US 5,971,317 AGranted

Warp resistant molded plastic reel

AssigneeCreative Techniques, Inc.

InventorMark E. Jaros

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Abstract

A large, warp resistant, reel is formed of a molded plastic cylindrically shaped hub with disk-like flanges co-axially arranged upon and secured to the opposite ends of the hub The flanges are each formed of a framework of numerous, spaced apart, radially extending spokes, and spaced apart concentric hoops. The spokes intersect the hoops and are integrally joined thereto. Thin, rigid co-planar plastic sheets extend across the spaces between, and are integrally joined to, the adjacent portions of the spokes and hoops. The spokes are generally T-shaped in cross-section with the heads of the T-shape being wide and thin and integrally formed on the inner, facing surfaces of the flanges and the legs of the T-shape being narrow and long and integrally formed on the outer surfaces of the flanges.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A warp resistant reel formed of a plastic material and comprising a central hub with radially outwardly extending, generally flat, disk-like flanges secured on the opposite ends of the hub:

said flanges each having an outer exposed surface and an inner surface facing towards the opposite flange;
said flanges each being formed of a framework made of numerous, spaced apart spokes extending radially inwardly from the peripheral edge of the flange towards the central axis of the flange;
each spoke being approximately T-shaped in cross-section to form a wide, flat head portion located on the flange inner surface and a narrow leg portion located on the flange outer surface;
each flange having at least one approximately T-shaped, in cross-section, hoop arranged co-axially relative to the central axes of the hub and flanges, with the spokes intersecting and integrally joined to the hoop;
with the hoop having a wide, flat head portion arranged substantially co-planar with the spoke head portions and a leg portion arranged substantially co-planar with the spoke leg portions;
and substantially co-planar, flat sheets integrally joining and extending between adjacent spokes and said hoop and located in a plane that is between the planes of the hoop and spoke heads and the hoop and spoke legs to substantially close the spaces between the spokes and the hoop.

3 more elements

A warp resistant, plastic molded reel comprising:

a central, generally cylindrically shaped hub and disk-like flanges secured upon the opposite ends of, and arranged co-axially to, the hub;
said flanges having generally planar inner surfaces facing each other and outer, exposed planar surfaces;
each flange being formed of a network of numerous, spaced apart spokes which radially extend from the outer periphery of the flange towards the central axis of the flange;
and said framework including generally circular, spaced apart hoops arranged co-axially with the flange, and with the spokes each intersecting and being integrally joined with the respective hoops;
a relatively thin, connector sheet of molded plastic material extending across each of the spaces between, and being integrally joined with, adjacent spokes and hoops so that the flanges are substantially solid;
and the sheets being co-planar with each other and located in a plane that is between the planes defining the inner and outer surfaces of the spokes and hoops, so that each spoke has an inner portion extending inwardly of the inner surface of its respective flange and has an outer portion extending outwardly of the outer surface of its respective flange, relative to the plane of the connector sheets.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.