A footwear lacing apparatus can comprise a housing structure, a spool and a drive mechanism. The housing structure can comprise a first inlet, a second inlet, and a lacing channel extending between the first and second inlets. The lacing channel can comprise a spool receptacle located between the first and second inlets, a first relief area located between the spool receptacle and the first inlet, and a second relief area located between the spool receptacle and the second inlet. The first and second relief areas can be linearly tapered between the spool receptacle and the first and second inlets, respectively. The spool can be disposed in the spool receptacle of the lacing channel. The drive mechanism can be coupled with the spool and adapted to rotate the spool to wind or unwind a lace cable extending through the lacing channel and through the spool.

Provided is a winding device configured so that the entirety of the device can be thinned and looseness of an elongated member can be reduced. In a winding device 1A, a flat motor 2 is used as a motor, and a spool 3 and a magical planetary gear mechanism 4 are formed flat along an extending XY plane of the flat motor 2. Thus, the entirety of the device can be configured flat, and can be thinned. Moreover, the magical planetary gear mechanism 4 prevents rotation of the spool 3 by external force, and therefore, looseness of the elongated member can be reduced.

This application relates to electric winders, particularly, to an intelligent electric winder and a control method therefor. The intelligent electric winder includes a support, a control unit and a winder body, where the winder body includes a casing, a winding reel, a drive structure, and a cable. The drive structure is electrically connected to the control unit. The control unit includes: a socket and a host; the host is arranged inside the casing, and the socket is arranged outside the casing; a start/stop button is provided on a surface of the socket, and the socket is connected to a free end of the cable. Through the intelligent electric winder and a control method therefor, the winding reel is controlled to start or stop winding by sending a wireless control signal, so that the intelligent electric winder is controlled to wind or unwind cables through the wireless communication.

Apparatus and methods are disclosed related to spooling and unspooling linear material. Such apparatus and methods can assist the user in deploying and/or retracting linear material.

A hose reel for coiling a hose includes a frame and a reel assembly rotatably connected to the frame about an axis of rotation. The reel assembly includes a drum assembly having a drum surface configured to receive and support the hose as the drum assembly is rotated about the axis of rotation to coil the hose around the drum surface. The drum assembly includes a hose fitting defining a fluid outlet. The hose fitting is configured to be connected to one end of the hose to fluidly connect the hose to the fluid outlet. The drum assembly defines a recess in the drum surface in which the fluid outlet of the hose fitting is disposed such that at least a portion of the fluid outlet is disposed between the axis of rotation and the drum surface.

A tether management system is disclosed. The tether management system includes a spool, a tension sensor, a controller and a moveable pulley. The spool is rotatable to reel in and reel out a tether. The tension sensor measures a tension of the tether. The controller receives a desired tension of the tether and controls the rotation of the spool to reel in and reel out the tether based on a difference between a measured tension from the tension sensor and the desired tension of the tether. The moveable pulley is disposed to engage tether between the spool and the tension sensor. The moveable pulley being able to be biased and moveable along a linear path to adjust a tension of the tether when the tension of the tether deviates from the desired tension. A method for managing tether is also disclosed.

A fish tape tool includes a housing and a chamber defined in the housing. A drum is configured to be inserted into the chamber of the housing. The drum contains a fish tape. The drum is rotatable relative to the housing to dispense or retract the fish tape from the housing. The drum is one of a plurality of drums that are insertable into and removable from the chamber of the housing. Each drum contains a different type of fish tape.

An article of footwear, method, and motorized lacing system includes a motor, including a motor shaft, a spool, coupled to the motor shaft, configured to spool and unspool the lace based on the turning of the motor shaft, a processor circuit, and a three-dimensional encoder. The three-dimensional encoder defines a major axis and has a surface having a tabs extending from a drum, an optical sensor, positioned within optical range of the cylindrical encoder, configured to output a signal to the processor circuit indicative of a detected one of the tabs, and a beam break, positioned between the three-dimensional encoder and the optical sensor, forming a pair of slits. The optical sensor is positioned to view the tabs through the pair of slits, wherein the processor circuit is configured to operate the motor based, at least in part, on the signal as received from the optical sensor.

A cradle apparatus and method for transporting and/or deploying a coil of pipe supported around a reel are disclosed. The cradle apparatus can include a first arm member and a second arm member each having a male segment and a female segment capable of telescopic movement. A first set of pipe reel engagement spools and a second set of pipe reel engagement spools can rotate to raise/lift a first flange and a second flange of the reel thereonto when the pipe reel is positioned between the first arm member and the second arm member and the proximal end and the distal end of the first arm member and the second arm member are brought closer together due to telescopic movement of the male and female segments.

A system for managing charging, the charging management system is provided. The system comprises a charging cord management device, a charging cord connector, a device, a first charging cord, and a second charging cord. The charging cord management device is configured with the second charging cord. The charging cord management device is configured to control the second charging cord and the charging cord connector in a direction of the earth gravitational field from a first altitude to a second altitude without user interaction and wherein the first altitude is different from the second altitude. The charging cord connector is configured to be in contact with an apparatus with a height above ground level.