Patent Application
20070145176
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a hose reel and, more specifically, to a compact hose reel having a generally canister-like shape.
2. Background Information
Hose reel assemblies are devices structured to assist in transporting and using hoses, typically garden hoses for dispensing water. Generally, the hose reel includes a base or housing assembly structured to rotatably support a reel. The reel includes a barrel, around which the hose is wrapped, a crank, used to turn the reel, and a water conduit having a movable end and a fixed end. The stationary end of the conduit extends away from the reel and is structured to be coupled to a water supply. The movable end of the conduit is disposed on the circumference of the reel. In this configuration, a hose may be coupled to the movable end of the conduit and, when the reel is rotated, the hose is wrapped, or unwrapped, about the reel. In this configuration, a hose may be transported and/or stored on the hose reel assembly.
One type of hose reel includes a handle member used to transport the hose reel and to assist in bracing the hose reel during winding. The prior art hose reel handles were typically disposed parallel to the axis of rotation of the reel. That is, the prior art handle was a U-shaped member wherein the two ends extended radially away from the reel axis and the central portion extended parallel to the reel axis. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,553. While such a handle allows a user to transport the hose reel, it does have disadvantages. For example, a user may grasp the handle at any location, possibly resulting in an off-center or unbalanced support relative to the hose reel center of gravity. While this disadvantage may be partially addressed by identifying the center of the handle as a grip, e.g., by having visual indication such as having a portion of the handle a different color or different size, a user may still grasp the handle in an unbalanced manner. In addition to being unbalanced during transport, an off-center grip was also a disadvantage during the winding of the hose. That is, depending upon the flexibility of the hose, winding of the hose could require a substantial amount of force. Typically, a user used the handle to brace the hose reel assembly on the ground or other solid surface. To brace the hose reel assembly it is preferable to have an evenly distributed load so that both sides of the housing assembly firmly engage the ground. However, if a user pressed down on one side of the handle, the opposing side of the hose reel assembly could shift during vigorous winding.
Further, given the orientation of the handle, that is parallel to the axis of rotation, the handle needed to have an extended length so that the steadying force applied by the user during winding could overcome the torque created by the act of winding. That is, if the handle was too close to the axis of rotation, as the user wound the hose the torque created by the winding could be greater than the counter force applied to the handle by the user. Therefore, to give the user a mechanical advantage, the handle ends would have an extended length. The disadvantage to this configuration is that the handle was generally not compact, thereby taking up valuable storage space.
There is, therefore, a need for a compact hose reel.
There is a further need for a compact hose reel having a perpendicular handle structured to evenly distribute loads between the handle and the housing assembly.
These needs, and others, are met by the present invention which provides a hose reel assembly having a centrally located perpendicular handle member. The handle member is coupled to a brace. The brace extends generally parallel to the rotational axis of the hose reel. The handle extends generally perpendicular to the brace. While the handle member may be a generally straight member, the perpendicular handle member is, preferably, an arced member having a radius slightly larger than the radius of the reel hubs. As such, the perpendicular handle may also be a circumferential handle member. The perpendicular handle member is, preferably, disposed about an equal distance between the reel hubs. In this configuration, the user grips the handle perpendicular to that axis of rotation of the reel assembly. It is more convenient for a user to overcome the torque created during the winding of the hose if the user's hand is in this orientation. That is, due to the orientation of the handle member, the handle member may be disposed closer to the axis of that reel assembly than was possible with a handle oriented parallel to the axis of rotation. As such, the reduced distance between the handle and the axis of rotation of the reel assembly is possible because of the orientation of the handle member and is not merely a design choice. Thus, in this configuration, the handle is both compact and structured to evenly distribute loads between the handle and the housing assembly.
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:
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, a “circumferential handle” has a generally arced or curved portion. That is, the arced, or curved, portion may not be exactly circular.
As shown in
The reel assembly 14 is generally cylindrical and includes an elongated barrel portion 30, two end hubs 32, 34, a water conduit assembly 36, and a crank assembly 60. The barrel portion 30 has a cylindrical body 38 with an axis of rotation 40. The reel assembly hubs 32, 34 are disposed at opposite ends of the barrel portion 30. The reel assembly hubs 32, 34 are, preferably, circular and have a greater diameter than the barrel portion 30. The reel assembly hubs 32, 34 are structured to be rotatably coupled to the housing assembly 12 side members 22, 24 at the side member hubs 25. When the reel assembly 14 is coupled to the housing assembly 12, the reel assembly 14 is structured to rotate about the longitudinal axis 40 of the barrel portion 30. The water conduit assembly 36 has a stationary portion 52, a rotating portion 54, and a seal therebetween (not shown). The stationary portion 52 is a generally elongated tube 50 disposed generally along the axis of rotation 40. The rotating portion 54 has an axial section 56 and a perpendicular section 57. The axial section 56 is disposed, generally, along the axis of rotation 40 and is rotatably coupled to the stationary portion 52. The perpendicular section 57 extends generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation 40. That is, the perpendicular section 57 extends through the barrel portion 30. In this configuration, the stationary portion 52 extends from the reel assembly 14 and may be coupled to a supply hose. The rotating portion 54 is rotatably coupled to the stationary portion 52 and rotates with the barrel portion 30. The hub 32, 34 opposite the tube stationary end 52 is coupled to the crank assembly 60. The crank assembly 60 includes a disk 62 and a knob 64. The disk 62 is structured to be disposed on the outer side of the housing assembly 12 while being coupled to the hub 32, 34. The knob 64 is coupled to the disk 62 near the periphery of the disk 62. In this configuration, a user may grasp the knob 64 and rotate the disk 62, thereby rotating the reel assembly 14.
The handle assembly 16 includes at least one elongated brace 70, as shown; there is a first and second brace 70, 72, and a handle member 74. Each brace 70, 72 is structured to be coupled to, and extend between, the housing assembly side members 22, 24. Thus, the braces 70, 72 extend generally parallel to the axis 40 of rotation of the reel assembly 14. The braces 70, 72 are, preferably, coupled to the side member curved upper surfaces 28, 29. The braces 70, 72 are spaced apart from each other, preferably being about 70 degrees apart on the side member curved upper surfaces 28, 29. The braces 70, 72 may be shaped to bow away from the reel assembly 14 and each has a medial vertex 76, 78.
The handle member 74 is coupled to, and extends between, the braces 70, 72. The handle member 74 is, preferably, generally perpendicular to the at least one brace 70, 72. Additionally, as shown in
In another embodiment, shown in
In this configuration, the hose reel assembly 10 may be adapted to be wound in either a “left-handed” or “right-handed” direction. That is, the hose (not shown) is wrapped about the barrel portion 30 in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. The direction that the hose is wrapped about the barrel portion 30 determines the direction that the crank assembly 60 must be turned in order to wind the hose. The direction that the hose is wrapped about the barrel portion 30 is determined by the direction that the tangent portion 114 faces. Thus, prior to attaching the hose to the tangent portion 114, a user may rotate the tangent portion 114 to face a selected direction. In a first direction, the tangent portion 114 faces clockwise relative to the barrel portion 30 and in a second direction, the tangent portion 114 faces counterclockwise relative to the barrel portion 30. Thus, by orienting the tangent portion 114 to face clockwise, the hose will be wrapped about the barrel portion 30 in a clockwise direction. Conversely, by orienting the tangent portion 114 to face counterclockwise the hose will be wrapped about the barrel portion 30 in a counterclockwise direction. Thus, the user may select whether the hose shall be wound in a “left-handed” or “right-handed” direction.
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 the invention which is to be given the full breadth of the claims appended and any and all equivalents thereof.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/736,215, filed Nov. 14, 2005 entitled, CANISTER HOSE REEL.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60736215 | Nov 2005 | US |
