Patent ID: 7527132

Claim:
A retractor apparatus for a dual conductor cord, comprising: first and second reel mounts with respective first and second axle-receiving recesses in the first and second reel mounts; a reel for receiving a dual conductor cord; an axle assembly having opposing ends received in the first and second axle-receiving recesses and supporting the reel for rotation about an axis of the axle assembly and comprising first and second axle portions, the first and second axle portions having coaxial cylindrical faces received in the first and second axle-receiving recesses, respectively, wherein the first and second axle portions are a dielectric material and receive respective electrically-conductive strips; and first and second mutually engaged electrical contact pairs, each electrical contact pair supplying current to a respective conductor of the dual conductor cord and including a rotating contact, mounted to rotate with the reel, and a fixed contact, wherein the rotating contacts are located proximate first ends of respective electrically-conductive strips and protrude axially from the first ends of the respective electrically-conductive strips, the rotating contacts include soldered connections to each conductor of the dual conductor cord and located at respective second ends of the electrically-conductive strips, the rotating contacts are disposed at axially opposing ends of the axle assembly, each rotating contact has a contact surface intersecting the axis, each fixed contact is mounted to a respective one of the first and second reel mounts, the first and second reel mounts comprise first and second housing shells, respectively, the first and second housing shells cooperating to enclose the reel, a central aperture extends axially through the reel, each of the first and second axle portions is received in the central aperture from axially opposing ends of the central aperture, each of the first and second axle portions has a shoulder by which the axle portion is located axially in the central aperture, and an external surface of each of the first and second axle portions is complementary to an internal surface of the central aperture to prevent relative rotation about the axis between the first and second axle portions and the reel.