Cable retractor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020109024-A1
Application number	US-201916698155-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 27, 2019
Priority date	Dec 28, 2017
Publication date	Apr 9, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A cable retractor includes a housing. A spool is disposed within the housing and is mechanically coupled to the housing and rotatable about an axis. A spring mechanism is operatively attached to the spool and is configured to urge the spool to rotate in a first rotational direction about the axis. An electricity operated rotation regulator is operatively attached to the spool and is configured to, when activated, prevent the spool from rotating in the first rotational direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A cable retractor, comprising:
(a) a housing; (b) a spool, disposed within the housing, that is mechanically coupled to the housing and rotatable about an axis in a first rotational direction by which a cable is wound around the spool and in a second rotational direction that is opposite to the first rotational direction and by which the cable is unwound from the spool; (c) a spring mechanism operatively attached to the spool and configured to urge the spool to rotate in the first rotational direction; and (d) an electrically operated rotation regulator operatively attached to the spool and configured to, when activated, prevent the spool from rotating in the first rotational direction while permitting the spool to rotate in the second rotational direction, thereby permitting a portion of the cable to be unwound from the spool and preventing the portion of the cable from being rewound around the spool.

2 . The cable retractor of claim 1 , wherein:
(a) withdrawing a segment of the cable from inside the housing activates the electrically operated rotation regulator and prevents the pulled out segment from being drawn back into the housing.

3 . The cable retractor of claim 2 , wherein:
(a) the electrically operated rotation regulator, when subsequently deactivated, allows the spring mechanism to cause the spool to rotate in the first rotational direction and draw the pulled out segment back into the housing.

4 . The cable retractor of claim 1 , further comprising:
(a) a switch configured to deactivate the rotation regulator and cause the rotation regulator to remain deactivated after operation of the switch so that the operation of the switch causes the spring mechanism to urge the spool to rotate in the first rotational direction until all of a previously pulled out segment of the cable is drawn back into the housing.

5 . The cable retractor of claim 4 , wherein:
(a) the spool, the electrically operated rotation regulator, and the spring mechanism are disposed inside the housing; and (b) the switch is disposed external to the housing.

6 . The cable retractor of claim 1 , further comprising:
(a) a switch configured to deactivate the rotation regulator only during operation of that switch and to re-activate the rotation regulator subsequent to the operation of the switch so that
(1) during operation of the switch, the spring mechanism urges the spool to rotate in the first rotational direction and causes part of a previously pulled out segment of the cable to be drawn back into the housing, and
(2) after the switch is operated, a remaining part of the previously pulled out segment remains external to the housing.

7 . The cable retractor of claim 1 , wherein:
(a) the electrically operated rotation regulator further comprises an electromagnetic clutch coupled to the housing.

8 . The cable retractor of claim 7 , further comprising:
(a) a one-way bearing coupled to the spool and configured to rotate only in the second rotational direction; and (d) a shaft coupled at one end to the one-way bearing; wherein (e) the electromagnetic clutch, when activated, engages an opposing end of the shaft whereby the one-way bearing prevents the spool from rotating in the first rotational direction.

9 . The cable retractor of claim 1 , wherein:
(a) the spool is configured to permit a cable that comprises at least one of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable, an Ethernet cable, a power over Ethernet (POE) cable, a 15-pin Video Graphics Array (VGA) (plus audio combined) cable, a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cable, a Digital Visual Interface (DVI) cable, a Category-5 (Cat-5) cable, a Category-5 Enhanced (Cat-5E) cable, a Category-6 (Cat-6) cable, an Augmented Category (Cat-6a) cable, an optical fiber cable, an audio cable, a DisplayPort cable to be wound around the spool.

10 . The cable retractor of claim 1 , wherein:
(a) the spool is configured to permit a flat cable to be wound around the spool.

11 . The cable retractor of claim 1 , further comprising:
(a) at least one rotational dampener coupled to the housing and having a plurality of gear teeth; wherein (b) the spool includes a further plurality of gear teeth extending from a surface of the spool, and (c) the plurality of gear teeth of the rotational dampener engage the further plurality of gear teeth of the spool and slow the rotation of the spool about the axis.

12 . The cable retractor of claim 1 , wherein:
(a) an outer surface of the housing includes a plurality of hooks configured to engage corresponding openings in a surface upon which the housing is mounted.

13 . The cable retractor of claim 12 , wherein:
(a) the outer surface of the housing includes a snap connector configured to secure the housing to an edge of the surface.

14 . A cable retractor, comprising:
(a) a housing; (b) a spool, disposed within the housing, that is mechanically coupled to the housing and rotatable about an axis in a first rotational direction by which a cable is wound around the spool and in a second rotational direction that is opposite to the first rotational direction and by which the cable is unwound from the spool; (c) a spring mechanism operatively attached to the spool and configured to urge the spool to rotate in the first rotational direction about the axis; (d) a one-way bearing coupled to the spool and configured to rotate only in the second rotational direction about the axis; (e) a shaft coupled at one end to the one-way bearing; and (f) an electromagnetic clutch coupled to the housing and configured to, when activated, engage an opposing end of the shaft whereby the one-way bearing prevents the spool from rotating in the first rotational direction while permitting the spool to rotate in the second rotational direction, thereby permitting a portion of the cable to be unwound from the spool and preventing the portion of the cable from being rewound around the spool.

15 . The cable retractor of claim 14 , wherein:
(a) withdrawing a segment of the cable from inside the housing activates the electromagnetic clutch and prevents the pulled out segment from being drawn back into the housing.

16 . The cable retractor of claim 15 , wherein:
(a) the electromagnetic clutch, when subsequently deactivated, allows the spring mechanism to cause the spool to rotate in the first rotational direction and draw the pulled out segment of the cable back into the housing.

17 . The cable retractor of claim 15 , further comprising:
(a) a switch configured to deactivate the electromagnetic clutch and cause the electromagnetic clutch to remain deactivated after operation of the switch so that the operation of the switch causes the spring mechanism to urge the spool to rotate in the first rotational direction until all of the pulled out segment of the cable is drawn back into the housing.

18 . The cable retractor of claim 15 , further comprising:
(a) a switch configured to deactivate the electromagnetic clutch only during operation of that switch and to re-activate the electromagnetic clutch subsequent to the operation of the switch so that
(1) during operation of the switch, the spring mechanism urges the spool to rotate in the first rotational direction and causes part of the pulled out segment of the cable to be drawn back into the housing, and
(2) after the switch is operated, a remaining part of the pulled out segment remains external to the housing.

19 . A cable retractor, comprising:
(a) a housing;

Assignees

• Crestron Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Pedoeem Albert
• Replogle Kriss

Classifications

• B65H75/446

  for releasably or permanently attaching the frame to a wall, on a floor or on a post or the like · CPC title

• B65H75/4484

  Electronic arrangements or adaptations for controlling the winding or unwinding process, e.g. with sensors · CPC title

• B65H75/48 Primary

  Automatic re-storing devices · CPC title

• B65H75/4471

  Housing enclosing the reel · CPC title

• B65H75/4449 Primary

  Arrangements or adaptations to avoid movable contacts or rotary couplings, e.g. by the use of an expansion chamber for a lenght of the cord or hose · CPC title