Abstract:
An electric hand power tool has a housing, a drive motor, a power cord extending to an outside from the housing and supplying energy to the drive motor, wherein the power cord has an exit region with a cord sleeve that tubularly clasps the power cord and is provided with a structure for receiving a data storage medium.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE 
   The invention described and claimed hereinbelow is also described in DE 10 2004 046 905.9, filed Sep. 28, 2004. This German Patent Application, whose subject matter is incorporated here by reference, provides the basis for a claim of priority of invention under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a cord sleeve, as well as to a device provided therewith, such as for example an electric hand power tool. 
   Various cord sleeves are known that all have the object of protecting power cords that emerge to the outside from equipment housings against cord breakage in the region of the exit point by absorbing bending moments that occur in this region and preventing the cord from kinking sharply in that region. Until now, these cord sleeves were hardly suitable for receiving data storage media inconspicuously in the manner of a pocket in such a way that they are protected from view and touch from outside and from being lost. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cord sleeve and a device provided therewith, which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art. 
   In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of the present invention resides, briefly stated, in a cord sleeve for a device in particular an electric hand power tool, provided with a power cord that extends to an outside, in which the cord sleeve comprises a cord element connectable with the power cord, and means is provided for receiving a data storage medium in said cord sleeve element. 
   Another feature of the present invention resides, briefly stated, in a an electric hand power tool, comprising a housing; a drive motor; a power cord extending to an outside from said housing and supplying energy to said drive motor, said power cord having an exit region with a cord sleeve that tubularly clasps said power cord, said cord sleeve being provided with means for receiving a data storage medium. 
   When the cord sleeve, and the electric hand power tool with the cord sleeve are designed in accordance with the present invention, the advantage is provided that a cord sleeve has been created which receives a data storage medium in a way that is invisible from outside and is protected against being removed unintentionally from outside and is captive. The data storage medium can be designed as an anti-theft device that communicates with external sensors and signal equipment. 
   Because the data storage medium is seated in a cord sleeve in a way that it cannot be seen, especially from outside, it cannot be perceived from outside or removed unintentionally. 
   Because once the cord sleeve has been installed on the housing, the data storage medium cannot easily be removed from the cord sleeve, effective protection against unintentional removal of the data storage medium is created. 
   Because the cord sleeve has a pocket of slotlike cross section that is accessible from its front end and that extends parallel to the power cord, and the data storage medium can be placed in the cord sleeve in captive fashion before the cord sleeve is installed on the electric hand power tool, its installation is accomplished quickly and simply, and its preservation is secure. 
   Because the data storage medium can be held firmly in the pocket in force- and/or form-locking fashion, it cannot be lost even before the cord sleeve is installed. 
   Because the cord sleeve comprises or contains a material in which—in a way that cannot be seen from outside—data can be stored and rewritten magnetically or thermally or the like, the cord sleeve itself acts as a data storage medium. 
   Because the cord sleeve has a radial basket-shaped bulge that serves as a pocket for stowing the data storage medium, it is possible with only slight changes in construction for the previous injection mold or the like, for producing the previous cord sleeve, to be used again for producing the novel cord sleeve. 
   Because the data storage medium is elastically bendable, it can, without destruction, withstand even major deformations of the cord sleeve or cord in the region of its exit point from the housing. 
   Because the data storage medium is integrated with the cord sleeve, it can be written or equipped with suitably variable information even after the device has been fully assembled. 
   Because surface adhesive means, such as adhesives or hook-and-loop closure systems, are located in the interior of the pocket and firmly hold the data storage medium detachably in it, the data storage medium cannot be detached unintentionally from the cord sleeve. 
   The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the present invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. the invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows a hand power tool with the cord sleeve in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  shows the cord sleeve in accordance with the present invention by itself obliquely from the front; 
       FIG. 3  shows the cord sleeve in accordance with the present invention by itself obliquely from the back; 
       FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of the face end of the cord sleeve in accordance with the present invention; and 
       FIG. 5  shows a data storage medium of the cord sleeve in accordance with the present invention by itself. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1  shows a side view of an electric hand power tool  10 , which is designed as an oscillating grinder. It has a housing  12 , which at the back—pointing to the left in the viewing direction—has a handle  14 . A pushbutton switch  16  for switching a motor  15  on and off extends from the underside of the tool. The motor is connected to a voltage source via a power cord  18  and is intended for driving a grinding wheel, not further shown. 
   The power cord  18  extends to the outside from the handle  14  at the back and is tubularly clasped in its exit region by a cord sleeve  20 . The cord sleeve  20  has a lateral bulge  36 , past which a tongue  38  extends. The bulge  36  includes a longitudinally extending double slot  32  ( FIGS. 2 ,  4 ), which serves as a pocket for receiving a data tape  34  ( FIG. 5 ) and which on the front end  24  comprises one short and one long slot  320 ,  321  ( FIGS. 2 ,  4 ). 
     FIG. 2  shows the detail of the cord sleeve  20  as a three-dimensional view looking toward its front end  24 , whose face end is designed as a radial tab  28  and is penetrated by a central round longitudinal hole, through which—once the electric hand power tool  10  has been completely assembled—the power cord  18  passes. 
   The face-end radial tab  28  is adjoined at the back by a waistlike annular groove  26 , with which the cord sleeve  20  is fitted into the annular exit opening  21  at the rear end of the handle  14  and is firmly held by form-locking. 
   Axially parallel to the rear in the viewing direction, the cord sleeve  20  has the lateral radial basket-shaped bulge  36 , whose wall surrounds the double slot  32  and forms a pocket. The face-end radial tab  28  has the opening of the double slot  32  with the short slot  320  and the long slot  321 , which merge with one another, extending parallel, and describe a flat, hat-shaped contour in the radial tab  28 . The short slot  320 , in its rearward course, extends with approximately the same width as the long slot  321 , so that at the transition between the short slot  320  and the long slot  321 , the radial tab  28  forms two corner lips  35 . 
   From the annular groove  26 , a tongue  38  extends over the top side of the bulge  36 ; this tongue strengthens and reinforces the top side of the bulge  36  and is capable of absorbing strong bending moments. 
     FIG. 3  shows the back view of the cord sleeve  20 , with the details already mentioned in conjunction with  FIG. 2 ; the basket-shaped design of the bulge  36  and the annular groove  26  are especially clearly visible. 
     FIG. 4 , in a top view on the radial tab  28 , shows the special design and hat-like cross section of the long slot  32  designed as a double slot. It is composed of the longer but narrower long slot  321  and the shorter but wider short slot  320 , which merge with one another and thus form the hat-like contour with the two corner lips  35 . 
     FIG. 5  is a schematic illustration of a data storage medium  34 . It has a bar code, not shown in detail, and comprises thin, flexible, resistant material and can easily be introduced, as a sufficiently bending-resistant body, into the double slot  32 . The data storage medium  34  may for instance comprise a plastic film or a plastic woven or knitted fabric. 
   The data storage medium  34  is as wide as the wide slot  321  is long, slightly thicker than that slot is wide, and somewhat shorter than the length of the double slot  32 . 
   If the data storage medium  34  is introduced into the wide slot  321 , its face end can disappear behind the short slot  23  and the corner lips  35  and is thus simultaneously secured against coming out unintentionally. 
   Once the cord sleeve  20  is secured to the housing  12  in the intended installed position, the data storage medium  34  is firmly held in the cord sleeve  20  both by the constriction effect at the annular groove  26  and in force-locking fashion. 
   It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above. 
   While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a cord sleeve and device provided therewith, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. 
   Without further analysis, the foregoing will reveal fully revela the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of the invention. 
   What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.