Winch speed compensation systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11970376-B2
Application number	US-202117486275-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2021
Priority date	Sep 27, 2021
Publication date	Apr 30, 2024
Grant date	Apr 30, 2024

Abstract

A system for controlling a winch assembly includes a rotatable winch drum with an attached cable. A winch motor is configured to rotate the winch drum. A sensor is configured to generate signals indicative of the number of layers of the winch cable on the winch drum. A winch controller is configured to receive a control input requesting a selected rotation of the winch drum, receive the signals from the sensor, determine a number of layers of the winch cable disposed on the winch drum, and generate control commands to control the winch motor to rotate the winch drum based on the control input and the number of layers of the winch cable. The control command rotates the winch drum to produce a substantially constant line speed based on the selected control input independent of the number of layers determined to be disposed on the winch drum.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for controlling an operation of a winch assembly, comprising:
a winch drum configured to rotate;
a winch cable attached to said winch drum;
a winch motor operatively connected to said winch drum and configured to rotate said winch drum;
a sensor operatively associated with said winch drum, said sensor configured to generate signals indicative of a number of layers of said winch cable on said winch drum; and
a winch controller configured to:
receive a control input requesting a selected rotation of said winch drum;
receive said signals from said sensor;
determine the number of layers of said winch cable that are disposed on said winch drum based on said signals from said sensor; and
generate at least one control command to control said winch motor and thereby rotate said winch drum based on at least said control input and said determination of said number of layers of said winch cable,
wherein said at least one control command causes said winch drum to rotate so as to produce a substantially constant line speed based on said received control input and independent of the number of layers determined to be disposed on said winch drum.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor is configured to sense rotation of the winch drum.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor employs at least one of visual, radar, LIDAR, or acoustic methods of sensing said number of layers.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said control input includes at least a speed request.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said control input further includes a direction request.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said winch motor is one of an electrical motor or a hydraulic motor.

7. A machine, comprising:
a machine chassis;
a winch system comprising:
a winch drum configured to rotate;
a winch motor configured to rotate said winch drum;
a winch cable attached to said winch drum;
a sensor configured to generate signals indicative of a number of layers of said winch cable on said winch drum; and
a hook attached to said winch cable for coupling to a load; and

a control system including a controller configured to receive said signals from said sensor,
determine the number of layers of said winch cable that are disposed on said winch drum based on said signals, and
generate at least one control command to control said winch motor and thereby rotate said winch drum based on at least said determination of said number of layers of said winch cable,
wherein said at least one control command causes said winch drum to rotate to produce a substantially constant line speed independent of said number of layers determined to be disposed on said winch drum.

8. The machine of claim 7 , further comprising a boom extending from said machine chassis; and wherein said winch system further comprises:
a boom drum configured to rotate; and
a boom cable attached to said boom drum so as to raise or lower said boom when said boom drum is rotated.

9. The machine of claim 8 wherein said winch cable is disposed on said boom so as to lift or lower the load when said winch drum is rotated.

10. The machine of claim 7 wherein the sensor is configured to sense rotation of the winch drum.

11. The machine of claim 10 wherein the sensor employs at least one of visual, radar, LIDAR, or acoustic methods of sensing said number of layers.

12. The machine of claim 7 wherein the winch motor is one of an electrical motor or a hydraulic motor.

13. The machine of claim 12 wherein the sensor directly senses rotation of the winch drum.

14. A method of operating a winch system of a machine, comprising:
receiving, with a controller, a control input;
receiving, with the controller, signals indicative of a number of layers of cable on a winch drum of a winch of the winch system;
determining, with the controller, the number of layers of cable on the winch drum based on said receiving of the signals;
generating at least one control command based on at least said receiving of the control input and said determining of the number of layers; and
rotating the winch drum based on said control command so as to produce a substantially constant line speed independent of the number of layers determined to be disposed on the winch drum.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the control input includes a speed request.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the control input further includes a direction request.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the signals are generated by a sensor.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the sensor is one or more of a rotation sensor, a camera, or uses radar, LIDAR, or acoustic methods.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one control command controls the rotational speed of a winch motor operatively engaged with the winch drum.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one control command controls the operation of a hydraulic motor.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Caldwell Curtis J
• Barbier Benjamin

Classifications

• B66D1/485 Primary

  electrical · CPC title

• B66D1/08

  incorporating fluid motors · CPC title

• B66D1/12

  incorporating electric motors · CPC title

• B66C23/44 Primary

  Jib-cranes adapted for attachment to standard vehicles, e.g. agricultural tractors · CPC title