Motorized lifting device conveying power and/or data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9963328-B2
Application number	US-201414245495-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2014
Priority date	May 13, 2013
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus includes a drum to draw in or let out a line and a motor and transmission coupled to the drum to apply a torque thereto. A cable is incorporated into the line to transport at least one of power and data along the line to an object or device at the end of the line. In certain embodiments, the cable is configured to support all or a portion of the load. In other embodiments, the line includes a load-bearing wire separate from the cable which is configured to support all or a portion of the load.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a drum comprising a helical groove in the outer surface thereof to draw in or let out a physical load carrying line;
wherein the helical groove extending around the drum multiple times to wrap the entire length of the line in a single course within the helical groove;
a motor and a transmission inside and coupled to the drum to apply torque thereto;
a physical load carrying line comprising:
a transmission cable to transport at least one of power and data along the line, and
a physical load carrying connector disposed at the end of the transmission cable, the connector comprising a plug and a socket electrically connecting the line to the physical load.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transmission cable carries a physical load and transports power and data.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the physical load carrying line comprises a load-bearing cable separate from the transmission cable, the load bearing cable and the transmission cable each carrying at least a portion of the physical load.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprises a roller that tracks and extends into the helical groove and pushes the load carrying line into the helical groove.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a connector attached to an end of the transmission cable, the connector configured to transfer at least one of power and data to a device attached to an end of the cable line.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plug of the connector comprises a two opposed side walls comprising spaced apart opposing flanges and the socket of the connector comprising two opposed side walls each comprising shoulders extending outward from the side walls such that when the plug is inserted into the socket the shoulders engage the flanges allowing the connector to carry the physical load.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a battery at an end of the line.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the line is covered by an insulating material.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transmission cable comprises a plurality of conducting wires electrically insulated from each other.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transmission cable enables two-way data transport along the line.

11. A method comprising:
providing an apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
a drum, the drum comprising a helical groove in the outer surface thereof to draw in or let out a physical load carrying line, wherein the helical groove extends around the drum multiple times to wrap the entire length of the line in a single course within the helical groove;
a motor and a transmission inside and coupled to the drum to apply torque thereto;
a physical load carrying line comprising:
a transmission cable to transport at least one of power and data along the physical load carrying line; and
a physical load carrying connector disposed at the end of the transmission cable, the connector comprising a plug and a socket electrically connecting the line to the physical load the to draw in or let out the physical load carrying line;

applying a torque to the drum using the motor and transmission to draw in or let out the physical load carrying line; and
transporting at least one of power and data along the line by way of the transmission cable incorporated into the line.

12. The method of claim 11 , providing that the transmission cable at least partially carries a physical load and transports at least one of power and data.

13. The method of claim 11 , providing that the physical load carrying line carries and the transmission cable each carry at least a portion of the physical load.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the transmission cable comprises a battery at the end of the line.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the line is covered by insulating material.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the transmission cable comprises a plurality of conductive wires, wherein each of the plurality of conductive wires is covered with an insulating material which provides electrical insolation between the plurality of conductive wires.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein transporting at least one of power and data along the line comprises enabling two-way data transport along the line.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the drum comprises a roller that tracks and extends into the helical groove and pushes the load carrying line into the helical groove.

Assignees

• Hall David R
• Miles Jerome
• Hyer Davido
• Taylor Ben

Inventors

• Hall David R
• Miles Jerome
• Hyer Davido
• Taylor Ben

Classifications

• B66D1/58 Primary

  responsive to excess of load · CPC title

• B66D1/485

  electrical · CPC title

• B66D1/38

  by means of guides movable relative to drum or barrel · CPC title

• B66D1/22

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