Patent ID: 9681705
Date: 2017-06-20
CPC Classifications: A43C,F16G,Y10T

Claim:
1. A reel for tightening an article comprising: a base member that is coupleable with the article; a housing positioned atop the base member and removeably coupleable therewith, the housing having an interior region; a spool positioned within the interior region of the housing and rotatable relative thereto, the spool having a central post about which a tension member is wound; a knob member that is coupled with the spool and configured to cause the spool to rotate within the interior region of the housing in a first direction to wind the tension member about the spool's central post; and a load holding mechanism coupled with the spool and the housing, the load holding mechanism comprising a first friction element and a second friction element that are frictionally engageable to prevent rotation of the spool in a second direction opposite the first direction to prevent unwinding of the tension member from the spool's central post, wherein: the first friction element and the second friction element remain engaged as the spool is rotated in the first direction and the second direction; rotation of the knob member in the first direction decreases the frictional engagement of the first friction element and the second friction element to enable rotation of the spool in the first direction, and tension in the tension member biases the spool toward rotation in the second direction which increases the frictional engagement of the first friction element and the second friction element and thereby prevents unwinding of the tension member from the spool's central post.