Wire reel, reinforcing bar binding machine, and rotational information detecting method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9630802-B2
Application number	US-46595909-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2009
Priority date	May 19, 2008
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A wire reel is detachably provided in a housing chamber of a binding machine body which binds a reinforcing bar. The wire reel includes a cylindrical hub portion which winds a wire, and a pair of parallel flanges overhanging outward from both external peripheral ends of the hub portions. A side wall inside the hub portion is formed of light-transmitting portions which allow the light from a transmissive photosensor provided in the binding machine body to be transmitted therethrough.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wire reel which is mountable to a housing chamber of a binding machine body of a reinforcing bar binding machine, the wire reel comprising:
a cylindrical hub portion on which a wire is wound;
an inner tube formed coaxially with the hub portion inside of the hub portion;
a pair of parallel flanges extending outwardly from the hub portion, wherein the pair of parallel flanges are spaced from each other in an axial direction of the wire reel such that, with respect to the axial direction, the first flange is on a first side of the wire reel and the second flange is on a second side of the wire reel;
at least one side wall that is provided radially inside of the hub portion between the hub portion and the inner tube; and
a plurality of light-transmitting portions provided in the side wall, each of which defines a portion of an optical light path extending through the wire reel such that each optical path extends from said first side of the wire reel, through one of said plurality of light transmitting portions, and to said second side of said wire reel;
wherein the plurality of light transmitting portions are configured to allow a reinforcing bar binding machine to detect a type of the wire wound on the hub portion by the plurality of light transmitting portions being non-uniformly spaced in a circumferential direction about the side wall such that an interval between one light transmitting portion and one adjacent light transmitting portion is different from an interval between the one light transmitting portion and another adjacent light transmitting portion.

2. The wire reel according to claim 1 , wherein each of the light-transmitting portions has a cross-section in which one side in the axial direction is narrower than the other side in the axial direction.

3. The wire reel according to claim 1 , wherein each of the light-transmitting portions has an opening in one side in the axial direction and an opening in the other side in the axial direction, and an area of the opening in the one side is smaller than an area of the opening in the other side.

4. The wire reel according to claim 2 , wherein a distance from the side wall to one end of the hub portion in the axial direction is longer than a distance from the side wall to the other end of the hub portion in the axial direction.

5. The wire reel according to claim 1 , wherein each of the light-transmitting portions includes an opening extending through the side wall, and wherein each opening is filled with a light-transmitting material.

6. The wire reel according to claim 1 , wherein
the light-transmitting portions transmit light emitted from a light-emitting element of a transmissive photosensor provided on the binding machine body, when the wire reel is mounted to the housing chamber,
each of the light-transmitting portions has a cross-section in which a side closer to the light-emitting element is narrower than a side closer to the light-receiving element, and
a gap is provided between each of the light-transmitting portions and an outside surface of the inner tube to such an extent that light from the light-emitting element is prevented from being reflected by an outside surface of the inner tube and being transmitted through the light-transmitting portions.

7. The wire reel according to claim 1 , further including:
a plurality of protrusions, wherein the plurality of protrusions protrude in a axial direction from at least one end of said wire reel;
wherein the plurality of light transmitting portions are positioned radially closer to a center axis of the wire reel than the plurality of protrusions.

8. The wire reel according to claim 7 , further including:
a plurality of teeth extending from said inner tube.

9. The wire reel of claim 8 ,
wherein the wire reel includes a first half circumferential portion and a second half circumferential portion, and
wherein the first half circumferential portion has a different number of said light transmitting portions than the second half circumferential portion.

10. The wire reel of claim 1 ,
wherein the wire reel includes a first half circumferential portion and a second half circumferential portion, and
wherein the first half circumferential portion has a different number of said light transmitting portions than the second half circumferential portion.

11. A wire reel which is mountable to a housing chamber of a binding machine body of a reinforcing bar binding machine, the wire reel comprising:
a cylindrical hub;
an inner tube spaced inside of said cylindrical hub such that a radial space is provided between said cylindrical hub and said inner tube;
first and second parallel flanges extending radially outwardly from said cylindrical hub, wherein said first and second flanges are spaced in an axial direction such that, with respect to the axial direction said first flange is on a first side of the wire reel and said second flange is on a second side of the wire reel;
a side wall extending between said cylindrical hub and said inner tube;
a plurality of light transmitting portions extending through said side wall, wherein a light transmission path extends through each of the plurality of light transmitting portions and from said first side to said second side such that light passes through the wire reel from the first side, through the light transmitting portions, and to the second side;
wherein the side wall extends between said hub portion and said inner tube such that said plurality of light transmitting portions are positioned radially between the hub portion and the inner tube,
wherein the plurality of light transmitting portions are configured to allow a reinforcing bar binding machine to detect a wire to be wound on the wire reel based on an interval between one light transmitting portion and one adjacent light transmitting portion being different from an interval between the one light transmitting portion and another adjacent light transmitting portion, in a circumferential direction about the side wall.

12. The wire reel of claim 11 , further comprising:
at least one protrusion, wherein said at least one protrusion protrudes in an axial direction from one end of said wire reel; and
wherein said plurality of light transmitting portions are positioned radially closer to a center axis of the wire reel than the at least one protrusion.

13. The wire reel of claim 11 , wherein the wire reel includes a first half circumferential portion and a second half circumferential portion, and wherein the first half circumferential portion has a different number of said light transmitting portions than the second half circumferential portion.

14. The wire reel according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a plurality of teeth extending from said inner tube.

15. The wire reel according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a rebar binding wire wrapped around said hub and positioned between said first and second parallel flanges.

Assignees

• Nakagawa Yasushi
• Katou Kouji
• Kobayashi Tsuyoshi
• Yamamoto Yu
• Max Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nakagawa Yasushi
• Katou Kouji
• Kobayashi Tsuyoshi
• Yamamoto Yu

Classifications

• B65H75/14 Primary

  with two end flanges · CPC title

• G01D5/3473

  Circular or rotary encoders · CPC title

• E04G21/123 Primary

  Wire twisting tools (bundling articles by twisting, e.g. wire B65B13/28; bundling rods, sticks, or like elongated objects with, e.g. wire B65B27/10; tying devices for hops, vines or trees with, e.g. wire A01G17/08) · CPC title

• B65H2701/52

  Integration of elements inside the core or reel · CPC title

• B65H51/30

  Devices controlling the forwarding speed to synchronise with supply, treatment, or take-up apparatus (B65H59/10, B65H59/38 take precedence) · CPC title