Patent ID: 9408437
Filing Date: 2016-08-09
CPC Classification: A43C,B65H,Y10T

Claim Text:
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, 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.