Electrical cord storage and dispensing organizer

An electrical cord storage and dispensing organizer is disclosed for gathering the exiting excess cords of an existing computer, thereby making the appearance around the computer's area neat and organized. Constructed mainly of plastic materials, the present organizer has rectangular shaped housing, and opens in a similar fashion to that of a briefcase. The housing contains a cordwheel, coilspring, lock button, lock spindle, compression spring, latch, and hinges. To use the present invention the latch of the top of the organizer's housing is released and the sides are moved apart in opposite directions. Turning the cordwheel approximately one turn for every foot of cord that needs to be stored within the unit will provide sufficient tension to retract the cord. A lock button holds the cordwheel with coilspring compressed. Taking a computer cord, either power or communication, and double it in half, it is then wrapped around the cord loop and close the unit. The two ends of the cord will extend from inside the box through the cord hole situated in the top of the unit. Then, a user simply pulls slightly on the cord, releasing the tension off the lock button, and retracting only the desired amount of cord.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates generally to wire winding devices and, more 
particularly, to a modular electrical cord storage and dispensing 
organizer for use with the numerous cords required with a personal 
computer. 
2. Description of the Related Art 
Currently in wide use today are personal computers which require a 
plurality of cables of various sizes and for various functions. Cables 
connecting a monitor to a central processor, a keyboard to a central 
processor, a processor to a printer, and so on are generally left 
extending from the back of the system and peripherals, and are not easily 
neatly organized. Often, these cables are left to rest on the floor, 
causing a situation which may result in someone tripping. Or, these cables 
very often may become tangled, adding to confusion should the owner need 
to relocate the computer or identify the cause of a malfunction. 
Consequently, a need has been felt for providing an apparatus and method 
which can contain excess computer cable, dispense only the necessary 
amount of computer cable, and store unnecessary amounts of computer cable 
in a neat, dispensable, aesthetically pleasing, and modular arrangement. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus 
for storing and dispensing excess electrical or communication cords used 
with personal computer equipment. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cord storing and 
dispensing apparatus which can prevent cords for computer equipment from 
becoming tangled or damaged. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cord storing and 
dispensing system which is modular and thereby allows for use with 
multiple cords. 
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a cord storing 
and dispensing system which can aid in the identification, relocation, or 
troubleshooting of cabling for computer equipment. 
Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide and 
aesthetically pleasing storing container for the cabling for computer 
equipment. 
It is a feature of the present invention to provide a storage container for 
computer equipment cabling which can retract or dispense various lengths 
of cable as needed. 
Briefly described according to the preferred embodiment of the present 
invention, a hinged, split storage container is provided housing a center 
shaft rotatingly supporting a cordwheel. Circumferentially arrayed about 
the cordwheel are a series of locking holes which engages a tensioned 
wheel lock button. A coilspring connects the cordwheel to the center 
shaft, and causes a spinning tension upon the cordwheel. A cordhole 
penetrates the storage container, and provides an exit conduit for a 
computer equipment cable. To use the present invention, the latch of the 
top of the organizer's housing is released and the sides are moved apart 
in opposite directions. Turning the cordwheel approximately one turn for 
every foot of cord that needs to be stored within the unit will provide 
sufficient tension to retract the cord. A lock button holds the cordwheel 
when the coilspring is compressed. Taking a computer cord (either power or 
peripheral communication), doubling it in half, it is hooked onto the cord 
loop attached to the cordwheel and the unit and latch closed. The cord 
will protrude out through the cord hole situated in the top of the unit. 
Then, a user simply pulls slightly on the cord, releasing the tension off 
the lock button, and retracts only the desired amount of cord. 
An advantage of the present invention is that electrical or communication 
cords used with personal computer equipment can be stored and dispensed. 
Another advantage of the present invention is that cords for computer 
equipment are prevented from becoming tangled or damaged. 
Another advantage of the present invention is that a modular design can 
accommodate multiple cords. 
Another advantage of the present invention is that the cord storing and 
dispensing system can aid in the identification, relocation, or 
troubleshooting of cabling for computer equipment. 
Further, the present invention provides an aesthetically pleasing storing 
container for the cabling for computer equipment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
1. Detail Description of the Figures 
Referring to FIG. 1, a electrical cord storage and dispensing organizer 5 
is shown, according to the present invention. A left housing 10, is 
provided with a left rectangular opening 15 along one of its side faces. 
Also provided is a right housing 25 with a right rectangular opening 30 
and a right center shaft 35. Both the left housing 10 and the right 
housing 25 are held in firm mechanical contact with a hinge 40 located 
along and joining together the left housing 10 and the right housing 25 
along one edge. Located along the same side of the left housing 10 as the 
left rectangular opening 15 is found a latch 45. A lock button hole 50 is 
provided on the foremost face of the right housing 25 adjacent to the 
right center shaft 35. The function of the lock button hole 50 will be 
explained in greater detail below. Located in each extreme corner of both 
the left housing 10 and the right housing 25 are connection holes 55. 
(Only one out of eight is shown for illustrative purposes) Each connection 
hole 55 is used in conjunction with a connection pin 60 for joining 
together multiple electrical cord storage and dispensing organizers 5 to 
form a modular system. Located in the direct interior of the right housing 
25 and mounted radially on the right center shaft is a cordwheel 65 and a 
cordwheel lock spindle 70. Located between the cordwheel 65 and the 
cordwheel lock spindle 70 is a coilspring 75. The cordwheel 65 is provided 
with a cord loop 80 on its interior hub. The cordwheel lock spindle 70 is 
provided with a plurality of locking holes 82 along its outer perimeter. 
The interior end of the coilspring 75 is held in firm mechanical contact 
with the right center shaft 35 of the right housing 25. The exterior end 
of the coilspring 75 is held in firm mechanical contact with the cordwheel 
lock spindle 70. The cordwheel 65 is held in firm mechanical contact with 
the cordwheel lock spindle 70 such as when the cordwheel 65 is rotated 
along the radial path defined by the right center shaft 35, torque is 
applied to the coilspring 75 resulting in compression and thus energy 
stored. Finally a lock button 85 and a compression spring 90 is fastened 
to the lock button hole 50 of the right housing 25. The function of the 
compression spring 90 is to keep the lock button 85 extended away from the 
locking holes 82 of the cordwheel lock spindle 70 which will be described 
in greater detail below. It is anticipated that all components of the 
electrical cord storage and dispensing organizer 5 would be made from an 
easily machinable and formable material such as plastic with the exception 
of the coilspring 75 and the compression spring 90 which would be made of 
spring steel. It is also anticipated that the left housing 10 and the 
right housing 25 be of a material such as plastic that would allow for the 
coloring of the material to match office decore. 
Referring now to FIG. 2, a cross sectional view of the electrical cord 
storage and dispensing organizer 5 is shown along a line I--I in FIG. 1. 
The cordwheel 65 is held in place by the right center shaft 35. The lock 
button 85 and the compression spring 90 is installed in the lock button 
hole 50 such that when the lock button 85 is pressed in by the user the 
compression spring 90 compresses and allows the lock button 85 to engage 
the locking holes 82 of the cordwheel lock spindle 70 thus preventing 
radial movement of the cordwheel 65. 
Finally, FIG. 3 shows a pictorial illustration of a electrical cord storage 
and dispensing organizer 5 in a modular usage characterization. A personal 
computer system 200 is shown on a work area table 202. The personal 
computer system 200 provided consists of a monitor 205, a central 
processing unit 210, a keyboard 215, a printer 220 and a mouse input 
device 225. Each electrical cord storage and dispensing organizer 5 is 
held in firm mechanical contact with its adjacent electrical cord storage 
and dispensing organizer 5 via usage of the connection pins 60 located in 
each connection hole 55. Stored in each electrical cord storage and 
dispensing organizer 5 is a electrical power cable 230 or a peripheral 
communication cable 235. The usage of the electrical cord storage and 
dispensing organizer 5 as depicted thus results in a clean and uncluttered 
workspace upon the work area table 202. 
2. Operation of the Preferred Embodiment 
In operation, the present invention can be utilized by the common user in a 
simple and effortless manner. To use the present invention with its 
preferred embodiment can best be described in conjunction with the 
exploded view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention as 
shown in FIG. 1 and the pictorial illustration of the present invention in 
a modular usage characterization with a personal computer system as shown 
in FIG. 3. 
A user would open up the electrical cord storage and dispensing organizer 5 
by depressing the latch 45 and separating the left housing 10 and the 
right housing 25 along the axis defined by the hinge 40. The user would 
then wind or rotate the cordwheel 65 one rotation for approximately every 
12 inches of cable the user would wish to store in the electrical cord 
storage and dispensing organizer 5. At this point the user would then 
depress the lock button 85 which would thus hold the cordwheel 65 in 
position through the cordwheel lock spindle 70 which is engaged by the 
lock button 85 in its locking holes 82. The user then would take the 
electrical power cable 230 or the peripheral communication cable 235 and 
double it in half such that there are two equal lengths and engage the 
mid-point with the cord loop 80 of the cordwheel 65. The user would then 
close the electrical cord storage and dispensing organizer 5 and leave the 
electrical power cable 230 or the peripheral communication cable 235 
extending out through the left rectangular opening 15 or the right 
rectangular opening 30. Next the user would pull slightly on the 
electrical power cable 230 or the peripheral communication cable 235 to 
release the tension off of the lock button 85 from the cordwheel lock 
spindle 70, releasing the lock button 85 and allow the electrical power 
cable 230 or the peripheral communication cable 235 to retract into the 
electrical cord storage and dispensing organizer 5. If the user wishes, 
multiple electrical cord storage and dispensing organizers 5 could be used 
to store multiple cords. In such a case the electrical cord storage and 
dispensing organizers 5 could be attached together in a modular fashion as 
shown in FIG. 3 by the use of the connection pins 60 in each connection 
hole 55 of adjoining electrical cord storage and dispensing organizers 5. 
The foregoing description is included to illustrate the operation of the 
preferred embodiment and is not meant to limit the scope of the invention. 
The scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims.