Manually loaded cord reeling device

Abstract

A spring-loaded drum rotates around a post attached between a cap and a base. A cord retaining clip and surrounding cord receiving slot on the reel admits and secures a mid portion of an existing cord. As the drum turns it winds up the cord from the center in a double coil. A top and a bottom coil on opposite sides of the drum guide an attached cord extending end in the top half and the bottom half of the drum respectively.

1 . A cord reeling device for receiving an existing cord installed by a user, the device comprising: 
 a reel comprising a base and a cap interconnected by a post, a cylindrical housing or drum surrounding and rotating freely around the post, the drum having a cylindrical outer surface for receiving a cord wound around the drum, a spring connected between the post and the drum so that the spring causes the drum to rotate around the post to wind a cord around the drum, a means for retaining a cord wound around the drum, a cord receiving opening in the drum for receiving a mid section of a cord and a means for retaining a mid section of a cord in the cord receiving opening with two extending cord ends protruding from the drum and a means for allowing an extension of a first extending cord end out along a top half of the drum and a means for allowing an extension of a second extending cord end out along a bottom half of the drum with both extending cord ends winding in a same direction around the drum, a means for guiding the two extending cord ends so that the first extending end winds around an upper half of the drum and the second extending cord end winds around a lower half of the drum, and a means for releasably retaining the drum in a stationary position with the cord extending to any desired length so that pulling on the two extending ends of the cord uncoils the cord to any desired length until the drum retaining means is engaged and releasing the drum retaining means with the cord extended allows the coiled spring to rotate the drum and wind up the cord.    
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the means for retaining a cord wound around the drum comprises a series of upper flanges extending outwardly from the drum around an upper perimeter of the drum and a mating series of lower flanges extending outwardly from the a bottom of the drum around a bottom perimeter of the drum, the upper and lower flanges spaced apart a sufficient distance to retain a length of cord therebetween with the cord wound around the drum.  
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 1  wherein a cord mounting opening in the drum for receiving a mid section of a cord and a means for retaining a mid section of a cord in the cord mounting opening with two extending cord ends protruding from the drum and a means for allowing an extension of a first extending cord end out along a top half of the drum and a means for allowing an extension of the second extending cord end out along a bottom half of the drum with both extending cord ends winding in a same direction around the drum comprise a cord mounting portion of the drum comprising a cord receiving opening and a cord retaining clip positioned centrally in the cord receiving opening so that a midsection of a cord may be looped over the cord retaining clip and inserted in the cord receiving opening so that a first extending end of the cord extends out of a top of the cord receiving opening on a first side of the cord retaining clip and around an outside of the cord retaining clip and along an upper portion of the drum and through the first coil and a second extending end of the cord extends out of a bottom of the cord receiving opening on a second side of the cord retaining clip and along a bottom portion of the drum in the same direction as the first extending end of the cord and winds around the bottom half of the drum through the second coil on the other side of the reel, so that each half of the cord winds around a different half of the drum in the same direction as the drum rotates to wind an entire cord around the drum to any desired length, the cord retaining clip preventing the cord from slipping off the drum with the cord fully extended.  
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the means for guiding two extending ends of a cord so that one of the extending ends winds around an upper half of the drum and the other of the extending ends winds around a lower half of the drum comprises an elongated arm extending from each of two opposing sides of the reel, the arm comprising an outer coil having a center opening for receiving and retaining a portion of a cord wound into the coil, a first outer coil positioned adjacent to a top half of the reel for guiding a first extending end of the cord to wind around the top half of the drum as the drum rotates and a second outer coil positioned adjacent to a bottom half of the reel for guiding a second extending end of the cord to wind around the bottom half of the drum as the drum rotates.  
   
   
       5 . A cord reeling device for receiving an existing cord installed by a user, the device comprising: 
 a reel comprising a base and a cap interconnected by a post, a cylindrical housing or drum surrounding and rotating freely around the post, the drum having a cylindrical outer surface for receiving a cord wound around the drum and a central opening therethrough to receive the post, a coiled spring connected between the post and the drum so that the coiled spring under tension causes the drum to rotate around the post to wind a cord around the drum, a series of upper flanges extending outwardly from the drum around a perimeter of the drum and a mating series of lower flanges extending outwardly from the bottom of the drum around a perimeter of the drum, the upper and lower flanges spaced apart a sufficient distance to retain a length of cord therebetween with the cord wound around the drum, an elongated arm extending from each of two opposing sides of the reel, the arm comprising an outer coil having a center opening for receiving and retaining a portion of a cord wound into the coil, a first outer coil positioned adjacent to a top half of the reel for guiding a first extending cord end to wind around the top half of the drum as the drum rotates and a second outer coil positioned adjacent to a bottom half of the reel for guiding a second extending cord end to wind around the bottom half of the drum as the drum rotates, a cord mounting portion of the drum comprising a cord receiving opening and a cord retaining clip positioned centrally in the cord receiving opening so that a midsection of a cord may be looped over the cord retaining clip and inserted in the cord receiving opening so that a first extending cord end extends out of a top of the cord receiving opening on a first side of the cord retaining clip and around an outside of the cord retaining clip and along an upper portion of the drum and through the first coil and a second extending cord end extends out of a bottom of the cord receiving opening on a second side of the cord retaining clip and along a bottom portion of the drum in the same direction as the first extending end of the cord and winds around the bottom half of the drum through the second coil on the other side of the reel, so that each half of the cord winds around a different half of the drum in the same direction as the drum rotates to wind an entire cord around the drum to any desired length, the cord retaining clip preventing the cord from slipping off the drum with the cord fully extended, and a means for releasably retaining the drum in a stationary position with the cord extending to any desired length so that pulling on the two extending ends of the cord uncoils the cord to any desired length until the drum retaining means is engaged and releasing the drum retaining means with the cord extended allows the coiled spring to rotate the drum and wind up the cord.    
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 5  wherein the cord retaining clip further comprises a cord retaining clip flange extending outwardly from the drum in alignment with the upper flanges.  
   
   
       7 . The device of  claim 5  wherein the cord insertion space comprises a top opening on a first side of the cord retaining clip for guiding the first extending cord end to the top of the drum and a full-length opening on a second side of the cord retaining clip for guiding the second extending cord end to the bottom of the drum.  
   
   
       8 . The device of  claim 5  wherein the post further comprises a spring receiving slot and the drum further comprises a spring receiving slot and the coiled spring further comprises an outside hook portion of the coiled spring engaged in the spring receiving slot of the drum and an inside hook portion of the coiled spring engaged in the spring receiving slot of the post.  
   
   
       9 . The device of  claim 5  further comprising another series of flanges extending outwardly from the drum midway between the upper flanges and the lower flanges thereby forming three layers of flanges and creating two cord winding guide tracks between the three layers.  
   
   
       10 . The device of  claim 5  further comprising a reel attaching means connected to the reel for attaching the reel to the clothing or other item of a user.