Patent ID: 7073529

Claim:
A retractable garden hose reel for retracting a garden hose after the garden hose has been reeled out for use, comprising: a pair of opposed side frame members with each side frame member having an upper end and an opposite lower end; a handle extending between and attached to the upper ends of the side frame members; a base for supporting the garden hose reel on a ground surface, the base extending between and attached to the lower ends of the side frame members; a rotatable reel shaft extending between and interconnected to the side frame members; the garden hose disposed on the reel shaft and capable of selective extension from the reel shaft and retraction upon the reel shaft; a slide track mounted to and extending between the side frame members with the slide track being positioned above reel shaft; a screw clamp housing unit mounted on the slide track for slidable reciprocable movement thereon and having an outlet through which the garden hose passes during extension and retraction with the slidable movement of the screw clamp housing unit coincident with the extension and retraction of the garden hose; a recoil spring housing unit mounted inboard and against one side frame member and through which a portion of the reel shaft extends; a recoil spring enclosed within the recoil spring housing unit and coaxially interconnected to the reel shaft and the recoil spring housing unit so that the recoil spring can wind and unwind concomitant with the rotation of the reel shaft to allow for the extension and retraction of the garden hose; and a garden hose lock and release means mounted to one side frame member for locking the recoil spring and the reel shaft in position and preventing rotation of the reel shaft after the desired extension of the garden hose has been obtained and for releasing the recoil spring and reel shaft so that the recoil spring can unwind within the recoil spring housing unit and rotate the reel shaft thereby causing the retraction of the garden hose.