Patent ID: 8801458

Claim:
An electrical cord reel comprising: a spool member having an outer cylindrical surface, the spool member being rotatable about a center axis of the spool member, the cylindrical surface having a recess defined by a floor, the spool member having a trench formed within the cylindrical surface, the trench having first and second ends, the trench at the first end extending into the recess, the trench extending substantially circumferentially from the recess; a plurality of electrically conductive reel contacts accessible via the recess; and an electrical cord configured to be wound on the outer cylindrical surface of the spool member, the electrical cord comprising: a cord segment having a plurality of wires, and a connector connected to an end portion of the cord segment, the connector having a reel-engagement position in which the connector resides within the recess of the spool member, the connector being securable to the spool member by at least one screw to facilitate selective attachment and removal of the connector with respect to the spool member, the connector including a plurality of electrically conductive cord contacts equal in number to the reel contacts, wherein, when the connector is in the reel-engagement position: an inner major surface of the connector mates with the floor of the recess, an outer major surface of the connector replaces at least a majority of the spool member's cylindrical surface that is not included due to the presence of the recess, the end portion of the cord segment resides within the trench; each of the cord contacts connects electrically with a different one of the reel contacts, and the reel is configured to convey electrical power from an external power source to the reel contacts and to the cord contacts and the wires of the cord segment.