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US 11,697,570 B2Granted
Systems and methods for spooling and unspooling linear material
AssigneeGreat Stuff, Inc.
InventorsJames B. A. Tracey, Joseph M. Hill, III
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods are disclosed related to spooling and unspooling linear material. Such apparatus and methods can assist the user in deploying and/or retracting linear material.
Claims19
A reel apparatus comprising:
- a rotatable spool member configured to wind a linear material as the rotatable spool member rotates in a winding direction;
- a motor configured to rotate the rotatable spool member in the winding direction and to rotate the rotatable spool member in an unwinding direction;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- monitor rotation of the rotatable spool member;
- and
- in response to detecting an indicator that the rotatable spool member is not rotating in the winding direction, cause the motor to stop rotating the rotatable spool member in the winding direction while a portion of the linear material is unwound from the rotatable spool member.
4 more elements
A reel apparatus comprising:
- a rotatable spool member configured to unwind a linear material as the rotatable spool member rotates in an unwinding direction;
- a motor configured to rotate the rotatable spool member in the unwinding direction;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- cause the motor to rotate the rotatable spool member in the unwinding direction;
- and
- cause braking to be applied to stop continued rotation of the rotatable spool member in association with ceasing to cause the motor to rotate the rotatable spool member in the unwinding direction in response to detecting that a user has stopped pulling on the linear material.
4 more elements
A reel apparatus comprising:
- a rotatable spool member configured to unwind a linear material as the rotatable spool member rotates in an unwinding direction;
- a motor configured to rotate the rotatable spool member in the unwinding direction;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- monitor an amount of the linear material unwound from the rotatable spool member;
- cause the motor to rotate the rotatable spool member in the unwinding direction;
- and
- in response to detecting that a certain amount of the linear material is unwound from the rotatable spool member, cease causing the motor to rotate the rotatable spool member in the unwinding direction.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.