Systems and methods for hanking a cable

• US 9,919,895 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2015
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Solomon, Michael J., Birgers, Christopher J., Werley, Charles W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Long, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Madison, Xavier A
• Application Number:
  US14/789,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20150307313A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 242360, 242361-363, 2426106, 53399
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 63/06 Forming elongated hanks, e.g. of shoe laces
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/02 Articles partially enclosed in folded or wound strips or sheets, e.g. wrapped newspapers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/04 for coils of wire, rope or hose
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/34 electric cords or electric power cables
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 54/58 Swifts or reels adapted solely for the formation of hanks or skeins B65H49/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 54/62 Binding of skeins

Abstract

Systems and methods for hanking a cable are disclosed. A hanked cable may be formed by winding the cable around two or more mandrels attached to support members of a winding fixture. At least one of the mandrels can be removeably attached to the winding fixture to facilitate clamping the cable between the mandrel and the support member. The distance between mandrels may be varied by including, in the winding fixture, an adjustable stage for adjusting the relative positions of the mandrels. Once the cable is wound into a hanked configuration, it may be wrapped with a semi-rigid wrapping member to help retain the hanked shape.

Claims

1. A hanked cable and wrapping member, comprising:

a cable coiled into a hanked configuration, wherein;

the hanked configuration is formed of identically sized and shaped coils of the cable stacked vertically against each other into a hanked shape,

the hanked shape has two parallel straight sides connected by two semi-circular sides,

each coil of the cable lies flush against a vertically-adjacent coil of the cable, and

opposing ends of the cable enter an area within the coils from opposite sides of the hanked configuration and terminate within the coils;

a wrapping member forming four flat surfaces wrapped around the cable against the parallel straight sides of the hanked shape; and

connectors at ends of the cable, wherein the connectors are disposed within the stacked coils,

wherein no coils of the cable are disposed horizontally to each other.

2. The hanked cable and wrapping member of claim 1, wherein the wrapping member is transparent.

3. A hanked cable assembly, comprising:

a cable comprising a first end and a second end;

a first connector coupled to the first end of the cable; and

a second connector coupled to the second end of the cable,

wherein;

the cable is disposed in a hanked configuration;

the hanked configuration comprises a plurality of loops of the cable;

a first loop of the plurality of loops lies flush against a second loop of the plurality of loops in a vertical direction of the hanked configuration; and

all loops of the cable are vertically aligned in a single stack of loops.

4. The hanked cable assembly of claim 3, wherein:

the size of the first loop is the same as the size of the second loop; and

the shape of the first loop is the same as the shape of the second loop.

5. The hanked cable assembly of claim 3, wherein an outer periphery of the hanked configuration comprises a portion of each one of the first loop and the second loop.

6. The hanked cable assembly of claim 3, wherein the first connector and the second connector are disposed inside the plurality of loops.

7. The hanked cable assembly of claim 3, wherein the first connector and the second connector overlap each other in the vertical direction.

8. The hanked cable assembly of claim 3, wherein the hanked cable assembly further comprises a wrapping member that secures the cable in the hanked configuration.

9. The hanked cable assembly of claim 8, wherein the wrapping member is transparent.

10. A hanked cable and wrapping member, comprising:

a cable coiled into a hanked configuration, wherein the hanked configuration is formed of coils of the cable stacked vertically against each other into a hanked shape, wherein the hanked shape has two parallel straight sides connected by two semi-circular sides, and wherein each coil of the cable lies flush against a vertically-adjacent coil of the cable; and

a wrapping member wrapped around the cable against the parallel straight sides of the hanked shape,

wherein no coils of the cable are disposed horizontally to each other.

11. The hanked cable of claim 10, wherein opposing ends of the cable terminate within the coils.

12. The hanked cable of claim 11, wherein the opposing ends enter an area within the coils from opposite sides of the hanked configuration.

13. The hanked cable of claim 10, wherein the size and shape of each coil are the same.

14. The hanked cable of claim 10, wherein the wrapping member exerts a vertical force on the stacked coils.

15. The hanked cable of claim 10, wherein the wrapping member forms four flat surfaces around the hanked shape.

16. The hanked cable of claim 10, wherein the wrapping member is transparent.

17. The hanked cable of claim 10, further comprising connectors at ends of the cable, wherein the connectors are disposed within the stacked coils.