Reel and tip for fish tape

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11767191-B2
Application number	US-202217971175-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2022
Priority date	Mar 6, 2018
Publication date	Sep 26, 2023
Grant date	Sep 26, 2023

Abstract

Described herein is a fish tape reel comprising a housing with two side shells coupled together. The housing defines an internal cavity. An internal portion of the housing defines a plurality of flat gripping portions and a plurality of finger notches. The housing comprises a plurality of tabs in the internal cavity, the tabs interfacing against an inner annular portion that is coupled to the handle when the handle rotates around the housing.

First claim

We claim:

1. A fish tape reel comprising:
a housing comprising a central axis;
an outer wall;
a plurality of tabs, wherein the housing and the plurality of tabs define an internal cavity;
an inner annular portion located between the plurality of tabs and the outer wall;
a handle coupled to the inner annular portion, the handle and inner annular portion configured to collectively rotate around the central axis of the housing, the inner annular portion interfacing against the plurality of tabs and the outer wall when the handle and the inner annular portion rotate around the central axis;
a fish tape wound within the internal cavity; and
a fish tape tip coupled to an end of the fish tape.

2. The fish tape reel of claim 1 , the housing comprising a first side shell and a second side shell, wherein the first side shell comprises a first subset of the plurality of tabs, and the second side shell comprises a second subset of the plurality of tabs.

3. The fish tape reel of claim 2 , wherein each of the tabs within the first subset of the plurality of tabs extends towards one of the second subset of the plurality of tabs.

4. The fish tape reel of claim 2 , wherein each of the tabs within the first subset of the plurality of tabs extends towards the second side shell, and each of the tabs within the second subset of the plurality of tabs extends towards the first side shell.

5. The fish tape reel of claim 2 , wherein the inner annular portion comprises an extension that protrudes radially inwards towards the central axis, the extension being selectively disposed between a first tab of the first subset of the plurality of tabs and a second tab of the second subset of the plurality of tabs.

6. The fish tape reel of claim 5 , comprising an annular wall extending from the extension towards the second side shell, the annular wall interfacing with the second subset of the plurality of tabs when the handle and the inner annular portion rotate around the central axis.

7. The fish tape reel of claim 1 , the housing comprising an inner rim surrounding the central axis, the fish tape a fish tape wound around the inner rim.

8. The fish tape reel of claim 1 , wherein the handle comprises a channel through which the fish tape extends.

9. The fish tape reel of claim 1 , the housing comprising an annular ring, the plurality of tabs protruding from the annular ring.

10. The fish tape reel of claim 1 , the fish tape tip comprising:
a tip longitudinal axis;
a cylindrical portion centered around the tip longitudinal axis, the cylindrical portion comprising a first end coupled to the fish tape; and
a second end opposite the first end, the second end defining at least half of a sphere.

11. The fish tape reel of claim 10 , the fish tape tip comprising first and second legs that couple the first end to the second end, and a through-hole defined by the first and second ends and the first and second legs, the through-hole comprising:
a first semi-circular portion defined by the first end;
a second semi-circular portion defined by the second end;
a first rounded edge defined by the first semi-circular portion;
a third rounded edge defined by the first leg; and
a fourth rounded edge defined by the second leg.

12. A fish tape reel comprising:
a housing comprising a first side portion, a second side portion and a central axis;
an outer wall;
an inner wall radially surrounding the central axis;
an inner edge of the housing, the inner edge comprising a plurality of flat gripping portions and a plurality of recessed finger notches between the plurality of flat gripping portions;
a plurality of sets of tabs radially surrounding the inner wall, wherein the inner wall, the housing, and the plurality of sets of tabs define an internal cavity, each set of tabs comprising a first tab that extends from the first side portion and a second tab that extends from the second side portion, each of the first tab and the second tab extending towards each other;
an inner annular portion located between the sets of tabs and the outer wall;
a handle coupled to the inner annular portion, the handle and inner annular portion configured to collectively rotate around the central axis of the housing, the inner annular portion interfacing against the sets of tabs and the outer wall when the handle and the inner annular portion rotate around the central axis;
an elongate structure coupled to the housing and wound around the inner wall; and
a tip coupled to an end of the elongate structure.

13. The fish tape reel of claim 12 , wherein the recessed finger notches define a concave surface with respect to the central axis.

14. The fish tape reel of claim 12 , wherein the inner annular portion comprises an extension that protrudes radially inwards towards the central axis, the extension being selectively disposed between the first tab and the second tab of the plurality of sets of tabs.

15. The fish tape reel of claim 12 , the tip comprising:
a tip longitudinal axis;
a cylindrical portion centered around the tip longitudinal axis, the cylindrical portion comprising a first end coupled to the elongate structure;
a second end opposite the first end, the second end defining at least half of a sphere.

16. A fish tape reel comprising:
a housing comprising a central axis;
an outer wall;
an inner wall radially surrounding the central axis, wherein the inner wall and the outer wall define an internal cavity;
an inner annular portion located between the inner wall and the outer wall;
a handle comprising a channel and coupled to the inner annular portion, the handle and inner annular portion configured to collectively rotate around the central axis of the housing;
an elongate structure wound around the inner wall and extending through the channel; and
a tip coupled to an end of the elongate structure, the tip comprising:
a tip longitudinal axis;
a portion extending along the tip longitudinal axis, the portion comprising a first end coupled to the elongate structure;
a second end opposite the first end, the second end defining at least half of a sphere; and
first and second legs that couple the first end to the second end, a through-hole defined by the first and second ends and the first and second legs.

17. The fish tape reel of claim 16 , the housing comprising a first side shell and a second side shell, the fish tape reel comprising a plurality of tabs radially surrounding the inner wall, wherein the first side shell comprises a first subset of the plurality of tabs, and the second side shell comprises a second subset of the plurality of tabs, wherein each of the tabs within the first subset of the plurality of tabs extends towards the second side shell, and each of the tabs within the second subset of the plurality of tabs extends towards the first side shell.

18. The fish tape reel of claim 17 , wherein the inner annular portion comprises an extension that protrudes radially inwards towards the central axis, the extension being selectively disposed between a first tab of the first subset of the plurality of tabs and a second tab of the second subset of the plurality of tabs.

19. The fish tape reel of claim 16 , wherein the handle comprises a channel through which the elongate structure extends.

20. The fish tape reel of claim 16 , the through-hole comprising:
a first semi-circular rounded edge defined by the first end;
a second semi-circular rounded edge defined by the second end;
a third rounded edge defined by the first leg; and
a

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Adams Caleb C
• Williams Eric J
• Cemke Jr James A

Classifications

• B65H75/364 Primary

  the stored material being coiled · CPC title

• B65H75/406

  hand-held during use (B65H75/48, B65H75/4473 take precedence) · CPC title

• H02G1/081

  using pulling means at cable ends, e.g. pulling eyes or anchors · CPC title

• H02G1/083 Primary

  using lines, e.g. needles, rods or tapes · CPC title

• B65H2701/376

  Electrician's fish tapes · CPC title