Sailboat winch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9284169-B2
Application number	US-201414163204-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2014
Priority date	Jan 24, 2014
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

Abstract

A sailboat winch basically includes a support, a winch drum, a drive shaft and a transmission mechanism. The support is mounted to a sailboat. The winch drum is rotatable with respect to the support. The drive shaft is rotatable with respect to the support and the winch drum. The transmission mechanism is operatively disposed between the drive shaft and the winch drum to transmit rotation from the drive shaft to the winch drum in a single output rotational direction. The transmission mechanism increases an output rotational speed of the winch drum with respect to an input rotational speed of the drive shaft as the drive shaft rotates in a first rotational direction. The transmission mechanism also decreases the output rotational speed of the winch drum with respect to the input rotational speed of the drive shaft as the drive shaft rotates in a second rotational direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sailboat winch comprising:
a support configured to be mounted to a sailboat;
a winch drum rotatable with respect to the support;
a drive shaft rotatable with respect to the support and the winch drum; and
a transmission mechanism operatively disposed between the drive shaft and the winch drum to transmit rotation from the drive shaft to the winch drum in a single output rotational direction, the transmission mechanism being configured to increase an output rotational speed of the winch drum with respect to an input rotational speed of the drive shaft as the drive shaft rotates in a first rotational direction, the transmission mechanism being further configured to decrease the output rotational speed of the winch drum with respect to the input rotational speed of the drive shaft as the drive shaft rotates in a second rotational direction, which is opposite the first rotational direction, and
the transmission mechanism including
a first gear set with a first planetary gear and a first one-way clutch,
a second gear set with a second planetary gear and a second one-way clutch, and
an output gear set operatively coupled to the first and second planetary gears via the first and second one-way clutches, respectively,

the output gear set including a ring fixedly coupled to the winch drum, the ring gear transmitting rotation from the drive shaft to the winch drum as the drive shaft rotates in the first direction and as the drive shaft rotates in the second direction.

2. The sailboat winch according to claim 1 , wherein
the first gear set and the output gear set are arranged to establish a first torque transmission path between the drive shaft and the winch drum as the drive shaft rotates in the first rotational direction, and
the second gear set and the output gear set are arranged to establish a second torque transmission path between the drive shaft and the winch drum as the drive shaft rotates in the second rotational direction.

3. The sailboat winch according to claim 1 , wherein
the winch drum and the drive shaft are concentrically arranged relative to each other.

4. The sailboat winch according to claim 3 , wherein
the first rotational direction of the drive shaft is opposite the output rotational direction of the winch drum.

5. The sailboat winch according to claim 1 , wherein
the drive shaft has a crank attachment structure that is configured to receive a crank handle for manual rotation of the drive shaft.

Assignees

• Shimano Kk

Inventors

• Nishimoto Naohiro

Classifications

• B66D1/22 Primary

  Planetary or differential gearings (for actuating grab buckets B66D1/70 ){, i.e. with planet gears having movable axes of rotation} · CPC title

• B66D1/7484 Primary

  Details concerning gearing arrangements, e.g. multi-speed · CPC title

• B66D1/7431

  driven manually only · CPC title

• B66D1/7436

  drivable by both motor and manually · CPC title