Power cord slack takeup reel

Claim 2

Apparatus for taking up slack in electric power cords and the like, comprising a housing in which the slack in the cord is to be wound, said housing comprising a one piece length of semirigid, flexible plastic conduit of generally rectangular crosssection having substantially parallel upper and lower walls separated by two opposed side walls, the space between said upper and lower walls being of a dimension only slightly greater than the width of the cord, each said upper and lower wall having a centrally located aperture therein, a shaft extending through said apertures and rotatably supported in said housing, said shaft having a larger diameter than said apertures except for a pair of spaced annular grooves therein that releasably engage said upper and lower walls at said apertures, said shaft having a slot therein for receipt of the power cord intermediate its length and within said housing, said plastic housing being capable of inwardly directed manual flexure to deform said upper and lower apertures whereby at least one of said upper and lower walls may be disengaged from said shaft and the dimension between the upper and lower walls increased to permit threading of the cord through said slot in said shaft and out of the housing with the disengaged wall then being reconnected to said shaft, and means for rotating said shaft to wind the threaded power cord thereabout, said upper and lower walls being operative dimensionally to guide said cord into a coil of concentric turns about said shaft.

Claim 3

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said rotating means comprises a knob rigidly attached at one end of said shaft, being disposed outside said housing and adapted to be grasped for manually turning said shaft.

Claim 4

Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said knob and said shaft are an integral plastic member, said knob being contiguous with one of said annular grooves for retaining said upper housing wall.

Claim 5

Apparatus for taking up slack in electric power cords and the like, comprising a housing in which the slack in the cord is to be wound, said housing comprising a one piece length of semi-rigid, flexible plastic conduit of generally rectangular cross-section having substantially parallel upper and lower walls separated by two opposed side walls, each said upper and lower wall having a centrally located aperture therein, a divider plate disposed within said housing between said upper and lower walls to divide the housing into two sections, the space between said divider plate and each said upper and lower wall being of a dimension only slightly greater than the width of the cord, a shaft extending through said apertures and rotatably supported in said housing, said shaft having a larger diameter than said apertures, said shaft having a slot therein for receipt of the power cord intermediate its length in said housing, said housing being capable of inwardly directed manual flexure to deform said upper and lower apertures whereby at least one of said upper and lower walls may be disengaged from said shaft and the dimension between the upper and lower walls increased to permit threading of the cord sequentially from one section of said housing through said slot into said other section of said housing and out of the housing, with the disengaged wall then being reconnected to said shaft, and means for rotating said shaft to wind the power cord thereabout, said divider plate in conjunction with said upper and lower walls being operative dimensionally to guide said cord on winding into adjacent coils in said two sections of said housing.

Claim 6

Apparatus for taking up slack in electric power cords and the like, comprising a housing in which the slack in the cord is to be wound, said housing comprising a one piece length of semi-rigid, flexible plastic conduit of generally rectangular cross-section having substantially parallel upper and lower walls separated by two opposed side walls, each said upper and lower wall having a centrally located aperture therein, a divider plate disposed within said housing between said upper and lower walls to divide the housing into two sections, the space between said divider plate and each said upper and lower wall being of a dimension only slightly greater than the width of the cord, a shaft extending through said apertures and rotatably supported in said housing, said shaft having a larger diameter than said apertures, said shaft having a slot therein for receipt of the power cord intermediate its length in said housing, said housing being capable of inwardly directed manual flexure to deform said upper and lower apertures whereby at least one of said upper and lower walls may be disengaged from said shaft and the dimension between the upper and lower walls increased to permit threading of the cord sequentially from one section of said housing through said slot into said other section of said housing and out of the housing, with the disengaged wall then being reconnected to said shaft, and means for rotating said shaft to wind the power cord thereabout, said divider plate in conjunction with said upper and lower walls being operative dimensionally to guide said cord on winding into adjacent coils in said two sections of said housing.

Claim 7

Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said divider plate includes an aperture therein, said shaft projecting through said divider plate aperture for retaining said divider plate within said housing, the power cord adapted to be threaded through said divider plate aperture.

Claim 8

Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said divider plate is circular and includes a slit therein adapted to be deformed to accommodate threading therethrough of electric power cord plugs and the like, and is dimensioned for rotation upon said shaft within said housing.

Claim 9

Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said housing is of thin wall construction and is sufficiently flexible to allow the threading of electric power cord plugs and the like therethrough.