Reinforced Cable Spool Flanges for Cold Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cable spools fail drop tests at low temperatures due to cold resistance issues, leading to a need for spools that can withstand lower temperatures without being overly expensive or heavy.
Innovation Solution
A reinforced cable spool design featuring annular flanges with reinforcement portions, such as solid flanges or buttresses, and a honeycomb pattern of reinforcement ribs, which increases rigidity and distributes tension evenly, while maintaining a balance between strength and weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cable spool is made stronger to pass drop tests at lower temperatures, then the cold resistance improves, but the weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by adding reinforcement portions only at specific critical locations (corners of through-holes and between through-holes) rather than uniformly strengthening the entire spool. This localized reinforcement at the flanges provides the necessary cold resistance where stress concentrates during drop tests, while keeping other areas of the spool lighter.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining plastic material for the spool body with reinforcement portions that may be made from different materials or material formulations. The reinforcement portions are integrated into the flange structure, creating a composite construction that achieves superior strength-to-weight ratio compared to uniform plastic construction.
2Strength
If the spool is made heavier to increase strength, then the drop test performance improves, but the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement portions are strategically placed only where stress concentration occurs during drop tests (at corner regions of through-holes), avoiding unnecessary material usage in non-critical areas. This localized approach reduces material costs compared to uniformly thickening the entire spool structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The spool structure is segmented into distinct functional zones: the main spool body made from standard plastic, and the reinforcement portions at the flanges made from enhanced material or additional structural elements. This segmentation allows optimization of material usage and manufacturing processes for different functional requirements.
3Stability of the object's composition
If reinforcement portions are added to the flanges, then the rigidity improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement portions are merged with the flange structure to form an integrated unit. The reinforcement portions are positioned between the barrel and the through-holes, combining structural support and stress distribution functions within a single integrated flange assembly, thereby reducing the number of separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcement portions are strategically positioned at specific locations on the flanges (between through-holes and at corner regions) where rigidity is most needed, rather than uniformly thickening the entire flange. This targeted approach provides maximum rigidity improvement with minimum structural modification.
Data Source
AI summary
A cable spool for use in automated cable winding applications, said cable spool comprising a barrel having an outside diameter and a length, and two annular flanges located at opposite ends of said barrel, wherein each one of said flanges has an inward facing side directed towards said other flange and an outward facing side, each one of said flanges includes at least one through-hole extending between said inward facing side and said outward facing side, wherein each one of said through-holes forms a start hole, and each one of said flanges includes at least one reinforcement portion positioned between said barrel and said through-holes, wherein said at least one reinforcement portion has a height measured in a radial direction from a lateral surface of said barrel to a distal edge of said at least one reinforcement portion.