Reel flange having radially outward and axially outward extending outer rim

#The present invention relates generally to reels for supporting wound flexible media, and in particular, to reels having a core and at least one attachable flange.

#Reels for supporting wound flexible media are employed to both store and facilitate the dispensing of wound media such as rope, wire, chain, and strings of parts. The essential elements of a reel include its core, around which the flexible media is wound, and its flanges, which prevent the wound flexible media from migrating axially off of the core.

#Well-designed reels must combine a high strength to weight ratio with low manufacturing cost. One reel design that has gained popularity for certain applications includes a reel in which the core is constructed of a pressed paperboard material and the flanges are constructed of a composite or plastic material. The use of paper and plastic components, in general, provides a high strength to weight ratio and facilitates the use of relatively straightforward manufacturing techniques. Another lightweight reel design consists of a pressed paperboard core and corrugated paper flanges. While such all-paper reels provide significant economy and light weight, all-paper reels are not suitable for certain medium to heavy duty applications because the paper flanges do not have the strength of plastic, wood, or steel flanges, Accordingly, for medium to heavy duty reel applications, plastic or composite flanges provide an advantageous combination of manufacturability, light weight, and strength.

#FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a first exemplary embodiment of a reel according to the present invention;

#FIG. 2 shows a cutaway cross-sectional view of a flange of the reel of FIG. 1 wherein the flange is removed from the core of the reel;

#FIG. 3 shows a cutaway cross-sectional view of the outer section of the flange of FIG. 2 wherein the outer section is removed from the inner section of the flange;

#FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a reel 10 according to the present invention which includes a core 12, a first flange 14 and a second flange 16. The core 12 has a first pliable end 13 (see FIG. 7) and a second end 15. The first pliable end 13 has a first cross-sectional shape, which in the exemplary embodiment discussed herein is a circular cross-sectional shape. It is noted that the core 12 typically, but not necessarily, has a substantially uniform cross-sectional shape. In the exemplary embodiment described herein, the core 12 comprises a pressed paperboard tube.

#As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first flange 14 includes an outer section 18 (see also FIG. 3) and an inner section 20 (see also FIG. 4). The outer section 18 and the inner section 20 are preferably molded of a plastic or composite material. However, metal and other rigid materials may be used while still retaining many of the advantages of the present invention. In the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 1-7, the outer section 18 and the inner section 20 are separate, distinct structures.

#With reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the outer section 18 includes a main retaining member 22, an outer rim 24, and an inner rim 26. The retaining member 22 provides the structure to support and retain wound flexible media when it is loaded onto the core 12. The outer rim 24 extends axially from the outer periphery of the main retaining member 22 and the inner rim 26 extends axially from the inner periphery of the main retaining member 22.