wheels 9 project outwardly beyond the drum shell 8 transversely to the drum longitudinal axis 10, wherein the flanged wheels 9 may extend substantially radially or perpendicularly to the drum longitudinal axis 10, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Alternatively, it may be advantageous to use inclined flanged wheels 9, which may extend at an acute angle to planes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 10 of the drum. In particular, as shown in FIG. 4, said flanged wheels 9 can extend inclined away from each other so that the sides of the flanged wheels 9 facing the winding area are set in a V-shape. In other words, the flanged wheels 9 may be inclined such that the distance between the flanged wheels 9, measured in the direction of the drum longitudinal axis 10, increases with increasing distance from the drum shell 8. Regardless of the inclination of the flanged wheels 9, their inner contour may be formed straight ahead when viewed in a cross-section of the cable winch, see FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.

[0060] Such inclined or slanted end plates can in particular facilitate the crosswise winding.

[0061] The cable drum 7 can be rotationally driven by a winch drive 11, wherein said winch drive 11 can, for example, comprise a hydraulic motor or an electric motor, the driving motion of which can be transmitted to the cable drum 7 directly or via a winch transmission 12. The winch drive 11 and/or the winch transmission 12 can be partially or completely recessed inside the cable drum 7.

[0062] The cable 6 to be wound onto the cable drum 7 is guided during winding by means of an entry guide 13. Said entry guide 13 may, for example, comprise two guide rollers between which the cable 6 passes, or may also comprise a sliding guide eye which guides the cable. Said entry guide 13 guides the cable transversely to the cable longitudinal direction, in particular in a direction at least approximately parallel to the drum longitudinal axis 10.

[0063] The entry guide 13 can be adjusted transversely to the cable longitudinal direction, in particular the adjustment direction of the entry guide 13 can be at least approximately parallel to the drum longitudinal axis 10.

[0064] The adjusting device for the entry guide 13 may comprise a spindle or a carriage guide or a similar linear guide, so that the entry guide 13 can be adjusted approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis 10 of the drum.

[0065] An adjustment drive 14 for adjusting the entry guide 13 relative to the cable drum 7 can, for example, have an electric or hydraulic motor 15 which rotationally drives a drive spindle. Alternatively or additionally, however, a pressure medium cylinder can also be provided for adjusting the entry guide 13, for example.

[0066] The adjustment drive 14 is controlled by an electronic controller 15, which can take into account the speed and/or rotational velocity of the cable drum 7 for the adjustment of the entry guide 13. Said speed and/or rotational position and/or rotational velocity of the cable drum 7 may be detected by a winch rotation sensor 16 or other rotation detection device and reported to the controller 15.

[0067] As FIGS. 2-4 show, a detection unit 17 is also provided which detects the winding progression image of the cable winding 18 on the cable drum 7 so that the controller 15 can adjust the adjustment of the entry guide 13 to the winding progression image that is formed.

[0068] Said detection unit 17 may comprise at least one camera 19 and/or at least one imaging sensor and/or, in general, an optical image acquisition device 20 which observes the cable drum 7, in particular its winding area, and provides an image of the cable 6 winding on the cable drum 7. Where appropriate, the image acquisition device 20 may also include a plurality of cameras 19 and/or a plurality of imaging sensors observing different sections or different sectors of the cable drum 7, for example, opposing sectors or four quadrants of the cable drum 7.

[0069] The image acquisition device 20 monitors the cable drum 7, in particular its cable winding 18 and/or the cable 6, even during ongoing winding operation, wherein images of the cable winding can be provided continuously or at least cyclically. In particular, a live image can be transmitted to the controller 15 and/or an image evaluation device 21.

[0070] Said image evaluation device 21 analyzes the image transmitted from the image acquisition device 20, wherein at least one characteristic of the winding progression image can be determined. In particular, said image evaluation device 21 can determine the envelope contour 22 of the cable winding 18 on the cable drum 7. As FIG. 2 shows, said envelope contour 22 can have a curved or serpentine or at least partially curved, for example indented or bulged, course, in particular if the adjustment of the entry guide 13 is not controlled and/or regulated in such a way as to adapt the adjusting envelope contour to a predefinable target envelope contour. Said target envelope contour can in particular be essentially cylindrical or, viewed in cross-section, straight or stepped, in particular with longer straight contour sections approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis 10 of the drum, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Advantageously, a step in the envelope contour can be provided only in the transition area between a lower-layer winding and a multilayer winding, but otherwise approximately straight contour sections as viewed in section.

[0071] Said envelope contour 22 can basically be determined by the image evaluation device 21 by connecting the radially outermost cable surface sections, whereby a polygonal tensile profile resulting from this can be rounded if necessary, as FIG. 2 illustrates.

[0072] As explained at the beginning, said image evaluation device 21 can analyze pixels and/or evaluate pixel patterns, identify and/or determine contour gradients, identify or evaluate grayscale and/or light/dark patterns, identify colors and/or determine color deviations and/or gradients, and/or determine color area components in the captured image.

[0073] In particular, the image evaluation device 21 may comprise contour evaluation means 21a which can determine said envelope contour 22 and, if necessary, also the course of the cable turns on the cable drum 7.

[0074] Furthermore, the image evaluation device 21 may comprise color pattern evaluation means 21b which can determine color patterns in the captured image and from this determine the envelope contour 22 and/or identify colored markings on the cable 6.

[0075] Furthermore, said image evaluation device 21 may also comprise color area fraction evaluation means 21c which can determine color area fractions in the captured image and, if necessary, determine the envelope contour 22 and/or the number of winding layers therefrom.

[0076] Furthermore, the image evaluation device 21 may comprise cable length determining means 21d capable of determining a length of the cable 6 wound onto the cable drum 7 and/or the length of the cable unwound therefrom, for example on the basis of colored and/or gray scale characteristic and/or geometric markings on the cable 6, which may be applied to and/or incorporated in the cable 6 at predetermined intervals. Said cable length determining means 21d can identify markings passing by the image acquisition device 20 in the running cable and determine the length of the wound cable based on their number.

[0077] Furthermore, the image evaluation device 21 may comprise diameter determining means 21e for determining the cable diameter of the cable 6, in particular of a cable section to be wound onto the cable drum 7. Alternatively or additionally, the cable diameter of an already wound cable section can be determined.

[0078] The controller 15 can variably control the adjustment drive 14 of the entry guide 13 depending on the winding progression image detected. In particular, a comparison device 23 can compare the envelope contour 22 of the cable winding 18 detected or determined by the detection device 17 with a predetermined desired envelope contour, wherein the adjustment device 15 can adjust the entry guide 13 on the basis of detected deviations between the actual envelope contour 22 and the target envelope contour in order to match the actual winding progression image as closely as possible to the target winding progression image or to match the actual envelope contour as closely as possible to the target envelope contour.

[0079] Alternatively or additionally, the controller 15 can adjust the entry guide 13 in such a way that the cable drum 7 is wound crosswise and a target, crosswise target winding progression image is maintained as far as possible.

[0080] Alternatively or additionally, the controller 15 can emit a warning signal and/or a discard signal and/or a control signal if the image evaluation device 21 determines a predetermined change in the detected or determined cable diameter in the manner already explained at the beginning and/or predetermined deviations occur between the detected or determined cable length of the cable wound onto the cable drum 7 and the speed and/or rotational velocity and/or rotational position of the cable drum 7 determined by the winch rotation sensor 16.

[0081] In particular, the controller 15 can be configured to dynamically adjust the control of the entry guide 13 depending on a detected change in cable diameter, in particular to increase or decrease the adjustment speed of the entry guide 13 if the cable diameter is reduced or increased, for example, by varying the cable tension forces. Such an adjustment can be made in particular online during the winding and/or during the unwinding of the cable.

[0082] Furthermore, the image acquisition device 20 can also be used to monitor deformation of the flanged wheels 9. In particular, the image evaluation device 21 can comprise flanged wheel deformation determining means 21f which evaluates the captured image of the cable drum 7 for a deformation of the flanged wheel 9, in particular whether and to what extent the flanged wheel 9, for example their outer circumferential edge sections, bend in the direction of the drum longitudinal axis 10. For example, in the camera image of the cable drum 7 provided by the camera 19, the distance between the flanged wheels 9 can be determined, which can be taken as a measure of the deformation of the flanged wheels 9. Alternatively or additionally, the distance of each flanged wheel 9 individually from a drum center can be determined and taken as a measure of flanged wheel deformation. This allows effects to be masked out which, for example, could falsify the actual detection if both flanged wheels are deformed in the same direction.

[0083] In a further embodiment of the invention, a temperature determination device can determine the cable temperature of the cable 6 to be wound onto the cable drum 7, wherein said temperature determination device can advantageously be integrated into said camera 19 and/or combined with said camera 19 to form a detection assembly or unit. Independently of this, said temperature determination device can be configured to observe the cable running onto the cable drum 7 and/or the cable winding forming there.

[0084] Said temperature determination device advantageously comprises non-contact temperature determination means, for example in the form of an infrared temperature sensor and/or a thermal imaging camera, the image of which can be evaluated by an image evaluation device in order to determine the cable temperature.

[0085] An electronic evaluation device, which may be integrated in the electronic controller 15, for example, can use the determined cable temperature to determine or change a remaining service life of the cable and/or determine its remaining service life, although other parameters may also be taken into account for this purpose, as explained previously.

[0086] As can be seen from the above explanations, considerable advantages can be achieved by feed regulation or control at the entry guide using an optical camera or image acquisition system, which in particular comprise the following aspects: [0087] detection of the image of the progression of the winding of the cable and control of the cable guiding device (the winding process here can take place not only, as is known, cable layer next to cable layer, but also crosswise, depending on the design of the cable). [0088] In order to facilitate crosswise winding, the end plates can also be designed at an angle, see e.g. FIG. 3. [0089] Specification of an envelope geometry as the target geometry and readjustment of the cable guiding device. [0090] Measuring the cable diameter to draw conclusions about the wear condition of the cable. [0091] In case of color-marked minimum cable diameter, a warning can be output, or in case of continuous color-marking, an output of the remaining service life of the cable can be output. [0092] In the case of color or geometrically marked distance markings in the longitudinal direction of the cable, it is possible to carry out a length measurement of the wound or unwound cable. [0093] Detection of end plate deformation allows conclusions to be drawn about incipient defects in the end plates or in the drum of the cable drive; in the case of end plate deformation, the cable drum is also in the force flow at the same time. [0094] Furthermore, the cable drum can be configured without grooving or it can be completely re-set according to the cable stiffnesses. [0095] Eliminating the grooving or simplifying the cable drum grooving results in manufacturing advantages. [0096] The service life of the cable can be significantly increased compared to an unguided spooling system. [0097] The cable is continuously monitored to the end of its service life. [0098] The camera system can still be used to record the temperature of the cable, which is integrated into the camera. The importance of temperature measurement is explained by the fact that fiber ropes have a non-negligible impact on cable service life when a temperature threshold is exceeded. Depending on the composition of the cable configuration, this influence already sets in at 50° C. and naturally increases with rising temperature.