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US 9,845,222 B2Granted
Spool apparatus and methods of winding a length of cable
AssigneeCorning Optical Communications LLC
InventorsDaniel Warren Hawtof, Michael George Shultz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spool apparatus includes a first flange with a first layer of conformable material defining an inner face of the first flange and a second flange with a second layer of conformable material defining an inner face of the second flange. Methods are also provided where a first end winding of a first layer of windings is pressed into the inner face of the first flange such that the first layer of conformable material of the first flange conforms the inner face of the first flange into a shape of a circumferential surface portion of the first end winding.
Claims20
A spool apparatus configured to wind a length of cable, the spool apparatus comprising:
- a drum extending along a central axis of the spool apparatus;
- a first flange mounted with respect to a first axial end portion of the drum, the first flange including a first layer of conformable material defining an inner face of the first flange;
- and
- a second flange mounted with respect to a second axial end portion of the drum, the second flange including a second layer of conformable material defining an inner face of the second flange,
- wherein a cylindrical storage area is defined between the inner face of the first flange, the inner face of the second flange and an outer peripheral surface of the drum, wherein the first layer of conformable material is configured to conform the inner face of the first flange into a shape of a circumferential surface portion of a first end winding of cable wound within the cylindrical storage area in response to the first end winding of cable being pressed against the inner face of the first flange, and wherein the second layer of conformable material is configured to conform the inner face of the second flange into a shape of a circumferential surface portion of a second end winding of cable wound within the cylindrical storage area in response to the second end winding of cable being pressed against the inner face of the second flange;
- wherein each layer of conformable material has a compression deflection of 25% within a range of from about 34 kPa to about 345 kPa.
3 more elements
A spool of wound cable comprising:
- a drum extending along a central axis of the spool of wound cable;
- a first flange mounted with respect to a first axial end portion of the drum, the first flange including a first layer of conformable material defining an inner face of the first flange;
- a second flange mounted with respect to a second axial end portion of the drum, the second flange including a second layer of conformable material defining an inner face of the second flange, wherein a cylindrical storage area is defined between the inner face of the first flange, the inner face of the second flange and an outer peripheral surface of the drum;
- and
- a length of cable wound within the cylindrical storage area to include at least one layer of windings extending between the first flange and the second flange, wherein each layer of windings includes a first end winding with the first layer of conformable material conforming the inner face of the first flange into a shape of a circumferential surface portion of at least one first end winding of the at least one layer of windings in response to the at least one first end winding being pressed against the inner face of the first flange, and wherein each layer of windings includes a second end winding with the second layer of conformable material conforming the inner face of the second flange into a shape of a circumferential surface portion of at least one second end winding of the at least one layer of windings in response to the at least one second end winding being pressed against the inner face of the second flange.
2 more elements
A method of winding a length of cable comprising the steps of:
- winding the length of cable onto an outer peripheral surface of a drum of a spool in a first axial direction to produce a first layer of windings, wherein winding the cable in the first axial direction continues to a selected position where a first end winding of the first layer of windings is pressed into an inner face of a first flange of the spool such that a first layer of conformable material of the first flange conforms the inner face of the first flange into a shape of a circumferential surface portion of the first end winding;
- and then
- winding the length of cable in a second axial direction opposite the first axial direction to produce a second layer of windings stacked on the first layer of windings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.