The extension-retraction device according to the present disclosure is an extension-retraction device in which a first belt and a second belt wound around the outside of the first belt are spirally wound around a tubular structure. The second belt includes an engaging pin having a fitting portion that fits into a hole of the first belt and an insertion portion that protrudes from the fitting portion and is inserted into the hole of the first belt. The fitting portion has a cylindrical shape having a diameter corresponding to the hole of the first belt, and the side surface of the insertion portion is inclined so that the diameter of the insertion portion decreases toward the tip portion.

A cable-operated mechanism for actuating a slide-out room includes a column, an endless chain loop disposed with the column, first and second drive blocks engaged with the chain loop, and first through fourth cables attached at first ends thereof to the drive blocks. The cables are attached at second ends thereof to inboard and outboard ends of a slide out room. Operation of the chain loop in a first direction tensions the cables attached to the inboard end of the room and slackens the cables attached to the outboard end. Operation of the chain loop in a second direction has the opposite effect.

A telescopic device includes a telescopic tubular structure and an inner guide member. The outer belt and the inner belt of the tubular structure are provided with a plurality of protrusions and holes provided in two rows in the longitudinal direction. The inner guide member has a first helical groove and a second helical groove extending along a plurality of projections respectively provided in one row on the tip side and the base side of the tubular structure. The first straight line connects the end of the fitting portion where the first spiral groove and a part of the plurality of projections of the inner belt are fitted and the center axis of the cylindrical structure. A second straight line connects the terminal end of the second spiral groove and the central axis. The angle between the second straight line and the first straight line is less than 180 degrees.

The spiral advance/retreat actuation device includes a first strip material, a second strip material, an inner guide member as a strip material guide unit, an outer cylindrical wall, and a strip material storage container. The strip material storage container includes a first storage chamber that spirally stores a first strip material that has transitioned from a cylindrical configuration state to a separated state, and a second storage chamber that spirally stores a second strip material that has transitioned from a cylindrical configuration state to a separated state. The inner bottom surface of the first storage chamber and the inner bottom surface of the second storage chamber are sloped so as to descend as they move away from the axis.

The disclosure provides apparatuses, systems, and methods for a drive assembly. The drive assembly includes a rotor body configured for rotation about a rotor axis. The rotor body includes a first portion having a first radius and a second portion having a second radius different than the first radius. The drive assembly includes a base coupled to the rotor body and including a first plurality of pulleys. The drive assembly includes a carriage coupled to the base and including a second plurality of pulleys. The carriage is configured to translate along the rotor axis with respect to the base. The drive assembly includes at least one flexible connector wound, in part, about the rotor body, about at least one pulley in the first plurality of pulleys, and about at least one pulley in the second plurality of pulleys.

An extension pipe includes a first belt including a plurality of first engagement pins formed on an upper side along the upper side and a plurality of second engagement pins formed on a lower side along the lower side, a second belt including a plurality of first engagement holes formed on the upper side along the upper side and a plurality of second engagement holes formed on the lower side along the lower side, and a first guide part including a spiral groove configured to spirally guide the first belt and the second belt. A difference between a length of a first trajectory in which each of the first engagement pins moves along the spiral groove and a length of a second trajectory in which each of the second engagement pins moves along the spiral groove is less than half a circumference of the spiral groove.

Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and components for the design of a flat belt based block and tackle design that is theoretically free of fleet angles. A mapping technique forms a set of planar positions for the centerlines of the free spans that provides a plurality of sheave geometries, which reside on a common axis and spans that are free of fleet angles at the sheave engagement interfaces. This permits the use of high-performing flat belts in high-reduction block and tackle topologies, with the principal benefits of an extended service life, high power transmission efficiency, more effective traction power transfer, and a compact machine design.

The present disclosure involves a belt drive mechanism which can be used to pay out or draw belt to or from a belt actuated system (or belt driven system). The mechanism features a self-winding spool which can automatically wind or unwind portions of the belt as they are withdrawn from, or fed to the belt actuated system. A second rotational axle (idler shaft), with one or more sheaves (e.g., pulley's or rollers) can be rotationally coupled to a capstan via a belt, and can be utilized to drive additional mechanisms in the belt drive mechanism, such as a winding mechanism.

A telescopic device includes an expandable tubular structure and an inner-side guide member disposed inside the tubular structure. The tubular structure includes an outer belt and an inner belt. The outer belt and the inner belt each have a plurality of first protrusions and holes arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction. The inner-side guide member has a first spiral groove extending along the plurality of first protrusions. When the inner-side guide member rotates in one direction, the outer belt and the inner belt are sent out, so that they are spirally wound while being engaged with each other, and the tubular structure extends. The first spiral groove has a body and an end portion extending from the body toward the root of the inner-side guide member. The distance between the end portion of the first spiral groove and the main part of the first spiral groove is small.

An extension-retraction device in which: each of an outer strip member and an inner strip member includes one or more engaging portions; a tubular inner guide member and a cylindrical member are included, the inner guide member including a groove portion, and the cylindrical member being made up in a cylindrical shape so as to conform to an outer peripheral surface of the inner guide member and helically guiding each of the inner strip member and the outer strip member between an inner periphery of the cylindrical shape and an outer periphery of the inner guide member; and the cylindrical member is provided with a friction reducing portion that reduces friction at each of a location in which the inner periphery of the cylindrical member contacts the outer strip member and a location in which the inner periphery of the cylindrical member contacts the inner strip member.