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US 6,600,866 B2Granted
Filament organizer
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsAnthony William Gatica, Dwayne L. LaBrake
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A filament organizer comprises a support having a first surface opposite a second surface and further includes a lockable spool and a rotary spool adjacent to the first surface of the support. The organizer has a tensioner attached to the second surface of the support for attachment to the rotary spool by a tension wire to apply tension thereto to transmit tension to a filament disposed between the lockable spool and the rotary spool. Selective reduction in tension on a filament is possible using a tension relief assembly attached to the support. A stacked configuration of a plurality of filament organizers may be formed by suitable alignment of supports.
Claims17
A filament organizer, comprising:
- a support having a first surface opposite a second surface;
- a lockable spool attached to said support adjacent said first surface thereof;
- a rotary spool attached to said support to occupy a position adjacent said first surface of said support;
- and
- a tensioner attached to said support and coupled to said rotary spool to apply tension to a filament disposed between said lockable spool and said rotary spool.
2 more elements
A filament organizer, comprising:
- a support having a first surface opposite a second surface;
- a lockable spool attached to said support;
- a rotary spool attached to said support;
- and
- a tensioner proximate said second surface of said support and coupled to said rotary spool to apply tension to a filament disposed between said lockable spool and said rotary spool.
2 more elements
A filament organizer, comprising:
- a support having a first surface opposite a second surface;
- a lockable spool attached to said support;
- a rotary spool attached to said support;
- and
- a tensioner attached to said support, said tensioner including a tension wire to couple said tensioner to said rotary spool to apply tension thereto.
2 more elements
A filament organizer, comprising:
- a support having a first surface opposite a second surface;
- a lockable spool attached to said support;
- a rotary spool attached to said support;
- a tensioner attached to said support, said tensioner including a tension wire to couple said tensioner to said rotary spool to apply tension thereto;
- and
- a tension relief assembly for reducing tension applied to a filament.
3 more elements
A filament organizer, comprising:
- a support having a first surface opposite a second surface;
- a lockable spool attached to said support;
- a rotary spool attached to said support;
- a tensioner attached to said support, said tensioner including a tension wire to couple said tensioner to said rotary spool to apply tension thereto;
- and
- a tension relief assembly for reducing tension applied to a filament, said tension relief assembly including:
- a said tension wire coupling said tensioner to said rotary spool;
- a tension wire access formed in said support;
- and
- at least one pulley adjacent to said tension wire access for aligning said tension wire with said tension wire access.
7 more elements
A filament organizer, comprising:
- a support having a first surface opposite a second surface;
- a lockable spool attached to said support;
- a rotary spool attached to said support;
- a tensioner attached to said support and coupled to said rotary spool to apply tension to a filament disposed between said lockable spool and said rotary spool;
- at least one mounting plate integrally formed with said support and extending outwardly therefrom;
- and
- at least one guide defining a filament path between said lockable spool and said rotary spool, a said guide rotationally mounted on a said mounting plate, adjacent to said first surface of said support, to provide spacing of said filament from said support.
4 more elements
A filament organizer, comprising:
- a support having a first surface opposite a second surface, said support further including a plurality of organizing mounts joined to said first surface and a plurality of spacer blocks attached to said second surface;
- a lockable spool attached to said support;
- a rotary spool attached to said support;
- and
- a tensioner attached to said support and coupled to said rotary spool to apply tension to a filament disposed between said lockable spool and said rotary spool.
2 more elements
A filament organizer, comprising:
- a support having a first surface opposite a second surface and further including a plurality of organizing mounts joined to said first surface and a plurality of spacer blocks attached to said second surface;
- a lockable spool adjacent said first surface of said support;
- a rotary spool adjacent said first surface of said support;
- a tensioner attached to said second surface of said support, said tensioner including a tension wire for attachment to said rotary spool to apply tension thereto to transmit tension to a filament disposed between said lockable spool and said rotary spool;
- a tension relief assembly for reducing tension applied to a filament, wherein said tension relief assembly includes:
- a said tension wire between said tensioner and said rotary spool;
- a tension wire access formed in said support;
- and
- at least one pulley adjacent to said tension wire access for aligning said tension wire with said tension wire access;
- at least one mounting plate integrally formed with said support and extending outwardly therefrom;
- and
- at least one guide defining a filament path between said lockable spool and said rotary spool, a said guide rotationally mounted on a said mounting plate, adjacent to said first surface of said support, to provide spacing of said filament path from said support.
9 more elements
A stacked configuration of a plurality of filament organizers, each said filament organizer comprising:
- a support having a first surface opposite a second surface, said support further including a plurality of organizing mounts joined to said first surface and a plurality of spacer blocks attached to said second surface;
- a lockable spool attached to said support;
- a rotary spool attached to said support;
- and
- a tensioner coupled to said rotary spool to apply tension to a filament disposed between said lockable spool and said rotary spool, said stacked configuration being formed by alignment of said organizing mounts with said spacer blocks and detachable interconnection of said plurality of filament organizers.
2 more elements
A filament organizer, comprising:
- a support having a first surface opposite a second surface;
- a lockable spool attached to said support;
- a rotary spool attached to said support;
- and
- a tensioner attached to said support and having a tension wire to couple said tensioner to said rotary spool to apply tension to a filament disposed between said lockable spool and said rotary spool.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.