System and method for coiling and sealing an elongate flexible component

Abstract

A system and method for coiling and sealing an elongate, flexible component includes a coiler and a sealer positioned beneath the coiler. The coiler includes a rotatable central core and a feeding tube for guiding and transferring a free end of the flexible component onto the central core to form a coil. The coil is then dropped in a generally vertical downward direction from the coiler into a partially-sealed and partially-opened container positioned beneath the coiler and disposed within the sealer. The sealer seals the remaining one or more open sides of the container and then drops the coil encased within the sealed container in a generally vertical downward direction onto a conveyor. The container may be made of a heat-shrinkable material and the conveyor may transport the sealed container into a heat-shrink oven to heat shrink the container around the coil.

That which is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for coiling a length of an elongate, flexible component into a coil and subsequently encasing the coil within a sealed container, comprising:
 a coiler comprising:
 a rotatable central core; and 
 a feeding tube for guiding the length of the flexible component onto the central core as the central core is rotated to thereby wind the length of the flexible component onto the central core to form the coil; and 
   a sealer operatively coupled to the coiler to receive the coil in a partially-sealed and partially-opened container positioned beneath the coiler and disposed within the sealer, the container having at least two pre-sealed sides and one or more open sides, the sealer operable to subsequently seal the one or more open sides of the container.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the elongate, flexible component is selected from the group consisting of cable, wire, tubing and the like. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the container is made of a heat-sealable material. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a free end of the flexible component is secured to the central core. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a drive means for rotating the central core to wind the length of the flexible component onto the central core. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the length of the flexible component is cut between the feeding tube and the coil when the coil has a predetermined configuration. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the coil is dropped from the coiler in a generally vertical downward direction under the influence of gravity and received in the container positioned beneath the coiler and disposed within the sealer. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the sealer comprises at least a pair of sealing bars for sealing the one or more open sides of the container to encase and seal coil in the container. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the coil encased and sealed in the container is dropped from the sealer in a generally vertical downward direction under the influence of gravity onto a conveying surface of a conveyor. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the conveying surface is inclined relative to the generally vertical downward direction so that the coil and container is automatically oriented parallel to the conveying surface when the coil encased within the container is dropped onto the conveying surface. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the container is made of a heat-shrinkable material and the conveyor transports the coil encased and sealed in the container to a heat shrink oven to shrink the heat-shrinkable material of the container around the coil. 
     
     
         12 . A combination coiler and sealer for coiling a length of an elongate, flexible component in the form of a coil, and for subsequently sealing the coil within a sealed container, the combination coiler and sealer comprising:
 a central core for receiving the length of flexible component thereon;   a feeding tube for guiding and transferring the length of flexible component onto the central core;   a partially-sealed and partially opened container having one or more open sides positioned beneath the central core for receiving the coil within the container when the coil is dropped from the central core in a generally vertical downward direction;   sealing means for sealing the one or more open sides of the container so that the coil is encased and sealed in the container; and   a conveyor positioned beneath the sealing means and having a conveying surface for receiving the sealed container when the sealed container is dropped in a generally vertical downward direction from the sealing means onto the conveying surface.   
     
     
         13 . The combination coiler and sealer of  claim 12 , wherein the elongate, flexible component is selected from the group consisting of cable, wire, tubing and the like, and wherein the container is a plastic bag made of a heat-sealable material. 
     
     
         14 . The combination coiler and sealer of  claim 12 , wherein the coil is dropped from the central core under the influence of gravity, and wherein the sealed container is dropped from the sealing means under the influence of gravity. 
     
     
         15 . The combination coiler and sealer of  claim 12 , wherein the conveying surface is inclined relative to the generally vertical downward direction so that the sealed container tips over under the influence of gravity and is oriented parallel to the conveying surface. 
     
     
         16 . The combination coiler and sealer of  claim 12 , wherein the container is made of a heat-shrinkable material, and wherein the conveying surface of the conveyor transports the sealed container into a heat shrink oven to shrink the heat-shrinkable material of the container around the coil. 
     
     
         17 . A method for coiling a length of an elongate, flexible component to form a coil, and for subsequently encasing the coil within a sealed container, the method comprising:
 providing a coiler comprising a rotatable central core and a feeding tube for guiding and transferring the length of the flexible component onto the central core;   rotating the central core to wind the length of the flexible component onto the central core and thereby form the coil;   releasing the coil from the central core of the coiler in a generally vertical downward direction;   receiving the coil from the coiler in a container positioned beneath the coiler and disposed within a sealer, the container having one or more open sides; and   sealing the one or more open sides of the container to thereby encase the coil within the sealed container.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the elongate, flexible component is selected from the group consisting of cable, wire, tubing and the like and wherein the container is made of a heat-sealable material. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising dropping the sealed container from the sealer in a generally vertical downward direction onto a conveying surface of a conveyor. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the container is made of a heat-shrinkable material, and wherein the conveying surface of the conveyor transports the sealed container into a heat shrink oven to shrink the heat-shrinkable material of the container around the coil.