Cable Payout Bag with Passageway for Tangling Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Technicians face challenges when carrying bulk amounts of cable, as coils are often large, heavy, and unwieldy, leading to cable organization and tangling issues during payout.
Innovation Solution
A communications cable payout bag with a main compartment, shoulder strap, handle straps, a cable payout passageway, and a closure mechanism, which includes a removable insert for holding a reel of cable, allowing for organized payout and easy carrying.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If cable is carried in bulk coils, then cable quantity is sufficient for installation needs, but the coil becomes large, heavy and unwieldy making it difficult to carry and handle
Solution Approach 1:
The cable coil is segmented into individual cable lengths that can be paid out through the bag, rather than carrying the entire coil at once. The bag acts as a container that releases cable in controlled portions, making handling easier while maintaining access to the full cable quantity.
Solution Approach 2:
The bag serves as an intermediary device between the cable coil and the technician. Instead of directly handling the heavy coil, the technician carries the bag which contains the coil and pays out cable through a designated passageway, reducing the effort and difficulty of handling.
2Productivity
If cable is paid out from an unrestrained coil, then cable payout is simple and quick, but the cable becomes unorganized and tangled
Solution Approach 1:
The cable is pre-organized on the reel within the bag before payout begins. The reel structure maintains cable organization in advance, preventing tangling as the cable is paid out through the controlled passageway rather than being released from an unrestrained coil.
Solution Approach 2:
The bag and its internal reel structure act as an intermediary that maintains cable organization during payout. The cable passes through a defined path within the bag, preventing random movement and tangling that would occur with an unrestrained coil, while still allowing relatively quick payout.
3Ease of operation
If a bag structure is used to hold cable, then cable organization is improved and handling is easier, but the device complexity increases compared to simple coils
Solution Approach 1:
The bag is made of flexible material that can be easily carried and maneuvered, providing the organizational benefits of a structured container without the rigidity and complexity of hard cases or rigid frameworks. The flexible nature keeps the device simple while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The bag serves multiple functions: it contains the cable reel, provides a structured payout path, acts as a carrying container with straps, and protects the cable. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, keeping the overall device complexity low while providing comprehensive handling benefits.
Data Source
AI summary
A communications cable payout bag includes: a main compartment configured to hold a communications cable package; a shoulder strap attached to the exterior of the bag; a pair of handle straps attached to the exterior of the bag, wherein each handle strap is shorter than the shoulder strap; a cable payout passageway between the main compartment and the exterior of the bag; and a closure mechanism configured to close the main compartment.