Systems and methods for controlling spooling of linear material
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A reel for automatically spooling a hose, the reel comprising:
- means for rotating to spool a hose;
means for interacting with the means for rotating to control a rotational velocity of the means for rotating; and
means for monitoring a motor signal and, based on the motor signal, outputting at least one signal to the means for interacting to decrease the rotational velocity of the means for rotating while winding a terminal portion of the hose.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Preferred embodiments of the invention comprise an automatic reel capable assisting a user when attempting to unspool a linear material, such as a water hose. The automatic reel includes a control system having a motor controller capable of sensing a pulling of, or increased tension of, the linear material and capable of causing a motor to rotate to unspool the linear material. In certain embodiments, the motor controller tracks the length of the unspooled portion of the linear material and/or reduces the spooling speed of the motor when retracting a terminal portion of the linear material.
-
Citations
27 Claims
-
1. A reel for automatically spooling a hose, the reel comprising:
-
means for rotating to spool a hose; means for interacting with the means for rotating to control a rotational velocity of the means for rotating; and means for monitoring a motor signal and, based on the motor signal, outputting at least one signal to the means for interacting to decrease the rotational velocity of the means for rotating while winding a terminal portion of the hose.
-
-
2. A motorized reel for facilitating the spooling of linear material, the motorized reel comprising:
-
a rotatable member configured to rotate to wind a linear material around the rotatable member; a motor configured to interact with the rotatable member in at least a first direction; and control circuitry configured to monitor rotation of the rotatable member by monitoring at least one motor signal to determine at least when an end of the linear material is approaching the rotatable member. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A method of providing a motorized reel for spooling linear material, the method comprising:
-
providing a rotatable member configured to rotate to wind a linear material around the rotatable member; providing a motor configured to interact with the rotatable member to control a rotational velocity of the rotatable member; and providing a motor controller configured to monitor a signal associated with the motor and to output, based on the motor signal, at least one control signal to the motor to decrease the rotational velocity of the rotatable member while winding a terminal portion of the linear material. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. An automatic reel for facilitating the spooling of linear material, the automatic reel comprising:
-
a rotatable member having a spool surface, the rotatable member configured to wind a linear material around the spool surface as the rotatable member rotates in a first direction, the rotatable member further configured to deploy the linear material from around the spool surface as the rotatable member rotates in a second direction; a motor configured to interact with the rotatable member to selectively rotate the rotatable member in the first direction or in the second direction; a sensor configured to monitor a motor signal indicative of a tension of the linear material; and control circuitry in communication with the sensor, the control circuitry configured to output a control signal to cause the motor to rotate the rotatable member in the second direction to deploy the linear material when the motor signal monitored by the sensor indicates that the tension of the linear material exceeds a certain amount. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
-
Specification