Battery Spooler Mechanism for Stiff Cable Handling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Woundable materials, such as coaxial cables, are challenging to properly spool due to their stiffness, weight, and elasticity, which complicates installation and storage.
Innovation Solution
A spooler mechanism that includes a battery-operated engine within a housing, an arm extending from the housing that rotates via the engine, a barrel supported by the arm, and retention mechanisms to secure the ends of the woundable material, allowing for efficient winding and unwinding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual spooling of woundable material is performed, then labor intensity is high and time-consuming, but the material may be damaged during handling
Solution Approach 1:
The spooler is designed to perform spooling operations autonomously through automated winding and unwinding mechanisms, eliminating manual labor and reducing the risk of human-caused material damage while significantly improving spooling efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical spooling with an automated engine-driven system that uses controlled mechanical motion to wind and unwind materials, providing precise control that prevents material damage while increasing productivity
2Ease of operation
If stiff and heavy materials are spooled manually, then handling difficulty increases, but proper spooling becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The spooler incorporates a counterbalance weight system that offsets the weight of stiff and heavy materials during spooling operations, reducing handling difficulty and enabling easier operation while maintaining proper spooling control
Solution Approach 2:
The automated engine-driven system changes the operational parameters by providing controlled, consistent rotational speed and torque, transforming the complex manual handling of stiff materials into a simplified automated process with standardized parameters
3Productivity
If rapid winding is performed, then productivity increases, but material damage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spooler incorporates feedback control mechanisms that monitor winding conditions and automatically adjust the winding speed and tension, enabling rapid winding that maintains productivity while preventing material damage through real-time parameter optimization
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses dynamic control to vary winding parameters based on real-time conditions, allowing the spooler to operate at high speeds when appropriate while automatically reducing speed or adjusting tension when material vulnerability is detected, thus maintaining both productivity and material integrity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The spooler mechanism significantly reduces the time and labor required for winding and unwinding woundable materials, improving efficiency and preventing damage to the materials during handling.
Implementation Method 1
The spooler may include a battery operated engine within a housing
Implementation Method 2
The housing may include a counterbalance weight such that the spooler maintains an upright position during the rotation
Data Source
AI summary
A spooler includes an engine within a housing, an arm extending from the housing and rotated via the engine, a barrel supported by the arm such that the barrel rotates with the arm, the barrel having a first end and a second end facing the housing, and a first retention mechanism disposed along a perimeter of the barrel. A spooler system includes a woundable material having a first end and a second end and a spooler. The spooler includes a battery operated engine within a housing, an arm extending from the housing and rotated via the engine, a barrel supported by the arm such that the barrel rotates with the arm, a first retention mechanism that removably secures the first end of a woundable material to the barrel, and a mounting mechanism for mounting the spooler to a vehicle.