Claims
- 1. A reel comprising:
- a central hub, the central hub having a cylindrical wall defining an outer barrel surface, the cylindrical wall extending the length of the central hub, the hub also having a pair of axial end walls at opposite ends of the barrel surface;
- a pair of annular flanges extending radially outward from and integrally formed with the barrel surface adjacent each axial end wall, each flange positioned axially inward from a corresponding end wall, each flange having an inwardly facing surface and defining with the barrel surface a strand winding area, each flange also having an outwardly facing surface;
- a pair of inclined annular walls, the inclined walls forming an integral connection between the cylindrical wall and the axial end walls, the connection with the axial end wall being radially inward and axially outward of the cylindrical wall;
- a plurality of radially extending stiffening ribs comprising uppermost and lowermost surfaces, the lowermost surface of the stiffening ribs disposed on and integrally formed with the outwardly facing surface of each of the flanges, the uppermost surface of the stiffening ribs terminating at the connection between the inclined annular wall and the cylindrical wall;
- a plurality of radially extending ribs integrally formed with and extending inwardly from the inclined annular walls, the ribs being angularly offset from the stiffening ribs; and
- the hub, flanges, ribs and inclined walls formed from a thermoplastic material.
- 2. The reel according to claim 1 wherein the angle of the inclined walls is between about 45.degree. and about 90.degree. from vertical.
- 3. The reel according to claim 2 wherein the thickness of the inclined walls is less than the thickness of the cylindrical wall and the axial end wall.
- 4. The reel according to claim 1 wherein the hub further comprises an inner annular wall positioned radially inward of and extending coaxially within the barrel surface of the cylindrical wall, and wherein the stiffening ribs extend radially inward of the cylindrical wall while terminating radially outward of the inner annular wall.
- 5. A molded thermoplastic spool for retaining a coiled elongated strand, the spool comprising:
- a central core, the core having an inner cylindrical wall defining a hollow space, an outer cylindrical wall positioned coaxially with the inner wall and defining a wire supporting surface, the cylindrical wall extending the length of the central core, and a plurality of radial support ribs extending longitudinally between the inner cylindrical wall and the outer cylindrical wall, the space between the support ribs and the inner and outer walls being hollow;
- two axial end walls, one of the end walls attached to the inner wall at each end thereof, the end walls forming a planar surface which extends radially outwardly from the inner wall and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;
- two radially extending support flanges, one flange positioned at each end of the central core, the flanges being attached to the outer cylindrical wall and extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and the wire support surface, the support flanges having an outwardly facing surface substantially parallel to the axial end walls; and
- a plurality of upstanding flange ribs integrally formed with and projecting axially away from the outwardly facing surface of the flange, the flange ribs extending radially inward from substantially the peripheral edge of the flange to at least the peripheral edge of the axial end wall and radially inwardly of the outer cylindrical wall of the central core and terminate radially outward of the inner cylindrical wall of the central core, the flange ribs securing the axial end wall to the outer cylindrical wall.
- 6. A spool as claimed in claim 5 further comprising two angled walls, each angled wall integrally formed with one of the axial end walls and the corresponding flange, the flange ribs also integrally formed with the angle walls.
- 7. A spool as claimed in claim 6, wherein the angled walls are formed at an angle of 45.degree. with respect to the longitudinal axis.
- 8. A spool as claimed in claim 6, wherein the peripheral edges of the axial end walls are radially inward of the position of the outer wall of the central core.
- 9. A spool as claimed in claim 5, wherein the flange ribs extend radially inward of the peripheral edge of the axial end walls while terminating radially outward of the inner cylindrical wall.
- 10. A spool as claimed in claim 9 further comprising two angled walls, each angled wall integrally formed with one of the axial end walls and the corresponding flange, the flange ribs also integrally formed with the angle walls.
- 11. A spool as claimed in claim 10, wherein the thickness of the angle walls is relatively less than the thickness of the inner and outer walls of the central core.
- 12. A reel comprising:
- a central hub, the central hub comprising
- an outer cylindrical wall defining an outer barrel surface; and
- an inner cylindrical wall defining a hollow shaft along a central longitudinal axis, the inner and outer cylindrical walls extending the length of the central hub, the inner and outer cylindrical walls being coaxial and radially spaced from one another;
- a pair of axial end walls at opposite ends of the barrel surface, the inner cylindrical wall defining a central opening within the axial end walls;
- a pair of annular flanges extending radially outward from and integrally formed with the barrel surface adjacent each end wall, each flange also having an outwardly facing surface with integral ribs disposed thereon;
- a pair of inclined annular walls the inclined walls forming, at opposite ends of the central hub, an integral connection between the outer cylindrical wall, the axial end walls, the adjacent flange and its corresponding flange ribs;
- a plurality of radially extending core ribs disposed on and integrally formed with the inwardly facing surface of at least one of the axial end walls and an inclined annular wall, the core ribs disposed along the longitudinal axis, radially inward of the outer cylindrical wall of the central hub, and radially outward of the inner cylindrical wall of the central hub;
- the hub, flanges, core and integral ribs, and inclined walls formed from a thermoplastic material.
- 13. A reel comprising:
- a central hub, the central hub having a cylindrical wall defining an outer barrel surface, the cylindrical wall extending the length of the central hub, the hub also having a pair of axial end walls at opposite ends of the barrel surface;
- a pair of annular flanges extending radially outward from and integrally formed with the barrel surface adjacent each end wall, terminating at an axially outward extending flange lip, each flange having an outwardly facing surface;
- a plurality of radially extending ribs disposed on and integrally formed with the outwardly facing surface of each of the flanges;
- a pair of inclined annular walls, the inclined walls forming an integral connection between the cylindrical wall, the axial end walls and the ribs at each end of the hub;
- the top surface of each rib, in the area adjacent the inclined annular walls, is coplanar with the outwardly facing surface of the flanges, each rib gradually tapers toward the outwardly facing surface of the flange as it extends radially outwardly to a low point at a position radially inwardly of the flange lip; the rib continues to extend radially outwardly while tapering upwardly and away from the outwardly facing surface of the flange, integrally forming with the flange lip; and
- the hub, flanges, ribs and inclined walls formed from a thermoplastic material.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/796,773 filed on Feb. 6, 1997 which will issue as U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,349 on Feb. 9, 1999.
US Referenced Citations (40)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2529102 |
Jan 1977 |
DEX |
60-246072 |
Dec 1985 |
JPX |
275387 |
May 1951 |
CHX |
305394 |
May 1955 |
CHX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
796773 |
Feb 1997 |
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