Abstract
The invention is an oblong cable spool with an internal perimeter defining a hollow that is disposable to retain a rigid portion of a device-cable assembly, such as an ear-bud assembly, where the cable can be spooled around a spooling surface, making the combined assembly of spool and device-cable assembly suitable for the compact organization, spooling, storage and transport of a device-cable assembly.
Claims
1. A cable spool to store a device-cable assembly featuring an oblong shaped spooling surface where the cable portion may be spooled around the spooling portion of the spool, wherein an oblong interior perimeter of the spool defining a hollow is disposed to retain a rigid portion of a device-cable assembly.
2. A cable spool, as described in claim 1, with sidewalls extending distally from the spooling surface to retain the cable within a gap between the sidewalls.
3. A cable spool, as described in claim 2, where sidewalls are flat and parallel.
4. A cable spool, as described in claim 1, in which a radius where the interior perimeter connects to a sidewall is disposed to facilitate inserting a rigid portion into the hollow within the spool or an undercut recess around the hollow.
5. A cable spool, as described in claim 1, where a recess at a portion of the interior perimeter provides an undercut cavity to place a rigid portion into, to retain it therein by mechanical means or by friction.
6. A cable spool, as described in claim 1, where the interior perimeter is stadium shaped, with flat sides and rounded ends.
7. A cable spool, as described in claim 1, where the spooling surface is stadium shaped, with a flat spooling surfaces and round spooling surfaces, the flat spooling surfaces providing support for rigid portions of the device-cable assembly, and the round spooling surfaces providing support tor spooling a cable around a directional return at the ends of the spool between the fiat spooling surfaces, preventing kinking of the cable thereupon.
8. A cable spool, as described in claim I, where the distal perimeter is stadium shaped, with rounded ends.
9. A cable spool, as described in claim 1, where the interior perimeter has a wedge-shaped portion to provide a variation in width of the interior hollow to accommodate a variety of rigid portion widths of a device-cable assembly, where a cable portion draws the rigid portion into and against the wedge, where it is retained via friction by tensioning the cable and spooling it around the spooling portion.
10. A cable spool, as described in claim 1, where the interior perimeter has a wedge-shaped portion over a recess to provide a mechanical means to retain a rigid portion of a device-cable assembly, where a cable portion draws the rigid portion interiorly of the wedge, preventing it from being removed exteriorly, where it is retained by tensioning the cable and spooling it around the spooling portion.
11. A cable spool, as described in claim 1, where the interior perimeter has a bump to provide a mechanical means to retain a rigid portion of a device-cable assembly, where a cable portion draws the rigid portion against the bump, where it is retained by tensioning the cable and spooling it around the spooling portion.
12. A cable spool, as described in claim 1, where a plug retention flange is disposed to retain a plug between the sidewalk, of the spool by mechanical force or friction fit to prevent the plug from falling out of the gap, causing the cable to unspool, and without the need for slots to retain the cable.
13. A cable spool, as described in claim 1, where a slit at a distal perimeter in the flexible material of a sidewall is disposed to be deformable to provide access of a cable into a slot.
14. A cable spool, as described in claim 13, where a cable inserted in a slot is considered retained therein, providing a measure of retention to fix the cable in place during spooling or prevent the cable from unspooling.
15. A cable spool, as described in claim 13, where the slot provides a passage for a cable between an interior hollow and a spooling surface on either side of a dividing wall.
16. A cable spool, as described in claim 13, where there is a slit and slot pairing at an end of the oblong spool.
17. A cable spool, as described in claim 13, where there is a slit and slot pairing in the middle of the oblong spool.
18. A cable spool, as described in claim 1, where the material comprising it is elastomeric and locally deformable.
19. A cable spool, as described in claim 1, where the material comprising it is silicone.
20. A cable spool, as described in claim 1, where the material comprising it is thermoplastic.
21. A cable spool, as described in claim 1, where the material comprising it is a thermoset material.
22. A cable spool, as described in claim 1, where the spool is injection molded.
23. A cable spool, as described in claim 1, where the spool is liquid silicone rubber molded.
24. A cable spool, as described in claim 1, where the spool is vacuum casted.
25. A cable spool, as described in claim 1, where the spool is made from a single part.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0048] These and other features will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings, the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to be in any way limiting, wherein:
[0049] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a cable spool used in conjunction with a device-cable assembly in the form of an ear-bud assembly, with rigid portions represented by ear-buds, showing a nominally oblong, flat cable spool with a stadium-shaped interior perimeter defining a hollow and a slot in a sidewall, conveying access for cables through the slot from the interior perimeter to a more distal spooling surface between sidewalls of the spool.
[0050] FIG. 2 is a detailed perspective view of the first embodiment of cable spool illustrated in FIG. 1, showing a closer view of the spool and partial view on the ear-bud assembly, with an ear-bud on the left-hand side in a position above the spool prior to insertion within the hollow, and an ear-bud on the right-hand side inserted within the hollow.
[0051] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of cable spool illustrated in FIG. 1, with both ear-buds shown inserted into the hollow, with the cables passed through the slot in the sidewall where they are partially spooled against the spooling surface.
[0052] FIG. 4 is an alternative perspective view of the first embodiment of cable spool illustrated in FIG. 3, shown with the entire cable assembly of the ear-bud assembly spooled around the spooling surface, where the terminating distal plug is passed through a flexible slit into a slot, retaining the distal plug and preventing unspooling of the cable and release of the ear-buds.
[0053] FIG. 5 is a top elevation view of the first embodiment of cable organizer illustrated in FIG. 4.
[0054] FIG. 6 is a side elevation view, in section, of the first embodiment of cable organizer, taken along section lines A-A of FIG. 5, showing an ear-bud retained within an undercut recess around the interior perimeter that defines the hollow.
[0055] FIG. 7 is a top view of a first embodiment of cable spool, shown with an alternative device-cable assembly in the form of a USB data cable with rigid portions in the form of a ferrite and plugs in the form of USB plugs, showing a ferrite along a portion of the cable assembly, showing a first proximal plug and ferrite retained within the hollow, a cable portion exiting the hollow via a cable exit slot, where a second, distal plug is inserted between a pair of plug-retention flanges between sidewalls within a gap that defines a spooling cavity, prior to the cable being spooled in its entirety; the cable is shown unspooled for clarity.
[0056] FIG. 8 is a section view of a first embodiment of cable spool, taken along section lines B-B of FIG. 7, showing the ferrite retained within the hollow partially within the recess and gripped by the interior perimeter at the undercut formed by the recess, and showing the distal plug retained within the gap between plug retention flanges extending proximally from either sidewall within the gap.
[0057] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a cable spool, shown with a distinct interior perimeter formed with two wedge shaped portions over a recess featuring bumps within it.
[0058] FIG. 10 is a top view of the second embodiment of FIG. 9.
[0059] FIG. 11 is a side view of the second embodiment of FIG. 9.
[0060] FIG. 12 is a section view of a second embodiment of cable spool, taken along section lines C-C of FIG. 11, showing an interior view of the hollow and showing a iconographic depiction of a first rigid portion imaged as a black circle identified as 62M in a first step, shown smaller than an interior perimeter and therefore able to pass within the hollow, and a second step of the first rigid portion identified as 62N showing the rigid portion wedged between the wedge-shaped interior perimeter, exacting a mechanical friction force on the rigid portion as it is drawn by a cable (not shown) fastened to it toward a central slot, and a second rigid portion imaged as a black circle identified as 620 in a first step, shown smaller than an interior perimeter and therefore able to pass within the hollow, and a second step of the second rigid portion identified as 62P showing the rigid portion wedged against bumps within a recess distal of the interior perimeter, the bumps exacting a tensioning force on the rigid portion as it is drawn by a cable (not shown) fastened to it toward a central slot, and retained within an undercut formed by the interior perimeter and the recess.
TERMS
[0061] The following terms are referenced in the drawings and written application: [0062] 30 cable spool [0063] 32 interior perimeter [0064] 34 hollow [0065] 36 recess [0066] 36A rounded recess end [0067] 38 spooling surface [0068] 38A round spooling surface [0069] 38B flat spooling surface [0070] 40 gap [0071] 42 sidewall [0072] 44 distal perimeter [0073] 46 slot [0074] 46A cable exit slot [0075] 48 slit [0076] 50 radius [0077] 52 plug retention flange [0078] 54 interior perimeter slot [0079] 56 wedge [0080] 57 undercut [0081] 58 bump [0082] 60 cable [0083] 60A first cable portion [0084] 60B second cable portion [0085] 60C third cable portion [0086] 60D fourth cable portion [0087] 61 device-cable assembly [0088] 62 rigid portion [0089] 62A ear-bud [0090] 62B volume switch [0091] 62C audio jack [0092] 62D proximal plug [0093] 62E distal plug [0094] 62F ferrite [0095] 62G cable assembly joint [0096] 62M first rigid portion first position [0097] 62N first rigid portion second position [0098] 620 second rigid portion first position [0099] 62P second rigid portion second position [0100] 64 rigid portion perimeter [0101] 66 ear-bud arm
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0102] A cable spool generally identified by reference numeral 30, will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 12.
Structure and Relationship of Parts:
[0103] A cable spool 30, as depicted in FIGS. 1 to 8, features a nominally oblong interior perimeter 32 defining a hollow 34, shown as stadium shaped for functional and aesthetic purposes, separated from a nominally oblong spooling surface 38 by the material wall thickness of the spool 30; the oblong spooling surface 38 is shown as stadium shaped with long flat spooling surface 38B portion and a round spooling surface 38A portion at either end. Sidewalls 42 extend distally from the spooling surface 38, having a distal perimeter 44 generally oblong in design, shown as a stadium shape for functional and aesthetic purposes. Between sidewalls 42 is a gap 40 into which cable 60 can be introduced and spooled around the spooling surface 38, the sidewalls 42 retaining a cable therein gap 40 defining a spooling cavity.
[0104] Preferred embodiments have sidewalls 42 that are nominally parallel to each other to maintain a flat, compact design. Preferred embodiments also feature a radius 48 between the interior perimeter 32 and a sidewall 42 for functional and aesthetic purposes described in the operation section of this application.
[0105] Embodiments also feature a slit 48 in sidewall 42 providing access of a cable 60 to a position within a slot 46, the material of sidewall 42 being elastomeric so as to deform at slit 48 to allow access of the cable 60 therethrough, where it is considered fixedly retained therein slot 46. Multiple slits 48 and slots 46 may feature on the spool 30, anywhere around a perimeter. Slits 48 and slots 46 may also provide access of cable 60 from the hollow 34 to the spooling surface 38.
[0106] The preferred embodiment features pairings of slits 48 and slots 46, one at each distal end of the spool 30 on one sidewall 42, and a single pairing of a slit 48 and slot 46 in the middle of the opposing sidewall 42, leading to a longitudinal interior perimeter slot 54 between the hollow 34 and the spooling surface 38. These three pairings of slots 46 and slits 48 provides ample functionality for various device-cable assemblies 61, and variation of cable 60 length selection when locking a cable 60 within a slot 46 after spooling or unspooling without being overly redundant in number of slots 64 and slits 48.
[0107] Though preferred embodiments feature parallel sidewalls 42 and radii 50, these features may be absent or modified in form in some alternative embodiments.
Operation:
[0108] FIGS. 1 through 6 depicts a first application of a cable spool 30 showing various stages of insertion, spooling and retention of a device-cable assembly 61 comprised of cable 60 and rigid portions 62, shown in the form of an ear-bud assembly with a first cable portion 60A connecting a first ear-bud 62A to a cable assembly joint 62G, a second cable portion 60B connecting a second ear-bud 62A to a volume switch 62B that in turn is connected to the cable assembly joint 62G by a third cable portion 60C. A fourth cable portion 60D connects the cable assembly joint 62G to an audio jack 62C. The term cable 60 is generic for all cable portions 60A, 60B, 60C, and 60D, and any other cable or cable portion referred or implied. The term rigid portion 62 is generic for all devices, plugs, ferrites, electronic housings, or otherwise rigid bodies fixed to cable 60 as part of a device-cable assembly 61, including rigid portions 62A, 62B, 62C, 62D, 62E, 62F, 62G, 62M, 62N, 620, and 62P, and any other rigid body referred or implied.
[0109] FIGS. 1 and 2 shows a first stage of assembly of a device-cable assembly 61 in the form of an ear-bud speaker assembly, comprised of ear-buds 62A and other rigid portions 62B, 62C, 62G), mounted to cables 60. The left hand side of FIG. 1 shows a first step where an ear-bud 62A is placed proximal to a hollow 34 defined by an interior perimeter 32 of the spool 30, and the right hand side of FIG. 1 shows a second step where an ear-bud 62A is inserted into the hollow 34 comprising a retaining portion for a rigid portion 62 depicted as an ear-bud 62A. A recess 36 forms an undercut around the interior perimeter 32 where the ear-buds 62A may be inserted into where they may be retained, either by being trapped within the undercut of the recess 36 or by friction between the recess 36 and the rigid portion perimeter 64, or both as depicted. The rounded recess end 36A of the hollow 34 permits the nominally round shape of the rigid portion perimeter 64 to fit within it, adding further mechanical retention of the rigid body 62 within the undercut of the recess 34 and further friction with the rigid portion perimeter 64. A radius 50 around the entrance of the hollow 34 defining a transition from a sidewall 42 to a portion of the interior perimeter 32 is disposed to facilitate, like a funnel, the entrance of a rigid portion 62 into the hollow 34 or recess 36. The long, oblong shape of the interior hollow 34 facilities the housing of long rigid portions 62, or portions thereof, such as ear-bud arms 66 that extend from the ear-bud 62A proper.
[0110] The interior perimeter 32 and recess 36 in the preferred embodiment are deliberately generic and non-specific to the shape of the ear-buds 62A and along the long portions of the recess 36 in the present embodiment to permit the insertion and retention of a variety of rigid portions 62, including a ferrite 62F or proximal plug 62D as seen in FIGS. 7 and 8 and discussed in other parts of this application. A certain degree of flexibility in the material comprising the spool 30 is required to insert the rigid portion 62 into the recess 36, aided by the long linear oblong shape of the spool 30, and being made of elastomeric material in the preferred embodiment.
[0111] FIG. 3 depicts a third step where cable 60 is inserted through a deformable slit 48 into a slot 46 to allow the cable to pass from rigid portions 62 within the hollow 34 to pass through the material separating the hollow 34 from the spooling surface 38 in a gap 40 defining a spooling cavity. The cable 60 is shown partially spooled around spooling surface 38. From a first ear-bud 62A and a second ear-bud 62A, cable portions 60A and 60B are passed through the slot 46 to a wide interior perimeter slot 54 that allows cable 60 to pass through to the spooling surface unobstructed due to geometric restrictions of the device-cable assembly 61 and spool 30; the long interior perimeter slot 54 allows a large degree of variation of cable 60 location to permit ease of assembly. Cable 60 is shown spooled around a round spooling surface 38A of the spool 60 (the cable 30 concealed by a sidewall 42), providing a large radius relative to the cable diameter to support the cable and prevent kinking the cable. A rigid portion 62, in the form of a volume switch 62B is shown proximal to a long, flat spooling surface 38B portion of the spool 30 where it will come to rest and be supported in a fourth step, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 through 6.
[0112] FIGS. 4 through 6 shown views of a fourth step where the cable 60 is completely spooled around the spool 30, where a flat spooling surface 38B portion of the spooling surface 38 provides a means to allow the proper spooling and support of a rigid portion 62, in the form of a volume switch 62B, without straining cable 60 extending from the rigid portion 62 or rigid portion 62 itself as would occur if the rigid portion 62 was supported on a narrow tangential point on a round spool. Cable portions 60A and 60C extend from the volume switch 62B and are shown spooled around to another rigid portion 62 in the form of a cable assembly joint 62G, from which a cable portion 60D is further spooled around the spooling surface 38. The cable 60 is retained within the spool 30 between the sidewalls 42 by passing a distal extremity of the device-cable assembly 61 in the form of a cable 60 through a deformable slit 48 leading to a slot 46 in the sidewall 42 where it is retained therein, the larger rigid portion 62 of the distal plug 62E of the device-cable assembly 61 being prevented from slipping out of the slot 46 by being larger than the slot 46 and slit 48. The distal plug 62E may be placed into the hollow 34 (not shown) with the freedom of access between the slot 46 and the interior perimeter slot 54, allowing for positioning of the distal plug 62E into free space within the hollow 34 and even hooking under rigid portions 62 and cable 60 to further retain it therein, or by friction or mechanical retention at the interior perimeter 32 or within the recess 36, making the assembly even more compact with little or no protuberance exterior of the sidewalls 42 of the spool 30.
[0113] The device-cable assembly 61 is considered completely spooled and retained by the spool 30, and is a compact means to organize, spool and transport device-cable assemblies 61 such as those comprised of ear-buds 62A.
[0114] FIGS. 7 and 8 show the same first embodiment of a spool 30 as described in reference to FIGS. 1 through 6, however with a different device-cable assembly 61, shown in the form of a USB data cable assembly, such as those used with digital cameras. The device-cable assembly 61 is shown with a proximal plug 62D from which a cable 60 portion extends to a ferrite 62F from which a further cable 60 portion extends to a distal plug 62E, the proximal plug 62D, ferrite 62F, and distal plug 62E comprising rigid portions 62 of the device-cable assembly 61. The proximal plug 62D and ferrite 62F are shown inserted within the hollow 34, the ferrite 62F retained in the recess 36 by the undercut formed within the interior perimeter 32, and supporting the less wide proximal plug 62D therein the hollow 34. Variations of embodiments may feature portion of the interior perimeter 32 and recess 36 to accommodate differing sizes of rigid portions 62 at the same time, as revealed in reference to the second embodiment depicted in FIGS. 9 through 12.
[0115] FIGS. 7 depicts slots 36 permitting the passage of cable 60 from the hollow 34 to the gap 40, where it can be spooled around the spooling surface 38. Hidden portions of the device-cable assembly 61 are shown as dotted lines revealing the passage of cable from the ferrite 62F to a distal plug 62E.
[0116] The distal plug is shown retained within the gap 40 by portions of the sidewalls 42 referred to as plug retention flanges 52 that effectively place friction on the distal plug 62E and, in some embodiments, a force if the gap 40 between the plug retention flanges 52 is made smaller than the thickness of the rigid body 62 shown as a distal plug 62E, effectively retaining the rigid body 62 between the sidewalls 42 to hold it in place, in a final step of assembly of the device-cable assembly 61 to the spool 30. The plug retention flanges 52, or other portions intended to retain rigid portions 62, may be made from a secondary softer elastomeric material such as gummy or sticky or low durometer elastomer to provide an added means of local material deflection and therefore added force or friction to the rigid body 62.
[0117] In such a manner may the spool 30 retain a device-cable assembly 61 in a compact form, with minimum or no protrusion exterior of the sidewalls 42 of the spool 30, depending on the size of the spool 30 relative to the device-cable assembly 61, making the combined assembly of spool 30 and device-cable assembly 61 suitable for compact organization, spooling, storage and transport of a device-cable assembly 61.
Variations:
[0118] FIGS. 9 through 12 depict a second embodiment of a spool 30, featuring wedge-like portions of the interior perimeter 32 allowing a variation in width between interior perimeter 32 sidewalls to accommodate retention of a variety of rigid portion 62 widths, either by friction of mechanical retention such as imposed by an undercut trapping the rigid body 62 within a recess 36. While the wedge feature provides a variation in hollow 34 widths, it is meant to be illustrative of an example of how to vary the width of the hollow 34, however other means of varying hollow 34 width may be accommodated, such as a curved or stepped interior perimeter 32.
[0119] The present embodiment features two wedge shaped portions of an interior perimeter 32, each intended to retain a distinct rigid portion 62 of a device-cable assembly 61 within the hollow 34, such as ear-buds 62A (not shown). A rigid portion 62, such as that depicted by a first rigid portion 62M in a first position may freely enter the hollow 34 within the interior perimeter 32 if it is smaller in width than same, and be drawn by a cable 60 (not shown) attached to the rigid portion 62 to a cable exit slot 46A, where the cable 60 is passed through, exiting the hollow 34 where it is afterwards spooled around the spooling surface 38, tensioning and fixing the rigid portion 62 in place against the wedge-shaped interior perimeter 32, as seen by the secondary position of the first rigid portion in position 62N. In embodiments for use with ear-buds 62A, two wedge portions of the interior perimeter 32 narrow toward the center to a centrally disposed cable exit slot 46A, where cable 60 from both ear-buds 62A may be collected and drawn through the cable exit slot 46A together, tensioning both ear-buds 62A equally prior to spooling the cable 60.
[0120] A wedge-shape also creates an increasingly greater undercut of the interior perimeter 32 over a recess 36, restricting the exterior movement from the hollow 34 of a rigid portion 62 within the recess 36 once it travels to a narrower portion of the wedge-shaped interior perimeter 32 smaller than the size of the rigid portion 62. A first position of a second rigid portion 62, as depicted in FIG. 12 and identified by 620 and larger than 62M, is shown smaller than the portion of the hollow 34 it is positioned within, such that it may be placed within the hollow 34 without force. A second position of the second rigid portion 62, identified by 62P, is shown to have travelled from the first position to become captive within recess 36 defined by the narrowing wedge of the interior perimeter 32. The present embodiment also shows an alternative width restriction means, other than a wedge, shown as bumps 58 within a recess 36, restricting the movement of a rigid portion 62 within the channel of the hollow 34 from moving past the bumps 58, the bumps 58 making the hollow 34 more narrow, preventing the wider rigid portion 62, depicted as 62P, from passing the bumps 58 as it abuts against them. As a cable 30 (not shown) attached to the rigid portion 62P, the latter comes to rest and be tensioned against the bumps 58, whereafter the cable 60 may pass through the cable exit slot 46A and be spooled around the spooling surface 38, retaining the rigid portion 62P in place against the bumps 58.
