US2487509A - Combination power cord and carrying strap for portable radios - Google Patents

Description

NOV. 8, 1949 R BAKER 2,487,509

D. COMBINATION POWER CORD AND CARRYING STRAP FOR PORTABLE RADIOS Filed Oct. 6, 1948 IIIII'IIIIIIIIIII Inventov: Donald R. Baker",

@mii jd mm H is Attobney Patented Nov. 8,1949

COMBINATION POWER CORD AND CARRY-- ING STRAP FOR PORTABLE RADIOS Donald R. Baker,

General Electric New York Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to" Company, a corporation of Application October 6, 1948, Serial No. 53,115

1 Claim. 1

, a new and improved method of storing the power cord and attached plug of an alternating current direct current portable radio.

Briefly, the objects of this invention are accomplished' by an adjustable shoulder strap that is equipped for positive attachment to the cabinet of a radio receiver and so constructed as to contain within itself the alternating current supply cord.

The features of my invention which I believe to be new and desire to protect are defined with particularity in the appended claim. The invention itself, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a perspective view of a portable alternating current-direct current radio receiver embodying the invention; Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective views of portions of the combination alternating current supply cord and shoulder strap; Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and Figs. 5 and 6 are views of a modification of an attachment device for use with the receiver of Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 shows the cabinet I of a portable radio designed for operation on either an external alternating current supply source or internally from batteries. The radio possesses the usual loud speaker 2, a tuning dial 3, tuning knob 4 and volume control 5. A power cord 6 internally connected to the radio receiver at 'l for operation on alternating current is shown attached to the cabinet I by a fastening device 8 to prevent strain on the connection at point I. A device 9 for adjusting the length of the combination power cord and carrying strap is shown attached to the strap. When adjusted to its shortest length and coupled to the cabinet, the carrying strap 6 comprises a means for transporting the radio by hand, thus eliminating the necessity of a storage space for the power supply cord 6 within the cabinet.

With reference to Fig. 2, there is shown a portion of the power supply cord 6 havin an outlet plug I0 making electrical contact with stranded conductors l l and I2 contained within the combination alternating current supply cord and shoulder carrying strap. The carrying strap I? is formed, preferably in the shape shown in the figure, of a suitable flexible insulating material, such as rubber and contains within it the two conductors H and [2 which adapt the carrying strap 6 for use as the supply cord when use of an external power supply is desired. When in use as the carrying strap, the outlet-plug end may be held back against the strap by means of a holding device I3 which comprises a thin narrow strap of suitable material, such as leather, riveted to the carrying strap 6, the free ends of which may be securely held together by any desirable fastening means, such as snaps M.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one type of device for coupling the carrying strap 6 to the radio cabinet I. This view shows the flat 0r underside of the combination power cord and carryin strap 6 with the attached coupling member !5 for fastening the strap to the cabinet I. This figure also shows the combination power supply cord and carrying strap 6 attached to the radio cabinet I by engagement of the snap fastener 0r coupling member IS with a hook 2| attached to the cabinet, th outlet-plug end of the carrying strap being folded back against the strap and securely held by the fastening device I 3.

In the cross section of this device, as shown in Fig. 4, a. thin metal bushing l6 may be inserted in a hole through the center of the rubber strap 6 to protrude on each side, thereby engaging a thin narrow metal band ll which is continuous and which traverses the outer periphery of the power cord and carrying strap 6. On the flat or underside of the carrying strap 6 a metal adapter washer l8 rests against the metal band I! and secures the eyelet l9 against the metal band l1. On the upper or curved side of the carrying strap 6 a metal washer 20 is held against the metal band l1 by a metal rivet 2| extending through the entire assembly, holding it securely in place. The coupling member l5 linking with eyelet I9 is only partially shown in this figure.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a modification of a device used for attaching the power cord to the receiver I. This device comprises a contact receiving plug or holding device 22 having longitudinal slots 23 and a transverse central slot 24. Preferably, the two prongs of the outlet plug I0 are provided with notches 25 so positioned that, when the prongs of the plug are inserted into the slots 23, the notches 25 are coincident with the transverse slot 24. A latching member 26 pivoted on the contact receiving plug 22 is arranged to fit into the transverse slot 24 and is provided with notches 2! which fit into the notches 25 and lock the outlet plug 10 into the receiving plug 22. Fig. 6 is a view showing the outlet plug l0 locked into the plug 22 by means of the latch 26.

While the present invention has been described by reference to particular embodiments thereof, it will be understood that numerous modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without actually departing from the invention. I therefore aim in the appended claim to cover all such equivalent variations as come within th true spirit and scope of the foregoing disclosure.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

In a portable radio receiver of the type adapted to be operated from either a self-contained unidirectional source or from an external alternating current source comprising a cabinet, a power cord having one end attached to said receiver on one side of said cabinet, means for relieving the strain on said cord at the point of attachment thereof to said oneside, a fastening device attached to said receiver at an opposite side thereof, said device including a member for receiving and securely holding the other end of said cord, said cord when attached to said fastening device forming a carrying strap for said receiver, and means for adjusting the length of said strap between the points of connection to said receiver.

' DONALD R. BAKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: v UNITED STATES PATENT Number Name Date 1,404,098 Dennis Jan. 1'7, 1922 1,561,495 Thompson Nov. 17, 1925 1,694,056 Calkins Dec. 4, 1928 1,731,973 Fischer Oct. 15, 1929 1,993,436 Eberhard Mar. 5, 1935 2,081,656 Anthony May'25, 1937 2,299,058 Mitchell Oct. 13, 1943 OTHER REFERENCES Popular Science, Sept. 1946, page 191. (Copy in Scientific Library.)

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