Method of installing cable on cable reel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10994964-B2
Application number	US-202017073471-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2020
Priority date	Feb 27, 2015
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

A method of installing cable on a cable reel apparatus that includes providing a pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable for installing on a separable cable reel. The cable reel includes a first flange that is configured to be rotatably coupled to a first frame, and the first flange has opposite inner and outer sides, and a second flange that is separate from the first flange and is configured to be rotatably coupled to a second frame, and the second flange has opposite inner and outer sides. One of the first and second flanges includes a hub portion that extends transversely from the inner side thereof. The method also includes instructing a user to releasably couple the first and second flanges to support the pre-wound, reel-lees coil of cable on the hub portion between the first and second flanges along the central longitudinal axis of the separable cable reel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Method of installing cable on a cable reel apparatus, comprising the steps of:
prepackaging a pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable for installing on a separable cable reel, the separable cable reel comprising:
a central longitudinal axis,
a first flange configured to be rotatably coupled to a first frame, the first flange having opposite inner and outer sides,
a second flange separate from the first flange that is configured to be rotatably coupled to a second frame, the second flange having opposite inner and outer sides, and
at least one of the first and second flanges including a hub portion extending transversely from the inner side thereof;

instructing a user to releasably couple the first and second flanges to support the pre-wound, reel-lees coil of cable on the hub portion between the first and second flanges along the central longitudinal axis of the separable cable reel;
providing a bag that receives the separable cable reel and the pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable; and
instructing the user to place the first frame on a first inner surface of the bag and place the second frame on another second inner surface of the bag,
wherein the bag has a base and a cover, and the base includes the first inner surface and the cover includes the second inner surface.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of instructing the user to decouple the first and second flanges from one another when replacing the pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable once dispensed from the cable reel apparatus.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable has an inner diameter, and the hub portion is sized to be received in the inner diameter when releasably coupling the first and second flanges for supporting pre-wound, reel-less the coil of cable.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of prepackaging the pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable occurs before the step of releasably coupling the first and second flanges to support the pre-wound, reel-lees coil of cable on the hub portion between the first and second flanges.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of prepackaging the pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable includes wrapping the pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable with plastic.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of instructing the user to position the bag such that the central longitudinal axis of the separable cable reel is horizontal to dispense cable of the pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable through a payout opening in the base of the bag.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of instructing the user to close the cover on the base of the bag when releasably coupling the first and second flanges.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the step of instructing the user to open the cover from the base of the bag when decoupling the first and second flanges.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hub portion is an annular elongated wall.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second flanges are releasably coupled by a friction fit.

11. Method of installing cable on a cable reel apparatus, comprising the steps of:
providing a bag having a base, a cover, a payout opening sized for dispensing cable, a first frame, and a second frame;
providing a pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable for installing on a separable cable reel, the separable cable reel comprising:
a first flange for positioning on the first frame, the first flange having an inner side and an outer side, the outer side of the first flange for facing the first frame,
a second flange separate from the first flange for positioning on the second frame, the second flange having an inner side and an outer side, the outer side of the second flange for facing the second frame, and
at least one of the first and second flanges includes a hub portion extending transversely from an inner side thereof;

instructing a user to releasably couple the first and second flanges to support the pre-wound, reel-lees coil of cable on the hub portion between the first and second flanges along a central longitudinal axis of the separable cable reel;
instructing the user to place the separable cable reel with the pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable in the bag;
instructing the user to close the cover on the base of the bag when releasably coupling the first and second flanges; and
then after the step of placing the separable cable reel with the pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable in the bag, positioning the bag such that the central longitudinal axis of the separable cable reel is horizontal to dispense cable of the pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable through the payout opening in the bag.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of instructing the user to decouple the first and second flanges from one another when replacing the pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable once dispensed from the cable reel apparatus.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of instructing the user to place the first frame on an inner surface of base of the bag and place the second frame on an inner surface of the cover of the bag.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of prepackaging the pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable prior to placing the coil of cable in the bag.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of instructing the user to dispense cable of the pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable through the payout opening in the base of the bag after positioning the bag and the cable reel apparatus in the horizontal orientation.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of instructing the user to open the cover from the base of the bag when decoupling the first and second flanges.

17. Method of installing cable on a cable reel apparatus, comprising the steps of:
providing a bag having a base, a cover, a payout opening sized for dispensing cable, a first frame, and a second frame;
providing a prepackaged pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable for installing on a separable cable reel, the separable cable reel comprising:
a first flange for positioning on the first frame, the first flange having an inner side and an outer side, the inner side of the first flange includes a first hub portion, and the outer side of the first flange for facing the first frame,
a second flange separate from the first flange for positioning on the second frame, the second flange having an inner side and an outer side, the inner side of the second flange includes a second hub portion, and the outer side of the second flange for facing the second frame;

instructing a user to releasably couple the first and second hub portions to form a hub member to support the pre-wound, reel-lees coil of cable between the first and second flanges along a central longitudinal axis of the separable cable reel; and
instructing the user to place the first frame on an inner surface of the base of the bag and place the second frame on an inner surface of the cover of the bag.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first hub portion is an elongated annular wall and the second hub portion is a truncated annular wall.

19. Method of installing cable on a cable reel apparatus, comprising the steps of:
configuring the cable reel apparatus to have:
a bag that includes a base and a cover;
a first frame configured to be received inside the bag such that the first frame is positioned on an inner surface of the base of the bag;
a first flange configured to be removably engaged with the first f

Assignees

• Amphenol Corp

Inventors

• Thakare Rakesh
• Song Caichun
• Bowen Phillip S
• Bryant Marvin
• Boucher Paul R
• Holt Barry

Classifications

• B65H75/242

  Expansible spindles, mandrels or chucks, e.g. for securing or releasing cores, holders or packages · CPC title

• B65H75/22

  collapsible; with removable parts · CPC title

• B65H75/245

  by deformation of an elastic or flexible material (B65H75/2437 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65H75/2281

  Snap-fit connections · CPC title

• B65H75/2227

  with a flange fixed to the hub part · CPC title