Power retract electric cord reel

• US 4,842,108 A
• Filed: 11/01/1988
• Issued: 06/27/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Circle R. Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Circle R. Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Anderson, Marvin L., Irvine, Gerald O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pedder, Dennis H.
• Application Number:
  US07/266,335
• Time in Patent Office: 238 Days
• Field of Search: 191/12.2 R, 191/12.2 A, 191/12.4, 242/54 R, 242/84.1 A, 242/85, 242/86.5 A, 200/61.15, 200/61.58 R, 200/61.81, 200/61.82, 200/61.14
• US Class Current: 191/12.20A
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/34 electric cords or electric power cables
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/425 attached to, or forming part of a vehicle, e.g. truck, trailer, vessel
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/4484 Electronic arrangements or adaptations for controlling the winding or unwinding process, e.g. with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/4486 Electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 11/02 using take-up reel or drum

Abstract

An electric cord reel is designed for mounting adjacent the engine of an automobile that requires a plug-in, heater, in particular, and has a power driven retract mechanism operable by an electric switch from the automotive battery or other power source, and which upon completion of retraction will shut off the retracting motor. The cord can be manually pulled out to be plugged into a receptacle at a desired location.

Claims

1. A power driven cord reel for an engine heater in a vehicle comprising:

a reel having a drum, and spaced apart flanges mounted on the drum, said drum permitting an electric cord to be wound thereon;

a case member housing said reel;

a drive motor mounted on the interior of said drum, said case member having portions held relative to opposite ends of said drive motor to form an assembly, said drive motor having an output shaft and being powered by a battery of a vehicle having an engine heater;

idler roller means journaled on the case member for rotatably supporting said drum;

gear means mounted relative to said drive motor and having portions engaging said drum on at least one end of said drum, said drive motor having a drive gear engaging said gear means for rotatably driving said gear means and the drum; and

brush and slip ring means to carry power between the case and the reel to permit electrically coupling an engine heater to a cord on the reel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 and a spring guide mounted on said case member to define an outlet from said case, a cord mounted on said reel and passing through said spring guide, said spring guide having an outer portion to wipe against the cord.

3. An electrical cord reel for mounting an electric cord having a plug at one end, being adapted to power an electric component, said reel comprising:

a housing;

a reel member having a tubular drum and end flanges spaced along said tubular drum;

said tubular drum having a gear teeth defined therein on one end thereof, and an annular interior surface at the other end thereof;

a gear support spider;

a drive motor positioned coaxially with the axis of rotation of said drum and mounting said gear support spider;

said drive motor having an output drive shaft with drive gear means thereon;

gear means rotatably mounted on said spider at substantially equally spaced positions around the axis of rotation of the drum and engaging the gear teeth means on the interior of the drum to support the drum on said gear means on the spider, said gear means including at least one gear that engages the drive gear means on the motor shaft, whereby upon rotation of the motor shaft in one direction, the gear means are rotated under power to drive the drum;

idler roller means mounted on said case at the opposite end of said drum from said gear means, and adapted to rotatably support the opposite end of said drum on the interior annular surface for rotation about said axis;

slip ring means mounted on said drum and housing and including a stationary terminal block on the housing, said stationary terminal block having a power cord connected thereto to lead to said electric component;

said slip ring means being coupled to wires on the electric cord; and

switch control means for powering said drive motor comprising a slider movable between first and second positions wherein the motor is powered and unpowered, respectively, said switch control means comprising a sleeve through which the electric cord extends and freely slides in a first direction, and said switch control means being moved to its first position manually to drive said reel to retract said electric cord, said plug on the end of said electric cord engaging such switch control means and moving it to its second position when the electric cord is retracted a desired amount.

4. The electric cord reel specified in claim 3 in combination with a vehicle mounting said reel, and wherein the electrical component comprises a engine heater on a vehicle, and wherein said switch control means said reel are mounted on said vehicle to power said engine heater for said vehicle, said switch control means being mounted adjacent the exterior of said vehicle to permit the switch control means to be manually operated from the exterior of the vehicle.

5. A power driven cord reel comprising:

a reel having a drum, and spaced apart flanges mounted on the drum;

a case member housing said reel;

a drive motor mounted on the interior of said drum, said case member having end portions held relative to opposite ends of said drive motor, said drive motor having an output shaft rotatable about a central axis;

a plurality of support means mounted at the end of the motor adjacent the output shaft and having portions supported on the case member and extending to provide support for said drum to maintain said drum centered for rotation about the same axis as the axis of the output shaft;

gear means mounted on said support means engaging an interior of said drum adjacent one end of said drum to drive said drum for rotation about an axis, said drive motor having a drive gear drivably engaging said gear means to rotate said drum; and

idler roller means journaled on the case member at the opposite end of said drum and engaging and rotatably supporting said drum relative to said case, whereby energization of said drive motor will drive said drum through the gear means while supported.

6. The apparatus as specified in claim 5 wherein said motor is an electric motor and wherein said drive gear is mounted on said output shaft of said electric motor, clutch means between the output shaft and drive gear for disengaging the output shaft from the drive gear, whereby said drum can be rotated in at least one direction of rotation relative to the electric motor shaft to unwind the cord, said clutch means engaging the drive gear to the output shaft for driving the drum in a direction to wind the cord when the electric motor is powered.

7. A power driven cord reel comprising:

a reel having a drum, and spaced apart flanges mounted on the drum;

a case member housing said reel;

means to support said reel for rotation relative to the case member about an axis;

an electric drive motor mounted relative to said case member, said drive motor having an output shaft centered on said axis;

gear means mounted relative to said drive motor having portions thereof engaging said drum to drive said drum for rotation about said axis, said drive motor having a drive gear engaging said gear means for rotatably driving said gear means;

switch means to couple a power source to said drive motor and including a tubular cord guide portion through which the cord slides and which is linearly slidable in one direction for turning said switch on to power the motor and slidable in an opposite direction to turn the motor off; and

an electrical cord wound on said drum and extending through the cord guide portion, said electrical cord having an end plug thereon, and upon retraction of said electrical cord by rotation of the drum by said drive motor after the linearly slidable portion has been moved to turn the switch means on, cord retractine movement is guided by the cord guide portion and said cord end plug engages the linearly slidable cord guide portion of said switch means and is operable to operate the linearly slidable cord guide portion to actuate the switch means to turn off the power to said drive motor when the electric cord is retracted.

8. The power driven cord reel of claim 7 and electrical terminals mounted on the case member, and slip ring means on the reel for carrying signals from the electrical cord to the electrical terminals on the case member.