U.S. patent application number 13/156296 was filed with the patent office on 2011-12-15 for retractable tool for collecting craft objects.
Invention is credited to Ross Exley, Won Bien Lee, Heather Rohllf.
Application Number | 20110305547 13/156296 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45095021 |
Filed Date | 2011-12-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110305547 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Exley; Ross ; et
al. |
December 15, 2011 |
Retractable Tool for Collecting Craft Objects
Abstract
A retractable herding apparatus comprises a housing, a tap drum,
a retractable tape, and a biasing member. The housing has an
interior cavity, a sidewall and an opening defined in the sidewall
to provide access into the cavity. The tape drum is rotatably
disposed in the housing. The retractable tape has a first end and a
second end. The first end of the retractable tape is attached to
the tape drum. The second end of the retractable tape is attached
to the housing proximate the opening in the sidewall. The
retractable tape is movable between a fully retracted position and
a fully protracted position. The biasing member couples to the tape
drum. The biasing member is provided to bias the retractable tape
toward the retracted position.
Inventors: |
Exley; Ross; (Clifton,
NJ) ; Rohllf; Heather; (Clifton, NJ) ; Lee;
Won Bien; (Fair Lawn, NJ) |
Family ID: |
45095021 |
Appl. No.: |
13/156296 |
Filed: |
June 8, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61353525 |
Jun 10, 2010 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
414/332 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 83/9459 20150401;
B26D 7/015 20130101; B26F 1/04 20130101; Y10T 83/9428 20150401;
Y10T 83/9423 20150401; B26F 1/3846 20130101; B26F 1/36 20130101;
B26D 5/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
414/332 |
International
Class: |
B65D 47/00 20060101
B65D047/00 |
Claims
1. A retractable herding apparatus comprising: a housing having an
interior cavity, a sidewall and an opening defined in the sidewall
to provide access into the cavity; a tape drum rotatably disposed
in the housing; a retractable tape having a first end and a second
end, the first end of the retractable tape being attached to the
tape drum, the second end of the retractable tape being attached to
the housing proximate the opening in the sidewall, the retractable
tape being movable between a fully retracted position and a fully
protracted position; and a biasing member coupled to the tape drum,
the biasing member being provided to bias the retractable tape
toward the retracted position.
2. The retractable herding apparatus of claim 1, wherein the
retractable tape is formed from one of either metal and
plastic.
3. The retractable herding apparatus of claim 1, wherein the
retractable tape is formed from a vinyl polymer.
4. The retractable herding apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the
retractable tape is in the fully retracted position, at least a
portion of the retractable tape covers the opening in the side
wall.
5. The retractable herding apparatus of claim 1, further comprising
a cover movable between an open position and a closed position,
wherein when the cover is in the closed position, the cover
obstructs opening in the sidewall.
6. The retractable herding apparatus of claim 5, wherein the cover
is slidably coupled to a sidewall and the cover is slidable between
the open position and the closed position.
7. The retractable herding apparatus of claim 1, further comprising
a gripping member attached to the retractable tape.
8. The retractable herding apparatus of claim 7, wherein the
gripping member is slidable along a length of the retractable
tape.
9. The retractable herding apparatus of claim 1, wherein the
biasing member is a coil spring.
10. A retractable herding apparatus comprising: a housing having an
interior cavity, a sidewall and an opening defined in the sidewall
to provide access into the cavity; a tape drum rotatably disposed
in the housing; a retractable tape having a first end and a second
end, the first end of the retractable tape being attached to the
tape drum, the second end of the retractable tape being attached to
the housing proximate the opening in the sidewall, the retractable
tape being movable between a fully retracted position and a fully
protracted position; a biasing member coupled to the tape drum, the
biasing member being provided to bias the retractable tape toward
the retracted position; and a brake element operatively coupled to
one of either the tape drum and the retractable tape, the brake
element being movable between a first position and a second
position, wherein when the brake element is in the first position,
the retractable tape is biased to fully retracted position and
movable toward the fully protracted position.
11. The retractable herding apparatus of claim 10, wherein the
retractable tape is formed from one of either metal and
plastic.
12. The retractable herding apparatus of claim 10, wherein the
retractable tape is formed from a vinyl polymer.
13. The retractable herding apparatus of claim 10, wherein when the
retractable tape is in the fully retracted position, at least a
portion of the retractable tape covers the opening in the side
wall.
14. The retractable herding apparatus of claim 10, further
comprising a cover movable between an open position and a closed
position, wherein when the cover is in the closed position, the
cover obstructs opening in the sidewall.
15. The retractable herding apparatus of claim 10, wherein the
cover is slidably coupled to a sidewall and the cover is slidable
between the open position and the closed position.
16. The retractable herding apparatus of claim 10, further
comprising a gripping member attached to the retractable tape.
17. The retractable herding apparatus of claim 16, wherein the
gripping member is slidable along a length of the retractable
tape.
18. The retractable herding apparatus of claim 10, wherein when the
brake is in the second position, the retractable tape is fixedly
maintained in a predetermined position.
19. The retractable herding apparatus of claim 10, wherein the
biasing member is a coil spring.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Serial No. 61/353,525 filed Jun. 10, 2010.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The invention relates to a gathering device useful for
collecting small objects, such as objects used in craft projects,
or other fields of endeavor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] In certain instances it is required to gather up a number of
small objects from a surface, such as a table top, a counter, or a
work bench. In these situations, it may be time consuming to pick
up each individual object. Additionally, some people with certain
medical conditions, such as arthritis, may find it exceedingly
difficult to handle a large number of objects. Thus, a need exists
for a device that can be utilized to gather a number of small
objects from a surface without requiring the user to handle every
object.
[0004] The present invention is provided to solve the problems
discussed above and other problems, and to provide advantages and
aspects not provided by prior baking pans. A full discussion of the
features and advantages of the present invention is deferred to the
following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to
the accompanying drawings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] According to one embodiment, a retractable herding apparatus
comprises a housing, a tape drum, a retractable tape, and a biasing
member. The housing has an interior cavity, a sidewall and an
opening defined in the sidewall to provide access into the cavity.
The tape drum is rotatably disposed in the housing. The retractable
tape has a first end and a second end. The first end of the
retractable tape is attached to the tape drum. The second end of
the retractable tape is attached to the housing proximate the
opening in the sidewall. The retractable tape is movable between a
fully retracted position and a fully protracted position. The
biasing member couples to the tape drum. The biasing member is
provided to bias the retractable tape toward the retracted
position.
[0006] According to another embodiment, a retractable herding
apparatus comprises a housing, a tape drum, a retractable tape, a
biasing member, and a brake element. The housing has an interior
cavity, a sidewall and an opening defined in the sidewall to
provide access into the cavity. The tape drum is rotatably disposed
in the housing. The retractable tape has a first end and a second
end. The first end of the retractable tape is attached to the tape
drum. The second end of the retractable tape is attached to the
housing proximate the opening in the sidewall. The retractable tape
is movable between a fully retracted position and a fully
protracted position. The biasing member couples to the tape drum.
The biasing member is provided to bias the retractable tape toward
the retracted position. The brake element operatively couples to
one of either the tape drum and the retractable tape. The brake
element is movable between a first position and a second position.
When the brake element is in the first position, the retractable
tape is biased to fully retracted position and is movable toward
the fully protracted position.
[0007] Other features and advantages of the invention will be
apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with
the following drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] To understand the present invention, it will now be
described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which:
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a retractable gathering
device according to one embodiment;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a top view of the retractable gathering device of
FIG. 1;
[0011] FIG. 3 is an end view of the retractable gathering device of
FIG. 1;
[0012] FIG. 4 is a side view of the retractable gathering device of
FIG. 1;
[0013] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the retractable gathering
device of FIG. 1 with the retractable tape in a retracted
position;
[0014] FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken through line 6-6 of FIG.
1;
[0015] FIG. 7 is a top view of the retractable gathering device
with a top of a housing removed and the retractable tape in a
retracted position; and
[0016] FIG. 8 is a top view of the retractable gathering device
with a top of a housing removed and the retractable tape in a
protracted position; and
[0017] The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale,
emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the
principles of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many
different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be
described in detail preferred embodiments of the invention with the
understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an
exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not
intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the
embodiments illustrated.
[0019] FIGS. 1-8 show a retractable herding device, or retractable
gathering device, 10 used to collect a plurality of objects from a
surface, such as a table top. The retractable herding device 10
comprises a housing 12. The housing 12 has an interior cavity 14
formed therein. The housing 12 has a sidewall 16 that has an
opening 18 formed therein. The sidewall 16 partially encloses the
interior cavity 14. The opening 18 provides access to the interior
cavity 14 of the housing 12. The interior cavity 14 is adapted to
receive the plurality of objects collected by the herding device
10.
[0020] The herding device 10 further comprises a tape drum 20. The
tape drum 20 is rotatably disposed within the housing 12. A
retractable tape 22 is attached to the tape drum 20. The
retractable tape 22 has a first end 24 and a second end 26. The
first end 24 of the retractable tape 22 is connected to the tape
drum 20. The second end 26 of the retractable tape 22 is connected
to the housing 12 proximate the opening 18 in the sidewall 16. The
retractable tape 22 is moveable between an protracted position, as
shown in FIGS. 1-4, 6 and a retracted position, as shown in FIGS. 5
and 7. The tape drum 20 thus is utilized to store the retractable
tape 22 in a retracted position. The tape drum 20 may store the
retractable tape 22 in a coiled arrangement. While a single tape
drum 20 is shown in FIGS. 1-8, it is contemplated that a plurality
of tape drums may be provided, such that a single retractable tape
22 or a plurality of retractable tapes 22 may be used with the
herding device 10.
[0021] The retractable herding apparatus 10 further comprises a
biasing member 32 controlled by a release 28. The biasing member
connects to the tape drum 20 and controls operation of the
retractable tape 22 within the tape drum 20. It is contemplated
that the biasing member 32 may take the form of a coil spring. The
biasing member 32 biases the retractable tape 22 of the tape drum
20 to a retracted position. As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the biasing
member release 28 takes the from of a release button. When the
biasing member release 28 is depressed, the biasing member 32
causes the retractable tape 22 to move towards the retracted
position within the tape drum 20. When the biasing member release
28 is not depressed, the retractable tape 22 may be pulled out of
the tape drum 20, such that a longer length of retractable tape 22
is exposed, until the entire retractable tape 22 is exposed. The
retractable tape 22 will stay in a protracted position or a
partially protracted position until the biasing member release 28
is depressed.
[0022] The retractable tape 22 may be formed from a variety of
materials such as metal or plastic. One material that may be well
suited for use in forming the retractable tape 22 is a vinyl
polymer.
[0023] A gripping member 30 may be provided on the retractable tape
22. The gripping member 30 allows a user to more readily move the
retractable tape 22 to a protracted position. The gripping member
30 may be slidable along a length of the retractable tape 22 so as
to allow the user to pull the gripping member 30 in one direction
relative to the housing 12 to move the retractable tape 22 to a
protracted position.
[0024] As the retractable tape 22 moves to a fully retracted
position, a portion of the retractable tape 22 will cover the
opening 18 formed in the sidewall 16 of the housing 12. Thus, with
the retractable tape 22 in a fully retracted position, the interior
cavity 14 of the housing 12 is enclosed by the retractable tape 22
covering the opening 18 of sidewall 16.
[0025] It is further contemplated that the housing 12 may include a
moveable cover. The moveable cover is adapted to move from an open
position, allowing access to the interior cavity 14 of the housing
12, to a closed position, preventing access to the interior cavity
14 of the housing 12. It is contemplated that the moveable cover
will be slidably mounted to the housing 12, and that the cover will
slide between an open position and a closed position.
[0026] It is contemplated according to a further embodiment that
the retractable herding device 10 may also comprise a brake element
34. The brake element 34 is coupled to one of the tape drum 20 and
the retractable tape 22. The brake element 34 moveable between a
first position and a second position. With the brake element 34 in
the first position, the retractable tape 22 is biased by the
biasing member 32 to the fully retracted position, but is moveable
toward a protracted position. With the brake element 34 disposed in
the second position, the retractable tape is fixedly maintained in
a predetermined position. The predetermined position may be a
partially protracted position, or a fully retracted position.
[0027] In operation, the retractable herding device 10 is provide
onto a surface, such as a table top. The retractable tape 22 may be
placed into a protracted position by the user grasping the gripping
member 30 and pulling a length of the retractable tape 22 from the
tape drum 20. Once a sufficient length of retractable tape 22 has
been exposed from the tape drum 20 to surround a plurality of
objects the user wishes to collect, the release 28 is depressed,
allowing the biasing member to cause the tape drum 20 to position
the retractable tape 22 into a retracted position. As the
retractable tape 22 is moving to the retracted position, the
plurality of objects are contacted by the retractable tape 22, and
herded into the interior cavity 14 of the housing 12. Once the
retractable tape 22 reaches the fully retracted position, the
opening 18 of the sidewall 16 is covered by a portion of the
retractable tape 22, thereby securing the objects in the interior
cavity 14. Thus, the plurality of objects may be quickly and easily
gathered into the interior cavity 14 by the retractable herding
apparatus 10.
[0028] While the specific embodiments have been illustrated and
described, numerous modifications come to mind without
significantly departing from the spirit of the invention, and the
scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the
accompanying Claims.
* * * * *