GB2388584A

GB2388584A - A cable tidy

Info

Publication number: GB2388584A
Application number: GB0211265A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Patrick Hanlon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-05-17
Filing date: 2002-05-17
Publication date: 2003-11-19
Also published as: GB0211265D0

Abstract

A cable and/or wire storage device comprises a central element around which the cable and/or wire is wound and attachments to secure the cable and/or wire at each end of te central element. The central element may comprise a tube I, of metal plastic or wood. The attachments to secure the cable and/or wire may comprise notches II in the ends of the tubes to secure any cable and/or wire passed there trough with the assistance of flip-off caps III. In use, the device allows cable to be transported and additionally allows cable to be drawn off the device, any unneeded cable/wire being retained neatly on the storage device.

Description

Wire Wrap-Description

This invention is a device which is designed to achieve two objectives. First, to spool cables and wires of any guage and/or length in a way which stops them becoming tangled and allows them to be easily stored and/or transported. Second, to allow the exact amount of cable required to be used in any particular electric or electronic appliance.

There are two problems that this invention addresses. First, there is the problem that occurs when storing or transporting leads and cables. A common example occurs with laptop personal computers which typically include power leads, modem cable and sometimes an Ethernet cable. When these cables are stored in a laptop bag they invariably become entangled and the user spends time unravelling the cables before plugging them into their respective sockets and commencing to use the machine.

The second situation arises with almost every conceivable domestic and commercial electrical device including, among others, televisions, video recorders, D\/D players, HiFi systems, mobile phones, ordinary phones, irons, hair dryers, PC's, fridges, freezers, lamp shades, photocopiers, printers and fans. All of these appliances are shipped by manufacturers with fixed-length power leads and other cables which are usually designed to cater for the longest run of cable possible. This means that in many situations the user of the appliance has far more cable than required and there is an unsightly tangle of cable lying on the floor, desk or table. For example, a mobile phone can ship with a power adapter that has a 5 foot length of cable. If less than one foot of this cable is actually required to connect the phone to its charger the remainder simply lies in an unsightly tangle.

This invention is designed to address the problems detailed above.

It consists of two parts. The first part is a tube which can be either rigid or flexible, solid or hollow, and made from materials such as plastic, metal or wood. (denoted as item 1 in fig.l). The tube can vary in length and diameter to suit the length and guage of wire

2, being wound. At each end of the tube, two notches are cut which are called the cable-securing slots. (denoted as item 2 in fig. 1). The size of these slots can also vary depending on the size of jack, plug or adaptor on the cable being wound and depending on the guage of the cable itself. The second part of the device is two flip-off lids, one for each end of the tube. (denoted as item 3 in fig. 1).

The tube can vary from the standard cylindrical type depicted in fig 1. It can be rectangular, cork-screwed, of different widths along its length and of any shape around which cables and wires can be wound. In addition, alternatives to the flip-off lids can be used such as clipon type lids, threaded screw-in types or any other type of securing device.

The invention works by running one end of the cable through the cablesecuring slot and clipping on the lid. The cable is then wound around the tube and the other end of the cable is run through the other cablesecuring slot and the second lid clipped on. The cable cannot now unravel or entangle itself.

The same technique is used where a length of cable needs to be shortened. The surplus cable is wound through the first cable securing slot, around the tube and through the second cable-

securing slot and the lids clipped on to either end of the tube. The exact amount of cable required is available and the surplus is neatly wound around the tube.

Claims

Wire Wrap - Claims

1. A device which allows cables and wires to be stored without becoming entangled and which allows the correct amount of cable to be used with any electric or electronic appliances while spooling any surplus cable.

2. A device as claimed in 1 above which consists of a central element around which cable is wound together with attachments which secure the cable at each end of the central element.