Patent Publication Number: US-2023142842-A1

Title: Retracting Systems for Providing Access to Adapters

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application claims priority benefit to a non-provisional patent application entitled “Retracting Systems for Providing Access to Plurality of Adapters” that was filed on Apr. 1, 2020, and assigned Ser. No. 16/837,239, which application claimed priority benefit to a provisional patent application entitled “Retracting Systems for Providing Access to Plurality of Adapters” that was filed on Jan. 30, 2020, and assigned Ser. No. 62/967,976. The entire content of the foregoing patent applications is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Technical Field 
     The present disclosure is directed to an adapter system that facilitates convenient access to one or more adapters. The adapter system includes an elongated wire that features adapter(s) mounted/secured with respect thereto, the wire being at least partially stored within a housing and extending therefrom. The housing includes a retraction mechanism that facilitates retraction of the wire into the housing for convenient storage thereof. Structures are also provided that receive the disclosed housing, thereby facilitating access to the adapter(s) that are mounted/secured with respect to the wire. In use, the disclosed adapter system permits a user to readily access and individually utilize each of the adapters mounted/secured with respect to the wire on an as-needed basis and to store at least the portion of the wire that does not include mounted/secured adapter(s) within a housing. 
     Background Art 
     As is well known, day-to-day use of the myriad electronics that support personal and professional activities require access to and use of a wide range of adapters. For example, communications with and between electronics, such as desk top computers, laptop computers, tablet computers and smart phones, require different adapters that depend on the device(s) at the other end of the desired communication. In a particular use case, delivery of a presentation to a third party/group/audience often requires communication from a presenter&#39;s computer (laptop/tablet/smart phone) to an accessory monitor or projection screen and the appropriate adapter must be available to facilitate such communication or the presentation will not be possible. 
     It has become commonplace for individuals to accumulate a collection of adapters for inter-electronic communications required in their personal and professional lives. Various approaches have been taken to storing and transporting these adapters, e.g., storage and transport by way of bags, cases and the like. There have also been efforts to provide devices/assemblies to facilitate storage and transport of adapters, e.g., cable tie systems (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,186,451 to Benoit), cord organizing systems (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,469,854 to Richardson), DIY systems (see, e.g., “DIY Cord Organizers That Will Keep Your Wires Untangled Forever; https://www.onccrazyhouse.com/dry-cor-organizers/), and adapter keychains (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,784,338 and 10,041,565 to Parrett et al.; Digitalinx Secure Adapter Ring available from Liberty AV Solutions). 
     Despite efforts to date, a need remains for improved systems for storing, transporting and providing ready access to adapters for use in electronic communications on an as-needed basis. These and other needs are met by the disclosed systems and methods. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure provides advantageous systems for storage of and access to one or more adapters, e.g., a plurality of adapters. The disclosed systems include a housing that includes a retraction mechanism for applying a retraction force to a wire/cable that extends therefrom. A strain relief element may be positioned on the exterior of the housing and the wire/cable may pass therethrough, thereby minimizing the potential for damage to the wire/cable as it is extended to a desired location. The adapter(s) is/are mounted/secured with respect to the wire/cable and may include indicia (e.g., color indicia) that facilitate identification of the adapter type. The adapter(s) may be movably mounted with respect to the wire/cable, and relative movement may be bounded by stops/couplers positioned at either end thereof. At the free end of the wire/cable, a pull-tab may be provided to facilitate interaction with the wire/cable and the associated adapter(s). 
     The present disclosure further provides advantageous mounting assemblies that are configured and dimensioned to receive and cooperate with the disclosed adapter-related housings. Thus, mounting assemblies that define an internal region for receipt of the housing, e.g., for table mounting, are provided. In addition, mounting assemblies that facilitate wall-based or furniture-based mounting are provided, wherein the mounting assembly functions, at least in part, to visually mask the housing from view while simultaneously providing ready access to a wire/cable that extends therefrom (and, accordingly, adapters that may be associated with the wire/cable). 
     Additional features, functions and benefits of the disclosed systems will be apparent from the detailed description which follows, particularly when read in conjunction with the appended figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES 
       To assist those of skill in the art in making and using the systems disclosed herein, reference is made to the accompanying figures, wherein: 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of an exemplary system according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  2    is a perspective view of an alternative exemplary system according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  3    is a perspective side view of an exemplary table top mounting structure according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  4    is a side view of two housing embodiments with alternative strain relief features according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  5    is a front view of an exemplary mounting assembly associated with an adapter system according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  6    (prior art) is a front view of a conventional approach to adapter storage; 
         FIG.  7    is a front view of the mounting assembly of  FIG.  5    with the adapters associated with the adapter system visible and accessible according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  8    is a perspective view of a mounting bracket with a housing and ancillary unit mounted with respect thereto; 
         FIG.  9    is a front view of a mounting assembly according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  10    is a rear view of the mounting assembly of  FIG.  9   ; 
         FIG.  11    is a perspective view of an alternative assembly that provides adapter security/storage according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  12    is a top view of the assembly of  FIG.  11    mounted within a table box that is optionally positioned within a cavity defined by a table or other surface; 
         FIG.  13    is a top view of two components associated with an exemplary retraction mechanism according to the present disclosure; 
         FIGS.  14 A- 14 D  are a series of images of rotational motion of the retraction mechanism of  FIG.  13    as wire is pulled outward; 
         FIGS.  15 A- 15 D  are a series of images of rotational motion of the retraction mechanism of  FIG.  13    as wire is drawn inward into engagement with a stop/lock according to the present disclosure; and 
         FIGS.  16 A- 16 D  are a series of images of rotational motion of the retraction mechanism of  FIG.  13    as wire is drawn inward by-passing the stop/lock according to the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     The present disclosure provides adapter systems that facilitate convenient access to a plurality of adapters. The adapter system includes an elongated wire that features a plurality of adapters mounted/secured with respect thereto, the wire being at least partially stored within a housing and extending therefrom. The housing includes a retraction mechanism that facilitates retraction of the wire into the housing for convenient storage thereof. Structures are also provided that receive the disclosed housing, thereby facilitating access to the adapters that are mounted/secured with respect to the wire. In use, the disclosed adapter system permits a user to readily access and individually utilize each of the adapters mounted/secured with respect to the wire on an as-needed basis and to store at least the portion of the wire that does not include mounted/secured adapters within a housing. 
     With reference to  FIG.  1   , exemplary system  10  includes an elongated wire  12  that extends from a housing  14  and is at least partially stored within housing  14 . The wire  12  includes a plurality of adapters  16   a ,  16   b ,  16   c  mounted/secured with respect thereto along the wire  12 . The adapters  16   a ,  16   b ,  16   c  may be fixedly mounted/secured with respect to wire  12 . In alternative implementations, individual adapter(s) may be detachably mounted/secured with respect to wire  12 . In exemplary implementations of system  10 , adapters  16  may be movably mounted/secured with respect to wire  12 , i.e., each adapter may be free to travel along wire  12 . 
     Although system  10  includes three (3) adapters  16 , the present disclosure is not limited by or to the depicted embodiment. Thus, system  10  may be implemented with as few as one (1) adapter and by more than three (3) adapters. Indeed, system  10  is generally implemented with a number and variety of adapters as may be desired by users in typical and/or specialized use cases. 
     Various securement mechanisms may be employed to mount/secure adapter(s)  16  relative to wire  12 . For example, as shown in  FIG.  1   , adapters  16  may be mounted/secured relative to wire  12  by eyelets  13   a ,  13   b ,  13   c  that extend from the adapters  16   a ,  16   b ,  16   c , respectively, and are joined to wire  12 . Of note, eyelets  13   a ,  13   b ,  13   c  permit rotational freedom of movement for the adapters  16  relative to wire  12 , thereby facilitating positioning of the adapter  16  relative to an electronic device(s) (not pictured) for insertion therein. In instances where the eyelets  13  permit longitudinal travel of adapters  16  relative to wire  12 , further flexibility in positioning of adapters  16  relative to electronic devices is facilitated. The flexibility of wire  12 —which is typically fabricated from steel and is between 24 and 12 gauge—further facilitates positioning of the individual adapters  16  for insertion in electronic devices. The eyelets  13  may also permit travel of adapters  16  along wire  12 . 
     Eyelet  13  may be fabricated as part of an outer body of adapter  16 , e.g., as part of the molding process, or may be retrofitted to an existing adapter  16 , e.g., by way of an adhesive, sonic welding, mechanical clamping or the like. Eyelet  13  may allow passage of wire  12  through an opening defined thereby, or may be fixedly mounted relative to wire  12  in various ways, e.g., by way of crimping, adhesive or the like. 
     As shown in  FIG.  1   , system  10  includes a stop  18  mounted/secured between housing  14  and the first adapter  16   a  that is mounted/secured with respect to wire  12 . Stop or coupler  18  limits the degree to which wire  12  may be withdrawn into housing  14 , thereby protecting against direct contact between the adapter(s)  16  (particularly, first adapter  16   a ) and housing  14 . Stop  18  also limits the travel of adapters  16  along wire  12  in implementations where eyelets  13  are not fixedly mounted/secured relative to wire  12 . An optional additional stop  15  may be mounted/secured with respect to wire  12  to further control the minimum distance between the adapter(s)  16  and the housing  14 . The precise positioning of optional stop  15  may be determined based on the desired minimum spacing of adapter(s)/housing. 
     Housing  14  is configured and dimensioned for storage of a desired extend of wire  12 , e.g., in a rolled orientation, and typically houses a retraction mechanism for applying a retraction force to wire  12  when it is desired to withdraw wire  12  into housing  14 . Housing  14  may be substantially box-like in geometry, thereby facilitating positioning of housing  14  relative to a structure that is configured/dimensioned for receipt thereof, e.g., in an office, commercial and/or residential setting. Exemplary retraction mechanisms that may be advantageously associated with housing  14  are described below. 
     As also shown in  FIG.  1   , system  10  includes a “pull tab”  20  mounted/secured with respect to the free end of wire  12 . Pull tab  20  facilitates easy location of and interaction with system  10 . In the exemplary implementation of  FIG.  1   , pull tab  20  includes a rivet/opening  22  that is dimensioned to allow passage of wire  12 . Pull tab  20  is secured with respect to wire  12  by the doubling back of wire  12  after passage through rivet/opening  22  and securement of the doubled back portion of wire  12  with an original extent of wire  12 , e.g., by way of connector  24 . Connector  24  advantageously functions as a stop for travel of adapters  16  along wire  12  (away from housing  14 ) when the eyelets  13  permit adapter  16  travel along wire  12 . 
     Adapters  16  may take various forms. For example, adapters may include a combination selected from the group consisting of DVI-D to HDMI adapter(s), Micro-HDMI to HDMI adapter(s), Mini-HDMI to HDMI adapter(s), Mini-DisplayPort to HDMI adapter(s), DisplayPort to HDMI adapter(s), VGA to HDMI adapter(s), MHL to HDMI adapter(s), and/or USB to HDMI adapter(s). The present disclosure is not limited by or to the foregoing exemplary adapters, but may be effectively and advantageously employed with alternative and/or additional adapters, including adapters yet-to-be-developed and/or yet-to-be-commercialized. 
     Adapters  16  may advantageously include an indicia  17  that designates the type of adapter. Thus, for example, indicia  17  may take the form of a color band positioned on a portion of the adapter  16 , although alternative forms of indicia may be employed. In the exemplary embodiment of  FIG.  1   , system  10  includes adapter  16   a  with indicia  17   a  (red band), adapter  16   b  with indicia  17   b  (green band), and adapter  16   c  with indicia  17   c  (yellow band). The correlation of color coding relative to adapter type may be provided by a key, or may become widely known in the industry, e.g., through industry practice, thereby allowing a user to easily identify the adapter needed for a particular device/application. 
     Turning to  FIG.  2   , an alternative exemplary system  50  includes an elongated wire  52  that extends from a housing  54  and is at least partially stored within housing  54 . The wire  52  includes a plurality of adapters  56   a ,  56   b ,  56   c ,  56   d  mounted/secured with respect thereto based on wire  52  passing through apertures  55  formed in tabs  53   a ,  53   b ,  53   c ,  53   d  that extend from adapters  56   a ,  56   b ,  56   c ,  56   d , respectively. Tabs  53  are generally molded as part of the adapters  56 , but retrofitting of tabs  53  onto adapters  56  may be undertaken, e.g., by way of adhesive, sonic welding, mechanical clamping or the like. Although system  50  includes four (4) adapters  56 , the present disclosure is not limited by or to the depicted embodiment. Thus, system  50  may be implemented with as few as one (1) adapter and by more than four (4) adapters. System  50  is generally implemented with a number and variety of adapters as may be desired by users in typical and/or specialized use cases. 
     Tabs  53  permit rotational and longitudinal freedom of movement for adapters  56  relative to wire  52 , thereby facilitating positioning of the adapters  56  relative to an electronic device(s) (not pictured) for insertion therein. The flexibility of wire  52 —which is typically fabricated from steel at between 24 and 12 gauge—further facilitates positioning of the individual adapters  56  for insertion in electronic devices. 
     As shown in  FIG.  2   , system  50  includes a stop  58  mounted/secured between housing  54  and the first adapter  56   a  that is mounted/secured with respect to wire  52 . Stop  58  limits the degree to which wire  52  may be withdrawn into housing  54 , thereby protecting against direct contact between the adapter(s)  56  (particularly, first adapter  56   a ) and housing  54 . As with housing  14 , housing  54  is configured and dimensioned for storage of a desired extend of wire  52 , e.g., in a rolled orientation, and typically houses a retraction mechanism for applying a retraction force to wire  52  when it is desired to withdraw wire  52  into housing  54 . Housing  54  may be substantially box-like in geometry, thereby facilitating positioning of housing  54  relative to a structure that is configured/dimensioned for receipt thereof, e.g., in an office, commercial and/or residential setting. Exemplary retraction mechanisms that may be advantageously associated with housing  54  are described below. 
     As also shown in  FIG.  2   , system  50  includes a “pull tab”  60  mounted/secured with respect to the free end of wire  52 . Pull tab  60  facilitates easy location of and interaction with system  50 . For example, pull tab  60  may be dimensioned on the order of 80 mm×25 mm and may be fabricated of a durable fabric, e.g., a black fabric with two-side embroidered edges. In the exemplary implementation of  FIG.  2   , pull tab  60  includes a rivet/opening/eyelet  62  that is dimensioned to allow passage of wire  62 . Pull tab  60  is secured with respect to wire  52  by the doubling back of wire  52  after passage through rivet/opening  62  and securement of the doubled back portion of wire  52  with an original extent of wire  52 , e.g., by way of connector/coupler  64 . Connector/coupler  64  advantageously functions as a stop for travel of adapters  56  along wire  52  (away from housing  54 ). 
     As with adapters  16 , adapters  56  may take various forms. For example, adapters may include a combination selected from the group consisting of DVI-D to HDMI adapter(s), Micro-HDMI to HDMI adapter(s), Mini-HDMI to HDMI adapter(s), Mini-DisplayPort to HDMI adapter(s), DisplayPort to HDMI adapter(s), VGA to HDMI adapter(s), MHL to HDMI adapter(s), and/or USB to HDMI adapter(s). The present disclosure is not limited by or to the foregoing exemplary adapters, but may be effectively and advantageously employed with alternative and/or additional adapters, including adapters yet-to-be-developed and/or yet-to-be-commercialized. 
     Adapters  56  may advantageously include an indicia  57  that designates the type of adapter. Thus, for example, indicia  57  may take the form of a color band positioned on a portion of the adapter  56 , although alternative forms of indicia may be employed. In the exemplary embodiment of  FIG.  2   , system  50  includes adapter  56   a  with color indicia  57   a , adapter  56   b  with color indicia  57   b , adapter  56   c  with color indicia  57   c  and adapter  56   d  with color indicia  57   d . The correlation of color coding relative to adapter type may be provided by a key, or may become widely known in the industry, e.g., through industry practice. 
     As noted above, various retraction mechanisms may be included in the disclosed housing  14 ,  54  to provide desired retraction functionality. For example, a cord reel mechanism may be employed that includes a torsional spring which provides the force required to retract the wire or cable  12 ,  52 . A ratcheting mechanism allows the spool on which the wire/cord is wrapped to lock in different rotational configurations. The ratcheting mechanism consists of a spring-loaded pawl and gear. The gear is fabricated with teeth covering approximately two thirds of the circumference. The remaining one third of the circumference has no teeth and a small radius. This gap results in the pawl slipping on the teeth in only one direction, but when it is in the toothless region, it has the ability to switch directions, thereby allowing the wire/cord to retract freely. Alternative retraction mechanisms may be employed, as are known in the art. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,705,962 to Banister, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. The retraction mechanism typically includes a “lock-out” mechanism whereby the wire remains pulled out to a desired length until the user releases the lock-out mechanism and the wire is retracted by the retraction mechanism. The lockout feature may be effective to cause the wire to stop at preset distances and to remain extended until released for retraction. 
     Turning to  FIG.  3   , an exemplary assembly  100  for removably receiving a housing  120  is schematically depicted. Assembly  100  includes a base  102  and a upwardly extending body  104  that defines a substantially rectangular internal space  106  that is configured and dimensioned for receipt of housing  120 . The height “H” of body  104  is advantageously selected so as to substantially correspond to the complementary dimension of housing  120 , thereby defining a substantially flush upper surface when the housing  120  is positioned within the internal space  106  of body  104 . The base  102  of exemplary assembly  100  is circular in geometry, but the present disclosure is not limited by or to such geometric configuration. Thus, for example, base  102  may be square/rectangular, oval, elliptical, triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, octagonal or irregular in geometry. Base  102  includes mounting apertures  108  that facilitate mounting of assembly  100  relative to an ancillary structure (not pictured), e.g., a table, counter, desk, etc. In alternative embodiments, base  102  may be rotationally mounted relative to the ancillary structure, e.g., by way of a “lazy susan” type structure. 
     Housing  120  may advantageously correspond to housings  14 ,  54  of systems  10 ,  50 , as described herein with reference to  FIGS.  1  and  2   , or an alternative housing that is configured and dimensioned to store a wire, e.g., an HDMI cable. Housing  120  may advantageously include a strain relief fitting  122  positioned adjacent the opening  124  through which wire/cable enters and exits housing  120 . Additional disclosure relative to strain relief fitting(s) is provided with reference to  FIG.  4    below. 
     Assembly  100  and housing  120 , in combination, address a problem that frequently encounters shared use of electronic communication infrastructure, e.g., in a conference room or the like. In particular, adapters are needed in conference rooms to facilitate electronic communications, but clutter is generally to be avoided when/where possible. Also, adapters may be inadvertently misplaced or retained by temporary users/visitors. The assembly  100 /housing  120  combination provides an efficient and effective approach to temporarily “parking” a housing that contains or delivers wire/cable and/or adapters to users, e.g., conference room attendees/visitors. 
     With reference to  FIG.  4   , two (2) alternative strain relief embodiments are schematically depicted. In the first “upper” embodiment, housing  130  includes frictionless strain relief  132  that is mounted with respect to and extends from housing  130 . Strain relief  132  defines a plurality of spaced disks (5 disks are depicted in exemplary strain relief  132 , i.e., disks  132   a ,  132   b ,  132   c ,  132   d ,  132   e ) that step down in diameter from the largest disk  132   a  that abuts the housing  130  to the smallest disk  132   e  that is furthest removed from housing  130 . A substantially cylindrical channel  134  passes through the center of strain relief  132 . Channel  134  is configured and dimensioned to receive and allow passage of cable  136 , such that cable  136  may enter and exit housing  130 . Strain relief  132  provides sufficient rigidity to permit “angling” of cable  136  relative to housing  130  without damaging the cable. 
     In the second “lower” embodiment of  FIG.  4   , housing  150  includes frictionless strain relief  152  that is mounted with respect to and extends from housing  150 . Strain relief  152  defines a substantially conical exterior geometry that includes a circular base region  152   a  that abuts housing  150  and a reduced diameter tip region  152   b  from which cable  154  extends. A substantially cylindrical channel  156  passes through the center of strain relief  152 . Channel  156  is configured and dimensioned to receive and allow passage of cable  154 , such that cable  154  may enter and exit housing  150 . Strain relief  152  provides sufficient rigidity to permit “angling” of cable  154  relative to housing  150  without damaging the cable. 
     Of note, the schematic depiction of housing  150  depicts exemplary internal aspects of the housing. In particular,  FIG.  4    shows cable  154  wound within housing  150 . Exemplary structures for winding of cable  154  include a reel (not pictured). In addition, the internal view of housing  150  shows a tee-shaped extension  158  that forms a portion of strain relief  152  and facilitates mounting of strain relief  152  relative to housing  150 . Alternative mounting mechanisms may be employed, as will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. 
     Turning to  FIGS.  5 - 7   ,  FIGS.  5  and  7    depict an exemplary mounting assembly  200  for receipt and support of a housing (not visible) that facilitates delivery of adapters to users on an as-needed basis according to the present disclosure, whereas  FIG.  6    depicts a prior art approach to adapter storage and access. As shown in  FIGS.  5  and  7   , mounting assembly  200  defines a substantially U-shaped outer wall  202  that is adapted to be mounted with respect to a surface, e.g., the wall of a room, the side of a piece of furniture (e.g., a lectern), or the like. A pair of mounting flanges  204  (one visible) may be used to mount the mounting assembly  200  in a desired location. 
     Mounting assembly  200  further includes a base (not visible) that is dimensioned to cooperate with the substantially rectangular region defined by the U-shaped outer wall  202 . A housing, e.g., housing  14  or housing  54 , may be positioned behind the U-shaped outer wall  202  and atop the base, such that the housing  14 ,  54  is shielded from view (except when mounting assembly  200  is approached and structure(s) behind the outer wall  202  are inspected). 
     As shown in  FIG.  5   , the exemplary system  50  depicted in  FIG.  2    is associated with mounting assembly  200 . when the adapters are not needed or in use, the pull-tab  60  is visible and accessible to users. When a user desires to access/use an adapter associated with system  50 , the user may extend pull-tab  60  in a desired direction, thereby lifting adapters  56   a - 56   d  into view. A desired adapter  56  may then be selected (e.g., based in whole or in part on color indicia associated with the adapter  56 ) and utilized to make a desired electronic connection. 
     The streamlined and visually desirable storage/delivery of adapters as depicted in  FIG.  5    and  FIG.  7    is to be contrasted with the cluttered and visually undesirable conditions associated with conventional adapter storage (as depicted in  FIG.  6   ), where extra adapters “A” simply hang from a surface, e.g., a wall, in a disorganized and visually obtrusive manner. 
     With reference to  FIGS.  8 - 10   , alternative mounting assemblies for mounting of adapter-related housings are provided according to the present disclosure. Specifically,  FIG.  8    depicts a substantially U-shaped mounting bracket  300  that defines an internal region  302  that is configured and dimensioned to receive an adapter-related housing (and potentially other electronic equipment, e.g., audiovisual equipment). Thus, housing  350  may be mounted with respect to a side wall  304  of mounting bracket  300  (e.g., using a pair of mounting screws  354 ). Mounting screws  352  may be employed to fix a first portion of housing  350  relative to a second portion of housing  350 , thereby establishing an enclosure within which cable/wire may be stored, as described herein. Housing  350  may be positioned adjacent ancillary electronic equipment within the internal region  302  of mounting bracket, e.g., unit  375 . Mounting bracket  300  may in turn be mounted with respect to a desired surface, e.g., a wall, a piece of furniture or the like. 
     Turning to  FIGS.  9  and  10   , front ( FIG.  9   ) and rear ( FIG.  10   ) views of a further exemplary mounting assembly  400  for adapter-related housings is schematically depicted. Mounting assembly  400  includes a mounting plate  402  that defines flange extensions  404   a  and  404   b  on either side of central plate region  405 . The flange extensions  404   a ,  404   b  include mounting apertures  406   a - 406   d  that include enlarged regions to facilitate sliding of mounting screws  408   a - 408   d  once mounted to a surface, e.g., a wall or piece of furniture. Four mounting screws  412   a - 412   d  are used to mount the housing  410  to mounting plate  402 . As shown in the rear view of  FIG.  10   , the mounting screws  412   a - 412   d  engage mounting threaded mounting apertures  414   a - 414   d  to secure the housing  410  relative to mounting plate  402 . Central plate region  405  defines a plane that is offset from the plane defined by flange extensions  404   a ,  404   b . This offset facilitates spacing of central plate region  405  from a wall/surface when mounted thereto, thereby ensuring that screws  412   a - 412   d  do not engage the wall/surface, and providing structural integrity to mounting plate  402 . The mounting plate is adapted to be mounted in a plurality of orientations relative to the wall/surface (e.g., in four (4) distinct orientations with the wire/cable exiting the housing at “12 o&#39;clock”, “3 o&#39;clock”, “6 o&#39;clock” or “9 o&#39;clock” relative to the x-axis and y-axis of the wall/surface), thereby permitting user access to the elongated wire or cable along different axes based on the orientation of the mounting plate relative to the wall or other surface 
     As shown in  FIGS.  9  and  10   , cable/wire  420  extends from housing  410 . Although adapters are not shown as mounted with respect to cable/wire  420 , it is to be understood that housing  410  may advantageously correspond to housings  14 ,  54  as described with reference to  FIGS.  1  and  2   . Thus, cable/wire  420  may support a plurality of adapters as described with reference to systems  10  and  50  of  FIGS.  1  and  2   . 
     With reference to  FIGS.  11  and  12   , an alternative assembly  500  for effectuating adapter storage and security is schematically depicted. Assembly  500  includes a mounting plate  502  that defines an opening  504  through which wire  506  travels. Opening  504  may include a strain relief feature, as also described herein. Behind/below mounting plate  502  is a housing (not visible) that may advantageously contain a retraction mechanism as described herein. A mounting wall  503  is visible in  FIG.  11    extending in a perpendicular orientation relative to mounting plate  502 . Mounting wall  503  may comprise an outer surface of the noted housing or may be independent of, but configured and dimensioned to cooperate with or support, the housing. 
     Wire  506  includes a plurality of adapters  508   a ,  508   b ,  508   c ,  508   d  mounted/connected with respect thereto. The adapters  508   a - 508   d  advantageously include identification indicia, e.g., color coding, to facilitate identification thereof by users. A pull tab  510  is mounted/connected at or adjacent to an end of wire  506  as previously described with reference to other embodiments herein. The pull tab  510  facilitates user interaction with and access to the adapters  508   a - 508   d.    
     Wire/cable  506  is adapted to travel through opening  504  for storage within the housing. The retraction mechanism may apply a retraction force to draw the wire/cable  506  into the housing, as has been described above. In addition, the retraction mechanism typically includes a “lock-out” mechanism whereby the wire remains pulled out to a desired length until the user releases the lock-out mechanism and the wire/cable  506  is retracted by the retraction mechanism. The lockout feature may be effective to cause the wire to stop at preset distances and to remain extended until released for retraction. 
     With particular reference to  FIG.  12   , assembly  500  is shown mounted within a table box  600  which may, for example, be positioned within a cavity formed in a table, desk or other surface. The table box  600  defines a recessed region  602  that provides ready access to various electronic cables/connectors, as is well known in the art. The table box  600  typically includes a lip  604  that surrounds the perimeter of the recessed region  602  and facilitates positioning of the table box  600  within the noted cavity. A movable cover  606  may be associated with the table box  600  so as to shield the contents of the table box from view when closed, or allow access to the contents of the table box when open (as shown in  FIG.  12   ). 
     Assembly  500  is mounted with respect to the interior of table box  600 , e.g., by securing the mounting wall  503  to an internal side wall of table box  600  or by other securing methods based on the structures involved. Once mounted within the table box  600 , assembly  500  provides ready access by user(s) to adapters  508   a - 508   d . Thus, a user may open the cover of the table box  600  and draw the adapters from the recessed region  602  of table box  600 , e.g., by grasping pull-tab  510  and drawing wire  502  with associated adapters  508   a - 508   d  from the recessed region  602 . When drawing wire  502  from recessed region  502 , wire  502  that is stored within the housing between uses is pulled through opening  504  and the wire  502  may be locked in a withdrawn position, as previously described. When use of the adapter(s) is complete, the wire  502  may be released from the lock-out position and the wire  502  may be drawn back into the housing by the retraction mechanism. As shown in  FIG.  12   , the portion of wire  502  that supports adapters  508   a - 508   d  will remain external to the housing, but will be shielded from view and interaction when the cover of the table box  600  is closed. 
     Turning to  FIGS.  13 ,  14 A- 14 D,  15 A- 15 D and  16 A- 16 D , an exemplary retraction mechanism  700  for use according to the present disclosure is schematically depicted. The present disclosure is not limited by or to exemplary retraction mechanism  700 ; rather, retraction mechanism  700  is but one example of a retraction mechanism that may be used according to the present disclosure. 
     As shown in  FIG.  13   , retractor housing component  702  and retractor wire reel  704  are shown side-by-side. Based on the schematic depiction of  FIG.  13   , assembly or retractor wire reel  704  relative to retractor housing component  702  is achieved by flipping retractor wire reel  704  onto retractor housing component  702 . Retractor housing  702  is adapted to combine with a second retractor housing component (not pictured) to encase retractor wire reel  704 . Retractor housing component  702  includes/supports an upstanding split center post  706  that cooperates with a central aperture  752  defined in retractor wire reel  704 . Slot  707  runs along split center post  706  and is configured to receive and retain a spiral spring  754  positioned within a circumferential channel  756  defined by retractor wire reel  704 . An elliptical slider  708  is positioned on the base of retractor housing  702  and encircles the upstanding split center post  706 . An upstanding post  710  is mounted with respect to the elliptical slider  708  and is adapted to ride within a groove pattern defined by protuberances  758  defined on a face of the retractor wire reel  704 . 
     As schematically depicted in  FIGS.  14 A- 14 D , as a wire (not pictured) is pulled from a wire housing associated with retraction mechanism  700  against the bias of the spiral spring  754 , the retractor wire reel  704  rotates clockwise relative to retractor housing component  702  (as depicted by arcuate arrows). The upstanding post  710  travels in an unencumbered fashion within the groove pattern defined by protuberances  758  as the wire is pulled out, as shown in the four views of  FIGS.  14 A- 14 D . Of note, elliptical slider  708  travels relative to retractor housing component  702  to facilitate travel of upstanding post  710  within the groove pattern. 
     Turning to  FIGS.  15 A- 15 D , once the outward pull on the wire ceases and the return force of the retraction mechanism is allowed to act on the wire, the retractor wire reel  704  will begin to rotate counter-clockwise under the bias of a spiral spring  754 . If the upstanding post  710  begins in the position shown in  FIG.  15 A , counter-clockwise motion of retractor wire reel  704  will cause the upstanding post  710  to enter a groove pocket  760  formed on one of the protuberances  758  (as shown in  FIGS.  15 C / 15 D), thereby blocking further counterclockwise travel of retractor wire reel  704 . The interaction between upstanding post  710  and groove pocket  760  defines a “stop” or “lock” for the disclosed retraction mechanism. 
     With reference to  FIGS.  16 A- 16 D , if upstanding post  710  is positioned inward of the protuberance  758  that defines groove pocket  760 —as shown in  FIG.  16 A —then counter-clockwise rotation of retractor wire reel  704  relative to retractor housing component  702  will result in upstanding post  710  be guided outward of the succeeding protuberance—as shown in  FIG.  16 D —and, from there, upstanding post  710  will travel in an unimpeded manner, i.e., without entering groove pocket  760 , until the wire is fully retracted. Upstanding post  710  will become oriented in the position of  FIG.  16 A  if it is released from the stop/lock position of  FIG.  15 D  by a limited outward pull of wire—which translates to a limited clockwise rotation of retractor wire reel  704  relative to retractor housing component  702 —and subsequent release of the outward pull force. Upon release of the outward pull force, the spring bias of the disclosed retraction mechanism will cause the upstanding post  710  to be positioned as shown in  FIG.  16 A  and, from there, full retraction of the wire is enabled. 
     Thus, the present application provides advantageous systems for storage of and access to a plurality of adapters. The disclosed systems include a housing that includes a retraction mechanism for applying a retraction force to a wire/cable that extends therefrom. A strain relief element may be positioned on the exterior of the housing and the wire/cable may pass therethrough, thereby minimizing the potential for damage to the wire/cable as it is extended to a desired location. The adapters are mounted/secured with respect to the wire/cable and may include indicia (e.g., color indicia) that facilitate identification of the adapter type. The adapters may be movably mounted with respect to the wire/cable, and relative movement may be bounded by stops/couplers positioned at either end thereof. At the free end of the wire/cable, a pull-tab may be provided to facilitate interaction with the wire/cable and the associated adapters. 
     The present disclosure further provides advantageous mounting assemblies that are configured and dimensioned to receive and cooperate with the disclosed adapter-related housings. Thus, mounting assemblies that define an internal region for receipt of the housing, e.g., for table mounting, are provided. In addition, mounting assemblies that facilitate wall-based or furniture-based mounting are provided, wherein the mounting assembly functions, at least in part, to visually mask the housing from view while simultaneously providing ready access to a wire/cable that extends therefrom (and, accordingly, adapters that may be associated with the wire/cable). 
     The various features, functions and structures set forth in the present disclosure may be implemented separately or in combination, in whole or in part. Although the present disclosure has been provided with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, the present disclosure is not limited by or to such exemplary embodiments. Rather, the present disclosure is susceptible to various modifications, refinements and adjustments without departing from the spirit or scope hereof.