Retractable cord reel
AssigneeThe Vacuum Cleaner Corporation of America
InventorsMorris Cutler, Bernard J. Tamarin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A retractable cord reel, especially for electrical cord. The cord is carried by a pair of lightweight, electrically non-conductive hub-and-flange members secured together in sheave-like configuration. A tandem spring motor provides even tensioning of the cord, both when fully unwound and when fully retracted or wound up. Electrical continuity is provided as desired for grounding of the reel frame via a mounting arbor, which also may be non-conductive in large part so long as a sufficient part of it remains conductive.
Claims11
A retractable cord reel assembly comprising:
- (a) a main hub having a first axial aperture,
- (b) an auxiliary hub concentric with and disposed within said main hub and having a second, non-circular axial aperture coaxial with said first axial aperture,
- (c) a first spring coiled within said main hub with its inner end fastened to said main hub,
- (d) a second spring coiled within said auxiliary hub with its outer end fastened to said auxiliary hub,
- (e) a bushing having a generally cylindrical intermediate portion to which the inner end of said first spring is fastened, an inner, substantially planar end portion whose outline is congruous with the outline of said second non-circular axial aperture, and an outer end portion whose outline is substantially congruous with said first aperture, said inner end portion being disposed in said second aperture whereby said bushing rotates in unison with respect to said auxiliary hub, said outer end portion being disposed for rotary movement within said first aperture, and
- (f) an arbor which passes through said second aperture, the bore of said bushing and said first aperture, said arbor being fastened to the inner end of said second spring.
An arbor assembly comprising:
- (a) a first electrically non-conductive portion which includes means for fastening the end of a spring thereto, and
- (b) a second portion adapted to be juxtaposed to said first portion, said second portion having at least one generally circular part which is conductive, said first and second portions also having respective ends formed to mate non-rotatively with each other so that both portions are fixed positionally with respect to one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.