Tube winder structure

Details Tube winder structure Tube winder structure

2001-01-22

2002-10-01

Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3653)

Winding, tensioning, or guiding

Coil holder or support

Randomly oriented coil holder

C242S397000, C242S397100, C242S597800

Reexamination Certificate

active

06457669

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is related to a tube winder structure including a tube-squeezing unit which is adjustable in gap, whereby during winding of the tube, the water is drained out from the flat tube and the flat tube is simultaneously flattened so as to reduce the volume of the flat tube. Therefore, the flattened flat tube can be smoothly wound and collected.
FIG. 6
shows a conventional tube winder composed of a seat body
7
and a reel
8
. The seat body
7
has a shaft
71
and the reel
8
has a cylindrical barrel section
81
. Two sides of the barrel section
81
are respectively formed with two stop flanges
82
,
83
. A crank ( not shown) is disposed on outer side of one stop flange
82
. The reel
8
is rotatably fitted on the shaft
71
of the seat body
7
. When winding a tube, by means of cranking the crank, the reel
8
is rotated to wind and collect a flat tube
9
around the barrel section
81
of the reel
8
.
During the winding of the flat tube
9
, it is impossible for the conventional tube winder to drain the water remaining in the flat tube
9
. As a result, after the flat tube
9
is completely wound, a large amount of water will still remain in the flat tube
9
. Therefore, the tube winder with the flat tube
9
will have a very heavy weight. Moreover, the water remaining in the tube tends to culture moss on the inner wall face of the flat tube
9
. Consequently, in next use of the flat tube
9
, contaminated water will flow out of the flat tube
9
. Therefore, it is necessary to frequently clean up the inner wall face of the flat tube
9
. In addition, during winding of the flat tube
9
, the conventional tube winder fails to flatten the tube
9
so as to reduce the volume thereof. Therefore, length of the tube
9
wound around the same size of reel
8
will be shortened. As a result, the conventional tube winder cannot be more flexibly used and the application range of the conventional tube winder is limited.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a tube winder structure including a tube-squeezing unit composed of a handle and rod member parallel to the handle. The gap between the handle and the rod member can be adjusted. During winding of a flat tube, a connector of the flat tube is first stopped by stop plates on inner side of a window of the reel of the tube winder. The tube body of the flat tube is then wound into the tube-squeezing unit from one side. By means of cranking a crank of the reel, the reel is rotated to wind the flat tube thereon. When the flat tube passes through the tube-squeezing unit, the gap is such defined between a sleeve fitted on the rod member and the handle as to squeeze and flatten the flat tube. At the same time, the flattened flat tube is wound to planely attach to the wall face of the barrel section of the reel. Also, the water is synchronously drained out of the tube. Accordingly, after the flat tube is completely wound and collected, no water will remain in the flat tube so that the tube winder with the flat tube will have light weight. In addition, it is not easy to culture moss on the inner wall face of the flat tube. Consequently, it is unnecessary to clean up the inner wall face in next use of the flat tube.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide the above above tube winder structure in which, during winding of the tube, the tube-squeezing unit is able to simultaneously flatten the flat tube and reduce the volume thereof. Therefore, the flattened flat tube can be smoothly wound to planely attach to the wall face of the barrel section of the reel. As a result, the same size of reel can collect a maximum length of flat tube so that the reel can be more widely used in various tube-winding situations. Therefore, the tube winder can be more flexibly and conveniently used.
The present invention can be best understood through the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:


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