US 2026/0116698 A1Published application

Motorized cable retractor

AssigneeCrestron Electronics, Inc.

InventorsKriss Replogle, Charles Magrino, Brian Clough, David Paolazzi, Obioma Chukwuocha

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Abstract

A cable retractor includes a housing. A motorized drive section within the housing urges at least a segment of cable past the drive section. A circular chamber within the housing, including a circular spindle at a center, holds at least another segment of cable. The at least another segment of cable loops around the spindle. The motorized drive section urges the cable in one direction to draw the at least another segment of the cable from the circular chamber, past the motorized drive section, and through an external opening in the housing to outside the housing. The motorized drive section and urges the cable in an opposing direction to draw the at least another segment through the external opening from outside, past the motorized drive section, into the circular chamber, and around the circular-shaped spindle, then looping around itself in a circular manner.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A cable retractor, comprising

(a) a housing;
(b) a motorized drive section disposed within the housing and configured to urge at least a segment of a cable past the drive section;
and
(c) a circular chamber disposed within the housing and configured to hold a length of the cable, including
(1) a circular-shaped spindle located at a center of the circular chamber, the length of cable looping around the circular-shaped spindle and then around itself in a circular manner;
(d) whereby
(1) the motorized drive section is operable to urge the cable in a first direction to draw the at least segment of cable from the length of cable held in the circular chamber, then past the motorized drive section, and then through an external opening in the housing to outside of the housing, and
(2) the motorized drive section is operable to urge the cable in a second, opposing direction to draw the at least segment of cable through the external opening in the housing from outside of the housing, then past the motorized drive section, and then into the circular chamber, the at least segment of cable being urged into the circular chamber, thereby adding to the length of cable looping around itself and the circular-shaped spindle.

5 more elements

A cable retractor, comprising

(a) a housing;
(b) a motorized drive section disposed within the housing and configured to urge at least a segment of a cable past the drive section, wherein the motorized drive section further comprises
(1) a motor driven drive roller, and
(2) an idler roller,
(3) at least one of the drive roller and the idler roller pressing against another of the drive roller and the idler roller, the at least segment of the cable being disposed between the drive roller and the idler roller;
and
(c) a circular chamber disposed within the housing and configured hold a length of the cable, including
(1) a circular-shaped spindle located at a center of the circular chamber, the length of the cable looping around the circular-shaped spindle and then around itself in a circular manner;
(d) whereby
(1) the motorized drive section is operable to rotate the drive roller in a first rotational direction to draw the segment of cable from the length of the cable held in the circular chamber, then past the motorized drive section, and then through an external opening in the housing to outside of the housing, and
(2) the motorized drive section is operable to rotate the drive roller in a second, opposite rotational direction to urge the cable to draw the at least segment of the cable through the external opening in the housing from outside of the housing, then past the motorized drive section, and then into the circular chamber, the at least segment of the cable being urged into the circular chamber, thereby adding to the length of the cable looping around itself and the circular-shaped spindle;
(e) a sensor configured to detect at least one of a presence of, an absence of, a movement of, or a lack of movement of a region of the cable;
(f) a circuit element configured to at least one of (i) activate the motorized drive section to urge the cable in the first direction, (ii) activate the motorized drive section to urge the cable in the second direction, or (iii) deactivate the motorized drive section, in response to the sensor detecting the at least one of a presence of, an absence of, a movement of, or a lack of movement of the region of the cable;
and
(g) at least one switch configured to at least one of (i) activate the motorized drive section to urge the cable in the first direction, (ii) activate the motorized drive section to urge the cable in the second direction, or (iii) deactivate the motorized drive section, in response to the at least one switch being one of being activated or deactivated.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 19/429,163Filed 22 Dec 2025
Priority: 3 Mar 2022
Published: 30 Apr 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

B65H 75/362
Without essentially involving the use of a core or former internal to a stored package of material, e.g. with stored material housed within…
B65H 51/08
Rollers, pulleys, capstans, or intermeshing rotary elements: arranged to operate in groups or in co-operation with other elements
B65H 51/10
Arranged to operate in groups or in co-operation with other elements: with opposed coacting surfaces, e.g. providing nips
B65H 75/368
Without essentially involving the use of a core or former internal to a stored package of material, e.g. with stored material housed within…

Family

Application63/316,187Us provisional application · filed 3 Mar 2022
Application18/116,905Division · filed 3 Mar 2023
Application19/429,163Division
US 2023/0278826 A1Published application
US 2026/0116698 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.