U.S. patent application number 12/877630 was filed with the patent office on 2012-03-08 for cord winder assembly.
Invention is credited to RICHARD SHOGREN.
Application Number | 20120056030 12/877630 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45769964 |
Filed Date | 2012-03-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120056030 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
SHOGREN; RICHARD |
March 8, 2012 |
CORD WINDER ASSEMBLY
Abstract
A cord winder assembly for winding electrical extension cords
has a tapered drum attached to a generally horizontal shaft. A hand
crank is attached to one end of the shaft, and the tapered drum is
attached to the other end of the shaft. A stand with a base and two
upright members is provided to rotatably support the shaft at
spaced locations between the hand crank and the tapered drum. The
tapered drum has first and second ends and an outer surface with a
diameter that gradually decreases from the first end toward the
second end. The tapered outer surface of the drum allows a cord
wound thereon to be removed easily and nested into a compact coil
shape for storage. A keyhole-shaped opening is provided in the
outer surface of the tapered drum adjacent to the first end for
receiving and holding a plug end of the electrical cord.
Inventors: |
SHOGREN; RICHARD; (Salina,
KS) |
Family ID: |
45769964 |
Appl. No.: |
12/877630 |
Filed: |
September 8, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
242/476.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65H 2701/34 20130101;
B65H 54/103 20130101; B65H 75/12 20130101; B65H 75/4492
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
242/476.1 |
International
Class: |
B65H 54/00 20060101
B65H054/00; B65H 54/40 20060101 B65H054/40; B65H 65/00 20060101
B65H065/00; B65H 67/00 20060101 B65H067/00 |
Claims
1. A cord winder assembly, comprising: a stand having at least one
upright member; a generally horizontal shaft having a means for
rotating the shaft attached to a first end, said shaft being
rotatably supported by said upright member; and a tapered drum
attached to said shaft and arranged to rotate with said shaft about
a generally horizontal axis, said tapered drum having an opening in
an outer surface thereof for receiving and holding an end of an
electrical cord, said tapered drum comprising first and second ends
and having a diameter that gradually decreases from said first end
toward said second end to allow a cord wound thereon to be removed
easily and nested into a compact coil shape for storage.
2. The cord winder assembly according to claim 1, wherein said
means for rotating comprises a hand crank.
3. The cord winder assembly according to claim 2, wherein said hand
crank comprises a connecting member attached to said shaft and
extending radially outwardly therefrom, and a hand grip connected
to an outer end of said connecting member.
4. The cord winder assembly according to claim 2, wherein said
upright member is located to support said shaft between said crank
and said tapered drum.
5. The cord winder assembly according to claim 4, wherein said
stand comprises two upright members spaced apart from each other to
support said shaft at two spaced apart locations to increase
stability of said shaft during use.
6. The cord winder assembly according to claim 5, wherein said two
upright members are both located to support said shaft between said
crank and said first end of the tapered drum.
7. The cord winder assembly according to claim 5, wherein said
stand further comprises a base member extending between said two
upright members.
8. The cord winder assembly according to claim 1, wherein said
outer surface of the tapered drum is generally smooth and free of
obstructions so that the electrical cord can be easily removed from
the second end of the tapered drum.
9. The cord winder assembly according to claim 1, wherein said
shaft is supported by said at least one upright member in a
cantilever fashion with said tapered drum attached to a free end of
the shaft so that the electrical cord can be easily removed from
the second end of the tapered drum.
10. The cord winder assembly according to claim 1, wherein said
opening in the outer surface of said tapered drum is formed
adjacent to said first end of said drum.
11. The cord winder assembly according to claim 10, wherein said
opening comprises a keyhole-shaped opening having a first large
portion for inserting a plug end of the electrical cord
therethrough, and a second small portion adjacent to said first
large portion in a direction of rotation of the drum for
maintaining the plug end within the drum while the electrical cord
is being wound onto the drum.
12. The cord winder assembly according to claim 1, further
comprising a retainer plate removably attached to cover the second
end of the tapered drum and to provide a lip at said second end for
maintaining the electrical cord on said tapered drum during winding
operations.
13. The cord winder assembly according to claim 12, further
comprising a connector means for holding the retainer plate against
the second end of the tapered drum, said connector means comprising
a magnet.
14. A method of winding an electrical cord into a coil shape for
storage, comprising: providing a tapered drum supported to rotate
about a generally horizontal axis, said tapered drum having an
opening in an outer surface thereof for receiving and holding an
end of the electrical cord, said tapered drum comprising first and
second ends and having a diameter that gradually decreases from
said first end toward said second end; inserting a plug end of the
electrical cord into said opening in the outer surface of the
tapered drum; rotating the tapered drum to cause the electrical
cord to be wound onto the outer surface of the tapered drum;
removing the plug end of the electrical cord from the opening in
the outer surface of the tapered drum; and removing the electrical
cord from the tapered drum by sliding the electrical cord over the
second end, whereby the tapered shape of the drum allows the
electrical cord to be removed easily and nested into a compact coil
shape for storage.
15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said step of rotating
the tapered drum comprises using a hand crank to manually rotate
the tapered drum.
16. The method according to claim 14, wherein said tapered drum is
mounted on generally horizontal shaft, and wherein said shaft is
rotatably supported by an upright member located adjacent to said
first end of the tapered drum.
17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising a hand
crank attached to an end of the shaft, and wherein said upright
member is arranged to support the shaft between said hand crank and
said tapered drum.
18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said shaft is
rotatably supported by two upright members spaced apart from each
other between said hand crank and said tapered drum to support said
shaft at two locations to increase stability of said shaft during
use.
19. The method according to claim 14, wherein said opening in the
outer surface of said tapered drum is formed adjacent to said first
end of said drum.
20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said opening
comprises a keyhole-shaped opening having a first large portion for
inserting a plug end of an electrical cord therethrough, and a
second small portion adjacent to said first large portion in a
direction of rotation of the drum for maintaining the plug end
within the drum while a cord is being wound onto the drum.
21. The method according to claim 14, wherein said outer surface of
the tapered drum is generally smooth and free of obstructions, and
wherein said shaft is supported by said at least one upright member
in a cantilever fashion with said tapered drum attached to a free
end of the shaft so that the electrical cord can be easily removed
from the second end of the tapered drum.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates generally to devices and
methods for storing electrical cords, such as extension cords, and
in particular, to a device and method for winding electrical cords
into a coil shape for storage.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Extension cords are used in many households to connect
electrically operated devices that are operated at a distance from
an electrical outlet. For example, weed cutters, power hedge
clippers, holiday lights, and portable generators are often used
with long extension cords. Such extension cords are often difficult
to handle, especially when a homeowner attempts to place the cords
into a coil shape for storage. For example, common handling of
extension cords often results in tangling and twisting of the cords
and generally haphazard storage.
[0005] Electric extension cords are more convenient to store when
they are placed into a coiled shape. Various holders have be used
for holding the cords in a coiled shape for storage. For example,
Deweese (U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,154), Brown (U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,675),
Gaski (U.S. Pat. No. 4,277,035) and Vitale (U.S. Pat. No.
4,193,563) disclose devices for holding cords in a coiled shape for
storage. In these prior devices, the cords remain on the holder
devices until they are uncoiled therefrom for use.
[0006] Other devices have been developed for manually winding a
cord onto a storage reel. For example, Kovacik et al. (U.S. Pat.
No. 6,186,433) discloses a cord storage unit having a spool and a
winding knob rotatably mounted on a central hub. The cord remains
on the spool during storage until the cord is unwound from the
spool for use.
[0007] These prior devices do not typically allow a user to place
several electrical cords into coiled shapes for storage, while
allowing the cords to be easily removed from the device for storage
in a coiled shape separate from the device.
[0008] There is a need for an improved device and method for
winding electrical cords into a coil shape for storage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] It is an object of the present invention to provide a device
and method for winding electrical cords into a coil shape for
storage, which allows the cords to be easily removed from the
device and stored in a coiled shape separate from the device.
[0010] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
device and method for winding electrical cords into a coil shape,
which can be used to coil and store several different cords.
[0011] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
device and method for winding electrical cords into a coil shape,
which allows a cord wound thereon to be removed easily and nested
into a compact coil shape for storage.
[0012] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
device and method for winding electrical cords into a coil shape,
which is economical to manufacture, easy to use, dependable in
operation, and capable of a long operating life.
[0013] To accomplish these and other objects of the present
invention, a cord winder assembly for winding electrical extension
cords is provided. The cord winder assembly includes a tapered drum
attached to a generally horizontal shaft. A hand crank is attached
to one end of the shaft, and the tapered drum is attached to the
other end of the shaft. A stand with a base and two upright members
is provided to rotatably support the shaft at spaced locations
between the hand crank and the tapered drum. The tapered drum has
first and second ends and an outer surface with a diameter that
gradually decreases from the first end toward the second end. The
tapered outer surface of the drum allows a cord wound thereon to be
removed easily and nested into a compact coil shape for storage. A
keyhole-shaped opening is provided in the outer surface of the
tapered drum adjacent to the first end for receiving and holding a
plug end of the electrical cord. An outer surface of the tapered
drum is generally smooth and free of obstructions, and the shaft is
supported in a cantilever fashion so that the electrical cord can
be more easily removed from the second end of the tapered drum.
[0014] According to one aspect of the present invention, a cord
winder assembly is provided, comprising: a stand having at least
one upright member; a generally horizontal shaft having a means for
rotating the shaft attached to a first end, the shaft being
rotatably supported by the upright member; and a tapered drum
attached to the shaft and arranged to rotate with the shaft about a
generally horizontal axis. The tapered drum has an opening in an
outer surface thereof for receiving and holding an end of an
electrical cord, and the tapered drum has first and second ends and
a diameter that gradually decreases from the first end toward the
second end to allow a cord wound thereon to be removed easily and
nested into a compact coil shape for storage.
[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, a
method of winding an electrical cord into a coil shape for storage
is provided, comprising: providing a tapered drum supported to
rotate about a generally horizontal axis, the tapered drum having
an opening in an outer surface thereof for receiving and holding an
end of the electrical cord, the tapered drum comprising first and
second ends and having a diameter that gradually decreases from the
first end toward the second end; inserting a plug end of the
electrical cord into the opening in the outer surface of the
tapered drum; rotating the tapered drum to cause the electrical
cord to be wound onto the outer surface of the tapered drum;
removing the plug end of the electrical cord from the opening in
the outer surface of the tapered drum; and removing the electrical
cord from the tapered drum by sliding the electrical cord over the
second end, whereby the tapered shape of the drum allows the
electrical cord to be removed easily and nested into a compact coil
shape for storage.
[0016] Numerous other objects of the present invention will be
apparent to those skilled in this art from the following
description wherein there is shown and described exemplary
embodiments of the present invention. As will be realized, the
invention is capable of other different embodiments, and its
several details are capable of modification in various obvious
aspects without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the
drawings and description should be regarded as illustrative in
nature and not restrictive.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The present invention will become more clearly appreciated
as the disclosure of the present invention is made with reference
to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:
[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cord winder assembly for
winding electrical cords into a coil shape according to the present
invention.
[0019] FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the cord winder
assembly shown in
[0020] FIG. 1.
[0021] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cord winder assembly
shown in FIG. 1, with an electrical cord in the process of being
wound onto a tapered drum thereof.
[0022] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cord winder assembly
shown in FIG. 1, with the electrical cord wound onto the tapered
drum.
[0023] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cord winder assembly
shown in FIG. 1, showing a sequence of removing a wound coil of the
electrical cord from the tapered drum and placing the coil onto a
wall hanger.
[0024] FIG. 6 is a cross section end view of the cord winder
assembly shown in FIG. 1.
[0025] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a cord winder assembly
according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which
a removable retainer plate is attached to an end of the tapered
drum.
[0026] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a cord winder assembly
according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which
a removable retainer plate is attached to an end of the tapered
drum using magnets.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0027] A cord winder assembly 10 for winding electrical cords
according to the present invention will now be explained in detail
with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.
[0028] The cord winder assembly 10 includes a stand 11 having a
base member 12, a first upright member 13 extending upwardly from
one end of the base member 12, and a second upright member 14
extending upwardly from another end of the base member 12. The
first and second upright members 13, 14 are spaced apart from each
other and have aligned openings 15 formed therein for receiving a
horizontal shaft 16 that extends through both upright members 13,
14. The upright members 13, 14 support the shaft 16 at two spaced
apart locations to increase the stability of the shaft 16 during
use. A top brace 17 extends between the tops of the first and
second upright members 13, 14 to strengthen the stand 11.
[0029] The horizontal shaft 16 has a hand crank 18 attached to a
first end 16a thereof for rotating the shaft 16 during use. The
hand crank 18 has a connecting member 19 attached to the shaft 16
and extending radially outwardly from the shaft 16. A hand grip 20
is connected to an outer end of the connecting member 19. Other
means for rotating the shaft 16 could be used instead of the hand
crank 18, such as a wheel or an electric motor attached to the
shaft.
[0030] A tapered drum 21 is attached to a second end 16b of the
shaft 16. The tapered drum 21 is arranged to rotate with the shaft
16 about a generally horizontal axis (i.e., the axis of rotation of
the shaft 16) when the hand crank 18 is used to rotate the shaft
16. The tapered drum 21 can be connected to the shaft 16 by having
respective end walls 22 of the drum 21 extend inwardly from an
outer surface 23 of the drum 21 and attached to the shaft 16 by a
suitable coupling 24.
[0031] The upright members 13, 14 of the stand 11 are both located
between the drum 21 and the hand crank 18 to support the
intermediate portion of the shaft 16. The shaft 16 extends past the
second upright member 14 in a cantilever fashion with the tapered
drum 21 attached to the free second end 16b of the shaft 16. This
arrangement allows the tapered drum 21 to be used without
interference from additional supports near the second end 16b of
the shaft 16.
[0032] The tapered drum 21 has a first end 21a and a second end 21b
and a diameter that gradually decreases from the first end 21a
toward the second end 21b. The outer surface 23 of the drum 21 is
generally smooth and free of obstructions. The tapered shape of the
drum 21 allows a cord C to be wound onto the drum 21 and then
removed easily and nested into a compact coil shape for
storage.
[0033] The tapered drum 21 has an opening 25 formed in the outer
surface 23 thereof near the first end 21a of the drum 21 for
receiving and holding a plug end C1 of an electrical cord. The
opening 25 includes a keyhole-shaped opening having a first large
portion 25a for inserting the plug end C1 of the electrical cord C
therethrough, and a second small portion 25b adjacent to the first
large portion 25a in a direction of rotation of the drum 21. The
second small portion 25b of the opening 25 is sized to accommodate
the diameter of the electrical cord C, while preventing the plug
end C1 from pulling back out. The opening 25 functions to maintain
the plug end C1 within the drum 21 while the electrical cord C is
being wound onto the drum 21.
[0034] The construction of the cord winder assembly 10 of the
present invention is explained above. A method of using the cord
winder assembly 10 to wind an electrical cord C into a coil shape
for storage will now be explained.
[0035] With the cord C in an extended condition, the plug end C1 of
the cord C is inserted into the opening 25 in the outer surface 23
of the drum 21. The hand crank 18 is then used to manually rotate
the drum 21 to cause the electrical cord C to be wound onto the
outer surface 23 of the drum 21. When the cord C is completely
wound onto the drum 21, the cord C can then be removed from the
drum 21 by sliding the cord C over the second end 21b of the drum
21 and removing the plug end C1 from the opening 25. The tapered
shape of the drum 21 allows the cord C to be removed easily and
causes the cord C to be nested into a compact coil shape ideal for
storage on a wall hanger 26 or the like.
[0036] Since the cord C is completely removed from the cord winder
assembly 10 after it is wound into a coil shape for storage, the
cord winder assembly 10 can then be used to wind another cord. This
provides a significant advantage over other cord winders on the
market that require the cord to remain on the spool for storage.
The cord winder assembly 10 of the present invention allows a user
to wind several cords with a single cord winder assembly 10,
thereby making the cord winder assembly 10 very eco-friendly.
[0037] An alternative embodiment of the cord winder assembly 10' is
illustrated in FIG. 7. In this embodiment, a retainer plate 30 is
removably attached to the second end 21b of the tapered drum 21.
The retainer plate 30 covers the second end 21b of the drum 21 and
provides a lip at the second end 21b for maintaining the electrical
cord C on the drum 21 during winding operations. Once the
electrical cord C is wound onto the drum 21, the retainer plate 30
can be easily removed by removing a wing nut 31 or other suitable
connector means that holds the retainer plate 30 against the second
end 21b of the drum 21. With the retainer plate 30 removed, the
electrical cord C wound on the drum 21 can be removed by sliding
the cord C off the second end 21b of the drum 21.
[0038] Another alternative embodiment of the cord winder assembly
10'' is illustrated in FIG. 8. In this embodiment, the retainer
plate 30' is removably attached to the second end 21b of the
tapered drum 21 using a pair of magnets 32 fixed to the end of the
drum 21, and a steel plate 33 fixed to the retainer plate 30'. The
second end 16b of the shaft 16 protrudes from the second end 21b of
the drum 21 and mates with a central opening 34 in the retainer
plate 30' to align the retainer plate 30' with the drum 21. The
magnetic force between the magnets 32 and the steel plate 33 holds
the retainer plate 30' against the end 21b of the drum 21 during
cord winding operations, while allowing the retainer plate 30' to
be removed quickly and easily to allow a wound cord to be removed
from the drum 21.
[0039] While the invention has been specifically described in
connection with specific embodiments thereof, it is to be
understood that this is by way of illustration and not of
limitation, and the scope of the appended claims should be
construed as broadly as the prior art will permit.
* * * * *