Reeling device

• US 5,526,997 A
• Filed: 06/28/1994
• Issued: 06/18/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xedit Corporation
• Original Assignee: Xedit Corporation
• Inventors: Karczmer, Claude M.
• Primary Examiner(s): DARLING, JOHN PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US08/266,590
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 242/388, 242/388.1, 242/388.5, 242/378, 242/378.4, 191/12.2 R, 191/12.4
• US Class Current: 242/388.5
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2551/13 Remote control devices, e.g. speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/38 involving the use of a core or former internal to, and supporting, a stored package of material
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/4428 acting on the reel or on a reel blocking mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/4449 Arrangements or adaptations to avoid movable contacts or rotary couplings, e.g. by the use of an expansion chamber for a lenght of the cord or hose
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/4471 Housing enclosing the reel

Abstract

A reeling device includes a housing having multiple chambers within which are respectively mounted, for rotation in unison, main and secondary reels. Preferably the main and secondary reels include a common hub member that is formed with a hole extending therethrough from the main reel to the secondary reel. A single length of cable is wound upon the two reels with a first end portion of the cable being coiled upon the main reel, an intermediate portion thereof extending through the hole formed in the common hub member and a second end portion of the cable being coiled about the secondary reel. The second end portion of the cable is substantially shorter than the first end portion and includes an end that is fixed to the housing. With this arrangement, as the first portion of the cable is fully unwound from the main reel, the second portion of the cable is simultaneously unwound from and then rewound onto the secondary reel such that a compact reeling device is provided without the use of slip rings and with a minimal amount of cable being required. The reeling device further includes a drive system for controlling the rate of deployment and automatic retraction of the cable.

Claims

1. A method of reeling and unreeling a cable having a first portion wound upon a main reel that is rotatably mounted within a housing and a second portion wound upon a secondary reel that is rotatable with the main reel comprising:

unreeling a predetermined portion of the first portion of the cable from the main reel as the second portion of the cable is simultaneously unwound from the secondary reel into a bin portion of the housing that has an associated width that is slightly greater than the width of the cable;

continuing to unreel the first portion of the cable from the main reel as the second portion of the cable is simultaneously wound upon the secondary reel from the bin portion;

reeling a predetermined portion of the first portion of the cable unto the main reel as the second portion of the cable is simultaneously unwound from the secondary reel into the bin portion; and

continuing to reel the first portion of the cable as the second portion of the cable is simultaneously wound upon the secondary reel.

2. A reeling device comprising:

a housing;

a partition member dividing said housing into first and second chambers;

a main reel mounted within the first chamber of said housing for rotation about a rotational axis, said main reel including a hub portion and at least one flange portion secured to said hub portion for rotation therewith, said hub portion having an associated diameter;

a secondary reel attached to said main reel for rotation therewith, said secondary reel including a hub portion extending within the second chamber of said housing and at least one flange portion rotatable with the hub portion of said secondary reel;

a cable including a first portion of predetermined length coiled about the hub portion of said main reel and a second portion of predetermined length that is less than the predetermined length of said first portion coiled about the hub portion of said secondary reel, said first portion terminating in one end portion of aid cable that is adapted to be pulled by an operator of said reeling device for deploying a desired length of the first portion of said cable, said second portion terminating in another end portion of said cable that is fixed to said housing; and

a central hub member including first and second opposing sides, the hub portion of said main reel being secured to the first side of said central hub member and the hub portion of said secondary reel being secured to the second side of said central hub member, said central hub member including a hole extending between said first and second sides through which said cable extends;

wherein, as the first portion of said cable is fully unwound from said main reel, the second portion of said cable is simultaneously fully unwound from and then rewound onto said secondary reel within said second chamber.

3. A reeling device as claimed in claim, 2 wherein the hub portion of said secondary reel has an associated diameter that is less than the diameter associated with the hub portion of said main reel.

4. A reeling device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said main and secondary reels are integrally formed.

5. A reeling device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said central hub member further includes a central flange that defines, at least in part, the at least one flange portion of said main reel.

6. A reeling device as claimed in claim 5, further comprising means for driving said main reel for rotation about said rotational axis, said driving means being mounted within said housing and drivingly coupled to said main reel.

7. A reeling device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said driving means comprises a motor having an output member and means for drivingly coupling said output member to said central flange.

8. A reeling device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said means for drivingly coupling said output member to said central flange comprises an endless belt that extends around said central flange and said output member.

9. A reeling device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising means for driving said main reel for rotation about said rotational axis, said driving means being mounted within said housing and drivingly coupled to said main reel.

10. A reeling device as claimed in claim 9, further comprising means for activating and de-activating said driving means, so as to control the rotation of said main reel, based on sensed operating parameters of said reeling device.

11. A reeling device as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a transparent flange member attached to said main reel, said means for activating and de-activating including first and second sensors carried by said housing adjacent said transparent flange member, said sensors providing signals regarding the amount of cable wound upon said main reel.

12. A reeling device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said cable has an associated width and said at least one flange portion and said transparent flange member are spaced by a distance slightly greater than the width of said cable.

13. A reeling device comprising:

a housing;

a partition member dividing said housing into first and second chambers;

a main reel mounted within the first chamber of said housing for rotation about a rotational axis, said main reel including a hub portion and at least one flange portion secured to said hub portion for rotation therewith, said hub portion having an associated diameter;

a secondary reel attached to said main reel for rotation therewith, said secondary reel including a hub portion extending within the Second chamber of said housing and at least One flange portion rotatable with the hub portion of said secondary reel; and

a cable including a first portion of predetermined length coiled about the hub portion of said main reel and a second portion of predetermined length that is less than the predetermined length of said first portion coiled about the hub portion of said secondary reel, said first portion terminating in one end portion of said cable that is adapted to be pulled by an operator of said reeling device for deploying a desired length of the first portion of said cable, said second portion terminating in another end portion of said cable that is fixed to said housing;

wherein, as the first portion of said cable is fully unwound from said main reel, the second portion of said cable is simultaneously fully unwound from and then rewound onto said secondary reel within said second chamber and wherein said second chamber is defined between said partition member and an outer wall of said housing, said second chamber has an associated width that is slightly greater then the width of said cable.

14. A reeling device as claimed in claim 13, wherein said outer wall includes an inner surface that is lined with a low friction material.

15. A reeling device comprising:

a housing;

a main reel mounted within said housing for rotation about a rotational axis, said main reel including a hub portion and at least one flange portion secured to said hub portion for rotation therewith, said hub portion having an associate diameter;

a secondary reel attached to said main reel for rotation therewith, said secondary reel including a hub portion and at least one flange portion rotatable with the hub portion of said secondary reel wherein the hub portion of said secondary reel has an associated diameter that is less than the diameter associated with the hub portion of said main reel;

a cable including a first portion of predetermined length coiled about the hub portion of said main reel and a second portion of predetermined length that is less than the predetermined length of said first portion coiled about the hub portion of said secondary reel;

a central hub member including first and second opposing sides, the hub portion of said main reel being integral with the first side of said central hub member and the hub portion of said secondary reel being integral with the second side of said central hub member, said central hub member including a hole extending between said first and second sides through which said cable extends and a central flange that defined, at least in part, the at least one flange portion of said main reel; and

means for winding and unwinding said cable upon said first and second reels such that as the first portion of said cable is fully unwound from said main reel, the second portion of said cable is simultaneously fully unwound from and then rewound onto said secondary reel within aid second chamber.

16. A reeling device comprising:

a housing;

a main reel mounted with said housing for rotation about a rotational axis, said main reel including a hub portion and at least one flange portion secured to said hub portion for rotation therewith, said hub portion having an associated diameter;

a secondary reel attached to said main reel for rotation therewith, said secondary reel including a hub portion and at least one flange portion rotatable with the hub portion of said secondary reel;

a cable including a first portion of predetermined length coiled about the hub portion of said main reel and a second portion of predetermined length that is less that the predetermined length of said first portion coiled about the hub portion of said secondary reel; and

means for winding and unwinding said cable upon said first and second reels such that as the first portion of said cable is fully unwound from said main reel, the second portion of said cable is simultaneously fully unwound from and then rewound onto said secondary reel within said second chamber, said means for winding and unwinding including means for driving said main reel for rotation about said rotational axis, said driving means being mounted within said housing and drivingly coupled to said main reel, and means for activating and de-activating said driving means, so as to control the rotation of said main reel, based on sensed operating parameters of said reeling device.

17. A reeling device as claimed in claim 16 further comprising a transparent flange member attached to said main reel, said means for activating and de-activating including first and second sensors carried by said housing adjacent said transparent flange member, said sensors providing signals regarding the amount of cable wound upon said main reel.