Abstract:
An improved apparatus and method for a hanging rotational hose reel includes a bracket for hanging the hose reel, a spool for winding a hose about a first rotational axis, a frame for supporting the spool, and a rotational assembly connecting the bracket and the frame. The rotational assembly allows rotation of the spool about a second rotational axis. The hanging hose reel may be secured to a surface or may hang from a wagon and/or stand.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     This disclosure relates generally to hose reels, and more specifically to free-hanging rotatable hose reels, particularly for residential use. Almost anyone having experience with hoses, such as garden hoses or air hoses, understands some of the problems associated with the use and storage of such hoses. Storing hoses in order to avoid an unsightly mess and/or the formation of kinks that may impede flow through the hose is often difficult. It is well known that one way to address such problems is to provide a support about which the hose is wound to permit easy storage. Further, it is desirable if the support allows the hose to remain partially wound when in use, so the user does not have to unwind and rewind the entire hose each time it is used. 
     As a result, hose reels and carts are known in the art to wind and store unattractive, and otherwise unmanageable hoses, such as air and water hoses. Some hose reels may be modular carts, while others are wall-mounted. Modular carts are often on wheel bases and may offer some maneuverability when the hose is in use. However, modular carts are relatively expensive, large and bulky, requiring additional storage space, may still tangle the hose and traditionally are most useful when multiple faucets must be regularly accessed. Many users, however, use a hose mostly at a single faucet and do not care for the expense or bulk associated with the traditional carts. 
     Wall-mounted supports and hose reels are one alternative to the carts. However, many users of wall-mounted hose reels may find that the wall-mounted reels that are available offer very limited flexibility as to the movement of the hose by the user, particularly when it comes to the range of peripheral motion toward the lateral edges of a mounted-hose reel. Applicant finds that this limited range of motion may also cause kinks or bends in the hose that make it difficult to maneuver and/or damage the hose in the same manner that user was trying to prevent by the use of the hose reel. It is to these and other problems that this disclosure is directed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure is directed to a hanging hose reel apparatus including a bracket for hanging the hose reel, a spool for winding a hose about a first rotational axis, a frame for supporting the spool, and a rotational assembly connecting the bracket and the frame. The rotational assembly allows a rotation of the spool about a second rotational axis. The bracket, in one embodiment, is a mount for securing the hanging hose reel to a surface. In another embodiment, the bracket attaches to a stand for supporting the hanging hose reel. 
     In other examples, a hanging hose reel kit includes a suspension bracket for hanging the hose reel, a spool for winding a hose about a first rotational axis, a frame for supporting the spool, and a rotational assembly for allowing free rotation of the spool about a second axis without movement of the shelf. 
     The disclosure also includes a method of hanging a rotational hose reel, including: providing a bracket for hanging the hose reel, including a spool for winding a hose about a first rotational axis, forming a frame for supporting the spool, and attaching a rotational assembly that connects the bracket and the frame. The rotational assembly allows a rotation of the spool about a second rotational axis. The method may also include allowing a spool rotational selection of between 0 and 360 degrees about the second axis from a stationary setting. 
     These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after a reading of the following description of the preferred embodiment when considered with the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one example of a hanging hose reel of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of one example of the hose reel of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of one example of a mounted suspension shelf and a rotational assembly of the mounted hose reel of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view of one example of a spool of the hose reel of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of another example of a hose reel of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 6A-6C  shows further examples of the rotation of the spool of a hose reel of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 7  is an exploded view of another example of a hose reel of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 8  is another example of a hanging hose reel of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 9  is another example of a hanging hose reel of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 10  shows another example of a rotational assembly of the hose reel disclosed; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of another example of a hanging hose reel of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 12  is a side view of one example of the hanging hose reel of  FIG. 11 , supported by a stand/wagon. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In the following description, like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views. Also in the following description, it is to be understood that such terms as “forward,” “rearward,” “left,” “right,” “upwardly,” “downwardly,” and the like are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms. 
     Referring now to the drawings in general and  FIGS. 1 through 4  in particular, it will be understood that the illustrations are for the purpose of describing a preferred embodiment of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention thereto.  FIG. 1  shows a hanging hose reel system  10  including a suspension shelf  20 , a spool  50 , a yoke or frame  30  and a vertical axis rotational assembly  40 . The suspension shelf  20  attaches to the rotational assembly  40 , which in turn, suspends the frame  30 . Frame  30  supports a spool  50  in a manner so that the spool  50  can rotate in the frame or yoke  50 . 
     The spool  50  may include typical elements, such as, a handle  56 , a hub  52 , end plates  53   a ,  53   b  and a leader hose attachment  54 . Attachment  54  provides a path through the hub  52  to a wound-hose attachment  54   a , seen in  FIG. 4 . Spokes  55  may take on any arrangement, examples of which may be seen in  FIGS. 1 and 5 . Spool  50  is designed to allow a hose to connect to a faucet or outlet, for example, for conducting water or air and to allow the hose to stay partially wound or attached during use. Such spools and their lead hose arrangements are known and are conventional in the art. 
     The suspension shelf  20  may take on various shapes, some examples of which may be seen in  FIGS. 1, 6A and 8 . Suspension shelf  20  may include one or more mount brackets  24 . Mount brackets  24  may include one or more suspension holes  22  for receiving, for example bolts, for securing suspension shelf  20  against a wall  12 . Additionally, shelf  20  may include support braces  26 . As seen in  FIG. 3 , suspension shelf  20  may include a plate  60 . Plate  60  may have perforations  62 . Plate  60  may include a lip  64 . Plate  60  typically adjoins mount  28  and is secured into place when suspension shelf  20  is mounted, for example, to a support  12 , such as a wall, wagon or stand. The plate  60  may be received within a slot inside of mount  28 , may be a part of mount  28  or may be attached to the mount. The suspension shelf may also include other attachments, for example, a container  70  as seen in  FIG. 8 . Hose reels can become heavy when loaded with a hose, particularly when filled with water while the hose is still partially wound on the reel. A sturdy bracket and shelf is desirable, and allowing movement or rotation may contribute to instability in traditional standing, carts and/or wall mounted hose reels. 
     In another embodiment, suspension shelf  20  may support hanging hose reel  10  on a stand or a wagon, as seen in  FIGS. 11 and 12 . In this example, one or more mount brackets  24  may secure the hose reel to a wagon or a stand. The hanging hose reel may be more difficult to balance when not secured to a surface such as a wall. When the hose is on the spool, the weight of the hose may contribute to instability. The hanging hose reel, in one example, when attached to a cart, stand or wagon, may include a stabilizer base  71 . Stabilizer  71  may include stabilizer bars  72   a  and/or  72   b . The stabilizer may include a crossbar  74  that attaches to the stabilizer bars  72   a  and  72   b . Stabilizer  71  may also include stops  78  on which the weight of the cart is distributed. On the side of the stabilizer away from stops  78 , wheels  76  are included on the stabilizer base  71  to allow the hose reel wagon to be pulled over the ground by a person manipulating the handle  76   a . Stabilizer  71  may have a length L that extends further, distally away from the mount brackets  24  than the suspension shelf  20 . In another example, length L may extend further than frame  30  distally away from a support  12  and/or mount brackets  24 . Length L may contribute to the stability of the handing hose reel and/or the stand when the weight of a hose is supported on spool  50 . The longer length L makes the stabilizer  71  surround an area greater than the shelf  20 . This helps locate the center of gravity of the hose on the reel above a point with that area when the reel is at rest and not rolling on wheels  76 . 
     Frame  30  provides a bearing so that the hose leader attachment  54  can be supported and thereby supports the spool  50 . Frame  30  attaches to rotational assembly  40  and allows rotation of the spool  50  about two axes, one horizontal and one vertical in normal use (see  FIG. 3 ). The frame may be a yoke or may take on varying shapes, such as a gimbal. The frame  30  typically attaches to the spool  50  as shown in  FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 . The frame may hang from the rotational assembly by supports  47  (see  FIG. 3 ) and/or may be secured by bolts, pins or screws. The screws can be seen in  FIG. 3 ; a notch  47   a  in support  47  is positioned to receive pin  47   b  on the frame as seen in  FIG. 4 . 
     Rotational assembly  40  interfaces with both suspension shelf  20  and frame  30 . Rotational assembly  40  may be integrated with or independent of shelf  20 , and/or frame  30 . Rotational assembly  40 , as seen in  FIG. 5 , allows the frame  30  and spool  50  to rotate, for example, up to 360 degrees about rotational axis A 1 . Allowing the spool to rotate about A 1  permits the hose to remain on the spool, however, also allows the spool to adjust its azimuth for the hose to be pulled from angles peripherally without the hose kinking, resisting and/or becoming obstructed on the reel when being used. Conventionally-mounted hose reels have a mounted support that attaches to the wall and also directly holds the reel. The conventional configuration, while contributing to stability of the mount, prevents rotational movement of the spool about the vertical axis and thus, flexibility and maneuverability of the hose in use. Applicant&#39;s apparatus maintains stability of the mount, while also allowing adjustment of the azimuth of the spool about a vertical axis. 
       FIG. 3  shows one example of a rotational assembly  40 . The rotational assembly may include a stop for restraining the rotation of the spool about the vertical axis. A bracket  43  is pivotally attached to the suspension shelf  20  and rigidly attached to the frame  30 , in one example, as shown in  FIG. 3 . The bracket  43 , for example, may be secured by a pivot pin  80  passing through hole  82  in the mount  28 . The mount  28  also has a second hole  84  offset from and generally parallel with hole  82 . A stop  42  may be mounted in the hole  84 . The stop  42 , alternatively, may be a part of or independent of the shelf  20 , the assembly  40  and/or the frame  30 . Stop  42  may include a spring-biased pull pin that settles into an aligned one of receivers  41  on the bracket  43  of the assembly  40 . The pull pin and preset-receivers allow the spool  50  to be locked into one of the various azimuthal spool positions around the axis A 1 . Additional or differently-aligned receivers  41  can be included to permit different azimuthal orientations. If it is preferred that the reel can freely rotate about the vertical axis, the stop  42  and receivers  41  can be omitted. 
       FIG. 10  shows another example of a rotational assembly. In this example, bracket  43  may be bolted to the suspension shelf  20 . A tension stop  42  may be used to control and release the movement of the frame  30  and spool  50 . The tension stop may be released to allow free rotation of the spool when in use or may allow adjustment of the spool to a desired position and then tightened to secure the angle of the spool about the vertical axis. In one example, rotation may be up to 180 degrees. In another example, rotation may be up to 360 degrees. In another example, rotation may be free rotation of up to 360 degrees or more. The spool  50  and frame  30  may optionally be made removable from the rotational assembly if the user decides to carry the hose to another desired location. 
     The degree of rotation of the spool about an the vertical axis may be determined by the user. The user can select a position that deviates the spool from a standard stationary spool setting, generally parallel to the support  12 , as seen in  FIG. 6A  or transverse to the support  12  as seen in  FIG. 6B . The spool is rotatable between these stationary points or at settings between the parallel or transverse setting and optionally beyond. The spool may alternatively be freely rotatable about A 1  in other embodiments. As seen in  FIG. 6B , the spool  50  may be positioned to wind and/or unwind hose to the right, or to the left. 
     Certain modifications and improvements will occur to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the foregoing description. By way of example, the rotational assembly may be attached so that the frame and spool are supported in other positions, such as, adjacent to or above the shelf  20 . The spool may be supported in various positions when not in use, such as for example, parallel or transverse standard spool settings. As seen in  FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 , the shelf can be modified greatly, even reduced to a vestigial form. It should be understood that all such modifications and improvements have been deleted herein for the sake of conciseness and readability but are properly within the scope of this disclosure.