Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02770234 2012-03-02
HOSE REEL HAVING A HORIZONTALLY SPLIT FRAME
This application claims priority based on U.S. Patent Application number
13/082,485
entitled "HOSE REEL HAVING A HORIZONTALLY SPLIT FRAME" filed April 8,
2011, which is herein incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a hose reel and, more specifically, a hose
reel having
a strong frame assembly because the frame assembly is configured so as to not
be deformed
during the manufacturing process.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Complex devices, e.g. devices formed from a plurality of other components, are
typically designed in view of their manufacturing/assembly process. That is,
the device is
not simply designed to perform a function, but also designed so that it may be
easily
assembled. Such a design process may, however, result in components that favor
one aspect
over the other. That is, a component that is made to be easily assembled may
result in
reduced performance. Conversely, a component designed for the best performance
may be
difficult to assemble.
For example, hose reels are constructs structured to rotatably support a hose.
More
specifically, a hose reel has a frame assembly and a basket assembly. There
are other
assemblies as well, such as, but not limited to, the water conduit assembly,
but those are not
relevant to the present disclosure. The basket assembly includes a barrel
about which a hose
is wound. The frame assembly is structured to rotatably support the basket
assembly. Such
hose reels are subjected to wear and tear both when the entire hose reel is
moved about a
yard and when the hose is being wound/unwound about the basket assembly. Such
wear and
tear is exacerbated when the hose reel components are not held in place. As
such, it is
generally desirable for hose reels to be fairly rigid.
Hose reel frame assemblies are, typically, made from either tubular metal
members
or molded plastic members. Metal frame assemblies tend to be more expensive
and are
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prone to rust. Thus, many hose reels are made from plastic. Such hose reels
typically have
two side frames coupled by a plurality of cross members. That is, the frame
assembly is
generally divided by a vertical, longitudinal plane wherein the elements on
opposing sides of
the plane are mirror images of each other. It is further noted that the more
cross members
that are provided, the more rigid the final frame assembly. The basket
assembly, which
includes a barrel, two radial flanges, and an axle, is disposed between the
two side frames
and structured to rotate about the axle. The hose is wrapped about the barrel
and disposed in
the space defined by the two flanges and the outer surface of the barrel.
From a performance perspective, that is, looking at strength, durability,
cost, etc. of
the plastic frame assembly, it would be generally more desirable to have a
single unitary
body. Such a frame assembly would require a reduced number of molds and could
be
designed to be substantially rigid. Further, there would be very few parts to
track during the
assembly process. There are several problems with such a design, however. For
example,
the basket assembly must be inserted between the two side frames. The basket
assembly
axle extends through openings in the side frames. Thus, the basket assembly is
wider than
the space between the two side frames. To insert such a basket between a rigid
frame would
require that the frame be spread apart. This action would weaken the frame
assembly.
Further, larger molds are expensive and difficult to make as well as difficult
to use.
From an assembly perspective, that is, looking at how to make the hose reel
easy to
assemble, it is generally more desirable to have a multi-part frame assembly.
This
configuration allows the frame assembly to be built around the basket assembly
thereby
avoiding the problem of bending the rigid plastic frame members. There are,
however,
several disadvantages to this configuration as well. First, it is often
difficult to couple
plastic components in a rigid manner. Metal fasteners, e.g. nuts and bolts or
screws threaded
into plastic bores, are typically more rigid than the material to which they
are connected.
Moreover, the more cross members there are, the more fasteners that must be
used to
assemble the frame assembly. The more cross frame members and fasteners
required, the
more components there are to track during the assembly of the hose reel.
Further, such the
metal components may wear on the plastic components, thereby increasing wear
and tear
during use.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The disclosed and claimed concept relates to a hose reel having a frame
assembly
with a horizontally split frame. That is, the frame assembly includes a handle
assembly and
a lower frame assembly. Unlike the prior art, however, the lower frame
assembly includes
two side frame assemblies and a base assembly. The base assembly can be made
as a
unitary body and includes members extending longitudinally, i. e. along both
lateral sides of
the frame assembly as well as at least one cross member extending in a lateral
direction. In
this configuration, the base assembly has the advantages of a single piece
frame, e.g.
strength and reduced number of components and is small enough that molding the
part is not
difficult. The side frame assemblies are structured to be coupled to the base
assembly as
well as being structured to rotatably support the basket assembly. Thus, the
basket assembly
may be rotatably coupled to the side frame assemblies and then the side frame
assemblies
can be coupled to the base assembly. In this configuration, neither the side
frame assemblies
nor the base assembly are spread or otherwise deformed during the coupling of
the basket
assembly to the frame assembly.
This configuration provides the advantages of both configurations discussed
above,
without the disadvantages. That is, the unitary base assembly is strong and
rigid and does
not require fasteners to couple the cross members to the side members, while
the separate
side frame assemblies allow for easy coupling of the basket assembly to the
frame assembly.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A full understanding of the invention can be gained from the following
description of
the preferred embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings in
which:
Figure 1 is an isometric view of a hose reel.
Figure 2A-2C are assembly views of the hose reel. Figure 2A shows the basket
assembly and the side frame assemblies. Figure 2B further shows the handle
assembly.
Figure 2C further shows the base assembly.
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Figure 3A-3C show alternate cross-sectional views of closed extrusion members.
Figure 3A shows a closed extrusion member with a flat base plate. Figure 3B
shows a
closed extrusion member with an angled base plate. Figure 3C shows a closed
extrusion
member with an arcuate base plate.
Figure 4 shows a bottom view of the hose reel.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
As used herein, "coupled" means a link between two or more elements, whether
direct or indirect, so long as a link occurs.
As used herein, "directly coupled" means that two elements are directly in
contact
with each other.
As used herein, "fixedly coupled" or "fixed" means that two components are
coupled so as to move as one while maintaining a constant orientation relative
to each other.
The fixed components may, or may not, be directly coupled.
As used herein, the word "unitary" means a component is created as a single
piece or
unit. That is, a component that includes pieces that are created separately
and then coupled
together as a unit is not a "unitary" component or body.
As used herein, "temporarily coupled" means that two components are coupled in
a
manner that allows for the components to be easily decoupled without damaging
the
components.
As used herein, "correspond" indicates that two structural components are
sized to
engage each other with a minimum amount of friction. Thus, an opening which
corresponds
to a member is sized slightly larger than the member so that the member may
pass through
the opening with a minimum amount of friction. This definition is modified if
the two
components are said to fit "snugly" together. In that situation, the
difference between the
size of the components is even smaller whereby the amount of friction
increases.
As used herein a "handle" is an element that is generally structured to be
grasped by
a user and not an element that is merely capable of being grasped. For
example, a
wheelbarrow frame assembly may have a plurality of elongated members that may
be
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CA 02770234 2012-03-02
grasped, but only the handles are structured, i.e. positioned and sized, to be
grasped by the
user.
As used herein, a "grip" is the portion of a handle structured to be gripped
by a user.
A "grip" includes a portion of a handle having a sufficient, substantially
straight length of
handle to accommodate the width of four fingers, and may also include a
textured surface on
the handle and/or a padded portion of the handle. A "grip" must be
distinguishable from
other portions of the handle. For example, a smooth, straight broomstick is a
handle without
an identifiable grip because no portion of the handle is different than any
other portion.
As used herein, "plastic" is limited to polymers and do not include metal
materials.
As is known, a hose reel 10, discussed below, is commonly mounted on fixed
orientation wheels (i.e. the wheel assembly does not include a vertical axis
similar to an
office chair caster). When a basket assembly 200, discussed below, is disposed
in a fixed
orientation to a frame assembly 20, discussed below, the axis of rotation of
the basket
assembly 200 typically extends horizontally and perpendicularly to the
direction of travel of
the hose reel. Accordingly, as used herein, the "longitudinal axis" of the
hose reel 10
extends in the direction of travel of the hose reel 10; that is, generally
perpendicular to the
wheel's horizontal axis of rotation. Further, the "lateral axis" of the hose
reel 10 extends
generally perpendicular to the "longitudinal axis" in a generally horizontal
plane.
As described below, there are several components of the hose reel that have
similar
corresponding components, often a mirror image component. It is understood
when two
components are being described, subsequent pairs of reference numbers relate
to the
respective components. For example, as set forth below, the first and second
side frame
assemblies 26, 28 each include a forward support member 40, 42. This means
that the first
side frame assembly 26 includes forward support member 40 and the second side
frame
assembly 28 includes forward support member 42.
As shown in Figure 1, a hose reel 10 includes a frame assembly 20, a rotating
basket
assembly 200, and a water conduit assembly 300. The hose reel 10 has a front
side 12, a rear
side 14, a first lateral side 16 and a second lateral side 18. Generally, the
user is positioned
behind the rear side 14 when moving the hose reel 10, and, to the front side
12 or one of the
lateral sides 16, 18 when using the hose reel 10. Further, because the handle
assembly 22 is
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CA 02770234 2012-03-02
positioned at the rear side 14, the front side 12 is typically shown when the
hose reel 10 is
displayed, e.g. prior to sale or in advertisements.
The frame assembly 20 is made from plastic components and, as detailed below,
preferably from a plurality of elongated members which include at least one
closed,
extruded member 21. As shown in Figure 2A-2C, the frame assembly 20 includes a
handle
assembly 22 and a lower frame assembly 24. The lower frame assembly 24 is
structured to
rotatably support the basket assembly 200. The lower frame assembly 24
includes two
substantially similar side frame assemblies, a first side frame assembly 26
and a second side
frame assembly 28, and, in the preferred embodiment, a base assembly 29. As
used herein,
the "base assembly" is that portion of the frame assembly 20 that is
structured to contact the
ground directly or be directly coupled to a wheel or wheel assembly. As
discussed in detail
below, this base assembly 29 includes frame members on both lateral sides of
the base
assembly 29 as well as on both the forward and rear sides of the base assembly
29 while still
being a unitary body. The two side frame assemblies 26, 28 are maintained in a
spaced
relation by the basket assembly 200 and, after final assembly, by one or more
elongated
cross frame members 30 located on the base assembly 29. The two side frame
assemblies
26, 28 each have a forward support member 40, 42 and a rear support member 44,
46. The
side frame assemblies 26, 28 are shaped generally as an inverted "V." At the
vertex of each
side frame assembly 26, 28 is a hub 32, 34, to which the basket assembly is
rotatably
coupled. It is noted that the side frame assemblies 26, 28 are substantially
identical. That is,
the side frame assemblies 26, 28 are interchangeable.
The base assembly 29 includes a first base member 48 and a second base member
50, which extend longitudinally along each lateral side of the base assembly
29, as well as
one or more cross members 30. In a preferred embodiment, the base members 48,
50 are
shaped as upwardly extending arches. On each base member 48, 50 there is a
front frame
coupling 52, 54, and a rear frame coupling 56, 58. Each frame coupling 52, 54,
56, 58
includes a post 53 and a lug 55. Each frame coupling 52, 54, 56, 58, and more
specifically
each post 53, extends generally upwardly. Each lug 55 is disposed at the
distal end of the
associated post 53 and each lug 55 is sized and shaped to snuggly correspond
to the lower
ends of the support members 40, 42, 44, 46. The side frame assemblies 26, 28
are coupled,
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CA 02770234 2012-03-02
as described below, to the upper side of the base assembly 29 to form the
lower frame
assembly 24. In this embodiment, the first side frame assembly 26, the second
side frame
assembly 28, and the base assembly 29 are each formed as a unitary body.
Further, a wheel 45, 47 (Fig. 2C) may be rotatably coupled to each lateral
side of the
base assembly 29. That is, a first wheel 45 is rotatably disposed at the
distal, lower end of
the first base member 48. Similarly, the second wheel 47 is rotatably disposed
at the distal,
lower end of the second base member 50. The hub 32, 34 support members 40, 42,
44, 46,
and base members 48, 50 of each lateral side of the frame assembly 20 are,
generally,
disposed in a plane.
The side frame assemblies 26, 28 are structured to rotatably support the
basket
assembly 200. That is, the basket assembly 200 includes a cylindrical barrel
202. At each
end of the barrel 202 there is a radially extending flange 204, 206. The space
about the
barrel 202 and in between the two flanges 204, 206 define the basket 208 which
is the space
in which the hose reel hose (not shown) is disposed. That is, the hose reel
hose is wrapped
about the barrel 202. As is known, a portion of the water conduit assembly 300
extends
through one axle 212 (Fig. 2A) and is structured to supply water to the hose
reel hose. A
basket handle or crank 214 (Fig. 1) is fixed to the barrel 202.
The frame assembly 20 may include various types of members, e.g. solid,
hollow,
closed extrusion, etc. In this disclosure, at least one frame member is an
elongated closed
extrusion member 31, as shown in Figures 3A-3C. As defined above, a closed
extrusion
member has an inner side 33 and a outer side 35. The closed extrusion member
outer side 35
is generally free from mold lines, openings, couplings, etc. The closed
extrusion member 31
may be a narrow channel formed from an elongated, generally flat base plate
60A having
generally perpendicular, longitudinal sidewalls 62A, as shown in Figure 3A, an
elongated,
angled base plate 60B with (Fig. 3B) or without (not shown) longitudinal
sidewalls 62B, or
in the preferred embodiment, an arcuate base portion 60C with (Fig. 3C) or
without (not
shown) longitudinal sidewalls 62C. That is, in an arcuate closed extrusion
member 31 there
is a longitudinally extending arcuate portion 60C as well as longitudinal
sidewalls 62C that
extend generally tangent to the ends (when viewed in cross-section) of the
arcuate base
portion 60C. In cross-section, this configuration resembles a capital "U."
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The at least one closed extrusion member 31 is positioned with the outer side
35
oriented to be highly visible. That is, the at least one closed extrusion
member 31, or a
substantial portion of the at least one closed extrusion member 31, outer side
35 faces
generally forward and/or upward. Conversely, the at least one closed extrusion
member 31,
inner side 33 faces generally backward and/or downward. In this configuration,
a user or
observer will typically see the smooth outer side of the at least one closed
extrusion member
31.
A closed extrusion member 31 may further be supported by one or more ribs 51.
The ribs 51 are disposed on the inner side 33 of a closed extrusion member 31.
The ribs 51
are planar members 68 having an inner edge 64 and an outer edge 66. The rib
inner edge 64
is, preferably, directly coupled to the inner side of a closed extrusion
member 31 and may be
formed as a unitary body therewith. Thus, the rib inner edge 64, preferably,
corresponds
with the shape of the closed extrusion member 31. That is, if the closed
extrusion member
31 is a narrow, rectangular channel, as shown in Figure 3A, the rib inner edge
64 is
substantially linear. If the closed extrusion member 31 has an angled base
plate 60B, the rib
inner edge 64 has a corresponding angle. And if the closed extrusion member 31
has an
arcuate base portion 60C, the rib inner edge 64 is arcuate. The rib outer edge
66 is typically
either a straight edge or a curved edge. When the rib outer edge 66 is
straight, it typically
extends in a plane parallel to the distal ends of the closed extrusion member
side walls 62A,
62B, 62C or the distal ends of the angled base plate 60B, or arcuate base
portion 60C. When
the rib outer edge 66 is a curved edge, the rib outer edge 66 is generally
arcuate, but having
a greater radius than the arcuate base portion 60C. In this configuration, the
rib 51 tapers at
tips of the outer edge 66. Alternatively, the rib outer edge 66 may have the
same curvature
as the arcuate base portion 60C, but, where the rib 51 extends over the
longitudinal sidewalls
62A, the rib outer edge 66 tapers. Finally, it is noted that a rib 51 may be
disposed at the
very end of the closed extrusion member 31, creating a closed end, or spaced
from the very
end of the closed extrusion member 31, creating a pocket (not shown) defined
by the rib 51
and the distal end of the closed extrusion member 31.
The ribs 51 may extend generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the
closed
extrusion member 31 or may extend at an angle generally less than
perpendicular to the
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CA 02770234 2012-03-02
longitudinal axis of the closed extrusion member 31. Typically, when the ribs
51 have a
curved outer edge 66, the ribs 51 extend generally perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis of
the closed extrusion member 31. Ribs 51 in this configuration resemble the
inner side of a
canoe. Ribs 51 having a straight outer edge 66 typically extend at an angle
generally less
than perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the closed extrusion member 31.
Further, such
ribs 51 typically cross over each other creating a pattern similar to "X's",
as shown in Figure
4.
Preferably, each of the frame members forming the side frame assemblies 26,
28,
and the base assembly 29 are closed extrusion members 31. That is, each
support member,
40, 42, 44, 46, and each base member 48, 50 is elongated and has a lateral
width, i.e. a
width normal to the plane of the side frame assemblies 26, 28. The support
members 40, 42,
44, 46 each descend from the associated hub 32, 34 with the forward support
members 40,
42 extending toward the hose reel front side 12 and the rear support members
44, 46
extending toward the hose reel rear side 14. The distal ends of each support
member, 40, 42,
44, 46 have a rib 51 spaced therefrom. That is, each distal end of each
support member, 40,
42, 44, 46 forms a pocket (not shown).
As noted above, base members 48, 50 may be upwardly arched so that, when the
side frame assemblies 26, 28 are coupled thereto, the two lateral sides of the
frame assembly
generally resemble a capital "A" with the hub 32, 34 at the vertex of the
support
20 members, 40, 42, 44, 46. In this configuration, a user, and more
specifically a user's eyes,
will typically be disposed above the side frame assemblies 26, 28 and the base
assembly 29.
Thus, to reduce the chance of the user seeing the closed extrusion member
inner side 33, the
closed extrusion members inner sides 33 face generally downwardly. It is noted
that, at the
back end of the arched base members 48, 50, the closed extrusion members inner
sides 33
face forwardly and, as such, could be seen by a user standing directly in
front of the hose
reel 10. Typically, however, the other elements of the side frame assemblies
26, 28, notably
the forward support member 40, 42, will block the user's view of the forward
end of the
arched base members 48, 50. Only when a user is standing to one side of the
hose reel 10
will the user be able to see some small portion of the arched base member
closed extrusion
member inner side 33. This is noted as the disclosed concept does not require
that the entire
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CA 02770234 2012-03-02
closed extrusion member inner side 33 face backwardly and/or downwardly, but
rather that a
substantial portion of each closed extrusion member 31 face backwardly and/or
downwardly.
Further, the base assembly cross frame members 30 may also be closed extrusion
members 31. The cross frame members 30 are, preferably, arcuate closed
extrusion
members 31 having longitudinal sidewalls. The closed extrusion member cross
frame
members 30 may have ribs 51 disposed on the inner side. The closed extrusion
member
cross frame members 30 face substantially downwardly. In this configuration, a
user cannot
typically see the inner side of the closed extrusion member cross frame
members 30. It is
noted that, while the closed extrusion member outer side 35 is typically
smooth, the closed
extrusion member cross frame member 30 disposed at the front side 12 of the
hose reel 10
may include a textured step 23. The textured step 23 is disposed on the same
lateral side as
the barrel crank 214. In operation, the user may stand on the textured step 23
while using
the crank 214.
To assemble the hose reel 10, the basket assembly 200 is coupled to the two
side
frame assemblies 26, 28. That is, the basket assembly axle 210, 212 is
rotatably. coupled to
the first and second side frame assembly hubs 32, 34. The two side frame
assemblies 26, 28
are then coupled to the base assembly 29 at the frame couplings 52, 54, 56,
58. That is, the
pockets located at the distal ends of each support member 40, 42, 44, 46
correspond to the
lugs 55 and, more specifically, the lugs 55 snuggly correspond to the pockets.
Preferably,
the posts 53 have an outer surface with substantially the same dimensions as
the support
member 40, 42, 44, 46 coupled thereto. In this configuration, there is an
essentially
seamless transition between the outer side 35 of each support member 40, 42,
44, 46 and the
associated coupling 52, 54, 56, 58. Further, in this configuration, the base
assembly 29,
which, as noted above, is preferably a unitary body, does not have to be
spread, or in any
other way be significantly deformed in order to couple the basket assembly 200
to the base
assembly 29.
The reason the base assembly 29 does not have to be deformed, e.g. spread, is
because the basket assembly 200 is not directly coupled thereto. Another
feature of this
configuration is that the basket assembly 200 axis of rotation does not pass
through the base
CA 02770234 2012-03-02
assembly 29. More specifically, when the basket assembly 200 axis of rotation
extends
generally horizontally, the basket assembly 200 axis of rotation does not pass
through the
base assembly 29. That is, even if one were to configure a hose reel 10 so
that the basket
assembly 200 was not directly coupled to a base assembly 29, e.g. by having a
basket
assembly 200 that is coupled to a bearing which is coupled to the base
assembly 29, a
unitary body base assembly 29 would still be spread apart in order to position
the basket
assembly 200 within the base assembly 29. In this embodiment, the base
assembly 29 is not
deformed because the basket assembly 200 is not disposed within the space
defined by the
base assembly 29. This may be conveniently expressed by noting that the axis
of rotation of
the basket assembly 200 does not pass through the base assembly 29.
The frame assembly handle assembly 22 also includes closed extrusion members
31.
As shown in Figure 2B, the handle assembly 22 includes a generally U-shaped
handle
assembly body 70 with an elongated, first arm 72, an elongated second arm 74,
a handle
member 76. That is, the handle assembly body 70 has two tines, i.e. the arms
72, 74, and a
bight, i. e. the handle member 76. The handle member 76 may include a textured
surface
defining a grip 78. Each arm 72, 74 has a distal end 80, 82 spaced from the
handle member
76. Similar to the support members, 40, 42, 44, 46, the handle assembly arms
72, 74 are
preferably closed extrusion members 31. Each handle assembly arm 72, 74 is
rotatably
coupled to one of the side frame assemblies 26, 28, but may be temporarily
fixed in at least
one of an upper or lower position.
That is, the handle assembly 22 may move between an upper first position (Fig.
1)
and a lower second position (Fig. 2C). Generally, the handle assembly 22 is
placed in the
upper position when the user is moving the hose reel 10 from one location to
another. When
the handle assembly 22 is temporarily locked in this position, a user applies
a slight
downward pressure, or backward horizontal pressure, to the handle member 76
thereby
causing the hose reel 10 to rotate about the wheels 45, 47 and lifting the
forward side of the
base assembly 29 off the ground. The hose reel 10 may then be rolled from one
location to
another.
When the handle assembly 22 moves between the first and second positions, the
first
and second arms 72, 74 also move between an upper first position and a lower
second
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position. It is noted that, unlike the prior art, wherein it is known to move
the handle to the
front of the hose reel 10 in the lower position, in this embodiment when the
first and second
arms 72, 74 are in the first position, the handle assembly body 70 extends
toward the lower
frame assembly 24 rear side 14, and when the first and second arms 72, 74 are
in the second
position, said handle assembly body 70 extends toward said lower frame
assembly 24 rear
side 14 as well.
As noted above, the handle assembly arms 72, 74 are preferably closed
extrusion
members 31. The handle assembly arms 72, 74 are positioned with the inner side
33 of the
closed extrusion members 31 facing generally backwardly when in the first,
upper position,
and substantially downwardly when in the second, lower position. As before,
the handle
assembly arms 72, 74 may be any embodiment of a closed extrusion member 31, as
discussed above, but are preferably arcuate closed extrusion member 31 having
tangential
sidewalls. The handle assembly arms 72, 74 preferably include ribs 51 having a
straight
outer edge 66 extending at an angle generally less than perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis
of the closed extrusion member 31. That is, the handle assembly arms 72, 74
preferably
include ribs 51 which cross over each other creating a pattern similar to
"X's", as shown in
Figure 4. In this configuration, the user cannot, typically, see the inner
side of the closed
extrusion member handle assembly arms 72, 74 when the handle assembly 22 is in
the
second, lower position. When the handle assembly 22 is in the first position
and the user is
behind the hose reel 10, the user can, typically, see the inner side of the
handle assembly
arms 72, 74. When the hose reel 10 is used, however, the user typically moves
to the front
side of the hose reel 10, where the hose is located. When the user is in front
of the hose reel
10, or even to the lateral sides of the hose reel 10, the user cannot see the
inner side of the
handle assembly arms 72, 74. Accordingly, when the handle assembly 22 is in
the first
position and the closed extrusion member handle assembly arms 72, 74 face
generally
backwards, the closed extrusion member handle assembly arms 72, 74 are
positioned with
the outer sides oriented to be highly visible.
The handle member 76 may also be a closed extrusion member 31, but more
preferably is formed of a series of exposed, closely spaced, parallel ribs 51,
thereby forming
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the grip 78. A shell 79, e.g. a semicircular tube, may be disposed over a
portion of the
exposed ribs 51 forming the grip 78.
While specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, it
will be
appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and
alternatives to those
details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the
disclosure. Accordingly,
the particular arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and
not limiting as to
the scope of invention which is to be given the full breadth of the claims
appended and any
and all equivalents thereof.
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