Abstract:
A versatile modular device for organizing, shortening, and securing a plurality of cords such as cables, ropes, strings, lines, tubes and wires, having a simple design which permits easy removal or addition of cords and a straightforward method for wrapping and securing an individual cord to a desired length. The device utilizes a rectangular box design having slotted side panels. The side panel slots are slanted and sized such that a plurality of modular reel bars may be inserted therein, will not slip out accidentally, and may be removed or added without disturbing the other modules. Each reel bar is designed with a plurality of apertures for securing a cord at varying lengths, leaving only the desired amount of cord loose. The device includes an electrical power strip for streamlined electrical power access and may be secured to a desk or table by appropriate attachment means.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates generally to organizers for computer cables, electrical cords, and the like. The present invention relates more specifically to a mounting cabinet having a number of slots for inserting and securing individual cord wrapping bars. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Some efforts have been made in the past to provide an apparatus which is capable of organizing multiple cords such as those found on a computer system or an entertainment system. These efforts have generally been directed to devices that provide an element for winding, tensioning, or wrapping the cords, cables, or wires in place in order to shorten the amount of cord or cable remaining loose. In general, however, these devices do not provide a simple unit for the secure and precise organization of multiple cords of varying length. 
   Some of these past efforts include winding reels, such as U.S. Pat. No. 2,533,341 issued to Alfano which is directed to a set of simple reels adapted to take up the slack in electrical cables and prevent unwinding. U.S. Pat. No. 3,924,819 issued to Lapinskas is directed to a spool-like device having a long hub with an outer surface on which a cord may be wrapped, as well as retaining rims and releasable clips for securing the cord. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 376,530 issued to Hawthorne is directed to the ornamental design for a cord organizer container having a number of spools with notched openings above each spool, openings on the side panels of the container, and a cover for the container. 
   Other prior art devices for cord storage include containers or canisters such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,484 issued to Lerner et al. which discloses a canister that includes a protective cover and an internal cylinder around which cords can be wound, having adjustable notched rings capable of holding cords in place. U.S. Pat. No. 4,721,268 issued to Lerner et al. is directed to an organizer consisting of identical elongated containers which can be used singly or attached in multiple units, the combination of which creates a base upon which other objects or small electrical appliances may be placed. U.S. Pat. No. 3,089,210 issued to Ritter is directed to a molded plastic cord holder for shortening and storing the intermediate portions of a cord by winding them around multiple partitions within the device in order to achieve the desired length. U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,280 issued to Stephens et al. is directed to a cable caddy for shortening and housing medical monitor cables in the operating room and at the bedside. The cable caddy includes a base and a number of cable cartridges having a winding surface and, optionally, one or more end flanges with cable grasps. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,846 issued to McDonald is directed to a harness to remove slack from coaxial type cables utilized with various electronic components. A container is provided with a number of telescoping heads to orient and secure the cables. Alternatively, spring biased spools may be used to enable a tensioned withdrawal of unused cable from the container. U.S. Pat. No. 6,590,785 B1 issued to Lima et al. is directed to a cable manager that arranges a number of cables which are engaged by bobbins and troughs forming a tray-like structure, wherein the cables may be additionally secured with clips or locks. U.S. Pat. No. 6,607,169 B1 issued to Gershfield is directed to an organizer designed to be attached to a table top, having a base with a cable guide extending at an angle for receiving the cables, and prongs with cable retainers extending upward above the base for guiding and arranging the cables. 
   While many attempts have been made in the past to provide an apparatus for organizing multiple cords and cables, some of which secure the cords into position, few if any of the devices provide a simple way to precisely shorten cords and/or add or remove individual cords, and at the same time provide frames or enclosures that are compact and easy to handle. Such features are not met by any system described in the prior art. It would be desirable therefore to halve a versatile caddy design for power cord organization which includes a simple structure with slots to hold a plurality of bars with means on each bar for securing a cord or cable to a desired length to keep the cable from unwinding. The device should be of modular design wherein the reel components may be used alone or attached in multiple units within the organizer. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a system that combines a modular concept for storing and organizing cords with a simple design that permits easy removal or addition of cords and a straightforward method for wrapping and securing an individual cord to a desired length. The present invention utilizes a rectangular box design having slotted side panels which are slanted and sized such that a plurality of bars may be inserted therein and will not slip out accidentally. Each modular cord bar is designed with a number of notches for winding and holding a cord in place at varying lengths and allowing the user to leave only the desired amount of cord loose. The user can select the number of bars necessary for the specific components in use. Additionally, each bar can be removed separately to facilitate replacement or reorganization of the individual components without disruption of the other cord bars. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the cord organizer of the present invention without the front cover in place; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the cord organizer of the present invention with the front cover in place; 
       FIG. 3A  is a detailed front view of an individual cord reel of the cord organizer of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3B  is a detailed front view of an individual cord reel of the cord organizer of the present invention showing the first step in the method of wrapping a cord on the reel; 
       FIG. 3C  is a detailed front view of a cord reel of the cord organizer of the present invention showing one configuration of completing the wrapping and securing of a cord on the reel; 
       FIG. 4  is a front view of the cord organizer of the present invention without the front cover in place showing an attached electric outlet strip; 
       FIG. 5  is a side view of the cord organizer of the present invention showing the placement of the cord reels in the side slots of the organizer; 
       FIG. 6  is a front view of the cord organizer of the present invention showing typical connections to electrical equipment and mounting to a table top; and 
       FIG. 7  is a detailed perspective view of the cord holder component of the cord organizer of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Reference is made first to  FIG. 1  for a brief overall description of the cable organizer apparatus  10  of the present invention. The cabinet frame  12  is generally shaped as a rectangular enclosure having a top frame panel  22 , a bottom frame panel  24 , and a back frame panel  26 . Additionally, a left side panel  18  and a right side panel  20  are slotted with a plurality of angled reel slots  16   a – 16   h  for the insertion of one or more cable reels. Continuing in  FIG. 1 , a first cable reel  14   a  is shown fitted into angled reel slots  16   c  and  16   d  and a second cable reel  14   b  is shown fitted into angled reel slots  16   e  and  16   f . A first wire cable  15   a  is wound around first cable reel  14   a  to the desired length and a second wire cable  15   b  is wound around second cable reel  14   b  to the desired length. 
     FIG. 2  illustrates the cable organizer  10  of the present invention with cabinet frame cover panel  28  positioned in place on cabinet frame  12 , covering and further securing the cable reels  14   a  and  14   b  (as examples) into the angled reel slots  16   e  and  16   f . The process of using the present invention involves a number of steps. First, the wire cables are wound around the cable reels to the desired lengths (as described in more detail below). Next, the cable reels are positioned within the angled reel slots. Finally, the cabinet frame cover panel is secured over the cabinet frame to help retain the cable reels within the reel slots and to protect the cables and wires from exposure. 
   Reference is now made to  FIGS. 3A ,  3 B, and  3 C which provide detailed front views of a cable reel of the present invention in various stages of being wrapped with a cable. Referring first to  FIG. 3A , a representative cable reel  14  is shown in the preferred embodiment with the reel bar  30  having a plurality of winding apertures  38   a ,  38   b , and  38   c , as well as aperture slots  40   a ,  40   b , and  40   c . At either end of the reel bar  30  are the left side bar horn  34   a  and the right side bar horn  34   b  that fit into the slotted side panels of the cabinet frame  12  as shown above. Adjacent to the bar horns are the left side cable guide  32   a  and the right side cable guide  32   b  through which the cable is secured to the reel bar  30  as it enters and exits the cabinet frame  12 . Also located at either end of the cable reel bar  30  are left side bar end slot  36   a  and right side bar end slot  36   b  around which the cable length may be wound. Thus, a wire cable is first secured to the cable reel bar through either the right or left side cable guide (see  FIG. 3B ). The wire cable is then drawn across and around the cable reel the required number of times and looped through an appropriate aperture slot into the corresponding winding aperture, depending on the length of the excess cable to be wound. The wire cable may be looped around the cable reel side bar end slot, an intermediate aperture slot, or both, as required to achieve the desired cable tension and length. 
   As shown in  FIG. 3B , entering cable  15  is secured to the left side bar horn  34   a  under the left side cable guide  32   a  and wrapped across the reel bar  30  to the right side bar end slot  36   b . Continuing in  FIG. 3C , the cable  15  is wound behind cable reel bar  30  to the left side bar end slot  36   a  and again in front of the reel bar back to the right side bar end slot  36   b . Upon nearing the appropriate cable length, the cable  15  is wrapped around the reel bar through the half aperture slot  40   b  to the half winding aperture  38   b  and across to the right side bar horn  34   b  where it is secured by the right side cable guide  32   b , where the cable  15 , now shortened to the desired length, exits the cabinet frame  12 . The various slots and apertures  40   a ,  40   b , and  40   c  and  38   a ,  38   b , and  38   c  are selected for use depending on the cable length and the amount of excess cable remaining for the particular use desired. 
     FIG. 4  illustrates the cable organizer apparatus of the present invention with the cabinet frame  12  holding a plurality of cable reels  14   a ,  14   b ,  14   c , and  14   d  and securing a plurality of cables  15   a ,  15   b ,  15   c , and  15   d  of varying lengths and types (cable  15   a  has an RCA cable plug  52 , cables  15   b  and  15   c  are standard power cords, and cable  15   d  has a coaxial cable plug  54 ). Each cable is secured to a particular reel bar and is attached to a bar horn by a cable guide. The particular cable is then wrapped around the reel bar to the desired length and attached by a cable guide to the bar horn at the opposite end of the reel bar. The reel bar is then inserted into the angled reel slots in the side panels of the cabinet frame as described in more detail below. A plurality of reel bars with associated secured cables may be inserted into the side panels of the cabinet frame. 
   At one side of the cabinet frame  12  are upper and lower power strip brackets  45   a  and  45   b  which secure an electrical power strip  44  to accommodate the cable electrical power plugs as required. A power strip cord  46  is attached to the electrical power strip  44  near the lower power strip bracket  45   b . A power strip plug  50  is attached to the distal end of the power strip cord  46  for insertion into an electrical wall outlet. A power strip switch  48  is positioned on the electrical power strip  44  as is known in the art. 
     FIG. 5  illustrates a side view of the cabinet frame  12  of the cable organizer apparatus of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the wire cables  15   a ,  15   b ,  15   c ,  15   d ,  15   e , and  15   f  are positioned in the cable guides of the cable reels  14   a ,  14   b ,  14   c ,  14   d ,  14   e , and  14   f  which are positioned within angled reel slots  16   a ,  16   c ,  16   e , and  16   g  respectively, of cabinet frame  12 . An angled reel slot may hold more than one cable reel (i.e., cable reels  14   a  and  14   e  are each positioned within angled reel slot  16   a , while cable reels  14   c  and  14   f  are each positioned within angled reel slot  16   e ). It is understood that the cable reels shown in  FIG. 5  are each supported on an opposite end thereof by the corresponding reel slots on the opposing side slotted panel. 
     FIG. 6  illustrates a front view of the cable organizer  10  of the present invention showing typical connections to electrical/electronic equipment and devices ( 64 ,  66 , and  68 ). The organizer is shown with the cabinet frame cover panel  28  in position over the cabinet frame  12  and attached to a desk or table top  62  by left side hanger bracket  60   a  and right side hanger bracket  60   b . The cable organizer provides a versatile solution for arranging and storing multiple wire cables which serve a variety of purposes. As shown in  FIG. 6 , wire cable  15   a  connects electrical/electronic equipment  66  and  68 , while wire cable  15   d  connects electrical/electronic equipment  64  and  68 . In this configuration, the wire cable connecting the electrical/electronic devices may be shortened to the desired length by securing either end of the cable with a cable guide and wrapping the excess cable around a cable reel through the desired aperture. Wire cables ( 15   b  and  15   c ) coming from electrical devices  66  and  64  respectively are power cords in this example and may be connected to the electrical power strip after being secured to the desired length around a cable reel. When all of the wire cables are properly positioned within the cable organizer system, the cabinet frame cover panel  28  is secured to the system and the power strip cord  46  is connected to an electrical outlet. 
     FIG. 7  illustrates a detailed perspective view of a typical cord holder positioned on each end of each cable reel of the system of the present invention. Specifically,  FIG. 7  shows a cable reel  14  having a typical reel bar horn  34  with a typical flex cable guide  32  having cable guide slot  70 . The flex cable guide  32  is adhered to the reel bar horn  34  by any of a number of means well known in the art. A wire cable may be inserted through cable guide slot  70  and securely held in position against the cable reel  14  by flex cable guide  32 . As shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 5 , the slot configuration of side panels  18  and  20  of cabinet frame  12  helps to “close” cable guide slot  70  as cable reel  14  is pushed into angled reel slot  16 . Also, no cutting or abrasion of the wire cable  15  on the side panel occurs because of the protection afforded by the flexible cable guide  32 . 
   It is anticipated that further variations in both the structure and method of use of the device of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after a reading of the present disclosure and a discernment of the attached drawing figures. Such variations, while not explicitly described and defined herein, may be seen to fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, but without limitation, the cabinet frame component of the structure of the invention as described is generally shown as rectangular. Those skilled in the art will recognize that alternate structural shapes (such as square) are possible. Likewise, the material from which these component sections might be constructed could be any of a number of rigid or semi-rigid compositions available for such structural elements. Various components may be transparent for optimal appearance, visibility and ease of use. For example, but again without limitation, the cable reels might be constructed of strong plastic or metal components. Those skilled in the art will recognize the balance required between rigidity and flexibility in selecting the most appropriate materials. 
   Likewise, it is anticipated that the present invention will find use in conjunction with a variety of cable or cord-like structures. To be inclusive in scope, the claims that follow refer to the use of the present invention in connection with “cords,” which terminology contemplates a definition that includes “cables, ropes, strings, lines, wires, tubes and similar objects generally characterized by being long, having a small diameter or cross-section, and being flexible.”