Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
-~20~61i
954034/RR/mma
WINDING REEL FOR WIRE, CABLE ETC.
The invention relates to a device for coiling, respec-
tively uncoiling a wire, cable or suchlike, comprising a
housing with a central part therein, which housing com-
prises two housing parts which are rotatably connected in
relation to each other around a spindle and which intercon-
nect while forming a space around the central part for
storing the coiled wire, in which the housing contains a
slit extending mainly parallel along the central part,
which slit consists of two slit parts each made in one of
the two housing parts, in which during coiling a wire part
extending through both sLit parts into the housing is
pulled further into the housing and coiled around the
central part.
Such a device is known from US-A-4 390 142. In this
known device the space between the housing and the central
part comprises a rotatable disc. The rotatable disc ifself
has a slot for gripping a part of the wire. The housing is
at its perimetrical side provided with a slit through which
a wire loop can be inserted into the housing, which wire
loop then needs to be put into the slot in the rotatable
disc. By subsequently rotating the disc relative to the
housing, for the purpose of which the disc is operable from
_ outside the housing, the wire is pulled further into the
housing and coiled around the central part. It is noted
that the two housing parts according to US-A-4 390 142 can
be rotated relative to each other. This relative rotation,
however, is limited to a maximum of 180~, because each
housing part has cooperating means for limiting the rela-
tive rotation therebetween. The purpose of this limited
relative rotation is that the ends of a coiled wire part
- ~ - . , ~ , , .
can be brought in line with each other, so that it appears
that the wire goes in on one side of the device and comes
out diametrically on the other side of the device.
Another device for coiling a wire is known from US-A-
3 084~886. This device also comprises two housing parts
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defining a space around a central part, in which space a
rotatable disc is placed similarly to the mentioned US-A-
4 390 142. The disc comprising the slot in this device,
however, is spring tensioned by means of a rubber band
extending inside the central part. By releasing the disc so
that it can rotate freely under the influence of the ten-
sioned rubber band a wire can be coiled around the central
part. The two housing parts according to US-A-3 084 886 can
not be rotated relative to each other.
10A disadvantage of these known devices is that they
comprise many complex components. Furthermore the many
components of the devices are difficult to assemble and
- disassemble,: and relatively expensiv~ to ma~e.- Also the
wlre~loop has-to pass-through both-the slit in the housing
and the slot in the disc, which therefore need to be
aligned with each other before the wire loop can be
inserted. Therefore a coiling operatio~ with--the known
devices is a complex and a time consuming operation.
The object of the present invention is to provide a
device for coiling respectively uncoiling a wire in which
these disadvantages are eliminated.
This object is achieved according to the invention by
the two parts being freely rotatably connected to each
other such that merely by rotating the two housing parts
relative to each other the wire is pulled further into the
housing and coiled around the central part. The housing
parts of ~he device according to the invention can be
rotated over many 360~ turns relative to each other, and
therefore take over the function of the rotatable disc
according to US-A-4 390 142. The invention therefore is
based on the insight that a device for coiling respectively
uncoiling a wire, cable or suchlike does not need a separ-
ate rotatable disc that needs to be incorporated inside the
housing and that needs to be operable from outside the
housing. This makes the device according to the invention
much more simple and cheap to make.
The housing of the device according to the invention
which is formed by the housing parts, may be of any shape,
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for example spherical. More specifically, the two housing
parts together form the shape of a closed flat box with a
perimetrical side mainly defining the height of the flat
box, as well as an upper and lower side, in which the slit
parts- in the perimetrical side extend to at least the
thickness of the wire to be coiled in the top and bottom
side mainly in the direction of the central part. Because
of this, the wire parts can be held more effectively in the
separate slit parts and the single wire parts can be coiled
around both si~es of the middle'of the central part.
The wire parts can be held better in the separate slit
parts if the slit parts are provided with separating
elements which can be pivoted or bent in two ways in rela-
"-' tion to the-housing parts.
The wire parts can be held even better in the separate
slit parts if the slit parts which continue in the top and
bottom side, on their ends turned away from the
perimetrical side, each-contain a part that forms an angle
with the starting direction of the slit part,- and the
angled part in the bottom--side and the~angled part in the
top side are directed in opposite directions to one
another.
As stated the device contàins two housing parts which
can rotate in relation to one another, and which intercon-
nect while forming a space around the central part for
-~~ receiving the wire. The central part in said device can be
~. ..
an integrated component of one'of-the two housing parts, so
that the device in its simplest form contains only two
parts. The connection of the parts~can be made by a snap-
fit joint that permits rotation, makes a simple mountingpossible and which can disconnect when too much tension is
applied to it,'for example- when somebody's foot gets stuck
behind thè~'~wire.~Additionally the snap-fit joint-can also
be disconnected by a component-such as a knob, which can be
operated from the outside of the housing. Other joints,
like a pin with security rings, remain possible. The con-
nection of the circumferential rims of the housing parts,
that rotate in relation to one another, can be made in such
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a way that they ratchet into each other, to prevent an
inconvenient shifting of the housing parts, for example by
a groove in one rim and a cam fitting into it on the other
rim.
5The central part can be made hollow and be put on a
rod or something similar.
In a particular embodiment the central part can rotate
freely in relation to the two housing parts. Because of
this, the whole device can be moved easily over the wire
after a portion of the wire has already been coiled. Hence
it is no longer necessary to place the device exactly in
the middle of the wire to be coiled.
The housing parts can be supplied with a profile on
- the outside. This results in a better grip and makes the
housing parts stronger.
In a particular embodiment, aids arê fitted on the top
and bottom side, with which aids multiple devices can be
coupled to one another.
To reduce friction, bearings or friction reducing
synthetic materials can be installed between the rotating
parts.
The invention will be explained in more detail with
reference to the enc~osed~drawing,~ in which-g
Figure la, b and c-respectively show a front view, a
side view and a crQss~section alon~- th~i-}-~ne A-A' of an
t-- embodiment of the devi~e according to the-invention;
Figure 2a and b respectively show a front view and a
side view of an embodiment in which a profile has been
applied to the housing parts;
30Figure 3 shows two coupled devices according to the
invention. - -
In figure 1 the device ~onsists of a housing 1 that
has the shape of a crosed fiat box. Housing 1 consists of
two parts 10, ll-wkich can rotate i~ -relation to one
another, that connect to each~-other while forming a space
around central part 12. The perimetrical sides of the
housing parts contain slit-parts 13 for taking and posi-
tioning the wire. By turning the first part 10 and the
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second part 11 in relation to one another the wire is
coiled around the central part 12. Before inserting the
wire into the slit, the slit parts 13 need to be positioned
in relation to one another in such a way, that they form a
single continuous slit into which the wire can be inserted.
To be able to better retain the wire in the separate slit
parts 13, these can extend themselves for at least the
thickness of the wire to be coiled in the top and bottom
side of housing 1 and contain, if desired, a part 14 that
forms an angle (for example of 90~) with the starting
direction of slit parts 13, of which the part in the bottom
side and the part in the top side are in opposite direc-
tions. The central part 12 can be rigidly fixed to one of
'~ the housing parts 10, 11 or turn freely in relation to both
housing parts 10, 11. Arrow 15 shows the turning direction
of the housing part 10 for coiling the wire.
In Fig. 2 housing 1 is supplied on the outside with a
profile 50 for a better grip and stronger construction.
In Fig. 3 on the top and bottom sides of the housing
there are aids 60 for coupling more devices to one another.
