Holiday light storage system

Abstract

A holiday light storage system, for storing holiday light strings having a main cord and a plurality of dangling strands spaced along and extending from the main cord, using a storage device having a base, a hub extending upward from the base, and a plurality of spokes extending radially from the hub. The main cord is wrapped around the hub above the spokes, the main cord is supported by the spokes, and the dangling strands hang perpendicularly downward from the main cord. Accordingly, the holiday lights are maintained in a substantially tangle-free condition. The base preferably allows the hub to rotate to facilitate wrapping the light strings around the hub, and removal of the light strings from the hub.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A holiday light storage device, for storing holiday lights having a main cord and a plurality of dangling strands which extend from the main cord at spaced intervals on said main cord, comprising: 
 a base, extending horizontally;    a hub, having a top surface and a bottom, the bottom attached to the base, the hub extending vertically upward from the base; and    a plurality of spokes, extending radially from the hub and substantially parallel to the base, the spokes extending above the base at a height sufficient to allow the dangling strands to hang therefrom, such that when the holiday lights are stored with the device the main cord is wrapped around the hub above the spokes so that the main cord is supported by the spokes while the dangling strands drape downward from the spokes.    
     
     
         2 . The holiday light storage device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the spokes extend from the hub near the top surface and are all at substantially the same height above the base.  
     
     
         3 . The holiday light storage device as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the hub has a central axis, the base includes an upper plate and a lower plate, and the upper plate rotates with respect to the lower plate to provide axial rotation for the hub with respect to the lower plate.  
     
     
         4 . The holiday light storage device as recited in  claim 3 , further comprising a handle, the handle located on the top surface of the hub, for allowing the hub to be easily lifted and to facilitate rotation of the hub.  
     
     
         5 . The holiday light storage device as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the spokes extend above the base at a height of between eight and thirty six inches.  
     
     
         6 . The holiday light storage device as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the handle is collapsible flat against the top surface of the hub when not in us.  
     
     
         7 . The holiday light storage device as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the lower plate is substantially rectangular in shape, having four sides, and wherein the upper plate is substantially circular in shape, coaxial with the hub, and has a radius shorter than a shortest distance from the central axis of the hub to one of the sides.  
     
     
         8 . A holiday light storage method, for storing holiday lights having a main cord and a plurality of dangling strands which extend from the main cord at spaced intervals on said main cord, using a storage device having a hub and a plurality of spokes extending radially from the hub, comprising the steps of: 
 supporting the main cord by wrapping the main cord around the hub above the spokes; and    hanging the dangling strands below the spokes, substantially perpendicular to the main cord and substantially parallel to the hub.    
     
     
         9 . The holiday light storage method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the storage device further has a horizontal base such that the hub extends vertically from the base, and wherein the step of hanging the dangling strands further includes hanging the strands toward the base.  
     
     
         10 . The holiday light storage method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the base includes a lower plate and an upper plate, the upper plate connected to the hub and rotatable with respect to the lower plate, wherein the step of wrapping the main cord around the hub further comprises rotating the hub axially with respect to the lower plate.  
     
     
         11 . The holiday light storage method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the storage device has a handle, located on the top surface of the hub, and wherein the step of rotating the hub further comprises grasping the handle and turning the hub with respect to the lower plate using the handle.  
     
     
         12 . The holiday light storage method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the spokes include four spokes which are located at substantially the same height above the base, and wherein the step of wrapping the main cord around the hub further comprises draping the main cord from spoke to spoke.