CA2273109A1 - Tidy guide - Google Patents

Abstract

The coiling, storage, moving and uncoiling of electrical cords, ropes cables, hoses, (generic cord) is fraught with difficulty in terms of tangling and lengthy time spent on unravelling before usage. In this invention a tool entitled "Tidy Guide" has been devised that attaches to the cord and enables the user to coil, transport, store, secure and unravel the cord tangle free. The device enables each coil to be placed on the previous coil single file within a guide. The guide looks like a tuning fork. A snap ring secures the coil at the open end of the guide.
The apparatus attaches to the cord by way of a longitudinal slot extending from the bottom of the guide upwards. A slotted cap screws on to the bottom and a notch in the cap forces the cord against the inside wall of the slot thus forming a friction fit.
The cord threads through to the inside base of the fork. For electrical cords the device is best located near the mail plug of the cord. For other cords the location can vary.
The tool as illustrated is for after market application and it is conceivable that the tool could neatly be fused or otherwise incorporated on to an electrical or other cord at time of manufacturing.
The tool could be designed for different lengths diameters and types of cord. As well the construction of the device could well be a metal such as aluminium, reinforced plastics i.e. PVC, urethane, nylon, fibreglass and in :some cases wood. The device could be cast or crafted with appropriate rigid tubing.

Description

SPECIFICATIONS:
1. This device is designed to complement the normal manual movement entailed in coiling up cords. Similarly the secured coils can be unravelled as we normally do but without tangling.

2. Existing devices for managing cords entail bulky reels that are quite heavy and cumbersome. Other spooling devices seem awkward and poorly attached and dangle when in use. Tie downs attached to the cord which enable the user to tie up the accumulated coils would not appear to prevent the tangling when unravelling. Similarly the common practice of coiling the cord in the hand and tying a knot with the cord on completion always has a tendency to tangle when unravelled particularly if the cord has been moved or thrown about in coiled position.

3. The device I have designed is light, simple, sturdy, streamlined, easily attached i~o the cord and enables the simple placement of coils in single file within the guide.
Once the cord is fully placed in the guide it can be secured by a snap ring at the top of tree guide. This ring slips over the top end of the two forks of the guide and is held secure in part by the force of the strands of cord within the guide which have a tendency to force the two forks apart. The intact cord can then be stored, transported, thrown around, kicked and physically manipulated without unravelling. When ready to unravel simply release: the snap ring and uncoil the cord strand by strand or pull out several strands and throw out to the intended place of use. If full length is not needed secure with snap ring and guide will hold existing contained cord intact. The guide stays attached to the cord and does not adversely impede the safety or utility of the cord. The great benefit of the device is that it is easy to attach to after market cords, it complements our natural motion of gathering up cords, is easy to use, is versatile, streamlined, durable, portable, weighs only ounces and is adaptable to many situations.

4. In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention Figure 1 is an elevation of one embodiment. Figure 2 is a top view of the embodiment. A simple electrical cord is shown for illustration. Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, illustrate 4 different side views of the device. Figure 7 is the same view as Figure 1. Figures 3, 4, 5, 6 show the top views while Figures 11, 12, 13, 14 show respective bottom views of the body of the guide. Figure 17 shows the concave view of the friction cap, Figure 18 a side view and Figure 19 the convex bottom view of the cap.

The tool comprises a guide as illustrated in Figure 1. Figure 8 and 10 illustrate the tuning fork appearance of the guide which enables the single file placement of strands of cord.
The snap ring in Figure 1 is i:n the closed position thereby containing the cord within the guide. Also Figure 1 shows the attachment of the friction cap which screws onto the bottom of the guide and squeezes the cord to the inside wall of the base of the guide thereby forming a friction fit. The tool is thus held securely at one spot on the cord.
Figure 15 illustrates a top view of the snap ring and Figure 16 the side view. The attachment of the ring to the body of the tool is shown in Figures 20, through to 23.
Figure 20 and 21 show the ring :in the inactive position while Figures 22 and 23 show the ring in the closed position. To activate the ring, it is slid upwards and pushed over the opposite fork. The force of the coils in the guide tend to push the forks outward slightly and ensures a tight fit.
The drawings are full scale however the sizes can be modified to adapt to different cord lengths, thickness and type. The example tool illustrated can accommodate a 15 meter medium heavy duty extension cord. A longer guide would be required for cords longer than the 15 meters. Similarly the materials can range from metal such as aluminium to various plastics.
The device can with the exception of the snap ring be cast as two pieces or crafted from available rigid tubing and capping devices 5. The device can also be used :in stationary mode simply by releasing the snap ring and hanging it over a nail or hook.
This would be of utility in a workshop situation when dealing with a long or heavy cord or 'where the full length was not required. The single file coiling keeps the cords neat and tidy. A stationary device lends itself to managing compressed air hoses, in shops or gas stations. Also some types of water hoses. For permanent stationary applications a second point of attachment of the tool to enable stationary wall positioning would be beneficial and could easily be incorporated in the design. The various applications would require different sizing and type of materials depending on strength required. Permanent stationary devices could be constructed of heavier materials.
In portable mode the device could find application in specialised endeavours such a:~ mountain rescue where long sections of rope have to be managed or generally in any situation where long lengths of cords, hoses or flexible coilable materials are used.

The device could also be fused or designed to be permanently affixed to an elecarical extension cord at the time of manufacture. This would preclude the need for the after market attachment feature of the device. An attractive guide could be incorporated as part of the extension cord.

Claims (11)

1. A manually operable tool which is affixed to and enables the normal coiling of extension cords, air hoses rope, cable or other coilable materials within a guide shaped as a tuning fork and which enables single file stacking of gathered coils.

2. A tool as described in claim 1 which is affixed and encircles the cord with a friction cap mechanism or other means including incorporation or otherwise fusing onto the cord by and in the manufacture of the cord.

3. A tool as defined in claim 1 and 2, in which a snap ring in the form of a steel split rim is threaded through a slot at the distal end of one of the forks of the guide.

4. A tool as defined in claim 1, 2 and, 3 in which a snap ring can be activated by slipping upward in the slot over the end of the two forks of the guide to contain the coils in the guide.

5. A tool as defined in claim 1, 2, 3, and 4, in which a snap ring when activated is held in place by the force of the gathered coils in the guide which forces the forks of the guide outward and ensures a tight fit.

6. A tool as defined in claim 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, in which the snap ring can be deactivated and all or some of the coils can be removed from the guide singly or jointly.

7. A tool as defined in claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, where the snap ring can be deactivated and some of the contained coils removed for use with remaining coils being contained within the guide by reactivating the snap ring.

8. A tool as defined in claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, where the snap ring is holstered in the rectangular slot when deactivated.

9. A tool as defined in claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 which can be adapted to stationary use by deactivating the snap ring and hanging on a hook.

10. A tool as defined in claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 in which all components save the snap ring can be cast of aluminium, plastics and or crafted of similar type rigid tubing materials.

11. A tool as defined in claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 which can be sized to accommodate different types and lengths of cords.