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A rotary coupling apparatus includes a stationary housing defining a chamber, an elongated hollow shaft extending through the chamber of the housing and rotatable relative thereto, a drum supported about the shaft and rotatable therewith, and an elongated coupling cable for carrying communications e

A rotary coupling apparatus includes a stationary housing defining a chamber, an elongated hollow shaft extending through the chamber of the housing and rotatable relative thereto, a drum supported about the shaft and rotatable therewith, and an elongated coupling cable for carrying communications elements being disposed in the chamber and interconnecting the stationary housing with the rotatable drum. The stationary housing has a pair of spaced end walls and a circumferential side wall disposed therebetween. The end walls define the chamber therebetween and the circumferential side wall defines an outer periphery of the chamber. The shaft extends through the chamber between the end walls and is mounted to undergo rotation relative to the end walls. The circumferential side wall is radially spaced outwardly from and extends about the rotatable shaft and drum. The coupling cable terminates in a pair of opposite end portions, a first being secured to the stationary housing and a second being secured to the rotatable drum and shaft such that the second end portion of the coupling cable rotates with the drum and shaft as the first end portion of the coupling cable remains stationary with the stationary housing. The coupling cable is adapted to wind about the rotatable drum away from the circumferential side wall of the housing until reaching a wound condition about the drum and to unwind from the drum toward the circumferential side wall of the housing until reaching an unwound condition as the drum and shaft undergo rotation in clockwise and counterclockwise directions relative to the housing.

대표청구항 ▼

[ I claim:] [1.] A rotary coupling apparatus, comprising:(a) a stationary housing having a pair of spaced end walls and a circumferential side wall disposed therebetween, said end walls defining a chamber therebetween, said circumferential side wall defining an outer periphery of said chamber;(b) an

[ I claim:] [1.] A rotary coupling apparatus, comprising:(a) a stationary housing having a pair of spaced end walls and a circumferential side wall disposed therebetween, said end walls defining a chamber therebetween, said circumferential side wall defining an outer periphery of said chamber;(b) an elongated rotatable member extending through said chamber between said end walls and mounted to undergo rotation relative to said end walls, said circumferential side wall being radially spaced outwardly from and extending about said rotatable member; and(c) an elongated coupling cable for carrying communications elements being disposed in said chamber between said circumferential side wall and said rotatable member, said coupling cable terminating in a pair of opposite end portions, a first of said opposite end portions being secured to said stationary housing and a second of said opposite end portions being secured to said rotatable member such that said second end portion of said coupling cable rotates with said rotatable member as said first end portion of said coupling cable remains stationary with said stationary housing, said coupling cable being adapted to wind about said rotatable member and away from said circumferential side wall of said housing until reaching a wound condition about said rotatable member and to unwind from said rotatable member and toward said circumferential side wall of said housing until reaching an unwound condition as said rotatable member undergoes rotation in clockwise and counterclockwise directions relative to said stationary housing, said coupling cable including a plurality of internal communications elements being separable from one another at said first and second opposite end portions of said coupling cable so as to adapt said segments for connection to separate external communications elements and one of said end walls of said stationary housing having a plurality of connection sites adapted to connect with respective ones of said internal communications segments of said coupling cable at said first opposite end portion thereof.