(19)
(11) EP 2 583 927 A1

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(43) Date of publication:
24.04.2013 Bulletin 2013/17

(21) Application number: 12188644.4

(22) Date of filing: 16.10.2012
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC): 
B65H 75/36(2006.01)
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR
Designated Extension States:
BA ME

(30) Priority: 19.10.2011 DK 201170577

(71) Applicant: Hoffmann, Ernst Henrik
6300 Grasten (DK)

(72) Inventor:
  • Hoffmann, Ernst Henrik
    6300 Grasten (DK)

(74) Representative: Holme Patent A/S 
Vesterbrogade 20
1620 Copenhagen V
1620 Copenhagen V (DK)

   


(54) Holder for receiving a number of lenghts of an elongated flexible object


(57) A holder (3) serves for receiving a number of lengths (2) of an elongated flexible object. For this purpose the holder (3) is designed with a base (4) for lying on the up-turned inner side of an operator's hand (7). In use the operator winds the object around the hand and the base, which i situated in the hand, into a number of windings with circumferences corresponding to said lengths. The base merges into a front upright flange (5) and a rear upright flange (6) for retaining the windings in position on the base. By means of the holder according to the invention an extension cord can for example be wound into windings just as easy and quickly as in a hand, and afterwards be stored unproblematic on the holder until the line is to be used again.




Description


[0001] The invention relates to a holder for receiving a number of lengths of an elongated flexible object.

[0002] That the holder is for "receiving" the object here means that the object is wound about for example a hand in windings, which each has a larger circumference than the hand, while the term "lengths" refers to those parts of the elongated flexible object, which form the windings.

[0003] The elongated flexible object may for example be an electrical line, a line, a strip or a wire.

[0004] An electrical line can typically be an extension cord of the kind, which for example is used on construction sites, in factories, in offices and in homes to connect an electrical apparatus to a power source located at a distance from the apparatus.

[0005] It is known in the art to use a drum for winding up an extension cord, which is not in use. Thereby is prevented that the line becomes in the way of people walking on the site and at risk of being injured due to stumbling over the line.

[0006] A mechanically or manually operated drum is suitable for long lines, but is too expensive and heavy, take up too much space, and is too difficult to operate in case of for example an extension cord, which generally has a limited length.

[0007] Therefore an operator frequently is using only his/her hands to wind an extension cord into a bundle of windings, as the operator during this simply is using one of his/her hands to wind the line about the other hand.

[0008] The method has the major advantage that it does not require provision of more or less expensive equipment, and that it is easy and fast to use.

[0009] The windings need however to be bound together into a bundle by means of a string or a ribbon in order to avoid that the bundle fully or partly gets apart again. The windings could namely thereby get into a tangle, so that it would be difficult and time-consuming to straighten out the line when is it to be used.

[0010] If, as hitherto, the operator just is using his/her hand to wind a bundle of windings, he/she has to put the bundle aside somewhere, when the hand is needed for other tasks. In the hurry it often becomes the floor, which just at the moment presents itself, but here the bundle will be in the way for people, who are walking on the site and risk to stumble over the windings. Alternatively, the windings can be hung up on for example a nail, which, however, may have sharp edges that can cut into the line and make it unusable.

[0011] The invention intends to provide a holder of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph for fast, easy and safe winding up an elongated flexible object, which is not in use, and which can be hung on a nail or similar object without the elongated flexible object thereby sustain damages.

[0012] According to the invention the above-mentioned advantages are achieved in that the holder comprises a base, which is adapted to lie on the inner side of a hand in the position of use, and during this is forming a support for the lengths of the elongated flexible object, and that the base merges into a front and rear upright flange.

[0013] By "base" is meant the main element of the holder on which it's other parts are fitted.

[0014] The above-mentioned design of the holder advantageously results in that an elongated object, such as an extension cord, can be wound about a hand in exactly the same way and just as fast and easy as hitherto, but with a firm element in the form of the base of the holder situated in the hand for directly supporting the wound windings.

[0015] When the elongated flexible object is wound about the base, it can be stored safely on the holder after the holder has been removed from the hand carrying the holder, and during the storage without getting tangled up and be in the way of people who are walking on the site.

[0016] The flanges of the base also keep the wound elongated flexible object safely into position on the base when the holder is hanged up on e.g. a nail, or is stored in some other way.

[0017] Since it is the holder, which is in direct contact with a nail or a similar sharp object for hanging up a bundle of the windings of the elongated flexible object, the object is not damaged by being stored in this way.

[0018] According to the invention the base of the holder can extend curved between the flanges with the convex side facing downwards so that the base becomes comfortably situated in the hand, and the edges of the sides of the base may moreover be bent downwards so that it is avoided that the edges cut into and damage an elongated flexible object, which is wound around the base.

[0019] According to the invention the front flange of the base can be formed as a fork with a rolled-up section between the fork's prongs for temporarily or permanently locking a tie string to the holder in order to ensure that the tie string is immediately available when being meant to be used.

[0020] According to the invention the rear flange of the base can moreover be formed with a transverse opening, which has such a size and distance from the base that the operator can reach at least close above the base with the front of his thumb via the transverse opening.

[0021] Thereby is achieved the significant advantage that the operator comfortably can hold the holder in his/her hand at the same time as he/she holds the elongated flexible object firmly onto the base using the thumb as the object gradually is wound about the base.

[0022] The transverse opening of the front flange is also suitable for hanging the holder with a bundle of the elongated flexible object up on for example a nail, where the object is positioned such that the object, or the wanted lengths of it, easily and quickly can be pulled off the holder.

[0023] According to the invention the holder may also be formed with one or more notches for releasably fixing the elongated flexible object to the holder. Thereby can one end of the object simply and easily be retained without using the operator's other hand, which the operator uses in the winding operation.

[0024] The invention is described in more details below with reference to the drawing, in which

Fig. 1 shows the holder according to the invention, seen from the front, and

Fig. 2 shows, seen in cross-section along the line II - II in Fig. 1, the holder in use.



[0025] The holder according to the invention serves for easily and safely storing an elongated flexible object when it is not in use.

[0026] It is assumed in the below description that the object is an electrical extension cord of the kind, which is intended to connect an electrical apparatus (not shown) to a power source (not shown), which is located at a distance from the apparatus.

[0027] An extension cord is usually quite long. As shown in Fig. 2 the extension cord 1 is according to the invention therefore wound into a bundle of windings 2 of adequate extent on the holder 3 on which it is appropriate to store.

[0028] For this purpose the holder is, as shown in Fig. 1 and 2, equipped with a base 4, which merges into an upright front flange 5 and an upright rear flange 6. Fig. 2 shows that both flanges in this case slightly incline in opposite directions in relation to the vertical.

[0029] The base is formed in such a way that it conveniently can be in an operator's hand 7 due to the base in the area between the flanges forms a curve 8, which faces the convex side downwards, and which is adapted to the shape of the inner side of the hand when the hand carries the holder.

[0030] The cord is wound about the base crosswise the curve. The edges 9 of the base are rounded in order not to cut into and damage the cord. In the case shown, the roundings consist in that the edges of the base are bent downwards.

[0031] The front flange 5 of the base 4 is formed as a fork 10 with two prongs 11. Between the prongs the base extends outwardly into a section 12, which serves to retain the end 13 of a string 14 to bind the windings on the base together. The operator therefore always has a string for immediate disposal when the windings are to be tied together.

[0032] In the case shown the string is retained on the base as it's section 12 is bent around and is squeezed around the string.

[0033] The rear flange 6 of the base may according to the invention moreover be formed with a transverse opening 15 which has such a size and distance from the base that the operator, via the transverse opening, with the end of the thumb 16, can reach down to or close to the upper side of the base when the base is lying in the up-turned inner side of the hand.

[0034] Thereby is advantageously obtained that the operator comfortably can hold the holder in the hand at the same time as the operator with the thumb retains the windings onto the base while he/she with the other hand winds the cord about the base and the first hand.

[0035] When the extension cord 1 is to be wound up into a bundle of windings 2 the operator puts the base 4 of the holder 3 on the up-turned inner side of one of the hands 7 and releasably secures for example the end of the cord with the male plug in a notch 17, which is formed in the fork 10 of the holder. For this purpose the holder can be formed with a plurality of such notches.

[0036] Subsequently the operator repeatedly winds the cord around the base and the first hand with the other hand so as to form a number of windings hanging loosely down from the base.

[0037] Finally the windings are tied together with the string so that they do not tangle during the storage. Alternatively, the end with the female plug can be releasably retained in a second notch (not shown) in the holder.

[0038] Then the hand is removed from the holder, which finally is hung on for example a nail in a wall by means of the transverse opening in the rear flange.

[0039] This allows the extension cord to be stored unproblematic until it is to be used again.


Claims

1. A holder (3) for receiving a number of lengths (2) of an elongated flexible object (1), characterized in that the holder (3) comprises a base (4), which is adapted to lie on the up-turned inner side of an operator's hand (7) in the position of use and during this is forming a support for said lengths (2), and that the base (4) moreover merges into a front upright flange (5) and a rear upright flange (6).
 
2. A holder (3) according to claim 1, characterized in that the base (4) extends curved between the flanges (5;6) with the convex side facing downwards.
 
3. A holder (3) according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the base (4) has two opposite side edges (9), both of which are bent downwards.
 
4. A holder (3) according to claims 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the front flange (5) of the base (4) is formed as a fork (10), and that in the area between the fork's (10) prongs (11) the base (4) merges into an at least partially rolled-up section (12) for temporarily or permanently locking a tie string (14) to the holder (3).
 
5. A holder (3) according to any of the claims 1 - 4, characterized in that the rear flange (6) of the base (4) is formed with a transverse opening (15), which has such a size and distance from the base (4) that the operator can reach at least close to the upper side of the base (4) with the thumb via said transverse opening.
 
6. A holder (3) according to any of the claims 1 - 5, characterized in that the holder (3) is formed with at least one notch (17), which is adapted to releasably retaining the elongated flexible object (1) to the holder (3).
 
7. A holder (3) according to any of the claims 1 - 6, characterized in that the elongated flexible object (1) is wound on the base (4) in a number of windings (2), which is formed of lengths (2) of the object.
 
8. A holder (3) according to any of claims 1 - 7, characterized in that the elongated flexible object (1) is an electrical line, a cable, a band, a wire or a similar object.
 




Drawing







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Search report