Abstract:
A tie down strap winder and carrier includes a basket for carrying a plurality of straps in side-by-side relationship to each other, a pocket on one end of the basket for storing a reel, which can be removed from the pocket and inserted into a socket in an outer end of the pocket and basket for receiving and winding a strap, and a slider for mounting on the reel to facilitate removal of a wound strap from the reel.

Description:
[0001]    This invention relates to a strap winder and carrier. 
         [0002]    While the apparatus of the present invention is primarily intended for winding and carrying ratchet tie down straps, it will be appreciated that the apparatus can be used to wind and carry virtually any type of strap or even string or short lengths of rope. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Every year, hundreds of thousands if not millions of tie down straps are sold in North America. When not in use the tie down straps are commonly stored loose in the trunk of a car or in the back of a truck. The result is a messy bundle, which must be unraveled and straightened before being used again. 
         [0004]    Canadian Patent Application No. 2,651,735 discloses a tie down dispenser for a single tie down strap. U.S. Pat. No. 1,199,790, issued to W. H. Holcomb on Oct. 3, 1916; U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,565, issued to Mee P. Chan on Jul. 18, 1995; U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,534, issued to Jerry R. Weckter on Jan. 30, 2001 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,729,604, issued to Kenneth D. Claycomb on May 4, 2004 disclose a variety of strap or tape winding carrying apparatuses, all of which are intended to use with a single strap. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The strap winder and carrier of the present invention is a single, compact apparatus designed to carry a plurality of tie down or other straps. Specifically, the strap winder and carrier of the present invention includes a strap winder and carrier comprising a basket for receiving a plurality of wound straps in side-by-side relationship to each other; a pocket at one end of the basket; a reel for removable mounting in said pocket; a notch in the reel for receiving a strap to be wound onto the reel; a handle on one end of the reel for rotating the reel to wind the strap thereon; and a socket in one end of the basket and pocket for receiving a second end of the reel in preparation for a winding operation, whereby, following winding of the strap onto the reel, the reel can be removed from the socket, and the strap can be removed from the reel and placed in the basket for transportation and storage. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    The invention is described below in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of the strap winder and carrier as seen from above and one end; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is an exploded side view of the strap winder and carrier of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the strap winder and carrier of  FIGS. 1 and 2  with four wound ratchet tie down straps loaded therein; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is an isometric view of the strap winder and carrier as seen from one end with parts removed; 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is an isometric view of the strap winder and carrier as seen from the other end; 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a top view of the strap winder and carrier of  FIGS. 1 and 2  with parts removed; 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  is an isometric view of the strap winder and carrier as seen from below and one end; 
           [0014]      FIG. 8  is an end view of the strap winder and carrier of  FIGS. 1 and 2  with parts removed; 
           [0015]      FIG. 9  is an isometric view of a reel used in the strap winder and carrier of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 10  is a side view of the reel of  FIG. 9 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 11  is an end view of the reel of  FIG. 9 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 12  is an isometric view of a strap guide fence used on the reel of  FIGS. 9 to 11 ; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 13  is an isometric view of one end of the strap winder and carrier with a strap extending through the reel. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0020]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the three basic elements of the strap winder and carrier are a basket, a reel and a slider indicated generally at  1 ,  2  and  3 , respectively. 
         [0021]    The basket  1 , which is generally rectangular with rounded corners, includes a bottom wall  4 , side walls  5  and end walls  6  and  7 . Openings  8 ,  9  and  10  in the bottom wall  4 , the side walls  5  and the end walls  6  and  7  respectively reduce the weight and quantity of material in the basket  1 , and provide access to the interior of the basket. Fingers can be inserted through the openings to push straps out of the basket  1 . A ledge  12  extends around the interior of the basket  1  close to the open top end  13  thereof. The ledge  12  extends outwardly to top ends  14  and  15  of the side and end walls  5 ,  6  and  7 , respectively. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the ledge  12  supports the hardware  16  on one end of the tie down straps  17  (as shown in  FIG. 13 ). A flange  19  extends outwardly around the open top end of the basket  1 . Slots  20  in the ends of the flange  19  receive straps  21  ( FIG. 3 ) for holding the tie down straps  17  in the basket  1 . The straps  21  are provided with hook and loop (Velcro®) fasteners (not shown). 
         [0022]    With reference to  FIGS. 9 to 11 , the reel  2  includes a bifurcated generally cylindrical body  22  defined by a pair of fingers  23  with a disc-shaped head  25  on one end  26  thereof. An L-shaped handle  27  on the head  25  is used to rotate the reel  2  in a pocket  29  on one end of the basket  1 . The large diameter end  26  of the reel  2  adjacent the head  25  is connected to a smaller diameter end  30  by a shoulder  31 . A notch  36  extends the entire length of the body  22  between the fingers  23  for receiving a strap  17  ( FIG. 13 ). Transversely extending ridges  34  and  35  are provided on opposite sides of the body  22  a short distance from the shoulder  31  for releasably locking the reel  2  in the pocket  29 . 
         [0023]    The pocket  29 , which extends outwardly from one end wall  6  of the basket  1 , includes a semi-cylindrical bottom wall  37 , side walls  38  and an outer end wall  39  ( FIGS. 4, 5 and 8 ) spaced apart from the basket end wall  6 . When not in use, the reel  2  is stored in the pocket  29 . In the stored position, the end  30  of the reel  2  extends downwardly through a cruciform-shaped opening  41  ( FIG. 6 ) in the bottom wall  37  of the pocket  29 , and the handle  27  extends outwardly through a notch  42  ( FIGS. 4 and 5 ) in the top of the pocket outer end wall  39 . The bottom corner  43  of the handle  27  is seated on the bottom of the notch  42  in the outer end wall  39 , and an edge of the head  23  rests on the bottom of a larger notch  46  in the end wall  6  of the basket  1 . When the smaller diameter end  30  of the reel  2  is inserted into the opening  41  in the bottom wall  37  of the pocket  29 , the ridges  34  snap through opposite arms  47  ( FIG. 6 ) of the opening  41 , whereby the reel  2  is releasably retained in the pocket  29 . In the use position, the body  20  of the reel  2  is mounted in a socket defined by aligned holes  49  and  50  in the end wall  6  of the basket  1  and in the outer end wall  39  of the pocket  29 , respectively. When the reel  2  is inserted into the socket, the ridges  35  snap into the hole  49  to releasably retain the reel in the socket. 
         [0024]    As best shown in  FIG. 12 , the slider  3  includes an elongated, generally T-shaped body  53  with an upwardly tapering top end  54  and a narrower, downwardly tapering bottom end  55  for easy insertion of the slider into a slot  56  in the ledge  12  adjacent the upper end  15  of the basket end wall  7  ( FIGS. 1, 4 and 7 ). When the slider  3  is in the slot  56 , shoulders  57  between the top and bottom ends  54  and  55 , respectively rest on the ledge  12  at the ends of the slot  56 . An arcuate projection  58  at the top end of the body  53  facilitate manual manipulation of the slider  3 . The slider  3  is retained in the slot  56  by a small pin  60  ( FIG. 4 ) on the end wall  7  of the basket  1  above the slot  56  which extends into a hole  61  in the top end  54  of the slider. Wobbling of the slider  3  in the slot  56  is prevented by a small fence  62  on the ledge  12 , and by a pair of fences  63  ( FIGS. 2 and 7 ) extending downwardly from the bottom of the ledge  12  at the ends of the slot  56 . A pair of openings  65  is provided in the body  53  of the slider  3 . The openings  65  are slightly larger than and have the same shape (segments of circles) as the bottom ends  30  of the two fingers  23  of the reel  2 . 
         [0025]    With particular reference to  FIGS. 2 and 13 , in order to wind a tie down strap  17  onto the reel  2 , the reel  2  is removed from the pocket  29  and the slider  3  is removed from the slot  56  by pulling gently inwardly against the fence  62  to release the slider from the pin  60  and then pulling upwardly. The slider  3  is slid onto the bottom end  30  of the reel  2  until it abuts the shredder  31  and the reel is inserted into the holes  49  and  50  in the basket  1  and the pocket  29 , respectively. The free end  66  of the strap  17  is threaded through the notch  32  between the fingers  23 . If there is hardware such as a hook (not shown) on the end  66  of the strap  17 , the strap is inserted into the notch  32  above the hardware before the reel  2  is inserted into the pocket  29  and the basket  1 . By grasping the handle  27  and turning, the strap can be wound onto the reel  2 . After winding has been completed, the reel  2 , the slider  3  and the strap  17  are removed from the socket. The slider  3  is slid toward the small end of the reel  2  to dislodge the strap  17  from the reel. In the absence of the slider  3 , when the strap  17  is wound tightly on the reel  2  it cannot be removed without pulling the wound center