Magnetic Cord Management System

• US 20100159741A1
• Filed: 12/18/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: CJD LLC (ViacomCBS Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CJD LLC (ViacomCBS Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rothbaum, Wayne Philip
• Application Number:
  US12/338,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20100159741A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/501
• CPC Class Codes: F16G 11/00 Means for fastening cables or ropes to one another or to other objects; Caps or sleeves for fixing on cables or ropes attaching ropes or cables to lift cars or cages B66B7/08, to winch drums or barrels B66D1/34; ground anchors E02D5/00; anchoring devices for prestressed members E04C5/00; rope clamps in earth drilling E21B19/12
• CPC Class Codes: F16G 11/02 with parts deformable to grip the cable or cables; Fastening means which engage a sleeve or the like fixed on the cable
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/0252 PM holding devices H01F7/021, H01F7/0215, H01F7/0226 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A cord management apparatus comprises one or more magnets, configurable to be coupled to an electronic cord. The apparatus comprises one or more sheaths configured to be coupled to at least a portion of the electronic cord, wherein the one or more sheaths are configured to be magnetically attached to the magnet. A cord management device comprising one or more pliable sheaths is described also.

Claims

1. A cord management apparatus, comprising:

one or more magnets, configurable to be coupled to an electronic cord; and

a one or more sheaths configured to be coupled to at least a portion of the electronic cord,

wherein the one or more sheaths are configured to be magnetically attached to the one or more magnet, and

wherein a plurality of sheaths may be magnetically coupled to a magnet and a plurality of magnets may be magnetically coupled to a sheath.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more sheaths and the one or more magnets are symmetric around the electronic cord.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more sheaths and the one or more magnets substantially enclose a cross-section of the cord.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more sheaths and the one or more magnets present a non-hooking surface around the electronic cord.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more sheaths comprise a magnetic material.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein at least one of the one or more sheaths comprises a magnet.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first respective magnet of the one or more magnets is configured to be coupled to the cord proximate to a connector attached to the cord.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein a second respective magnet of the one or more magnets is configured to be coupled to the cord away from the connector attached to the cord.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the magnet is configured to clip around the cord.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more magnets are configured to be compressed around the cord.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the one or more magnets each comprise a plurality of distinct parts.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more magnets are configured to be wrapped around the cord.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more magnets are configured to be threaded around the cord.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more magnets are configured to be coupled to the cord using an adhesive.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more sheaths are configured to magnetically attached the cord to the magnet, in response to a user squeezing at least one of the sheaths and the magnet together.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the plurality of distinct sheaths are configured to separate from the magnet, in response to a user'"'"'s pulling the sheaths and the magnet apart.

17. A cord management apparatus, comprising:

a magnet, configurable to be coupled to an electronic device; and

one or more sheaths configured to be coupled to at least a portion of an electronic cord,

wherein the electronic cord is configured to be coupled to the electronic device, and

wherein the one or more sheaths are configured to be magnetically attached to the magnet, and

wherein a plurality of sheaths may be magnetically coupled to the magnet and a plurality of magnets may be magnetically coupled to a sheath.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the one or more sheaths are symmetric around the electronic cord.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the one or more sheaths substantially enclose a cross-section of the cord.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the one or more sheaths present a non-hooking surface around the electronic cord.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the one or more sheaths comprises a sheath having a length greater than half the length of the electronic cord.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the one or more sheaths are configured to coupled to the electronic device by one selected from the group consisting of adhesive, Velcro, tension, stretch-fit, heat-shrink, clipping, squeezing, magnetic attachment, slip-through, and wrapping.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the one or more sheaths comprise a magnetic material.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the one or more sheaths are configured to clip around the cord.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the one or more sheaths are configured to be compressed around the cord.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the one or more sheaths each comprise a plurality of distinct parts.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the one or more sheaths are configured to be wrapped around the cord.

28. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the one or more sheaths are configured to be threaded around the cord.

29. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the one or more sheaths are configured to be coupled to the cord using an adhesive.

30. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the one or more sheaths are configured to magnetically attach the cord to the magnet, in response to a user touching at least one of the sheaths and the magnet together.

31. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising one or more magnets configured to be coupled to the electronic cord, wherein the one or more magnets are configured to be attracted to the magnet configured to be coupled to the electronic device.

32. An apparatus, comprising:

an electronic cord capable of transmitting an electronic signal, the cord having a first end and a second end;

a sheath coupled to at least a portion of the electronic cord, wherein the sheath is configured to magnetically attach the cord to an object; and

a first connector electronically coupled to the first end of the electronic cord, wherein the first connector is configured to electronically couple the cord to the object,

wherein the second end of the cord is configured to be electronically coupled to an electronic device, and

wherein a plurality of magnets may be magnetically coupled to the sheath.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the sheath is symmetric around the electronic cord.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the sheath substantially encloses a cross-section of the cord.

35. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the sheaths presents a non-hooking surface around the electronic cord.

36. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the sheath comprises a magnetic material.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the magnetic material is incorporated in at least a portion of the sheath.

38. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the object comprises one selected from the group consisting of a communications device, an audio device, a multimedia device, an entertainment device, and a personal computing device.

39. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the magnetic material is magnetized and is configured to attach to an unmagnetized portion of the object.

40. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the magnetic material is unmagnetized and is configured to attach to a magnetized portion of the object.

41. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the magnetic material is configured to attach the cord to itself.

42. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the electronic device is one selected from the group consisting of an audio speaker, an earphone, a power charger, a data plug, a video display device, a microphone, a controller, and a human interface device.

43. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the sheath comprises a pliable material.

44. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising one or more magnets configured to be coupled to the electronic cord, wherein the one or more magnets are configured to magnetically attach the cord to the object.

45. An apparatus, comprising:

an electronic cord capable of transmitting an electronic signal, the cord having a first end and a second end, wherein the electronic cord is configured to be attached to an object by a magnetic force; and

a first connector electronically coupled to the first end of the electronic cord, wherein the first connector is configured to electronically couple the cord to the object,

wherein the second end of the cord is configured to be electronically coupled to an electronic device, and

wherein the electronic cord comprises a magnetic metal.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein at least a portion of the electronic cord is unmagnetized and is configured to attach to a magnetized portion of the object.

47. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the magnetized portion of the object includes one selected from the group consisting of a surface, a skin, a battery, a battery cover, an adhesive plate, and a chassis of the object.

48. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the electronic cord is magnetized and is configured to attach to an unmagnetized magnetic portion of the object.

49. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the electronic cord is configured to magnetically attach the cord to itself.

50. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the unmagnetized magnetic portion of the object includes one selected from the group consisting of a surface, a skin, a battery, a battery cover, an adhesive plate, and a chassis of the object.

51. A cord management apparatus, comprising:

an electronic cord capable of transmitting an electronic signal, the cord having a first end and a second end;

one or more pliable sheaths surrounding at least a portion of the electronic cord, wherein the one or more sheaths are configured to prevent tangling of the electronic cord; and

a first connector electronically coupled to the first end of the electronic cord, the first connector configured to electronically couple the cord to an object,

wherein the second end of the cord is configured to be electronically coupled to an electronic device.

52. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein the one or more pliable sheaths comprises at least two distinct sheaths.

53. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein the pliable material is incorporated through a length of the sheath.

54. The apparatus of claim 53, wherein the pliable material is configured to avoid tangling of the cord with itself.

55. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein the object comprises one selected from the group consisting of a communications device, an audio device, a multimedia device, an entertainment device, and a personal computing device, and wherein the pliable material is configured to avoid tangling of the cord with the object.

56. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein the electronic device comprises one selected from the group consisting of a communications device, an audio device, a multimedia device, an entertainment device, and a personal computing device.

57. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein the one or more pliable sheaths comprises a magnetic material.

58. The apparatus of claim 57, wherein the magnetic material is a magnet.

59. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the object comprises a magnetic material.

60. A cord management device, comprising:

one or more pliable sheaths, the one or more sheaths configured to surround at least a portion of an electronic cord coupled between an electronic device and a headset,

wherein the one or more pliable sheaths are configured to prevent tangling of the electronic cord, and

wherein the one or more pliable sheaths are configured to be bent into and to retain a shape.

61. The device of claim 60, wherein the one or more pliable sheaths comprises a magnetic material.

62. The device of claim 61, wherein the magnetic material is a magnet.

63. A method for manufacturing a cord management apparatus, comprising:

forming one or more magnets, configurable to be coupled to an electronic cord; and

forming one or more sheaths configured to be coupled to at least a portion of the electronic cord,

wherein the one or more sheaths are configured to be magnetically attached to the magnet, and

wherein a plurality of sheaths may be magnetically coupled to a magnet and a plurality of magnets may be magnetically coupled to a sheath.

64. The method of claim 63, further comprising forming a magnet, wherein the magnet is configurable to be coupled to an electronic device, and the magnet is configured to be magnetically coupled to the one or more sheaths and the one or more magnets configured to be coupled to an electronic cord.

65. A method for manufacturing a cord management apparatus, comprising:

forming an electronic cord capable of transmitting an electronic signal, the cord having a first end and a second end;

forming a sheath coupled to at least a portion of the electronic cord, wherein the sheath is configured to magnetically attach the cord to an object; and

forming a first connector electronically coupled to the first end of the electronic cord, wherein the first connector is configured to electronically couple the cord to the object,

wherein the second end of the cord is configured to be electronically coupled to an electronic device, and

wherein a plurality of magnets may be magnetically coupled to the sheath.

66. A computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by a computer, the one or more programs comprising instructions to:

form one or more magnets, configurable to be coupled to an electronic cord; and

form one or more sheaths configured to be coupled to at least a portion of the electronic cord,

wherein the one or more sheaths are configured to be magnetically attached to the magnet, and

wherein a plurality of sheaths may be magnetically coupled to a magnet and a plurality of magnets may be magnetically coupled to a sheath.

67. A computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by a computer, the one or more programs comprising instructions to:

form an electronic cord capable of transmitting an electronic signal, the cord having a first end and a second end;

form a sheath coupled to at least a portion of the electronic cord, wherein the sheath is configured to magnetically attach the cord to an object; and

form a first connector electronically coupled to the first end of the electronic cord, wherein the first connector is configured to electronically couple the cord to the object,

wherein the second end of the cord is configured to be electronically coupled to an electronic device, and

wherein a plurality of magnets may be magnetically coupled to the sheath.