Resilient Cable Reel Caddy with Interlocking Stacking Hubs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cable reel systems are inefficient for transportation, storage, and deployment due to bulky packaging, frequent cable tangling, and lack of durability, leading to increased costs and waste, as well as difficulties in handling and identifying cable types and lengths.
Innovation Solution
A resilient plastic, two-piece caddy with a rotatable reel mounting system and interlocking hubs for efficient stacking, featuring a pivoted top for easy access and a secure, durable design with variable braking to prevent cable tangling, along with a removable spindle hub for security and ease of use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional packaging materials (cardboard, wood, metal) are used for cable reels, then the reels are protected during transport, but the packaging becomes bulky and heavy, increasing transportation costs and waste
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging system is divided into two functional segments: a reusable durable caddy for protection and a disposable biodegradable insert for cushioning and positioning. This segmentation allows the heavy protective element to be reused while the lightweight protective element is discarded, reducing overall waste and transportation costs for subsequent shipments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a recoverable caddy that is designed for repeated use across multiple shipments, while the packaging insert is designed to be discarded after a single use. This differential treatment of packaging components recovers the value of the durable protective element while eliminating waste from the lightweight sacrificial element.
2Ease of operation
If conventional reel support cradles are used, then the reels can be easily removed and replaced, but the cradles wear out quickly due to minimal surface area contact, causing spool wobble and binding
Solution Approach 1:
The cradle contacts the reel at multiple distributed points rather than at a single point or small line contact. This distributes the load and friction across larger surface areas of both the cradle and reel, reducing wear at any single location while maintaining ease of reel insertion and removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The cradle geometry is pre-configured with curved surfaces that guide the reel into the correct rotational position as it is inserted. This preliminary guiding action ensures proper alignment before the reel begins rotating, preventing binding and reducing wear during operation.
3Ease of manufacture
If simple frame cradles are used for reel support, then the design is inexpensive and easy to manufacture, but the cradles compromise reliability and durability over time due to wear from cable weight
Solution Approach 1:
The cradle is constructed from composite materials that combine the manufacturing simplicity of molded plastic with the mechanical properties needed for durability. The molded construction maintains ease of manufacture while the material selection and structural design provide enhanced wear resistance and load-bearing capacity for long-term reliability.
4Ease of manufacture
If reels are placed in boxes and manually pulled, then the packaging is simple to manufacture, but the process is inefficient and cables become tangled, increasing installation time
Solution Approach 1:
The reel is mounted to rotate freely within the caddy, transforming the static reel-in-box configuration into a dynamic system where the reel automatically rotates as cable is pulled. This dynamic configuration allows smooth cable dispensing without tangling, significantly improving deployment efficiency while maintaining simple packaging construction.
5Reliability
If axial rods penetrate the spool for rotation support, then the reel can be rotatably mounted, but the axle must be detached and withdrawn to remove and replace empty spools, reducing operational efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The rotation support system is segmented into a fixed external support structure (the caddy cradles) and a removable internal component (the axle). This allows the reel to be detached from the axle while the axle remains in the caddy, enabling rapid reel replacement without removing or repositioning the support structure, thus maintaining rotation stability while improving replacement speed.
Data Source
AI summary
A resilient cable caddy comprising a portable housing for storing reels of cable that has a lower base with a hinged top forming an enclosure for the reel. A reel of cable is rotatably mounted within the interior. A handle formed by abutting base and top portions enables carrying. Each reel comprises a spool with a central axle coupled at each end to spaced apart end caps, being retained by mounting rings. The spindles have bearing rings journalled to bearing races defined in the end caps. Both spindles comprise hubs disposed within case gudgeons. A two-piece spindle has a removable hub portion fitted to an internal socket. When reels are transported they may be stacked vertically atop one another with the one piece spindle engaging the empty and exposed spindle hub socket of an upper reel. Caddies may also be opened and stacked vertically for transportation.