U.S. patent number RE38,211 [Application Number 09/598,779] was granted by the patent office on 2003-08-12 for uni-directional cord take-up device.
Invention is credited to Buckner A. Harris, Edwin R. Peterson, Edwin L. Wheeler.
United States Patent |
RE38,211 |
Peterson , et al. |
August 12, 2003 |
Uni-directional cord take-up device
Abstract
The invention is a dual reel cord take-up device for flat wire
cable which as a generally semi-cylindrical upper and lower case
half which .[.snap.]. .Iadd.attach .Iaddend.together over a
dual-purpose shaft to make two compartments. The first compartment
is a cord extension and take-up compartment which is divided in two
by a slotted disk on the dual-purpose shaft in that compartment.
Flat wire cable is wound on the dual-purpose shaft in both
compartments, and extends through two apertures in the walls of the
compartment. The cable in one aperture is fixed so it does not move
in and out of the aperture. The wire cable in the second aperture
is free to extend or retract through the aperture. A spring
provides the power to retract cable into the take-up device.
Inventors: |
Peterson; Edwin R. (late of
Boise, ID), Harris; Buckner A. (Boise, ID), Wheeler;
Edwin L. (Nampa, ID) |
Family
ID: |
46279710 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/598,779 |
Filed: |
June 21, 2000 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
|
600406 |
Feb 12, 1996 |
5655726 |
|
|
Reissue of: |
751878 |
Nov 18, 1996 |
05797558 |
Aug 25, 1998 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
242/373;
242/378.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65H
75/4449 (20130101); B65H 75/48 (20130101); B65H
75/486 (20130101); H02G 11/02 (20130101); H04M
1/15 (20130101); B65H 2701/3919 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65H
75/48 (20060101); B65H 75/40 (20060101); B65H
75/38 (20060101); H02G 11/00 (20060101); H02G
11/02 (20060101); H04M 1/15 (20060101); B65H
075/48 () |
Field of
Search: |
;242/375.1,378,378.1,378.2,378.3,376,376.1,373 ;191/12.2R |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Jillions; John M.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Dykas; Frank J. Nipper; Stephen M.
Maughan; Derek H.
Parent Case Text
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.
08/600,406, filed Feb. 12, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,726 for
UNI-DIRECTIONAL CORD TAKE-UP DEVICE.
Claims
We claim:
1. A dual reel cord take-up device for flat wire cable which
comprises: .[.(a).]. a generally semi-cylindrical upper case half
with two parallel compartments in a direction perpendicular to
.[.the.]. .Iadd.an .Iaddend.axis of the .[.cylinder.]. .Iadd.upper
case half.Iaddend., .[.the.]. .Iadd.a .Iaddend.first compartment
.Iadd.of said two parallel compartments .Iaddend.being adapted to
receive .[.the.]. .Iadd.a .Iaddend.first end of a dual-purpose
shaft, and .[.the.]. .Iadd.a .Iaddend.second compartment .Iadd.of
said two parallel compartments .Iaddend.being adapted to receive
.[.the.]. .Iadd.a .Iaddend.second end of said dual-purpose shaft
and a spring cup, said upper case half having snap-fit means for
receiving a lower case half and means for receiving a flat wire
cable; .[.(b).]. a generally semi-cylindrical lower case half, also
with two compartments which correspond to .Iadd.said .Iaddend.first
and second compartments of the upper case half, said lower case
half also having snap-fit means for receiving and cooperating with
said upper case half .[.snap-fit means for receiving.]. and
.Iadd.for .Iaddend.retaining said upper case half in fixed
relationship .Iadd.with said lower case half.Iaddend., said lower
case half .Iadd.also .Iaddend.having means for receiving a flat
wire cable .[.and.]. .Iadd.said first and second upper half
compartments configured to connect with said lower half
compartments to form a first device compartment and a second device
compartment, .Iaddend.said second .Iadd.device .Iaddend.compartment
having .Iadd.holding .Iaddend.means for holding said spring cup in
said second .Iadd.device .Iaddend.compartment against rotation in
one direction but not .[.the other.]. .Iadd.in an opposing
direction.Iaddend.; .[.(c) a.]. .Iadd.said .Iaddend.dual-purpose
shaft supported and held in rotatable relationship by both the
upper and lower case .[.halves.]. .Iadd.half compartments.Iaddend.,
the dual-purpose shaft being provided on its first end in the first
.Iadd.device .Iaddend.compartment .[.of the upper and lower case
halves.]. with a slotted disk which divides the first end of the
dual-purpose shaft into two adjacent reels for receiving flat wire
cable, in which .[.the.]. .Iadd.one of said .Iaddend.two adjacent
reels .[.are.]. .Iadd.is .Iaddend.called a cable extension and
take-up reel and .Iadd.another of said two adjacent reels is called
.Iaddend.a captive .[.cable.]. reel; .[.(d) the slotted disk
further dividing the first compartment into two adjacent
compartments, the.]. .Iadd.said .Iaddend.flat wire cable
.[.extending.]. .Iadd.extends .Iaddend.through two apertures
.[.with.]. .Iadd.in said first device compartment .Iaddend.one
.[.cable.]. end .Iadd.of said flat wire cable .Iaddend.fixed in
.[.an.]. .Iadd.one .Iaddend.aperture.Iadd., .Iaddend.and .[.the
other cable.]. .Iadd.another .Iaddend.end .Iadd.of said flat wire
cable .Iaddend.free to extend and retract through .[.its.]. .Iadd.a
second .Iaddend.aperture .Iadd.of said two apertures.Iaddend., the
dual-purpose shaft being provided on its second end in the second
compartment of the upper and lower case halves with a slot in the
dual-purpose shaft for receiving a spring within the spring cup.[.;
(e) a generally cylindrical.]. .Iadd., said .Iaddend.spring cup
.Iadd.disposed .Iaddend.within .[.the.]. .Iadd.said .Iaddend.second
.Iadd.device .Iaddend.compartment .[.of the upper and lower case
halves.]. , .[.the.]. .Iadd.said .Iaddend.spring cup having an
outer surface perpendicular to its axis of rotation.[.,.]. .Iadd.;
.Iaddend. means cooperating with the holding means .Iadd.of said
second device compartment .Iaddend.to hold the .Iadd.spring
.Iaddend.cup against rotation relative to the upper and lower case
halves in .Iadd.said .Iaddend.one direction but not in .[.the
other.]. .Iadd.an opposing .Iaddend.direction.Iadd., .Iaddend.and
spring stop means on .[.its.]. .Iadd.an .Iaddend.inner
.[.cylindrical.]. surface .Iadd.of said spring cup .Iaddend.for
fixing one end of the spring to the spring cup; and .[.(f).]. a
flat coil spring .Iadd.disposed .Iaddend.within the spring cup, the
spring being fixed on its outer end to the .Iadd.spring
.Iaddend.stop means of the spring cup and being fixed on its inner
end to the slot of the second end of the dual-purpose shaft, the
flat coil spring being sized in relation to .[.the.]. .Iadd.a
.Iaddend.length of the flat wire cable so that when the flat coil
spring is completely wound on the dual purpose shaft, the flat wire
cable .[.from.]. .Iadd.on .Iaddend.the cable extension and take-up
reel still has several winds remaining around the dual purpose
shaft, and the flat wire cable on the captive .[.cable.]. reel is
pressed against the walls of the upper and lower .[.case halves.].
.Iadd.half compartments of the first device compartment.Iaddend.,
and has not begun to reverse wind.
2. The take-up device of claim 1 wherein the holding means in the
second .Iadd.device .Iaddend.compartment .[.are.]. .Iadd.comprise
.Iaddend.notches .[., which notches.]. .Iadd.configured to
.Iaddend.cooperate and interact with the cooperating means of the
spring cup .[.which are.]. .Iadd., said cooperating means
comprising .Iaddend.resilient prongs on .[.its.]. .Iadd.an
.Iaddend.outer cylindrical surface .Iadd.of said spring
cup.Iaddend..
3. The take-up device of claim 1 wherein the spring cup has detent
means on .[.its.]. .Iadd.said .Iaddend.outer surface .Iadd.thereof
.Iaddend.perpendicular to .[.its.]. .Iadd.said .Iaddend.axis of
rotation .Iadd.of said spring cup .Iaddend.for winding the
.Iadd.flat coil .Iaddend.spring.
4. The take-up device of claim 1 wherein the .Iadd.two
.Iaddend.apertures in the .[.lower case half.]. .Iadd.first device
compartment .Iaddend.are sufficiently large to permit the passage
of .Iadd.said .Iaddend.flat wire cable, but are not large enough to
permit .[.the.]. passage of folded flat wire cable.
5. The take-up device of claim 1, wherein the dual-purpose shaft
has a larger diameter in the cable extension and .[.take-out.].
.Iadd.take-up .Iaddend.reel than .[.the.]. .Iadd.a
.Iaddend.diameter of the dual-purpose shaft in the captive cable
reel.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to take-up devices for electrical
cords, and more particularly to those take-up devices for flat wire
cables used in telephone communication and data transmissions.
2. Background
U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,481 (Wheeler et al.) discloses a dual reel cord
take-up device for connecting a telephone and a cooperating
handset. This device serves to connect the handset of a telephone
to the body of the telephone with a device wherein the connecting
cord is wound on a spool. This allows the user of the telephone to
pick up the handset, move many feet away from the telephone, and
still be connected by cable to the telephone body. Phone cable
extends from both sides of the cord take-up device as the handset
is moved away from the phone, and is wound back into both sides of
the take-up device as the handset approaches the cradle. When the
user returns the handset to the telephone, there is no pile of
twisted and coiled extension cord. Instead, all of the phone cable
is neatly wound back onto the dual-purpose shaft of the take-up
device.
A feature of this system is that when the user of the handset
returns the handset to its cradle, the dual-purpose shaft winds up
the available cord. Just before the handset is placed on the
cradle, the take-up reel, with its now much shortened external
cable link, can contact the desk or table on which the telephone is
situated. This contact can produce an audible clicking sound which
the person on the other end of the telephone can hear.
There is a need to invent a device for feeding out electrical cable
between a telephone and its handset, and for taking that cable up
into a neat package, without having the take-up device be free
floating between its attached ends, and without having the
possibility of creating noise as the take-up device contacts
objects during retraction and use.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
What we have invented is a cord take-up device for flat wire phone
cable which feeds out or takes up cable at only one of its two
cable entry ports.
It includes a generally semi-cylindrical upper case half with two
parallel compartments in a direction perpendicular to the axis of
the cylinder, the first compartment being adapted to receive the
first end of a dual-purpose .[.dual-purpose.]. shaft, and the
second compartment being adapted to receive the second end of the
dual-purpose .[.dual-purpose.]. shaft and a spring cup. The upper
case half has snap-fit means for receiving a lower case half and
means for receiving a flat wire cable.
Also provided is a generally semi-cylindrical lower case half, also
with two compartments which correspond to the first and second
compartments of the upper case half. The lower case half also has
snap-fit means for receiving and cooperating with said upper case
half snap-fit means. The lower case half has means for receiving a
flat wire cable and has a second compartment with means for holding
the spring cup in the second compartment against rotation in one
direction but not the other.
Another feature of the invention is a dual-purpose shaft supported
and held in rotatable relationship by both the upper and lower case
halves. The dual-purpose shaft is provided on its first end in the
first compartment of the upper and lower case halves with a slotted
disk which divides the first end of the dual-purpose shaft into two
adjacent chambers for receiving flat wire cable.
The flat wire cable extends through two apertures, with one cable
end fixed in an aperture and the other cable end free to extend and
retract through the other aperture.
The dual-purpose shaft has on its second end in the second
compartment of the upper and lower case halves, a slot in the
dual-purpose shaft for receiving a spring within the spring
cup.
The device also contains a generally cylindrical spring cup within
the second compartment of the upper and lower case halves, the
spring cup having an outer surface perpendicular to its axis of
rotation, means cooperating with the holding means to hold the cup
against rotation relative to the upper and lower case halves in one
direction but not in the other direction, and spring stop means on
its inner cylindrical surface for foxing one end of the spring to
the spring cup.
The device also contains a flat coil spring within the spring cup,
the spring being fixed on its outer end to the spring cup and being
fixed on its inner and end to the second end of the dual-purpose
shaft.
Another feature of our invention is the inclusion of notches within
the second compartment. These notches interact with the cooperating
means of the spring cup, which are resilient prongs on its outer
cylindrical surface.
Another feature of our invention is that the spring cup has detent
means on its outer surface perpendicular to its axis of rotation
for winding the spring.
Another feature of our invention is that the apertures in the lower
case half are sufficiently large to permit the passage of flat wire
cable in and out of the device, but are not large enough to permit
the passage of a fold in the flat wire cable.
Another feature of our device is that the dual purpose shaft has a
larger diameter in the cable extension and take-out reel than the
diameter of the dual purpose shaft in the captive cable reel.
From the practice of our invention an improved phone cord take-up
device is provided, wherein the device remains stationary in
relationship to the telephone, and cable moves in and out of only
one aperture of the device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front view of the telephone equipped with a
uni-directional dual reel cord take-up device.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of our improved cord take-up
device.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along line 3--3 in FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is an exploded, partly cross-sectional side view of our
improved cord take-up device.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the disk which mounts on the
dual-purpose shaft.
FIG. 6 is a side, outside view of the spring cup of our improved
cord take-up device.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of compartment 30 looking toward
second end 40.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of compartment 28 looking toward
first end 38.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of compartment 30 looking toward
second end 40.
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of compartment 28 looking toward
first end 38.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT INVENTION
Referring to the FIG. 1, there is depicted generally .Iadd.one
embodiment of .Iaddend.our improved uni-directional cord take-up
device 10. When the phone handset 18 is removed from the phone 16,
as shown in dotted lines, the device 10 stays attached to the phone
16. As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, generally semi-cylindrical upper
case half 20 and lower case half 22 .[.snap fit.]. .Iadd.come
.Iaddend.together to form two parallel compartments, first
compartment 36 and second compartment 26 inside take-up device 10.
The two compartments are parallel in a direction perpendicular to
the axis of the cylinder which the upper and lower case halves
create. First compartment 36 is adapted to receive and support in
rotatable relationship first end 38 of dual-purpose shaft 24.
Likewise, second compartment 26 is adapted to receive and support
in rotatable relationship second end 40 of dual-purpose shaft 24,
as shown in FIG. 3.
Upper and lower case halves 20 and 22 both have cooperating
snap-fit means 42 and 42' for receiving and cooperating with one
another for retaining said upper and lower case halves in fixed
mutual relationship, as shown in FIG. 4. Also, lower case half has
means for receiving flat wire cable, apertures 44 and 44', in the
walls of the lower case half .Iadd.22.Iaddend., or otherwise in the
walls of the cord take-up compartments.
First end 38 of dual-purpose shaft 24 has a slotted disk 34 which
divides the first compartment 36 into two adjacent compartments, 30
and 28, which we will call sides A and B, respectively, as shown in
FIG. 3. In compartment 28 (Side B) is the captive.[.,.]. cable
reel, and the flat wire cable 14 is wound or unwound by wrapping
around, or unwrapping from, dual purpose dual-purpose shaft 24.
Cable from compartment 28 (side B) extends a short distance outside
of the case of device 10 and attaches to strain relief 19, phone
jack 12, and the telephone 16. The case can be attached to the
telephone so it is firmly anchored when in use. The cable which is
wrapped around dual-purpose shaft 24 in compartment 28 (side B)
never leaves the device 10, except for a short extension which
connects to the phone 16.
FIG. 5 shows slotted disk 34, with hub 35 and slot 66 shown. Slot
66 is for the passage of flat wire cable.
FIG. 6 shows the spring cup 32, with cooperating means 52 which are
resilient prongs. It has an outer surface 50 with detents 58, 60,
62, and 64.
The adjacent compartment 30 (side A) is the cable extension reel
and contains flat wire cable 14 which extends outside of the reel
case and attaches to the strain relief 19, phone jack 12, and
handset 18. When the user picks up the handset 18 and brings it to
his ear, or moves the handset 18 away from the phone 16, flat wire
cable 14 from compartment 30 (side A) is dispensed from the
dual-purpose shaft 24 through aperture 44. This is shown in FIGS. 7
and 9, which are cross-sectional view of compartment 30 (side A),
looking from the .[.second end 40.]. .Iadd.first end 38
.Iaddend.toward the .[.first end 38.]. .Iadd.second end 40
.Iaddend.of dual-purpose shaft 24. FIG. 8 shows the device 10 with
the cable of compartment 28 (side B) when the cable of compartment
30 (side A) is fully retracted within the device and wrapped around
dual-purpose shaft 24. FIG. 10 shows the cable in compartment 28
(side B) when the cable from compartment 30 (side A) is fully
extended outside the compartment 30 (side A) and wound off of
dual-purpose shaft 24.
Dual-purpose shaft 24 is connected to flat coil springs 48 at slot
46. Flat coil spring 48 is housed in compartment 26 of device
10.
Flat coil spring 48 is of a type of spring known as a constant
force spring or a negator spring. A negator spring is best
understood when it is compared to a power spring. A power spring is
a flat coil spring which at rest forms a uniform spiral with many
turns being evenly spaced from the center to the outside of the
spring. An example of a power spring is the spring which is used in
watches. Due to the shape of a power spring, more and more torque
is required to wind successive layers around the center shaft. As
most of the spring has become wound on to the center shaft, the
last few coils require significantly more force to wind on to the
center shaft.
A negator spring, by comparison, is actually a power spring which
is wound backwards. The result of this is that a negator spring,
when it rests, presses against its container, and its coils are as
far from the center hub as they are allowed to go. The result of
this design is that as the center shaft rotates and pulls coils of
the spring from the outside to wrap around the center shaft, it
takes about as much torque to pull one coil in as it does to pull
later coils. Although this torque may not be completely constant,
it is reasonably constant, and much more constant than the torque
variations of a power spring. The use of a negator spring in this
device is significant because it allows the torque applied by the
flat coil spring 48 to be fairly constant no matter how much flat
wire cable 14 is extended from the spring. This uniform torque on
the flat wire cable 14 significantly improves its life span, by not
over-stressing this delicate cable.
As flat wire cable 14 is extended from compartment 30, it causes
dual-purpose shaft 24 to rotate, which in turn causes flat coil
spring 48 to be wound onto dual-purpose shaft 24. Flat coil spring
48 is sized so that when the spring is fully wound on to
dual-purpose shaft 24, several turns of flat wire cable 14 remain
around dual-purpose shaft 24 in compartment 30 (side A) as shown in
FIG. 9 and the flat wire cable in compartment 28 (side B) is
pressed against the outside of compartment 28 but has not begun to
reverse wrap around dual-purpose shaft 24, as shown in FIG. 10.
An important feature of the design of this device is that when the
cable in compartment 30 (side A) is fully extended, the flat wire
cable in compartment 28 (side B) extends out from dual-purpose
shaft 24 at not more than a 90 degree angle. If dual-purpose shaft
24 were allowed to rotate clockwise even one half of a revolution
further, a loop would develop in the flat wire cable adjacent to
dual-purpose shaft 24. This loop is shown in FIG. 10 as a
.[.dotted.]. .Iadd.dashed .Iaddend.line. Formation of this loop
causes a reverse flexing of the flat wire cable 14 and leads to
premature failure of the cable. The relationship between the
revolutions allowed by the spring 48, the thickness of the flat
wire cable .[.19.]. .Iadd.14.Iaddend., and the diameter of
dual-purpose shaft 24 in compartment 30 and compartment 28 is
carefully controlled to prevent the formation of this loop.
As flat wire cable 14 is retracted into the device 10, the opposite
sequence of events occurs. As the handset 18 is returned to the
telephone 16, the flat wire cable 14 which is connected to it is
reeled on to the dual-purpose shaft 24 in compartment 30 (Side A),
and the rotation of the dual-purpose shaft 24 causes the flat wire
cable 14 in compartment 28 (Side B) to rewind onto dual-purpose
shaft 24.
Apertures 44 and 44' are constructed to be large enough to allow
the passage of flat wire cable through the apertures, but are not
large enough to allow the passage of folded or kinked flat wire
cable. In this way, a kink or twist in the cable is not allowed to
pass through the aperture 44 or .[.44.sup.1.]. .Iadd.44'
.Iaddend.and be wound onto the dual-purpose shaft 24.
.Iadd.Further, and as illustrated, the apertures 44, 44' may be
positioned on the lowercase half 22, or otherwise on the cord
take-up device 10, in a diametrically offset orientation. In other
words, the aperture 44, for example, may be located on the cord
take-up device 10 at a location offset from a point diametrically
opposed to a location of the other aperture 44'..Iaddend.
On dual-purpose shaft 24 is mounted slotted disk 34. Preferably,
the axial surface of dual-purpose shaft first end 38 is an
enlarging spiral in the direction of rotation when cable is being
added to the dual-purpose shaft .Iadd.24.Iaddend.. This way, the
roll-up and roll-down action of the take-up device is smoothed in
the area of radial slot 66 where the first complete wrap of cable
encounters the initial layer of cable.
The .[.dual-purpose shaft.]. diameter of dual-purpose shaft 24 is
different in compartment 28 and compartment 30. This can be
accomplished by use of a hub 35 mounted on dual purpose shaft 24,
which results in a larger diameter surface for cable take-up. The
complete tensioning of the flat coil spring .[.49.]. .Iadd.48
.Iaddend.which is attached to dual-purpose shaft 24 is a physically
limiting factor of the device. Depending on the length of the flat
coil spring 48, the spring will allow a certain number of
revolutions of the dual-purpose shaft 24 as flat wire cable 14 is
extended out from the device 10 from compartment 30. It is desired
that when this fixed number of revolutions has occurred, and coil
spring 48 is fully wound, that the appropriate .[.length.].
.Iadd.lengths .Iaddend.of cable remain in .[.compartment.].
.Iadd.compartments .Iaddend.28 and 30 around dual-purpose shaft 24.
To determine the length of cable which should be placed in
.Iadd.each of .Iaddend.compartments 28 and 30, the cord thickness
is a variable, as well as the diameter of the dual-purpose shaft
24, and the number of revolutions of dual-purpose shaft 24 which
are allowed by the spring .Iadd.48.Iaddend.. In the best mode of
the invention flat coil spring 48 is 16 feet in length and allows
31 revolutions of dual-purpose shaft 24. Flat wire cable .[.19.].
.Iadd.14 .Iaddend.is 0.020 inches in thickness, and the diameter of
dual-purpose shaft 24 or hub 35 in compartments 28 (side B) and 30
(side A) varies depending on the amount of flat wire cable 14 which
is to be extended. In a model of the device in which 12 feet of
flat wire cable .Iadd.14 .Iaddend.can extend from compartment
.[.28.]. .Iadd.30.Iaddend., the .Iadd.diameter of
.Iaddend.dual-purpose shaft 24 or hub 35 .[.diameter.]. in
compartment 30 (side A) is 1.6 inches .[.in diameter.]. . In that
model, the .Iadd.diameter of .Iaddend.dual-purpose shaft 24 .[.or
hub 35 diameter.]. in compartment 28 (side B) .[.of dual-purpose
shaft 24.]. is 0.250 inches .[.in diameter.]. . In this particular
model, compartment 30 (side A) contains 13 feet of flat wire cable
.[.19.]. .Iadd.14 .Iaddend.and compartment 28 (side B) contains 8
feet of flat wire cable .[.19.]. .Iadd.14.Iaddend..
In a model of device 10 from which 24 feet of flat wire cable 14 is
to be extendible from compartment 30 (side A).Iadd., the
.Iaddend.diameter of dual-purpose shaft 24 or hub 35 in compartment
30 (side A) is 2.6 inches. The .Iadd.diameter of
.Iaddend.dual-purpose shaft 24 .[.diameter.]. in compartment 28
(side B) for this particular model is 0.250 inches. In this model,
there are 25 feet of flat wire cable 14 in compartment 30 (side A)
and 12 feet of flat wire cable 14 in compartment 28 (side B).
In second compartment 26, the second end 40 of dual purpose
.[.dual-purpose.]. shaft 24 has diametric slot 46 for receiving the
inside end of coiled flat spring 48. Flat coil spring 48 is
received and fixed at its outside end by spring cup 32 contained
within second compartment 26. Spring cup 32 is generally
cylindrical with an outer cap surface 50 perpendicular to its axis
of rotation, cooperating means 52 which are resilient prongs on its
outer cylindrical surface and spring stop means 54 on its inner
cylindrical surface. Cup cooperating means 52 is received by and
cooperates with second compartment holding means 56 which are
notches in the inner cylindrical wall of the second compartment. In
this way, spring cup 32 is held against rotation except to tighten
the spring 48, so the dual-purpose shaft 24 is continually .[.under
tension to rotate away.]. .Iadd.subject to a rotational bias
.Iaddend.from the spring .[.tension.]. .Iadd.48 .Iaddend.and
.Iadd.able to .Iaddend.retrieve the cable .Iadd.14 .Iaddend.into
the first take-up compartment 36.
Also, preferably, spring cup outer cap surface 50 has detents 58,
60, 62 and 64 to permit engagement therein of a simple spanner type
tool end for initially tightening the flat coil spring 48. This
way, our take-up device may be more easily assembled.
Our take-up device components may be made from plastic or other
polymeric materials by conventional molding means.
To assemble our invention, first cable 14 is passed through radial
slot 39 of disk 34 and each end is led out apertures 44 and 44'. On
the tips of each end of the cable is placed a strain relief device
19 and the electrical connection 12 to attach to the phone and the
handset. Then, flat coil spring 48 is engaged on its inside end in
diametric slot 46 of dual-purpose shaft 24, and on its outside end
in .Iadd.spring stop means 54 of .Iaddend.spring cup 32, .[.spring
stop means 54,.]. and the dual-purpose shaft 24 and spring cup 32
are placed between upper and lower case halves 20 and 22,
respectively. Then, the case halves are .[.snapped.]. .Iadd.secured
.Iaddend.together, and detents 58, 60, 62 and 64 are engaged, and
turned to tighten the flat coil spring 48 and wind the cable 14
onto dual-purpose shaft 24 in compartments 30 and 28.
While there is shown and described the present preferred embodiment
of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that this
invention is not limited thereto but may be variously embodied to
practice within the scope of the following claims.
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