Patent ID: 7077650
Filing Date: 2006-07-18
Classification: A61G,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A utility line extension and retraction system, the utility line extension and retraction system for enabling a user to selectively extend a utility line for utility line use and retract the utility line for utility line storage, the utility line extension and retraction system comprising: a plurality of utility line cassettes, each utility line cassette comprising two laterally-spaced, pulley-receiving walls, spacer means intermediate the pulley-receiving walls, an anterior line outlet end, a posterior line inlet end, a stationary pulley assembly adjacent the anterior line outlet end, a traveling pulley assembly intermediate the anterior line outlet end and the posterior line inlet end, and a utility line extending from the posterior line inlet end to the anterior line outlet end, each pulley-receiving wall comprising an inner wall surface, an outer wall surface, and a pulley-receiving groove intermediate the inner wall surface and the outer wall surface, the pulley-receiving grooves cooperatively forming a pulley-receiving track, the pulley-receiving track comprising an inferior track path, a superior track region, and a pulley guide junction intermediate the inferior track path and the superior track region, the superior track region comprising an anterior track path, a posterior track path, and a superior track path intermediate the anterior track path and the posterior track path, the anterior track path, the posterior track path, and the inferior track path intersecting at the pulley guide junction, the superior track path comprising an extended-state rest stop, the extended-state rest stop for braking the utility line when in extended utility line use, the spacer means for maintaining the pulley-receiving walls in laterally spaced relation, the traveling pulley assembly comprising a first pulley and track-traveling means, the first pulley comprising an inferior pulley region, a central traveling hub aperture, and a first utility line-accepting groove, the central traveling hub aperture having a traveling hub axis, the track traveling means being located in the central traveling hub aperture for enabling the traveling pulley assembly to travel along the pulley-receiving track, the stationary pulley assembly comprising a second pulley and cassette attachment means, the cassette attachment means for rotatably attaching the stationary pulley assembly to the utility line cassette, the second pulley comprising a superior pulley region, a central stationary hub, and a second utility line-accepting groove, the central stationary hub having a stationary hub axis, the utility line comprising an instrument end, an instrument-actuating end, and a utility line length intermediate the instrument end and the instrument-actuating end, the utility line length being cooperatively associated with the first and second utility line-accepting grooves adjacent the inferior and superior pulley regions for imparting motion to the first and second pulleys, the first pulley rotatable about the traveling hub axis, the second pulley rotatable about the stationary hub axis, the instrument-actuating end located adjacent the posterior line inlet end, the instrument end located adjacent the anterior line outlet end, the instrument end cooperatively associated with an instrument, the instrument end being selectively extendable from the anterior line outlet end for utility line use and selectively retractable into the anterior outlet for utility line storage, the traveling pulley assembly located in the inferior track path at a retracted-state rest stop when the instrument end is in a retracted state, the traveling pulley assembly traveling an orderly extension-retraction path when the instrument end is systematically extended and retracted, the orderly extension-retraction path comprising a series of path steps, the path steps comprising: traveling from the retracted-state rest stop to the pulley guide junction along the inferior track path; traveling from the pulley guide junction to the superior track path along the anterior track path; traveling from the anterior track path to the extended-state rest stop along the superior track path; traveling from the extended-state rest stop to the posterior track path along the superior track path; traveling from the superior track path to the pulley guide junction along the posterior track path; and traveling from the pulley guide junction to the retracted-state rest stop along the inferior track path, each utility line cassette thus enabling a user to selectively extend the utility line for utility line use and selectively retract the utility line for utility line storage.