Abstract: An apparatus cools electronic circuitry. A housing encloses the electronic circuitry and includes a plurality of surfaces, each configured to face an adjacent inner wall of the back box upon the housing being mounted inside the back box. A rear surface faces a rear wall of the inner walls of the back box. A mounting plate is disposed opposite to the rear surface, is in thermal contact with the housing, and faces away from the back box. A touch plate is atop of, and in thermal contact with, the mounting plate. The mounting plate and the touch plate combine to provide a path for conducting heat generated by the electronic circuitry away from the housing and for radiating the heat to ambient air. The mounting plate or the touch plate is made of a higher thermal conductivity material to facilitate conduction of heat away from the housing.

Abstract: An apparatus cools electronic circuitry. A housing has surfaces configured to enclose the electronic circuitry and are mountable inside a cavity in a back box. At least one of the surfaces has a vent holes therein facing an exhaust opening in the back box when the housing is mounted inside the cavity. Another surface has a fan hole that faces an intake opening in the back box when the housing is mounted inside the cavity. A cooling fan is mounted onto the another surface and disposed over the fan hole. The cooling fan is configured to draw cooling air through the intake opening in the back box and the fan hole into the housing and over the electronic circuitry. The cooling air then exits the housing through the vent holes and thereafter exits the back box through the exhaust opening.

Abstract: A cable retractor includes a housing. A motorized drive section within the housing urges at least a segment of cable past the drive section. A chamber within the housing holds at least another segment of the cable that is stored freely without a specific arrangement of the cable. The motorized drive section urges the cable in a first direction to draw the at least another segment from the chamber, then past the motorized drive section, and then through an external opening in the housing to outside. The motorized drive urges the cable in a second, opposing direction to draw the another segment through the external opening in the housing from outside, then past the motorized drive section, and then into the chamber, the another segment being urged freely into the chamber without a specific arrangement of the cable in the chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus cools electronic circuitry. An enclosure surrounds the electronic circuitry and has plural surfaces. Air intake holes are disposed in at least one surface and face at least one first direction. Air exhaust holes are disposed in at least another surface and face at least one second direction different than the first direction. A heat sink is in thermal contact with the circuitry and conducts heat generated by the circuitry. When a fan operates, air is drawn from an exterior of the enclosure through the air intake holes, absorbs heat from the heat sink, and then is directed through the air exhaust holes into the exterior of the enclosure. The heat sink is further in thermal contact with the enclosure so that when the fan does not operate, heat is drawn from the circuitry to the enclosure via the heat sink and is dissipated from the exterior.

Abstract: A cable retractor includes a housing. A spool is disposed within the housing and is mechanically coupled to the housing and rotatable about an axis. A spring mechanism is operatively attached to the spool and is configured to urge the spool to rotate in a first rotational direction about the axis. An electricity operated rotation regulator is operatively attached to the spool and is configured to, when activated, prevent the spool from rotating in the first rotational direction.

Abstract: An apparatus cools electronic circuitry. An enclosure surrounds the electronic circuitry and has plural surfaces. Air intake holes are disposed in at least one surface and face at least one first direction. Air exhaust holes are disposed in at least another surface and face at least one second direction different than the first direction. A heat sink is in thermal contact with the circuitry and conducts heat generated by the circuitry. When a fan operates, air is drawn from an exterior of the enclosure through the air intake holes, absorbs heat from the heat sink, and then is directed through the air exhaust holes into the exterior of the enclosure. The heat sink is further in thermal contact with the enclosure so that when the fan does not operate, heat is drawn from the circuitry to the enclosure via the heat sink and is dissipated from the exterior.

Abstract: An apparatus cools electronic circuitry. An enclosure surrounds the electronic circuitry and has plural surfaces. Air intake holes are disposed in at least one surface and face at least one first direction. Air exhaust holes are disposed in at least another surface and face at least one second direction different than the first direction. A heat sink is in thermal contact with the circuitry and conducts heat generated by the circuitry. When a fan operates, air is drawn from an exterior of the enclosure through the air intake holes, absorbs heat from the heat sink, and then is directed through the air exhaust holes into the exterior of the enclosure. The heat sink is further in thermal contact with the enclosure so that when the fan does not operate, heat is drawn from the circuitry to the enclosure via the heat sink and is dissipated from the exterior.

Abstract: A cable retractor enclosure having a weighted cable pulley and cable pulley guide rails. The cable pulley is rotatable about a pivot and configured to translate along said grooves when a cable wrapped underneath is extracted from the cable retractor enclosure. The cable extends outside of the retractor enclosure from its upper end and provides a cable end plug that sits within a retractor module insert. Weights may be attached to the cable pulley in order to leverage gravitational forces, which result in a bias causing the cable to retract back into the enclosure. Friction forces against the extracted cable can be used to prevent the gravitational bias the cable pulley exerts (retraction forces) on the cable by bending the cable to lay flat onto a table surface.

Abstract: A cable retractor enclosure having a weighted cable pulley and cable pulley guide rails. The cable pulley is rotatable about a pivot and configured to translate along grooves when a cable wrapped underneath is extracted from the cable retractor enclosure. The cable extends outside of the retractor enclosure from its upper end and provides a cable end plug that sits within a retractor module insert. Weights may be attached to the cable pulley in order to leverage gravitational forces, which result in a bias causing the cable to retract back into the enclosure. Friction forces against the extracted cable can be used to prevent the gravitational bias the cable pulley exerts (retraction forces) on the cable by bending the cable to lay flat onto a table surface.

Abstract: A cable retractor includes a housing. A spool is disposed within the housing and is mechanically coupled to the housing and rotatable about an axis. A spring mechanism is operatively attached to the spool and is configured to urge the spool to rotate in a first rotational direction about the axis. An electricity operated rotation regulator is operatively attached to the spool and is configured to, when activated, prevent the spool from rotating in the first rotational direction.

Abstract: A cable retractor is disclosed and includes a housing. A spool is disposed within the housing and is mechanically coupled to the housing and rotatable about an axis. A spring mechanism is operatively attached to the spool and is configured to urge the spool to rotate in a first rotational direction about the axis. An electrically operated rotation regulator is operatively attached to the spool and is configured to, when activated, prevent the spool from rotating in the first rotational direction.

Abstract: An apparatus cools electronic circuitry. An enclosure surrounds the electronic circuitry and has plural surfaces. Air intake holes are disposed in at least one surface and face at least one first direction. Air exhaust holes are disposed in at least another surface and face at least one second direction different than the first direction. A heat sink is in thermal contact with the circuitry and conducts heat generated by the circuitry. When a fan operates, air is drawn from an exterior of the enclosure through the air intake holes, absorbs heat from the heat sink, and then is directed through the air exhaust holes into the exterior of the enclosure. The heat sink is further in thermal contact with the enclosure so that when the fan does not operate, heat is drawn from the circuitry to the enclosure via the heat sink and is dissipated from the exterior.

Abstract: A cable retractor is disclosed and includes a housing. A spool is disposed within the housing and is mechanically coupled to the housing and rotatable about an axis. A spring mechanism is operatively attached to the spool and is configured to urge the spool to rotate in a first rotational direction about the axis. An electrically operated rotation regulator is operatively attached to the spool and is configured to, when activated, prevent the spool from rotating in the first rotational direction.

Abstract: A cable retractor enclosure having a weighted cable pulley and cable pulley guide rails. The cable pulley is rotatable about a pivot and configured to translate along grooves when a cable wrapped underneath is extracted from the cable retractor enclosure. The cable extends outside of the retractor enclosure from its upper end and provides a cable end plug that sits within a retractor module insert. Weights may be attached to the cable pulley in order to leverage gravitational forces, which result in a bias causing the cable to retract back into the enclosure. Friction forces against the extracted cable can be used to prevent the gravitational bias the cable pulley exerts (retraction forces) on the cable by bending the cable to lay flat onto a table surface.

Abstract: A cable retractor enclosure having a weighted cable pulley and cable pulley guide rails. The cable pulley is rotatable about a pivot and configured to translate along said grooves when a cable wrapped underneath is extracted from the cable retractor enclosure. The cable extends outside of the retractor enclosure from its upper end and provides a cable end plug that sits within a retractor module insert. Weights may be attached to the cable pulley in order to leverage gravitational forces, which result in a bias causing the cable to retract back into the enclosure. Friction forces against the extracted cable can be used to prevent the gravitational bias the cable pulley exerts (retraction forces) on the cable by bending the cable to lay flat onto a table surface.

Abstract: An apparatus for shielding an electronics enclosure is disclosed. The apparatus includes an inner enclosure that houses electronic components. An outer enclosure surrounds the inner enclosure, and is separated from the inner enclosure by a gap. The outer enclosure preferably comprises plastic, and comprises a plurality of perforations uniformly distributed over its surface. The plurality of perforations allow air to flow into the gap between the outer enclosure and the inner enclosure. At the same time, the perforations are configured and dimensioned such that they substantially prevent sunlight from directly striking the surface of the inner enclosure. In this manner, the apparatus prevents overheating of the electronic components while minimizing the space taken up by the enclosure.

Abstract: An apparatus for cooling electronics is disclosed. The apparatus generally relates to heat sinks that are operatively connected to electronics enclosures. The heat sinks may be part of the electronics enclosure, or alternately they may be operatively connected to the electronics enclosure. An enclosure preferably prevents solar radiation from striking the surface of the heat sink. At the same time, the enclosure allows air to flow over the heat sink, allowing heat to be dissipated.