WO2002085753A1

WO2002085753A1 - A device for an end fastening mouth piece

Info

Publication number: WO2002085753A1
Application number: PCT/NO2002/000120
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jan K. Johnsen
Original assignee: Tec Con As
Priority date: 2001-04-03
Filing date: 2002-03-22
Publication date: 2002-10-31
Also published as: NO313959B1; EP1385759A1; NO20011660L; NO20011660D0

Abstract

A device for the orderly, controlled unwinding of an electric wire (16) wound on a drum-like reel (11) consisting of a central sleeve-shaped reel core (11a) with a large annular flange (11b, 11c) at either end, also comprising, besides the reel (11), a box-like support (10) and a support device (12, 12a) for the rotatable support of the reel (11) inside the box-like support (10) which has at least one outlet/inlet opening (13) for the wire. To allow excessively unwound wire to be pulled in and rewound while the reel (11) is in the support box (10), at least one flange is formed with small holes (14) distributed along an imaginary circle whose centre coincides with the axis of rotation of the reel. At least one support box side wall is formed with a transversely elongate opening (15), through which for example three adjacent holes (14) are accomodated at any time during the rotation of the reel (11), thus being accessible to the user who is to take care of the rewinding of wire let out. The holes (14), hole edge portions and adjacent surface portions accessible through the opening (15) form grip-enhancing, friction-increasing hold portions opposite the user's fingertips.

Description

A DEVICE FOR AN ""END" FASTENING"MOUTH PI-ECE

This invention relates to a device for the orderly, controlled unwinding of electric wire and similar flexible, rope-like elements of a hollow or massive cross-section, comprising a box-like support and a drum-like reel for the winding on of electric wire and, a mountable/dis ountable support device for establishing and maintaining an axis of rotation for the reel with wire wound thereon, when it is placed in its active unwinding position inside the box-like support, which has at least one outlet opening for orderly pulling out electric wire etc., and in which the drum-like reel comprises a reel core provided with a transverse, circular disc-shaped, end-wall-forming, radially projecting flange at each outer end. These transverse flanges which serve to keep wound-on wire etc. in place on the reel core, will normally have a considerably larger diameter than the core itself.

Packaging for long windable objects is selected on the basis of requirements of protection of the product during transport and storage, cost, and also from a wish that the object/ product should be allowed to be easily and appropriately removed from its packaging at the site of use. Typically, electric wires and plastic pipes, for example, have conventionally been packed in lying coils. In use, the object - is pulled out from within the coil and thereby becomes twisted during unwinding. Devices for overcoming the twisting problem as wire is being unwound from its packaging are known. Closest to the present invention, in terms of0 configuration, is NO 19990171 which discloses a box-like support with a drum-like reel, which can be placed inside, for wound-on electric wire, there being, rotational in the centre openings of the reel, through openings in the opposite side walls of the support, sleeves which form a non-throughs axle. The state of the art moreover comprises for example NO 179940 and 153130, showing as far as they go, a barb-like retention on the inside of the box of at least one axle- forming sleeve-shaped portion at the outer end portion(s). NO patent document No. 179940 thereby discloses a througho sleeve-shaped axle for rotatable support of the drum-like reel inside the box, whereas the Norwegian document No. 153130, laid open for public inspection, in one embodiment comprises a hub-forming device comprising two separately formed parts. These hub parts are intended to be 5 interconnected within the box, subsequently forming a through hub, whose longitudinal axis constitutes the axis of rotation of a thread/wire coil inside the box.

The Norwegian patent application No. 2000 3337 discloses a wire-unwinding device of the kind specified initially, theo support device being formed by the sleeve-shaped portions of two coaxial end pieces, the sleeve portions together forming a non-through axle for ro a ably supporting the drum-like reel within the box-like support, each of the sleeve-shaped portions being provided with at least one circumferential barb-like portion, which may possibly be discontinuous, preferably bearing on the internal side of the support.

If, in one wire pull-out operation, too much wire is pulled, so that it is desirable that wire let out should be rewound - after the work is completed - onto the reel inside the boxlike support, it is very difficult by all unwinding devices of the kind in question to carry out this rewinding operation. The circular disc-shaped, end-wall-forming flanges on the reel core have a plane, fairly smooth surface, which does not offer much hold to the fingers or exhibit friction- creating portions opposite the fingers, so that the reel may be rotated for the unwound wire to be wound on again under the influence of the user's fingers through the carrying handle of the box.

The invention has as its object to remedy this drawback.

The object is realised in that a device of the kind specified in the introductory part of Claim 1 additionally exhibits the features appearing from the characterizing part of Claim 1.

The device according to the invention lends itself to the winding/unwinding of electric wire/cable, string, flexible hose and other easily windable/unwindable rope-/hose-shaped elements .

In the following are described non-limiting examples of preferred embodiments., which are visualized in the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a perspective split view of a box-like support and a drum-like reel for the winding on of an electric wire, in which the circular disc-shaped end wall flanges of the reel are formed with grip-enhancing/friction-increasing means according to a first embodiment;

Fig. 2 shows a split view similar to that of Fig. 1, but here the support device of Fig 1 has been left out for overview, whereby configurations in the form of functional openings in the box walls appear more clearly than in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows the box-shaped support and drum-like reel according to Fig. 2 in the assembled state;

Fig. 4 corresponds to Fig. 2, but shows in a split view another configuration of the grip-enhancing/friction- increasing means of the circular disc-shaped reel flange end walls;

Fig. 5 shows the box-like support and drum-like reel of Fig. 4 in the assembled state;

Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of a completely assembled box-like support with an internally rotatably supported reel in accordance with Fig. 1, a piece of the electric wire having been fed out through an outlet opening in the box-like support;

Fig. 7 shows, on a larger scale, a section VII-VII of Fig. 6; and Fig. 8 is a detail view from Fig. 7 on a larger scale, showing the right-hand mid portion of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 shows an alternative embodiment of the support of the drum-like reel.

In the drawings the reference numeral 10 is a box in the shape of a parallelepiped, which forms a box-like support, known in itself, for receiving in its interior and rotatably supporting a drum-shaped reel 11 in the form of an integral moulding or an assembly of a central cylindrical pipe element 11a with radially projecting side flanges lib, lie mounted thereon. The drum-shaped reel 11 will normally have an electric wire 16 wound thereon, Fig. 6, which is passed through the outlet opening 13 of the support box 10.

In the assembling the reel-like drum 11 is inserted into the supporting box 10 until the opposite ends of the pipe element 11a of the drum 11 are each in the area of a through wall opening 13a, 13b in opposite box walls 10a, 10b. With the drum 11 in this position, two end pieces 12, 12a are pressed into the wall openings 13a, 13b and further into the ends of the pipe element 11a. The end pieces 12, 12a thereby form a discontinuous axle which the drum 11 rotates on. Each end piece 12, 12a has an axial ring/sleeve-shaped portion 12b, 12c, which may possibly extend with its outer surface tapering conically towards its free end, whereas the opposite outer end is provided with a radially projecting annular flange 12d, 12e. The external diameter of the sleeve portion 12b, 12c is somewhat smaller than the internal diameter of the reel pipe element 11a. At a distance from the inner surface of the flange 12d, 12e, preferably corresponding to the thickness of the box wall 10a, 10b, there is provided, on the external surface of the sleeve portion 12b, 12c, a circumferential barb 12f, 12g which is formed to bear on the inner surfaces of the box walls 10a, 10b. In an alternative embodiment, see Fig. 9, the cylindrical pipe element 11a of the reel may be replaced by two coaxial cylindrical countersunk hollows lid.

If - as explained earlier - it is desirable to rewind excess wire 16 let out, the resort is the circular disc-shaped side flanges lib and lie or one of these in order to turn the reel 11 in the winding/rewinding direction, in reverse to the unwinding direction, the box 10 being closed in its state of use.

However, the side flanges 11, lie are unsuitable for participating efficiently in such a rotary operation, as known side flanges lib, lie have plane smooth surfaces without hold-forming, grip-enhancing or friction-increasing portions for the fingers to work against.

To make these side flanges lib, lie well suited for rotary influence, at least one side flange is formed, on its outer surface, with grip-enhancing portions over at least a circular sub-portion extending parallel to the circumferential rim of the respective side flange.

According to Figs. 1-3 these grip-enhancing means are formed by a line of holes consisting of round holes 14, equally spaced along an imaginary circle parallel to the . circumferential rim of the respective side flange lib, lie, there being formed in the support box 10, in two opposite side walls (or possibly in one side flange if just one side wall is formed in accordance with the invention), an opening 15 at the circular area, within which a few random holes of the line of holes of the respective side flange lib, lie will be located at all times, regardless of the rotary position of the side flange. The holed rims form excellent hold-forming, grip-enhancing and friction-increasing means opposite the -fingers of the person wishing to wind a certain let-out length of wire back onto the reel 11.

The through openings 15 of two opposite support box walls are given an arched shape, which should have for its longitudinal centre line the same radius as that of the imaginary circle, along which the central points of the round holes 14 are equally spaced, ensuring that there will be room for more than one hole 14, for example three holes 14, Figs. 3 and 6, within the box wall edges defining the openings.

The arch-shape moreover makes the openings 15 well suited as handles.

In the embodiment in Figs. 4 and 5 the round holes 14 of Figs. 1-3, and 6, are replaced by a line of holes of rectangular holes 14a of corresponding position and distribution, each individual rectangular hole 14a moreover being oriented with its longitudinal axis radial to the axis of rotation of the reel 11.

Alternatively to the holes 14 or 14a the side flange(s) lie, lib may be formed with a friction coating, stamped flutes, grooves or similar.

Claims

C L A I M S

A device for the orderly, controlled unwinding of electric wire and similar flexible, rope-like elements of hollow or solid cross-section, comprising a box-like support (10) and a drum-like reel (11) for the winding on of electric wire (16), and a support device for establishing and maintaining a rotary axis for the reel with wire wound thereon, when placed in its active unwinding position inside the box-like support (10), which has at least one outlet opening (13) for the orderly pull-out of electric wire (16) etc., the drumlike reel comprising a reel core which is provided at each outer end with a transverse, circular disc-shaped, radially projecting flange (lib, lie) forming an end wall, c har acter i z ed i n that at least one flange (lib, lie) exhibits, at least on its outer side surface, a grip-enhancing, hold-forming and/or friction increasing configuration/surface structure opposite the user's fingertips on rotation of the reel (11) in reverse to its unwinding direction, the configuration/ surface structure, possibly discontinuous, in the peripheral direction of the flange (lib, lie), extending at least in a circular area which is accessible from the outside through an opening (15) in the box wall 10a, 10b in the assembled state of the unwinding device.

A device according to claim 1, characteri z ed i n that said grip-enhancing, hold-forming and/or friction-increasing configuration/surface structure of the flange (lib, lie) is formed by a line of holes (14; 14a) whose holes are distributed along an imaginary circular course, whose centre coincides with the axis of rotation of the reel (11).

A device according to claim 1, c har acter i z ed i n that said opening (15) of at least one box side wall, is located in the upper region of the box (10) in the position of use.

A device according to claim 3, c h aracter i z ed i n that said opening (15) is formed in two opposite box side walls, the upper and lower opening edges, having their largest extent transversally to the respective side wall, each following an arched line whose centre coincides with the axis of rotation of the reel (11).