Retractable Wall Outlet With Spooling Cord for Clutter-Free Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing extension cords are unsightly, tangled, and costly due to multiple lengths being needed, and stationary outlets can be obstructed by furniture, making access difficult.
Innovation Solution
An extendable and retractable wall outlet system with a spooling device that automatically extends and rewinds a flexible electrical cord, featuring a stop/lock mechanism to maintain position and prevent tangling, and can be installed in walls or surfaces during construction or as a retrofit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If extension cords are used to provide power access to devices not positioned near outlets, then power accessibility is improved, but cord management deteriorates (excess cord length causes tangling, knotting, and clutter)
Solution Approach 1:
The extension cord is made dynamically extendable and retractable through a spooling mechanism. The cord can be pulled out to the needed length and then automatically rewinds to a compact size, transforming the static cord into a dynamic system that adapts to usage requirements. This resolves the contradiction by allowing full extension when needed while automatically managing the cord shape when not in use.
Solution Approach 2:
The spooling device with automatic rewind mechanism enables the cord to service itself by automatically rewinding to a compact form after use. This self-managing feature eliminates the need for manual cord folding or storage, resolving the cord management issue while maintaining power accessibility during usage.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple extension cords of different lengths are kept available to cover various extension needs, then adaptability is improved, but cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
A single extendable cord with spooling capability replaces multiple fixed-length cords. The cord can be extended to any length within its capacity, making one cord universal for all extension needs. This resolves the contradiction by providing adaptability through a single multi-functional device rather than requiring multiple specialized cords.
Solution Approach 2:
The effective length parameter of the extension cord is made variable through the spooling mechanism. Instead of fixed lengths, the cord's extended length can be dynamically adjusted by pulling out the required amount and letting it rewind. This parameter change capability allows one cord to perform the function of multiple cords with different fixed lengths.
3Ease of manufacture
If stationary outlets are installed in walls, then power access is provided, but accessibility deteriorates when outlets are blocked by furniture or positioned in hard-to-reach locations
Solution Approach 1:
The outlet system incorporates a dynamically extendable cord that can reach around or over furniture to access power. Instead of a fixed outlet position, the power delivery point becomes mobile through the extendable cord, resolving the contradiction between easy wall installation and maintained accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The extendable cord acts as an intermediary between the wall outlet and the device needing power. When the wall outlet is blocked or hard to reach, the cord extends to bridge the gap, allowing power access without requiring direct access to the wall outlet itself. This mediator resolves the accessibility issue while maintaining the simplicity of wall outlet installation.
Data Source
AI summary
An extendible wall outlet system is disclosed. The system includes an outlet box, an extension box attached to the outlet box and having a passage between the two boxes, a flexible electrical cord having an extendible receptacle on a free first end and electrically coupled to a power source at an opposing second end, and a spooling device positioned within the extension box and configured for retaining the flexible cord in a coiled manner. The extendible receptacle is retained in a position in the outlet box, is extendible from the outlet box when pulled outward from the outlet box, and the flexible electrical cord uncoils from the spooling device as the receptacle is pulled.