Garden hose reel

Abstract

A hose reel includes various improvements including features to enable improved stacking of hose reels, an improved locking mechanism to allow the hose reel to be selectively locked in open and / or closed positions, an improved handle to facilitate winding of the hose on the hose reel and prevent tangling, and an improved water supply.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 608,314, which was filed on Sep. 9, 2004.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to an improved garden hose reel that will be described with reference to the drawings that are attached. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Portable hose carts for convenient handling and storage of garden hoses have been commercially available for many years. The earlier versions embodied a metal tubular frame structure movably supported on a pair of wheels rotatable on an axle mounted on the frame structure and a hose reel rotatably mounted on the frame structure. Examples of portable hose reels of the metal tubular frame type are disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 2,488,425, 2,512,756, 2,590,963, and 4,137,939. [0004] In recent years, frames and components made of molded plastic have been utilized to replace the metal frames and components of the earlier portab...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008] The stackable hose reel may also include a basket assembly extending between the inner legs and structured to support a hose. The basket assembly has a first protrusion and a first depression. When the stackable hose reel is stacked on top of an additional stackable hose reel, the first protrusion of the stackable hose reel is structured to be received in the first depression of the basket assembly of the additional stackable hose reel and the first protrusion of the basket assembly of the additional stackable hose reel is structured to be received in the first depression of the stackable hose reel. Additional similar protrusions and depressions may be provided on the basket assembly to facilitate the stacking.

[0009] According to a further aspect of the invention, a stackable hose reel is provided that includes a main frame, a basket assembly supported by the main frame and structured to support a hose, and a handle extending from the main frame. The handle extends in a first direction and has a top portion having a first surface in a first plane and a second surface in second plane. The first and second planes are substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The top portion also has a hole extending from the first surface to the second surface for receiving the hose therethrough to facilitate the winding of the hose on the basket assembly and prevent tangling of the hose during winding. Preferably, the basket assembly is rotatable about a first axis that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

Problems solved by technology

The sale of fully assembled portable hose cart obviates some problems associated with unassembled hose carts.

For example, current fully assembled portable hose carts are often bulky and consume significant space, notwithstanding the fact that they may be stacked on one another for storage or shipping purposes.

This is due in large part to the fact that the frames of such carts tend to be large and are not provided with the ability to fold and / or collapse.

In addition, in many current portable hose carts, the hose tends to tangle easily when wound and / or tends to jump off of the basket assembly around which it is being wound.

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