In an example, a lacing engine apparatus can include a housing and a drivetrain. The housing can be securable within a footwear article. The drivetrain can include a motor, a sun gear, a planet gear, a rotating ring gear, and a spool. The spool can be secured to the ring gear and can be rotatable therewith. The spool can be configured to control a lace of the footwear article and can be configured to wind the lace as the ring gear rotates in a first direction.

A receptacle providing secure protection for its contents and comprising a housing with an opening, and a cover member pivotably attached to the housing to move between a closed position and an opened position. In the closed position, a locking mechanism may lock the housing and cover into engagement. In the open position, convenient access is provided to the interior of the housing and the contents. The cover member may be equipped with a retaining member for wrapping wires or cables in an organized fashion.

Example dynamically adjustable tether systems are described herein. An example tether system for use with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) may include a base and a vertically-oriented elongate structure having an adjustable height. For instance, the elongate structure may include a lower end, and an upper end. The elongate structure may also couple to the base proximate the lower end. The system may further include a tether that extends from a first coupling-point positioned proximate the upper end of the elongate structure to a second coupling-point positioned on the UAV and a computing system configured for performing a set of acts, such as detecting a change in height of the elongate structure, and causing the tether to be reconfigured within the tether system based on the detected change in height of the elongate structure.

A flexible lance drive device has at least one drive motor in a first portion of a housing and a drive axle projecting across a second portion of the housing carrying a cylindrical spline drive roller. A plurality of cylindrical guide rollers on fixed axles span across the second portion of the housing aligned parallel to the spline drive roller. An endless belt wrapped around the at least one spline drive roller and guide rollers has a generally smooth outer surface and a transverse splined inner surface having splines shaped complementary to splines on the spline drive roller. A bias member supports a plurality of follower rollers each aligned vertically above one of the at least one spline drive roller and guide rollers operable to press each follower roller toward one of rollers to frictionally grip a flexible lance hose when sandwiched between the follower rollers and the endless belt.

Lacing engine systems, apparatus, and methods of operation are discussed. In an example, a lacing engine apparatus can include a housing, a drivetrain, and a lace take-up mechanism for retracting a length of lace cable upon activation. The drivetrain can include various reduction gears to reduce rotational speed out of the motor and power the lace take-up mechanism. The lace take-up mechanism can include structures such as a double-yoke, a radial pulley including an outer rotating disc and an inner stationary disc, a variable take-up spool, or a zip-strip mechanism.

The specification discusses various lacing engine configurations for use in an automated footwear platform. For example, lacing engines with mechanisms to detect lace cable position and/or lace cable tensions are discussed. In an example, the lacing engine can include a housing, a lace spool and a detection mechanism. The lace spool can be at least partially disposed within the housing, and be adapted to collect a portion of the lace cable in response to rotation in a first direction during tightening of the footwear platform. The detection mechanism can detect a state of the lace cable manipulated by the lacing engine.

A flexible lance drive device has at least one drive motor in a first portion of a housing and a drive axle projecting across a second portion of the housing carrying a cylindrical spline drive roller. A plurality of cylindrical guide rollers on fixed axles span across the second portion of the housing aligned parallel to the spline drive roller. An endless belt wrapped around the at least one spline drive roller and guide rollers has a generally smooth outer surface and a transverse splined inner surface having splines shaped complementary to splines on the spline drive roller. A bias member supports a plurality of follower rollers each aligned vertically above one of the at least one spline drive roller and guide rollers operable to press each follower roller toward one of rollers to frictionally grip a flexible lance hose when sandwiched between the follower rollers and the endless belt.

A receptacle providing secure protection for its contents and comprising a housing with an opening, and a cover member pivotably attached to the housing to move between a closed position and an opened position. In the closed position, a locking mechanism may lock the housing and cover into engagement. In the open position, convenient access is provided to the interior of the housing and the contents. The cover member may be equipped with a retaining member for wrapping wires or cables in an organized fashion.

Disclosed is a moving device. A moving device for moving a tubular member according to an aspect of the present disclosure may include a housing through which the tubular member passes, a first roller and a second roller arranged to face both sides of the tubular member inside the housing and having outer circumferential surfaces that presses the tubular member, an actuator that provides a driving force for rotating the first roller, a sensor that measures a movement amount of the tubular member, and a controller that controls the actuator on the basis of the movement amount of the tubular member, wherein, when the first roller rotates, the tubular member between the first roller and the second roller moves by a frictional force.