Wire container

Abstract

A wire container includes a shell for containing a wire and a reel substantially installed in the shell for winding the wire. The shell consists of two halves. At least one of the halves includes two cutouts defined therein so that two holes are defined in the shell when the halves are assembled. The reel includes two knobs for insertion in a hole defined in each of the halves. Each of the knobs includes two studs projecting from a side thereof. The studs of one of the knobs can be engaged with the studs of the remaining one of the knobs. The wire container includes a position retainer for retaining the wire in a desired wound position. The position retainer includes a number of teeth formed on one of the halves and a number of teeth formed on one of the knobs for engagement with the teeth formed on the half.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of Invention

[0002] The present invention is related to a wire container.

[0003] 2. Related Prior Art

[0004] In a modem office or residence, we can always see a lot of telephone lines, network cables or wires. These lines, cables and wires often get tangled with one another, thus causing troubles for people trying to maintain or repair devices connected with them. It is difficult for people to clean and keep these lines, cables and wires in a good order. To solve this problem, some people wind these lines, wires and cables and then tie them with iron threads. However, such an operation takes a lot of time. This is more so when a user want to release more length from a coil of line, wire or cable. Before the can release more length from a coil of line, cable or wire, he or she has to untie the coil. After releasing more length from the coil of line, cable or wire, the user has to tie the coil again. This way of preventing lines, cables and wires from tangles is obviously troublesome and time-consuming. Furthermore, these coils do not look pretty.

[0005] The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the drawbacks encountered in preventing lines, cables and wires from tangles.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0006] It is an objective of the present invention to provide a container for a wire so that the wire does not get tangled with another wire.

[0007] It is another objective of the present invention to provide a wire container that winds a wire in a time-effective and convenient manner.

[0008] It is another objective of the present invention to provide an aesthetic wire container.

[0009] In the present invention, a wire container includes a shell for containing a wire and a reel substantially installed in the shell for winding the wire. The shell includes two holes defined therein for receiving the wire.

[0010] The shell consists of two halves for engagement with each other. One of the halves includes a number of plugs projecting an edge thereof and the remaining one of the halves includes a number of sockets formed along an edge thereof for engagement with the plugs. At least one of the halves includes two cutouts defined therein so that two holes are defined in the shell when the halves are assembled.

[0011] The reel includes two knobs for insertion in a hole defined in each of the halves for engagement with each other. Each of the knobs includes two studs projecting from a side thereof. The studs of one of the knobs can be engaged with the studs of the remaining one of the knobs. The studs of one of the knobs each include a space defined therein and a latch formed at an end thereof. The studs of the remaining one of the knobs each include a guide projecting from an end thereof and a hook projecting from guide. The guides can be inserted in the spaces for allowing smooth rotation of the knob relative to the knob so that the latches can be engaged with the hooks.

[0012] The wire container includes a position retainer in order to retain the wire in a desired wound position. The position retainer includes a number of teeth formed on one of the halves and a number of teeth formed on one of the knobs for engagement with the teeth formed on the half. The knob with teeth includes a number of elastic jaws extending from a periphery thereof each for supporting one of the teeth of the knob. Each of the elastic jaws is formed by slit cut into the knob.

[0013] The wire container includes a position indicator for indicating the wound position of the wire. The position indicator includes a mark formed on one of the halves and a mark formed on one of the knobs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0014] The present invention is described through detailed illustration of embodiments referring to the attached drawings wherein:

[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wire container of the present invention;

[0016] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the wire container of FIG. 1;

[0017] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the wire container of FIG. 1;

[0018] FIG. 4 is a side view of the wire container of FIG. 1;

[0019] FIG. 5 is a partially cross-sectional top view of a reel used in the wire container of FIG. 4;

[0020] FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but showing a different position.

[0021] FIG. 7 is a partially cross-sectional bottom view of the wire container of FIG. 1 without a lower half of a shell of the wire container; and

[0022] FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 but showing a different position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a wire container according to the present invention for winding and containing a telephone line, a network cable or a wire such as that is identified by a number “50” in FIGS. 3, 7 and 8.

[0024] Referring to FIG. 2, the wire container includes a shell for containing a wire as the wire 50. The shell consists of two halves 10 and 30. The half 10 includes a number of plugs 15 projecting an edge thereof. The half 30 includes a number of sockets 35 formed along an edge thereof. The plugs 15 can be inserted in the sockets 35, thus forming a shell as shown in FIG. 1. Two cutouts 12 and 13 (see FIG. 3) are defined in the half 10. Similarly, two cutouts 32 and 33 are defined in the half 30. When the halves 10 and 30 are assembled, the cutouts 12 and 32 together become a hole, and the cutouts 13 and 33 together become a hole. These holes are used to receive a wire such as the wire 50.

[0025] The wire container includes a reel for winding a wire such as the wire 50, thus pulling the wire into the shell in directions as indicated by arrows A and B in FIGS. 3, 4, 7 and 8. The reel is made of knobs 20 and 40. The knob 20 includes two studs 24 projecting from a side thereof. Similarly, the knob 40 includes two studs 42 projecting from a side thereof. The studs 24 can be engaged with the studs 42 in a manner to be described in detail, thus forming two cylinders. A wire can be put between the cylinders so that it can be wound on the cylinders in a manner to be described in detail.

[0026] Each stud 24 includes a space 240 defined therein and a latch 242 formed at an end 240 thereof. Each stud 42 includes a guide 43 projecting from an end thereof and a hook 431 formed on a side of the guide 43. To engage the knob 20 with the knob 40, the guides 43 are inserted in the spaces 240. Referring to FIG. 5, the guides 43 are positioned against internal sides of the studs 24 for allowing smooth rotation of the knob 20 relative to the knob 40. Now, the latches 242 are not engaged with the hooks 431 so that the studs 24 are not engaged with the studs 42. The knob 20 can be rotated relative to the knob 40 until reaching a position as shown in FIG. 6. In this position, the latches 242 are engaged with the hooks 431, thus engaging the studs 24 with the studs 42.

[0027] Referring to FIG. 2, to assemble the shell with the reel, a hole 11 is defined in the half 10 for receiving the studs 24, and a hole 31 is defined in the shell 30 for receiving the studs 42.

[0028] To wind a wire such as the wire 50 by means of the wire container, the wire is positioned between the halves 10 and 30 before the halves 10 and 30 are assembled into a shell by engagement of the plugs 15 with the sockets 35. The wire 50 is inserted in the hole caused by the cutouts 12 and 32 and the hole caused by the cutouts 32 and 33. The studs 24 are engaged with the studs 42. The wire 50 is positioned between the cylinders formed of the studs 24 and 42 as shown in FIG. 7. The reel made of the knobs 20 and 40 can be rotated in order to wind the wire 50 as shown in FIG. 8.

[0029] To retain the wire 50 in a desired wound position, a position retainer is devised and shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The position retainer includes a number of teeth 110 formed on the half 10 and a number of teeth 26 formed on the knob 20. The teeth 26 can be engaged with a corresponding number of the teeth 110 in order to retain the reel in one of various positions relative to the shell, thus the wire 50 in a desired one of various wound positions. In the knob 20, a number of slits can be defined each in the vicinity of a tooth 26, thus forming elastic jaw 21s each for supporting a teeth 26.

[0030] To indicate the wound position of the wire 50, a position indicator is devised. The position indicator includes a mark 14 formed on the half 10, a mark 22 on the knob 20, a mark 34 on the half 30, and a mark 41 on the knob 40 as shown in FIG. 4.

[0031] The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration. Those skilled in the art can derive a lot of variations from these embodiments after a study of this patent specification. Therefore, these embodiments shall by no means limit the scope of the present invention. The scope of the present invention can only be defined in the claims attached to and taken as a portion of this patent specification.

Claims

1. A wire container including a shell for containing a wire and a reel substantially installed in the shell for winding the wire.

2. The wire container according to claim 1 wherein the shell includes two holes defined therein for receiving the wire.

3. The wire container according to claim 1 wherein the shell consists of two halves (10, 30) for engagement with each other.

4. The wire container according to claim 3 wherein one of the halves (10) includes a number of plugs (15) projecting an edge thereof and the remaining one of the halves (30) includes a number of sockets (35) formed along an edge thereof for engagement with the plugs (15).

5. The wire container according to claim 4 wherein at least one of the halves (10; 30) includes two cutouts (12, 13; 32, 33) defined therein so that two holes are defined in the shell when the halves 10 and 30 are assembled.

6. The wire container according to claim 1 the reel includes two knobs (20, 40) for insertion in a hole (11; 31) defined in each of the halves (10, 30) for engagement with each other.

7. The wire container according to claim 6 wherein each of the knobs (20, 40) includes two studs (24; 42) projecting from a side thereof, and the studs (24) of one of the knobs (20) can be engaged with the studs (42) of the remaining one of the knobs (40).

8. The wire container according to claim 7 wherein the studs (24) of one of the knobs (20) each include a space (240) defined therein and a latch (242) formed at an end (240) thereof, and the studs (42) of the remaining one of the knobs (40) each include a guide (43) projecting from an end thereof and a hook (431) projecting from guide (43), and the guides (43) can be inserted in the spaces (240) for allowing smooth rotation of the knob (20) relative to the knob (40) so that the latches (242) can be engaged with the hooks (431).

9. The wire container according to claim 6 including a position retainer in order to retain the wire in a desired wound position.

10. The wire container according to claim 9 wherein the position retainer includes a number of teeth (110) formed on one of the halves (10) and a number of teeth (21) formed on one of the knobs (20) for engagement with the teeth (110) formed on the half (10).

11. The wire container according to claim 10 wherein the knob (20) with teeth (26) includes a number of elastic jaws (21) extending from a periphery thereof each for supporting one of the teeth (26) of the knob (20).

12. The wire container according to claim 11 wherein each of the elastic jaws (21) is formed by slit cut into the knob (20).

13. The wire container according to claim 6 including a position indicator for indicating the wound position of the wire.

14. The wire container according to claim 13 wherein the position indicator includes a mark (14; 34) formed on one of the halves (10; 30) and a mark (22; 41) formed on one of the knobs (20; 40).