The present invention relates to a garden hose reel that enables easy and convenient unwinding and rewinding and before and after use. Background of invention

Hoses are frequently used by gardeners and home owners for e.g. watering lawns and washing cars. A water hose reel is a practical solution for carrying a length of water hose that is easily deployed and collected using the reel. Additionally, this makes it easier to store the water hose when not in use. Using a water hose reel will also provide better protection for the hose during transportation and storage by preventing twisting, folding and bending, thereby prolonging the service time of the hose. Water hose reels are known in the art and describe compact solutions for carrying, winding and unwinding water hoses, including flat hoses which are more compact than standard ones. These reels are equipped with a single water inlet and a single water outlet.

In many scenarios, more than one person may be interested in using the water outlet from the reel. In other situations it may be desired to connect multiple garden water tools, for example sprinklers, to the reel. This is not possible using standard reels that merely extend the range within which the hose can be used. Some reels offering dual outputs exist. However, these reels are big, bulky and heavy and are therefore inconvenient to use and store. Such reels are sometimes equipped with an electric motor for winding/unwinding and have wheels attached for reducing the difficulty of transporting the reel.

Because of the reasons mentioned above, it is desirable to have a water hose reel that can distribute water into multiple outlets and is easy and convenient to use. Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide a reel with at least two water outlets, which is also compact, lightweight and easy to transport.

Summary of invention

The present disclosure in a first embodiment relates to a compact and lightweight hose reel comprising a housing and a fluid distribution unit rotatably mounted in the housing and having at least three fluidly interconnected openings. Preferably, the hose reel further comprises at least three flexible hoses attachable to the openings at the fluid distribution unit such that a pipelined network can be provided between the fluid distribution unit and all the hoses. The hose reel is preferably configured such that said at least three flexible hoses can be wound in - and unwound from - the housing by rotating the fluid distribution unit. The presently disclosed hose reel provides a method for supplying two or more water outlets from a single water inlet in a much simpler and more convenient device than existing solutions. The reel is both compact and lightweight, possibly weighing less than 1 kg, which makes transportation and storage much more convenient.

Furthermore, this means that deployment prior to use and collection after use of the garden hose is easy and convenient, thus saving time and effort for the user.

The hose reel is useful for various applications. For watering purposes, the hose reel makes it possible to use multiple sprinklers for watering lawns and/or other areas simultaneously. In other situations, multiple people may wish to use a water supply for e.g. garden watering, washing cars and washing bicycles. In such cases the hose reel provides the users with multiple water outlets from a single inlet such that multiple people can use the water supply simultaneously. The hose reel may also provide multiple water outlets for extinguishing a fire. Because the hose reel is very lightweight, easy to transport and easy to wind/unwind, children can easily carry the hose reel and set it up for playing with water toys. Other lightweight and compact hose reels only allow one water toy to be connected at a time. The present invention allows multiple and various water toys to be connected to the reel and used at the same time, thereby enhancing the fun experience for the children playing. Description of drawings

In the following the invention is further described with respect to a number of drawings. The drawings are exemplary and are not to be construed as limiting to the invention.

Fig. 1 is a picture of one embodiment of the presently disclosed hose reel in a wound configuration.

Fig. 2 is another picture of the hose reel of fig. 1 without the top plate such that the inner parts are shown.

Fig. 3 is a picture of the hose reel of fig. 1 showing the bottom plate of the

housing with ventilations holes for improved drying of the reel. Fig. 4 shows a picture of the top plate of the hose reel of fig. 1 with the side towards the internal parts facing the camera. Parts of the mechanism for attaching the top plate to the fluid distribution unit as well as the mount for the handle are shown.

Fig. 5 illustrates another embodiment of the hose reel in an at least partially unwound configuration with the hoses extending from holes in the housing.

Fig. 6 shows a 3D model of a part of the hose reel of fig. 1 with the bottom plate, side plate and with a hose support unit inside.

Detailed description of the invention

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the hose reel is configured such that it has at least one fluid inlet and at least two fluid outlets. This embodiment is used to e.g. supply multiple water outlets from one or more water inlets. In another embodiment, the hose reel is configured such that it has at least two fluid inlets and at least one fluid outlet. This means that the reel may be used to join two or more inlets onto a single outlet, thereby increasing the pressure and flow in the hose connected to the outlet.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the hoses are flat garden hoses as this makes the hose reel very compact. Flat garden hoses are round when full of water but flatten down when empty. This means that they are generally lightweight and take up less storage space than a conventional hose. In another embodiment the hoses are conventional water hoses.

In one embodiment of the invention the housing forms a flat cylinder defined by a side plate located between circular/round/elliptical top and bottom plates. In a further embodiment the bottom plate is attached to the side plate, the top plate is attached to the distribution unit and the top plate has a handle for winding/unwinding the hoses.

Thereby, the reel is quickly and easily wound or unwound by turning the handle on the top plate. The rotational axis of the fluid distribution unit is preferably perpendicular to the plane defined by the top and bottom plates of the housing. In another embodiment of the invention the hose reel is configured such that the hoses are unwound from the reel by applying a pulling force to the hoses. Furthermore, the hose reel may further comprise a spring mechanism configured for winding the hoses into the reel.

In one embodiment of the invention the fluid distribution unit comprises a hose support unit and a standard Y-coupling mounted in the hose support unit such that the hoses may be connected to the Y-coupling using hose connectors. Preferably the side plate defines an outer flange and the hose support unit comprises an inner flange, such that the hoses are wound onto the inner flange in the space defined in the housing between the inner and outer flange. In a further embodiment the hose support unit further comprises supports or mounts for the Y-coupling. Preferably, the flange of the hose support unit has three holes allowing the hoses to be connected to the Y-coupling. The hose support unit is mounted rotatably to the center of the bottom plate. In one embodiment the top plate is mounted to the hose support unit using a notch and groove mechanism. This mechanism is preferably located at the edge of the flange of the hose support unit adjacent to the top plate and configured such that the top plate engages the hose support unit when rotating the top plate using the handle. In another embodiment the fluid distribution unit is a single unit configured as a hose support unit with a pipelined network and hose connectors integrated in the unit. This single unit will both support the inner flange when winding the hose into the reel and distribute the fluid between the hoses connected to the unit. This can make the unit simpler as it consists of fewer parts and makes it possible for the unit to be more compact when integrated in a single unit.

In another embodiment the hose reel further comprises slits in the housing for the hoses to exit through. Preferably the slits are located at the side plate of the housing. These slits act as guides for the hoses such that the hoses are wound in a proper manner. In yet another embodiment the hose reel further comprises holes in the housing for a firm grip of the reel while winding/unwinding the hoses. Preferably these holes are located at the side plate of the housing. These holes may also act as ventilation holes and are preferably shaped economically such that a firm grip is established in a comfortable manner. The hose reel may further comprise ventilation holes in the side plate of the housing and/or ventilation holes in the top and/or bottom plate of the reel for faster and more efficient drying of the hoses and internal parts of the reel after use. The ventilation holes may also act as drains for excess water in the hose reel.

In a preferred embodiment the hose reel further comprises hose connectors at the end of each hose opposite the distribution unit for attaching e.g. a sprinkler or a nozzle or for connecting the reel to a water supply. Furthermore, the hose reel may comprise hose connectors at the end of each hose towards the fluid distribution unit for connecting the hoses to the distribution unit. Thereby, the hoses may be changed in case of damage or wear.

In one embodiment of the invention the diameter of the top and/or bottom plate is less than 400 mm, or less than 360 mm, or less than 320 mm, or less than 280 mm, or less than 240 mm, or less than 200 mm. In another embodiment the distance between the top and bottom plate is less than 60 mm, or less than 55 mm, or less than 50 mm, or less than 45 mm, or less than 40 mm, or less than 35 mm, or less than 30 mm. In yet another embodiment the length of each hose is at least 2 m, or at least 3 m, or at least 4 m, or at least 5 m, or at least 6 m, or at least 7 m. In yet another embodiment the inside diameter of the hose is 6-8 mm, or 8-10 mm, 10-12 mm, or 12-14 mm, or 14-16 mm, or 16-18 mm, or 18-22 mm, or 22-26 mm, or 26-30 mm, or 30-35 mm, or 35-40 mm. In a further embodiment the hose reel including hoses weighs less than 3.0 kg, or less than 2.5 kg, or less than 2.0 kg, or less than 1.5 kg, or less than 1.0 kg, or less than 0.8 kg, or less than 0.6 kg.

In a preferred embodiment the hose reel is fabricated from thermoplastic selected from the group of polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene and polystyrene. In another embodiment the hose reel is fabricated using injection molding. Detailed description of the drawings

Fig. 1 shows a photograph of one embodiment of the presently disclosed hose reel. This embodiment consists of a housing with a bottom plate and a side plate 1 as well as a rotatably mounted fluid distribution unit inside the reel. A top plate 2 closes the reel such that the hose is kept inside the reel when in a wound configuration. The top plate 2 is connected to the distribution unit and a handle 5 is attached to the top plate for winding/unwinding the hoses. The hoses exit the housing through holes 4 in the sides 1 of the housing. Furthermore, the side 1 of the housing has other holes 3 providing a firm grip of the reel while winding/unwinding the hoses. A connector 6 is attached at the end of each hose.

Fig. 2 shows the hose reel of fig. 1 without the top plate. A hose support unit 8 is mounted rotatably at the centre of the housing with a Y-coupling 9 inside. The hoses 7 are attached to the Y-coupling using hose connectors 10. The hose support unit 8 has parts 1 1 for attaching the top plate to the fluid distribution unit. Fig. 3 shows the hose reel of fig. 1 turned upside down. The bottom plate 12 has ventilation holes 13 for faster and more efficient drying of the hose and internal parts of the reel after use. Fig. 4 is a photograph of the top plate 2 of the hose reel of fig. 1 showing the face towards the fluid distribution unit. Parts 14 for attaching the top plate to the fluid distribution unit are shown. These parts 14 are engageable with the parts on the fluid distribution unit. The mount 15 for the handle on the opposite side is also visible. Fig. 5 is an illustration of one embodiment of the hose reel in an unwound configuration with the hoses 7 extended through the holes 4 in the side 1 of the housing.

Fig. 6 is a 3D model of one embodiment of the hose reel showing the bottom plate 12, the side 1 of the housing and the hose support unit 8. Again, the mechanism for attaching the top plate to the hose support unit, consisting of a part 14 on the top plate and a part 1 1 on the hose support unit, is shown. The hose support unit further comprises supports 16 for the Y-coupling.

Further details of the present disclosure

The present disclosure may be described by the following items:

1 . A compact and lightweight hose reel, comprising:

a housing;

a fluid distribution unit rotatably mounted in the housing and having at least three fluidly interconnected openings, and;

- at least three flexible hoses attachable to the openings at the fluid

distribution unit such that a pipelined network can be provided between the fluid distribution unit and all the hoses,

wherein the hose reel is configured such that said at least three flexible hoses can be wound in - and unwound from - the housing by rotating the fluid distribution unit.

The hose reel according to item 1 , wherein said at least three openings least one fluid inlet and at least two fluid outlets. The hose reel according to item 1 , wherein said at least three openings are at least two fluid inlets and at least one fluid outlet.

The hose reel according to any of the preceding items, wherein the hoses are flat garden hoses.

The hose reel according to any of the preceding items, wherein the housing forms a flat cylinder defined by a side plate located between

circular/round/elliptical top and bottom plates.

The hose reel according to item 5, wherein the bottom plate is attached to the side plate, the top plate is attached to the distribution unit and the top plate has a handle for winding/unwinding the hoses. The hose reel according to any of the preceding items, wherein the rotational axis of the fluid distribution unit is perpendicular to the plane defined by the top and bottom plates of the housing. The hose reel according to any of the preceding items, wherein the fluid distribution unit comprises a hose support unit and a standard Y-coupling mounted in the hose support unit such that the hoses may be connected to the Y-coupling using hose connectors. The hose reel according to item 8, wherein the hose support unit further comprises supports or mounts for the Y-coupling. The hose reel according to any of items 1 to 7, wherein the fluid distribution unit is a single unit configured as a hose support unit with a pipelined network and hose connectors integrated in the unit. The hose reel according to any of items 8 to 10, wherein the side plate defines an outer flange and the hose support unit comprises an inner flange, such that the hoses are wound onto the inner flange in the space defined in the housing between the inner and outer flanges. The hose reel according to any of the preceding items, further comprising hose connectors at the end of each hose opposite the distribution unit. The hose reel according to any of the preceding items, further comprising hose connectors at the end of each hose towards the fluid distribution unit for connecting the hoses to the distribution unit. The hose reel according to any of the preceding items, configured such that the hoses are unwound from the reel by applying a pulling force to the hoses. The hose reel according to any of the preceding items, further comprising a spring mechanism configured for winding the hoses into the reel. The hose reel according to any of the preceding items, further comprising slits in the housing for the hoses to exit through. The hose reel according to any of the preceding items, further comprising holes in the housing for a firm grip of the reel while winding/unwinding the hoses. The hose reel according to any of the preceding items, further comprising ventilation holes in the side plate of the housing and/or ventilation holes in the top and/or bottom plate of the reel for faster and more efficient drying of the hoses and internal parts of the reel after use. The hose reel according to any of the preceding items, wherein the diameter of the top and/or bottom plate is less than 400 mm, or less than 360 mm, or less than 320 mm, or less than 280 mm, or less than 240 mm, or less than 200 mm. The hose reel according to any of the preceding items, wherein the distance between the top and bottom plate is less than 60 mm, or less than 55 mm, or less than 50 mm, or less than 45 mm, or less than 40 mm, or less than 35 mm, or less than 30 mm.

The hose reel according to any of the preceding items, wherein the length of each hose is at least 2 m, or at least 3 m, or at least 4 m, or at least 5 m, or at least 6 m, or at least 7 m. The hose reel according to any of the preceding items, wherein the inside diameter of the hose is 6-8 mm, or 8-10 mm, 10-12 mm, or 12-14 mm, or 14-16 mm, or 16-18 mm, or 18-22 mm, or 22-26 mm, or 26-30 mm, or 30-35 mm, or 35-40 mm. The hose reel according to any of the preceding items, wherein the hose reel including hoses weighs less than 3.0 kg, or less than 2.5 kg, or less than 2.0 kg, or less than 1.5 kg, or less than 1.0 kg, or less than 0.8 kg, or less than 0.6 kg. The hose reel according to any of the preceding items, wherein the hose reel is fabricated from thermoplastic selected from the group of polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene and polystyrene. The hose reel according to any of the preceding items, wherein the hose reel is fabricated using injection molding.