Apparatus and methods for clearing obstructions from a medical tube are disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, a spool drive system is disclosed for actuating a guide wire within a medical tube. The spool drive system can be a hand held, disposable device having a spool housing with a spool therein for alternately advancing and withdrawing a guide wire through an inlet of the spool housing. A track can be spaced from and extend about a perimeter of the spool to direct the guide wire onto or off of the spool as the spool is rotated. Other embodiments and devices for actuating the guide wire, and methods therefor, also are disclosed.

The invention provides a device for winding a flexible tube, the device comprising two identical blades LA placed opposite ways round one against the other and pivotally secured to each other about their respective axes of axial symmetry, which together constitute a pivot axis PIV.

The device is remarkable in that: one of the blades presents in its left edge an upwardly open notch EC that is formed by a first circular arc ARC1 having its origin at a connection point PR situated on the right edge of the notch and on the longitudinal axis LG of the blade; a diameter of the first circular arc lying on the longitudinal axis; and the first circular arc presenting a central angle of not less than 180.

A smart cord reel cable including at least one sensor for measuring cord or cord reel usage, a memory for receiving sensor input to create usage records, and a processor for analyzing the usage records to provide information for maintenance status indication and/or usage analytics.

A palm operable leash and operation of a palm activated leash is disclosed. In one or more examples, the leash is a retractable leash. The leash operation is palm activated. In one example, a palm operable actuator is located in the palm area of a retractable leash handle, and is used to lock and unlock the leash.

The decorative string light hanging tool comprises an extension structure, a guide structure, a spool, and a light string. The guide structure and the spool mount on the extension structure. The spool stores the light string. The decorative string light hanging tool is an extension apparatus. The decorative string light hanging tool deploys the light string for display. The decorative string light hanging tool retracts the light string back into storage.

A chalk reel includes a housing defining a chalk chamber and an opening from the chalk chamber; a spool positioned within the chalk chamber; and a line wound on the spool and extending through the opening, the line having a width of dimension X. The spool comprises an axial hub and a sidewall. The sidewall comprises a plurality of apertures extending through the sidewall from a first face distal from the axial hub to a second face proximal to the axial hub. Each of the plurality of apertures having a maximum width of dimension Y. The dimension Y is less than or approximately equal to twice the dimension X.

A rotational friction brake regulated by the rate of change of angular speed is disclosed. The rotational friction brake includes: a first body, a second body rotationally attached to said first body, the second body rotating around a rotational center axis of said second body, and at least one braking arm rotationally attached to said second body in a pivot point. The pivot point is eccentrically offset to said rotational center axis. The at least one braking arm comprises a braking member arranged to frictionally engage a part of said first body. The at least one braking arm has a mass center placed at a distance from said pivot point that is longer than a distance from said pivot point to said rotational center axis. The braking member is arranged to frictionally engage said part of said first body. A fishing reel comprising a rotational friction brake is also disclosed.

An earphone cable holder comprises a base having a first end portion, a second end portion, and a central portion, wherein the central portion is sufficiently flexible that the first end portion can be folded over the second end portion and wherein the central portion is sufficiently wide and sufficiently rigid to allow an earphone cable to be wound around it. The earphone cable holder further comprises a magnet on the first end portion and a material on the second end portion that is attracted to the magnet. A cable connecting mechanism is positioned on the central portion. In use, an earphone cable may be connected to the cable connecting mechanism and the first end portion and the second end portion may clasp onto a material positioned therebetween by magnetic attraction. In another version, a material on the central portion exerts a grabbing effect on a cable passing through the central portion. The earphone cable holder may also include a decorative member on which a decorative feature can be displayed.

A retractable cord reel houses contacts that connect autonomously when the user aligns the spool to lock it from retracting. The spool and housing contains high quality, sensitive contacts for high speed data and other critical signals that engage when indexed by the user. The design is flexible for adaptation to a variety of applications and scalable based on cable type and length as well as the number of contacts required. The contacts are engaged when the user allows an indexing dog to engage a spool indexing housing causing the dog to shift and force a mating lever to make the electrical connection. Decoupling occurs instantly when the spool is slightly rotated by the user. The user's only action throughout the process is to pull the cable. Without this intentional action of the user, the spool, rotates freely and the contacts are not engaged.

A badge reel device is attachable to a user via a lanyard or an attachment clip. The badge reel device includes a housing, a retractable cord partially disposed within the internal volume of the housing and extending through the aperture of the housing for attachment to a badge, an attachment clip on the housing (with the attachment clip being configured for attachment to the user to wear the badge reel device in a first wearing mode), and a lanyard attachment structure on the housing (with the lanyard attachment structure being configured for attachment to a lanyard, for the user to wear the badge reel device in a second wearing mode).