Patent ID: 6913222

Claim:
A lightweight collapsible reel for cable, conduit or tubing comprising: a pair of opposed, relatively thin, generally circular, coaxial end flanges of substantially equal diameter and having wall structure defining a respective flange, each of said flanges having a center point and opposed, inner, essentially parallel surface portions; at least three circumferentially spaced, foldable cable, conduit or tubing support units positioned between said inner surfaces of the flanges and hingedly interconnecting the flanges, each of the support units including a pair of elongated end-to-end leg segments, and a device pivotally interconnecting the adjacent extremities of each pair of leg segments, said adjacent extremities of each pair of end segments having interacting components limiting relative pivoting motion of the segments of each support unit from a folded position in which the segments are in folded overlying relationship to extended disposition in which the segments of a respective support unit are in an essentially straight line, said support units when extended supporting cable or tubing wrapped around all of the extended support units between the inner surface portions of the flanges; pivot structure swingably attaching the outermost ends of the segments of each support unit to respective opposed inner surfaces of the flanges, said wall structure of the flanges having recesses for generally complementally receiving a respective segment of each of the support units pivotally connected to a corresponding flange in order that the overall thickness of the reel is not substantially greater than the side by side thickness of the two flanges when the reel is fully collapsed and the segments of the support units are moved from their extended positions to their folded positions with the leg segments thereby received in the recesses in respective flanges.