WO2025117288A1

WO2025117288A1 - Knock down composite reel for cable applications

Info

Publication number: WO2025117288A1
Application number: PCT/US2024/056681
Authority: WO
Inventors: Noor AFSAR; Arthur I. BAYZER; Hongbing CHEN; Todd Ray Rhyne
Original assignee: Corning Research and Development Corp
Current assignee: Corning Research and Development Corp
Priority date: 2023-11-30
Filing date: 2024-11-20
Publication date: 2025-06-05
Anticipated expiration: 2026-05-30

Abstract

A reel for storing a long product such as a rope, wire, or cable includes a first flange, a second flange, and a central portion that extends between the first flange and the second flange. Each of the first flange and the second flange comprises a plurality of flange sections that are separably joined, such as by fasteners, to form the flanges. The central portion comprises a plurality of staves that are arranged to form a cylinder and held in place between the first and second flanges. The flange sections and the staves are formed of a polymer composite material. The reel is therefore primarily made of the polymer composite material, but can be of a relatively large size.

Description

Title: KNOCK DOWN COMPOSITE REEL FOR CABLE APPLICATIONS

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to United States Provisional Patent Application No. 63/604,221, filed on November 30, 2023 and entitled “KNOCK DOWN COMPOSITE REEL FOR CABLE APPLICATIONS,” the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Long products such as ropes, wires, and cables, are commonly sold on reels of various sizes. A size of such a reel depends on various factors such as a length and/or weight of the long product and a material from which the reel is made.

[0003] Conventionally, reels for storing optical fiber cables have been made from steel or wood. Steel reels are durable and provide excellent mechanical performance, but are bulky and expensive. Wood reels may be less expensive than steel reels, but are less uniform due to the inherent variability of wood shape. Like steel reels, wood reels are relatively bulky.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0004] The following is a brief summary of subject matter that is described in greater detail herein. This summary is not intended to be limiting as to the scope of the claims.

[0005] Various technologies pertaining to a reel configured to hold a long product for transportation and/or storage are described herein. With more particularity, technologies pertaining to a modular reel for transporting or storing optical fiber cables are described herein, wherein the modular reel is capable of break down into multiple constituent parts for ease of shipping and return. Furthermore, modular reels described herein may be manufactured from plastic composites using conventional plastic manufacturing techniques such as various types of molding. Accordingly, the modular reels described herein are durable, inexpensive, and easily transported in their broken-down state.

[0006] The above summary presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the systems and/or methods discussed herein. This summary is not an extensive overview of the systems and/or methods discussed herein. It is not intended to identify key or critical elements or to delineate the scope of such systems and/or methods. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate one or more embodiments, and together with the description serve to explain principles and operation of the various embodiments.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary reel for storing a long product such as a cable;

[0009] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an exemplary flange for a reel.

[0010] FIG. 3A is a perspective view of an outer side of a section of the exemplary flange of FIG. 2.

[0011] FIG. 3B is a perspective view of an inner side of the section of the exemplary flange shown in FIG. 3 A.

[0012] FIG. 4A is a perspective view of an outer side of an exemplary hub portion of the exemplary flange of FIG. 2.

[0013] FIG. 4B is a perspective view of an inner side of an exemplary hub portion of the exemplary flange of FIG. 2.

[0014] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an exemplary stave for a cable reel.

[0015] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an inner side of the exemplary flange of FIG. 2.

[0016] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the inner side of the flange of FIG. 6 having staves slotted therein.

[0017] FIG. 8 is a perspective cutaway view of the exemplary cable reel of FIG. 1.

[0018] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another exemplary stave for a cable reel.

[0019] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of yet another exemplary stave for a cable reel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Various technologies pertaining to a modular composite reel for transporting or storing long products such as cables are now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of one or more aspects. It may be evident, however, that such aspect(s) may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices may be shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate describing one or more aspects. Further, it is to be understood that functionality that is described as being carried out by certain system components may be performed by multiple components. Similarly, for instance, a component may be configured to perform functionality that is described as being carried out by multiple components.

[0021] Moreover, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or”. That is, unless specified otherwise, or clear from the context, the phrase “X employs A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, the phrase “X employs A or B” is satisfied by any of the following instances: X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B. In addition, the articles “a” and “an” as used in this application and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from the context to be directed to a singular form. Additionally, as used herein, the term “exemplary” is intended to mean serving as an illustration or example of something, and is not intended to indicate a preference.

[0022] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary reel 100 according to various embodiments. The reel 100 includes two flanges 102, 104 positioned at opposite ends of an elongate central portion 105 of the reel 100. As will be described in greater detail below, the flanges 102, 104 and the elongate central portion 105 of the reel 100 are each formed from a plurality of smaller components that can be taken apart to allow the reel 100 to be broken down. Thus, in a put-together state the reel 100 may be large and capable of holding a cable of substantial length, while in a taken-apart state the reel 100 is easy to transport and move (e.g., for return of the reel to a cable manufacturing facility for re-use). Furthermore, owing to the relatively small size of components that make up the flanges 102, 104 and the elongate central portion 105, the bulk of the components making up the reel 100 (e.g., sections of the flanges 102, 104 and staves 106 forming the elongate central portion 105, as will be described in detail below) can be readily manufactured from various plastic composite materials using conventional polymer composite manufacturing techniques such as various forms of plastic molding. Thus, embodiments of the reel 100 having a flange diameter in excess of 50 inches may nevertheless be formed using plastic molding techniques that result in an inexpensive plastic construction of the reel 100. In exemplary embodiments, various components of the reel 100 such as the staves 106 and sections of the flanges 102, 104 (e.g., flange sections 202 and hub portions 204 described below) are manufactured from a plastic composite reinforced with fibers such as glass fibers or wood fibers. Such a plastic composite may have a polymer matrix (e.g., polyethylene or polypropylene) reinforced by fibers of glass or wood that are present at 0-50 wt%, inclusive, of the plastic composite material.

[0023] Various details of the exemplary reel 100 are now set forth. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an outer side of an exemplary flange 200. In exemplary embodiments, the flange 200 may be employed as either of the flanges 102, 104 of the reel 100. The flange 200 is formed of a plurality of flange sections 202. While the exemplary flange 200 depicted in Fig. 2 includes a plurality of three flange sections 202, it is to be appreciated that any of various numbers of flange sections may be used to form the flanges 102, 104. In exemplary embodiments, a number of the flange sections 202 of the flanges 102, 104 can be between 2 and 5, inclusive. The exemplary flange 200 further includes a hub portion 204 that is separably joined to the flange sections 202 (e.g., by fasteners) and aids in holding the flange sections 202 together such that the flange sections 202 jointly define a circular outer profile of the flange 200. The flange 200 further includes a reinforcement ring 206 that is separably joined to the hub portion 204. The reinforcement ring 206 can further join the flange sections together (by way of the hub portion 204). Various details of these components of the flange 200 are explained in greater detail below.

[0024] Referring now to Figs. 3A and 3B, perspective views of outer and inner sides of the flange section 202, respectively, are illustrated. The flange section 202 is formed as a fraction of a disk such that, when all of the flange sections 202 are joined, the flange sections 202 define a circular outer profile of the flange 200. Thus, for example, the flange sections 202 of the exemplary flange 200 are each approximately one third of the disk of the flange 200. In other embodiments wherein the flange 200 has a different number of flange sections 202, each of the flange sections 202 may be a greater or lesser portion of the disk of the flange 200.

[0025] The flange section 202 can include depressions 303 in an outer surface 304 of the flange section 202 (i.e., a surface of the flange sections 202 that, when assembled into the reel 100, faces away from the central portion 105 of the reel 100). The depressions 303 are regions in which the flange section 202 has reduced thickness. The depressions 303 define a plurality of ribs 306 that extend radially along the flange section 202. The depressions 303 provide a material savings thereby reducing cost and weight of the flange sections 202. The ribs 306 provide strength to allow the flanges 102, 104 to support the weight of the reel 100. In various embodiments, the flange sections 202 can each further include an arcuate reinforcement section 308 that extends concentrically with an outer edge 309 of the flange section 202 and that intersects with the ribs 306. Referring briefly again to Fig. 2, the arcuate reinforcement sections 308 collectively form a reinforcement band 310 when the flange sections 202 are assembled into the flange 200. The reinforcement band 310 thus forms a concentric circle interior to the outer edge of the flange 200 (as formed by the outer edges 309 of the flange sections 202).

[0026] In exemplary embodiments the flange sections 202 are identical. Using identical flange sections 202 to form the flange 200 can make manufacturing the reel 100 easier by allowing a single mold design to be used to form each flange section 202. Furthermore, using identical flange sections 202 can aid in the reusability of the reel 100 by allowing flange sections 202 from different reels to be swapped interchangeably (e.g., if one or more of the flange sections 202 of a reel becomes damaged or is misplaced). It is to be appreciated, however, that in some embodiments the flange sections 202 may be configured with variations of one kind or another consistent with the present disclosure.

[0027] Referring once again to Figs. 3A and 3B, the flange sections 202 include various features to facilitate joining of the flange sections 202 together to form the flange 200. For instance, the flange sections 202 can include joining holes 312 that extend through outer interior edges 314 of the flange sections 202. The outer interior edges 314 of the flange sections 202 are those that contact and mate with the outer interior edges 314 of the other flange sections 202 when assembled to form the flange 200. The joining holes 312 are configured to accommodate bolts or other fasteners that are used to separably join the flange sections 202 together to form the flange 200. Thus, as depicted in Fig. 2, bolts 316 (not shown in Figs. 3 A and 3B) extend through interior edges 314 of pairs of flange sections 202 to join flange sections 202 together in a separable manner.

[0028] The flange sections 202 can further include one or more joining holes 318 formed in and extending through the outer surface 304 and an inner surface 320 of the flange sections 202 (i.e., a surface of the flange sections 202 that faces the central portion 105 when included in the flanges 102, 104). As will be described in greater detail below, the joining holes 318 extending through the outer 304 and inner 320 surfaces of the flange sections 202 are configured to accommodate fasteners, such as bolts 322, that can separably join the reinforcement ring 206 and the hub portion 204 to the various flange sections 202 making up the flange 200 (as shown in Fig. 2). Furthermore, the bolts 322 can separably join the flange 200 with another, similarly configured flange, such as is shown for the flanges 102, 104 of the reel 100 depicted in Fig. 1.

[0029] The flange section 202 can further include a pass-through opening 323 extending from the inner surface 320 of the flange section 202 to the outer surface 304 of the flange section 202 to accommodate passage of a portion of a long product (e.g., such as an end of a cable) from an inner side of the flange 200 to an outer side of the flange 200.

[0030] Referring now to Figs. 4A and 4B, perspective views of an outer side 402 and an inner side 404 of the hub portion 204 are illustrated. Referring solely to Fig. 4A, a perspective view of the outer side 402 of the hub portion 204 (i.e., a side facing away from the central portion 105 of the reel 100 when the hub portion 204 is included in the flanges 102, 104) is illustrated. Referring solely to Fig. 4B, a perspective view of the inner side 404 of the hub portion (i.e., a side facing the central portion 105 of the reel 100 when the hub portion 204 is included in the flanges 102, 104) is illustrated. Referring once again to Figs. 4A and 4B jointly, the hub portion 204 includes a plurality of joining holes 406 extending through the hub portion 204 from the outer side 402 to the inner side 404 of the hub portion 204. The joining holes 406 are configured to align with the joining holes 318 formed in the flange sections 202. Accordingly, the flange sections 202 can be joined to the hub portion 204 by way of separable fasteners extending through the joining holes 318 and 406 (e.g., the bolts 322 shown in Fig. 1).

[0031] The hub portion 204 can be attached to the flange sections 202 such that an outer side 402 of the hub portion 204 is in contact with the inner surface 320 of the flange sections 202. Referring again to Fig. 3, the inner surface 320 of the flange sections 202 can have a groove or depression 324 formed therein, wherein such groove or depression 324 is shaped to accommodate the hub portion 204. The groove/depression 324 can have an outer edge 326 and an inner edge 328. The outer edge 326 can be sized and shaped to accommodate an outer edge 407 of the hub portion 204. Accordingly, as shown in Fig. 3B, the outer edge 326 can have an arcuate shape that matches a curvature of the outer edge 407 of the hub portion 204. In exemplary embodiments, the outer edge 326 of the groove/depression 324 has a greater radius of curvature than the outer edge 407 of the hub portion 204, for reasons that will be explained below.

[0032] In an exemplary embodiment, the outer side 402 of the hub portion 204 further comprises a central face 408 that is raised from a remainder of the outer side 402 of the hub portion (such as, for example, a portion of the outer side 402 in which the joining holes 406 are formed). The central face 408 can have a circular outer profile. Thus, the inner edge 328 of the groove/depression 324 can have an arcuate shape, such that when the flange sections 202 are joined to form the flange 200, their grooves/depressions 324 jointly form a round opening through which the central face 408 of the hub portion 204 extends (e.g., as shown in Fig. 2).

[0033] Referring once again to Fig. 1, extending between the two flanges 102, 104 are a plurality of staves 106 that jointly form the elongate central portion 105 of the reel 100. The flanges 102, 104 are configured to accommodate these staves 106 and hold them in position, as will be described in detail below.

[0034] Referring now to Fig. 5, an exemplary stave 500 is illustrated. The stave 500 has a first end 502 and a second end 504 that, when included in the reel 100 (i.e., as one of the staves 106), are capped by the flanges 102, 104 respectively. The stave 500 has an arcuate body portion 505 with an outer surface 506. The arcuate outer surface 506 of the stave 500 is configured such that, when joined with a plurality of similarly-constructed staves, such staves form a cylinder (e.g., the central portion 105 of the reel 100). It will be appreciated, therefore, that an arc length of the arcuate outer surface 506 will depend upon a desired radius of such cylinder and a number of the staves 500 desirably used to form the cylinder. The stave 500 further comprises a reinforcement rib 508. The rib 508 provides stiffness to the stave 500, thereby improving its ability to handle the weight of a long product wrapped around a reel that includes the stave 500.

[0035] The flange 200 is configured to accommodate and hold in position a plurality of the staves 500. Referring once again to Figs. 4A and 4B, the hub portion 204 comprises a plurality of slots 410 that are formed in the outer edge 407 of the hub portion 204. The slots 410 are shaped and sized to accept the rib 508 of the stave 500. Accordingly, a plurality of the staves 500 can be slotted into the slots 410 thereby forming a cylinder of the staves 500 that is held partly in place by the hub portion 204. In particular, slots 410 of the hub portion 204 prevent circumferential movement of the staves 500 around the hub portion 204. The slots 410 can be evenly distributed around the outer edge 407 of the hub portion 204. A number of the slots 410 may be selected as a function of a number of the staves 500 desirably used to form the central portion 105 of the reel 100.

[0036] The staves 500 can further be held in place around the hub portion 204 by the flange sections 202. Referring now to Fig. 6, a perspective view of an inner side of the flange 200 (i.e., a side of the flange 200 that faces the central portion 105 of the reel 100 when the flange is used as one of the flanges 102, 104) is illustrated. As shown in Fig. 6, a gap 602 is formed between the outer edge 407 of the central hub 204 and the outer edge 326 of the grooves/depressions 324 in the flange sections 202. The gap 602 is sized to accommodate the arcuate body portions 505 of the staves 500. Thus, a plurality of staves 500 can be held in place both circumferentially and radially by the flange 200. In particular, the staves 500 are held in place circumferentially about the hub portion 204 by the slots 410 in which the ribs 508 of the staves 500 are positioned, and the staves 500 are held in place radially about the hub portion 204 by the outer edges 326 of the grooves/depressions 324 of the various flange portions 202 making up the flange 200. Referring now to Fig. 7, a cutaway partial perspective view showing the flange 200 with a plurality of the staves 500 slotted therein is illustrated. As can be seen, the staves 500 are held in place by the flange 200, and extend longitudinally outward from the inner side of the flange 200 to form a central portion of a cable reel (e.g., central portion 105 of the reel 100).

[0037] Referring once again to Fig. 2, the flange 200 can include a plurality of through- holes 208 that are configured to accommodate various machinery employed in handling and using the reel 100 such as spindles, drive motor shafts (e.g., for rotating the reel 100 during spooling or unspooling of a long product). The through-holes 208 extend through the hub portion 204. Thus, a spindle or drive motor shaft extending through the holes 208 will be disposed in an interior of the central portion 105 of the reel 100. Accordingly, the ribs 508 of the staves 500 can be appropriately sized so as not to interfere with such machinery. The reinforcement ring 206 is configured to be separably fastened to the central face 408 of the hub portion 204 (e.g., by way of bolts 322). The reinforcement ring 206 includes a central hole 210 that is positioned over one of the through-holes 208 (e.g., a central one of the through- holes 208). The central hole 210 of the reinforcement ring 206 provides additional support to prevent damage to the hub portion 204 from machinery used to handle the reel 100 by way of the through-holes 208. In exemplary embodiments, the reinforcement ring 206 can be made of a durable metal such as steel to provide resistance to wear and tear over time.

[0038] Referring now to Fig. 8, a perspective cutaway view of the exemplary cable reel 100 is illustrated to show the joint functionality of various of the components described above with respect to Figs. 2-7. As shown in Fig. 8, the reel 100 includes flanges 102, 104 and a central portion 105 extending therebetween, which central portion 105 comprises the plurality of staves 106. The flanges 102, 104 each comprise several flange sections 802 (e.g., configured similarly to the flange sections 202) that are separably joined to one another by fasteners 804. The flanges 102, 104 each comprise a respective hub portion 806, and the hub portions 806 of the flanges 102 are joined to one another by through-bolts 808 that extend through the hub portions 806 and the flange sections 802 of each of the flanges 102, 104. The staves 106 are slotted into the flanges 102, 104 such that the staves 106 are held in place by the flange sections 802 and the hub portions 806 (e.g., as described above with respect to Figs. 6 and 7).

[0039] Referring now to Figs. 9 and 10, alternative embodiments of the staves 106 are illustrated. Referring now solely to Fig. 9 a stave 900 is illustrated, wherein the stave 900 has an arcuate body portion 902 and two ribs 904, 906 extending radially inward from the arcuate body portion 902. Referring now solely to Fig. 10, a stave 1000 is illustrated, wherein the stave 1000 has an arcuate body portion 1002 and three ribs 1004, 1006, 1008 extending radially inward from the arcuate body portion 1002. It is to be appreciated that in embodiments of the reel 100 wherein the staves 106 are configured similarly to the staves 900, 1000, the hub portions 806 may have a different number of slots than a number of the staves 106, so that the hub portions 806 have sufficient slots to accommodate each rib of each of the staves 106.

[0040] What has been described above includes examples of one or more embodiments. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable modification or alteration of the above systems, devices, or methodologies for purposes of describing the aforementioned aspects, but one of ordinary skill in the art can recognize that many further modifications and permutations of various aspects are possible. In particular, from the foregoing disclosure, it will be appreciated to those of skill in the art that alterations to a number of certain components described herein (e.g., the flange sections 202 and the staves 106, among others), a manner of separably joining various components described herein, or an arrangement of certain features of components described herein (e.g., various joining holes, slots, grooves, or the like) may be made while remaining consistent with the present disclosure. Accordingly, the described aspects are intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications, and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A modular reel for storing a cable or other long product, the modular reel comprising: a first flange; a second flange; a plurality of staves extending between the first flange and the second flange and collectively forming a central portion of the reel, wherein the plurality of staves are separably coupled to the first flange and the second flange.

2. The modular reel of claim 1, wherein the first flange comprises a plurality of flange sections that are separably coupled together to form the first flange.

3. The modular reel of claim 2, wherein the plurality of flange sections and the plurality of staves are formed from one or more plastic materials.

4. The modular reel of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of flange sections is separably joined to at least one other of the plurality of flange sections by way of one or more fasteners.

5. The modular reel of claim 4, wherein the first flange further comprises a hub, wherein each of the plurality of flange sections is further separably joined to the hub way of one or more fasteners.

6. The modular reel of claim 2, wherein the first flange further comprises a hub, wherein each of the plurality of flange sections is separably joined to the hub by way of one or more fasteners.

7. The modular reel of claim 1, wherein each of the staves comprises an arcuate section and at least one reinforcement rib extending from the arcuate section.

8. A modular reel for transporting or storing a long product, the reel comprising: a first flange; a second flange; and a central portion extending between the first flange and the second flange, wherein the first flange comprises a plurality of flange sections that are separably joined to form the first flange, and wherein the central portion comprises a plurality of staves arranged to form a cylinder, wherein the flange sections and the plurality of staves are formed from one or more plastic materials.

9. The modular reel of claim 1, further comprising: a hub, wherein each of the plurality of flange sections is separably joined to the hub.

10. The modular reel of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of flange sections comprises a recess, wherein the hub is disposed in the recesses of the plurality of flange sections.

11. The modular reel of claim 10, wherein the plurality of flange sections are shaped such that the first flange comprises a central hole, wherein further the hub comprises a central portion that extends through the central hole of the first flange.

12. The modular reel of claim 9, wherein the hub portion comprises a slot, wherein the slot is shaped to receive a portion of a first stave in the plurality of staves.

13. The modular reel of claim 12, wherein the first stave comprises: an arcuate section; and a reinforcement rib extending from the arcuate section, wherein the slot is shaped to receive at least a portion of the reinforcement rib therein.

14. The modular reel of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of fasteners that extend between the first flange and the second flange within the cylinder formed by the staves, wherein the plurality of fasteners separably couple the first flange and the second flange.

15. The modular reel of claim 8, wherein the plurality of flange sections comprises: a first flange section comprising: a first outer edge; and a first plurality of through-holes formed in the first outer edge; a second flange section comprising: a second outer edge; and a second plurality of through-holes formed in the second outer edge; and a plurality of fasteners that join the first flange to the second flange by way of the first plurality of through-holes and the second plurality of through-holes.

16. A modular reel for storing a cable or other long product, the modular reel comprising: a first flange; a second flange; a cylindrical central portion that is separably coupled to each of the first flange and the second flange such that the modular reel may be disassembled and reassembled.

17. The modular reel of claim 16, wherein the first flange comprises a first recess and the second flange comprises a second recess, wherein the first recess and the second recess are configured to accommodate the cylindrical portion.

18. The modular reel of claim 16, wherein the first flange and the second flange are separably joined by way of fasteners that extend through an interior of the cylindrical central portion, wherein the cylindrical central portion is held in place between the first flange and the second flange when the first flange and the second flange are joined by the fasteners.

19. The modular reel of claim 18, wherein the cylindrical central portion has a plurality of ribs extending into the interior of cylindrical central portion.

20. The modular reel of claim 19, wherein first flange comprises a slot that is configured to accept one of the ribs of the cylindrical central portion, wherein the slot prevents rotation of the cylindrical central portion relative to the first flange.