Portable Motorized Remote Controlled Hose Reel

[0001] The housing assembly of the present invention in this embodiment includes a front wall, two side walls, a rear wall and a top wall, (which may be removable)or be used as a solar panel to recharge the batteries and drive the motor or gain access to the reel motor, remote receiver and batteries. To facilitate use and movement of the assembly, the rear wall may be formed with depending feet or rollers or wheels which may be rotatably mounted on either a common or separate axle. The auxiliary hose has an end for attachment to a water spigot while the other end is connected to a conduit which is connected to a conduit system connected to the main hose which will be wrapped on an interiorly located reel.

[0002] The reel is connected to larger diameter wheels and at each end the connection may be accomplished in a number of ways such as by epoxy adhesive, interlocking fingers or screws. The wheels have hubs, each of which is mounted on an axle. The axles are concentrically relative to the axis of rotation of the reel which is preferably hollow and provided with openings to facilitate drainage of water out of the housing assembly.

[0003] A hose guide member which includes a central opening through which a hose will be positioned on which is mounted a reversing lug which projects outwardly from the inner wall. The lug has a shaft positioned in a base formed through the base of the recess and through an extension and which is surrounded by a spring to resiliently hold the lug in position. With this arrangement, rotation of the lug and shaft will easily be effected when the hose guide reaches one end of its travel on the guide rods and the end of the lug will slide in spiral grooves, two sets of which are formed in the upper rod. The upper rod is rotated by a gear driven by the motor in a selected direction. One set of grooves will effect translation of the guide in one direction while the other set of grooves will effect translation in the opposite direction on the guide rods. When the guide reaches one end of the rods, further rotation of the rod will force the lug to rotate about half shaft to engage the outer set of grooves and commence movement of the guide in the opposite direction, while the motor"s rotation can be continued in the same direction.

[0004] The motor which will be used by remote control or electrical manual switches to rotate the reel when it is desired to reel in a hose which is connected to the water outlet pipe extending through the surface of the reel. The pipe extends within the axle which is hollow and makes sealing contact with a stationary connector tube located within the axle by means of one or more O-rings carried about the exterior of the tube, preferably in grooves formed about the circumference thereof adjacent to the end thereof that is inserted into the end of the pipe. The reel and wheel area radially spaced from the pipe and tube with the connection end of the pipe disposed about the tube. A secure sealing will be effected that allows unhindered rotation of the reel and pipe carried by a slot provided in the inner edge of the hub. Retaining plates are secured about the end and are in turn secured by screws to the axle.

[0005] In operation, a user will first connect the auxiliary hose to a spigot at the end. The other end of the auxiliary hose is connected to the connecting tube which extends within the axle where the interfitting with the connection end of the pipe takes place. Since the axle has a larger diameter than that of the tube and the end of the pipe, no stress will be transmitted to the seal between these elements. A user will then connect one end of the hose to the opposite end of the pipe that projects through the rear. The opening in the hose guide should be of a size to allow the connecting end of a hose be inserted there through to facilitate this connection. When desired, the motor will be rotated by using the remote control transmitter button to rotate the reel as well as simultaneously reciprocate the hose guide along the guide rods until the desired length of hose is wound on the reel. The motor shaft will have to be connected to a sprocket gear or wheel. The reel will be connected by bolts or screws to freely rotatable pinion which is connected to another sprocket gear. Guide rod is connected to a sprocket gear and may be rotatably mounted to the wall of the housing assembly.

[0006] About each of these sprocket gears or wheels is a sprocket chain. With this arrangement, rotation of the sprocket gear by the motor will directly effect rotation of thee reel connected to the shaft with translation being transmitted through the rod to the hose guide. It will be understood that a flexible belt may be substituted for the sprocket chain, although a sprocket chain tends to be more durable. To facilitate assembly, as well as resistance to weather conditions, the housing assembly should be made substantially of plastic of the type that is suitable for injection molding such a polyvinyl carbonate polyvinyl chloride of relatively high molecular weight which would be adaptable to solar panels and not conduct electricity.

[0007] Having described the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention.