JP7643733B2 - Alignment winch - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to an alignment winch that winds wire while aligning it.

When towing an object such as an observation device, an alignment winch is used to wind up the wire connected to the object while aligning it. For example, an alignment winch includes a winding unit that includes a rotating drum having a body around which the wire is wound, and an alignment unit that holds the wire and reciprocates in the axial direction to regulate the winding position of the wire.

In this type of alignment winch, the more the extension direction of the wire pulled out from the outer periphery of the rotating drum is inclined relative to the tangent direction of the winding position on the rotating drum, the more load is placed on the rotating shaft that guides the wire. Therefore, the inclination angle of the extension direction of the wire relative to the tangent direction of the rotating drum must be within a certain range, and since the wire moves left and right to the side of the rotating drum, a large area must be reserved for its placement, making it difficult to install in a narrow space.

In the alignment winch, the use of a guide mechanism that regulates the wire pull-out direction, for example, on the side of the rotating drum, is also being considered. For example, the guide mechanism includes a pulley around which the wire is wound, and a moving mechanism that moves the pulley back and forth in the axial direction. In such a guide mechanism, a switch could be provided on the wire between the drum and the pulley, and a switch device could be used in which the wound-up wire presses the switch to switch the drive state of the pulley's moving mechanism. However, with such a switch device, once the wire becomes tangled, the switch does not function properly, making it difficult to align correctly.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-002815

The problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide an alignment winch that is small and has high alignment functionality.

The alignment winch according to one embodiment includes an alignment unit having a winding unit having a rotating drum having a first rotating shaft along a first direction and an outer circumferential surface around which a wire is wound, a pulley provided on the outer circumferential surface of the rotating drum and around which a wire is wound, and a shift mechanism unit that moves the pulley in the first direction with the rotation of the rotating drum. The shift mechanism unit includes a first shift mechanism unit having a second rotating shaft that is connected to the first rotating shaft of the rotating drum in a power-transmitting manner and arranged along the first direction and is rotated in synchronization with the rotating drum, a slider that engages with the second rotating shaft and moves in the first direction with the rotation of the second rotating shaft, a third rotating shaft along the first direction that is separated from the first shift mechanism unit, and a support table that engages with the third rotating shaft, moves in the first direction with the rotation of the third rotating shaft, and rotatably supports the pulley, and a switch unit that switches the drive state of the third rotating shaft with the movement of the slider of the first shift mechanism unit.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an alignment winch according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing a part of the alignment winch according to the embodiment; FIG. FIG. FIG.

Below, an alignment winch 1 according to one embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the general configuration of an alignment winch 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an enlarged portion of the alignment winch 1. Figure 3 is a plan view showing the alignment winch 1, and Figure 4 is a front view showing the alignment winch 1. Figure 5 is a side view showing the alignment winch 1. For the purpose of explanation, the configuration is enlarged, reduced, or omitted in each figure as appropriate.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 5, the alignment winch 1 includes a frame 10, a winding section 20, a transmission section 30, and an alignment section 40. For example, in this embodiment, the alignment winch 1 is an observation winch that is installed on a ship and pulls observation equipment deployed in the ocean. As an example of the alignment winch 1, a monohull winch that includes one rotating drum 23 is illustrated.

The stand 10 comprises a base 11 and a number of support frames 12 provided on the base 11. For example, the base 11 integrally comprises a number of plate-shaped members 11a made of a metal material and a number of reinforcing ribs 11b. The base 11 is installed at the installation location of the alignment winch 1 by fastening or the like, and supports the winding unit 20 and alignment unit 40 provided on the upper side. For example, various shaft parts of the winding unit 20 and alignment unit 40 are fixed to predetermined locations on the base 11 via the support frames 12. In addition, the first drive source 21 and guide rail 63 are fixed to predetermined locations on the base 11.

The multiple support frames 12 are integrally provided at predetermined locations on the upper surface of the base 11. The support frames 12 are appropriately provided with bearings that rotatably hold the shaft members of the winding section 20 and the alignment section 40 at predetermined positions. As a specific example, in this embodiment, the support frames 12 include a pair of first support frames 12a that support both ends of the rotating shaft of the rotating drum 23, a pair of second support frames 12b that rotatably support both ends of the second rotating shaft 42 and support both ends of the guide shaft 43, and a pair of third support frames 12c that rotatably support both ends of the third rotating shaft 62.

The winding unit 20 includes a first drive source 21, a drive unit 22, and a rotating drum 23.

The first driving source 21 is, for example, a hydraulic motor, and is installed on one end of the rotating drum 23 on the base 11. For example, the first driving source 21 is provided closer to the end side of the flange 27 in the axial direction of the rotating drum 23. The first driving source 21 has a motor shaft connected to the first rotating shaft 25 of the rotating drum 23, and rotates the rotating drum 23 by rotating the motor shaft. The first driving source 21 is connected to a drive unit 22, and is driven by the drive unit 22 under predetermined conditions.

The drive unit 22 includes an operation unit 22a and a control unit 22b. For example, the operation unit 22a includes an operating lever that can be rotated by the user. The control unit 22b is connected to the operation unit 22a and has a control circuit that drives the motor to rotate in response to input from the operation unit 22a. For example, a series circuit is used as the control circuit. Note that a parallel circuit may also be used as the control circuit.

The rotating drum 23 includes a first rotating shaft 25 extending in a first direction, a body portion 26 provided on the outer periphery of the first rotating shaft 25, and a pair of flanges 27 provided on both ends of the body portion 26 in the first direction.

The first rotating shaft 25 is disposed on the stand 10 along the first direction and rotatably supported by the first support frame 12a. For example, the first rotating shaft 25 is rotatably supported at a predetermined height above the base 11 by having both ends supported by bearings of the support frame 12. One end of the first rotating shaft 25 is connected to the first driving source 21 and is driven to rotate by the first driving source 21. The other end of the first rotating shaft 25 is connected to the transmission unit 30. In other words, the rotational force of the first rotating shaft 25 is configured to be transmittable to the second rotating shaft 42 via the transmission unit 30. Specifically, a gear member that constitutes part of the transmission unit 30 is provided on the first rotating shaft 25.

The body 26 is cylindrical and is provided on the outer periphery of the first rotating shaft 25. An alignment groove 26a that regulates the position of the wire W is formed on the outer periphery of the body 26. The alignment groove 26a is a recess that corresponds to the thickness of the wire W, and is formed on the circumferential surface of the body 26 along the winding direction of the wire W. The alignment groove 26a may be formed, for example, by cutting the surface of the body 26, or by attaching an attachment having the alignment groove 26a to the surface of the body 26.

The flange 27 is a disk-shaped member with a larger diameter than the body 26, and is fixed to both axial ends of the body 26, for example, by welding. For example, the flange 27 has an outer edge that is located on the outer periphery of the wire W that is placed on the outer periphery when the maximum amount of wire W expected is wound around the body 26. In other words, the flange 27 is configured to have a larger diameter than the maximum diameter of the body 26 around which the wire W is wound.

The transmission unit 30 includes gears 31, 32 and a rotating belt 33 as a power transmission mechanism, and transmits the rotational force of the first rotating shaft 25 to the second rotating shaft 42. For example, the transmission unit 30 includes a first gear 31 attached to the first rotating shaft 25, a second gear 32 attached to the second rotating shaft 42, and a loop-shaped rotating belt 33.

The first gear 31 is provided at the end of the first rotating shaft 25 opposite the first drive source 21, and rotates with the rotation of the first rotating shaft 25. The first gear 31 has teeth on its outer periphery that mesh with the uneven portion on the inner surface of the rotating belt 33.

The second gear 32 is provided at the end of the second rotating shaft 42. The second gear 32 has teeth on its outer periphery that mesh with the uneven portion on the inner surface of the rotating belt 33.

The rotating belt 33 has an uneven portion that can engage with the teeth on the outer circumference of the first gear 31 and the second gear 32 that are mounted on the first rotating shaft 25 and the second rotating shaft 42, respectively. For example, the rotating belt 33 is in the form of a chain or band with multiple link members connected, and has an uneven portion on the inner circumference where multiple protrusions and holes are arranged at a predetermined pitch. The rotating belt 33 is provided along a loop-shaped path that passes through the outer circumference of the first gear 31 and the second gear 32, and rotates the second gear 32 by moving in accordance with the rotation of the first rotating shaft 25.

The transmission unit 30 rotates the second rotating shaft 42 via the second gear member that meshes with the rotating belt 33 by feeding and moving the rotating belt 33 via the first gear member due to the rotation of the first rotating shaft 25. In other words, the transmission unit 30 transmits the rotational motion of the rotating drum 23 of the winding unit 20 to the second rotating shaft 42 of the alignment unit 40. The transmission mechanism may also include various other power transmission mechanism components.

The alignment unit 40 includes a first shift mechanism 41 as a shift mechanism, a switch unit 50, a second shift mechanism 60 as a shift mechanism, and a pulley 70.

The first shift mechanism 41 includes a second rotating shaft 42, a guide shaft 43 as a guide member, and a slider 44.

The second rotating shaft 42 is, for example, a ball screw shaft that is supported on the pedestal 10 and extends in the first direction. The second rotating shaft 42 extends parallel to the first rotating shaft 25 of the rotating drum 23 on the side of the rotating drum 23. Both ends of the second rotating shaft 42 are rotatably supported by a pair of second support frames 12b that are spaced apart in the first direction. The second rotating shaft 42 is connected to the first rotating shaft 25 by the transmission unit 30 so that power can be transmitted, and is driven to rotate in response to the rotational movement of the rotating drum 23. The second rotating shaft 42 passes through a slide hole in the slider 44 and is supported at a predetermined height above the top surface of the pedestal 10.

The second rotating shaft 42 is, for example, a reciprocating screw, and has two guide grooves 42a, 42b formed on its outer circumferential surface. The guide grooves 42a, 42b are recesses that engage with the engaging portion of the slider 44. The second rotating shaft 42 has guide grooves 42a, 42b formed in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions, for example. That is, the outer periphery of the second rotating shaft 42 has a first guide groove 42a that guides the slider 44 from one side to the other, and a second guide groove 42b that guides it from the other side to the one side. The second rotating shaft 42 reciprocates the slider 44 in the axial direction by rotating in one direction.

The guide shaft 43 extends above the second rotating shaft 42 and parallel to the second rotating shaft 42. The guide shaft 43 passes through a guide hole in the slider 44, and both ends are fixed to a pair of second support frames 12b.

The slider 44 comprises a slide block 45 and a pair of dogs 46.

The slide block 45 is configured, for example, in a rectangular shape. The slide block 45 has a slide hole 45a through which the second rotating shaft 42 passes and a guide hole 45b through which the guide shaft 43 passes, and is supported by the second rotating shaft 42 and the guide shaft 43. The slide hole 45a is a through hole that penetrates in the first direction, and an engagement portion such as a protrusion that engages with the guide groove 42a is provided on the inner surface. The guide hole 45b is a through hole that penetrates in the first direction. The slider 44 is guided in the first direction by the guide shaft 43, and moves in the first direction as the second rotating shaft 42 rotates. A pair of dogs 46 are provided on the side portion of the slide block 45 opposite the rotating drum 23 side.

The dog 46 is a plate-like member fixed to one side of the slide block 45 in the parallel direction perpendicular to the axial direction. Two dogs 46 are provided side by side in the axial direction. The dog 46 is rectangular plate-like, and both ends in the axial direction (movement direction) have pressing surfaces 46a that are inclined surfaces inclined with respect to the axial direction and the parallel direction.

The switch unit 50 has a pair of switch parts 51 that are provided, for example, at positions corresponding to both axial sides of the pair of dogs 46. The pair of switch parts 51 are each provided via brackets 53 on the side edge of the support table 64 (described later) on the rotating drum 23 side.

Each switch unit 51 is arranged with its tip facing the slider 44. The tip of the switch unit 51 has a receiving surface 52 arranged axially opposite the dog 46 of the slider 44. The switch unit 51 switches the driving state of the third rotating shaft 62 depending on the contact state between the receiving surface 52 and the pressing surface 46a of the dog 46. For example, the receiving surface 52 may be curved or flat. As one example, the receiving surface 52 is formed by the peripheral surface of an annular input member rotatably provided around the axis of the input shaft provided at the tip.

The switch unit 50 is connected to the second drive source. The switch unit 50 switches the drive of the third rotating shaft 62 by the movement of the slider 44 of the first shift mechanism part 41. The switch unit 50 switches the drive of the third rotating shaft 62 between forward and reverse rotation by a pair of switch parts 51. That is, each switch part 51 drives the second drive source 61 so that the pulley 70 moves in a predetermined moving direction.

The second shift mechanism 60 includes a second drive source 61, a third rotating shaft 62, a number of guide rails 63, and a support table 64.

The second drive source 61 is installed on one end of the rotating drum 23 on the base 11. The second drive source 61 is, for example, a step motor that is connected to one end of the third rotating shaft 62. The second drive source 61 has a motor shaft that is connected to the third rotating shaft 62, and rotates the motor shaft to rotate the third rotating shaft 62. The second drive source 61 drives the third rotating shaft 62 to rotate forward and reverse. The second drive source 61 is connected to each switch section 51 of the switch unit 50, and is driven by the switch unit 50 under predetermined conditions.

For example, when one dog 46 moves to one side and the receiving surface 52 of one switch unit 51 is pressed to one side, the second drive source 61 rotates the third rotation shaft 62 in a rotation direction in which the support table 64 moves to one side. When the other dog 46 moves to the other side and the receiving surface 52 of the other switch unit 51 is pressed to the other side, the second drive source 61 rotates the third rotation shaft 62 in a rotation direction in which the support table 64 moves to the other side.

The third rotating shaft 62 is a ball screw shaft that extends in the second direction parallel to the first rotating shaft 25 and the second rotating shaft 42. The third rotating shaft 62 has, for example, a spiral guide groove 62a formed on its outer circumferential surface. The third rotating shaft 62 is rotated at a predetermined timing by the second driving source 61. The third rotating shaft 62 is rotatably supported at both ends by a pair of third support frames 12c that are spaced apart in the first direction. For example, the guide groove 62a is a recess that engages with an engagement portion of the support table 64. The third rotating shaft 62 moves the support table 64 in the first direction by rotating.

The guide rails 63 are provided on both sides of the third rotation shaft 62. The guide rails 63 are protrusions that extend parallel to the third rotation shaft 62 on the upper surface of the base 11 of the stand 10. The pair of guide rails 63 engage with the back side of the support table 64 to guide the movement of the support table 64 in the first direction.

The support table 64 includes a pulley base 65 and a pulley frame 66.

The pulley base 65 is configured as a rectangular plate and constitutes a pair of upper and lower main surfaces extending in the first and second directions. A pulley frame 66 and a damper 67 are provided on the upper surface of the pulley base 65. A rail portion 65a that engages with the pair of guide rails 63 is provided on the back side of the pulley base 65. In addition, a support piece 65b that engages with the third rotation shaft 62 is provided on the back side of the pulley base 65.

The support piece 65b is fixed to the back surface of the pulley base 65 and has a slide hole through which the third rotation shaft 62 passes. The slide hole is a through hole that penetrates in the first direction, and has an engagement portion such as a protrusion on the inner surface that engages with the guide groove 62a.

The rail portion 65a has an engagement groove 65d that opens downward and is formed along the first direction. When the engagement groove 65d engages with the guide rail 63, the movement direction of the support table 64 is guided in the first direction by the guide rail 63.

The pulley frame 66 comprises a pair of support plates 68 rotatably supported on the support table 64, a pulley support shaft 69 disposed between the pair of support plates 68 in a direction intersecting the first direction, and a damper 67. The support plate 68 is rotatably attached to the upper surface of the support table 64 via a pivot shaft 68a and supported by the damper 67. The support plate 68 extends obliquely upward along the tangential direction of the wire W, and is supported rotatably within a predetermined range relative to the support table 64 depending on the winding state of the wire W. The support plate 68 is connected so that the inclination angle can be adjusted by the tension of the wire W.

The pulley support shaft 69 is provided between the pair of support plates 68 and extends in a direction intersecting the first direction. The pulley support shaft 69 is inserted into the hole of the pulley 70 and rotatably supports the pulley 70. In other words, the pulley 70 plates and the pulley support shaft 69 support the pulley 70 so that it can tilt and rotate.

The second shift mechanism 60 is guided by the guide rail 63 by the rotation of the third rotating shaft 62, and the support table 64 moves in the first direction, thereby moving the pulley 70 in the first direction and supporting the pulley 70 so that it can rotate and tilt.

The pulley 70 is provided on the outer periphery of the rotating drum 23. For example, the pulley 70 is provided on the side of the rotating drum 23 at an angle so that the upper side is close to the rotating drum 23. For example, the pulley 70 is configured in a disk shape and has a pulley groove 71 that holds the wire W on the outer periphery. The pulley 70 is rotatably supported by a pulley support shaft 69 that is oriented in a direction intersecting with the first rotation axis 25 of the rotating drum 23.

The pulley 70 holds the wire W in a portion of the pulley groove 71, thereby regulating the position and extension direction of the wire W. For example, the pulley 70 guides the position of the wire W, which is pulled out in the tangential direction from the body 26 of the rotating drum 23, in the axial direction. In other words, the pulley 70 holds the wire W in a portion of its outer periphery, thereby changing the direction of the wire W.

The pulley 70 is supported by the second shift mechanism 60 so as to be rotatable and tiltable. The pulley 70 is supported by the second shift mechanism 60 so as to be tiltable, and moves in the axial direction due to the shift movement of the second shift mechanism 60.

The alignment winch 1 configured in this manner, for example, winds the wire W around the rotating drum 23 and tows the towing object to which the wire W is connected.

For example, when the first driving source 21 is activated and starts operation by a user input operation of the driving unit 22, the rotating drum 23 connected to the first driving source 21 rotates in a predetermined winding direction to wind up the wire W. The wound wire W is placed and aligned in the alignment groove 26a formed on the outer circumferential surface of the body 26. The rotational motion of the rotating drum 23 is transmitted to the second rotating shaft 42 via the transmission unit 30. Therefore, the second rotating shaft 42 rotates in synchronization with the rotating drum 23.

When the second rotating shaft 42 rotates, the guide shaft 43 regulates the position of the slide so that it is aligned with the first direction, so that the slider 44 engages with the guide grooves 42a and 42b of the second rotating shaft 42 and moves back and forth in the first direction.

When the slider 44 moves in the first direction, the dog 46 provided on the slider 44 presses the switch unit 51 arranged opposite in the first direction in the direction of travel. Since the dog 46 and the switch unit 51 are provided on both sides of the slider 44, one of the switches is pressed in the other direction depending on whether the slider is moving in the forward or backward direction.

When the switch unit 51 is input, the second drive source 61 is driven, the third rotating shaft 62 rotates, and the support table 64 moves in the first direction due to the rotation of the third rotating shaft 62. The moving speed and the moving pitch at this time are preset according to conditions such as the winding position and winding speed of the wire W.

As a result, the pulley 70 moves back and forth in synchronization with the rotation of the rotating drum 23, aligning the wire W.

The angle of the pulley 70 is adjusted by pulling the wire W, and is automatically maintained in a position along the tangential direction. For example, if the amount of winding of the wire W increases, the winding position of the wire W moves radially outward, but the wire W is always pulled toward the winding position, so the direction of the pulley 70 is adjusted to be along the tangential direction.

According to the alignment winch 1 of this embodiment, the extension direction of the wire W can be changed by the pulley 70, thereby saving space on the side area and enabling the device to be made more compact. In addition, the alignment winch 1 of the above embodiment switches the switch unit 51 by the rotation of the rotating drum 23 to rotate the third rotating shaft 62, so that the switch unit 51 functions accurately when the wire W becomes tangled. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the switch is turned on by the movement of the wire W, for example, a high alignment function can be ensured regardless of the state of the wire W.

In addition, by separating the first drive source 21 and the second drive source 61, the movement of the first drive source is not transmitted to the third rotating shaft. Therefore, the first drive source 21 and the second drive source 61 can be separate power sources, which stabilizes the movement of the rotating drum 23 and the third rotating shaft 62 and improves the alignment function.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, although a single cylinder is used, multiple cylinders may be used. In addition, the detailed shapes of the drive source, shaft, and each part are not limited to the above and can be modified as appropriate.

For example, in the above embodiment, the first drive source 21 is a hydraulic motor and the second drive source is an electric motor, but this is not limited to this and can be selected as appropriate.

In addition, although the above-mentioned example shows that two dogs 46 are provided, this is not limiting. The dog 46 may be formed from a single member. In this case, the pressing surface 46a is provided on both ends of the dog 46 in the first direction.

In addition, it is possible to change the shape and arrangement of the support structure for each rotating shaft and the components of the power transmission mechanism.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made in the implementation stage without departing from the gist of the invention. The embodiments may be implemented in appropriate combination, in which case the combined effects can be obtained. Furthermore, the above-described embodiment includes various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by combinations selected from the multiple constituent elements disclosed. For example, if the problem can be solved and an effect can be obtained even if some constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the embodiment, the configuration from which these constituent elements are deleted can be extracted as an invention.

1...alignment winch, 10...frame, 11...base, 11a...plate-shaped member, 11b...reinforcement rib, 12...support frame, 12a...first support frame, 12b...second support frame, 12c...third support frame, 20...winding section, 21...first drive source, 22...drive section, 22a...operation section, 22b...control section, 23...rotating drum, 25...first rotating shaft, 26...body section, 26a...alignment groove, 27...flange, 30...transmission section, 31...first gear, 32...second gear, 33...rotating belt, 40...alignment section, 41...first shift mechanism section, 42...second rotating shaft, 42a...first guide groove, 4 2b...second guide groove, 43...guide shaft, 44...slider, 45...slide block, 45a...slide hole, 45b...guide hole, 46...dog, 46a...pressure surface, 50...switch unit, 51...switch section, 52...receiving surface, 60...second shift mechanism section, 61...second drive source, 62...third rotating shaft, 62a...guide groove, 63...guide rail, 64...support table, 65...pulley base, 65a...rail section, 65b...support piece, 65d...engagement groove, 66...pulley frame, 67...damper, 68...support plate, 69...pulley support shaft, 70...pulley, 71...pulley groove.

Claims (3)

a winding section including a rotating drum having a first rotating shaft along a first direction and an outer circumferential surface around which the wire is wound;
An alignment unit having a pulley provided on the outer periphery of the rotating drum and around which a wire is wound, and a shift mechanism unit that moves the pulley in the first direction in accordance with the rotation of the rotating drum;
Equipped with
The shift mechanism includes a first shift mechanism including a second rotating shaft that is connected to the first rotating shaft of the rotating drum in a power transmitting manner and is disposed along the first direction and is rotated in synchronization with the rotating drum, and a slider that engages with the second rotating shaft and moves in the first direction due to rotation of the second rotating shaft;
a second shift mechanism including a third rotating shaft along the first direction separated from the first shift mechanism, and a support table that engages with the third rotating shaft, moves in the first direction by rotation of the third rotating shaft, and rotatably supports the pulley;
a switch unit that switches a drive state of the third rotating shaft by movement of the slider of the first shift mechanism. The slider includes a dog having an inclined surface inclined with respect to an axial direction,
the switch unit includes an input unit disposed opposite the dog in the first direction,
The pulley is supported on the support table so as to be tiltable, and guides the wire in a direction toward the first rotation axis,
the first shift mechanism has a guide member that guides the movement direction of the slider along the first direction,
the second rotation shaft being a threaded shaft having a reciprocating thread;
the third rotation shaft is a screw shaft having a helical guide groove,
the second shift mechanism includes a guide member that guides the moving direction of the support table along the first direction,
A first drive source connected to the rotary drum;
2. The alignment winch of claim 1, further comprising: a second drive source connected to the third rotary shaft of the second shift mechanism. The alignment winch according to claim 2 , wherein the switch portion is provided on each side of the slider in the first direction.