GB2302861A

GB2302861A - Cable Storage Device

Info

Publication number: GB2302861A
Application number: GB9513347A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Bernard Morris
Original assignee: MORRIS AG
Current assignee: MORRIS AG
Priority date: 1995-06-30
Filing date: 1995-06-30
Publication date: 1997-02-05
Also published as: GB9513347D0

Abstract

A device for tidy storage of a cable, e.g. for a portable electrical appliance, comprises a member (10) adapted to be held to the cable (15) and having formations (18-20) which enable coiling of the cable relative to the member preferably when the member is set into a circular configuration. The device may be set in a circular configuration by hook and loop material (16, 17), press or snap fastenings or interengaging tongue and slots (Fig 3). The holding formations may be fixed or removable flanges. The cable may be secured to the device using apertures (12,13) with slots (14) to enable entry or removal. Preferably the device is a strip of flexible material such as plastics.

Description

Title: CABLE STORAGE DEVICE Description of Invention This invention relates to a device for facilitating the tidy storage of an elongate flexible element by coiling the element.

A device according to the invention has been devised to facilitate the tidy storage of flexible electrical cables such as characteristically are used for portable power tools or lights, portable domestic electrical appliances, and the like. In being suitable for such use, however, it will be appreciated that the invention is also suitable for use with other elongate flexible elements such as rope (of metallic or non-metallic material), washing line, cord, hose, and so on, and the term "cable" as used herein is to be understood to include all such elongate flexible elements.

Although some portable electrical appliances such as vacuum cleaners incorporate a cable reel device whereby the cable may be extended from the appliance when it is to be used at some distance from an electrical power supply point and retracted when the appliance is to be stored or used close to the power supply point, most appliances do not provide such a facility, and the length of cable attached to the appliance is just left to lie untidily on the floor, usually adjacent the appliance, if it is not extended to reach a distant electrical power supply point. This is hazardous, since the user of the appliance or another person might trip over the trailing cable. In the case of portable power tools, there is an additional danger that the trailing cable might cause an accident and injury from the power tool, and/or present the danger of electrocution if the cable is severed by the tool.When the appliance is not in use, storage of a substantial length of electrical cable presents difficulties.

Accordingly there is a requirement for something to facilitate tidy storage of cable when an appliance is not in use, and/or to facilitate tidy storage of excess cable when the appliance is in use. It is broadly the object of the present invention to address such requirements.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, we provide a device for facilitating tidy storage of a cable, comprising a member adapted to be held to a cable and comprising at least one formation enabling coiling of the cable in relation to the member.

Preferably the member is of elongate configuration and is provided, at positions spaced lengthwise of the member, with means for holding the member to the cable at positions spaced lengthwise thereof, the member being flexible and settable into a generally circular configuration for coiling of the cable in relation to the member.

Preferably the member has fastening means associated therewith for holding it in said generally circular configuration. Such fastening means may comprise respective cooperable fastening formations at spaced positions on the member.

By way of example, such cooperable fastening formations may comprise a male formation such as a headed protuberance engagable with a female formation such as a recess or aperture, the dimensions and/or configuration of such formations being such as to provide for press or snap engagement therebetween, or otherwise to retain them in engagement.

A number of the male and/or the female formations may be provided at spaced intervals along the member so that by engagement of appropriate formations the member may be shaped into a generally circular configuration of a desired one of a range of possible sizes according to the amount of cable which is required to be stored thereon.

An alternative fastening means for holding the member in a generally circular configuration may comprise cooperating portions of hook and loop fastening material such as that known by the trade mark "Velcro".

The means for holding the member to a cable may comprise apertures in the member capable of receiving the cable, such apertures being connected to an edge portion of the member by respective slits enabling the cable to be passed therethrough to enter the apertures.

Alternatively, the member could be provided with formations such as tabs displaceable out of the general line of the member into upstanding positions wherein they are capable of at least partially embracing the cable to hold the cable.

The formations enabling coiling of the cable in relation to the member may comprise a number of a flange formations extending from the member and arranged so that when the member is placed in a generally circular configuration the flange formations extend outwardly from the member and are circumferentially spaced thereabout to facilitate coiling of the cable.

One or more of such flange formations may be provided with formations, e.g. apertures with slits extending to the edge of the flange formation, for cooperating with the cable, for holding the cable in a coiled configuration.

It is envisaged that the member, fastening means and flange formations may be integral with one another, e.g. a one-piece injection moulding of a suitable flexible plastics material.

Alternatively, a part or parts of the device may be separate from the rest of the device. In particular, in the embodiment described hereafter, the flange formations may be separate from the member. In this case, the member may be an extruded strip of a suitable plastics material which, after such extrusion, is subject to suitable stamping, cutting, slitting or like operations to provide it with the fastening means and the means for holding the member to a cable.

According to another aspect of the invention, we provide the combination of a cable and a device according to the first aspect of the invention, said member being held to the cable.

According to yet a further aspect of the invention, we provide the combination of a cable and a device according to the first aspect of the invention, wherein the member is held to the cable and is set in said generally circular configuration, with the cable coiled thereabout.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, we provide a portable electrical appliance having the combination of cable and device according to either of the above two aspects of the invention.

According to yet a further aspect of the invention, we provide a method of storing a length of cable, comprising providing the cable with a device according to the first aspect of the invention, setting said member of the device in said generally circular configuration, and coiling the cable thereabout.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device in accordance with the invention, used in relation to a cable; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the device as Figure 1 in another operative position with a length of the cable coiled therearound; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a part of a further embodiment of device in accordance with the invention.

Referring firstly to Figure 1 of the drawings, the device there illustrated comprises an elongate member 10 which is a strip of plastics material, the dimensions and stiffness of the strip of material being such as to enable deformation thereof as described hereafter, but also substantially to retain a shape in which it is set to enable it to function for cable storage as described hereafter.

Adjacent its opposite ends, the member 1() is provided with formations indicated generally at 11, 12 and each comprising an aperture connected to the edge of the member by a slit 14, as indicated for the formation 11. Such formations enable the member 1() to be engaged with a cable 15 at spaced positions therealong and to lie alongside the cable as illustrated.

At its opposite ends, the member 10 is provided with respective parts 16, 17 of a fastening means which are cooperable with one another to hold the strip in a generally circular configuration as shown in Figure 2 (although it will be appreciated that since the member 10 is flexible it will be readily deformable from a true circle and might in practice adopt an irregular elliptical or other more nearly flat shape). As illustrated the parts 16, 17 of the fastening means are respective parts of a hook and loop fastening such as that known by the trade mark "Velcro", but it will be appreciated that other fastening means may be utilised. For example, one end of the strip may be provided with a headed stud or other male formation engagable as a snap or press fit with a female formation such as a recess or aperture at the other end of the strip 10.A number of such male and/or female formations could be provided at spaced intervals along the strip to enable the strip to be fastened in a generally circular configuration of a selected size of a range of different sizes, according to which fastening formations are engaged with one another.

The member 10 is provided with a number of pairs of flange formations spaced along its length, as indicated generally at 18, 19, 20. The pair of flange formations 18 comprises two flanges 21, 22 which extend from opposite edges of the strip 10 and diverge slightly from one another. The flange 22 has an aperture 23 connected to an edge or corner of the flange by a slit 24, for receiving the cable 15 as described hereafter. The other pairs 19, 20 of flange formations may be similarly provided with cable-holding formations, as illustrated.

When an appliance for which the cable 15 provides the electrical power supply is either not in use or is being used close to an electrical power supply point such that the entire lengths of cable connected to the appliance is not required, the device as above described may be set into a circular configuration as shown in Figure 2, with its fastening means 16, 17 at opposite ends engaged with one another so that its circular configuration is retained.

When thus arranged, the pairs 18, 19, 20 of flange formations are circumferentially spaced about the device and facilitate coiling of the cable thereabout. A free end of cable may be passed through the cable-engaging formation of an appropriate one of the pairs of flange formations, as indicated at 25 in Figure 2, so that the cable does not readily uncoil. Thus the, or any excess, cable is neatly stored and presents less of a hazard.

It is envisaged that the device as above described may be a one-piece injection moulding of a suitable plastics material, thus enabling it to be inexpensively produced once tooling costs have been met. Such a device may be provided on the cable of all or most portable electrical appliances sold by a manufacturer, wholesaler or retailer.

It will be appreciated that modifications to the device as described above may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, a greater number of pairs of flange formations as 18, 19, 20 may be provided. In the case where a number of spaced fastening formations are provided along the length of the elongate member of the device for holding it in a generally circular configuration when required, the member could be cut to length to suit the length of cable with which it is to be used. Devices as above described could be provided with formations enabling them to be connected together side-by-side where a greater quantity of cable is required to be stored thereon: such formations would preferably be integral with the device, e.g.

cooperating male and female formations on the flange formations thereof.

Referring now to Figure 3 of the drawings, this shows a further embodiment of device in accordance with the invention. The device comprises a member 30 which is a strip of plastics material, provided along its length with formations as described hereafter. It is envisaged that the member 30 could be manufactured by extrusion of the strip of plastics material followed by appropriate punching, cutting, slitting or like operations to provide it with the formations hereafter described.

The formations provided along the member 30 include spaced apertures 31 of generally rectangular shape, oriented transverselv of the member.

The formations further include tabs 32 which are generally of J-shape, having an arcuate, at least semi-annular, portion 33 and an elongate limb 34 which at its end 35 remains attached to the member 30. The tabs as 32 are thus able to be pivoted about the ends 35 of their limbs 34 so that they are upstanding from the general level of the member 30, as shown at 36 for one of the tabs where the member 30 has been placed in a curved configuration. When thus upstanding, two of the tabs 32 at spaced positions along the member 30 adjacent the ends thereof, may be engaged with the cable to hold the member to the cable.When the member is formed into a circular configuration as above described in relation to the previous embodiment of the invention, one or more of the tabs 32 may be engaged with a corresponding one or more of the apertures 31, to hold the member in such circular configuration.

The member 30 is further provided at spaced intervals along its length with recesses 37 in its opposite edge portions. Generally U-shaped flange members may be engaged with such recesses and one such flange member is indicated generally at 38; it comprises two flange formations 39, 40 which are somewhat divergent in relation to one another and occupy the recesses 37, joined by a base portion extending beneath the member 30. The flange formations 39, 40 preferably have suitable protuberances on their facing surfaces, or otherwise are shaped, so that they have retentive engagement, e.g. as a snap fit, with the member 30 when fitted thereto as above described.

In use, a member 30 of appropriate length could be cut from a longer length of the strip material thereof, and an appropriate number of flange members 38 connected thereto to suit the use to which the device is to be put.

The device may be held to a cable, and used for coiling the cable thereabout, in analogous manner to that above described in relation to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

1. A device for facilitating tidy storage of a cable, comprising a member adapted to be held to a cable and comprising at least one formation enabling coiling of the cable in relation to the member.

2. A device according to Claim 1 wherein the member is of elongate configuration and is provided, at positions spaced lengthwise of the member, with means for holding the member to the cable at positions spaced lengthwise thereof; the member being flexible and settable into a generally circular configuration for coiling of the cable in relation to the member.

3. A device according to Claim 2 wherein the member has fastening means associated therewith for holding it in said generally circular configuration.

4. A device according to Claim 3 wherein said fastening means comprises respective cooperable fastening formations at spaced positions on the member.

5. A device according to Claim 4 wherein said cooperable fastening formations comprise male and female formations.

6. A device according to Claim 5 wherein said formations have press or snap engagement therebetween.

7. A device according to any one of Claims 4 to 6 wherein a number of the formations are provided at spaced intervals along the member, whereby by engagement of appropriate formations the member may be shaped into a generally circular configuration of a desired one of a range of sizes.

8. A device according to any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein said fastening means comprises cooperating portions of hook and loop fastening material.

9. A device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the means for holding the member to a cable comprises apertures in the member capable of receiving the cable, the apertures being connected to an edge portion of the member by respective slits for passage of the cable therethrough.

10. A device according to any one of Claims 1 to 8 wherein the member comprises formations displaceable into upstanding positions wherein they are capable of at least partially embracing the cable to hold the member to the cable.

11. A device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said formations enabling coiling of the cable in relation to the member comprise flange formations extending from the member, arranged so that when the member is placed in said generally circular configuration the flange formations extend outwardly from the member and are circumferentially spaced thereabout to facilitate the cable coiling.

12. A device according to Claim 11 wherein one or more of said flange formations have formations for cooperating with the cable, for holding the cable in a coiled configuration.

13. A device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the member, fastening means and at least one formation for coiling of the cable are integral with one another.

14. A device according to Claim 11 or Claim 12 wherein said flange formations are separate from the member.

15. The combination of a cable and a device according to any one of the preceding claims, said member being held to the cable.

16. The combination of a cable and a device according to any one of Claims 1 to 14, wherein the member is held to the cable and is set in said generally circular configuration with the cable coiled thereabout.

17. A portable electrical appliance having the combination of cable and device according to either of Claims 14 and 16.

18. A device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

19. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.