Systems and methods for controlling spooling of linear material

• US 20060000936A1
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Great Stuff, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Great Stuff, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Michael J., Koebler, Martin, Tracey, James B.A., Caamano, Ramon Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 7,350,736 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 242/390.900
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/33 Hollow or hose-like material
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/34 electric cords or electric power cables
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/403 Carriage with wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/4436 Arrangements for yieldably braking the reel or the material for moderating speed of winding or unwinding
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/4471 Housing enclosing the reel
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/4484 Electronic arrangements or adaptations for controlling the winding or unwinding process, e.g. with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/4486 Electric motors

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.

Claims

1. An automatic reel for facilitating the spooling of linear material, the automatic reel comprising:

a rotatable drum having a spool surface, the drum capable of winding a linear material around the spool surface as the drum rotates in a first direction, the drum further capable of deploying the linear material from around the spool surface as the drum rotates in a second direction;

a motor capable of interacting with the drum to selectively rotate the drum in the first direction or in the second direction; and

control circuitry capable of outputting a control signal to cause the motor to rotate the drum in the second direction to deploy the linear material when the control circuitry detects a tension of the linear material above a predetermined amount.

2. The automatic reel of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is capable of detecting the tension of the linear material by sensing a reverse electromagnetic force (EMF) associated with the motor.

3. The automatic reel of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further capable of monitoring a length of a portion of the linear material not wound on the rotatable drum.

4. The automatic reel of claim 3, wherein the control circuitry is further capable of causing a rotational velocity of the drum in the first direction to decrease when the length of the unwound linear material is less than a predetermined threshold length.

5. The automatic reel of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further capable of ceasing rotation of the drum in response to detecting a substantial increase in a current supplied to the motor.

6. The automatic reel of claim 1, further comprising a shell substantially surrounding the rotatable drum, the motor and the control circuitry.

7. The automatic reel of claim 6, wherein the shell comprises an aperture through which linear material is spooled.

8. The automatic reel of claim 1, further comprising a user interface.

9. The automatic reel of claim 1, wherein the user interface is capable of receiving at least one signal from a remote control device.

10. A method of providing a motorized reel for spooling linear material, the method comprising:

providing a rotatable member capable of rotating to wind a linear material around the rotatable member;

providing a motor capable of interaction with the rotatable member to control a rotational velocity of the rotatable member; and

providing a motor controller capable of outputting at least one signal to the motor to decrease the rotational velocity of the rotatable member while winding a terminal portion of the linear material.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the terminal portion is identified by a predetermined length of the linear material.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the motor controller is further capable of measuring the predetermined length.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said measuring comprises monitoring a number of motor rotations.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing a current sensor capable of measuring a current drawn by the motor, wherein the motor controller is further capable of suspending rotation of the rotatable member in response to the current sensor detecting a substantial increase in the current drawn by the motor.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the motor controller is further capable of suspending rotation of the rotatable member when a duration of the substantial increase in the current exceeds a predetermined period of time.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the motor controller is further capable of outputting a signal to reverse the rotation of the rotatable member in response to detecting a reverse electromagnetic force (EMF) associated with the motor.

17. A motorized reel for facilitating the spooling of linear material, the motorized reel comprising:

a rotatable member capable of rotating to wind a linear material around the rotatable member;

a motor capable of interacting with the rotatable drum in at least a first direction; and

control circuitry capable of monitoring rotation of the rotatable drum by monitoring at least one motor signal to determine at least when an end of the linear material is approaching the rotatable drum.

18. The motorized reel of claim 17, wherein the motor is further capable of interacting with the rotatable drum in a second direction.

19. The motorized reel of claim 17, wherein the control circuitry is further capable of detecting a tension of the linear material by sensing a reverse electromagnetic force (EMF) associated with the motor.

20. The motorized reel of claim 17, wherein the control circuitry is further capable of ceasing rotation of the rotatable drum after detecting a substantial increase in a current supplied to the motor.

21. The motorized reel of claim 17, wherein the control circuitry is further capable of detecting when substantially all the linear material is wound around the rotatable member.

22. The motorized reel of claim 17, further comprising a substantially spherical shell.

23. The motorized reel of claim 17, wherein the rotatable member is further capable of spooling a hose.

24. 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 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.