Reel device

A reel device is provided, including a shell body; a rotating shaft, movably and rotatably disposed in the shell body along an axial direction, the rotating shaft including a head section, an exterior circumferential face of the head section circumferentially having a plurality of engaging teeth circumferentially disposed thereon and extending radially; a ratchet assembly, including a first ratchet portion and a second ratchet portion meshed with the first ratchet portion, the first ratchet portion being fixed on the shell body, the second ratchet portion being rotatable relative to the first ratchet portion unidirectionally, the second ratchet portion comovably connected with the rotating shaft; a reel unit, rotatably disposed on the shell body for being connected to at least one rope, the reel unit having a meshed hole extending in the axial direction, the plurality of engaging teeth being radially detachably engaged with the meshed hole.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a reel device which is rotatable and foldable.

Description of the Prior Art

Generally, to meet a user's requirements, a common wearable equipment such as shoes and protective equipment has an adjustable structure for being adjusted to an appropriate tightness and height for the user. For example, a neck brace provides a height adjusting feature to adjust an upper edge height of the neck brace to support a front edge of the chin of the user so that the user can look forward at eye-level.

However, this type of conventional reel device includes a sticky buckle member which is disposed through a wearable device, the sticky buckle member can positionably buckle the rope, and the user can pull the sticky buckle member to drive the rope to move up and down and positionably buckle the rope. The sticky buckle member may be, for example, a Velcro, and easily loosened; therefore, the rope may be easily loosened, and the sticky buckle member is unable to buckle the rope firmly so that the rope will slide or fall off relative to the sticky buckle member and that the protective equipment cannot wrap around a human body part tightly and closely.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The major object of the present invention is to provide a reel device, which can effectively release or wrap a rope with a simple structure and prevent the rope from getting loose.

To achieve the above and other objects, a reel device is provided, including a shell body; a rotating shaft, movably along an axial direction and rotatably disposed in the shell body, the rotating shaft including a head section, an exterior circumferential face of the head section circumferentially having a plurality of engaging teeth circumferentially disposed thereon and extending radially; a ratchet assembly, including a first ratchet portion and a second ratchet portion which is meshed with the first ratchet portion, the first ratchet portion being fixed on the shell body, the second ratchet portion being rotatable relative to the first ratchet portion unidirectionally, the second ratchet portion comovably connected with the rotating shaft; a reel unit, rotatably disposed on the shell body for being connected to at least one rope, the reel unit having a meshed hole which extends in the axial direction, the plurality of engaging teeth being radially detachably engaged with the meshed hole.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer toFIGS. 1 to 9for a preferred embodiment of the present invention. A reel device includes a shell body1, a rotating shaft2, a ratchet assembly3and a reel unit4.

The shell body1includes a base seat70. The rotating shaft2is movably along an axial direction L and rotatably disposed in the shell body1, the rotating shaft2includes a head section20, and an exterior circumferential face of the head section20circumferentially has a plurality of engaging teeth21circumferentially disposed thereon and extending radially, and the rotating shaft2is rotatably disposed on and axially movable relative to the base seat70; a ratchet assembly3includes a first ratchet portion30and a second ratchet portion31which is meshed with the first ratchet portion30, the first ratchet portion30is fixed on the shell body1, the second ratchet portion31is rotatable relative to the first ratchet portion30unidirectionally, and the second ratchet portion31is comovably connected with the rotating shaft2, and the second ratchet portion31being rotatable relative to the base seat70; a reel unit4is rotatably disposed on the shell body1for being connected to at least one rope5, the reel unit4has a mesh portion41, the mesh portion41includes the meshed hole40which extends in the axial direction L and an inner surface42enclosing the meshed hole40, the inner surface42of the meshed hole40has a plurality of tooth portions circumferentially, and the plurality of engaging teeth21are radially detachably engaged with the meshed hole40; and the inner surface42has a plurality recesses43circumferentially disposed thereon, each of the plurality recesses43faces the rotating shaft2, and each of the plurality of the engaging teeth21is detachably engaged within one of the plurality recesses43; thereby, the reel device can effectively release or wrap a rope with a simple structure and prevent the rope from getting loose. In this embodiment, the rotating shaft2is movable relative to the reel unit along the axial direction L so as to be loosened from or engaged with the meshed hole40to wrap or release the rope5. In other embodiments, the rotating shaft drives the second ratchet portion to be loosened and meshed with the first ratchet portion, and the rotating shaft may be detachably connected to the second ratchet portion to choose either to rotate unidirectionally or freely.

The rotating shaft2further includes a neck section22and a diameter expansion section23, the neck section22is disposed between the head section20and the diameter expansion section23, the neck section22is disposed into the meshed hole40, and the diameter expansion section23is abuttable against the reel unit4on the axial direction L so that when the head section20is detached from the meshed hole40, the reel unit40can rotate freely relative to the neck section22. In this embodiment, the head section20is a polygonal column, as viewed in the axial direction, the polygonal column is a square column, and in other embodiments, the head section may be a square column or polygonal columns like a diamond column, a two-cornered column or a triangular column for the plurality of engaging teeth to be meshed with the meshed hole smoothly. Specifically, each of the plurality of engaging teeth21is a corner of the polygonal column.

The second ratchet portion31has a plurality of ratchets32which are radially elastically movable, and each of the plurality of ratchets32is meshed with the first ratchet portion30. Specifically, the first ratchet portion30is an interior ring gear, the interior ring gear has the plurality of tooth portions301which extend toward a single direction, the second ratchet portion31further includes an axle portion33and a plurality of arm portions34, the plurality of arm portions34are circumferentially connected to an exterior circumference of the axle portion33, each of the plurality of arm portions34has one of the plurality of ratchets32, and each of the plurality of arm portions34radially abuts against the interior ring gear, each of the plurality of arm portions34abuts against the interior ring gear with a radial elastic force, when the second ratchet portion31rotates relative to the first ratchet portion30, each of the plurality of ratchets32can be smoothly detached from or meshed with the first ratchet portion30, and the first ratchet portion30and the second ratchet portion31are not easily detachable from each other. Preferably, each of the plurality of arm portions34is a curved protrusive arm which protrudes radially outward; specifically, each of the plurality of ratchets32is an apical tooth which extends circumferentially so that the second ratchet portion31can rotate relative to the first ratchet portion30unidirectionally. In addition, two opposite ends of each of the plurality of arm portions34are respectively connected to the axle portion33, and each of the plurality of arm portions34and the axle portion33define a through hole35(which is circumferentially closed) therebetween so that each of the plurality of arm portions34can be pressed to deform toward the through hole35and elastically restore. In this embodiment, the second ratchet portion31may be a butterfly disc so that the two arm portions34are disposed on two opposite sides to provide radial force toward two opposite directions to stabilize rotation and limit position.

The second ratchet portion31has an axial hole36, the axial hole36is complementary to the head section20in shape so that the head section20can drive the second ratchet portion31, the head section20is movably disposed into the axial hole36, one of an exterior side of the head section20and an interior side of the axial hole36has two protrusions which radially protrude on two opposite sides thereof, the other of the exterior side of the head section20and the interior side of the axial hole36has two grooves which are recessed on two opposite sides thereof; in this embodiment, the exterior side of the head section20has the two protrusions24, the interior side of the axial hole36has the two grooves37, each of the two protrusions24is detachably engaged within one of the two grooves37, each of the two protrusions24defines an outermost end point M on the radial direction, each of the two grooves37defines a lowest end portion P on the radial direction, and a distance R2between the two outermost end points M of the two protrusions24is greater than a distance R1between the two lowest end points P of the two grooves37to restrict a movement range of the rotating shaft; specifically, when the rotating shaft2is pulled up by a force, the two protrusions24can be respectively engaged with one of the two grooves37. Preferably, each of the two protrusions24has at least one skew guide face25, in this embodiment, the at least one skew guide face25is plural, and each of the plurality of skew guide faces25abuts against a hole flange of the axial hole36to be smoothly engaged within each of the two grooves37.

The interior ring gear is detachably disposed in the shell body1; specifically, the shell body1has a plurality of buckle holes10, and the interior ring gear has a plurality of buckle legs38which are detachably engaged with one of the plurality of buckle holes10to be easily assembled or disassembled; in other embodiments, the shell body and the interior ring gear are screwed with each other. One of the shell body1and the rotating shaft2has a slot which extends toward the axial direction, and the other of the shell body1and the rotating shaft2has a shaft column which is disposed through the slot; in other embodiments, the shell body1has the shaft column11, and the rotating shaft2has the slot26so that the rotating shaft2can move stably.

The reel device further includes a screw cap6, the screw cap6is connected to the rotating shaft2, and the screw cap6can drives the rotating shaft2to move along the axial direction L and rotate; preferably, one of the screw cap6and the first ratchet portion30has a positioning groove, and the other of the screw cap6and the first ratchet portion30has an annular stepped protrusion which is movably arranged in the positioning groove. In this embodiment, the screw cap6has the positioning groove60, and the first ratchet portion30has the stepped protrusion39. The screw cap6is rotatable and axially movable relative to the base seat70to simultaneously move the rotating shaft2, and the ratchet assembly3and the reel unit4are disposed between the screw cap6and the base seat70.

The shell body1further includes at least one guide unit12which is detachable, the at least one guide unit12has a guide hole13which extends circumferentially for at least one rope5to be disposed therethrough, in this embodiment, the at least one guide unit12is plural, and each of the plurality of guide units12is a curved board for guiding each of the at least one rope5to dispose therethrough and smoothly wrap on the reel unit34.

In actual practice, when on a first position, each of the plurality of engaging teeth21of the head section20is meshed with the meshed hole40, the rotating shaft2drives the reel unit4to rotate relative to the shell body1, and the second ratchet portion31is meshed with the first ratchet portion30to rotate unidirectionally to wrap the rope. On the contrary, when on a second position, in this embodiment, the rotating shaft2is pulled upward relative to the shell body1to make each of the engaging teeth21to be detached from the meshed hole40so that the reel unit4can rotate freely to release the rope.