BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to a reel stand which is arranged for receiving a reel in a rotating manner.

DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART

[0002] In many technical chores, for example in relation to electrical and 1T- installations, there is often demand for equipment for feeding reeled or spooled articles, such as cables or wires, is a controlled manner from the reel to the location of installation. For this purpose, it is known to use different racks and stands for receiving the reels, in which the received reel can rotate for feeding the cable as a result of the cable being pulled.

[0003] A problem often occurring during use of said known stand models is related to their light-weight structure, which may result in the stand being displaced or toppled as a result of the cable being pulled from the reel placed in the stand.

[0004] On the other hand, fabricating the reel stand into a sufficiently heavy structure renders the stand difficult to move and may cause additional costs, rendering the stand poorly suited for its purpose. Additionally, the manufacture of the known stand models typically comprises several manufacturing steps, such as bending and welding of the raw material, thereby further increasing the manufacturing costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] An object of the present invention is to solve the previously described problems and to provide a reel stand that is inexpensive and easy to manufacture and enables easy prevention of displacement during use. This object is achieved with a reel stand according to independent claim 1.

[0006] By forming the reel stand by a substantially U-shaped frame, wherein a first and a second branch have a planar section and an end located on a plane defined by the planar sections, a reel stand is obtained that can be arranged rigidly on a surface during use and that is easy to move. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0007] In the following the present invention will be described in closer detail by way of example and with reference to the attached drawings, in which [0008] Figure 1 illustrates an oblique projection of the reel stand,

[0009] Figure 2 illustrates an oblique projection of the reel stand of Figure 1 and a reel arranged thereto, and

[0010] Figure 3 illustrates an oblique projection of an additional part of the reel stand of Figures 1 and 2.

DESCRIPTION OF AT LEAST ONE EMBODIMENT

[0011] The structure of the reel stand is illustrated in the example of Figures 1 and 2, wherein the reel stand comprises a unitary, substantially U-shaped frame 1 having a first branch 2 and a second branch 3. As illustrated in the figures, the frame 1 is formed of a singular piece that is narrow relative to its length, which piece may be, for example, a pipe or a rod. Said structure enables manufacture of the frame 1 by only bending said piece forming it, such that no other manufacturing steps, for example for joining together separate structural elements, are needed. In other variations of the reel stand, the shape and proportions of the piece used for forming the frame 1 may, however, deviate from the example of Figures 1 and 2, such that the structure of the frame 1 may be thicker or narrower than illustrated in the figures.

[0012] In the example of Figures 1 and 2, the U-shape of the frame 1 is formed by four angular points 35, wherein at each angular point 35 the piece forming the frame is bent in one direction that is the same at all of the angular points 35, such that the angular points together form a substantially 180 degree turn at the middle section of the piece, wherein a first 2 and a second branch 3 are formed in the piece on different sides of said turn. In other variations of the reel stand, the number of the angular points 35 may deviate from the example of Figures 1 and 2, wherein their number is at least two, or instead of the angular points 35, the turn between the branches 2, 3 may be implemented as a singular, continuous turn.

[0013] Furthermore in the example of Figures 1 and 2, both branches 2, 3 of the frame comprise a planar section 4, said planar sections extending parallel to each other from the turn defined by the angular points 35, such that they together define a plane 5. Said plane 5 is thereby formed such that it extends in the direction of extension of the planar sections 4 and touches both planar sections 4 simultaneously. With said arrangement, a rigid arrangement of the frame 1 on a surface, such as a floor, is achieved, thereby inhibiting displacement or toppling of the reel stand during use. The described shape of the frame 1 also enables an additional load to be placed on top of the planar sections 4, thereby further hampering the movement of the frame 1 relative to the surface, such as a floor, as a consequence of the added load. Thereby, the reel stand is well suited to be set on a horizontal surface, such as a floor, in which case its firm placement can be further advanced by using the added load placed on top of the planar sections 4 of the frame branches. By utilizing separate fasteners, the reel stand may also be set on, for example, a vertical surface during use, for example by suspending it on a wall on hooks.

[0014] According to the example of Figures 1 and 2, both branches 2, 3 of the frame further comprise a support section 6 having a first 7 and a second rod section 8. The support sections 6 extend in an angle, which is preferably a right angle as illustrated in the example of Figures 1 and 2, in relation to the plane 5 defined by the planar sections 4. Said rod sections 7, 8 also form an angle 9 together, wherein both rod sections 7, 8 connect to the planar section 4 through the first rod section 7 at each of the branches 2, 3. In said arrangement, the second rod section 8 further comprises an end 10 located on the plane 5 defined by the planar sections 4. Thereby, rigidness of the frame 1 placement on the surface, such as a floor, is further improved, when at least the ends 10 and the planar sections 4 come into contact with the surface. The magnitude of the angle 9 formed by the rod sections 7, 8 may freely deviate from the example of Figure 1 insofar that it enables the end 10 to be located on the plane 5 defined by the planar sections 4. In a preferred embodiment, the magnitude of the angle 9 is 20 to 90 degrees.

[0015] Furthermore according to the example of Figures 1 and 2, a first support member 11 and a second support member 12 are provided coaxially in the respective first 2 and the second branch 3 of the frame. The support members 11,

12 extend from the first 2 and the second branch 3 towards each other at the support sections 6 to form a contact with openings 15 on side flanges 14 of a reel

13 arranged between the support members 11, 12, to receive the reel 13 in the reel stand in a rotating manner as illustrated in the example of Figure 2. In this context, the term contact means that the support members 11, 12 extend at least partially inside the openings 15 when the reel 13 has been received in the reel stand. Due to said arrangement, the reel 13 received in the reel stand is attached firmly to the reel stand, such that problems related to the reel falling from the reel stand during use are avoided. According to the Figures 1 and 2, the first 11 and the second support member 12 are further arranged to the first 2 and the second branch 3 at the support sections 6 such that a distance 17 of a rotational axis 16 of the reel 13 received in the reel stand from the plane 5 is greater than a radius 18 of the reel. With said arrangement, free rotation of the reel 13 in the reel stand is enabled without a contact being formed between the reel and the plane 5.

[0016] In the example of Figures 1 and 2, the first 11 and the second support member 12 extend from the first 2 and the second branch 3 at the support sections 6 such that each support member 11, 12 is in contact with the first 7 and the second rod section 8 of the support section 6. In other words, the support members 11, 12 are located between the rod sections 7, 8 at the angle 9 formed by them. The arrangement of the support members 11, 12 according to said example enables that by turning the reel stand and the reel 13 attached thereto upside down relative to the position illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the reel stand can be easily moved by rotating the reel 13 on the surface, such as a floor. In said arrangement, the reel stand acts in the way of a carriage, wherein the reel 13 forms a wheel, and that can be pulled by, for example, an electrician while moving to the installation location. In such case, the first 2 and the second branch 3 of the frame and the turn between them form at the same time a handle-like formation that is well suited for pulling the reel stand. Alternatively, a free end of an article, such as a cable or a wire provided in the reel 13 in the reel stand may be attached to, for example, the initial end of the installation location, such that by moving the reel stand according to the previous description, the article may be fed from the reel 13 in a controlled manner by moving the reel stand.

[0017] Another benefit that is obtained by locating the support members 11, 12 in a way described above is that during the manufacture of the reel stand, the support members 11, 12 may be easily positioned by utilizing the shape of the support sections 6 without the separate steps of positioning and temporary mounting of the support members. In other variations of the reel stand, however, the support members 11, 12 may be in contact with, for example, only one of the rod sections 7, 8 and be located in which ever location along the length of the rod sections 7, 8.

[0018] In the example of Figures 1 and 2, the first 7 and the second rod section 8 of each support section 6 define together a support plane 19, in other words so that the first 7 and the second rod section 8 extend on the same plane relative to each other. According to said example, the distance 20 between the support planes 19 is at least equal to a width 21 of the reel 13, and furthermore a distance 22 between the first 11 and the second support member 12 is smaller than the width 21 of the reel 13, such that the shape of the reel stand is suited for receiving and holding the reel 13 between the support sections 6.

[0019] Furthermore, for arranging the reel 13 between the support members 11, 12, the frame 1 of the reel stand is formed of an elastic material such that the distance 22 between the first 11 and the second support member 12 is elastically deflectable by an external force. Thereby, by directing an external force to, for example, one branch 2, 3 of the frame or to one of the first 11 and the second support members 12 such that the force is directed away from the adjacent branch 2, 3 or support member 11, 12, the distance between the first 11 and the second support members 12 may be temporarily increased in order to facilitate the arrangement of the reel 13 between the support members 11, 12. Said elastic material may be, for example, a metal, a plastic or a composite material. In order to facilitate the increasing of the distance 22 between the support members 11, 12 during placing and removal of the reel 13, the branches 2, 3 of the reel stand are only connected at a singular location in the example illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. [0020] Due to its shape, the reel stand according to the example of Figures 1 and 2 is also suited for use in an alternative mode in case of, for example, such continuous and bendable articles that are supplied without the reel 13. Such articles include, for example, bundled cables and tubes. In said alternative mode of use, the reel stand is placed on the surface sideways in respect to the operating position disclosed above, such that the reel stand is supported on the surface through either one of the support sections 6 and the planar section 4 connected thereto. In other words, in said operating position the support plane 19 defined by the first 7 and the second rod section 8 is placed parallel to the surface, such that these rod sections and the planar section 4 connected thereto act as a structure supporting the reel stand in said position. In this position, the reel stand is especially well suited for receiving such reels 13 that comprise only one side flange 14, wherein the reel end provided with the side flange 14 is preferably placed towards the support section 6 supporting the reel stand. The articles supplied without the reel may be easily placed in such a reel 13, which may be directly manufactured into the described shape or be provided by removing one side flange 14 of a reel comprising two side flanges. In such case, placement of the articles may be accomplished via the end of the reel that is not provided with the side flange 14. With an arrangement as described, previously described benefits of the reel stand may be utilized also in relation to such articles, without the outer dimensions of the article bundles limiting their compatibility with the reel stand.

[0021] An additional part of the reel stand is illustrated in the example of Figure 3, the part being suited to be used in a reel stand according to Figures 1 and 2.

[0022] Said additional part comprises an axle 23 that is arranged to be attached to the first support member 11, and an axle support 26 that is arranged to be attached to the second support member 12. According to said example, the axle 23 has a first 24 and a second end 25 and is arranged to be attached to the first support member 11 such that the first end 24 of the axle extends towards the second support member 12. Correspondingly, the axle support 26 is then arranged to be attached to the second support member 12 such that a recess 27 opens to the surface of the axle support 26 towards the first support member 11 for receiving the first end 24 of the axle.

[0023] The arrangement as illustrated in the example of Figure 3 enables the reception of reels 13 to the reel stand that have a width 21 smaller than the distance between the first 11 and the second support section 12. In such case, when the reel 13 has been received to the reel stand, the axle 23 forms a contact with the openings 15 at the side flanges 14 of the reel 13 arranged between the support members 11, 12, instead of the support members 11, 12, and extends through the reel 13 between the openings 15.

[0024] In the example of Figure 3, the second end 25 of the axle extends from the first support member 11 opposite to the first end 24 past the first support member 11, and the axle support 26 comprises a protrusion 28 extending away from the first support member 11 past the second support member 12. In said arrangement, the second end 25 of the axle and the protrusion 28 of the axle support may be brought into contact with the first 7 or the second rod section 8 of the support section 6 corresponding to their location, such that movement of the axle 23 and the axle support 26 relative to the support members 11, 12 can be inhibited. Said arrangement is not essential for the function of the reel stand, however.

[0025] Furthermore in the example of Figure 3, the axle 23 further comprises an axle bushing 33 between the first 24 and the second end 25 of the axle, which is arranged to be placed gaplessly around the first support member 11 to attach the axle 23 to the first support member 11. Correspondingly, in said example also the axle support 26 further comprises a support bushing 34, which is arranged to be placed gaplessly around the second support member 12, to attach the axle support 26 to the second support member 12. In this context, the term gapless means that the space for movement available to the axle bushing 33 and the support bushing 34 about the support members 11, 12 is minuscule. In other variations of the reel stand, the axle 23 and the axle support 26 may be arranged to attach to the support members 11, 12 by means other than utilizing the bushings 33, 34, wherein instead of the bushings 33, 34, the axle 23 and the axle support 26 may comprise, for example, a fastening band.

[0026] In the examples of Figures 1 to 3, both of the first 11 and the second support member 12 are formed of a cylindrical piece, which may be hollow or solid so that an outer 29 radius of the support members is smaller than the radius 30 of the holes 15 at the side flanges 14 of the reel 13. Additionally, in said examples a rounding 31 is provided between the first 7 and the second rod section 8 of each support section 6, a rounding radius 32 of said rounding 31 substantially corresponding to the outer radius 29 of the first 11 and the second support members 12. In said arrangement, the outer surface of the support members 11, 12 fits seamlessly into the rounding 32 between the rod sections 7, 8, such that the contact surface between the support members 11, 12 and the rounding 32 is maximized. In other variations of the reel support, the outer radius 29 of the support members 11, 12 may also be dimensioned differently, such that they are smaller than the radius 30 of the holes 15 at the side flanges 14 of the reel 13. The support members 11, 12 maybe manufactured out of, for example, a pipe or a solid rod piece.