Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (a) Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a wire winding device having coaxial and multiple wheels, and more particularly, to a wire winding device capable of effectively collecting and extending at least two wires. 
     (b) Description of the Prior Art 
     According to the U.S. Pat. No. 6,434,249B1 “The Earphone Wire Winding Box with Coaxial and Dual Wheels” by the inventor, the structure disclosed is quite indeed practical. However, this structure is merely capable of winding and releasing with respect to a single signal wire but not two or more wires. Therefore, suppose the number of earphone signal wires is designed as two for serving the right and left ears of a user, the wire for the left ear extended is comparatively longer than that for the right ear, and thus the wire having the longer length fails to be entirely stored in the wire winding box during wire winding due to different lengths of the two wires, and part of the wire having the longer length is resultingly exposed. This dilemma is even worsened when the wire having the longer length is extended and inevitably scattered about the body of the user. Therefore, it is a vital task of the invention as how to effectively winding and releasing two extended wires having different lengths. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, the primary object of the invention is to provide a wire winding device having coaxial and multiple wheels for storing at least two wires, wherein at least two wires are efficiently stored during wire winding and at least two wires are extended at appropriate and predetermined lengths during wire releasing without releasing wires at excessive lengths. 
     The other object of the invention is to provide a wire winding device having coaxial and multiple wheels for storing and releasing extension wires of earphones and electric appliances. 
     To accomplish the aforesaid objects, the characteristics and functions of the invention shall be described with the accompanying drawings below. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows an exploded elevational view according to the invention. 
     FIG. 2 shows a sectional view according to the invention. 
     FIG. 3 shows a sectional view illustrating the action of a wire being extended according to the invention. 
     FIG. 4 shows a side schematic view illustrating the wire being displaced in the wire storage grooves having different diameters according to the invention. 
     FIG. 5 shows an elevational view of the invention being implemented to an earphone. 
     FIG. 6 shows a sectional view of another embodiment according to the invention. 
     FIG. 7 shows a planar view illustrating a plurality of wire plugs being connected to electric appliances in an embodiment according to the invention. 
     FIG. 8 shows a sectional view illustrating the main turning wheel being connected to the axis in another embodiment according to the invention. 
     FIG. 9 shows a sectional schematic view illustrating the A, B, C and D turning wheels of the main turning wheel having same diameters according to the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the device in accordance with the invention is characterized by: 
     a main turning wheel  10  disposed with at least three A, B and C turning wheels  11 ,  12  and  14  having a same center orifice  18  flexibly connected to an axis  22 ; 
     A, B and C storage grooves  15 ,  17  and  19  formed on the wheel planes of the A, B and C turning wheels  11 ,  12  and  14 ; 
     at least two wires S winded and stored in the A, B and C storage grooves  15 ,  17  and  19 ; 
     upper, middle and lower wires S 1 , S 2  and S 3  from wires S stored in different storage grooves; and 
     a spring  30  with a bottom end  31  thereof connected to the axis  22  and an outer end  32  thereof connected to a dented wheel plane  111  of the A turning wheel  11 . 
     According to the aforesaid primary characteristics, wherein one end of the axis  22  is connected to the inner wall of a right housing  40  and the other end connected into an engagement opening  423  of a left housing  42 ; at the upper and lower edges of the left and right housing  40  and  42  are provided with bolts  401  and  421  and openings  402  and  422 , respectively, so that the bolts  401  and  421  are inserted into the openings  402  and  422  to combine the left and right housings  40  and  42  into one body; and at the upper and lower portions of the left and right housings  40  and  42  are disposed with a plurality of wire guiding orifices  43 ,  44  and  45  for guiding the upper, middle and lower wires S 1 , S 2  and S 3  to the exterior. 
     According to the aforesaid primary characteristics, wherein between the A, B and C storage grooves  15 ,  17  and  19  are disposed with A and B partition pieces  13  and  16  provided with A and B wedging slots  131  and  161 , respectively; at an appropriate position between the upper and middle wires S 1  and S 2  are placed with the B wedging slot  161  of the B partition piece  151  an appropriate segment of the upper wire S 1  is placed into the wedging slot  131  of the A partition piece  13 , and one end of the upper and middle wires S 1  and S 2  is penetrated through the upper wire guiding orifices  43  and  44  to the exterior, respectively; and the lower wire S 3  is formed by merging the upper and middle wires S 1  and S 2 , a lower end of the lower wire S 1  is penetrated through the wire guiding orifice  45  to the exterior, and an anti-slide sheath  46  is accommodated into the wire guiding orifice  45  to stabilize the lower wire S 3  for forming an immovable end. 
     According to the aforesaid primary or other characteristics, wherein a screw bolt  65  is penetrated into the engagement opening  423  to further insert and connect to a screw opening  221  located at the front portion of the axis  22  (as shown in FIG.  2 ). 
     According to the aforesaid primary characteristics, wherein the diameters D 1 , D 2  and D 3  of the A, B and C turning wheels  11 ,  12  and  14  are different or the same (as shown in FIGS.  4  and  9 ). 
     According to the aforesaid primary and secondary characteristics, wherein the axis  22  is a formed integral with the main turning wheel  10 , so as to flexibly connect the two axis ends  222  and  223  of the axis  22  into round notches  403  and  424  provided in advance at the inner walls of the left and right housing  40  and  42  (as shown in FIG.  8 ). 
     1. Referring to FIG.  2  and FIG. 4 showing a longitudinal sectional view according to the invention, wherein the A, B and C turning wheels  11 ,  12  and  14  are a combined body and are connected to the axis  22  through the same center orifice  18 . When the A turning wheel  11  rotates one revolution, the length of the upper wire S 1  being released (or winded) from the A storage groove  15  is π×D 1 , where D 1  is the diameter of the A turning wheel  11 . Similarly, each time the B and C turning wheels rotate one revolution, the lengths of the middle and lower wires S 2  and S 3  being released (or winded) from the B and C storage grooves  17  and  19  are π×D 2  and π×D 3 , respectively, wherein D 2  and D 3  are diameters of the B and C turning wheels  12  and  14 , respectively. As a result, when the A, B and C turning wheels  11 ,  12  and  14  rotate coaxially, the ratio of the wires winded (or released) by the three members equals to the ratio of the diameters of the A, B and C turning wheels  11 ,  12  and  14 ; that is, D 1 :D 2 :D 3 . To be more specific, the length of the upper wire S 1  released (or winded) when the A turning wheel rotates one revolution is “longer” than that of the middle wire S 2  when the B turning wheel rotates one revolution. The diameter C 3  of the C turning wheel  14  is designed to be relatively smaller, and hence the length of the lower wire S 3  released (or winded) is the shortest when the C turning wheel  14  rotates one revolution. 
     2. Referring to FIG. 3, when two earphones  50  (or other terminal connectors) are simultaneously pulled, the main turning wheel  10  rotates regarding the axis  22  as the center of rotation thereof, and a spring  30  shows elastic contractions due to the tensile force produced therefrom. As described, because of the different diameters of the A, B and C turning wheels  11 ,  12  and  14 , the length of the upper wire S 1  released from the A storage groove  15  is the longest, the length of the middle wire S 2  released from the B storage groove  17  is relatively shorter, and the length of the lower wire S 3  simultaneously released is the shortest. Suppose the length of the upper wire S 1  released is 50 cm, the length of the middle wire S 2  released is 40 cm and the length of the lower wire S 3  released is merely 5 cm, the upper wire S 1  having the longest length released is able to go around a rear neck  80  of a user to further place the earphone into a left ear  82  as shown in FIG.  5 . The length of the middle wire S 2  is relatively shorter than that of the upper wire S 1  for that it is not necessary to go around of rear neck  80  of the user. The other earphone  50  is then placed into a left ear  84  after the middle wire S 2  is pulled out. The lower wire S 3  is a combination of the upper and middle wires S 2  and is stored in the C storage groove  19 . The diameter of the C turning wheel  14  is rather small, and therefore when the upper and middle wires S 1  and S 2  are pulled, the lower wire S 3  releases at a very short length from the C storage groove  19 . At this point, an immovable end is formed due to the tightening of the anti-slide sheath  46  around an appropriate position of the lower wire S 3 , and thus the released lower wire S 3  shows a lax state in the C storage groove  19  as indicated in FIG. 3, and the purpose thereof is to prevent a terminal plug  60  from sliding up and down. The wire winding device according to the invention may then be placed next to the waist portion of the user for connecting the terminal plug  60  to cellular phones or other electric appliances  64  such as CD or radio players. 
     3. Winding process of the upper, middle and lower wires S 1 , S 2  and S 3 : when the two earphones  50  ( 50 ) are not in use and the positioning force thereof is dismissed, the contraction force of the spring  30  impels and rotates the main turning wheel  10  in a reverse direction regarding the axis  22  as the center of rotation, and thus winding the upper, middle and lower wires S 1 , S 2  and S 3  back into the A, B and C of the storage grooves  15 ,  17  and  19 , respectively, and further positioning the earphones  50  (or terminal connectors) at the outer end of the wire guiding orifices  43  and  44 ; and the originally lax lower wire S 3  is tightened again in the C storage groove  19  owing to reverse rotations of the C turning wheel  14 . The lower portion of the lower wire S 3  is positioned at the anti-slide sheath at the moment and therefore the terminal plug  60  becomes immovable. 
     4. Referring to FIG. 6 showing another embodiment according to the invention, the main turning wheel  10  of the invention is designed as four A, B, C and D turning wheels  11 ′,  12 ′,  14 ′ and  141  having different diameters, and four A, B, C and D storage grooves  15 ′,  17 ′,  19 ′ and  101  are formed for storing A, B, C and D wires S 1 ′, S 2 ′, S 3 ′ and S 4 , respectively, wherein the D wire S 4  is formed by combining the A, B and C wires S 1 ′, S 2 ′ and S 3 ′; that is, the D wire S 3  is a merged wire of the three, and is split for placing into the A, B and C storage grooves  15 ′,  17 ′ and  19 ′. Two ends of the A, B, C and D wires S 1 ′, S 2 ′, S 3 ′ and S 4  are connected with terminal connectors  66  and  67 , respectively. Referring to FIG. 7, a plurality of electric appliances  70  are located with various distances in between, and the plurality of terminal connectors  67  of the D wire S 4  are inserted into plugs  72  of the electric appliances. When the A, B and C wires S 1 ′, S 2 ′ and S 3 ′ are pulled, for that the A, B, C and D turning wheels  11 ′,  12 ′,  14 ′ and  141  have different diameters, the released length of the A wire S 1 ′ is the longest, the released Length of the B wire S 2 ′ is shorter than that of the A wire S 1 ′, the released length of the C wire S 3 ′ is shorter than that of the B wire S 2 ′, and the D wire S 4  shows a lax state in the D storage groove  191 . In addition, the terminal connectors  67  become immovable due to the tightening effect of the anti-slide sheath  46 , hence the plurality of terminal connectors  66  may be inserted into conductive sockets  74  of the electric appliances  70  located at different positions without making a mess out of the wires. More particularly, the wirs S may be winded at a fast speed when not in use. 
     5. Referring to FIG. 8, the axis  22  and the main turning wheel  22  are a formed integral so that the two axis ends  222  and  223  are flexibly connected into the round notches  403  and  424  provided in advance at the inner walls of the left and right housings  40  and  42 , respectively, thereby freely rotating the axis in the round notches  403  and  424 . 
     Referring to FIG. 9, the A, B, C and D turning wheels  11 ′,  12 ′,  14 ′ and  141  have same diameters, and the A, B, C and D storage grooves  15 ′,  17 ′,  19 ′ and  191  are for storing the A, B, C and D wires S 1 ′, S 2 ′, S 3 ′ and S 4 . According to this embodiment, the released lengths of the A, B, C and D wires S 1 ′, S 2 ′, S 3 ′ and S 4  are the same to satisfy the requirements of the user. This embodiment shall be included in the claims appended. 
     It is of course to be understood that the embodiment described herein is merely illustrative of the principles of the invention and that a wide variety of modifications thereto may be effected by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Technology Category: 7