IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
UP-0398486
(2006-04-04)
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등록번호 |
US-7527213
(2009-07-01)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Weatherill, Sean B.
- Tracey, James B. A.
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
Knobbe, Martens, Olson & Bear LLP
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
1 인용 특허 :
14 |
초록
▼
A reel housing enclosing a reel assembly includes an access panel, wherein opening or removal of the access panel allows access to the interior of the housing. The exterior surface of the access panel is decorated with facial indicia so that the access panel resembles the face of an animal or charac
A reel housing enclosing a reel assembly includes an access panel, wherein opening or removal of the access panel allows access to the interior of the housing. The exterior surface of the access panel is decorated with facial indicia so that the access panel resembles the face of an animal or character. The exterior surface of the housing has a color design to visually enhance the depiction of the animal or character.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus comprising a facial indicia element configured to be selectively removably attached to a housing that substantially surrounds a rotatable element for spooling linear material, the facial indicia element including facial indicia including at least one of (i) a pai
What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus comprising a facial indicia element configured to be selectively removably attached to a housing that substantially surrounds a rotatable element for spooling linear material, the facial indicia element including facial indicia including at least one of (i) a pair of simulated eyes and (ii) a simulated mouth, the facial indicia element further including an aperture sized and adapted to closely surround the linear material when the facial indicia element is attached to the housing and when the linear material is being spooled onto or unspooled from the rotatable element, wherein the housing permits interchanging the facial indicia element with a different facial indicia member. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the aperture is located within the facial indicia. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the facial indicia simulate an appearance of an animal's face. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the facial indicia simulate an appearance of a duck's face. 5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the facial indicia simulate an appearance of an aquatic animal's face. 6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the facial indicia simulate an appearance of a frog's face. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the facial indicia simulate an appearance of an insect's face. 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the facial indicia simulate an appearance of a ladybug's face. 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the facial indicia element is configured to be part of an access panel of the housing. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the facial indicia includes each of (i) a pair of simulated eyes, (ii) a simulated nose or simulated beak, and (iii) a simulated mouth. 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the facial indicia includes a simulated mouth and the aperture is at the mouth. 12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the facial indicia includes a simulated nose or simulated beak and the aperture is at the nose or beak. 13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the facial indicia comprise protrusions protruding from an exterior of the facial indicia element. 14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the facial indicia comprise indentations in an exterior of the facial indicia element. 15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a spherical housing and the facial indicia element is configured to be attached to the spherical housing. 16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the facial indicia element is an access panel of the housing, the access panel configured to provide access to components inside of the housing. 17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the facial indicia element is configured to be hingedly secured to the housing. 18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the facial indicia element is configured to have a snap-on engagement with the housing. 19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus permits removing the facial indicia element from the housing and selectively removably attaching the facial indicia element to a second housing that substantially surrounds a reel drum for spooling linear material. 20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a plurality of differently decorated facial indicia elements each configured to be selectively removably attached to the housing, each facial indicia element including facial indicia and an aperture sized and adapted to closely surround the linear material when the facial indicia element is attached to the housing and when the linear material is being spooled onto or unspooled from the rotatable element. 21. A method comprising: selectively removably attaching a first facial indicia element to a housing substantially surrounding a reel drum for spooling linear material, the first facial indicia element including at least one of (i) a pair of simulated eyes and (ii) a simulated mouth, the first facial indicia element further including an aperture sized to closely surround the linear material as the linear material is being spooled onto or unspooled from the reel drum; feeding the linear material through the aperture as the linear material is either being spooled onto or unspooled from the reel drum; detaching the first facial indicia element; and selectively removably attaching a second facial indicia element to the housing, the second facial indicia element including at least one of (i) a pair of simulated eyes and (ii) a simulated mouth, the second facial indicia element further including an aperture sized to closely surround the linear material as the linear material is being spooled onto or unspooled from the reel drum. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein attaching the first facial indicia element to the housing comprises covering an access opening in the housing with the first facial indicia element, such that the first facial indicia element comprises an access panel of the housing, and wherein attaching the second facial indicia element to the housing comprises covering the access opening in the housing with the second facial indicia element, such that the second facial indicia element comprises an access of the housing. 23. The method of claim 21, wherein attaching comprises effecting a snap-on engagement between the facial indicia element and the housing. 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the housing is spherical. 25. An access panel configured to be selectively removably attached to a housing that substantially surrounds a reel drum for spooling linear material, wherein the access panel is configured to provide access to components inside the housing, the access panel comprising facial indicia including at least one of (i) a pair of simulated eyes and (ii) a simulated mouth, the access panel further comprising an aperture sized and adapted to closely surround the linear material when the access panel is attached to the housing and when the linear material is being spooled onto or unspooled from the reel drum, wherein the housing permits interchanging the access panel with a differently decorated access member. 26. The access panel of claim 25, wherein the aperture is located within the facial indicia. 27. The access panel of claim 25, wherein the facial indicia includes a simulated mouth and the aperture is at the mouth. 28. The access panel of claim 25, wherein the access panel is configured to be removed from the housing and then selectively removably attached to another housing that substantially surrounds a reel drum for spooling linear material. 29. A system comprising: a rotatable spooling element for spooling linear material; and a housing that substantially encloses the spooling element, the housing being configured to permit spooling and unspooling of linear material with respect to the spooling element without removing any portion of the housing to expose the spooling element, wherein the housing includes: a first housing portion including an aperture sized and shaped to surround the linear material when the linear material is being spooled onto or unspooled from the spooling element; and a second housing portion; wherein the first and second housing portions are configured to rotate with respect to one another in a manner such that the housing continues to substantially enclose the spooling element, one of the first and second housings being decorated with facial indicia. 30. The system of claim 29, wherein the housing has a generally spherical shape. 31. The system of claim 30, wherein the first and second housing portions are each semispherical in shape. 32. The system of claim 29, wherein the facial indicia is on the first housing portion. 33. The system of claim 32, wherein the aperture is located within the facial indicia. 34. The system of claim 29, wherein the first and second housing portions are rotatable with respect to one another about a substantially vertical central axis of the housing. 35. The system of claim 29, wherein the housing is configured to convert rotation of the spooling element into reciprocating rotation of the first housing portion with respect to the second housing portion.
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