Manually loaded cord reeling device

Abstract

A spring-loaded drum rotates around a post attached between a cap and a base. A cord retaining clip and surrounding cord receiving slot on the reel admits and secures a mid portion of an existing cord. As the drum turns it winds up the cord from the center in a double coil. A top and a bottom coil on opposite sides of the drum guide an attached cord extending end in the top half and the bottom half of the drum respectively.

Description

CLAIM OF PROVISIONAL APPLICATION RIGHTS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/566,367, filed on Apr. 29, 2004.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an apparatus for winding a cord, and more particularly, a stand alone self-winding cord reel to receive any desired cord loaded into the reel by a user, which cord reel requires a minimum of material in fabrication and provides an easy-to-use cord winding reel allowing a cord to be fully wound into the reel or partially wound to a desired length.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Cords for hands free sets for cell phones and earphones for portable electronic devices are notorious for getting tangled. If the cord is not used, the cord and attached elements are bunched up and stowed in a pocket, purse, glove compartment or elsewhere. Then, when taking out the cord to use it again, since the cord is twisted or entangled, the user needs to untangle the cord, thereby causing inconvenience or even damage to the device connected to the cord.

While hands free listening devices (and microphones) are normally included with electronic listening equipment, such as music players, and listening/talking equipment, such as cell phones, and need not be purchased separately, the prior art wind-up reels for such cords are normally loaded at the factory with the reel-makers own cord and listening (and speaking) devices, thereby requiring an expensive purchase of a second cord which is not needed since the user normally has a free cord with the purchased electronic equipment. The only available cord winding reels available for the user's existing cord seem to be spools for cord management which require that the cord be laboriously wound and unwound by hand with each use.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,736,346, issued May 18, 2004 to Young-Kyu Park, puts forth an apparatus for winding a cord, and more particularly, an apparatus for winding a cord, in which a winding operation and a wind stopping operation are performed by pulling the cord of an ear-microphone of a portable cordless telephone. The cord winding and the wind stopping operations can be performed by a cord pulling operation without a separate operation of a release button, thereby providing convenience to the user. Further, while the ball is moved along the guide grooves, the winding and stopping operations are performed. Therefore, the ball functions as a moving bearing upon a rotation operation of the bobbin so that the bobbin is facilely rotated, thereby preventing an erroneous operation of the apparatus. The problem with U.S. Pat. No. 6,736,346 is that when retracted, the cord sometimes falls off of the outer coil and then gets stuck when the cord is pulled out.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,612,515, issued Sep. 02, 2003 to Thomas C. Tinucci, John C. Holman, and Trevor D. Smith details a ribbon cable storage spool, tray and method of use. The spool comprising a center post and a plurality of radially extending top and bottom fins. The spool may also comprise a guide wall, a ribbon retention tab, a channel wall defining a channel and a ledge, and an oblong shape. The tray comprising a bottom plate and a sidewall which act together to define a spool chamber for receiving the spool. The bottom plate may also define holes such that the bottom fins of the spool are coplanar with the bottom plate when the spool is placed in the tray. The bottom plate may also include a column to be received by the channel of the spool. The channel and column may include a tongue and groove arrangement for preventing rotation of the spool relative to the tray. The column may also include a flexible clip for retaining the spool in the tray. A method for winding a length of cable onto a spool without twisting the wires including the steps of crossing two lengths of the loop, first-flipping the spool, second-flipping the spool, and repeating these steps until the length of the loop is wound around the spool.

U.S. patent application No. 20020040945A1, filed Sep. 25, 2001 by George Stepancich, concerns a retractable cable reel assembly that has a spring loaded cable reel which attaches to a midpoint of a cable and when rotated by the spring, winds both ends of the cable up on the cable reel. A releasable detent arrangement is used to retain a desired amount of cable extending from the assembly.

U.S. patent application No. 20050006517A1, filed Sep. 30, 2003 by Jose Wei, illustrates a winding device of a winding wheel and a wire that includes an elastically rotatable turning wheel having a flexibly connected fixed shaft, wheel breadths defining a left wheel breadth and a right wheel breadth, and a continuous wire defining left and right wires. A number of rounds of the left wire winded at the left wheel breadth is at least one more than that of the right wire winded at the right wheel breadth, such that when the left and right wires are released from the left and right wheel breadths to reach outer dead centers thereof, at least one round of basic coil of the left wire still tightly binds around the left wheel breadth and remains unreleased. The wire (signal wire) is prevented from damages and displacements resulted from shear force between the wire and wedge apertures at the wheel breadths when repeatedly withdrawn and pulled thereof.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,851,530, issued Feb. 08, 2005 to Jose Wei, shows a coaxial wire storage wheel device that includes a wire storage turning wheel having a uniform diameter, a center hole jointed to a uni-axial portion, and a wheel plane distinguished into left and right wheel planes; a spiral spring having a bottom end thereof connected to the axial portion and an outer end thereof connected to the wheel plane of the wire storage turning wheel; a communication wire fastened at the wheel plane to form upper and lower wires; and a right wall body having an inner wall plane fixed to the axial portion inserted through a left wall body, and a wire storage groove formed at the left and right wheel planes. The wire storage groove is for winding and storing the upper and lower wires, thereby releasing the upper wire at the turning wheel with equal length and distance as those of the lower wire being simultaneously released.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,640, issued Jun. 29, 1999 to Hendrik Sjirk Wagter, Ralph Stuyver, Joop Hakker, describes a reel for winding up and unwinding surplus cable, comprising a first housing part and a second housing part which are connected together as to be able to rotate with respect to one another about a common axis and together enclose a chamber for receiving the cable. The reel includes a central member present in the chamber with each housing part having a free rim which extends in a plane perpendicular to the axis, with the housing parts each comprising a slot which extends as far as the free rim. During the winding operation, a cable part which extends through the two slots into the chamber is pulled further into the chamber by rotating the housing parts with respect to one another and is thereby wound around the central member. The housing parts are connected to one another by means of a connection which is releasable via an operating member.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,446,898, issued Sep. 10, 2002 to Lih-Jiuan Hwang, claims a wire collector, designed for auto reeling of communication wire, having a shell body with a wire reel, an elastic element, and other component members in the interiors. The wire reel enables the lower end of the wire to pass through the front end of the shell body, while the upper end of the wire will pass through the rear end of the shell body. The reel is connected to an elastic element. In use, communication wire will no longer tangle in a disorderly manner when the wire collector is being rolled, and users will be able to pull out the front end of the communication wire or enable it to be reeled in automatically by the elastic element to make the entire operation easy and convenient.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,175, issued Jul. 14, 1998 to Reiji Shirahase discloses a cording reel device for winding up a cording of an electronic appliance from a section thereof intermediate its opposite ends. A first constraint plate is divided to define a cording insertion slot, with two divided halves of the plate being integrally connected together by a connecting portion. Coupling shaft segments are engaged with a circular hole in a second constraint plate to couple together the two constraint plates for relative rotation. Reel shaft segments outstand from the first constraint plate outside of the coupling shaft segments. An annular frame member is interposed between and along the outer peripheries of the constraint plates and affixed integrally to the second constraint plate. The frame member is formed with opposed inlet/outlets. In use, with the opposite ends of the insertion slot aligned with the inlet/outlets, an intermediate section of a cording is threaded through the slot between the opposed inlet/outlets, and then relative rotation of the constraint plates will reel in the cording section.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,708, issued May 23, 2000 to Kazuo Matsubara, provides a cord winder for winding a cord comprising a first structure having a bottomed cylindrical shape and a second structure rotatably held in the first structure. The second structure includes a circular base portion, a center cylindrical stud raised on a center of the circular base portion and radially extending ribs formed on an outer surface of the center cylindrical stud. The ribs are arranged to constitute a bobbin structure. The first and second structures are provided with a cord inserting groove through which the cord can be led to the bobbin structure when the first and second structures take mutually coincident positions. The cord is wound on the bobbin structure when relative rotation takes place between the first and second structures. A braking structure is employed for braking the relative rotation when an external force is applied to the first and second structures to induce the relative rotation. The braking structure includes a curved toothed structure connected to one of the first and second structures and a resilient projection possessed by the other of said first and second structures. The projection is resiliently engaged with the toothed member.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,938, issued Feb. 20, 1990 to Donald G Cantley and Camie Alexander, shows an electrical cord retractor that includes a closed hollow case separate from any apparatus with which an electrical cord will be used. Within the case is a winder, such as a rotatable spool, and the case is openable to permit an electrical cord to be wound upon the spool. The case wall has passageways through which an electrical cord can pass from the spool within the case to the exterior of the case, so that the cord can be connected to an apparatus independent of the case. The passageway may be slots which extend to a free edge of the case wall, so that after an electrical cord is wound on the spool, portions of the electrical cord extending from the spool can be inserted into the slots as the case is closed. The spool has a cord guide, in the form of a slot, extending from the external face of one of the spool flanges into the spool hub. A portion of an electrical cord is held stationary in the slot so that as the spool is rotated the remainder of the cord is wound upon the spool. The slot in the spool is arranged at an acute angle to the planes of the spool flanges, so that as the spool is rotated, the two portions of the cord extending from the slot will be wound on different sections of the spool hub. Within the case is a spring, constantly urging the spool to rotate in one direction, and a latch for releasably locking the spool against rotation.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,762,281, issued Jun. 09, 1998 to Foley, Michael, describes an automatically loading cord reel device which includes a cord reel housing, a rotatably contained spool with indexing slots, and a coiled spring which is coupled to said spool. A spring loaded indexing lever interacts with the indexing slots on the spool. The spool is pre-wound a fixed number of turns and the pre-wound device includes an exposed portion of a cord attachment device which is attached to the spool and extends out from a cord reeling aperture in the reel housing. The embodied cord attachment device includes a tongue-shaped strip of flexible material with a circular aperture and connected distally extending slot formed therethrough the exposed end portion of the tongue. A locking pin aperture also extends through the exposed portion of the tongue for receiving a locking pin. The pre-wound spool is thereby held in place by the locking pin to prevent unwinding. To use the device, knotted cords are placed through the readily accessible exposed cord attachment aperture and distally slid into the slot. Upon removal of the locking pin, the cords are automatically reeled inside the device to a pre-determined and/or indexably controlled length.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,626, issued Dec. 31, 1996 to Dah-Rong Yang, discloses a wire winding and collecting device for winding and collecting a long string wire. The winding and collecting device includes a spring for asserting a rotation force. The winding and collecting device further includes a bi-level both-end type of wire collector which includes a bottom collecting ridge and a top collection ridge divided by a dividing surface. The dividing surface includes an opening for inserting the wire therethrough at a mid-point on the wire for wrapping a first portion of the wire around the bottom collecting ridge and a second portion opposite the first portion from the mid-point around the top collecting ridge. The winding and collecting device further includes a rotation axial shaft inserted through an axial opening disposed on the central portion of the spring and the collector. The spring asserts a rotation force on the bottom collect ridge to rotate for collecting the wire from a first end of the wire and the spring further asserts a rotation force on the top collecting ridge to rotate for collecting the wire from a second end of the wire opposite the first end.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,384,108, issued May 21, 1968 to George R. Kern Jr., indicates a spring-driven type reel wherein selected pull and release on the member wound thereon permits locking the reel in particular unwound position or permits complete or selected rewind.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,638, issued Feb. 07, 1989 to Marilyn S. Burger, and John M. McKee, claims a cord stowage device which includes a spool having a channel through which a cable slidably passes from one side of the spool to the other side of the spool. First and second cup-shaped members are attached to respective ends of the spool. Each cup-shaped-member includes a concave surface which faces toward the spool and the other cup-shaped member such that the first and second members grasp the cable as it enters the stowage device and as it exits the stowage device. The stowage device is positioned at the desired position on the cable by sliding the cable therethrough. When the stowage device reached the desired position on the cable, any excess slack cable in wound around the spool of the stowage device.

What is needed is an easy-to-use, self-winding, user load-in cord reeling device that automatically winds and unwinds the cord to any desired length and is relatively inexpensive and enables a user to load in the user's own cord which has already been supplied by the maker of the electronic equipment so the user can wind up the cord for storage and unwind the cord to any desired length for use with an electronic device, such as a hands-free cord for a cell phone.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide an easy-to-use, self-winding, user load-in cord reeling device that automatically winds and unwinds the cord to any desired length and is relatively inexpensive and enables a user to load in the user's own cord which has already been supplied by the maker of the electronic equipment so the user can wind up the cord for storage and unwind the cord to any desired length for use with an electronic device, such as a hands-free cord for a cell phone.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cord reeling device for many kinds of flexible cords, cables, strings or wires, but is primarily intended for most hands free sets for cell phones and most earphones for portable electronic devices which device is unique because it allows the user to manage most existing cords that are provided with portable electronic devices and cell phones.

One more object of the present invention is to provide a cord reeling device in which, after a user loads a user's existing cord into the device, a spring-loaded reel with a mechanism that arrests the rotation of a reel drum when the cord is fully extended and when desired at any length, and very easily by pulling on the two ends of the cord the arresting mechanism is released and the reel turns easily to allow a user to extend the cord to any length with the arresting mechanism holding the cord at the desired length, and then by tugging the ends of the cord, the arresting mechanism is released and the reel automatically winds up the cord by the action of a coil spring attached to the reel.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a drum of the reel with a cord retaining clip attached to the reel and a cord receiving slot between the cord retaining clip and the surface of the drum to admit a mid portion of a cord looped over the retaining clip into the receiving slot to secure the mid portion of the cord to the drum so that as the drum turns it winds up the cord from the center in a double coil.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a pair of coils with each coil on an opposite side of the drum spaced apart from the drum with one coil aligned with a top half of the drum for receiving and retaining one extending end of the cord to guide it to wind around a top half of the drum and the other coil aligned with a bottom half of the drum for receiving and retaining the other end of the cord to guide it to wind around a bottom half of the drum.

One additional object of the present invention is to provide a load-in reel so that the user loads an existing cord into the cord reel device, which would be spring-loaded and have a mechanism that would arrest the rotation of the drum when the cord is fully extended and when desired at any extended length of the cord, which arresting mechanism very easily releases the drum so that the coiled spring rotates the reel to wind up the cord.

In brief, a drum rotates around a post with a coiled spring therebetween to rotate the drum with the spring under tension to wind a cord around the drum. A cord retaining clip attached to the reel and a cord receiving slot between the cord retaining clip and the surface of the drum admits a mid portion of an existing cord owned by a user which cord mid portion is looped over the retaining clip into the receiving slot to secure the mid portion of the cord to the drum so that as the drum turns it winds up the cord from the center in a double coil.

A top coil spaced apart from an upper half of the drum on one side receives, retains and guides one extending end of the cord to wind around a top half of the drum. A bottom coil spaced apart from a lower half of the drum on the other side receives, retains and guides the other extending end of the cord to wind around a bottom half of the drum. Another feature of the coils is that they allow a cord to be loaded in and contained without passively slipping out.

The present invention provides a cord reeling device for many kinds of flexible cords, cables, strings or wires, but is primarily intended for most hands free sets for cell phones and most earphones for portable electronic devices. This device is unique because it allows the user to manage most existing cords that are provided with portable electronic devices and cell phones without having to purchase another cord as required by most prior art cord winding reels which come with their own cords.

The device can be pretensioned by the factory or tensioned by the user. Once the cord has been loaded into the tensioned device, the drum is released by the user, and the extended cord ends are reeled onto the drum. The user extends the cord by pulling the two extending ends of the cord evenly out. There are a variety of means for arresting the drum once the cord has been extended, including a variety of friction holding means and a ball in groove means with circular free wheeling grooves traveled by the ball and an offshoot groove having a stop element blocking the groove to stop the ball and arrest the rotation of the drum in a desired location.

An advantage of the present invention is that it eliminates tangle for existing cords.

Another advantage of the present invention is that it enables an existing cord owned by a user to be coiled up for storage and uncoiled to any desired length for use of the cord attached to an electronic device.

An additional advantage of the present invention is that it is inexpensive to make.

One more advantage of the present invention is that it is inexpensive to purchase and enables use with an existing cord already owned by the user.

Yet another advantage of the present invention is that it is easy to use with a simple receiving slot to load a cord onto the reel and a spring return to wind up the cord.

Still another advantage of the present invention is that it is adaptable for use with a variety of existing cord types.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other details of my invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are furnished only by way of illustration and not in limitation of the invention, and in which drawings:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the components of the present invention aligned for assembly;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the drum of the present invention with the bottom open showing the coiled spring inside the drum and the flanges extending out from the top and bottom of the drum;

FIG. 3 is a partial front elevational view of the drum of the present invention showing the cord receiving opening and cord retaining clip;

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the drum of the present invention showing a mid-section of a cord as it is initially looped over the cord retaining clip into the cord receiving slot;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the drum of the present invention showing a mid-section of a cord looped over the cord retaining clip and into the cord receiving slot and one extending end of the cord looped around the front of the clip and through a spaced cord guiding coil on one side of the reel and the other extending end of the cord wound around the drum in the same direction 270 degrees to the other cord guiding coil;

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the drum showing how the first extending end of the cord of FIG. 5 is looped in front of the retaining clip and winds to the right along the top of the reel to the first cord guiding coil aligned with a top half of the drum and the second extending end of the cord winds around the bottom of the drum in the same direction three-fourths of the way around the drum to the other cord guiding coil aligned with a bottom half of the drum;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the cord reel of the present invention with a cord with a cell phone-type earpiece and plug fully wound onto the reel, and a clothing clip which is usually attached to hands free cords is shown slid to the earpiece/microphone end of the cord;

FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of the cord reel of FIG. 7 with a cord with a cell phone-type earpiece and plug wound onto the reel and an additional lanyard-type handle attached to the bottom of the reel;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the top of an alternate embodiment of the drum of the present invention with three tiers of flanges for maintaining round cross-section cords in the two tracks formed between the three tiers of flanges, the forward edges of the top and bottom flanges flared out to help guide the cord into the proper track, and showing the cord receiving slot and the cord retaining clip and a groove along a top surface of the drum for engaging with a mating half of a stop mechanism under the cap of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the reel of the drum of FIG. 9 with three tiers of flanges for maintaining round cords shown in cross-section in the two tracks formed between the three tiers of flanges, the forward edges of the top and bottom flanges flared out to help guide the cord into the proper track, and showing the base extending lower to accommodate the flared forward edges of the bottom flanges.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

In FIGS. 1-10, a cord reeling device for receiving an existing cord 30 and 30A installed by a user comprises a spring-loaded reel 20 with a cord attaching opening 24 and cord retaining clip 23 and cord guiding coils 25 to guide two extending ends of a cord 30 attached to the reel at the mid point to wind around a top and a bottom of a rotating drum 21.

In FIG. 1, the reel 20 comprises a base 5 and a cap 10 interconnected by a post 9 by a threaded connector 3 in a threaded bottom opening 7 in the post. A cylindrical housing or drum 21 surrounds and rotates freely around the post 9. The drum 21 has a cylindrical outer surface for receiving a cord 30 wound around the drum. The drum is sandwiched between the cap 10 and the base 5. The post 9, which is preferably part of the cap unit, passes through a hole 17 in the top of the drum, and then finally passes through a hole 4 in the center of the base and is fixed to the base by the threaded connector 3.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, a coiled spring 19, such as a clock spring, connects between the post 9 and the drum 21 so that the spring causes the drum to rotate around the post to wind a cord around the drum. The post 9 further comprises a spring receiving slot 8 vertically along a portion of the length of the post and the drum 21 further comprises a spring receiving slot 18, as seen in FIG. 2, and the coiled spring 19 further comprises an outside hook portion of the coiled spring engaged in the spring receiving slot 18 of the drum 21 and an inside hook portion of the coiled spring engaged in the spring receiving slot 8 of the post 9.

A means for retaining a cord 30 wound around the drum 21 comprises a series of upper flanges 22 extending outwardly from the drum 21 around an upper perimeter of the drum and a mating series of lower flanges 22 extending outwardly from the a bottom of the drum around a bottom perimeter of the drum, the upper and lower flanges 22 spaced apart a sufficient distance to retain a length of cord 30 therebetween with the cord wound around the drum.

In FIGS. 1 and 3-6, a cord receiving opening 24 and 24A and 24B in the drum 21 receives a mid section of a cord 30 and a cord retaining clip 23 is the means for retaining a mid section of a cord in the cord receiving opening. Two extending cord ends 30A and 30B protrude from the drum and an upper cord receiving opening 24A is a means for allowing an extension a first extending cord end 30A out along a top half of the drum, as shown in FIG. 6 and a full length cord receiving opening 24B on the other side of the cord retaining clip 23 is a means for allowing an extension of the second extending cord end 30B out along a bottom half of the drum with both extending cord ends 30A and 30B winding in a same direction around the drum, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

The cord receiving openings 24A and 24B open through a cord mounting portion of the drum 21 comprising the cord receiving openings 24A and 24B and the cord retaining clip 23 positioned centrally in the cord receiving opening 24 so that a midsection of a cord may be looped over the cord retaining clip, as shown in FIG. 4, and inserted in the cord receiving opening 24. In FIGS. 5 and 6, the first extending cord end 30A extends out of the top cord receiving opening 24A on a first side of the cord retaining clip 23 and around an outside of the cord retaining clip and along an upper portion of the drum and through the first coil 25A, and a second extending cord end 30B extends out of a bottom of the cord receiving opening 24B on a second side of the cord retaining clip 23 and along a bottom portion of the drum in the same direction as the first extending end of the cord, as shown in FIG. 6, and winds around the bottom half of the drum through the second coil 25B on the other side of the reel, as shown in FIG. 5. Each half of the cord winds around a different half of the drum in the same direction as the drum rotates to retract an entire cord around the drum to any desired length, as seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, wherein a cord 30 with a cell phone-type earpiece 50 and plug 40 is fully wound onto the reel, and a clothing clip 60 which is usually attached to hands free cords is shown slid to the earpiece/microphone end of the cord. The cord retaining clip 23 prevents the cord from slipping off the drum with the cord fully extended for use, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

In FIGS. 1 and 5-8, a pair of coils 25A and 25B serve as the means for guiding the two extending cord ends 30A and 30B so that the first extending end 30A in coil 25A winds around an upper half of the drum 2 land the second extending cord end 30B in coil 25B winds around a lower half of the drum. The coils are each on an elongated arm 15 extending from each of two opposing sides of the reel, each arm having an outer coil 25A and 25B having a center opening for receiving and retaining a portion of a cord wound into the coil. The first outer coil 25A positioned adjacent to a top half of the reel, as seen in FIG. 6, guides the first extending cord end 30A to wind around the top half of the drum as the drum rotates and the second outer coil 25B positioned adjacent to a bottom half of the reel guides a second extending cord end to wind around the bottom half of the drum as the drum rotates.

A means for releasably retaining the drum in a stationary position may comprise a friction means or a ball 13 in grooves under the cap 10 and at least one groove 6 on a top surface of the drum 21. The cord 30 may be extended to any desired length so that pulling on the two extending cord end uncoils the cord to any desired length until the drum retaining means is engaged and releasing the drum retaining means with the cord extended allows the coiled spring to rotate the drum and wind up the cord.

The cord retaining clip 23 further comprises a cord retaining clip flange extending outwardly from the drum in alignment with the upper flanges 22.

In FIG. 8, a reel attaching means 29, such as a lanyard handle or clip attached to the base 5 by a removable clamp 2 can be used to attach the reel to the clothing or other item of a user.

In FIGS. 9 and 10, an alternate embodiment of the drum 21 A comprises another series of flanges 22 extending outwardly from the drum midway between the upper flanges 22 and the lower flanges 22 thereby forming three layers of flanges and creating two cord winding guide tracks between the three layers for retaining round cross-section cords 30A in upper and lower halves of the drum. The forward edges 70 of the flanges 22 may be flared out to assist in guiding the extending cord ends into the appropriate half of the drum.

The components of the reel are preferably fabricated of a rugged molded synthetic material for inexpensive and rapid large scale production.

It is understood that the preceding description is given merely by way of illustration and not in limitation of the invention and that various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Claims

1. A cord reeling device for receiving an existing cord installed by a user, the device comprising:

a reel comprising a base and a cap interconnected by a post, a cylindrical housing or drum surrounding and rotating freely around the post, the drum having a cylindrical outer surface for receiving a cord wound around the drum, a spring connected between the post and the drum so that the spring causes the drum to rotate around the post to wind a cord around the drum, a means for retaining a cord wound around the drum, a cord receiving opening in the drum for receiving a mid section of a cord and a means for retaining a mid section of a cord in the cord receiving opening with two extending cord ends protruding from the drum and a means for allowing an extension of a first extending cord end out along a top half of the drum and a means for allowing an extension of a second extending cord end out along a bottom half of the drum with both extending cord ends winding in a same direction around the drum, a means for guiding the two extending cord ends so that the first extending end winds around an upper half of the drum and the second extending cord end winds around a lower half of the drum, and a means for releasably retaining the drum in a stationary position with the cord extending to any desired length so that pulling on the two extending ends of the cord uncoils the cord to any desired length until the drum retaining means is engaged and releasing the drum retaining means with the cord extended allows the coiled spring to rotate the drum and wind up the cord.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the means for retaining a cord wound around the drum comprises a series of upper flanges extending outwardly from the drum around an upper perimeter of the drum and a mating series of lower flanges extending outwardly from the a bottom of the drum around a bottom perimeter of the drum, the upper and lower flanges spaced apart a sufficient distance to retain a length of cord therebetween with the cord wound around the drum.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein a cord mounting opening in the drum for receiving a mid section of a cord and a means for retaining a mid section of a cord in the cord mounting opening with two extending cord ends protruding from the drum and a means for allowing an extension of a first extending cord end out along a top half of the drum and a means for allowing an extension of the second extending cord end out along a bottom half of the drum with both extending cord ends winding in a same direction around the drum comprise a cord mounting portion of the drum comprising a cord receiving opening and a cord retaining clip positioned centrally in the cord receiving opening so that a midsection of a cord may be looped over the cord retaining clip and inserted in the cord receiving opening so that a first extending end of the cord extends out of a top of the cord receiving opening on a first side of the cord retaining clip and around an outside of the cord retaining clip and along an upper portion of the drum and through the first coil and a second extending end of the cord extends out of a bottom of the cord receiving opening on a second side of the cord retaining clip and along a bottom portion of the drum in the same direction as the first extending end of the cord and winds around the bottom half of the drum through the second coil on the other side of the reel, so that each half of the cord winds around a different half of the drum in the same direction as the drum rotates to wind an entire cord around the drum to any desired length, the cord retaining clip preventing the cord from slipping off the drum with the cord fully extended.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the means for guiding two extending ends of a cord so that one of the extending ends winds around an upper half of the drum and the other of the extending ends winds around a lower half of the drum comprises an elongated arm extending from each of two opposing sides of the reel, the arm comprising an outer coil having a center opening for receiving and retaining a portion of a cord wound into the coil, a first outer coil positioned adjacent to a top half of the reel for guiding a first extending end of the cord to wind around the top half of the drum as the drum rotates and a second outer coil positioned adjacent to a bottom half of the reel for guiding a second extending end of the cord to wind around the bottom half of the drum as the drum rotates.

5. A cord reeling device for receiving an existing cord installed by a user, the device comprising:

a reel comprising a base and a cap interconnected by a post, a cylindrical housing or drum surrounding and rotating freely around the post, the drum having a cylindrical outer surface for receiving a cord wound around the drum and a central opening therethrough to receive the post, a coiled spring connected between the post and the drum so that the coiled spring under tension causes the drum to rotate around the post to wind a cord around the drum, a series of upper flanges extending outwardly from the drum around a perimeter of the drum and a mating series of lower flanges extending outwardly from the bottom of the drum around a perimeter of the drum, the upper and lower flanges spaced apart a sufficient distance to retain a length of cord therebetween with the cord wound around the drum, an elongated arm extending from each of two opposing sides of the reel, the arm comprising an outer coil having a center opening for receiving and retaining a portion of a cord wound into the coil, a first outer coil positioned adjacent to a top half of the reel for guiding a first extending cord end to wind around the top half of the drum as the drum rotates and a second outer coil positioned adjacent to a bottom half of the reel for guiding a second extending cord end to wind around the bottom half of the drum as the drum rotates, a cord mounting portion of the drum comprising a cord receiving opening and a cord retaining clip positioned centrally in the cord receiving opening so that a midsection of a cord may be looped over the cord retaining clip and inserted in the cord receiving opening so that a first extending cord end extends out of a top of the cord receiving opening on a first side of the cord retaining clip and around an outside of the cord retaining clip and along an upper portion of the drum and through the first coil and a second extending cord end extends out of a bottom of the cord receiving opening on a second side of the cord retaining clip and along a bottom portion of the drum in the same direction as the first extending end of the cord and winds around the bottom half of the drum through the second coil on the other side of the reel, so that each half of the cord winds around a different half of the drum in the same direction as the drum rotates to wind an entire cord around the drum to any desired length, the cord retaining clip preventing the cord from slipping off the drum with the cord fully extended, and a means for releasably retaining the drum in a stationary position with the cord extending to any desired length so that pulling on the two extending ends of the cord uncoils the cord to any desired length until the drum retaining means is engaged and releasing the drum retaining means with the cord extended allows the coiled spring to rotate the drum and wind up the cord.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the cord retaining clip further comprises a cord retaining clip flange extending outwardly from the drum in alignment with the upper flanges.

7. The device of claim 5 wherein the cord insertion space comprises a top opening on a first side of the cord retaining clip for guiding the first extending cord end to the top of the drum and a full-length opening on a second side of the cord retaining clip for guiding the second extending cord end to the bottom of the drum.

8. The device of claim 5 wherein the post further comprises a spring receiving slot and the drum further comprises a spring receiving slot and the coiled spring further comprises an outside hook portion of the coiled spring engaged in the spring receiving slot of the drum and an inside hook portion of the coiled spring engaged in the spring receiving slot of the post.

9. The device of claim 5 further comprising another series of flanges extending outwardly from the drum midway between the upper flanges and the lower flanges thereby forming three layers of flanges and creating two cord winding guide tracks between the three layers.

10. The device of claim 5 further comprising a reel attaching means connected to the reel for attaching the reel to the clothing or other item of a user.