Reel with manually actuated retraction system
First Claim
1. A method for spooling linear material on an automatic reel device, the method comprising:
- monitoring an amount of a linear material unwound from a rotatable spool member of the automatic reel device with one or more sensors;
sensing a pulling action on the linear material in a payout direction of the linear material;
controlling an electric motor to wind the linear material onto the rotatable spool member;
controlling the electric motor to stop rotating the rotatable spool member when the linear material is obstructed from being wound onto the rotatable spool member;
determining, with one or more sensors, whether a pull distance of said pulling action falls within a predetermined range based at least in part on sensed rotation of the rotatable spool member;
controlling the electric motor to wind the linear material onto the rotatable spool member when said pull distance falls within the predetermined range; and
controlling the electric motor to not wind the linear material when said pull distance is greater than the predetermined range.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A reel has a spool member on which the linear material is spooled, an electric motor that rotates the spool member, and a controller that controls the operation of the motor. The controller monitors an unwound length of the linear material based on sensed rotation of the spool member by one or more sensors. The controller causes the electric motor to wind the linear material around the spool member, for example, upon detection of a pulling force on the linear material over a pull distance within a predetermined range, but, for example, does not trigger the winding of the linear material if the pull distance is greater than the predetermined range. The controller can cause the electric motor to stop winding of the linear material upon detection of a force on the linear material that holds the linear material in place.
93 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for spooling linear material on an automatic reel device, the method comprising:
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monitoring an amount of a linear material unwound from a rotatable spool member of the automatic reel device with one or more sensors; sensing a pulling action on the linear material in a payout direction of the linear material; controlling an electric motor to wind the linear material onto the rotatable spool member; controlling the electric motor to stop rotating the rotatable spool member when the linear material is obstructed from being wound onto the rotatable spool member; determining, with one or more sensors, whether a pull distance of said pulling action falls within a predetermined range based at least in part on sensed rotation of the rotatable spool member; controlling the electric motor to wind the linear material onto the rotatable spool member when said pull distance falls within the predetermined range; and controlling the electric motor to not wind the linear material when said pull distance is greater than the predetermined range. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for spooling linear material on an automatic reel device, the method comprising:
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monitoring an amount of a linear material unwound from a rotatable spool member of the automatic reel device with one or more sensors; sensing a pulling action on the linear material in a payout direction of the linear material; controlling an electric motor to wind the linear material onto the rotatable spool member; determining when the linear material passes a docking point location at which the linear material loses contact with a ground surface based at least in part on a sensed change in winding speed of the linear material; and adjusting power to the electric motor to maintain winding speed of an end of the linear material through the docking point location generally constant. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An automatic reel apparatus for spooling linear material, the apparatus comprising:
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a spool member configured to rotate bi-directionally to spool and unspool the linear material with respect to the spool member; an electric motor having an output shaft and configured to rotate the spool member via the output shaft; one or more sensors configured to generate one or more signals indicative of rotation of the spool member; a controller configured to control operation of the electric motor, the controller configured to; monitor a length of the linear material unwound from the spool member based at least in part on the one or more signals indicative of rotation of the spool member generated by the one or more sensors and communicated to the controller; control the electric motor to wind the linear material around the spool member upon detection of a pulling force on the linear material; control the electric motor to wind the linear material around the spool member upon detection of the pulling force on the linear material over a pull distance within a predetermined range; control the electric motor to not wind the linear material around the spool member upon detection that the pulling distance is greater than the predetermined range; and control the electric motor to stop upon detection of a holding force on the linear material that holds the linear material in place. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification