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US 12,521,578 B2Granted
Line dispensing devices
AssigneeTruBlue LLC
InventorsCarl Andrew Bailey, Marc Reich, Ryan Daniel Walker, Stefan Stahl, Luke Smith, Nolan Hurd
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A line dispensing device includes a housing, a rotatable shaft rotatably supported by the housing and defining a rotational axis, and a line drum disposed about the rotational axis and configured to extend and retract a line from the housing. The line dispensing device also includes a retraction assembly disposed about the rotational axis and configured to generate a retraction force and retract the line from the housing, and a braking assembly disposed about the rotational axis and configured to generate a braking force on the line and during extension of the line from the housing.
Claims18
A line dispensing device comprising:
- a housing having a first body and a second body coupled together, the first body different than the second body with the first body including a base wall and the second body including an outer wall, the first body coupled to the second body such that a first cavity is defined between the base wall of the first body and the outer wall of the second body and a second cavity is defined by the base wall of the first body;
- a rotatable shaft rotatably supported by the housing within the first cavity and defining a rotational axis, wherein the rotatable shaft is supported by bearings disposed on the base wall of the first body and the outer wall of the second body such that one end of the rotatable shaft is cantilevered into the second cavity, the first cavity discrete from the second cavity and adjacent to one another along the rotational axis;
- a line drum disposed within the first cavity about the rotational axis and configured to extend and retract a line from the housing;
- a retraction assembly including a coil spring disposed within the first cavity about the rotational axis and coupled to the line drum, the retraction assembly configured to generate a retraction force and retract the line into the housing;
- and
- an eddy current braking assembly disposed within the second cavity about the rotational axis and configured to generate an eddy current braking force on the rotatable shaft and during extension of the line from the housing, wherein the eddy current braking assembly comprises:
- a stator assembly coupled to the first body of the housing;
- a rotor assembly coupled to the cantilevered portion of the rotatable shaft and rotatable around the rotational axis;
- and
- one or more conductors and one more magnets configured to generate the eddy current braking force.
7 more elements
A line dispensing device comprising:
- a housing having a first body and a second body defining an interior cavity, the first body also defining an external cavity separated from the interior cavity;
- a rotatable shaft rotatable around a rotational axis, the rotatable shaft disposed within the interior cavity and rotatably supported between the first body and the second body, wherein one end of the rotatable shaft cantilevers into the external cavity, the interior cavity and the external cavity adjacent one another along the rotational axis;
- a line drum housing a line supported on the rotatable shaft, disposed in the interior cavity and configured to rotate about the rotational axis during extension and retraction of the line, wherein the line drum includes:
- a pair of drum plates;
- and
- a hub supported on the rotatable shaft and disposed between the pair of drum plates, the hub including a pair of opposing planer surfaces and a pair of opposing arcuate projections spaced from the hub, the pair of opposing planer surfaces and the pair of opposing arcuate projections circumferentially alternating around the rotational axis, and wherein the line is coupled to the hub via a short webbing attached to one of the arcuate projections;
- a transmission extending disposed within the interior cavity between the line drum and the rotatable shaft so that rotation of the line drum drives corresponding rotation of the rotatable shaft;
- and
- a braking assembly disposed about the rotational axis and configured to generate a braking force on the rotatable shaft and during extension of the line from the housing, the braking assembly disposed within the external cavity, wherein the braking assembly comprises:
- a stator assembly coupled to the first body of the housing;
- and
- a rotor assembly coupled to the cantilevered portion of the rotatable shaft and rotatable around the rotational axis.
9 more elements
A line dispensing device comprising:
- a housing defining an interior cavity and an external cavity;
- a rotatable shaft rotatably supported by the housing and defining a rotational axis, wherein one end of the rotatable shaft is cantilevered within the external cavity;
- a line drum disposed about the rotational axis within the interior cavity and configured to extend and retract a line from the housing;
- a transmission disposed within the interior cavity and extending between the line drum and the rotatable shaft so that rotation of the line drum drives corresponding rotation of the rotatable shaft;
- a retraction assembly disposed about the rotational axis within the interior cavity and configured to generate a retraction force and retract the line into the housing;
- and
- a braking assembly at least partially disposed within the external cavity and configured to apply a braking force on the rotatable shaft and during extension of the line from the housing, the braking assembly separated from the line drum and the retraction assembly via the housing, wherein the braking assembly comprises:
- a stator assembly coupled to the housing, the stator assembly comprising a pair of plates supporting a plurality of magnets, wherein the pair of plates each include a plurality of lugs circumferentially spaced around the rotational axis and keys disposed between a pair of lugs of the plurality of lugs, the respective key offset between the pair of lugs, and wherein each of the plurality of magnets includes an offset aperture configured to receive the key, wherein each of the plurality of magnets is coupled to the respective plate at the keys such that a predetermined polarity is ensured;
- and
- a rotor assembly having one or more conductors coupled to the cantilevered portion of the rotatable shaft and rotatable around the rotational axis.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.