US3075723A

US3075723A - Cord holder

Info

Publication number: US3075723A
Application number: US726073A
Authority: US
Inventors: Leonard H Wohlfeil
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1958-04-03
Filing date: 1958-04-03
Publication date: 1963-01-29
Anticipated expiration: 1980-01-29

Description

Jan. 29, 1963 H, WOHLFEIL 3,075,723

CORD HOLDER Filed April s. 195s tlniteni gratas athenes @GRD HLDER Leonard H. Wohfeil, Hazen, N. Dak. Fiied Apr. 3, 1953, Ser. No. 726,@73 3 Claims. (Ci. 242-3511;)

This invention relates to a holder for holding in convolute form and retaining, elongated flexible elements such as electrical service cords, wire, clothes-lines and the like.

In television and radio sets and many other electrical appliances, the unit is equipped with an elongated electrical service cord which is necessarily of considerable length for plugging into an available electrical outlet. The handling and retaining of such cord when the unit -is stored or transported is bothersome and usually inconvenient.

It is an object of my invention to provide an extremely simple but highly eilicient cord holder' of the class described which may be manufactured very economically and which in its preferred form, may be constructed from a single, integral length of resilient material such as spring wire or resilient plastic, serving as a spool or reel upon which the cord may be convolutely wound and serving also, as a spring clip retaining element in conjunction with a supporting wall or surface, and also having integrally formed therewith, readily attachable elements for operatively securing the device to a Wall having appropriately spaced apertures formed therein.

A further and more specific object of the invention is the provision of a cord retainer of the class described which includes a shallow spool element of skeleton construction upon which an elongated, liexible element may be convolutely wound and which also, in conjunction with a supporting Wall provides an efficient elbow-like retaining clip for securing a loop portion or the free extremity of the flexible member, to prevent displacement and unwinding thereof Another object is the provision of a cord retainer of the class described, which may be readily applied and secured upon the rear wall or cover of conventional television and radio sets which at the present time, are constructed of punchboard stock or the like, having a plurality of spaced holes or apertures therein and Wherein the peculiar construction and resiliency of my holder enables the entire holder to be readily attached to a wall having at least a pair of spaced apertures formed therein and wherein the spacing of said apertures may vary within a considerable range.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG l is a rear perspective view of a portion of a conventional television set wherein the rear wall is constructed of punch-board or apertured stock, with a preferred form of my invention operatively attached thereto and retaining an elongated, electrical service cord;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation of the same, showing the elbow portion of my holder forming its clip or retaining function in combination with the adjacent surface of the supporting wall; and

FIG. 3 is a View in top elevation from a portion of the top of the set or unit, showing an installation of a preferred form of my device.

Referring to the several views of the drawings, I have illustrated an embodiment of my invention applied to a conventional television set, the chassis of which is housed within an ornamental cabinet indicated as an entirety by the letter C, having a top S and a rear cover- Patented Jan. 29, i953 wall 6. The cover wall is constructed in conventional manner of punch-board composition or the like, having as shown, a multiplicity of series of apertures 6a therethrough, to provide ventilation and also introduction of service cord, antenna and the like.

The preferred form of my invention may be very readily and without use of any tools, attached in vertically or horizontally or obliquely extending relation upon the rear wall 6.

In the embodiment shown, my entire holder is constructed from a single, integral length of at least somewhat resilient rod or strip material '7 such as spring wire capable of deformation in shape to retain its deformed configuration While supplying resiliency; or from suitable tough and resilient plastic material.

The intermediate portion of the rod or strip piece is formed as well illustrated in FIG. 3, to have a conguration of dovetail or overall cleat shape, having an elongated, substantially straight, outer portion 7a which extends substantially parallel to the supporting wall and having inwardly convergent end portions 7b about which the flexible cord may be convolutely wound, as shown in FIGS. l and 3 of the drawings. The cleat-shaped reel constituting the part '7a and two end portions 7b, deines substantially a plane.

From the inward end of one of the converging elements 7b, -a short arm S extends substantially normal to the plane of the cleat. It then, as shown, is bent outwardly in parallel relationship to the wall 6 to which my device is attached, forming a short arm 8a, which arm terminates at an acute angle to form an attachment hook 8b adapted for insertion through one ofthe apertures da of the wall 6.

Extending oppositely and laterally from' the opposite end piece 7b of the cleat-shaped frame and forming a free elbow or clip 9, is an integral, elongated arm 1t) extending substantially normal to the plane of the cleat frame, said arm l@ at its outer portion being bent at substantially right angles lying in a plane substantially parallel to the wall 6 to which the device is to be attached. The extremity of the short arm ll is bent at an acute angle to form an attachment hook lla of arm l1 and then adapted to engage the edge dening one of the appropriate apertures 6a of the wall to which the device is attached.

The resilient nature of the material from which my entire device is constructed, with the cleat-shaped frame, enables the attachment hooks 15 and lla, to be sprung apart to adequately tension the device for securing the hooks to the appropriate edges defining two of the apertures 6a.

With the device attached, either horizontally, vertically or obliquely to the wall 6, an electrical service cord or other flexible element of considerable length may be readily wound upon the cleat-shaped spool frame in convolute form, with the convolutions retained by the inwardly converging ends 7b thereof. The free end of the service cord or the like may then be frictionally inserted between the elbow-clip and the adjacent surface of the supporting wall, clamping this free end, or if desired, a loop of the elongated, flexible element and securely retaining the same against inadvertent displacement.

Due to the resilient construction and the configuration of my holder device, including the latitude for flexing of the device between the points of attachment (hooks Sb and lla), the overall device may be expanded resiliently or spread to cause the hooks to properly anchor in spaced holes, wherein the distances apart thereof vary considerably. ln this connection, the cord holder is always attached to two apertured portions of a supporting wall, whereby application of the retaining hooas 8a and 11a place the entire integral length of the piece under tension. Thus, eilcient attachment is assured.

From the drawings it will be clearly seen that the integral arms 8 and 1l) which extend laterally from the planar cleat portion 7 also extend normally Ato the Vplane of the cleat and constitute base arms for engaging the vertical Wall 6, thereby stabilizing the cleat to prevent twisting thereof during use.

Although the height of the frame spool orV reel is quite shallow, nevertheless by convolutely and helically ywinding a cord thereon, a very substantial length of cord may be successfully retained.

In 4anchoring the free end of the cord, or if desired a loop or bight of the same, it is only necessary to slightly lift the arm 10 above the adjacent surface ofthe supporting wall, force the cord thereunder and release the elbow whereupon an effective anchoring of the element is assured.

It o'f co'urse will be understood that while l preferably construct my entire device integrally from a single piece or strip of resilient material, other simplified attachment elements may be utilized inplace of the integrally formed hooks, all within the scope of my invention.

From the foregoing, it `will be seen that ihave provided a very economical and extremely simple, yet highly et`n`cient cord holder of the class described, which in its preferred form may be readily applied and `supported from the apertured walls of conventional radio and television sets, or from any Wallv having lformed therein a pair of spaced openings within a range, dimensionally, of the adjustability of my construction.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope .of my invention.

What is claimed is:

Vl. A holding device for an Velongated `flexible element such as an electrical service cord comprising a cord Jholding memberl lying substantially in a plane and having inwardly converging end portions upon which the flexible 'element may be Wound in the form of adjacent overlying .convolutions, said member having extending from one `end thereof a resilient arm generally normal to the plane of said holding member, said arm being adapted to cooperate with a supporting wall to form a clip for holding a portion of said cord therebetween and means for readily attaching said member to a supporting wall to thereby Lcause said arm to overlie said wall in closespaced relation thereto for securing said cord therebetween to prevent unwinding thereof.

2. A cord holding device constructed from an integral, elongated, resilient member having its intermediate portion shaped in dovetail manner as a cleat lying in a common plane and having Vinwardly converging ends about which a cord may be wound, one end portion of Said elongated member being formed into an attachment element extending from one side of said cleat and generally normal to the plane thereof, the other end portion of said elongated member extending from the other side of the cleat and generally normal to the plane thereof, thereby forming a resilient clip arm, the outer end of said other end portion beyond said arm being formed into a second attachment element lying generally in the same Yplane as said rst mentioned attachment element, said attachment elements being adapted for attachment to a supporting wall to thereby cause said resilient clip 'arm to overlie said wall in close spaced relation thereto to secure said cord therebetween.

3. A cord holding device constructed from a single, elongated, resilient member having its intermediate portion defining a planar skeleton winding frame with end sides of said frame converging inwardly to retain wound convolutions of a cord, the end portions of said elongated member'extending outwardly in opposite directions laterally of `the said skeleton winding frame at the vbase Ythereof and forming elbows and lbase arms in relation with the end sides of said frame, said base arms extending substantially normal to the plane of 4said skeleton winding frame, each of said -base arms being adapted to `function as resilient clips when the frame is attached to a wall, the extremities of said end `portions being formed into oppositely extending .hook portions for attachlment to apertured portions of an apertured supporting wall in widely spaced relation, the resiliency of said elongated member permitting expansion of said arms between said hook portions and subsequent tensioning of said arms to cause said hook portions to firmly grip said wall and dispose said arms in close working relation to the surface of said wall to enable said arms to cooperate with said wall'to secure a cord therebetween.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 878,394 Holle Feb. 4, 1908 1,219,658 Meyer Mar. 20, 1917 1,417,215 Syrett May 23, 1922 2,004,983 Goldberg June 18, 1935 2,294,151 Wooten et al. Aug. 25, 1942 2,577,473 McEwen Dec. 4, 1951 2,597,210 Walters May 20, 1952, A2,692,054 Berglund Oct. 19, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 271,415 Germany Mar. 13, 1914 478,987 Italy Mar.'7, 1953

Claims

1. A HOLDING DEVICE FOR AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE ELEMENT SUCH AS AN ELECTRICAL SERVICE CORD COMPRISING A CORD HOLDING MEMBER LYING SUBSTANTIALLY IN A PLANE AND HAVING INWARDLY CONVERGING END PORTIONS UPON WHICH THE FLEXIBLE ELEMENT MAY BE WOUND IN THE FORM OF ADJACENT OVERLYING CONVOLUTIONS, SAID MEMBER HAVING EXTENDING FROM ONE END THEREOF A RESILIENT ARM GENERALLY NORMAL TO THE PLANE OF SAID HOLDING MEMBER, SAID ARM BEING ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH A SUPPORTING WALL TO FORM A CLIP FOR HOLDING A PORTION OF SAID CORD THEREBETWEEN AND MEANS FOR READILY ATTACHING SAID MEMBER TO A SUPPORTING WALL TO THEREBY CAUSE SAID ARM TO OVERLIE SAID WALL IN CLOSE SPACED RELATION THERETO FOR SECURING SAID CORD THEREBETWEEN TO PREVENT UNWINDING THEREOF.