Systems and apparatus for winch drum mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9475589-B2
Application number	US-201314137677-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2013
Priority date	Dec 20, 2013
Publication date	Oct 25, 2016
Grant date	Oct 25, 2016

Abstract

Wind energy systems, such as an Airborne Wind Turbine (“AWT”), may be used to facilitate conversion of kinetic energy to electrical energy. An AWT may include an aerial vehicle that flies in a path to convert kinetic wind energy to electrical energy. The aerial vehicle may be tethered to a ground station via a tether that terminates at a tether termination mount. In one aspect, the ground station may have a motor that may be used, for example, as a winch motor to turn the drum to assist in deployment and/or refraction of the tether and AWT. It may be desirable to be able to switch from an engaged and disengaged condition of the motor. For example, it may be desirable to disengage the motor to help reduce wear on the drivetrain and/or to help reduce loads on the drivetrain.

First claim

I claim:

1. A winch drum assembly, comprising:
a base platform;
a support bracket coupled to the base platform;
a winch drum rotatably coupled to the support bracket via a drive shaft, wherein the winch drum acts as a rotational load on the drive shaft;
a tether with a first end coupled to the winch drum, wherein the tether is configured to be wound or unwound from about the winch drum as the winch drum rotates;
a drivetrain coupled to the drive shaft;
a motor comprising:
a motor drive;
a motor output shaft coupled to the drivetrain; and
a motor housing including at least one protrusion, wherein the motor housing is configured to rotate about the motor output shaft and relative to the support bracket; and

a stop block located in proximity to the motor such that rotation of the motor drive in a first direction causes the at least one protrusion to contact the stop block and prevent further rotation of the motor drive about the motor output shaft in the first direction.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the stop block is further configured such that rotation of the motor housing in a second direction opposite the first direction causes the at least one protrusion to contact the stop block and prevents further rotation of the motor housing about the motor output shaft in the second direction.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the stop block is coupled to the support bracket.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the protrusion is a paddle.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a second stop block located in proximity to the motor housing such that rotation of the motor housing in a second direction causes the at least one protrusion to contact the second stop block and to prevent further rotation of the motor housing about the motor output shaft in the second direction.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a second protrusion coupled to the motor housing, wherein rotation of the motor housing in a second direction causes the second protrusion to contact the stop block and to prevent further rotation of the motor housing about the motor output shaft in the second direction.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a damping system coupled to the stop block.

8. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the damping system is a mass spring damper system.

9. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a damping system coupled to the protrusion.

10. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the damping system is a mass spring damper system.

11. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the assembly is configured such that wherein the tether is fully unwound from about the winch drum, and wherein the tether exerts tension on the winch drum causing the winch drum to oscillate through a range of rotation, the at least one protrusion is rotationally oriented such that the at least one protrusion does not contact the stop block during the oscillation.

12. A system, comprising:
a base platform;
a support bracket coupled to the base platform;
a winch drum rotatably coupled to the support bracket via a drive shaft, wherein the winch drum acts as a rotational load on the drive shaft;
a tether, comprising:
a proximate tether end; and
a distal tether end;

wherein the tether is configured to be wound or unwound about the winch drum as the winch drum rotates;
a drivetrain coupled to the drive shaft;
a motor comprising:
a motor drive;
a motor output shaft coupled to the drivetrain; and
a motor housing including at least one protrusion, wherein the motor housing is configured to rotate about the motor output shaft and relative to the support bracket; and

a stop block located in proximity to the motor such that rotation of the motor drive in a first direction causes the at least one protrusion to contact the stop block and prevent further rotation of the motor drive about the motor output shaft in the first direction;
a tether termination mount coupled to the winch drum, wherein the proximate tether end terminates at the tether termination mount; and
an aerial vehicle coupled to the distal tether end.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the protrusion is a paddle.

14. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a second stop block located in proximity to the motor housing such that rotation of the motor housing in a second direction causes the at least one protrusion to contact the second stop block and prevent further rotation of the motor housing about the motor output shaft in the second direction.

15. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a second protrusion coupled to the motor housing, wherein rotation of the motor housing in a second direction causes the second protrusion to contact the stop block and prevents further rotation of the motor housing about the motor output shaft in the second direction.

16. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a damping system coupled to the stop block.

17. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a damping system coupled to the protrusion.

18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the system is configured such that wherein the tether is fully unwound from about the winch drum, and wherein the tether exerts tension on the winch drum causing the winch drum to oscillate through a range of rotation, the at least one protrusion is rotationally oriented such that the at least one protrusion does not contact the stop block during the oscillation.

19. A winch drum assembly, comprising:
a base platform;
a support bracket coupled to the base platform;
a winch drum rotatably coupled to the support bracket via a drive shaft, wherein the winch drum acts as a rotational load on the drive shaft;
a tether with a first end coupled to the winch drum, wherein the tether is configured to be wound or unwound from about the winch drum as the winch drum rotates;
a drivetrain coupled to the drive shaft;
a motor comprising:
a motor drive;
a motor output shaft coupled to the drivetrain; and
a motor housing including at least one protrusion, wherein the motor housing is configured to rotate about the motor output shaft and relative to the support bracket;

wherein the support bracket is located in proximity to the motor such that rotation of the motor drive in a first direction causes the at least one protrusion to contact the support bracket and prevent further rotation of the motor drive about the motor output shaft in the first direction.

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Hachtmann Brian

Classifications

• B66D3/006

  Power actuated devices operating on ropes, cables, or chains for hauling in a mainly horizontal direction (B66D3/003 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B66D1/12

  incorporating electric motors · CPC title

• B64F3/00 Primary

  Ground installations specially adapted for captive aircraft · CPC title