Cable retraction systems and associated methods thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10124985-B2
Application number	US-201715457614-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2017
Priority date	Mar 13, 2017
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

A cable retraction system for use with a cable. The system includes a slider configured to slide in a vertical plane within a channel; and a spring having a first segment connected to the slider and a second segment with a bent tip that traverses a groove and ramp segment with a movement of the slider. In an initial state, the cable does not retract and the bent tip is located at a lowest position of the groove and ramp segment in the vertical plane; and after the cable is pulled, the slider slides upwards in the channel and the bent tip of the second spring traverses a ramp of the groove and ramp segment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cable retraction system for use with a cable, the system comprising:
a housing with a channel and a groove and ramp segment;
a slider with a protrusion extending in a horizontal plane, the slider configured to slide in a vertical plane within the channel;
a first spring for applying pressure on the slider in one direction of the vertical plane;
a center hub having a plurality of notches, a first cylindrical portion and a second cylindrical portion, the center hub operationally coupled to the housing in which the cable wraps around a circumference of the first cylindrical portion of the center hub;
a cam that rotates along a circumference of the second cylindrical portion of the center hub, where a cam rotational distance is controlled by a location of a stopper on a same surface as the channel of the housing; and
a second spring having a first segment connected to the slider and a second segment, where the second segment has a bent tip that traverses the groove and ramp segment along with a movement of the slider and the cam;
wherein in an initial state the cable does not retract and the slider is engaged with one of the plurality of notches, and the bent tip is located at a lowest position of the groove and ramp segment in the vertical plane.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cam rotates by a pre-determined distance and the slider slides upwards in the channel after the cable is pulled.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the bent tip of the second spring traverses a hypotenuse surface of the groove and ramp segment, while the first spring applies pressure on the slider in a downward direction of the vertical plane.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the slider slides downwards after the cable is released such that a lowest surface of the slider is higher than a position of the lowest surface of the slider in the initial state.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the bent tip of the second spring moves to a lowest point of a valley of the groove and ramp segment.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the slider slides upwards in the vertical plane after the cable is pulled again and the bent tip of the second spring moves upwards towards a ramp of the groove and ramp segment.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the bent tip of the second spring and the slider move to the initial state after the cable is released.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the protrusion of the slider engages with a notch from among the plurality of notches after the cable is released.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cable retraction system is used on an aircraft.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cable retraction system is used on a transportation vehicle from one or more of a train, a bus, a ship and a recreation vehicle.

11. A cable retraction system for use with a cable, the system comprising:
a slider configured to slide in a vertical plane of a channel;
a first spring for applying pressure on the slider in one direction of the vertical plane; and
a second spring having a first segment and a second segment, where first segment is connected to the slider and the second segment has a bent tip that traverses a groove and ramp segment with movement of the slider in the vertical plane;
wherein in an initial state, a cable does not retract and the bent tip is located at a lowest position of the groove and ramp segment in the vertical plane;
wherein after the cable is pulled, the slider slides upwards in the channel and the bent tip of the second spring traverses a hypotenuse surface of the groove and ramp segment; and
wherein after the cable is released, the slider slides downwards in the vertical plane such that a lowest surface of the slider is higher than a position of the lowest surface of the slider in the initial state and the bent tip of the second spring moves to a lowest point of a valley of the groove and ramp segment.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein after the cable is pulled again, the slider slides upwards in the vertical plane and the bent tip of the second spring moves upwards towards a ramp of the groove and ramp segment and wherein the bent tip of the second spring and the slider move to the initial state after the cable is released again.

13. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a housing with the channel and the groove and ramp segment and the slider includes a protrusion extending in a horizontal plane.

14. The system of claim 13 , further comprising,
a center hub having a plurality of notches, a first cylindrical portion and a second cylindrical portion, the center hub operationally coupled to the housing; wherein in the initial state the slider protrusion is engaged with one of the plurality of notches.

15. The system of claim 14 , further comprising:
a cam that rotates along a circumference of the second cylindrical portion of the center hub, where a cam rotational distance is controlled by a location of a stopper at an inner surface of the housing.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the cable is wrapped along a circumference of the first cylindrical portion of the center hub.

17. A cable retraction system for use with a cable, the system comprising:
a slider configured to move in a vertical plane within a channel; and
a spring having a first segment connected to the slider and a second segment with a bent tip that traverses a groove and ramp segment with a movement of the slider;
wherein in an initial state, the cable does not retract and the bent tip is located at a lowest position of the groove and ramp segment in the vertical plane; and after the cable is pulled, the slider slides upwards in the channel and the bent tip of the spring traverses a ramp of the groove and ramp segment.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein after the cable is released, the slider slides downwards in the vertical plane such that a lowest surface of the slider is higher than a position of the lowest surface of the slider in the initial state and the bent tip of the spring moves to a lowest point of a valley of the groove and ramp segment.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein after the cable is pulled again, the slider slides upwards in the vertical plane and the bent tip of the spring moves upwards towards a ramp of the groove and ramp segment.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the bent tip of the spring and the slider move to the initial state after the cable is released again.

Assignees

• Panasonic Avionics Corp

Inventors

• Jiang Feng
• Shah Shrenik

Classifications

• B65H75/4434 Primary

  actuated by pulling on or imparting an inclination to the material · CPC title

• B65H2701/3919

  USB, earphones, audio or video cables, e.g. for connecting small electronic devices such as MP3 players or mobile telephones · CPC title

• B65H75/48

  Automatic re-storing devices · CPC title