Retractable Badge Holder Assembly With Automatic Alignment

Abstract

The disclosure concerns a retractable badge holder assembly designed to cause a particular face of an essentially planar badge to have the same orientation with respect to the retractable badge holder assembly when a cord that retracts the badge is fully retracted through the action of matched magnets. The retractable badge holder assembly has a case subassembly containing a retraction mechanism and having an aperture for a cord and a bob which is adapted to be affixed adjacent to a terminal end of the cord and limit the retraction of the cord. A magnet having a north and a south pole is affixed adjacent to the aperture, another magnet having a north and a south pole is secured to the end of the bob adapted to be proximate to the aperture. The poles of the magnets are matched so that the same face of the retracted badge will face outward.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A retractable badge holder assembly comprising a case subassembly containing a retraction mechanism and having an aperture for a cord which facilitates the extension and retraction of the retractable badge and a bob which is adapted to be affixed adjacent to a terminal end of the cord and limit the retraction of the cord wherein a magnet having a north and a south pole is adjacent to the aperture, another magnet having a north and a south pole is secured to the end of the bob adapted to be proximate to the aperture and the poles of the magnets are arranged to assure that the cord will have the same rotational configuration about its long axis each time the cord is retracted into the case subassembly. 
     
     
         2 . The retractable badge holder assembly of  claim 1  wherein the bob carries a means for securing a generally planar badge and the magnets are arranged to cause one face of the badge to have a particular orientation to the case subassembly when the cord is retracted to the full extent permitted by the bob. 
     
     
         3 . The retractable badge holder assembly of  claim 2  wherein the case subassembly carries a means to removably secure the subassembly to an article of clothing. 
     
     
         4 . The retractable badge holder assembly of  claim 3  wherein the securing means is a clip. 
     
     
         5 . The retractable badge holder assembly of  claim 3  wherein the magnets are arranged to cause the one face of the badge to be oriented away from the article of clothing. 
     
     
         6 . The retractable badge holder assembly of  claim 1  wherein the retraction mechanism comprises a reel and a spring that stores energy as the cord is withdrawn from the case subassembly and is configured to use such energy to rotate the reel and cause the cord to retract when no external withdrawing force is being applied to the cord. 
     
     
         7 . The retractable badge holder assembly of  claim 1  wherein the magnet adjacent to the aperture is a diametric magnet that surrounds the aperture and has a hole adapted to accommodate the cord. 
     
     
         8 . The retractable badge holder assembly of  claim 1  wherein the aperture is surrounded by one or more magnets that have their poles magnetized along an axis parallel to the major axis of the cord.