Retractable reel assembly for telephone extension cord

• US 4,989,805 A
• Filed: 11/04/1988
• Issued: 02/05/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonix Incorporated (Astronics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Paul C. Burke
• Inventors: Burke, Paul C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jillions, John M.
• Application Number:
  US07/267,184
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 242/107.1, 242/107.11, 242/107.12, 242/107.13, 242/107.14, 242/107.7, 242/107.15, 379/442, 379/441, 379/454, 191/12.2 R
• US Class Current: 242/378.2
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/44 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/4449 Arrangements or adaptations to avoid movable contacts or rotary couplings, e.g. by the use of an expansion chamber for a lenght of the cord or hose
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 11/02 using take-up reel or drum
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/15 Protecting or guiding telephone cords

Abstract

To provide a highly functional yet very compact retractable reel assembly for a telephone extension cord, a housing is provided which is adapted to be mounted on a wall in proximity to a telephone or telephone jack for utilization with either wall mounted or table telephones, respectively. The retractable reel assembly includes a reel biased for rotation in one direction, a ratchet for selectively restraining rotation of the reel in the one direction, and an expansion chamber for a length of the cord within the housing, whereby the portion of the cord leading to the telephone or telephone jack can normally be wound in a radially and axially confined planar helical array. With this arrangement, the retractable reel assembly can allow the portion of the cord to be repositioned to a radially expanded helical array during withdrawal of the remainder of the cord from the housing and returned to the radially and axially confined helical array during retraction of the remainder of the cord into the housing.

Claims

1. A retractable reel assembly for a telephone extension cord, comprising:

a housing adapted to be mounted on a wall in proximity to a telephone or telephone jack;

a reel defined by a cylindrical wall journaled for rotation about an axis in said housing;

a spring for biasing said reel for rotation in one direction, said spring being mounted to extend between said housing and said reel;

a ratchet in said housing for selectively restraining rotation of said reel in said one direction;

said reel having a cord-retaining radial wall on at least one side thereof, said radial wall being disposed in closely spaced axially adjacent relation to a wall of said housing and being adapted for rotational movement relative to said wall of said housing, said radial wall and said housing wall defining a radial cord expansion chamber in said housing;

said housing having a first opening disposed about the perimeter thereof leading to said expansion chamber, said housing having a second opening disposed about the perimeter thereof leading from said reel;

said first opening being axially spaced from said second opening;

said radial wall of said reel having an axially extending aperture leading from said expansion chamber in closely spaced adjacent relation to said axis of said reel, said cylindrical wall of said reel having a radially extending aperture spaced from said axially extending aperture in said radial wall of said reel;

said cord including a first portion normally being wound in a radially confined helical array about said axis of said reel in said expansion chamber, said first portion of said cord being maintained in an axially confined planar helical array by said radial wall of said reel and said housing wall and being of a length to permit withdrawal of at least a portion thereof to reach said telephone or telephone jack, said first portion of said cord having an end extending from said first opening in said housing for connection to said telephone jack or a telephone handset;

said cord extending through said axially extending aperture in said radial wall of said reel and said radially extending aperture in said cylindrical wall of said reel;

said cord also including a second portion normally being substantially entirely wound on said cylindrical wall of said reel, said second portion of said cord being of a length to permit withdrawal of at least a portion thereof by pulling on said second portion of said cord to rotate said reel in a direction opposite said one direction to accommodate movement of said telephone or telephone handset from one location to another, said second portion of said cord having an end extending from said second opening in said housing for connection to said telephone or telephone handset;

said spring accommodating retraction of said second portion of said cord by biasing said reel for rotation in said one direction;

said first portion of said cord being unwound to a radially expanded helical array within said expansion chamber during substantially complete withdrawal of said second portion of said cord and being rewound to said radially confined helical array within said expansion chamber during substantially complete retraction of said second portion of said cord.

2. The retractable reel assembly as defined by claim 1 wherein said housing includes a spindle and said reel is carried by said spindle for rotation thereon, said spindle being integral with said housing and said spring being mounted to extend between said reel and said spindle of said housing.

3. The retractable reel assembly as defined by claim 2 wherein said reel has a cord-retaining radial wall on both sides thereof, said spring being disposed between said radial walls and radially inwardly of said cylindrical wall of said reel, said spindle extending through coaxial spindle-receiving bores in said radial walls.

4. The retractable reel assembly as defined by claim 1 wherein said reel has a cord-retaining radial wall on both sides thereof, one of said radial walls having a disc portion axially recessed within said cylindrical wall, said ratchet being nested within said axially recessed disc portion of said one of said radial walls.

5. The retractable reel assembly as defined by claim 4 wherein said housing includes a spindle and said reel is carried by said spindle for rotation thereon, said spindle being integral with said housing and said spring being mounted to extend between said reel and said spindle of said housing.

6. The retractable reel assembly as defined by claim 5 wherein said reel has a cord-retaining radial wall on both sides thereof, said spring being disposed between said radial walls and radially inwardly of said cylindrical wall of said reel, said spindle extending through coaxial spindle-receiving bores in said radial walls.

7. The retractable reel assembly as defined by claim 1 wherein said housing includes a cylindrical reel-receiving wall, said cylindrical reel-receiving wall being dimensioned so as to receive said cord-retaining radial wall therein, said cylindrical reel-receiving wall and said reel substantially entirely encasing said second portion of said cord therebetween.

8. The retractable reel assembly as defined by claim 7 wherein said housing includes a spindle and said reel is carried by said spindle for rotation thereon, said spindle being integral with said housing and said spring being mounted to extend between said reel and said spindle of said housing,

9. The retractable reel assembly as defined by claim 8 wherein said reel has a cord-retaining radial wall on both sides thereof, said spring being disposed between said radial walls and radially inwardly of said cylindrical wall of said reel, said spindle extending through coaxial spindle-receiving bores in said radial walls.

10. The retractable reel assembly as defined by claim 1 wherein said housing is square in shape, said housing wall including fastener-receiving openings for mounting said housing in proximity to said telephone or telephone jack, said housing also including a removable cover.

11. A retractable reel assembly for a telephone extension cord, comprising:

a housing adapted to be mounted on a wall in proximity to a telephone or telephone jack;

a reel defined by a cylindrical wall journaled for rotation about an axis in said housing;

a spring for biasing said reel for rotation in one direction, said spring being mounted to extend between said housing and said reel;

a ratchet in said housing for selectively restraining rotation of said reel in said one direction;

said reel having a cord-retaining radial wall on both sides thereof, one of said radial walls being disposed in closely spaced axially adjacent relation to a wall of said housing and being adapted for rotational movement relative to said wall of said housing, and the other of said radial walls having a disc portion axially recessed within said cylindrical wall, said one of said radial walls and said housing wall defining a radial cord expansion chamber in said housing;

said ratchet being mounted within said axially recessed disc portion of the other of said radial walls;

said housing having a first opening disposed about the perimeter thereof leading to said expansion chamber, said housing having a second opening disposed about the perimeter thereof leading from said reel;

said first opening being axially spaced from said second opening;

said radial wall of said reel having an axially extending aperture leading from said expansion chamber in closely spaced adjacent relation to said axis of said reel, said cylindrical wall of said reel having a radially extending aperture spaced from said axially extending aperture in said radial wall of said reel;

said cord including a first portion normally being wound in a radially confined helical array about said axis of said reel in said expansion chamber, said first portion of said cord being maintained in an axially confined planar helical array by said radial wall of said reel and said housing wall and being of a length to permit withdrawal of at least a portion thereof to reach said telephone or telephone jack, said first portion of said cord having an end extending from said first opening in said housing for connection to said telephone or a telephone jack;

said cord extending through said axially extending aperture in said radial wall of said reel and said radially extending aperture in said cylindrical wall of said reel;

said cord also including a second portion normally being substantially entirely wound on said cylindrical wall of said reel, said second portion of said cord being of a length to permit withdrawal of at least a portion thereof by pulling on said second portion of said cord to rotate said reel in a direction opposite said one direction to accommodate movement of said telephone or telephone handset from one location to another, said second portion of said cord having an end extending from said second opening in said housing for connection to said telephone or telephone handset;

said spring accommodating retraction of said second portion of said cord by biasing said reel for rotation in said one direction;

said first portion of said cord being unwound to a radially expanded helical array within said expansion chamber during substantially complete withdrawal of said second portion of said cord and being rewound to said radially confined helical array within said expansion chamber during substantially complete retraction of said second portion of said cord.

said housing including a spindle and said reel being carried by said spindle for rotation thereon, said spindle being integral with said housing, said spring being mounted to extend between said reel and said spindle of said housing.

12. The retractable reel assembly as defined by claim 11 wherein said spring is disposed between said radial walls and radially inwardly of said cylindrical wall of said reel, and including means associated with said spindle and said cylindrical wall of said reel for securing said spring thereto, said spindle extending through coaxial spindle-receiving bores in said radial walls.

13. The retractable reel assembly as defined by claim 12 wherein said housing is square in shape, said housing wall including fastener-receiving openings for mounting said housing in proximity to said telephone or telephone jack, said housing also including a removable cover.

14. The retractable reel assembly as defined by claim 13 wherein said second opening in said housing is in said cover, said cylindrical reel-receiving wall having a cutout aligned with said second opening in said cover, said second portion of said cord extending from said reel completely through said aligned opening and cutout.

15. The retractable reel assembly as defined by claim 14 wherein said telephone cord is a flat cable and includes a plug-in connector on one end thereof for connection to said telephone jack or telephone and a plug-in connector on the other end thereof for connection to said telephone or telephone handset.