Patent ID: 9629417
Date: 2017-04-25
CPC Classifications: A43C,A61F,Y10T

Claim:
1. A reel for use with a lacing system for tightening an article comprising: a housing having an interior region; a spool positioned within the interior region of the housing and rotatable relative thereto, the spool having an annular channel formed therein; a knob rotatable relative to the housing and operably coupled with the spool to cause the spool to rotate within the interior region of the housing; a tension member coupled with the spool so as to be tensioned by winding the tension member around the spool's annular channel upon rotation of the knob; a pawl mechanism including at least one pawl arm that engages with teeth in a ratchet like manner as the knob is rotated in a tightening direction; and a tension control mechanism that is operationally coupled with the pawl mechanism so that while the at least one pawl arm remains engaged with the teeth, the tension control mechanism enables tensioning of the tension member by rotation of the knob in the tightening direction until a tension threshold is achieved, after which further rotation of the knob in the tightening direction does not cause further tensioning of the tension member; and allows rotation of the spool within the housing's interior region upon tensioning of the tension member from the article.