Tension sensor assembly

摘要

A tension detector may detect and help correct tension in a lift cable. The cable may include a lift cable within a telescopic structure, such as a telescopic tower. The tension sensor may detect when the cable tension is outside a high tension threshold and a low tension threshold and trigger an alert when outside the thresholds. The alert may be an audible alert or a visual alert. A controller may prevent a user from making the tension worse and encourage an operator to correct the tension problem by preventing a winch from expanding or retracting the telescopic structure. The tension sensor may use springs to calibrate the thresholds for the high tension and low tension and a series of pulleys to manipulate an arm to engage a tension sensor.

主权项

1. A tension sensor system for sensing cable tension comprising:
a high-tension arm having a first pulley mounted at a first end of the high-tension arm and a second pulley mounted on a second end of the high-tension arm opposite the first end of the high-tension arm, the high-tension arm mounted on a first pivot disposed between the first pulley and the second pulley, the high-tension arm biased to rotate the high-tension arm along a first arc in a first direction; the first pulley adapted to receive a cable such that tension on the cable exerts a force on the first pulley to rotate the high-tension arm along the first arc in a second direction opposite the first direction along the first arc; the second pulley adapted to receive the cable from the first pulley, such that tension on the cable exerts a force on the second pulley to rotate the high-tension arm about the first pivot in the second direction, such that a total force to rotate the high-tension arm about the first pivot in the second direction is a function of force provided by the first pulley and the second pulley; and a high-tension sensor configured to output a signal when the high-tension arm rotates along the first arc in the second direction to a high-tension position.