Modular hose reel

Abstract

A reel, such as a hose reel, which includes a modular base assembly and a modular spool assembly. The base assembly includes a frame which is formed by a plurality of extruded frame components joined to one another by connecting members. The lengths of the frame components may be easily varied in order to in turn vary the overall width, depth, and height dimensions of the frame of the base assembly. The spool assembly includes a pair of side walls joined to one another by a plurality of spacer members. The length of the spacer members may be varied to in turn vary the width of the spool assembly. In one embodiment, the base assembly frame components and the spacer members are aluminum extrusions which are each cut to a selected length. In this manner, the width, depth, and height of the frame of the base assembly and the width of the spool assembly may be selectively varied to easily custom manufacture different reels having different overall sizes.

1 . A line of reels, comprising: 
 a first reel including a first base assembly formed of a plurality of frame components joined to one another, said first base assembly having a height, a width, and a depth;    a second reel including a second base assembly formed of a plurality of frame components joined to one another, said second base assembly having a height, a width, and a depth, at least some of said frame components of said first and second base assemblies formed as extrusions having an identical cross sectional shape, and at least one of said height, width, and depth of said second base assembly differing from said height, width, and depth of said first base assembly;    each of said first and second base assemblies of said first and second reels including a spool assembly rotatably mounted thereto.    
     
     
         2 . The line of reels of  claim 1 , wherein at least two of said height, width, and depth of said second base assembly differ from said height, width, and depth of said first base assembly.  
     
     
         3 . The line of reels of  claim 1 , wherein each of said height, width, and depth of said second base assembly differ from said height, width, and depth of said first base assembly.  
     
     
         4 . The line of reels of  claim 1 , wherein said frame components include slots extending therealong, said frame components respectively joined to one another by connectors received within said slots.  
     
     
         5 . The line of reels of  claim 1 , wherein said slots have a substantially T-shaped profile including an outwardly-facing channel and a pair of opposing flanges, at least a portion of said connectors disposed within said channel and engaging said opposing flanges.  
     
     
         6 . The line of reels of  claim 1 , wherein each said spool assembly further comprises at least one of a fluid inlet connector assembly and a fluid outlet connector assembly.  
     
     
         7 . The line of reels of  claim 1 , wherein each of said first and second reels further includes a drive assembly mounted to said base assembly thereof, said drive assembly drivably coupled to said spool assembly.  
     
     
         8 . The line of reels of  claim 7 , wherein said drive assembly comprises one of: 
 a hand crank rotatably coupled to said spool assembly via a gear set; and    an electric motor rotatably coupled to said spool assembly via one of a gear set and a chain drive.    
     
     
         9 . The line of reels of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said spool assemblies is mounted to a respective base assembly via at least one bearing attached to a lower side of one of said frame components of said base assembly, whereby said spool assembly is positioned substantially internally of said base assembly.  
     
     
         10 . A method of manufacturing reels, comprising the steps of: 
 forming a plurality of individual frame members by extrusion, at least some of the frame members having identical cross sectional shapes, and at least some of the frame members having different lengths;    attaching individual frame members to one another to form a first base assembly having a height, a width, and a depth;    mounting a rotatable spool assembly to the first base assembly;    attaching individual frame members to one another to form a second base assembly having a height, a width, and a depth, wherein at least one of the height, width, and depth of the second base assembly differs from the height, width, and depth of the first base assembly; and    mounting a rotatable spool assembly to the second base assembly.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein at least two of the height, width, and depth of the second base assembly differs from the height, width, and depth of the first base assembly.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein each of the height, width, and depth of the second base assembly differs from the height, width, and depth of the first base assembly.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the frame components include slots extending therealong, and said attaching steps further comprise inserting connectors into the slots.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the slots have a substantially T-shaped profile including an outwardly-facing channel and a pair of opposing flanges, and said attaching steps further comprise engaging at least a portion of the connectors with the opposing flanges.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , comprising the additional steps of attaching at least one of a fluid inlet connector assembly and a fluid outlet connector assembly to each of said first and second base assemblies.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , comprising the additional steps of attaching a drive assembly to each of said first and second base assemblies, the drive assemblies drivably coupled to the spool assemblies.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the drive assemblies each comprises one of: 
 a hand crank rotatably coupled to the spool assembly via a gear set; and    an electric motor rotatably coupled to the spool assembly via one of a gear set and a chain drive.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the spool assemblies is mounted to a respective base assembly via at least one bearing attached to a lower side of one of the frame components of the base assembly, whereby the spool assembly is positioned substantially internally of the base assembly.  
     
     
         19 . A reel, comprising: 
 a base assembly including a plurality of individual frame components having slots extending therealong, said frame components joined to one another by connectors received within said slots; and    a spool assembly rotatably mounted to said base assembly.    
     
     
         20 . The reel of  claim 19 , wherein said slots have a substantially T-shaped profile including an outwardly-facing channel and a pair of opposing flanges, at least a portion of said connectors disposed within said channel and engaging said opposing flanges.  
     
     
         21 . The reel of  claim 19 , wherein at least some of said individual frame components are identical to one another.  
     
     
         22 . The reel of  claim 19 , wherein at least some of said frame components have an identical cross sectional shape with respect to one another.  
     
     
         23 . The reel of  claim 19 , wherein said frame components are formed by an extrusion process from one of a metal and a rigid plastic.  
     
     
         24 . The reel of  claim 19 , wherein said spool assembly comprises a pair of side walls joined together by a plurality of extruded spacer members.  
     
     
         25 . The reel of  claim 19 , wherein said spool assembly further comprises at least one of a fluid input connector assembly and a fluid outlet connector assembly.  
     
     
         26 . The reel of  claim 19 , further comprising a drive assembly mounted to said base assembly, said drive assembly drivably coupled to said spool assembly.  
     
     
         27 . The reel of  claim 26 , wherein said drive assembly comprises one of: 
 a hand crank rotatably coupled to said spool assembly via a gear set; and    an electric motor rotatably coupled to said spool assembly via one of a gear set and a chain drive.    
     
     
         28 . The reel of  claim 19 , wherein said spool assembly is mounted to said base assembly via at least one bearing attached to a lower side of one of said frame components of said base assembly, whereby said spool assembly is positioned substantially internally of said base assembly.