GB2237730A

GB2237730A - Hand held electric tool with cable and plug storage

Info

Publication number: GB2237730A
Application number: GB8920528A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Harry S Thomson; David M Raffo
Original assignee: ISOS Ltd; LARKMONO Ltd
Current assignee: ISOS Ltd; LARKMONO Ltd
Priority date: 1989-09-11
Filing date: 1989-09-11
Publication date: 1991-05-15
Also published as: GB8920528D0

Abstract

A hand held electric tool has an electric cable 3 with a plug 9, and comprises a base 6 on which the tool may stand when not in use, said base including a formation 4 around which the electric cable 3 may be wound and said base 6 including a recess 8 adapted to receive the plug 9. The tool is an electric carving knife, and is provided with slots for retaining detached knife blades. <IMAGE>

Description

ELECTRIC TOOL This invention relates to hand held electric tools, particularly but not exclusively to tools which are stored on end when not in use.

Hand held electric tools, powered by means of a cable extending from the tool are commonly stored with the cable wound around the body of the tool. This has the disadvantage that the cable may become tangled. In addition there is no place for proper storage of the plug, allowing the cable to become unwound. Moreover the plug may obstruct storage of the tool or removal of the latter from the storage place.

According to the present invention a hand held electric tool comprises a base on which it may stand when not in use, said base including a formation around which the cable may be wound and the base including a recess adapted to receive a plug attached to the cable.

The apparatus may include a groove into which the end of the cable adjacent the plug may be received and retained to prevent unravelling of the cable.

The base is preferably dimensioned to allow the tool to be stored in an upright position in a stable manner.

The invention is further described by means of example but not in any limitative sense, with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an electric carving knife in accordance with this invention, Figure 2 shows the end of the carving knife, Figure 3 illustrates an alternative base for the carving knife shown in Figure 2, and Figure 4 shows the carving knife in a stowed position.

The carving knife shown in Figure 1 comprises a blade 1 attached to a motor unit 2 in conventional manner. The rear portion of the body of the motor unit 2 is extended to provide a formation around which the cable 3 may be wound when not in use. The formation comprises a generally rounded annular structure 4 with a larger terminal flange 5 which serves to prevent cable from slipping form the structure 4.

The arrangement is shown in further detail in Figure 2.

The cable storage arrangement provides a generally planar base 6 upon which the carving knife may stand as shown in Figure 4. The base incorporates a channel 7 adapted to receive and retain the cable 3 and further includes a recess 8 adapted to receive and retain the plug 9 when the latter is not in use. The configuration of the recess 8 is arranged to co-operate with the exterior of the plug to retain the latter. The configuration may differ as shown in Figure 3 to accomodate two pin plugs 10 or other kinds of electrical plugs.

Figure 4 shows the motor unit 2 resting upon the generally planar base portion 6. Slots 11 are adapted to receive and retain the blades 12 of the carving knife when the latter have been detached from the motor unit.

The invention provides a simple and tidy method of storage of an electric carving knife preventing entaglement of the cable. Entanglement of the cable can be hazardous in the event that the carving knife with blades attached is dislodged when removing another item of kitchen ware.

Claims

1. A hand held electric tool having an electric cable with a plug, comprising a base forming part of the tool on which the tool may stand when not in use, said base including a formation around which the electric cable may be wound and said base including a recess adapted to receive the plug.

2. A hand held electric tool as claimed in Claim 1, in which the base includes a groove into which the end portion of the cable adjacent the plug may be received and retained to prevent unravelling of the cable when wound.

3. A hand held electric tool as claimed in either Claim 1 or Claim 2 in the form of a carving knife, comprising a motor unit and a knife assembly adapted for attachment thereto and in which the motor unit is housed in a body provided with at least one slot, the or each slot being adapted to receive a knife assembly when not in use.

4. A hand held electric tool substantially as herein described with reference to either of the embodiments shows in the drawings.