System and method for operating theater cable retractor

An operating theater cable retractor, comprising:

• a generally round shell comprising a bottom and peripheral sidewall rising generally normally from the bottom, the shell having a first central aperture in the bottom and a recessed groove disposed in an outside surface of the bottom between the first central aperture and the sidewall, the sidewall having a distal lip above the bottom and a vertical slot in the peripheral sidewall extending from the distal lip partway towards the bottom;
• a reel disposed within the round shell, the reel comprising:
• a top radial wall and a bottom radial wall defining a cable receiving space about the reel, each radial wall having an outer periphery edge;
• a second central aperture aligned above the second central aperture;
• finger grips disposed to either side of the central aperture;
• an open channel disposed through the top radial wall between the second central aperture and the outer periphery edge of the top radial wall, the reel rotatable to align the open channel with the first vertical slot in the round shell;
• a ratchet coupled to the bottom radial wall of the reel;
• a spring disposed between the reel and the generally round shell, the spring structured and arranged to permit the reel to be wound in a first direction for a plurality of complete revolutions;
• a pawl structured and arranged between the generally round shell and the reel to temporarily engage the ratchet;
• and
• an external trigger structured and arranged to disengage the pawl from the ratchet and allow the spring to drive rotation of the reel in a second direction opposite to the first;
• wherein an operator grasping the finger grips may rotate the reel a plurality of times in the first direction and align the open channel of the reel to the first vertical slot of the round shell, a cable then disposed through the first vertical slot, through the open channel through the aligned first and second central apertures, and through the recessed groove, an excess of cable remaining outside of the first vertical slot, operation of the external trigger releasing the pawl such that the spring drives the reel in the second direction retracting in the excess of cable about the reel.

A method of organizing cables in an operating theater with an operating theater cable retractor, comprising:

• receiving an operating theater cable retractor comprising:
• a reel having a top radial wall and a bottom radial wall defining a cable receiving space about the reel disposed within a shell having a bottom and peripheral sidewall, a central opening disposed axially through the reel and shell, the reel and shell structured and arranged to provide a generally open pathway from a first vertical slot in the peripheral sidewall, through an open channel across a portion of the reel from a peripheral edge of the a top radial wall of the reel to the central opening and from the central opening through a recessed groove in the bottom of the shell from the central opening through the peripheral sidewall;
• finger grips provided by the reel to either side of the central opening;
• a ratchet coupled to the bottom radial wall of the reel;
• a spring disposed between the reel and the generally round shell, the spring structured and arranged to permit the reel to be wound in a first direction for a plurality of complete revolutions;
• a pawl structured and arranged between the shell and the reel to temporarily engage the ratchet;
• and
• an external trigger structured and arranged to disengage the pawl from the ratchet and allow the spring to drive rotation of the reel in a second direction opposite to the first;
• in a first instance with the reel at rest, using the finger grips to rotate the reel in a first direction a plurality of complete revolutions to align the open pathway to the first vertical slot;
• disposing a cable through the first vertical slot, through the open channel through the aligned first and second central apertures, and through the recessed groove, an excess of cable remaining outside of the first vertical slot;
• operating the external trigger releasing the pawl such that the spring drives the reel in the second direction retracting the excess of cable about the reel.