Flat wire cable coil for coupling to a rotating element
AssigneePrimera Technology, Inc.
InventorsRobert P. Cummins, Todd A. Britz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rotating handler arm is mounted on an upright column, and has electrical components thereon, which require powering. The power is carried to the rotating arm by a multi conductor flat cable that is supported on a platform adjacent to the rotating arm in a coil. The cable clamped to the platform as well as to the rotating member. The coil is made of a sufficient number of individual coil sections so that the coil will tighten as the rotating arm rotates in a first direction, and loosen as the rotating arm rotates in a second direction to avoid the need for slip rings or other complex electrical transmission elements.
Claims11
A cable assembly for carrying electrical power from a source below a stationary platform having an upper surface and a rotating column above the upper surface and rotating about an axis substantially perpendicular to the upper surface, comprising a flexible cable, a first portion of the flexible cable being below the platform and a second portion of the flexible cable extending through an opening in the platform to be above the platform and resting on the upper surface thereof, the second portion of the flexible cable being formed into a cable coil about an axis generally parallel to the axis of rotation of and spaced from the rotating column, the cable coil being formed in a plurality of turns with spaces between at least some cable coil turns, and with a third portion of the flexible cable extending along the upper surface from the cable coil to the rotating column, the third portion being retained on the rotating column adjacent the upper surface, whereby the cable coil tightens and loosens and remains on the platform upper surface when the rotating column rotates.
A handler comprising a platform positioned above a supporting surface and having an upper surface, a tower rotatably mounted on the platform above the upper surface for rotation about an axis generally perpendicular to the upper surface, an arm supported on an upper end of the tower, and an electrically operated handler on the arm, a cable assembly for carrying electrical power between a power source below the platform and the arm at an upper end of the tower, the cable assembly including a flexible cable having a first end portion below the platform coupled to a power source, a hole in the platform, the flexible cable passing through the hole and retained on the platform with a length of the flexible cable formed into a loose coil around the hole on the upper surface of the platform and spaced from the tower, the flexible cable having a second portion extending along the upper surface from the coil to the tower and being clamped to the rotating tower, and said coil being formed sufficiently loose so that as the tower rotates in a first rotational direction, the coil will tighten to permit the cable to wrap around the tower and as the tower rotates in an opposite direction, the coil loosens and unwraps from the tower while resting on t upper surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.