WINCH APPARATUS HAVING AUTOMATIC TENSION FUNCTION

Abstract

The three operations of hoisting, hoisting, and stopping are automatically performed by using the pulley and the position sensor, so that the general-purpose winch can be easily provided with the auto-tension function. The present invention provides the winch that is inexpensive and has the short delivery time. The three operations of hoisting, hoisting, and stopping are automatically performed by using the pulley and the position sensor, so that the general-purpose winch can be easily provided with the auto-tension function. In two pulleys where wire rope is suspended, the distance between the pulleys can be to changed according to the tension of the wire rope; if the tension increases, the distance between the pulleys decreases and the position sensor operates. As the result, the winch turns to a lowering motion, and the distance between the pulleys increases due to the action of the force of the rodless cylinder; if the tension decreases, the distance between the pulleys increases and another position sensor operates. Therefore, the winch turns into the winding operation and the distance between the pulleys is reduced; the wire rope returning operation and the wire rope pulling operation described above are repeatedly performed due to the operation of the two position sensors, so that the wire rope controls the tension of the constant tension.

Claims

1. A winch apparatus having automatic tension function comprising: a winch unit having a rope pulling operation, a rope returning operation, and a rope stopping operation function; at least two pulleys disposed between the winch unit and the towed object pulled by the winch unit through a rope, the pulleys having the rope suspended on the pulleys; a pulley holding mechanism wherein one of the two pulleys is held by a pulley shaft via a pulley slide bearing, the pulley is rotatable by the function of the pulley slide bearing, and can slide freely along the pulley axis, and wherein the other of the two pulleys is held by another pulley shaft via a pulley slide bearing, the pulley is rotatable by the function of the pulley slide bearing, and can slide freely along the pulley axis, and wherein the distance between the two pulley axes is displaceable; an actuator, a spring, or a weight disposed between the two pulley shafts, having a force for displacing a distance between the two pulley shafts in a direction in which the distance increases; a rope that is suspended between the two pulleys such that as the tension of the rope increases, the distance between the two pulley axes decreases due to the increase in tension; and a displacement sensor that detects changes in distance such as a position sensor that detects a change in the distance between the two pulley shafts, or a load sensor that detects a change in the distance between the two pulley shafts as a load change, wherein when the tension of the rope increases, the distance between the pulleys decreases due to the increase in tension, and then the displacement sensor operates, thus causing the winch unit to return the rope, that is, the distance between the pulleys is increased due to the rope returning operation, wherein when the tension of the rope decreases, the distance between the pulleys increases due to the decrease in the tension, and then the displacement sensor operates, thus causing the winch unit to pull the rope, that is, the distance between the pulleys is decreased due to the rope pulling operation, that is, wherein the rope return operation and the rope pulling operation described above are repeatedly performed due to the operation of the displacement sensor, thereby controlling the tension of the rope to a constant tension.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0071] FIG. 1 is the overall view showing the device configuration of the first preferred embodiment of the device configured according to the present invention.

[0072] FIG. 2 is the top view of the first preferred embodiment of the device configured according to the present invention showing the winch unit, pulley retention mechanism and wire rope.

[0073] FIG. 3 is the right side view of the device shown in FIG. 2.

[0074] FIG. 4 is the left side view of the device shown in FIG. 2.

[0075] FIG. 5 is the partial cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the device shown in FIG. 2.

[0076] FIG. 6 is the partial cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of the device shown in FIG. 2.

[0077] FIG. 7 is the partial cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of the device shown in FIG. 3.

[0078] FIG. 8 shows that, in the device shown in FIG. 6, two weights 8 are arranged instead of the two rodless cylinders 6, as another aspect of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6.

[0079] FIG. 9 shows that, in the device shown in FIG. 6, two load cells 9 are arranged instead of the two rodless cylinders 6, as a part of the device of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0080] FIG. 10 is the overall view showing the device configuration of the second preferred embodiment of the device constructed according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0081] Preferred embodiments of the device configured according to this invention will be explained in detail hereinafter referring to the accompanying drawings.

[0082] Hereinafter, the first preferred embodiment of the apparatus constituted according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0083] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 7, the apparatus according to the first preferred embodiment of the apparatus constructed according to the present invention comprises the following members:

[0084] That is, the names and functions of each of those members are listed in order below:

[0085] The winch unit 1 having the functions of pulling the wire rope, returning the wire rope, and stopping the wire rope;

[0086] The wire rope 2 wound on the rotating drum of the winch unit 1;

[0087] Two pulleys 4, 5 suspended in the middle of the wire rope 2 so that when the tension of the wire rope 2 increases, the distance between the pulleys decreases due to the increase in the tension;

[0088] The pulley holding mechanism 3 that holds the pulleys and can change the distance between the pulleys, and the pulley holding mechanism 3 is structured as follows;

[0089] In the pulley holding mechanism 3, the upper pulley 4 located above is held by the upper pulley shaft 402 via the upper pulley slide bearing 401,

The upper pulley 4 is rotatable by the function of the upper pulley slide bearing 401, and can slide freely in the lateral direction along the upper pulley axis 402, Each of both ends of the upper pulley shaft 402 is fixed to the side surface of the pulley holding mechanism frame 301,

[0090] The lower pulley 5 located below is held by the lower pulley shaft 502 via the lower pulley slide bearing 501,

The lower pulley 5 is rotatable and freely slidable in the lateral direction along the lower pulley shaft 502 by the function of the lower pulley slide bearing 501;

[0091] Two rodless cylinders 504 disposed between the pulleys, the pneumatic actuators having the force to displace the distance between the pulleys in the direction to increase the distance;

[0092] Two limit switches 7 arranged to detect the change in the distance between the pulleys:

[0093] Operation and effects of the above-mentioned device will be explained hereinafter.

[0094] When the tension of the wire rope 2 increases, the increase of the tension overcomes the force of the rodless cylinder 504, and thus the distance between the pulleys decreases, so that the upper limit switch 7 operates.

When the limit switch 7 operates, the winch unit 1 rewinds the wire rope 2. Thus, due to the unwinding action of the wire rope, the action of the rodless cylinder 504 increases the distance between the pulleys;

[0095] On the other hand, when the tension of the wire rope 2 decreases, the distance between the pulleys increases due to the action of the rodless cylinder 504 due to the decrease in the tension, and the lower limit switch 7 operates.

When the limit switch 7 is actuated, the winch unit 1 pulls the wire rope 2, thus reducing the distance between the pulleys due to the pulling action of the wire rope;

[0096] By repeatedly performing the above wire rope returning operation and wire rope pulling operation due to the operation of the upper and lower limit switches 7, the tension of the wire rope 2 is controlled to the constant tension.

[0097] The winch device having the auto-tension function is provided by the configuration and operation of the device of the first preferred embodiment according to the present invention as described above.

[0098] The force by which the rodless cylinder 504 increases the distance between the pulleys is smaller than the force by which the winch unit 1 decreases the distance between the pulleys.

[0099] As for the preset method of the force by which the pneumatic rodless cylinder 504 increases the distance between the pulleys, the thrust of the rodless cylinder 504 is preset by the pneumatic pressure regulator.

[0100] Hereinafter, alternative embodiments of the first preferred embodiment of the apparatus constituted according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0101] Referring to FIG. 8, instead of the two rodless cylinders 6 depicted in FIG. 6, two weights 8 are arranged in FIG. 8.

[0102] The operation of the above-described device will be described below.

[0103] When the tension of the wire rope 2 increases, the increase of the tension overcomes the action of the weight 8 and thus the distance between the pulleys decreases. When the distance between the pulleys decreases, the upper limit switch 7 operates, and when the limit switch 7 operates, the winch unit 1 rewinds the wire rope 2. Thus, due to the unwinding action of the wire rope, the weight 8 increases the distance between the pulleys;

[0104] On the other hand, when the tension of the wire rope 2 decreases, the weight 8 increases the distance between the pulleys due to the decrease in the tension. When the distance between the pulleys increases, the lower limit switch 7 operates, and when the limit switch 7 operates, the winch unit 1 pulls the wire rope 2. Thus, the distance between the pulleys decreases due to the wire rope pulling action;

[0105] By repeatedly performing the above wire rope returning operation and wire rope pulling operation due to the operation of the upper and lower limit switches 7, the tension of the wire rope 2 can be controlled to the constant tension.

[0106] The winch device having the auto-tension function is provided by the configuration and operation of the device of the first preferred embodiment according to the present invention as described above.

[0107] The force by which the weight 8 increases the distance between the pulleys is smaller than the force by which the winch unit 1 decreases the distance between the pulleys.

[0108] As for the force by which the weight 8 increases the distance between the pulleys, the weight of the weight 8 is preset.

[0109] Hereinafter, the second preferred embodiment of the apparatus constituted according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0110] Referring to FIGS. 9 to 10, instead of the two rodless cylinders 6 depicted in FIG. 6, two load cells 9 are arranged in FIG. 9.

[0111] FIG. 10 shows the overall system configuration of the second preferred embodiment of the system constructed according to the present invention.

[0112] In FIG. 10, the compression coil spring for pushing is arranged in the expanded state inside the rod side of the cylindrical cylinder 13 with the piston rod.

[0113] The outer part of the cylindrical cylinder 13 is fixed to the known device 12, which adsorbs on the wall and is movable along it.

[0114] The end of the wire rope 2 is connected to the end of the rod.

[0115] In the control unit (not shown) of the load cell 9 shown, which is a kind of load sensor, the voltage proportional to the load is output.

[0116] In the control unit, the upper limit threshold and the lower limit threshold of the voltage are preset.

[0117] Therefore, when the load reaches the upper limit value or reaches the lower limit value, the signal indicating that the load is reached is output.

[0118] In the cylindrical cylinder 13 in which the compression coil spring is arranged, when the device 12 attracted to the wall surface and moving along the device 12 is stopped on the wall surface, first, the control unit of the load cell 9 outputs the lower limit value. Therefore, the winch unit 1 performs the winding operation. Therefore, in the figure, the compression coil spring is further compressed and the rod extends.

[0119] Next, due to the compression of the compression coil spring, that is, the increase in the tension of the wire rope 2, the control unit outputs the upper limit value. Therefore, the winch unit 1 is switched to the rewinding operation. After a while, on the contrary, the tension of the wire rope 2 starts to decrease, so that the compression coil spring is expanded and the rod is contracted in the figure.

[0120] After a while, the control unit outputs the lower limit value due to the extension of the compression coil spring, that is, the decrease in the tension of the wire rope 2, so that the winch unit 1 switches to the winding operation again.

[0121] After that, the cylindrical cylinder 13 with the piston rod repeats the extension and contraction of the rod due to the change in the tension of the wire rope 2. Therefore, the tension of the wire rope 2 is maintained at a substantially constant tension, irrespective of the operation on the wall surface of the device 12 that is attracted to the wall surface and moves along the wall surface.

[0122] The winch device having the auto-tension function is provided by the configuration and operation of the device of the second preferred embodiment according to the present invention as described above.

[0123] The effects of the preferred embodiment apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention are described below.

[0124] The device of the preferred embodiment constructed in accordance with the present invention has the capability of automatically adjusting the tension of the rope so that the rope does not sag and the rope does not become overtight when the winch device is operating, a so-called has the auto-tension function.

[0125] The preferred embodiment apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention is capable of converting a general-purpose commercially available winch device into the winch device having the auto-tension function at a low cost and in a short delivery time.

[0126] The limit switch 7 described above is a type of displacement sensor that detects displacement of the object, and is the sensor that detects arbitrary displacement of the object. It may be paraphrased as the sensor that detects the threshold value of the displacement of the object.

[0127] In the device constructed according to the present invention, the displacement sensor capable of continuously detecting the displacement of the object such as the rotary encoder can be used instead of the limit switch 7. In this case, the arbitrary threshold value is preset.

[0128] When the winch is the air winch using the air motor, the limit valve can be used as the sensor for detecting an arbitrary displacement of an object.

[0129] Although the preferred embodiment of the device of the present invention has been described above, the device of the present invention can be considered in various embodiments other than the preferred embodiment according to the scope of the claims.

[0130] As described above, the winch device having the function of automatically adjusting the tension of the rope so as not to loosen the rope and prevent the rope from being excessively tensioned while the winch device is operating, so-called the auto-tension function, as illustrated in the section Background Technology, it can be conveniently used as the device for preventing the fall of the adsorption self-propelled wall working robotic crawler that cleans or paints the wall surface of the oil storage tank, the hull, or the like.

[0131] Further, in the offshore vessel refueling system, various applications such as the winch device for stretching the wire rope while maintaining the constant tension between the traveling vessels can be considered.