Patent ID: 6419179
Filing Date: 2002-07-16
Classification: B60D,B65H,B66D

Abstract:
A reel device comprising:a housing having a pair of spaced-apart lateral side walls and a cable winding space formed between said lateral side walls, said cable winding space having a rear opening; a spool disposed transversely between said lateral side walls and mounted rotatably on said side walls; a cable guiding unit mounted on said housing and disposed in said cable winding space adjacent to said rear opening; a cable wound on said spool and having a distal end extending rearwardly through said cable guiding unit; said cable guiding unit including a cable engaging member which is operable to move between an engaging position, in which said cable guiding unit applies a friction force on said cable so as to retard movement of said cable relative to said cable guiding unit, and a disengaging position, in which the friction force is released such that said cable guiding unit ceases to retard movement of said cable relative to said cable guiding unit; wherein said lateral side walls of said housing are formed with vertically extending slots which are registered with each other; a horizontal slide rod which has two opposite ends extending respectively through said slots and slidable along said slots, said cable guiding unit being mounted slidably on said slide rod so as to be slidable along said slide rod between said lateral side walls to said housing; wherein said cable guiding unit further includes: a guiding seat having a parallel pair of side plates and a top plate which interconnects said side plates and which cooperates with said side plates to confine a cable passage with open front and rear passage ends, said side plates being formed with adjustment holes which are registered with each other and which permit extension of said slide rod therethrough for mounting said guiding seat on said slide rod; an elongated front guiding roller disposed traversely in said cable passage adjacent to said front passage end and mounted rotatably on said side plates; and an elongated rear guiding roller disposed transversely in said cable passage adjacent to said rear passage end and mounted rotatably on said side plates; and said cable engaging member including an engaging roller disposed in said cable passage between said front and rear guiding rollers and sleeved rotatably on said slide rod, said engaging roller cooperating with said front guiding roller to define a first clearance, and further cooperating with said rear guiding roller to define a second clearance, said cable extending through said first and second clearances within said cable passage so as to be in contact with said front and rear guiding rollers, said engaging roller having two opposite ends extending respectively into said adjustment holes in said side plates and being movable in said adjustment holes between said engaging and disengaging positions.