Abstract:
An apparatus for the compact and neat storage of electrical cords, such as power extension cords and cords for earplugs and other devices. The cord may have repeating rigid sections which allow for the easy folding and grouping of the sections to allow for organized collection of portions of the cable which are not needed to be extended while in use, as well as for the organized collection of the entire cable when not in use. The rigid sections may have magnets which promote the organized grouping of the sections when collected together.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention relates to organizing electrical cords and other wiring. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Manufacturers generally ship products that have electrical power cords with the cords neatly bundled and secured to minimize shipping space and to present a neat and attractive package to the consumer. Most consumers are familiar with the standard manner that manufacturers use to bundle electrical cords with new appliances and the like; the power cord is neatly folded over onto itself in an accordion like manner into a bundle that is tightly secured near the center of the bundle with a tie wire or other similar tying device. With power cords folded back over themselves in this familiar manner and the folded cord tied near the center point of the bundle, the cord is held in a bundle that is shaped somewhat like a figure eight; the center of the bundle where the tie wire is located is constricted relative to the outer ends of the bundle where the cord is folded over on itself. 
         [0005]    Most consumers will also recognize that once the original tie wire that secures the bundled cord is undone, it is very difficult to re-bundle the cord. Indeed, once the originally bundled cord is untied, that may be the last time the cord is ever so neatly organized. 
         [0006]    With the advent of telecommunications devices the number of cords used in homes and businesses has increased dramatically. In addition, personal electronic devices are prevalent which a user may carry at all times. 
         [0007]    What is called for is a device and method for neatly organizing cords in a manner that is repeatable. What is also called for is such a device which is useful when the cord is in use as well as when stored between uses. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    An apparatus for the compact and neat storage of electrical cords, such as power extension cords and cords for earplugs and other devices. The cord may have repeating rigid sections which allow for the easy folding and grouping of the sections to allow for organized collection of portions of the cable which are not needed to be extended while in use, as well as for the organized collection of the entire cable when not in use. The rigid sections may have magnets which promote the organized grouping of the sections when collected together. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1A  is an illustration of a folding cable with flat segments according to some embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 1B  is an illustration of a folding cable with flat segments according to some embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2A  is an illustration of a folding cable with round segments according to some embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2B  is an illustration of a folding cable with round segments according to some embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3A  is an illustration of a folding cable and container according to some embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3B  is an illustration of a folding cable and container according to some embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is an illustration of a power cord with folding segments according to some embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is an illustration of a power cord with alternating rigid and soft segments according to some embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6A  is an illustration of a portion of a power cord with a thick portion according to some embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 6B  is an illustration of a portion of a power cord with thicker portions according to some embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 7A  is an illustration of an exploded view of a cable with embedded magnets according to some embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 7B  is an illustration of a cable with embedded magnets according to some embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is an illustration of a cable with magnetic rings according to some embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  is an illustration of a cable with magnetic beads according to some embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0023]      FIG. 10A  is an illustration of a portion of a cable with flex joints according to some embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0024]      FIG. 10B  is an illustration of a cable with flex joints according to some embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0025]      FIG. 11A  is an illustration of a portion of a cable with hook and loop fasteners according to some embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0026]      FIG. 11B  is an illustration of a cable with hook and loop fasteners according to some embodiments of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0027]      FIGS. 1A and 1B  are illustrations of a folding cable assembly  10  according to some embodiments of the present invention. A wire or plurality of wires adapted to carry electrical current or signal form a cable  11 . A plug  14  is found on a first end of the cable assembly, and a plug or jack  12  is found on the second end of the cable assembly. In some embodiments, male plugs may be found on one or both ends of the cable assembly. In some embodiments, female plugs may be found on one or both ends of the cable assembly. In some embodiments, other features or simple wire ends may be found on one or both ends of the cable assembly. An earpiece  13  is attached to plug  12 , such that cable assembly  10  as illustrated could be used as a wired ear plug for use with an audio player or other device. 
         [0028]    A collection  17  of segments  15  is seen assembled from a series of segments  15  which have flexible portions  16  between them. The segments  15  are adapted to allow for bending of the cable assembly at the flexible portions  16 , allowing for the organized stacking of the segments in a compact fashion. In some embodiments, the segments may be relatively flat and of rectangular cross section. The segments  15  may be rigid or semi-rigid, thus allowing the user to quickly take an extended cable assembly and pack it in a compact, organized fashion for storage or transport. Also, during use the portion of the cable assembly not needed for extension in a given logistic situation may be kept organized and compactly stored. The segments  15  may be comprised of stiffening elements which may formed as part of the process of creating the cable, or may be added after the formation of the base cable through molding, adhesion, or other processes. 
         [0029]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  are illustrations of a folding cable assembly  30  according to some embodiments of the present invention. A wire or plurality of wires adapted to carry electrical current or signal form a cable  35 . A plug  32  is found on a first end of the cable assembly, and an earpiece  33  is found on the second end of the cable assembly. In some embodiments, male plugs may be found on one or both ends of the cable assembly. In some embodiments, female plugs may be found on one or both ends of the cable assembly. In some embodiments, other features or simple wire ends may be found on one or both ends of the cable assembly. A switching segment  38  is found within the cable assembly, allowing for switching on or off, and/or volume control, of the earpiece. 
         [0030]    A collection  36  of segments  31  is seen assembled from a series of segments  31  which have flexible portions  37  between them. The segments  31  are adapted to allow for bending of the cable assembly at the flexible portions  37 , allowing for the organized stacking of the segments in a compact fashion. In some embodiments, the segments may be of round or relatively round cross section. The segments may be a wire portion surrounded by a rigid portion in some embodiments. The segments  31  may be comprised of stiffening elements which may formed as part of the process of creating the cable, or may be added after the formation of the base cable through molding, adhesion, or other processes. 
         [0031]    The segments  31  may be rigid or semi-rigid, thus allowing the user to quickly take an extended cable assembly and pack it in a compact, organized fashion for storage or transport. Also, during use the portion of the cable assembly not needed for extension in a given logistic situation may be kept organized and compactly stored. 
         [0032]    A wrap portion  34  may be used to retain the collected segments to aid in storage such that the collected segments do not fan out from each other. The wrap portion  34  may be a flexible material in some embodiments. The wrap portion may fasten with a snap or hook and loop fasteners in some embodiments. 
         [0033]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  are illustrations of a folding cable assembly  60  according to some embodiments of the present invention. A wire or plurality of wires adapted to carry electrical current or signal form a cable  61 . A plug  64  is found on a first end of the cable assembly, and an earpiece  63  is found on the second end of the cable assembly. In some embodiments, male plugs may be found on one or both ends of the cable assembly. In some embodiments, female plugs may be found on one or both ends of the cable assembly. In some embodiments, other features or simple wire ends may be found on one or both ends of the cable assembly. 
         [0034]    A collection  62  of segments  65  is seen assembled from a series of segments  65  which have flexible portions  66  between them. The segments  65  are adapted to allow for bending of the cable assembly at the flexible portions  66 , allowing for the organized stacking of the segments in a compact fashion. In some embodiments, the segments may be of round or relatively round cross section. The segments may be a wire portion surrounded by a rigid portion in some embodiments. The segments  65  may be rigid or semi-rigid, thus allowing the user to quickly take an extended cable assembly and pack it in a compact, organized fashion for storage or transport. Also, during use the portion of the cable assembly not needed for extension in a given logistic situation may be kept organized and compactly stored. A storage sleeve  67  may be used to retain the collected segments to aid in storage such that the collected segments do not fan out from each other. 
         [0035]      FIG. 4  illustrates portions of a folding cable assembly  100  according to some embodiments of the present invention. The folding cable assembly  100  utilizes magnets to aid in the organized collection and stacking of the segments when folded into a compact assembly. The cable assembly has a first end which may have a plug  110  and a second end  111  which may have another plug, or other end type. A plurality of rigid segments  101  may utilize magnetic force to facilitate the close stacking of the segments and collection of segments with some adhesion to each other. In some embodiments, the segments  101  may alternate in a way that promotes magnetic adhesion. For example, in some embodiments, the segments may alternate in their poles such that successive segments along the length of the cable adhere well to each other. A segment  101  may have a south pole portion  105  and then a north pole portion  107  at a first end, and then a north pole portion  104  and south pole portion  106  at a second end, where the placement of the pole portions allow for stacking of the segments  101  when bent at the flexible portions  103 . In some embodiments, the magnetic and/or magnetically permeable portions may be part of a longer stiffening element. In some embodiments, the magnetic and/or magnetically permeable portions may not be on the ends of the segments but may be at a different location along the segments. 
         [0036]    In some embodiments of the present invention the cable assembly segments may alternate across each flexible portion between segments such that there may be a magnet on one end and a metallic portion on the other. The alternation of pole placement of magnet/metal placement will be such that the segments are adapted to easily adhere to the next segment, aiding in easy collection of segments into grouping which is compact, yet is also easily un-collected to allow for the re-stretching out of the cable. 
         [0037]    One advantage of alternating the polarity of the mating magnets is to reduce or eliminate the possibility of triangulating the portions. Instead of a first section adjacent to a second section laying together, and flat, there may be a possibility that the far end of the third section may adhere to the far end of the second section, creating in essence an equilateral triangle out of the three joined sections, instead of three sections laying flat together. 
         [0038]    In some embodiments of the present invention, as seen in  FIG. 5 , the cable assembly  120  has segments  123 ,  125  interspersed with segments  124  which may not have a magnetic portion or a magnetically permeable portion, and may also not have a stiffening element in some embodiments. The segments  123 ,  125 , may have their poles placed differently to allow for good adhesion in some embodiments. In some embodiments, there may be an alteration between magnetic and metallic, or magnetically permeable, segments, with regular cable segments in between the alternating segments. The cable assembly has a first end which may have a plug  121  and a second end  122  which may have another plug, or other end type. 
         [0039]    In some embodiments of the present invention, as seen in  FIGS. 6A-B , a cable assembly  140  has a plurality of stiffer segments  141  interspersed with more flexible portions  142 . In some embodiments, the flexible portions  142  may be a wire or wires  143  with insulation around them. The stiffer segments may be of a thicker insulation in this area. In some embodiments, the thickness of the insulation, or other type of outer layer, may be varied during an extrusion process. The alternating thicker portions with the flexible portions allows for easier and more organized collection of the wire for storage, or for collection of the unused, unextended portion of the wire while in use. In some embodiments, the alternating thicker and thinner segments may also use magnets as seen in other embodiments of the present invention. 
         [0040]    In some embodiments of the present invention, as seen in  FIGS. 7A-B , a cable assembly  160  may have magnets embedded within it along its length. In some embodiments, there may be magnets  162  around the wires  163  but within the outer layer  161  at certain intervals. In some embodiments, there may be a continuous flexible magnet band. In some embodiments, the outer layer  161  of the cable assembly  160  may be of continuous outer diameter. 
         [0041]    In some embodiments of the present invention, as seen in  FIG. 8 , a cable assembly  180  may have magnets  182  attached along the length of the cable  181 . The magnets  182  may be rings of an annular cylindrical shape in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the rings may have a gap to allow for attachment onto the cable  181 . In some embodiments, the rings may be swaged on, or attached with other process. In some embodiments, the rings may be bonded onto the cable, and may be of more than one piece prior to bonding. In some embodiments, the cable may have a preset set into one of its layers such that it is adapted to easily be put into a helix shape, or other shape adapted to allow the stowage of the cable and the adherence of the magnets to each other or to magnetically permeable material along the cable. 
         [0042]    In some embodiments of the present invention, as seen in  FIG. 9 , a cable assembly  200  may have magnets  202  attached along the length of the cable  201 . The magnets  202  may be beads of a spherical or oval shape in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the beads  202  may have a gap to allow for attachment onto the cable  201 . In some embodiments, the rings may be swaged on, or attached with other process. In some embodiments, the beads may be bonded onto the cable, and may be of more than one piece prior to bonding. 
         [0043]      FIGS. 10A-B  are illustrations of a folding cable assembly  220  according to some embodiments of the present invention. A wire or plurality of wires adapted to carry electrical current or signal form a cable. A plug  225  is found on a first end of the cable assembly, and an earpiece  224 , plug, or jack is found on the second end of the cable assembly. In some embodiments, male plugs may be found on one or both ends of the cable assembly. In some embodiments, female plugs may be found on one or both ends of the cable assembly. In some embodiments, other features or simple wire ends may be found on one or both ends of the cable assembly. 
         [0044]    A collection  223  of segments  221  is seen assembled from a series of segments  221  which have flexible portions  222  between them. The segments  221  are adapted to allow for bending of the cable assembly at the flexible portions  222 , allowing for the organized stacking of the segments in a compact fashion. In some embodiments, the flexible portions  222  may be of a corrugated nature which allow for bending. The segments  221  may be rigid or semi-rigid, thus allowing the user to quickly take an extended cable assembly and pack it in a compact, organized fashion for storage or transport. Also, during use the portion of the cable assembly not needed for extension in a given logistic situation may be kept organized and compactly stored. The segments  221  may be comprised of stiffening elements which may formed as part of the process of creating the cable, or may be added after the formation of the base cable through molding, adhesion, or other processes. In some embodiments, there may be magnets along cable assembly  220  as well. 
         [0045]      FIGS. 11  A-B are illustrations of a folding cable assembly  240  according to some embodiments of the present invention. A wire or plurality of wires adapted to carry electrical current or signal form a cable. A plug  244  is found on a first end of the cable assembly, and a plug or jack  245  is found on the second end of the cable assembly. In some embodiments, male plugs may be found on one or both ends of the cable assembly. In some embodiments, female plugs may be found on one or both ends of the cable assembly. In some embodiments, other features or simple wire ends may be found on one or both ends of the cable assembly. 
         [0046]    A collection  246  of segments  241  is seen assembled from a series of segments  241  which have flexible portions  247  between them. The segments  241  are adapted to allow for bending of the cable assembly at the flexible portions  247 , allowing for the organized stacking of the segments in a compact fashion. In some embodiments, the segments may be relatively flat and of rectangular cross section. The segments  241  may be rigid or semi-rigid, thus allowing the user to quickly take an extended cable assembly and pack it in a compact, organized fashion for storage or transport. Also, during use the portion of the cable assembly not needed for extension in a given logistic situation may be kept organized and compactly stored. The segments  241  may be comprised of stiffening elements which may formed as part of the process of creating the cable, or may be added after the formation of the base cable through molding, adhesion, or other processes. In some embodiments, a series of hook and loops fasteners  242 ,  243  may be affixed to the segments  241  to allow for firmer holding of the collection  246  of segments  241 . The hook and loop fasteners may be on the ends of the segments, or at other points along the segments. 
         [0047]    As evident from the above description, a wide variety of embodiments may be configured from the description given herein and additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is, therefore, not limited to the specific details and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures from such details may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the applicant&#39;s general invention.