Winch and autonomous mobile apparatus including the same

• US 8,616,529 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2010
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Heavy Industries Company Limited (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Heavy Industries Company Limited (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Kim, Sang-Whee, Cho, Seong Ho, Kim, Hyun Goo, Park, Young Jun, Cho, Ki Soo
• Primary Examiner(s): Marcelo, Emmanuel M
• Assistant Examiner(s): GALLION, MICHAEL E
• Application Number:
  US13/263,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20120048152A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: 254/333, 254/335, 254/383, 254/385, 242/397.2, 242/397.3, 242/399, 242/419.9
• US Class Current: 254/385
• CPC Class Codes: B66D 1/39 by means of axially-movable drums or barrels pivotably mounted drums or barrel B66D1/365
• CPC Class Codes: B66D 1/50 for maintaining predetermined rope, cable, or chain tension, e.g. in ropes or cables for towing craft, in chains for anchors; Warping or mooring winch-cable tension control

Abstract

The present invention discloses a winch and an autonomous mobile apparatus including the winch. The winch can include: a driving motor; a drum driving axle configured to be rotated the driving motor; a wire drum configured to be rotated by the drum driving axle; a roller driving axle arranged to be parallel to the drum driving axle and configured to be rotated in different direction from that of the drum driving axle by the driving motor; a roller connected with the roller driving axle and configured to support a wire wound on or unwound from the wire drum; and a one way clutch installed in the roller driving axle in such a way that a driving force transferred to the roller by the roller driving axle is cut off when the wire drum rotates in a direction of winding the wire. The roller can be transferred with a driving force by the roller driving axle and can be rotated in such a way that a wire placed between the wire drum and the roller maintains tension when the wire drum rotates in a direction of unwinding the wire.

Claims

1. A winch comprising:

a driving motor;

a drum driving axle configured to be rotated by the driving motor;

a wire drum configured to be rotated by the drum driving axle;

a roller driving axle arranged to be parallel to the drum driving axle and configured to be rotated in different direction from that of the drum driving axle by the driving motor;

a roller connected with the roller driving axle and configured to support a wire wound on or unwound from the wire drum; and

a one way clutch installed in the roller driving axle in such a way that a driving force transferred to the roller by the roller driving axle is cut off when the wire drum rotates in a direction of winding the wire,

wherein the roller is transferred with a driving force by the roller driving axle and is rotated in such a way that a wire placed between the wire drum and the roller maintains tension when the wire drum rotates in a direction of unwinding the wire.

2. The winch of claim 1, comprising:

a motor gear installed on one end part of the driving motor;

a first drum gear installed on one end part of the drum driving axle and engaged with the motor gear; and

a roller gear installed on one end part of the roller driving axle,

wherein a second drum gear engaged with the roller gear is formed on a lateral side of the first drum gear being in contact with the drum driving axle.

3. The winch of claim 1, further comprising a torque limiter installed on the roller driving axle.

4. The winch of claim 1, further comprising a load cell arranged to be adjacent to the roller in order to measure tension of the wire supported by the roller.

5. The winch of claim 1, further comprising a pinch roller arranged to be in contact with or adjacent to an outer circumferential end of the roller in such a way that the wire supported by the roller is prevented from escaping from the roller and having a rotation axis that is parallel to a rotation axis of the roller.

6. An autonomous mobile apparatus movable in a predetermined work space, the autonomous mobile apparatus comprising:

a mobile platform movably placed inside the work space;

a winch of any of claims 1 to 5 installed in the mobile platform; and

a wire having one end coupled to a supporting structure defining the work space and the other end coupled to the winch.