Automatic reel devices and method of operating the same

摘要

A reel has a spool member on which the linear material is spooled, an electric motor that rotates the spool member, and a controller that controls the operation of the motor. The controller monitors an unwound length of the linear material based on sensed rotation of the spool member by one or more sensors. The controller causes the motor to wind the linear material at a drag speed when the linear material is on a ground, at a crawl speed lower than the drag speed when the length of linear material on the ground is shorter than a first threshold amount and through a second predetermined amount once the linear material lifts off the ground to inhibit swing of the linear material as it comes off the ground, and at a docking speed greater than the crawl speed when the unwound linear material is shorter than the second threshold amount.

主权项

1. A method for spooling linear material on an automatic device supported above a ground surface, the method comprising:
monitoring an amount of a linear material unwound from a spool member of the automatic device with one or more sensors; winding the linear material around the spool member at a first speed when a length of linear material unwound from the spool member is greater than a first predetermined amount, at least a portion of the linear material disposed on the ground surface; winding the linear material around the spool member at a second speed lower than the first speed when the length of linear material unwound from the spool member decreases below the first predetermined amount but is greater than a docking point location at which the linear material loses contact with the ground surface; winding the linear material around the spool member at a third speed lower than the first speed when the length of linear material unwound from the spool member decreases below the docking point location but is greater than a third predetermined amount, said linear material length being disposed above the ground surface such that the linear material is not in contact with the ground surface; and winding the linear material around the spool member at a fourth speed greater than the third speed when the length of linear material unwound from the spool member decreases below the third predetermined amount, wherein winding the linear material comprises automatically winding the linear material via a controller that controls rotation of an electric motor of the automatic device, and wherein winding at said second and third speeds is configured to dissipate kinetic energy from the winding of the linear material so as to maintain swing of an end of the linear material below a predetermined limit amount in a direction transverse to a vertical axis when the linear material passes the docking point location.