Flexibly adaptable and removable cable winding and collecting apparatus

The present invention discloses a wire winding and collecting device for winding and collecting a long string wire. The winding and collecting device includes a spring for asserting a rotation force. The winding and collecting device further includes a bi-level both-end type of wire collector which includes a bottom collecting ridge and a top collection ridge divided by a dividing surface. The dividing surface includes an opening for inserting the wire therethrough at a mid-point on the wire for wrapping a first portion of the wire around the bottom collecting ridge and a second portion opposite the first portion from the mid-point around the top collecting ridge. The winding and collecting device further includes a rotation axial shaft inserted through an axial opening disposed on the central portion of the spring and the collector. The spring asserts a rotation force on the bottom collect ridge to rotate for collecting the wire from a first end of the wire and the spring further asserts a rotation force on the top collecting ridge to rotate for collecting the wire from a second end of the wire opposite the first end.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates generally to a revolvable device for winding and 
collecting cables or cord thereon. More particularly, this invention 
relates to a conveniently and flexibly adaptable and removable apparatus 
for winding and collecting cables, cords, or ropes thereon. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
The winding of electrical cords or cables for storage after use of an 
electrical device, especially for portable computers or mobile appliances 
such as a vacuum cleaner or electrical chain saw, often becomes an awkward 
and unpleasant task. This is particularly true when the cables or cords 
are very long and easily entangled. For that reason, appliances or 
portable electronic devices which are better designed are often provided 
with an automatic cord-winding collector. A user of these types of devices 
or appliances no longer needs to bother with the task of handling very 
long and entangled cords. 
FIGS. 1 shows such a prior art automatic cord-winding collector 10 for a 
portable computer. The cord-winding collector 10 includes a DC output 
cable 15 providing a DC voltage generated by an AC-to-DC adapter (not 
shown) for connecting to a portable computer. The cord-winding collector 
10 also includes a top cover 20, a bottom chassis 30 for containing the 
wire collector therein. The cord-winding collector also has a spindle 40 
and a cable-winder 50 for winding the cable 15 thereon. In odder to 
maintain electrical connection during the winding of the cable 15, the 
cable 15 is electricalIy connected to two contact plates 55 and 60 which 
serve as the positive and negative electrodes for maintaining constant 
contact with a circular contact trace 70 disposed on top of the contact 
plates 55 and 60. This type of cord-winding collector is well known and 
broadly applied in electrical devices where AC connections are employed 
for providing power supply to the devices. However, the contact points of 
the contact plates 55 and 60 with the circular contact trace generate 
additional resistance to the circuits providing the input power to the 
devices. This type of wire collector generally provide acceptable 
performance for devices applying AC input voltages. e.g., vacuum cleaner 
or chain saw. However, for other type of devices which require a DC 
voltage input, e.g., a portable computer, the additional resistance 
generated by such contacts may produce undesirable effects to both the 
performance and reliability. 
Other than the problems for a wire winding collector applied to a DC power 
supply device for a notebook computer or other mobile electrical 
appliances as described above, most of the conventional cord-winding 
collectors are manufactured as a built-in mechanism for use by that 
particular computer or appliance only. For these appliances and devices 
which do no include a built-in wire winding and collecting mechanism, the 
tasks of handling long and entangled wires, cables, cords, or ropes after 
and before use still remain time-consuming chores to be repetitively 
performed whenever longer wires, cords or ropes are used. 
Therefore, a need still exists for a new automatic-winding collector which 
is flexibly adaptable for application to different wires, cords, cables, 
or ropes in order to resolve these difficulties and limitations. 
Specifically, this new adapter design and configuration must be able to 
provide space savings and operation conveniences to satisfy modern 
applications for use in portable and mobile electronic devices and 
equipment wherein DC power supply is required, e.g., a portable computer 
with mobile office peripherals such as a scanner and printer. 
Additionally, it is desirable that this new collector can be easily 
adaptable for winding and collecting wires, ropes or cores where there are 
no built-in winding and collecting devices before or after their use. 
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new 
automatic-winding collector which is flexibly adaptable to and removable 
from wires, cords, cables, or ropes in order to overcome the 
aforementioned difficulties encountered in the prior art. 
Specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new 
automatic-winding collector which is flexibly adaptable to and removable 
from wires, cords, cables, or ropes to achieve space saving and 
operational conveniences. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new 
automatic-winding collector which is flexibly adaptable to and removable 
from wires, cords, cables, or ropes in order to save time and efforts of a 
user in handling and storing very long and entangled wires, cords, cables, 
or ropes after use. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new 
automatic-winding collector which is flexibly adaptable to and removable 
from electrical cords for application to a DC-source electronic device 
such as a portable computer in order to improve the reliability and 
performance. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new 
automatic-winding collector which is flexibly adaptable to and removable 
from wires, cords, cables, and ropes, such that the system design can be 
simplified without requiring to design a cord collector as a built-in 
mechanism as part of the original system. 
Briefly, in a preferred embodiment, the present invention includes a 
flexibly adaptable and removable wire winding and collecting apparatus for 
winding and collecting a long string wire therein. The winding and 
collecting apparatus includes a rotation force asserting means for 
asserting a rotation force. The winding and collecting apparatus further 
includes a bi-level both-end collecting means including a bottom 
collecting means and a top collection means divided by a dividing surface 
wherein the dividing surface including a flexibly adapting and removing 
opening for adapting the wire therethrough at a mid-point on the wire for 
wrapping a first portion of the wire around the bottom collecting means 
and a second portion opposite the first portion from the mid-point around 
the top collecting means. The winding and collecting apparatus further 
includes a rotation axial means inserting through an rotation axial 
opening disposed on the central portion of the rotation force asserting 
means and the bi-level both-end collecting means for providing a rotation 
shaft therein and for securely maintaining the rotation force asserting 
means and the bi-level both-end collecting means therein. The rotation 
force asserting means asserting a rotation force on the bottom collecting 
means to rotate for collecting the wire from a first end of the wire and 
the rotation force asserting means further asserting a rotation force on 
the top collecting means to rotate for collecting the wire from a second 
end of the wire opposite the first end. 
It is an advantage of the present invention that it provides a new 
automatic-winding collector which is flexibly adaptable to and removable 
from wires, cords, cables, or ropes in order to save time and efforts of a 
user in handling and storing very long and entangled wires, cords, cables, 
or ropes after use. 
Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides a new 
automatic-winding collector which is flexibly adaptable to and removable 
from electrical cords for application to a DC-source electronic device 
such as a portable computer in order to improve the reliability and 
performance. 
Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides a new 
automatic-winding collector which is flexibly adaptable to and removable 
from wires, cords, cables, and ropes, such that the system design can be 
simplified without requiring to design a cord collector as a built-in 
mechanism as part of the original system. 
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will no 
doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after having 
read the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment which 
is illustrated in the various drawing figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
FIGS. 2A to 2D show an adaptable automatic winder-collector 100 and its 
internal structure of the present invention. FIG. 2A is an perspective 
view of the adaptable automatic winder-collector 100 which includes a 
containing and protecting means 110 which has a shape of a box, including 
a top cover 115 and a bottom chassis 118, for containing and protecting a 
flexibly adaptable winding and collecting means 120 with the details of 
structures shown in FIGS. 2B to 2D. FIG. 2B is an explosive perspective 
view of the flexibly adaptable winding and collecting means 120 which 
includes a winding force asserting means, i.e., a volute spring 125, for 
asserting a winding force, and a stopping means, i.e., a stopper 130, for 
stopping the winding and collecting action asserted by the winding force 
asserting means 125. The winding and collecting means 120 also includes a 
bi-level both-end collecting means 140 which includes two levels of 
collecting means, i.e., a bottom collecting means which is a first spindle 
150, and a top level collecting means which is a second spindle 160. Each 
of the bottom and the top collecting means, i.e., the first and the second 
spindles 150 and 160, includes an approximately G-shaped wire-collecting 
ridge, i.e., a bottom and top G-shaped ridge 155 and 165 respectively. 
Each of these G-shaped ridges 155 and 165 include an outer ridge forming 
substantially a circular wire winding ridge 156 and 166 respectively for 
collecting the wire thereon. Each of these G-shaped ridges 155 and 165 
also includes an inner ridge forming substantially concentric circles as 
an adapting ridge 157 and 167 respectively for flexibly adapting the wire 
therethrough. The top spindle 160 also includes a wire-through opening 
means, i.e., a cut-off portion 168 for allowing a wire to pass through 
from the bottom spindle 150 to the top spindle. 
Referring to FIG. 2C for the mechanism of the winding and collecting 
actions performed by this bi-level both-end collecting means 120, the wire 
180 is first wrapped around the outer ridge 156 on the bottom spindle 155 
and then along the ridge near the portion of the opening of the G-shaped 
ridge 155 on the outer ridge 156, the wire is managed to wrap around the 
inner adapting ridge 157. The wire 180 then passes through the 
wire-through opening means 168, i.e., the cutoff segment on the top 
spindle 160 to wrap around the inner ridge 167 of the top G-shaped ridge 
165. The wire then wraps around the outer ridge 166 on the top spindle 
160. The top spindle 160 also includes a top limiting-guiding 170 for 
guiding and limiting the winding of the wire 180 around the outer ridge 
166 of the top G-shaped ridge 165. The bi-level both-end collection means 
120 further includes a rotation axial means 190 which is attached to the 
inner surface of the chassis 118 as shown. The rotational axial means 190 
is inserted through the central axial openings of the winding force 
asserting means, i.e., the volute spring 125, the first and the second 
spindle 150 and 160 of the bi-level both-end collecting means 140 and then 
attached to the top cover 115. The rotational axial means 190 serves to 
maintain these components in place and are employed as a rotational shaft 
for these components to rotate around. FIG. 2D shows a bottom perspective 
view of the winding and collecting apparatus 100. The details of the 
stopper 190 is shown. The stopper 190 is employed by a user of the 
apparatus to stop the winding action of the volute spring 125 by asserting 
a sudden force on the wire 180. Since the mechanism of the stopper 190 is 
well known in the art, the details of how the stopper 190 is constructed 
and how it works to stop the winding action will not be discussed further 
here. 
This invention thus discloses a flexibly adaptable and removable wire 
winding and collecting apparatus for winding and collecting a long string 
wire. The apparatus includes a rotation force asserting means 125 for 
asserting a rotation force. This wire collecting apparatus further 
includes a bi-level both-end collecting means 140 which includes a bottom 
collecting means 150 and a top collecting means 160 divided by a dividing 
surface wherein the dividing surface including a flexibly adapting and 
removable opening 168 for adapting the wire 180 therethrough at a 
mid-point on the wire for wrapping a first portion of the wire around the 
bottom collecting means 150 and a second portion opposite the first 
portion from the mid-point around the top collecting means 160. The wire 
collecting apparatus 100 further includes a rotation axial means 190 
inserting through an rotation axial opening disposed on the central 
portion of the rotation force asserting means 125 and the bi-level 
both-end collecting means 140 for providing a rotation shaft therein and 
for securely maintaining the rotation force asserting means 125 and the 
bi-level both-end collecting means 140 therein. The rotation force 
asserting means 125 asserting a rotation force on the bottom collecting 
means 150 to rotate for collecting the wire 180 from a first end of the 
wire and the rotation force asserting means 125 further asserting a 
rotation force on the top collecting means 160 to rotate for collecting 
the wire 180 from a second end of the wire opposite the first end. In a 
preferred embodiment, the wire winding and collecting apparatus 100 
further includes a stopping means 130 for a user of the apparatus 100 to 
stop the rotation of the bottom collecting means 150 and the top 
collecting means 160. The wire winding and collecting apparatus 100 may 
also include a top wire guiding and limiting means 170 for guiding and 
limiting winding of the wire on the top collecting means 160. The wire 
winding and collecting apparatus 100 may also include a bottom wire 
guiding and limiting means (not shown), similar to the top wire guiding 
and limiting means 170, for guiding and limiting winding of the wire on 
the bottom collecting means 150. As shown in FIG. 2A to 2D, the wire 
winding and collecting apparatus 100 may also include a containing means 
110 for containing and protecting the rotation force asserting means 125 
and the bi-level both-end collecting means 140 therein. Furthermore, in a 
preferred embodiment of the wire winding and collecting apparatus 100, the 
top collecting means 160 is a first rotational spindle with top circular 
collecting ridge 165 thereon around the rotation axial means 190 for 
collecting the wire 180 thereon and the bottom collecting means is a 
second spindle 150 with bottom circular collecting ridge thereon around 
the rotation axial means 190 for collecting the wire 180 thereon. 
Furthermore, the rotation force asserting means is a volute spring 125. 
By providing the opening 168, i.e., the flexibly adapting and removable 
opening, a wire can be conveniently adapted to or removed from the winding 
and collecting apparatus 100 from a mid-point of long string of wire 180. 
The action of collecting wire is not required to start from a free end of 
a wire. It provides the convenience and flexibility for a long string of 
wire to be wound and collected on the apparatus without requiring to look 
for a free end. The time consuming and awkward task of wrapping a long and 
entangled wire or rope can be now conveniently completed by adapting the 
wire or rope to the collector and then winding and collecting it therein. 
The present invention thus discloses a new and non-obvious 
automatic-winding collector in order to overcome the difficulties 
encountered in the prior art. Specifically, this new automatic-winding 
collector which is flexibly adaptable for application to different wires, 
cords, cables, or ropes to achieve space saving and operational 
conveniences. This automatic-winding collector can be adapted for use to 
wind and collect different wires, cords, cables, or ropes to save time and 
efforts of a user in handling and storing very long and entangled wires, 
cords, cables, or ropes after use. For a DC-source electronic device such 
as a portable computer, the reliability and performance are improved by 
the use of this automatic winder-collector. Furthermore, by the use of 
this flexibly adaptable winder-collector, the system design can be 
simplified without requiring to design a cord collector as a built-in 
mechanism as part of the original system. 
Although the present invention has been described in terms of the presently 
preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that such disclosure is not 
to be interpreted as limiting. Various alternations and modifications will 
no doubt become apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the 
above disclosure. Accordingly, it is intended that the appended claims be 
interpreted as covering all alternations and modifications as fall within 
the true spirit and scope of the invention.