EXTENSION CORD MANAGEMENT DEVICE
A cord management device comprising a coiled spring member and at least one cord attachment member for securing a cord to be coupled to said spring member is disclosed. Spring members are fitted with ties which grasp the cord making the spring members and cord act simultaneously. When the inventive spring member is attached to a cord, it has the ability to stretch if desired and compress to create an organized configuration when not in use. The inventive device may be incorporated into an appliance or other device permanently, as well as being an attachment retrofitted onto an existing cord flexible or tubular conduit to provide an electrical conductor connection to another device or system, thus making it easy to manage a cord.
The invention relates to a device for managing cords or flexible tubular conduits, such as cords on appliances, information bearing cords such as cords on computer keyboards, computer mouse devices, and cords in the workplace environment such as an office, hospital, factory or warehouse.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONToday, numerous appliances and peripheral devices require an electrical conductor connection, optical connection, gas or liquid supply to another device or system. These include cords for appliances which are powered by, for example, ordinary house current, battery packs or the like.
In addition, there are numerous cords commonly encountered in everyday life, such as cords which are used to connect computer peripheral devices, such as disk drives, keyboards, earphones, headphones, and so forth to computers. Still another class of cords carry other informational or power content. For example, cords comprising hollow flexible tubes convey air pressure to pneumatically powered tools or liquids to supply a fabrication process. Another example comprises cords which carry optical information, typically being made of fiber-optic bundles. For example, such devices may be used to convey image information from one point to another.
Fiber-optic bundles may also be used to carry illumination. For example, some light sources comprise a main housing comprising a lamp and a fiber-optic bundle used to output light onto a work piece. Yet another application involves the collection of sunlight, for example on the roof of a building, and sending that luminous energy to a room in the building where it may be used to illuminate an object.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn accordance with the invention, a device is provided for managing a power cord, or linear tubular conduit, for example, a cord carrying any of the above energy or information or other inputs or outputs. It is contemplated that the inventive device will be sold in different lengths, and that the consumer will be able to trim a device to a desired length and/or select the desired length needed to match a particular cord which the consumer wishes to manage.
A cord management device comprising a coiled spring member and at least one cord attachment member for securing a cord to be coupled to said spring member is disclosed. In one embodiment spring members are fitted with adhesive for Velcro™-type hook and loop fasteners or other ties of any configuration which grasp the cord making the spring members and cord act simultaneously. When the inventive spring member is attached to a cord, it has the ability to stretch if desired and compress to create an organized configuration when not in use. The inventive device may be incorporated into an appliance or other device permanently, as well as being an attachment retrofitted onto an existing cord in, for example, an appliance to provide an electrical conductor connection to another device or system, thus making it easy to manage a cord. The device can also be detached from the power cord should it no longer be desired or if it has worn out or otherwise lost functionality. Advantageously, it may be detached without damaging the cord or conduit to which it had been connected.
The inventive cord management device is in one embodiment made of a coiled helical spring which may be attached to, for example, an appliance by any means such as adhesive, a hinge, a ball and socket, and so forth. The helical coil is attached to the cord by a plurality of attachment members.
The operation of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:
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Spring member 12 is fitted with a number of cord grasping ties 18. As illustrated in
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The inventive device may take the form of a permanently installed spring member 212 on an extension cord 214, as illustrated in
Alternatively, an extension cord 314 may be extruded with lips 344 and 346 for engaging a spring member 312, as illustrated in the cross-sectional view of
In principle, the inventive system may be installed under a desktop. For example, as illustrated in
It is also contemplated in accordance with the present invention that the inventive device may be suspended from ceilings, such as ceiling 511 illustrated in
It is also contemplated that the present invention may be used to implement and easily manage the cord to be used with a computer mouse. Because of the relatively large diameter of the inventive cord manager, it is practical to use the same in many applications not suitable for conventional coiled cords, such as those used on telephone headsets. More critically, in accordance with the present invention, it is contemplated that cord diameters may be in excess of 5 cm, and as large as 25 cm or larger.
The inventive device will also work well with a computer keyboard.
Likewise, in accordance with the present invention, the stiff nature of the spring member helps to manage the cord. In accordance with the present invention, coil diameters which result in a coil length, in the compressed state, such as that illustrated in
In accordance with the invention, it is anticipated that the various tools used at a construction site, such as drills, power saws, power screwdrivers and the like may be outfitted with the inventive cord manager. Thus, an individual working at the site, who may be simultaneously using several tools, such as a power drill, power screwdriver and saw can conveniently and without the cords interfering with each other, switch from one tool to another to efficiently complete a task.
In the same manner as illustrated in
Likewise, the inventive system may be used in conjunction with a telephone or other similar device.
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The above structure allows cord 728 and spring member 712 to be attached, detached and reattached many times by the use of the hook and loop connectors.
When it is desired to use the inventive system, hook carrying fabric coupling member 737 is put in place on the housing of appliance 732 in a position in which it will underlie loop bearing patch 741. Cord 728 is then laid over the hook varying surface of fabric coupling member 737, preferably in the middle of said service, and patch 741 is placed over cord 720 to lock cord 728 into position. The result is that cord 728 assumes a direction substantially parallel to the rear surface of appliance 732, feeding it in a direction toward the base of spring member 712 which is secured to the back of appliance 732.
One then secures the end 745 of spring member 720 which is locked into position bearing against the back of appliance 732 by placing end 745 over the middle of patch 747 and engaging the loops on patch 751 with the hooks on patch 747.
Next, adhesive protective release member 727 are removed from each tape member 718 and secured around cord 728, in sequence, as the cord is wrapped against spring member 712. Each time an adhesive protective release member 727 is removed, it is wrapped around cord 728, as illustrated in
Yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention is schematically illustrated in cross-section
In accordance with the invention, an adhesive foot 816 may be positioned at an end of the silicone rubber covering 811 which serves to attach the cord to for example a computer or device.
While enveloped in the silicone rubber covering 810, the electrical cord 812 is maintained in a desired organized configuration. While this can be achieved by making the covering 811 of a suitable springy material, the possibility also exist to incorporate a springy member 820 which follows a path 818, as illustrated in
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Still yet another alternative for the placement of the groove in a cord similar to those illustrated in
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Claims
1. A cord management device, comprising:
- (a) a coiled spring member; and
- (b) at least one cord attachment member for securing a cord to be coupled to said spring member.
2. A cord management device as in claim 1, further comprising
- (a) an attachment member for attaching said cord management device to an object.
3. A cord management device as in claim 1, wherein said coil spring is made of plasticmetal or rubber, or combination thereof.
4. A cord management device as in claim 1, wherein said tie is a planar member with mating hook members on one side and mating loop members on the other side.
5. A cord management device as in claim 1, wherein the ratio of coil length to coil diameter is in the range between 3:1 and 1:6.
6. A cord management device as in claim 1, wherein the ratio of coil length to coil diameter is in the range between 1:1 and 1:5.
7. A cord management device as in claim 1, wherein the ratio of coil length to coil diameter and is in the range between 0.5:1 and 1:2.
8. In cord management device as in claim 1, wherein said cord attachment member is a tie.
9. A device incorporating a cord and the cord management device as in claim 1, wherein said cord attachment member is a gluing member extending along the length of said coil spring member and said cord.
10. A device incorporating the cord management device of claim 1 and a cord secured to said cord management device, wherein said cord is a pneumatic or tubular liquid or gas supply conduit cord.
11. A device incorporating the cord management device of claim 1 and a cord secured to said cord management device, wherein said cord is a fiber optical cord.
12. A cord management device, comprising a flexible resilient coiled member having a coil shape and having a groove disposed along to its length, said groove being defined by a pair of flexible lips, said groove being dimensioned to receive and retrain a cord to be managed, and said coiled member being resilient enough to return itself and a retained cord to its compressed coil shape after being pulled into an extended coil shape.
13. A cord management device as in claim 12, wherein said flexible resilient coiled member is made of a rubbery material and includes an internal spring made from a material selected from the group consisting of metal and plastic.
14. A cord management device as in claim 12, wherein said groove is positioned on the outside of the coil.
15. A cord management device as in claim 12, wherein said groove is positioned on the inside of the coil.
16. A cord management device as in claim 12, wherein said groove is positioned between the inside and the outside of the coil.
17. A device as in claim 16, wherein the cord is an electrical, optical or pneumatic cord.
18. A cord management device as in claim 16, wherein said flexible resilient coiled member is made of a rubbery material and includes an internal spring made from a material selected from the group consisting of metal and plastic.
19. A device as in claim 18, wherein said lips extend toward each other to define at least a partial closure over said groove.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 20, 2007
Publication Date: May 21, 2009
Inventor: Peter Costantino (Armonk, NY)
Application Number: 11/943,090