Reel based lacing system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A reel for use in a lacing system, the reel comprising:
- a housing;
a spool supported by the housing, the spool being rotatable with respect to the housing and the spool comprising a channel formed therein that is configured to collect a lace to tighten the lacing system as the spool is rotated in a tightening direction and to release lace to loosen the lacing system as the spool is rotated in a loosening direction;
a knob supported by the housing, the knob being rotatable with respect to the housing and being coupled to the spool such that rotation of the knob causes the spool to also rotate;
a plurality of depressions; and
a disc-shaped pawl component that is separate from the knob and removably couplable thereto, the pawl component including one or more pawls that are integrally formed with the pawl component, the one or more pawls including a pawl beam having a proximal end that is fixedly connected to the pawl component and a distal end that includes a plurality of pawl teeth, wherein;
when a loosening force is applied to the knob, the plurality of pawl teeth are configured to engage the plurality of depressions to prevent the knob from rotating in a loosening direction, andwhen the knob is twisted in a tightening direction, the pawl teeth are displaced away from the plurality of depressions to allow the knob and spool to rotate in the tightening direction.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A reel based lacing system is configured to allow the incremental tightening of a lace about a spool by rotation of a knob in the tightening direction. In some embodiments, the system can include a substantially inflexible pawl beam configured to resist rotation of the knob in the loosening direction and a pawl spring configured to bias the pawl against the housing and to allow the pawl to be displaced away from the housing when the knob is rotated in the tightening direction.
429 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A reel for use in a lacing system, the reel comprising:
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a housing; a spool supported by the housing, the spool being rotatable with respect to the housing and the spool comprising a channel formed therein that is configured to collect a lace to tighten the lacing system as the spool is rotated in a tightening direction and to release lace to loosen the lacing system as the spool is rotated in a loosening direction; a knob supported by the housing, the knob being rotatable with respect to the housing and being coupled to the spool such that rotation of the knob causes the spool to also rotate; a plurality of depressions; and a disc-shaped pawl component that is separate from the knob and removably couplable thereto, the pawl component including one or more pawls that are integrally formed with the pawl component, the one or more pawls including a pawl beam having a proximal end that is fixedly connected to the pawl component and a distal end that includes a plurality of pawl teeth, wherein; when a loosening force is applied to the knob, the plurality of pawl teeth are configured to engage the plurality of depressions to prevent the knob from rotating in a loosening direction, and when the knob is twisted in a tightening direction, the pawl teeth are displaced away from the plurality of depressions to allow the knob and spool to rotate in the tightening direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A reel system comprising:
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a housing; a spool supported by the housing; a knob supported by the housing and coupled to the spool such that rotation of the knob causes the spool to also rotate; a plurality of teeth; and a pawl component that is separate from the knob and the spool and that is removably couplable with the knob and the spool, the pawl component including one or more pawls having a proximal end that is fixedly connected to the pawl component and a distal end that is configured to engage the plurality of teeth, wherein; when a loosening force is applied to the spool, the distal end of the one or more pawls engage the plurality of teeth to prevent the spool from rotating in a loosening direction, and when the knob is twisted in a tightening direction, the distal end of the one or more pawls disengage from the plurality of teeth to allow the knob and spool to rotate in the tightening direction. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A reel system comprising:
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a housing; a spool rotationally positioned within the housing; a knob supported by the housing; a plurality of depressions disposed within the housing; and a pawl component that is separate from the knob and the spool and that is removably couplable with the knob and operationally couplable with the spool to effect rotation of the spool via rotation of the knob, the pawl component including one or more pawls having a proximal end that is coupled with the pawl component and a distal end that engages the plurality of depressions, wherein; the distal end of the one or more pawls engage the plurality of depressions when the spool is rotated in a loosening direction to prevent the spool from rotating in the loosening direction, the distal end of the one or more pawls incrementally disengage from the plurality of depressions when the spool is rotated in a tightening direction to allow the spool to rotate in the tightening direction; and the one or more pawls are curved so that when the distal end of the one or more pawls are engaged with the plurality of depressions, the one or more pawls are biased radially outwardly toward the plurality of depressions. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification