JP7656326B2 - Sub Reel - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a sub-reel for use with a winch .

Traditionally, winches have been used to lift heavy objects such as automobiles. For example, winches are used to lift and load onto a tow truck an automobile that has become difficult or impossible to move due to an accident or breakdown. They are also used to pull up automobiles, heavy machinery, and boats that have been submerged in water or fallen from a high place.

In such winches, a technology has been proposed in which a pull-out length detection unit that detects the pull-out length of the belt and a brake unit that changes the pull-out ability of the belt from the drum are provided, and when the pull-out length is short, the brake unit is loosened to make it easier to pull the belt from the drum (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2021-138537 A

The quality of the winch wire or rope may deteriorate over time. For example, its durability may decrease due to exposure to sunlight, snow, rainwater, water vapor, etc., or due to wear. Such a decrease in durability may lead to the wire or rope breaking.

If a rope or other object breaks while a heavy object is being lifted by a winch, the heavy object will move in roughly the opposite direction to the direction of lifting. If a rope or other object breaks while a broken-down car is being lifted by a winch onto a tow truck, the car will slide down in the opposite direction to the direction of lifting. As a result, the car may hit some structure and be damaged. Furthermore, if workers are waiting or inspecting the car or other heavy object being lifted behind it, this may pose a risk to the safety of the workers. Furthermore, if a broken-down car is being lifted on the road and it slides down, there is a risk that it may come into contact with a following vehicle or move into the opposite lane.

This invention was made to solve the above problem, and its purpose is to prevent accidents when a wire or other part of a winch is cut.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the sub-reel of the present invention is a sub-reel used together with a winch, and comprises a drum on which a linear or strip-shaped member is wound, a winding section having a first biasing member that rotates the drum in the direction of winding up the linear or strip-shaped member, a locking section that suppresses rotation of the drum in the unwinding direction, and a switching section that switches between a locked state and an unlocked state of the locking section , wherein the locking section rotates in synchronization with the drum , and the center of rotation of the locking section corresponds to that of the drum.
The sub reel of the present invention is characterized in that the locking portion has a shaft that engages with the drum and a gear provided on a part of the shaft, and the switching portion has a moving portion that can move toward and away from the gear, transitioning to the locked state when at least a part of the moving portion abuts against the gear, and transitioning to the released state when the moving portion moves away from the gear and is no longer in contact with the gear.
The sub-reel of the present invention is characterized in that a first recess extending longitudinally is formed on the shaft, a second recess formed to pair with the first recess is formed on the inner surface of the drum, and an engagement portion is provided that is inserted between the first recess and the second recess facing the first recess.
The sub-reel of the present invention is characterized in that the drum is configured to include a cylindrical portion on which the linear or strip-shaped member is wound, and a first plate and a second plate that are arranged to sandwich one end and the other end of the cylindrical portion and for holding the linear or strip-shaped member on the circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion , and the first plate is arranged on the switching portion side .
The sub reel according to the present invention is characterized in that the second plate is provided with the first biasing member.
The sub reel of the present invention is characterized in that the moving part is a pin that can move toward the gear and abut against the gear, and is provided with a second biasing member that biases the pin in a direction to bring it closer to the gear.
The sub reel according to the present invention is characterized in that the switching portion includes a release state maintaining portion for maintaining the pin in a state separated from the gear.

According to the embodiment, it is possible to prevent accidents when the winch is cut.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a sub reel according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a sub reel according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a sub reel according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded perspective view showing the sub reel of the embodiment. 3A and 3B are a schematic view and a cross-sectional view showing a drum member according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a gear and a shaft of an embodiment.

The sub reels according to the first to fifth embodiments will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6.

[First embodiment]
The configuration of the sub reel 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. Note that the sub reel in Figure 1 is an example, and does not exclude other configurations, and can be embodied in various forms.

(drum)
As shown in Figures 1 to 6, the sub reel 1 has a drum around which a linear or belt-like member W (hereinafter referred to as "belt-like member W") is wound. The drum is composed of a combination of drum members D1 and D2. Drum member D1 is an integral member of a disk-shaped first plate and a cylindrical member with a smaller diameter than the first plate (see Figure 5). A through hole is provided in the center of the plate of drum member D1 that leads to the cylindrical member. Drum member D2 is a plate (second plate) that is disposed opposite to the first plate of drum member D1 so as to sandwich the cylindrical member.

(First frame, second recess)
The fixing position of the first frame 110a is generally on the opposite side to the protruding direction of the cylindrical member of the drum member D1. The first frame 110a is provided with a through hole for passing the shaft 122 described below. The through hole of the first frame 110a is formed at a position corresponding to the center position of the plate portion of the drum member D1. The through hole provided at the center of the drum member D1 is generally cylindrical, but a groove is further provided on the outer edge side of the plate portion on a part of the inner circumferential surface of the through hole. This groove will be referred to as the "second recess X2" below.

(Shaft gear first recess)
As shown in Fig. 4, a shaft 122 is passed through the through hole of the drum member D1. A gear 121 is provided on the shaft 122 at a position opposite to the drum member D1 side. The gear 121 has teeth oriented so as to stop rotation of the belt-shaped member W in the payout direction when the gear 121 transitions to a locked state described later (see Fig. 4). The shaft 122 is passed through a first frame 110a disposed on the outer side (the cover member C1 side) of the drum member D1. As shown in Figs. 4 and 6, a first recess X1 extending in the longitudinal direction is formed on the shaft 122. This first recess X1 is formed in a shape generally similar to that of the second recess X2.

(Engagement portion)
Between the first recess X1 and the opposing second recess X2, an engagement portion (not shown) is inserted so as to fill the gap. For example, when a rectangular parallelepiped space is formed by the first recess X1 and the opposing second recess X2, the engagement portion is formed in a similar rectangular parallelepiped shape so as to fill the rectangular parallelepiped space. This allows the rotational motion of the drum to be transmitted to the shaft 122 via the engagement portion. The gear 121, which is also provided at one end of the shaft 122, is then rotated. In other words, the gear 121, the shaft 122, and the drum rotate together with the shaft 122.

(Second frame/winding section)
A second frame 110b is fixed to the drum member D2, i.e., the second plate. The fixed position of the second frame 110b is on the opposite side of the second plate to the first plate side. In other words, it is on the protruding direction side of the cylindrical member of the drum member D1. A winding part 123 is attached to the second frame 110b. In other words, the second frame 110b is sandwiched between the second plate (drum member D2) and the winding part 123.

The second frame 110b also has a through hole for passing the tip of the shaft 122 through. The through hole of the second frame 110b is formed at a position corresponding to the center position of the drum member D2 (second plate).

The winding section 123 rotates the entire drum in a direction to wind up the belt-shaped material W. The details are as follows.
A through hole is provided on the center side of the winding part 123. The tip of the shaft 122 passes through this through hole. The tip side of the shaft 122 is connected to the winding part 123. The winding part 123 has a second biasing member, which is a first biasing member, and a rotating body provided inside the case body (both not shown). This second biasing member is, for example, a spiral spring. In other words, the rotating body is biased by the second biasing member in the direction of winding up the belt-shaped member W.

Because this second biasing member biases the rotating body in the winding direction, the shaft 122 connected to the rotating body is also biased in the same direction. When the shaft 122 is biased to rotate in this direction, the drum is also biased in that direction via the engagement portion. Therefore, the sub-reel 1 is configured so that the belt-shaped material W is wound onto the drum by the internal winding portion 123.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first frame 110a is provided with a switching unit that switches between a locked state and an unlocked state of the locking unit including the gear 121. The switching unit includes a lock pin 126, a guide holding unit 125 that guides and holds the sliding movement of the lock pin 126, and an operating unit 124 for operating the lock pin 126 by pulling it up.

The guide holding part 125 is attached to the first frame 110a. The guide holding part 125 has a through hole through which the lock pin 126 passes. The movement direction of the lock pin 126 is restricted by passing it through the through hole of the guide holding part 125. In other words, the guide holding part 125 guides the movement of the lock pin 126 toward the gear 121 at the tip of the lock pin 126. An operating part 124 is provided above the lock pin (above in FIG. 1) for operating to pull up the lock pin 126.

As shown in FIG. 1, when the lock pin 126 is in contact with the gear 121 or can come into contact with the teeth of the gear 121, rotation in the direction in which the belt-shaped material W is being unwound is prevented. In other words, even if the belt-shaped material W is to be unwound, the lock pin 126 comes into contact with the gear 121 and stops the rotation of the gear 121. Since the gear 121 rotates integrally with the drum member D1 via the engagement portion described above, if the rotation of the gear 121 stops, the drum will not rotate either. Therefore, the position of the lock pin 126 limits the unwinding of the belt-shaped material W. This state is the locked state of the sub reel 1.

In addition, in the locked state, rotation in the payout direction (counterclockwise rotation in FIG. 6) is prevented, but rotation in the winding direction (clockwise rotation in the same figure) is possible. This is because the tip side of the lock pin 126 slides along the slope of the teeth of the gear 121.

In contrast, when the user pulls up the operating part 124, the lock pin 126 is no longer in contact with the gear 121. This is the release state of the sub reel 1.

As shown in FIG. 1 etc., the guide holding part 125 has a window into which a screw or the like for fixing to the first frame 110a can be inserted. The user can visually check whether the guide holding part 125 is securely fixed to the first frame 110a by looking at the window. This is because the reliability of the locked state is affected by whether the guide holding part 125 is securely fixed to the first frame 110a.

A first biasing member (not shown) that is a second biasing member that biases the lock pin 126 toward the gear 121 is provided inside the through hole of the guide holding portion 125. The first biasing member is, for example, a coil spring. With this configuration, the locked state is formed unless the user holds the lock pin 126 in the pulled-up state via the operation portion 124.

The cover C1 may be structured so that it can maintain the locked state even if the user is not touching the operation unit 124. For example, it may be structured so that when the operation unit 124 is rotated a predetermined angle (such as 90°), it engages with any part of the cover C1 and maintains the unlocked state (with the lock pin 126 pulled up).

(Belt-shaped member, etc.)
The belt-like member W of the sub reel 1 is wound around the drum and sandwiched between the first and second plates and housed therebetween. As the belt-like member W, either a linear member such as a wire or a belt-like member such as a belt sling is used. When a belt-like member is used, irregular winding is prevented. Even when a linear member is used, if it is made of a material that ensures flexibility and strength, any kinking can be eliminated by kneading it.

(Mounting part)
On the side of the sub-reel 1 opposite the opening through which the strip-shaped material W is unwound, there is provided an attachment portion 127 for engaging the sub-reel 1 with a fixed structure such as the bed of a tow truck.

[effect]
This embodiment is a sub-reel used together with a winch. According to this embodiment, a locked state is formed in which the lock pin 126 and the gear 121 come into contact. In the locked state, rotation of the drum which rotates integrally with the gear 121 is restricted. In other words, when the sub-reel 1 is wound or unwound with a belt-shaped material W, the gear 121 and the shaft 122 also rotate in accordance with the rotation of the drum. When the gear 121 and the moving part of the switching part (e.g., the lock pin) cooperate to transition to the locked state in this state, rotation of the drum is restricted in the unwound direction of the belt-shaped material W.

By attaching the belt-shaped member W of the sub-reel 1 to the object to be lifted in the same way as the winch wire, it is possible to prevent accidents that may occur if the winch wire breaks.

The cylindrical member and the first plate are integrated in drum member D1 because this side is subjected to a greater load compared to drum member D2. In other words, the drum member D1 side is the side where the gear 121 is provided, so when the drum rotates in the direction in which the belt-shaped member W is unwound in the locked state, a load is applied to the drum member D1 side. In a configuration in which two plates are sandwiched at both ends of the cylindrical member of the drum and fixed with screws or the like, stress is concentrated at the contact point between the plate on the gear side and the screw, which may cause deformation or damage to the contact point. In this embodiment, the cylindrical member and the first plate are integrated in drum member D1, eliminating this risk.

[Second embodiment]
The sub reel according to the second embodiment will be described. The sub reel of the second embodiment has a protrusion for fixing the operating unit 124 in the pulled-up state on the reciprocating path of the lock pin 126 in the cover C1. A pair of protrusions are provided along the direction in which the first and second plates of the drum member D1 face each other. The user can pull up the operating unit 124 and rotate it around the axis of the lock pin 126 to hang it on the protrusion. This makes it possible to maintain the released state without the user having to hold the operating unit 124 pulled up.

(Modification)
In the first embodiment, the locked state is established by the lock pin 126 that slides and moves, and the shaft 122 that rotates integrally with the drum and the gear 121. However, other configurations are also possible.

In addition, in the first embodiment, a lock pin 126 that slides is used. However, this is not limited to the above, and the movement trajectory of the lock member does not have to be linear, and may be curved.

Also, the above embodiment has an independent sub-reel. However, the sub-reel and winch may be configured as one unit. In this case, the drum on which the linear or strip-shaped member is wound is divided into a first drum area and a second drum area via a partition. A linear or strip-shaped member for lifting is wound in the first drum area. A linear or strip-shaped member for preventing falling is wound in the second drum area. The winch is provided with a rotation drive unit for applying a rotational force to the drum in the winding direction, and a lock unit for suppressing rotation of the drum in the unwinding direction. The locked state is the same as above.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described, the above embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as set forth in the claims.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 sub-reel 110a first frame 110b second frame 121 gear 122 shaft 123 winding portion 124 operation portion 125 guide holding portion 126 lock pin 127 attachment portion D1 drum member D2 drum member W belt-shaped member, etc.

Claims (7)

A sub-reel used with a winch,
a drum on which a linear or strip-shaped member is wound;
a winding section including a first biasing member that rotates the drum in a direction in which the linear or strip-shaped member is wound ;
A locking portion that suppresses rotation of the drum in the payout direction;
A switching unit that switches between a locked state and an unlocked state of the lock unit;
Equipped with
The lock portion rotates in synchronization with the drum,
A sub-reel characterized in that the lock portion and the drum have a corresponding center of rotation . The lock portion has a shaft that engages with the drum and a gear provided on a portion of the shaft,
the switching unit has a moving part that can move toward and away from the gear, and transitions to the locked state when at least a part of the moving part comes into contact with the gear;
2. The sub reel according to claim 1 , wherein the released state is achieved when the moving part is separated from the gear and does not come into contact with the gear. The shaft has a first recess formed therein and extending in a longitudinal direction;
A second recess is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the drum so as to be paired with the first recess,
3. The sub reel according to claim 2 , further comprising an engagement portion that is inserted between the first recess and the second recess facing the first recess. The drum is
a cylindrical portion around which the linear or strip-shaped member is wound;
The cylindrical portion includes a first plate and a second plate that are disposed to sandwich one end and the other end of the cylindrical portion and that are configured to hold the linear member or the strip-shaped member on a circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion ,
4. The sub reel according to claim 1 , wherein the first plate is disposed on the switching portion side . 5. The sub reel according to claim 4 , wherein the second plate is provided with the first biasing member. the moving portion is a pin that can move close to the gear and come into contact with the gear ,
4. The sub reel according to claim 2 , further comprising a second biasing member for biasing the pin in a direction approaching the gear. 7. The sub reel according to claim 6 , wherein the switching portion includes a release state holding portion for holding the pin in a state separated from the gear.