Hose reel, and method of using thereof

• US 8,702,026 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2011
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keter-Plastic Limited
• Original Assignee: Keter-Plastic Limited
• Inventors: Evans, Richard Douglas, Maltz, Avraham
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, SANG K
• Application Number:
  US13/067,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20120325952A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 242/395, 242/395.1, 242/398, 242/405.3, 242/578, 2425781-5783
• US Class Current: 242/395
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/33 Hollow or hose-like material
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/241 axially adjustable reels or bobbins
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/40 mobile or transportable
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/4465 Foldable or collapsible
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/4478 relating to handling of fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/4494 Arrangements or adaptations of the crank

Abstract

The present invention includes an expandable hose reel, which may include: a housing defined by at least one or more base members; a spool rotatably disposed within the housing, wherein the spool is adapted to connect to a flexible hose; a winding mechanism to rotate the spool and to coil the flexible hose around the spool; and an expansion mechanism to modify a length of the spool.

Claims

1. A hose reel comprising:

a housing (101) comprising (a) a first horizontal leg member (106), (b) a second horizontal leg member (107), and (c) a top member (108);

a spool (102) rotatably disposed within the housing (101), wherein the spool (102) is adapted to connect to a flexible hose (199);

wherein the top member (108) comprises an upper expansion mechanism (112) to modify a length of the top member (108);

wherein the first horizontal leg member (106) comprises a first leg expansion mechanism (110) to modify a length of the first horizontal leg member (106);

wherein the second horizontal leg member (107) comprises a second leg expansion mechanism (111) to modify a length of the second horizontal leg member (107);

wherein the spool (102) comprises a spool expansion mechanism (109) to modify a length of the spool (102);

a single-handle winding mechanism comprising a single handle (103) to rotate the spool so as to coil the flexible hose (199) around the spool (102), wherein coiling of the flexible hose (199) gradually expands said expansion mechanisms (109, 110, 111, 112) in response to gradual increase in volume of the flexible hose (199) being coiled around the spool (102).

2. The hose reel of claim 1, wherein each one of the first leg expansion mechanism (110), the second leg expansion mechanism (111), and the upper expansion mechanism (112) comprises a telescopic mechanism having two or more nested elements.

3. The hose reel of claim 2, wherein the spool expansion mechanism (109) is to stretch in length upon application of a pull force which pulls the single handle (103) in an outwardly direction away from the spool (102).

4. The hose reel of claim 1, wherein said expansion mechanisms (109, 110, 111, 112) are to expand a width of the housing (101) in response to an increase in volume of the flexible hose (199) coiled around the spool (102).

5. The hose reel of claim 1, wherein the housing (101) comprises a support frame defined by first and second sides;

wherein the expansion mechanism is to increase a distance between the first and second sides of the support frame in response to a pulling of said single handle (103) in an outwardly direction away from the spool (102).

6. The hose reel of claim 1, wherein the spool (102) comprises a connector to detachably attach the flexible hose (199) to the spool (102).

7. The hose reel of claim 6, wherein the connector comprises:

a first tube (171) generally parallel to the spool (102);

a second tube (172) generally perpendicular to the first tube (171);

a third tube (173) which is both (A) generally perpendicular to the second tube (172) and (B) generally perpendicular to the first tube (171);

a connector ending (174) connected to said third tube (173).

8. The hose reel of claim 1, wherein a lower part of the hose reel comprises two or more wheels to allow manual wheeling of the hose reel.

9. The hose reel of claim 1, wherein the single handle (103) is a fixed non-folding handle.

10. The hose reel of claim 1, wherein the single handle (103) is a multiple-position handle able to pivot from a raised position to a lowered position.

11. The hose reel of claim 1, further comprising an electric motor to rotate the spool (102).

12. The hose reel of claim 1, wherein a width of the housing is modifiable in response to rotation of said single handle (103).

13. The hose reel of claim 1, wherein at least the spool and all the expansion mechanisms (109, 110, 111, 112) are formed of plastic.

14. The hose reel of claim 1, wherein at least the spool and all the expansion mechanisms (109, 110, 111, 112) are formed of one or more injected plastic materials.

15. The hose reel of claim 1, wherein substantially all components of the hose reel are formed of plastic.

16. The hose reel of claim 1, wherein substantially all components of the hose reel are formed of one or more injected plastic materials.

17. The hose reel of claim 1, further comprising said flexible hose, wherein the flexible hose is detachably attached to the spool.

18. The hose reel of claim 1, wherein the spool (102) comprises at least two sub-units (121, 122).

19. The hose reel of claim 1, further comprising:

a cross-shaped terminator (131) connected between a first end of the spool (102), wherein the first end of the spool (102) is opposite to a second end of the spool (102) which is connected to said single handle (103).

20. The hose reel of claim 19, wherein the cross-shaped terminator (131) comprises an adapter (195) to detachably connect to a secondary hose (197).

21. The hose reel of claim 20, wherein the adapter (195) allows transfer of a liquid from said secondary hose (197), through said adapter (195), through said spool (102), through a hose connector (115), to said flexible hose (199).