Systems and methods for spooling and unspooling linear material
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for spooling a linear material, the apparatus comprising:
- a spool member configured to rotate bidirectionally to spool and unspool the linear material with respect to the spool member;
a motor configured to rotate the spool member; and
a controller configured to;
monitor a length of the linear material unspooled from the spool member based on an indicator of movement of the spool member generated by one or more sensors;
cause the motor to spool the linear material around the spool member at a first rate of spooling;
reduce the first rate of spooling to a second rate of spooling in response to detecting that the length of linear material unspooled from the spool member becomes less than a first threshold length;
wherein the second rate of spooling is at a non-zero speed; and
adjust the second rate of spooling to a third rate of spooling in response to detecting that the length of linear material unspooled from the spool member becomes less than a second threshold length, wherein the second threshold length is less than the first threshold length, and wherein the third rate of spooling is at a non-zero speed.
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods are disclosed related to spooling and unspooling linear material. Such apparatus and methods can assist the user in deploying and/or retracting linear material.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. An apparatus for spooling a linear material, the apparatus comprising:
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a spool member configured to rotate bidirectionally to spool and unspool the linear material with respect to the spool member; a motor configured to rotate the spool member; and a controller configured to; monitor a length of the linear material unspooled from the spool member based on an indicator of movement of the spool member generated by one or more sensors; cause the motor to spool the linear material around the spool member at a first rate of spooling; reduce the first rate of spooling to a second rate of spooling in response to detecting that the length of linear material unspooled from the spool member becomes less than a first threshold length;
wherein the second rate of spooling is at a non-zero speed; andadjust the second rate of spooling to a third rate of spooling in response to detecting that the length of linear material unspooled from the spool member becomes less than a second threshold length, wherein the second threshold length is less than the first threshold length, and wherein the third rate of spooling is at a non-zero speed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification