GB2236302A

GB2236302A - Retractable clothes line

Info

Publication number: GB2236302A
Application number: GB8921765A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ju-Nin Lin
Original assignee: LIN JU NIN
Current assignee: LIN JU NIN
Priority date: 1989-09-27
Filing date: 1989-09-27
Publication date: 1991-04-03
Also published as: GB8921765D0

Abstract

A clothes line, or tape, 44, Fig. 5, is pulled from a reel, within casing wall 40, against the bias of a spiral spring. The line passes through rotatable, slotted shaft 23, and zig-zag path 350. The extended line, anchored at end 48, is tensioned by rotating shaft 23, using a circular knob on the casing, to wind-up the line, Fig. 7. Unwinding is prevented by a shaft-driven ratchet. Release of the ratchet, by pressing a triangular knob on the casing, allows the spiral spring to wind-up and retract the line. <IMAGE>

Description

PORTABLE CLOTHES DRYING REEL TAPE This invention relates to a portable clothes drying reel tape.

In population condensed area where the living space is in short it has become a common problem to every family to find a place for drying clothes in the sun.

Regularly, people may transversely tie a rope or set a bamboo pole or the like for hanging of clothes in the sun. The use of hanging rope is not very practical because the rope can not support too much wet clothes. In case a clothes drying pole, rack or stand is used, a spacious area is required.

This is also not practical to regular families in apartment or building because they do not have sufficient space for nounting clothes drying pole, rack or stand. Further, the use of clothes drying pole, rack or stand will also destroy the beauty of a building.

It is therefore, the an object of the present invention to provide such a portable clothes drying reel tape which is portable and convenient in use.

It is another object of the present invention to provide such a portable clothes drying reel tape which can be extended for hanging thereon of clothes or automatically received in a reel for storage when not in use.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a portable clothes drying reel tape which does not consume much space whether in use or not.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide such a portable clothes drying reel tape which provides rigid tensile force to support a big amount of clothes for drying in the sun.

According to the present invention, a portable clothes drying reel tape is generally comprised of a reel tape having a clothes hanging tape winding thereround which MY be pulled out for hanging of clothes hangers or received in the reel tape for storage, a check device which serves to stop the clothes hanging tape against withdrawing when it is pulled out for hanging of clothes , and a tape bearing seat which serves to bear the gravity of the clothes hanging tape so as to let the clothes hanging tape provide a proper tensile force for hanging of clothes when the clothes hanging tape is pulled out.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment considered in connection with the annexed drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective assembly view of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective exploded view of the present invention; Fig. 3 is a partly cross-sectional view of the present invention; Fig. 4 is a schematic drawing illustrating the application of the present invention for hanging thereon of clothes; Fig. 5 is a top sectional view of the present invention, illustrating that the clothes hanging tape is pulling out of the casing; Fig. 6 is a side sectional view of the present invention, illustrating that the clothes hanging tape is pulling out of the casing;; Fig. 7 is a drawing similar to Fig. 5, illustrating the operation of the shaft to turn tight the clothes hanging tape; Fig. 8 is a partly sectional view of the present invention, illustrating the operation of the tape return control key to force the rear bevel end of the check pawl to move forward; Fig. 9 is a schematic drawing illustrating the operation of the check pawl when the curved front end of the check pawl is driven to break away from the ratchet; and Fig. 10 is a schematic drawing illustrating the operation when the clothes hanging tape is taking up Turning now to the attached drawings in great detail and first referring to Figs. 1 through 3, therein illustrated is a portable clothes drying reel tape embodying the present invention and generally comprised of a cover 1, a casing 3, a ratchet check device 2, a tape reel 4, and a positioning block 5.

The cover 1 has a conical configuration comprising a projecting front end 10 with concave stripes 11 made thereon, a front notch 12 through which the tape 44 of the tape reel 4 is passing, a rectangular convex block 13 on the top at the front part, a circular hole 14 on the rectangular convex block 13, and a triangular hole 15 on the top by the circular hole 14.

The ratchet check device 2 is mounted on a projecting ring 30 of the casing 3 and including a knob 20 set in the circular hole 14 and comprising longitudinally an outer gear rack 200 and an inner gear rack 201; a gear set comprised of a gear cap 21 set in the knob 20 engaged with the inner gear rack 201, a gear housing 22 connected to the gear cap 21 at the bottom to define therewith a receiving space for receiving therein an upper gear wheel 24 and a lower gear wheel 25; a shaft 23 having a washer 232 set at the top for mounting thereon of the said gear set; and a ratchet 28 at the bottom, wherein the upper gear wheel 24 comprises a cylindrical portion 240 at the top for mounting thereon of a spring 243, a toothed portion 242 at the bottom to engage with the toothed portion 250 of the lower gear wheel 25; the lower gear wheel 25 is having a gear guide 251 inserted therethrough at the center to let the upper gear wheel 24 and the lower gear wheel 25 be firmly positioned inside the gear housing 22 and the gear cap and comprising a cylindrical portion 252 at the bottom defining therein a square slot for receiving the top square end of the shaft 23; and the shaft 23 is having a notch 230 piercing therethrough for setting therein of the tape 44 of the tape reel 4 and having integrally a bottom square end 231 set in the central square hole of the ratchet 26.

The casing 3 which is having a configuration matching with the cover 1 for receiving therein the tape reel 4 and the ratchet check device 2 is comprising a projected side-wall 31 to support the cover 1, a front notch 32 to aitch with the front notch 12 of the cover 1 to form an outlet for passing therethrough of the tape 44 of the tape tape reel 4, two bolt holes 33 and 34 at the back of the front notch 32, a tape bearing seat 35 fixedly connected to the two bolt holes 33 and 34 by screw weans and defining therein a zigzag slot 350, a projecting ring 30 for mounting thereon of the ratchet check device 2, a projecting cylinder 36 at a position opposite to the triangular hole 15 of the cover 1 having mounted thereon of a check pawl 37 for tape return control by means of a tape return control key 39, a circular wall portion 40 at the back side supported by a plurality of reinforced ribs 42 defining an opening 400 for passing therethrough of the tape 44 of the tape reel 4, a stub 41 at the center of the circular wall portion 40 for mounting thereon of the tape reel 4, and two square holes 401 and 402 in the circular wall portion 40 for fixation of the casing onto the positioning block 5, wherein the check pawl 37 is integrally having a curved front end 370 engaged with the ratchet 26, a cylindrical block 371 in the middle connected to the ratchet 26 by means of a tension spring 38 to force the curved front end 370 be constantly engaged with the teeth of the ratchet 26, and a bevel end 372; and the tape return control key 39 is set in the triangular hole 15 of the cover 1 comprising a bottom rod 390 having mounted thereon a return spring 391 to force the tape return control key 39 return to original position each time after having been pressed down. When the tape return control key 39 is pressed down, the bottom rod 390 will press on the bevel end 372 of the check pawl 37 to force the bevel end 372 to move forward to further let the curved front end 370 break away from the ratchet 26.

The tape reel 4 is including a reel 43 having a recessed center portion 45, a clothes hanging tape 44 winding thereround, a stub 430 in the center, a notch on the inner side wall of the recessed center portion 45, a spiral spring 47 set in the recessed center portion 45 having the rear end fixedly connected to the center stub 430 and the front hook end 470 set in the notch 46. The tape 44 is having its front end passing through the notch 230 of the shaft 23, the zigzag slot 350 of the tape bearing seat 35 Xand the outlet formed of the front notches 12 and 32 of the casing 3 and the cover 1 to fixedly connected to a pull head 48 conprised of a pressure plate 49 and a pull head plate 48 at the outer side of the notches 12 and 32. Through the arrangement of the pull head 48, the tape 44 nay be easily pulled out for hanging thereon of clothes.

The positioning block 5 is having four bolt holes 50 for fixation onto any surface by means of screw means, two hook means 51 for conveniently connection thereto of the clothes drying reel tape.

Operation of the clothes drying reel tape described above is extremely simple and outlined hereinafter with reference made to Figs. 4 through 6. The pull head 48 is pulled out of the notches 12 and 32 for a certain range according to requirement and firmly positioned by means of the hanging holes 440. Then turn round the knob 20 to drive the shaft 23 to rotate so as to pull tight the tape 44.

By means of the effect of the zigzag slot 350 of the tape bearing seat 35, a proper tension force of the tape 44 is easily achieved. With reference to Figs 7 through 9, when not in use, the tape return control key 39 is pressed down to let the bottom rod 390 force the bevel end 372 of the check pawl 37 to Jove forward so as to further let the curved front end 370 separate from the ratchet 26. Therefore, the spiral spring 47 immediately forces the reel 43 to revolve so as to take up the tape 44.

As indicated, the present invention is to provide such a portable clothes drying reel tape which is compact and portable for convenient use to minimize space consumption.

In this specification reference to a "tape" includes reference to any suitable flexible material such as string, rope, plastics, plastics coated wire, or a wide elongated strip or tape like material all of which are windable onto the reel of the tape reel.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A portable clothes drying reel comprising a housing having a casing and a cover therefor, the casing being arranged to support therein a tape reel, a tape return mechanism and a ratchet mechanism, the cover having an outlet aperture at one end thereof through which the tape is passed, a first aperture therein through which extends a control for the ratchet mechanism, and a second aperture for operating the tape return mechanism wherein the tape is extendable from the housing by a desired amount and is prevented from rewinding by the ratchet mechanism, and wherein upon operating the tape return mechanism the tape is returned in the reel.

2. A portable clothes drying reel tape, including: a cover comprising a projecting front end with concave stripes made thereon, a front outlet, a circular hole for mounting thereon of a knob, and a triangular hole for setting therein of a tape return control key; a casing for connection with said cover, comprising integrally a circular wall portion for setting therein of a tape reel, and two holes for connection with a positioning block; a ratchet check device comprising a knob set in said circular hole of said cover, a gear set composed of a gear cap set in said knob, a gear housing connected to said gear cap at the bottom to define therewith a receiving space for receiving therein an upper gear wheel and a lower gear wheel, a shaft having a washer set at the top for bunting thereon of said gear set, and a ratchet at the bottom;; a tape return control mechanism comprised of a control key having a botton rod counted with a tension spring, and a check pawl connected to said ratchet of said ratchet check device and comprised of a curved front end and a bevel rear end; a tape bearing seat fixedly set between said casing and said cover at the inner side of said outlet; and a tape reel comprising a reel having a recessed center portion, a center stub, a clothes hanging tape winding thereround, a notch on the inner side wall of said recessed center portion, a spiral spring set in said recessed center portion having the rear end fixedly connected to said center stub and the front hook end set in the notch of said recessed center portion; wherein said clothes hanging tape My be pulled out for a certain range and stopped by said ratchet check device to provide a proper tensile force by ~earns of the effect of said tape bearing seat for hanging thereon of clothes, or said tape return control key nay be pressed down to let said clothes hanging tape be immediately received back into said reel.

3. The portable clothes drying reel tape according to claim2, wherein said check pawl is integrally comprising a curved front end engaged with said, a cylindrical block in the middle connected to said ratchet by means of a tension spring to force said curved front end be constantly engaged with the teeth of said ratchet, and a bevel end, and wherein when said tape return control key is pressed down to let the bottom rod of said tape return control key force the bevel end of said check pawl to move forward to further let the curved front end of said check pawl separate from said ratchet of said ratchet check device, said spiral spring immediately forces said reel to take up said clothes hanging tape.

4. The portable clothes drying reel tape according to claim 2, wherein said tape bearing seat is a rectangular block having a zigzag slot set therein for passing therethrough of said clothes hanging tape to let the gravity of said clothes hanging tape be well supported.

5. The portable clothes drying reel tape according to claim 2, wherein said shaft of said ratchet check device is having a slot piercing therethrough in the middle for passing therethrough of said clothes hanging tape, and the revolving of said shaft will pull tight said clothes hanging tape for hanging of clothes.

6. The portable clothes drying reel tape according to claim 2, wherein said said upper gear wheel is engaged with said lower gear wheel in a manner that when said upper gear wheel is turned to its limit, it immediately becomes in idle rotation.

7. The portable clothes drying reel tape according to claim 2, wherein said ratchet of said ratchet check device is having bevel teeth for engagement with the curved front end of said check pawl to become firmly positioned.

8. The portable clothes drying reel tape according to claim 2,wherein said clothes hanging tape is an elongated strip having a plurality of hanging holes for connection of clothes hangers, and a front pull head set at the outer side of the outlet of said casing to prevent from complete withdraw of said clothes hanging tape into said reel.

9. The portable clothes drying reel tape according to claim 2, wherein said pull head is comprised of a pull head plate having concave-convex strips made thereon, and a pressure plate having a raised front end portion inserted into said pull head plate to firmly retain the front end of said clothes hanging tape therebetween.

10. A portable clothes drying reel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.