GB2309958A

GB2309958A - Retractable telephone cable unit

Info

Publication number: GB2309958A
Application number: GB9602235A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Barry Francis Broughton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-02-05
Filing date: 1996-02-05
Publication date: 1997-08-13
Also published as: GB2309958A8; GB9602235D0

Abstract

A telephone cable 12 is wound upon a rotatable former 16 disposed within a housing 10. The housing 10 has an arrangement for connecting a first end of the cable 12 to a standard wall socket (22, fig. 2) it also has an aperture (11, fig. 1) through which a variable length of cable 12 may be extended in order to deploy the second end of the cable and an attached connector 13. The rotatable former 16 has means, preferably a spring put into tension by cable deployment, for automatically recoiling excess cable 12 onto it. Preferably the connecting arrangement of the first end of the cable 12 is a plug attached to or projecting from the housing 10 and is attached to the plug via slip-rings or brushes. Preferably the connector 13 is received in a recessed part 18 of the housing 10 when the cable 12 is fully retracted. Preferably screws (15, fig. 2) secure the housing 10 and the wall socket fitting 20 together and onto a wall etc.

Description

Retractable cable unit This invention relates to a retractable cable unit, and more particularly to an automatic recoiling electrical extension cable unit for standard telephone systems.

It is often desirable to increase the effective length of a cable leading from a telephone to an appropriate wall socket such as a Standard British Telecom Line Jack Unit.

A variety of extension cable arrangements have been proposed which range from loose cables, having a plug at one end and a socket at the other, to systems comprising reels upon which such cables may be manually wound.

I have now devised a unit which obviates the need for manual stowage of re-winding of telephone cables by automatically retracting and re-coiling excess cable into a suitable housing.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a retractable telephone cable unit comprising a cable, wound upon a rotatable former and disposed within a housing, said housing comprising means for connecting a first end of said cable to a standard wall socket or jack and an aperture through which a variable length of the cable may be extended so as to deploy a second end of said cable, said rotatable former being provided with means for automatically retracting and re-coiling excess cable into said housing and onto said former.

Preferably said means for connecting said first end of the cable to a standard socket or jack comprises an electrical plug attached to or projecting from the housing.

Preferably said first end of the cable is electrically connected to sald plug via slip-rings or brushes.

Preferably the housing is formed with two holes arranged such that they may be aligned with the existing fixing points of a standard wall socket or jack fitting, thereby allowing a pair of extended screws to secure the housing and wall socket or jack fitting together and to a wall, skirting board, etc.

Preferably the housing comprises a recess within which a connector at the free end of said cable may locate, when said cable is fully retracted.

Preferably said means for automatically retracting and re-coiling the cable comprises a spring mechanism put into tension by the deployment of a length of said cable.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a telephone extension cable unit in accordance with the present invention secured to a standard socket or jack fitting; FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing how the telephone extension cable unit of FIGURE 1 is secured to the standard socket or jack fitting; and FIGURE 3 is a 'cut-away' perspective view to show the internal arrangement of the telephone extension cable unit of FIGURE 1.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, there is shown a telephone extension cable unit comprising a housing 10 which is secured to a standard socket or jack fitting 20 and has an aperture 11 from which may be pulled or extended a variable length of cable 12 so as to deploy a socket 13 connected to the free end of the cable.

Figure 2 shows the manner by which housing 10 is secured to standard socket or jack fitting 20. Housing 10 is positioned such that holes 14 thereof are aligned with the fixing screw holes 21 of the fitting 20. A plug (not shown) is mounted to the rear of housing 10 and fits into the socket 22 of fitting 20: two screws 15 are inserted so as to secure housing 10 and socket or jack fitting 20 together and to a wall, skirting board, etc.

As shown in Figure 3, cable 12 is wound upon a former 16 and extends through an aperture 17 in housing 10 to the socket 13: socket 13 resides when not in use, in a recess 18 in the top edge of the housing 10, the socket 13 being arranged as a sliding fit into this recess. The other'end of cable 12 is electrically connected by means of slip-rings or brushes (not shown) to electrical contacts 19 and in turn to the abovementioned plug on the rear of the housing 10. Former 16 further is provided with a retracting spring (not shown), arranged so that the action of pulling a length of cable from housing 10 causes this spring to be tensioned, to create a force to act upon the former to recoil the cable when released.

It will be appreciated that the unit which has been described is compact and simple to fit and use, being firmly mounted in a standard wall socket.

Claims

1) A retractable telephone cable unit, comprising a cable wound upon a rotatable former and disposed within a housing, said housing comprising means for connecting a first end of said cable to a wall socket or jack and an aperture through which a variable length of the cable may be extended so as to deploy a second end of said cable, said rotatable former being provided with means for automatically retracting and re-coiling excess cable into said housing and onto said former.

2) A unit as claimed in claim 1, in which said connecting means comprises an electrical plug attached to or projecting from said housing.

3) A unit as claimed in claim 2, in which said first end of the cable is electrically connected to said plug via sliprings or brushes.

4) A unit as claimed in any preceding claim, in which said housing is formed with two holes adjacent respective opposite sides, to receive fixing screws therethrough.

5) A unit as claimed in any preceding claim, in which said housing is formed with a recess for receiving a connector at the free end of said cable, when said cable is fully retracted.

6) A unit as claimed in any preceding claim, in which said automatic retracting means comprises a spring mechanism put into tension by the deployment of a length of said cable.

7) A retractable telephone cable unit, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.