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US 12,601,370 B2Granted
Cable-driven telescopic boom
AssigneeEagle Technology, LLC
InventorStephen Jenkins
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cable-driven telescopic boom with several boom segments repositionable between stowed positions and deployed positions. The boom includes multiple spaced apart and separate cables that engage pulleys connected to each boom segment. A drive system can be used to apply tension to the cables to reconfigure the boom from a stowed configuration to a deployed configuration.
Claims20
A telescopic boom positionable in a stowed configuration and in a deployed configuration, the telescopic boom comprising:
- a first boom segment having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the first boom segment having an outer surface and an inner surface opposite its outer surface;
- a second boom segment having its own first end and its own second end opposite its own first end, the second boom segment being positionable inside the first boom segment, the second boom segment having an outer surface and an inner surface opposite its outer surface, the first boom segment and the second boom segment have a common longitudinal axis;
- and
- a drive mechanism connected to each of the first boom segment and the second boom segment, the drive mechanism including a cable and a motor that can apply tension to the cable, the cable is engaged with the first boom segment at a first location proximate to the first end of the first boom segment and at a second location proximate to the second end of the first boom segment, the cable is engaged with the second boom segment at a third location proximate to the first end of the second boom segment and at a fourth location proximate to the second end of the second boom segment, wherein the cable extends continuously between the first location, the second location, the third location, and the fourth location, and the drive mechanism can be actuated to apply tension to the cable to move the telescopic boom from its stowed configuration to its deployed configuration and wherein the cable from the first location to the second location extends along the outer surface of the first boom segment, the cable from the second location to the third location extends along and is between the inner surface of the first boom segment and the outer surface of the second boom segment, the cable from the third location to the fourth location extends along the inner surface of the second boom segment, and after the cable engages the fourth location, the cable extends along the inner surface of the second boom segment, and the cable extends parallel to the longitudinal axis between the first location, the second location, the third location, and the fourth location.
1 more element
A telescopic boom positionable in a stowed configuration and in a deployed configuration, the telescopic boom comprising:
- a first boom segment having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the first boom segment having an outer surface and an inner surface opposite its outer surface;
- a second boom segment having its own first end and its own second end opposite its own first end, the second boom segment being positionable inside the first boom segment, the second boom segment having an outer surface and an inner surface opposite its outer surface, the second boom segment having a first groove formed therein and extending therealong;
- a drive mechanism connected to each of the first boom segment and the second boom segment, the drive mechanism including a cable and a motor that can apply tension to the cable, the cable is engaged with the first boom segment at a first location proximate to the first end of the first boom segment and at a second location proximate to the second end of the first boom segment, the cable is engaged with the second boom segment at a third location proximate to the first end of the second boom segment and at a fourth location proximate to the second end of the second boom segment, wherein the cable extends continuously between the first location, the second location, the third location, and the fourth location, and the drive mechanism can be actuated to apply tension to the cable to move the telescopic boom from its stowed configuration to its deployed configuration and wherein the cable from the first location to the second location extends along the outer surface of the first boom segment, the cable from the second location to the third location extends along and is between the inner surface of the first boom segment and the outer surface of the second boom segment, the cable from the third location to the fourth location extends along the inner surface of the second boom segment, and after the cable engages the fourth location, the cable extends along the inner surface of the second boom segment, a third boom segment opposite ends and being positionable inside the second boom segment, the third boom segment having a fifth location proximate to one of its ends and a sixth location proxime to the other of its ends, the third boom segment having a second groove formed therein and extending therealong, the second groove being larger than the first groove, and the cable is located in the first groove and the second groove.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.