ELECTRICAL CORD RETAINING SHEATH

Abstract

An electrical cord retention device employs a sheath with a first end and a second end and cuffs folded on the first end and second end providing apertures at each end for insertion of a folded or coiled electrical cord.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to the field of restraining electrical cords and more particularly to a woven or mesh flexibly expandable sheath having cuffs for aperture support for receiving a coiled electrical cord and retaining the cord in the coiled condition.

2. Description of the Related Art

Electrical extension cords or other cabling such as computer component connection cords, overly long lamp or appliance cords can be disorganized and even dangerous when not properly constrained. To provide organization of cords cable ties such as zip ties or cable wraps, encircling bands with hook and loop fasteners on opposite sides or mechanical devices have been employed to hold coiled or folded electrical cords.

Prior art examples of various cord holders can be found in various patents and patent publications. For example, a rigid “cord organizer” is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,425,165 to Koppang which employs a rigid cylinder with a restricting inner profile to grasp the folded cord.

Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,740,817 to Anderson discloses a rigid cylindrical container for receiving a folded electrical cord and restraining the cord with an interior profile of the cylinder or a layered pierceable baffle.

US patent publication 2010/0192330 to Walker discloses a similar device with a rigid tubular container with interior tactile web material to restrain the cord and inwardly protruding teeth, tabs or fingers to further constrain the cord.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,214,092 to Platt discloses a rigid hexagonal tube with flared ends to receive a folded electrical cord.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,478,157 to Witt et al. discloses a bag with drawstring closures for loosely containing a coiled extension cord. An end of the cord may protrude from the closed aperture and the bag has a second aperture to allow a second end of the cord to protrude for use while present in the bag.

Similarly, US patent publication 2011/0203958 to Imburgia et al. discloses a cylindrical bag with mesh end caps which are closable with a drawstring.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,042,232 to Mask et al. discloses a coil container having accordion pleats which are collapsible and secured with encircling hook and loop straps.

Each of the prior art designs is either overly complex for simple household usage or is limited in size or flexibility due to rigid construction.

It is therefore desirable to provide a means for containing a coiled electrical cord which is inexpensive to fabricate, flexible for variable sizing and simple to use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an electrical cord retention device having a sheath with a first end and a second end and cuffs folded on the first end and second end providing apertures at each end for insertion of a folded or coiled electrical cord.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an embodiment of the electrical cord retaining sheath;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the electrical cord retaining sheath with a cord inserted;

FIG. 3 is an exemplary plain weave pattern;

FIG. 4 is an exemplary basket weave pattern; and,

FIG. 5 is a side section view of the rolled cuff on one end of the sheath.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the invention is described herein provides a sheath for constraining electrical cords in a coiled or folded condition. While described herein for electrical cords such as extension cords, the embodiments may be employed to contain coiled or folded cords, cables, wire, rope or other filament type materials. As shown in FIG. 1, the sheath 10 is a woven material for longitudinal flexibility and diametric resiliency. The sheath may be fabricated from an elastic material to enhance the resilient expansion. At each end, a rolled cuff 12 at each end of the sheath 10 allows easy insertion of the folded strands of cord 14 into the sheath, as shown in FIG. 2. The cuffs 12 additionally prevent fraying of the fabric material and provide limited circumferential rigidity to maintain the apertures 16 in an open condition for insertion of the cord.

In exemplary embodiments, the sheath 10 is fabricated from woven material such as 10 mil polyethylene terepthalate (PET) monofilament yarns available as FLEXO PET (PT) from Techflex, Inc. 29 Brookfield Drive, Sparta, N.J. 07871. The woven material strands or fibers 17 may be elastic to provide resilient expandability of the sheath in a radial direction 18 with respect to an axis 20 of the sheath shown in FIG. 1 allowing a bulge in the sheath 10 as shown in FIG. 2 if required to accommodate the folded cord. The warp and weft of the weave may also provide resilient expandability of the sheath in the radial direction 18 with respect to the axis 20, with or without elasticity in the strands or fibers themselves. As shown in FIG. 1, the warp (represented by line 22) and weft (represented by line 24) are angled respective to the axis 20, nominally at 45 degrees in the unflexed position. Radial expansion of the sheath 10 results in deformation of the warp and weft from a substantially square orientation to a diamond shape. Flexing of the sheath 10 inward along axis 20 (ends toward one another) expands the sheath and stretching outward along the axis shrinks the diameter of the sheath. Combination of elastic fibers and angled warp and weft provide maximum expandability for use of the sheath with various cord lengths resulting in varying coiled or folded diameter.

A plain weave of the fibers in the warp 22 and weft 24 as shown in FIG. 3 or basket weave as shown in FIG. 4 are used in example embodiments for maximum mobility of the weave in expanding diagonally with respect to the weave for the desired radial expandability with respect to the axis 20. In FIGS. 3 and 4 unshaded portions of the weft are over the warp whereas shaded portions are under the warp.

In an alternative embodiment, the sheath may be fabricated from a non-woven mesh material having substantially perpendicular warp and weft strands in the mesh. The elasticity of the strands and orientation of the warp and weft with respect to the axis operate comparably to the woven fabric described above for radial expandability of the sheath.

As shown in FIG. 5, the cuffs 12 on the sheath 10 may be double rolled to cover the fabric termination 26 to further reduce fraying. An adhesive 28 may be applied to assist in retaining the cuffs 12 in the rolled position. For exemplary embodiments, a non-rigid setting glue such as room temperature vulcanizing (RTV), or UL® setting silicon. While a solid layer of adhesive is shown between the outer fold layer and inner fold layer the adhesive may be placed between the inner fold layer and sheath and adhesive may set through the weave and form a single integral layer between the weave folds and sheath or adhesive dots may be distributed along the inner surface of the fold. For materials such as the PET monofilament yarn weave, a heat gun, soldering iron or other heat source may be used to spot weld the rolled material. In alternative embodiments, stitching or stapling of the material may also be employed.

Having now described the invention in detail as required by the patent statutes, those skilled in the art will recognize modifications and substitutions to the specific embodiments disclosed herein. Such modifications are within the scope and intent of the present invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. An electrical cord retention device comprising: a sheath having a first end and a second end; and,cuffs folded on the first end and second end of the sheath providing apertures at each end.

2. The electrical cord retention device as defined in claim 1 wherein sheath is resiliently expandable radially from an axis.

3. The electrical cord retention device as defined in claim 2 wherein strands of the sheath are elastic.

4. The electrical cord retention device as defined in claim 2 wherein warp and weft of the strands in the sheath are angled relative to the axis.

5. The electrical cord retention device as defined in claim 4 wherein an angle of warp and weft is 45 degrees with respect to the axis.

6. The electrical cord retention device as defined in claim 2 wherein the strands of the sheath are elastic and warp and weft of the sheath are angled relative to the axis.

7. The electrical cord retention device as defined in claim 1 wherein the sheath is fabricated from woven 10 mil polyethylene terepthalate (PET) monofilament yarns.

8. The electrical cord retention device as defined in claim 4 wherein the sheath is woven fabric and the warp and weft are woven in a plain weave.

9. The electrical cord retention device as defined in claim 4 wherein the sheath is woven fabric and the warp and weft are woven in a basket weave.

10. The electrical cord retention device as defined in claim 4 wherein the sheath is fabricated from a non-woven mesh.

11. The electrical cord retention device as defined in claim 10 wherein strands of the sheath are elastic.

12. The electrical cord retention device as defined in claim 10 wherein warp and weft of the strands in the sheath are angled relative to the axis.

13. The electrical cord retention device as defined in claim 12 wherein an angle of warp and weft is 45 degrees with respect to the axis.

14. The electrical cord retention device as defined in claim 10 wherein the strands of the sheath are elastic and warp and weft of the sheath are angled relative to the axis.