Adjustable christmas light spool

• US 5,873,540 A
• Filed: 08/18/1997
• Issued: 02/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Randy Hardin
• Original Assignee: Randy Hardin
• Inventors: Hardin, Randy
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Donald P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RIVERA, WILLIAM ARAUZ
• Application Number:
  US08/926,594
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 242/388, 242/388.1, 242/388.6, 242/405, 242/405.1, 242/578, 242/578.1, 242/601, 242/608.5, 242/608.7, 242/609, 242/609.1, 242/609.2, 242/609.3 , 242/613, 206/403, 206/404, 206/405, 206/406
• US Class Current: 242/405.1
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/3915 Strings of lights, e.g. Christmas lighting
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/5122 Plastics
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/143 at least one end flange being shaped to cover the windings
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/2209 collapsible by use of hinged or slidable parts; foldable without removing parts

Abstract

An adjustable Christmas light spool including a pair of covers each including a torus portion. The torrid portion is defined by a full torus sliced by a plane which resides perpendicular with respect to a center axis of the full torus thereby defining an annular dish. Further included is an adjustable central coupling associated with each cover. By this structure, a string of Christmas lights may be wrapped about the central coupling and the covers may be expanded and contracted for providing optimal protection to the Christmas lights.

Claims

1. A adjustable Christmas light spool comprising, in combination:

a string of Christmas lights;

an upper extent including a hollow central tube with a cylindrical configuration, the upper extent having a cover including a torus portion, the torus portion defined by a full torus sliced by a plane which resides perpendicular with respect to a center axis of the full torus thereby defining an annular dish with a cross-section defining a half of a circle, the torus portion of the upper extent having an inner periphery integrally coupled to the central tube in concentric relationship therewith, the cover of the upper extent further including a cylinder portion having a periphery integrally coupled with an outer periphery of the torus portion and extending over at least 1/6 a length of the central tube, wherein a height of the torus portion of the upper extent is approximately equal to that of the cylinder portion of the upper extent;

a rectangular slot formed in the torus portion of the upper extent for passing a plug of the string of Christmas lights, wherein the slot extends from a point that is proximate to an apex of the annular dish and extends outwardly to a point adjacent the outer periphery of the torus portion; and

an lower extent including a hollow central tube with a cylindrical configuration, wherein the central tube of the lower extent has a diameter greater than that of the upper extent and further has a frusto-conical, tapered upper end for preventing the movement of a leading end of the central tube of the lower extent from binding the string of Christmas lights, the lower extent having a cover including a torus portion, the torus portion defined by a full torus sliced by a plane which resides perpendicular with respect to a center axis of the full torus thereby defining an annular dish with a cross-section defining a half of a circle, the torus portion of the lower extent having an inner periphery integrally coupled to the central tube in concentric relationship therewith, the cover of the lower extent further including a cylinder portion having a periphery integrally coupled with an outer periphery of the torus portion and extending over at least 1/6 a length of the central tube, wherein a height of the torus portion of the lower extent is approximately equal to that of the cylinder portion of the lower extent;

whereby the upper extent may be engaged with the lower extent and the string of Christmas lights may be wrapped about the central tubes of the upper and lower extents and the covers of the upper and lower extents may be expanded and contracted for providing optimal protection to the Christmas lights, wherein the cylindrical portions of the upper and lower extents reside in a common cylinder.

2. The adjustable Christmas light spool as set forth in claim 1 wherein the central tube of the lower extent has a pair of diametrically opposed slots extending along an entire length thereof and wherein the central tube of the upper extent has a pair of diametrically opposed detents each formed on a deformable tab, wherein the central tube of the upper extent is adapted to be slidably situated within the central tube of the lower extent such that the detents are slidably situated through the slots thereby precluding the separation of the upper extent and lower extent, wherein the detents may be depressed inwardly such that the upper and lower extents are separable.