Flat Cable Winding Device Slack Absorption Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flat cable winding devices cause slack in flat cables during winding, leading to interference with surroundings and requiring complex configurations on movable bodies to manage this slack.
Innovation Solution
A flat cable winding device with a separation guide path and integrated slack absorption unit within the device, using movable guide members and elastic members to absorb and remove slack, eliminating the need for additional slack absorption units on the movable body side.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If flat cables are wound around rollers in a stacked state, then cable management is improved, but wire length difference causes slack on the inner peripheral side
Solution Approach 1:
A movable guide member is introduced as an intermediary element between the cable and the fixed guide member. This movable guide member can shift position to accommodate the wire length difference, thereby eliminating slack while maintaining the stacked winding arrangement. The intermediary absorbs the dimensional discrepancy through its mobility.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide member is designed with mobility in the width-direction of the cable, transforming a static guiding structure into a dynamic one. This dynamic characteristic allows the guide member to adapt to the varying cable lengths during winding, preventing slack formation on the inner peripheral side while maintaining stable cable arrangement.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If a slack absorption unit is provided on the movable body side, then slack is removed, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The slack absorption function is merged with the existing guide structure of the winding device. Instead of adding a separate slack absorption unit on the movable body, the guide member within the winding device is made movable to perform both guiding and slack absorption functions, thereby reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The winding device's own guide structure is modified to provide the slack absorption function. By making the guide member movable, the winding device serves itself to eliminate slack without requiring additional dedicated slack absorption mechanisms on the movable body side.
3Stability of the object's composition
If multiple guide members are used to separate cables, then cable separation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide path is segmented into multiple sections with different guide members positioned at different locations. This segmentation allows cables to be guided separately through distinct paths, preventing entanglement and maintaining cable separation while using a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple guide members act as intermediaries that individually guide each cable or cable group through the winding device. These intermediary elements simplify the complex task of cable separation by providing dedicated guidance paths without requiring a completely complex guide structure.
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 solution effectively removes slack from flat cables during winding, simplifying the configuration on the movable body side and preventing excess stress on cables, ensuring smooth operation without wire length differences.
Implementation Method 1
a movable guide member among the plurality of guide members that is movable in a direction intersecting a flat surface of the flat cable located at the inner peripheral side when the flat cables are stacked and wound around the plurality of rollers; and an elastic member configured to apply a biasing force to the movable guide member
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A flat cable winding device includes a case, a flat cable guide portion provided in the case and that introduces the flat cables into the case separately, a rotary table that is rotatable around a central shaft portion, a biasing unit that rotates and urges the rotary table in a winding direction of flat cables, a plurality of rollers that are rotatable around the central shaft portion on the rotary table, a separation guide path that guides the flat cables introduced into the case from the flat cable guide portion to the winding start position separately, and a slack absorption unit provided in the separation guide path and that absorbs slack of a flat cable located at an inner peripheral side.