Varying radius helical cable spool for powered vehicle door systems
First Claim
1. An improved cable spool for a cable-actuated device, said device having drive means for selectively rotating said cable spool about an axis in either of two directions and a cable with one end interconnected with a movable member in order to cause movement of the movable member in response to rotation of said cable spool, a first portion of the movement of the movable member being a high displacement/low force movement, and a second portion of said movement of the movable member being a low displacement/high force movement, said cable spool including:
- cable attachment means for securing the opposite end of the cable to said cable spool; and
a groove formed along a generally helical path on a circumferential portion of said cable spool for windingly receiving the cable therein as said cable spool is selectively rotated in one direction and for unwindingly paying out the cable therefrom as said cable spool is selectively rotated in an opposite direction, the radial depth of said helical groove varying along at least a portion of said helical path in order to cause the cable to be wound onto, and paid out from, said varying-depth portion of said helical groove at a varying rate with respect to the rotation of said cable spool in both the high displacement/low force movement and the low displacement/high force movement of the movable member, thereby causing the movable member to move at a correspondingly varying rate with respect to the rotation of said cable spool when said cable is wound onto, or paid out from, said varying-depth portion of said helical groove.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved cable spool arrangement is disclosed for use in powered vehicle door operating systems, or in other cable-actuated devices, having one or more actuating cables. In one form of the invention, a groove, or other open channel-like opening, is formed along a generally helical path on the cable spool, and preferably has a varying groove depth along at least a portion of the helical path in order to take up or pay out at least a portion of a cable at a correspondingly varying rate with respect to cable spool rotation and thus cause movement of a door or other movable member at a correspondingly varying rate with respect to cable spool rotation. A second, constant depth portion of the helical groove can also be provided for generally constant take-up or pay-out of a cable onto or from the constant-depth portion of the helical groove. Such varying radius groove arrangement can be used both in high displacement/low force cable movements and in low displacement/high force cable movements.
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Citations
64 Claims
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1. An improved cable spool for a cable-actuated device, said device having drive means for selectively rotating said cable spool about an axis in either of two directions and a cable with one end interconnected with a movable member in order to cause movement of the movable member in response to rotation of said cable spool, a first portion of the movement of the movable member being a high displacement/low force movement, and a second portion of said movement of the movable member being a low displacement/high force movement, said cable spool including:
- cable attachment means for securing the opposite end of the cable to said cable spool; and
a groove formed along a generally helical path on a circumferential portion of said cable spool for windingly receiving the cable therein as said cable spool is selectively rotated in one direction and for unwindingly paying out the cable therefrom as said cable spool is selectively rotated in an opposite direction, the radial depth of said helical groove varying along at least a portion of said helical path in order to cause the cable to be wound onto, and paid out from, said varying-depth portion of said helical groove at a varying rate with respect to the rotation of said cable spool in both the high displacement/low force movement and the low displacement/high force movement of the movable member, thereby causing the movable member to move at a correspondingly varying rate with respect to the rotation of said cable spool when said cable is wound onto, or paid out from, said varying-depth portion of said helical groove. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
- cable attachment means for securing the opposite end of the cable to said cable spool; and
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12. An improved cable spool for a cable-actuated device, said device having drive means for selectively rotating said cable spool about an axis in either of two directions and at least a pair of cables, each of the cables having one end interconnected with a movable member in order to cause movement of the movable member in response to rotation of said cable-spool, a first portion of the movement of the movable member being a high displacement/low force movement, and a second portion of said movement of the movable member being a low displacement/high force movement, said cable spool including;
- cable attachment means for securing the opposite ends of the cables to said cable spool; and
a groove formed along a generally helical path on a circumferential portion of said cable spool for windingly receiving at least one of the cables therein as said cable spool is selectively rotated in one direction and for unwindingly paying out at least one of the cables therefrom as said cable spool is selectively rotated in an opposite direction, the radial depth of said helical groove varying along at least a portion of said helical path in order to cause at least one of the cables to be wound into, and paid out from, said varying-depth portion of said helical groove at a varying rate with respect to the rotation of said cable spool in both the high displacement/low force movement and the low displacement/high force movement of the movable member, thereby causing at least a portion of the movable member to move at a correspondingly varying rate with respect to the rotation of said cable spool when said one cable is wound onto, or paid out from, said varying-depth portion of said helical groove. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
- cable attachment means for securing the opposite ends of the cables to said cable spool; and
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33. In a cable-actuated door operator system having a cable spool, drive means for selectively rotating said cable spool about an axis in either of two directions, and a cable with one end interconnected with a movable door in order to cause movement of the door in response to rotation of said cable spool, a first portion of the movement of the door being a high displacement/low force movement, and a second portion of the movement of the door being a low displacement/high force movement, the improvement comprising:
- cable attachment means for securing the opposite end of the cable to said cable spool; and
a groove formed along a generally helical path on a circumferential portion of said cable spool for windingly receiving the cable therein as said cable spool is selectively rotated in one direction and for unwindingly paying out the cable therefrom as said cable spool is selectively rotated in an oposite direction, the radial depth of said helical groove varying along at least a portion of said helical path in order to cause the cable to be wound onto, and paid out from, said varying-depth portion of said helical groove at a varying rate with respect to the rotation of said cable spool in both the high displacement/low force movement and the low displacement/high force movement of the door, thereby causing the movable door to move at a correspondingly varying rate with respect to the rotation of said cable spool when said cable is wound onto, and paid out from, said varying-depth portion of said helical groove. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
- cable attachment means for securing the opposite end of the cable to said cable spool; and
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44. In a cable-actuated door operator system having a cable spool, drive means for selectively rotating said cable spool about an axis in either of two directions, and at least a pair of cables, each of the cables having one end interconnected with a movable door in order to cause movement of the door in response to rotation of said cable spool, a first portion of the movement of the door being a high displacement/low force movement, and a second portion of the movement of the door being a low displacement/high force movement, the improvement comprising cable attachment means for securing the opposite ends of the cable to said cable spool;
- and a groove formed along a generally helical path on a circumferential portion of said cable spool for windingly receiving at least one of the cables therein as said cable spool is selectively rotated in one direction and for unwindingly paying out at least one of the cables therefrom as said cable spool is selectively rotated in an opposite direction, the radial depth of said helical groove varying along at least a portion of said helical path in order to cause at least one of the cables to be wound into, and paid out from, said varying-depth portion of said helical groove at a varying rate with respect to the rotation of said cable spool in both the high displacement/low force movement and the low displacement/high force movement of the door, thereby causing at least a portion of the movable door to move at a correspondingly varying rate with respect to the rotation of said cable spool.
- View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
Specification