Cable reel and system of use

Abstract

A system for using a cable reel apparatus that includes providing components of a separable cable reel for assembly of a cable reel apparatus. The components include a first frame, a second frame, and the second frame is separate from the first frame. A first flange is configured to engage the first frame. The outer side of the first flange faces the first frame when the first flange is engaged therewith. A second flange is configured to engage the second frame. The outer side of the second flange faces the second frame when the second flange is engaged therewith. The system also includes providing a pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable that is separate from the separable cable reel. The first and second flanges are configured to releasably couple with one another to support the pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable therebetween.

Claims

1. A system for using a cable reel apparatus, comprising: providing components of a separable cable reel for assembly of a cable reel apparatus, the components of the separable cable reel including, a first frame, a second frame, the second frame being separate from the first frame, a first flange configured to engage the first frame, the first flange having an inner side and an outer side, the outer side of the first flange faces the first frame when the first flange is engaged therewith, a second flange configured to engage the second frame, the second flange having an inner side and an outer side, the outer side of the second flange faces the second frame when the second flange is engaged therewith; providing a bag having a base and a cover, wherein the bag is sized to hold the cable reel apparatus when assembled, the first frame has a geometry configured for placement in the base of the bag, and the second frame has a geometry configured for placement at or near the cover of the bag; and providing a pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable that is separate from the separable cable reel, wherein the first and second flanges are configured to releasably couple with one another to support the pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable therebetween.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising assembling the cable reel apparatus by releasably coupling the first and second flanges such that the respective inner sides thereof face one another to support the pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable therebetween along a central longitudinal axis of the separable cable reel.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising disassembling the cable reel apparatus by decoupling the first and second flanges.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the base of the bag has a cable payout opening sized for dispensing cable from the cable reel apparatus.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the geometry of the first and second frames is substantially square.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein each of the first and second flanges has a substantially disc shape, and the disc shape is smaller than the geometry of the respective first and second frames.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second flanges includes a hub portion that is receivable in an inner diameter of the prepackaged, pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the hub portion extends transversely from the inner side of the at least one of the first and second flanges.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the hub portion is an elongated wall.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the first flange is one-piece and the second flange is one-piece.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second flanges are configured to interlock with one another.

12. A system for using a cable reel apparatus, comprising: providing components of a separable cable reel for assembly of a cable reel apparatus, the components of the separable cable reel including, a first frame, a second frame, the second frame being separate from the first frame, a first flange having an inner side and an outer side, the first flange being configured for engaging the first frame such that the outer side of the first flange faces the first frame, and the first flange having a first hub portion on the inner side of the first flange, and a second flange having an inner side and an outer side, the second flange being configured for engaging the second frame such that the outer side of the second flange faces the second frame, and the second flange having a second hub portion on the inner side of the second flange; and providing a bag having a base and a cover, wherein the bag is sized to hold the cable reel apparatus when assembled, the first frame is configured to be disposed in the base of the bag, and the second frame is configured to be disposed at or near the cover of the bag; and providing a pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable that is separate from the separable cable reel, and wherein the first and second hub portions are sized to fit within the inner diameter of the coil of cable and are configured to releasably couple with one another to form a hub member for supporting the pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable between the first and second flanges.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable is prepackaged with plastic wrap.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the first hub portion has an inner friction surface and the second hub portion has an outer friction surface such that when the first and second hub portions are engaged, a friction fit is formed therebetween.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein one of the first and second hub portions is an elongated annular wall and the other of the first and second hub portions is a truncated annular wall, and the elongated and truncated walls extend substantially perpendicularly to a plane of the inner side of the respective first or second flange.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the first flange and the first hub portion are one-piece and the second flange and the second hub portion are one-piece.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising assembling the cable reel apparatus by releasably coupling the first and second hub portions to form a hub member to support the pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable therebetween along a central longitudinal axis of the separable cable reel.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising disassembling the first and second hub portions.

19. A system for using a cable reel apparatus, comprising: providing components of a separable cable reel for assembly of a cable reel apparatus, the components of the separable cable reel including, a bag having a base and a cover, wherein the bag is sized to hold the cable reel apparatus when assembled, a first frame sized to be disposed in the base of the bag, a second frame sized to be disposed at the cover of the bag, the second frame being separate from the first frame, a first flange configured to engage the first frame, the first flange having an inner side and an outer side, the outer side of the first flange faces the first frame when the first flange is engaged therewith, a second flange configured to engage the second frame, the second flange having an inner side and an outer side, the outer side of the second flange faces the second frame when the second flange is engaged therewith, a hub portion extending from the inner side of one of the first and second flanges; and providing a pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable that is separate from the separable cable reel, wherein the first and second flanges are configured to releasably couple with one another to support the pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable on the hub portion therebetween, and positioning the bag with the separable cable reel received therein in a horizontal orientation such that a longitudinal axis of the separable cable reel is horizontal, and wherein the base of the bag includes a payout opening sized for dispensing cable of the pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable therebetween once the bag and the separable cable reel are positioned in the horizontal orientation.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising assembling the cable reel apparatus by releasably coupling the first and second flanges such that the respective inner sides thereof face one another to support the pre-wound, reel-less coil of cable therebetween along a central longitudinal axis of the separable cable reel.

21. The system of claim 19, further comprising disassembling the cable reel apparatus by decoupling the first and second flanges.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the hub portion is an elongated wall.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) The accompanying drawings are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. It is to be understood that the drawings illustrate only some examples of the disclosure and other examples or combinations of various examples that are not specifically illustrated in the figures may still fall within the scope of this disclosure. Examples will now be described with additional detail through the use of the drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cable reel in accordance with an example of the present disclosure, shown without a supporting bag or box;

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a support frame of the cable reel illustrated in FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is an elevational view of a flange of the cable reel illustrated in FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a first hub portion of the cable reel illustrated in FIG. 1;

(6) FIG. 4B is a partial perspective view of the first hub portion illustrated in FIG. 4A, showing the bottom hub in cross-section;

(7) FIG. 5A is an elevational view of a second hub of the cable reel illustrated in FIG. 1;

(8) FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the second hub of the cable reel illustrated in FIG. 5A;

(9) FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the frame illustrated in FIG. 2, showing outer gears of the frame;

(10) FIG. 7 is an enlarged partial side elevational view of the flange illustrated in FIG. 3, showing the inner gears of the flange; and

(11) FIG. 8 is an enlarged side elevational view of the frame and the flange of the cable reel illustrated in FIG. 1, showing the inner and outer gears engaged.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(12) The present disclosure relates to a method of installing a coil of cable in a bag, that comprises the steps of: placing a coil of cable on a first hub of a first flange of the cable reel; placing a second flange of the cable reel, that is separable from the first flange, opposite from the first flange to hold the coil of cable on the first hub of the first flange; positioning the first flange on or next to a first support frame received in the bag; and placing the second flange on or next to a second support frame received in the bag. The second support frame is positioned in the bag such that the first flange, the coil of cable and the second flange are located between the first support frame and the second support frame.

(13) The present disclosure relates to a method of installing a coil of cable in a bag, that comprises the steps of: placing a coil of cable on a first hub of a first flange of the cable reel; placing a second flange of the cable reel opposite from the first flange to hold the coil of cable on the first hub of the first flange; positioning the first flange on or next to a first support frame located in the bag; and placing the second flange on or next to a second support frame located in the bag, wherein the second support frame is positionable in the bag such that the first flange, the coil of cable and the second flange are located between the first support frame and the second support frame. The step of placing the coil of cable on the first hub of the first flange occurs before the step of positioning the first flange on the first support frame.

(14) The present disclosure relates to a method of installing a coil of cable in a bag, the bag having a cover for opening the bag, a base opposite the cover, and sides extending between the cover and the base, the comprises the steps of: placing a coil of cable on a first hub of a first flange of the cable reel; placing a second flange of the cable reel, that is separable from the first flange, opposite from the first flange to hold the coil of cable on the first hub of the first flange; positioning the first flange on or next to a first support frame received in the bag, the first support frame being on an inner surface the base of the bag; and placing the second flange on or next to a second support frame received in the bag, the second support frame being on an inner surface of the cover of the bag. When the cover of the bag is closed, the first flange, the coil of cable and the second flange are located between the first support frame and the second support frame inside the bag.

(15) Referring to FIGS. 1-3, 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, and 6-8, the present disclosure relates to a cable reel 100 that may be carried in a conventional shoulder bag or satchel, a cardboard or plastic box, and the like 101, with an opening 103 for easy payout of cable supported on the cable reel. The cable reel 100 according to one example of the present disclosure is designed to provide easy installation of cable C, such as a cable coil, on the reel 100 and also prevents overpayout of the cable. Because the cable reel 100 is designed to be carried by an installer, it is preferable that the components of the cable reel 100 be formed of lighter weight materials, such as plastic. Some exemplary plastic materials include polyethylene, polypropylene, ABS or other polymer products.

(16) As seen in FIG. 1, the cable reel 100 generally includes opposing support frames 102 and 104 that rotatably support first and second flanges 106 and 108 with a hub member 110 therebetween on which the cable is held. A braking mechanism 112 is preferably provided on the reel 100 between the support frames 102 and 104 of the flanges 106 and 108 to limit overpayout of the cable. The cable reel 100 may be inserted into and supported by the payout bag or box wherein the support frames 102 and 104 are attached, preferably removably attached, to the cover and base, respectively, of the bag.

(17) As seen in FIGS. 2 and 6, each support frame 102 and 104 includes an outer frame portion 120 with one or more cross members 122 and a middle flange support 124. The outer frame portion 120 may have a substantially square geometry. The middle flange support 124 includes an annular extension 126 (FIG. 6) that supports a first part of the braking mechanism 112. The first part of the braking mechanism may be an outwardly extending gear member 128 that includes a plurality of annularly arranged teeth 130 extending radially outwardly from the annular extension 126.

(18) The middle flange support 124 and gear member 128 are offset or off-center on the frame such that the distance d.sub.1 (FIG. 2) to one end 132 of the frame is longer than the distance d.sub.2 (FIG. 2) to the opposite end 135 of the frame. This offset provides a gap 134, as seen in FIG. 8, in the braking mechanism 112. Indicia 136, such as a company name, may be provided on the end 132 of the frame to indicate the longer side, that is distance di of the frame to facilitate the orientation of the cable reel 100 in the bag or box.

(19) Each flange 106 and 108 is preferably sized to fit within the outer frame portion 120 of its respective support frame 102 and 104 and is sized to accommodate the cable, such as a cable coil. The cable coil may be, for example, having an outer diameter of 345 mm and an inner diameter of 200 mm and a height of 135 mm. The flanges 106 and 108 are preferably disc-shaped. Each flange has inner and outer surfaces 140 and 142 and a central arbor opening 144. The inner surface 140 of each flange abuts the hub member 110 and the outer surface 142 abuts a respective support frame 102 and 104.

(20) The central arbor opening 144 corresponds to the middle flange support 124 of each respective support frame. The central arbor opening 144 supports the second part of the braking mechanism 112 has seen in FIGS. 3 and 7. The second part of the braking mechanism 112 may be an internal gear member 146 that includes a plurality of annular arranged teeth 148 extending radially inwardly.

(21) The hub member 110 is located between the flanges 106 and 108 and supports the cable coil. The hub member 110 includes a first hub portion 150 (FIGS. 4A and 4B) and a second hub portion 152 (FIGS. 5A and 5B) that are axially aligned and configured to mate with one another. The hub portions 150 and 152 may be formed separately from the respective flanges 106 and 108 and attached thereto or the hub portions 150 and 152 may be formed as one-piece with the respective flanges 106 and 108.

(22) As seen in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the first hub portion 150 is preferably the base of the cable reel and provides the main support for the cable. As such, the first hub portion 150 is larger than the second hub portion 152. The first hub portion 150 includes an elongated wall 154 that extends from the inner surface 140 of the first flange 106 and defines an inner area 156 that receives the second hub portion 152. The elongated wall 154 has a tapered outer surface 158 that tapers inwardly from the flange inner surface 140 to the free end 160 of the wall 154. Slots 162 in the elongated wall 154 create flexible segments 164, which engage both the second hub portion 152 and the cable coil to retain the same. A groove 166 (FIG. 4B) may be located at the base of the elongated wall 154 to provide additional flexibility to the segments 164. Any other mechanism may be provided to add flexibility to the segments 164. For example, the segments 164 can be made thinner.

(23) Secondary engagement members 170 may be provided as a back-up to retain the hub portions 150 and 152 together. The secondary engagement members 170 may be, for example, one or more snap arms 172 provided in the inner area 156 that extend from the flange inner surface 140. The one or more snap arms 172 preferably extend beyond the elongated wall 154 of the first hub portion 150, as seen in FIG. 4A, in order to engage the second flange 108. The ends of the snap arms 172 preferably include snap tabs 174 that engage corresponding slots 176 (FIG. 5B) in the second flange 108. Although a snapping engagement is preferred to secure the hub portions 150 and 152 together, any known interlocking mechanism may be used.

(24) As seen in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the second hub portion 152 includes a truncated wall 180 that extends from the inner surface 140 of the second flange 108. The truncated wall 180 has a tapered outer surface 182 that fits inside of the elongated wall 154 of the first hub portion 150 to form a friction fit between the hub portions 150 and 152 and expands the flexible segments 164 of the first hub portion 150.

(25) As seen in FIG. 8, the braking mechanism 112 is provided by meshing the teeth 130 and 148 of the outer and internal gear members 128 and 146. The gap 134 between the teeth 130 and 148 provides clearance for the teeth to slip or jump when the cable is pulled from the reel. The gear members 128 and 146 prevent overpayout of the cable. More specifically, when the cable is pulled from the reel, the flange 106 and 108 rotate, thereby making the gear teeth 148 rotate. The side support 120 is preferably fixed inside of the supporting bag or box and therefore does not rotate. This causes the gear teeth 148 to override meshing gear teeth 130 on the side support 128 which creates friction and provides a braking to the momentum of reel if the cable is pulled too hard. This action also creates a clicking mechanism which in turn prevents overpaying the cable.

(26) The distance of the gap need only be long enough to provide a clearance to have gear teeth 148 to override teeth 130, thereby allowing the braking mechanism to work. This clearance distance could vary depending upon the gear teeth depth, flange hole inner diameter, side support gear depth, and the outer diameter of the middle flange support 124. The gap 134 may be, for example, about ¼ inch.

(27) To install the cable on the cable reel 100, the cable coil C is placed over the first hub portion 150 of the hub member 110 and on the first flange 106 so that the first hub portion 150 extends through the inner diameter of the cable coil. The cable coil C may be prepacked in a plastic shrink wrap or with tie wraps or combination of both without any external structure to support that coil. Next the second hub portion 152 is inserted inside of the first hub portion 150 to frictionally engage the same and expand the flexible segments 164, thereby forcing the flexible segments 164 to engage the inner diameter of the cable coil. The locking tabs 174 are then inserted inside of the slots 176 on the second flange 108 to hold two flanges and hub portions together.

(28) In an example of the present disclosure, the first support frame 102 of the reel 100 is secured to the base of the bag or box, such as by straps, such as via strap 105 (FIG. 1), and the second support frame 104 is secured to the cover or flap of the bag. With the cable coil installed on the hub member 110, the cable coil is inserted into the bag or box between the support frames 102 and 104 in the bag or box. The assembly of the hub portions 150 and 152, the flanges 106 and 108, and the cable coil is preferably inserted into the base of the bag on its side such that the middle flange support 124 of the frame secured to the base of the bag fits inside of the central arbor opening 144 of the flange. Similarly, the middle flange support 124 of the frame secured to the cover of the bag fits inside of the opening 144 of the other flange when the bag is closed. Once the frames 102 and 104 are mated with the flanges 106 and 108, respectively, the operator can then dispense or payout the cable through a cable payout slot or opening in the bag or box. The operator may open the cover of the bag or box to separate the hub portions 150 and 152 by disengaging the snap tabs 174.

(29) It will be apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings that modifications, combinations, sub-combinations, and variations can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Likewise, the various examples described may be used individually or in combination with other examples. Those skilled in the art will appreciate various combinations of examples not specifically described or illustrated herein that are still within the scope of this disclosure. In this respect, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited to the specific examples set forth and the examples of the disclosure are intended to be illustrative, not limiting.

(30) As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include plural referents, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Similarly, the adjective “another,” when used to introduce an element, is intended to mean one or more elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having” and similar terms are intended to be inclusive such that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.

(31) Additionally, where a method described above or a method claim below does not explicitly require an order to be followed by its steps or an order is otherwise not required based on the description or claim language, it is not intended that any particular order be inferred. Likewise, where a method claim below does not explicitly recite a step mentioned in the description above, it should not be assumed that the step is required by the claim.

(32) It is noted that the description and claims may use geometric or relational terms, such as right, left, above, below, upper, lower, top, bottom, linear, arcuate, elongated, parallel, perpendicular, etc. These terms are not intended to limit the disclosure and, in general, are used for convenience to facilitate the description based on the examples shown in the figures. In addition, the geometric or relational terms may not be exact. For instance, walls may not be exactly perpendicular or parallel to one another because of, for example, roughness of surfaces, tolerances allowed in manufacturing, etc., but may still be considered to be perpendicular or parallel.