Reel device carried on one's person

• US 6,290,158 B1
• Filed: 10/14/1999
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yuh-Lin Huang
• Original Assignee: Yuh-Lin Huang
• Inventors: Huang, Yuh-Lin
• Primary Examiner(s): Jillions, John M.
• Application Number:
  US09/418,128
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 242/379, 242/379.2, 242/402, 242/404.2, 242/404.3, 242/380, 337/61, 337/68, 337/69, 119/796
• US Class Current: 242/379
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 27/004 Retractable leashes
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/004 with an automatic spring reel
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/48 Automatic re-storing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 3/1043 Details of internal structure thereof, e.g. means for coupling separately moulded casing halves
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 3/1046 Details of external structure thereof, e.g. shapes for ensuring firmer hold
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 3/1056 Tape end arrangements, e.g. end-hooks
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 3/11 Chains for measuring length

Abstract

A rotatable reel carried on one'"'"'s person having a housing assembled from an upper lid and a bottom lid is disclosed. A male upper cover and a female lower cover are provided in the housing to form a reel axle to be placed therein a coil spring and a roll of pulling rope. One end of the rope is exposed to the exterior of the housing to connect with a clamp on the surface of the bottom lid. A slightly smaller lining sleeve is slipped in the upper lid, the bottom lid is slipped over the lining sleeve and abutted on a protruding portion provided on the lining sleeve for tight connecting with the upper lid. A rivet sleeve is extended through central holes of the bottom lid, the reel and the lining sleeve and is rivet fastened with its end to the lining sleeve. The upper lid is provided directly on the planar surface thereof with a hole for receiving a decorative piece, the hole can be formed by punching molding to have various shapes to give various decorative possibilities for the reel. Alternatively, the hole can be directly added with an elastomer pad sandwiched between the upper lid and the lining sleeve to function as a decorative piece. And the reel axle is formed by slipping of the male upper cover in the female lower cover, space for receiving the coil spring and the pulling rope can be enlarged. This allows convenient rotation within 360 degrees of the reel in pulling out a rope, besides, the end of the rope can be elastically reeled back to its proper position without frictional damage.

Claims

1. A rotatable reel carried on one'"'"'s person comprising:

a housing having an upper lid and a bottom lid, a male upper cover and a female lower cover are provided in an interior of said housing to form a reel axle to be placed therein a coil spring and a roll of pulling rope, one end of said pulling rope is exposed to an exterior of said housing and has a pulling control member thereon;

said bottom lid has mounted on an exterior surface thereof a clamp;

a lining sleeve placed in said upper lid, said bottom lid placed over said lining sleeve and abutted on a protruding portion provided on said lining sleeve and connected with said upper lid;

a rivet sleeve extending through central holes of said bottom lid, said reel axle and said lining sleeve and rivet fastened at an end to said lining sleeve; and

said upper lid having on an exterior surface thereof, a decorative piece.

2. A rotatable reel carried on one'"'"'s person as defined in claim 1, wherein,

said upper lid is provided on its surface with a hole for receiving said decorative piece.

3. A rotatable reel carried on one'"'"'s person as defined in claim 1, wherein,

a pad is sandwiched between said upper lid and said lining sleeve, said pad is exposed to the exterior through said hole for receiving said decorative piece.

4. A rotatable reel carried on one'"'"'s person as defined in claim 1, wherein,

said male upper cover is provided with a peripheral upper ring and a hollow connecting bowl, a receiving space is formed in said hollow connecting bowl;

while said female lower cover is correspondingly provided with a lower peripheral ring and a fitting-over collar tightly matching with said connecting bowl of said male upper cover;

when said connecting bowl and said fitting-over collar are fittingly connected with each other, a space in said male upper cover is adapted to placing therein said coil spring, and said pulling rope is wrapped about said female lower cover.

5. A rotatable reel carried on one'"'"'s person as defined in claim 1, wherein,

an end of said rivet sleeve is used to movably rivet a clamp mounted on one side of said bottom lid with a rivet at a concave area.

6. A rotatable reel carried on one'"'"'s person as defined in claim 1, wherein,

a clamp on one side of said bottom lid is punching molded to form a protruding annulus with a hole therein, a concave portion is provided centrally of a side on the reel, said protruding annulus is aligned with and fitted in said concave portion and is locked in an axle hole provided centrally of said concave portion with a connecting member, said pulling control member includes a top plane surface having thereon a top hole, said pulling control member is loaded therein with a ball to abut against an inner surface of said pulling control member, said ball is partially exposed to the exterior through said top hole;

a pulling rope is extended through a rope hole of a sleeve provided on the periphery of said reel body, and said top hole on said pulling control member and a hole of said ball, and then is made at the end thereof a tie to be positioned in said ball.

7. A rotatable reel carried on one'"'"'s person as defined in claim 6, wherein,

a neck portion is provided at a junction of a shank and a head of said connecting member extending in said hole of said protruding annulus of said clamp.

8. A rotatable reel carried on one'"'"'s person as defined in claim 7, wherein,

said neck portion of said connecting member is formed integrally with said shank.

9. A rotatable reel carried on one'"'"'s person as defined in claim 7, wherein;

said neck portion of said connecting member is provided with a collar slipped over said junction.

10. A rotatable reel carried on one'"'"'s person as defined in claim 6, wherein,

said connecting member is a rivet, extending in said hole of said protruding annulus of said clamp.

11. A rotatable reel carried on one'"'"'s person as defined in claim 10, wherein,

a neck portion is formed integrally with said shank.

12. A rotatable reel carried on one'"'"'s person as defined in claim 10, wherein,

a neck portion of said connecting member is provided with a collar slipped over a junction of a shank and a head.

13. A rotatable reel carried on one'"'"'s person comprising:

a housing having an upper lid and a bottom lid, said bottom lid has on an exterior surface thereof a clamp, a pulling control member located exteriorly of a periphery of said reel;

a clamp includes a flat portion abutting on said bottom lid and a clamping portion, said flat portion is provided centrally with a protruding annulus, said protruding annulus is fitted in a concave portion with a connecting member in order that said reel can be rotated 360 degrees.

14. A rotatable reel carried on one'"'"'s person as defined in claim 13, wherein,

said clamp is provided with a hole on said protruding annulus, said concave portion provided centrally of the side having said clamp on said reel body is provided centrally thereof with an axle hole, said connecting member is extended and locked into said axle hole through said hole of said protruding annulus.

15. A rotatable reel carried on one'"'"'s person as defined in claim 14, wherein,

said connecting member is a bolt, having a neck portion provided at a junction of a shank and a head of said bolt.

16. A rotatable reel carried on one'"'"'s person as defined in claim 15, wherein,

said neck portion is formed integrally with said shank.

17. A rotatable reel carried on one'"'"'s person as defined in claim 15, wherein,

said neck portion of said connecting member is provided with a collar slipped over said junction.

18. A rotatable reel carried on one'"'"'s person as defined in claim 13, wherein,

said clamp is a close typed clamp having a hole on one side thereof.

19. A rotatable reel carried on one'"'"'s person as defined in claim 13 wherein,

a hanging hook is provided on the top of said clamp.