Recoil speed control

Abstract

In a spring loaded shaft for automatically rewinding a cord or the like after it has been unwound for temporary use, provision is made for reducing the whipping effect by slowing the speed in which the rewinding occurs. An elongate member is attached to an end of the shaft and is disposed within a liquid substance contained in a housing such that rotation of the shaft is slowed by the interaction of the elongate member with the liquid substance.

1 . Apparatus for controlling the recoil speed of a spring loaded shaft of the type which is mounted in a housing and adapted to have wound thereon a length of material for storage and allow the length of material to be unwound for use and automatically rewound for storage, comprising:
 an elongate member attached to said shaft and extending radially outwardly therefrom;   a housing surrounding said elongate member and allowing said elongate member to be rotated therein as the shaft rotates; and   a liquid substance disposed in said housing and offering resistance to rotation of said elongate member when rewinding occurs.   
     
     
         2 . Apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said shaft is centered in said housing and said elongate member extends substantially radially outwardly in opposite directions therefrom. 
     
     
         3 . Apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said elongate member is round in cross sectional shaped. 
     
     
         4 . Apparatus as set forth in  claim 3  wherein said elongate member comprises a wire. 
     
     
         5 . Apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said liquid substance is a grease. 
     
     
         6 . Apparatus as set forth in  claim 5  wherein said grease is a food grease. 
     
     
         7 . Apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said housing includes a cavity in which the liquid substance is disposed. 
     
     
         8 . Apparatus as set forth in  claim 7  wherein the depth of said cavity is substantially two times the height of the elongate member. 
     
     
         9 . Apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said string is attached to one end of said shaft and said elongate member is attached to the other end thereof. 
     
     
         10 . Apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said elongate member is a strap. 
     
     
         11 . A storage assembly for storing a windable length of material, comprising:
 a rotatable reel for winding and unwinding the length of material;   a spring attached to said reel for allowing the reel to rotate in one direction to unwind the length of material while loading the spring and in the other direction to wind up the length of material while unloading the spring; and   a drag mechanism associated with said reel to cause winding up of the length of material to occur at a reduced speed so as to thereby reduce the whipping effect that occurs in the length of material.   
     
     
         12 . A storage assembly as set forth in  claim 11  wherein said spring comprises a coil spring. 
     
     
         13 . A storage mechanism as set forth in  claim 11  wherein said drag mechanism includes a paddle arm attached to an axis of said rotatable reel. 
     
     
         14 . A storage assembly as set forth in  claim 13  wherein said drag mechanism also includes a liquid material surrounding said paddle. 
     
     
         15 . A storage assembly as set forth in  claim 14  wherein said liquid material comprises a grease. 
     
     
         16 . A storage assembly as set forth in  claim 15  wherein said grease comprises a food grease. 
     
     
         17 . A storage assembly as set forth in  claim 13  wherein said paddle is arcuately shaped and mounted such that there is greater resistance during the rewinding than during the unwinding. 
     
     
         18 . A storage assembly as set forth in  claim 11  wherein said spring is mounted on one end of said reel axes and said drag mechanism is mounted on the other end thereof.