Cypress men receive patent for new cord-storing device charger design

Constantly tripping over pesky cords? A device developed by two Cypress men for Hewlett-Packard might be the answer. The invention's originality was acknowledged with a U.S. patent this week.

The men and another Houston-area inventor describe in the patent a device charger with a retractable cord and housing to store it. Like most chargers, the new invention operates by converting alternating current to direct current.

The inventors listed by the patent, which was approved this week, are Mark S. Tracy of Tomball, Jonathan R. Harris of Cypress and Paul J. Doczy of Cypress. The patent's official number is 7,871,291, and it was originally filed on July 31, 2007. HP owns the patent.

Although its international headquarters are in Palo Alto, California, HP's Houston office serves as the nerve center of its U.S. division. The offices are located in the Cy-Fair area at 20555 SH 249.