Cord reel assembly

• US 5,535,960 A
• Filed: 08/31/1994
• Issued: 07/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GTE Airfone Incorporated (GOGO Incorporated)
• Inventors: Burke, Paul C., Skowronski, Richard E., Feutz, Gary S., Hogg, William E.
• Primary Examiner(s): DARLING, JOHN PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US08/298,192
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 242/378, 242/378.4, 242/388, 242/388.1, 242/388.5, 191/12.2 R, 191/12.4
• US Class Current: 242/378.4
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/15 Protecting or guiding telephone cords

Abstract

A cord reel assembly is provided which maintains a length of stationary wire and a length of shielded retractable wire around a spool. The assembly dispenses the retractable wire as an attached handset is extended away from the assembly, while the stationary wire is concurrently being wound. A portion of the stationary wire internal to a housing enclosure is unshielded, while a portion extending outside the housing enclosure is shielded. The unshielded stationary wire is shielded by applying conductive paint or electroplating to the housing enclosure, thereby reducing EMI emissions. A spring cover retains a recoil spring and provides a bearing surface against a spindle member. The winding direction of the stationary and retractable wires is chosen, and the stationary wire conductors are arranged with shield ground wires, such that EMI emissions are reduced.

Claims

1. A cord reel assembly, comprising:

a housing;

a storage unit disposed within said housing and supporting a stationary coil and a movable coil, said stationary coil including a plurality of signal conductors organized into conductor pairs carrying similar signals in opposite directions and a plurality of ground conductors, at least one of said plurality of ground conductors separating said conductor pairs; and

a tension element disposed within saint housing and coupled to said storage unit, said tension clement resisting dispension of said movable coil from said housing.

2. A cord reel assembly, comprising:

a storage unit for storing a stationary coil and a movable coil;

a tension element coupled to said storage unit for resisting dispension of said movable coil; and

a housing enclosing said storage unit and said tension means, said housing including a hook-shaped exit allowing a first shielded wire coil segment of said stationary coil to extend from within said exit to outside said housing and a second unshielded wire coil segment of said stationary coil to be enclosed within said exit.

3. A cord reel assembly, comprising:

a housing;

a storage unit disposed within said housing and supporting a stationary coil and a movable coil, said storage unit including a spool and a spindle removably positioned within said spool, said spindle being detachably mounted to said housing, said housing forming a first EMI shield positioned to minimize EMI emissions from the cord reel assembly, said spool forming a second EMI shield positioned to minimize signal interference between said stationary coil and said movable coil; and

a tension element including a recoil spring distinct from said stationary coil, said tension element being disposed within said housing and coupled to said storage unit, said tension element resisting dispension of said movable coil from said housing.

4. The assembly as recited in claim 3 wherein said storage unit forms a first hub for maintaining said stationary coil and a second hub for maintaining said movable coil.

5. The assembly as recited in claim 4 wherein said stationary coil is tight around said first hub when said movable coil is fully dispensed from said housing and is tight against an inner wail of said housing when said movable coil is fully retracted into said housing.

6. The assembly as recited in claim 4 wherein said second EMI shield is positioned at said second hub of said spool.

7. The assembly as recited in claim 3 wherein said second EMI shield includes a layer of conductive paint on a surface of said spool.

8. The assembly as recited in claim 3 wherein said second EMI shield includes electroplating on a surface of said spool.

9. The assembly as recited in claim 3 wherein said storage unit is operable to tighten said stationary coil as said movable coil is dispensed from said housing and to loosen said stationary coil as said movable coil is retracted into said housing.

11. The assembly as recited in claim 3 wherein said first EMI shield includes electroplating on a surface thereof.

12. The assembly as recited in claim 3 wherein said housing is fabricated from a conductive material selected from a group consisting of conductive plastic and conductive metal.

13. The assembly as recited in claim 3 wherein said spool is fabricated from a conductive material selected from a group consisting of conductive plastic and conductive metal.

10. The assembly as recited in claim 19 wherein said first EMI shield includes a layer of conductive paint on a surface thereof.

14. A cord reel assembly, comprising:

a housing;

a storage unit disposed within said housing and supporting a stationary coil and a movable coil, said storage unit including a spool and a spindle removably positioned within said spool, said spindle being detachably mounted to said housing; and

a tension element disposed within said housing and coupled to said storage unit, said tension element resisting dispension of said movable coil from said housing, said tension element including a recoil spring in tension communication with said movable coil, said recoil spring and said spindle being constructed and arranged such that said recoil spring is pretensioned in response to rotating said spindle a predetermined number of turns relative to said storage unit and locking said spindle to said housing.

15. The assembly as recited in claim 14 wherein said spindle includes a socket for receiving a key for rotating said spindle, and said spindle includes a mounting element for locking said spindle to said housing.

16. A method of manufacturing a cord reel assembly, comprising the steps of:

fabricating a housing with a first EMI shield for minimizing EMI emissions from the cord reel assembly;

fabricating a storage unit for supporting a stationary coil and a movable coil, the storage unit including a spool and a spindle removably positioned within the spool, the spool forming a second EMI shield positioned to minimize signal interference between the stationary coil and the movable coil;

after fabricating the housing with the first EMI shield, connecting the spindle of the storage unit to the housing; and

positioning a tension element within the housing and coupling the tension element to the storage unit such that the tension element resists dispension of the movable coil from the housing, the tension element including a recoil spring distinct from the stationary coil.