Patent Publication Number: US-11643298-B2

Title: Bidirectional spool apparatus and method of use

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to spool apparatuses, and in particular, to spool apparatuses for use in tightening and loosening cables and like elongated drawing or securing members. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Various means are known in the art for securing tightening cables and like elongated drawing or securing members. However, such means are not heretofore known to have convenient bidirectional operation or to have a positive loosening ability. Examples of spool apparatuses are disclosed in the following list of US patents and applications, all of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference: U.S. Pat. No. 8,434,200 to Chen, U.S. Pat. No. 8,468,657 to Soderberg, U.S. Pat. No. 9,138,030 to Soderberg, U.S. Pat. No. 9,259,056 to Soderberg, U.S. Pat. No. 10,123,589 to Soderberg, U.S. Pat. No. 10,863,796 to Soderberg, 20100139057 to Soderberg, 20130014359 to Chen, 20130277485 to Soderberg, 20150101160 to Soderberg, 20160198803 to Soderberg, 20190069641 to Soderberg, 20200179172 to Johnson, and 20200390196 to Manzato. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a bidirectional spool apparatus (BSA) and method of use. The BSA comprises a spool apparatus having a plurality of spools, a plurality of cables (or like elongated drawing or securing members), with each cable threaded or wound around a respective spool, and an adjustment knob. The BSA is adapted such that when in a first mode, rotation of the adjustment knob causes a corresponding rotation of a first spool in a tightening direction and a tightening (reduced payout) of a first cable but allows a second cable to rotate substantially freely (but for friction of the apparatus), and such that when in a second mode, rotation of the adjustment knob causes a corresponding rotation of a second spool in a tightening direction and a tightening (reduced payout) of a second cable but allows a first cable to rotate substantially freely (but for friction of the apparatus). The BSA is further adapted such that switching of the BSA from a first mode to a second mode and vice versa is accomplished by pulling the adjustment knob out a distance along the rotational axis of the adjustment knob and by pushing the adjustment knob in a distance along the rotational axis of the adjustment knob. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       In order that the advantages of the invention will be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG.  1    is an assembled trimetric view of the BSA; 
         FIG.  2    is an exploded trimetric view of the BSA of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  3    is a trimetric view of the housing of the BSA; 
         FIG.  4    is a trimetric view of the cover of the BSA; 
         FIG.  5    is an inverted trimetric view of the cover of the BSA; 
         FIG.  6    is a trimetric view of the drive gear of the BSA; 
         FIG.  7    is a trimetric view of the adjustment knob of the BSA, and; 
         FIG.  8    is an inverted trimetric view of the adjustment knob of the BS. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment. 
     Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are included to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, and so forth. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention. 
     In order to facilitate the understanding of the present invention in reviewing the drawings accompanying the specification, a feature table is provided below. It is noted that like features are like numbered throughout all of the figures. 
     
       
         
           
               
            
               
                   
               
               
                 FEATURE TABLE 
               
            
           
           
               
               
            
               
                 # 
                 Feature 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
            
               
                 10 
                 Bidirectional spool apparatus 
               
               
                 20 
                 Housing 
               
               
                 22 
                 Housing floor 
               
               
                 24 
                 Housing wall 
               
               
                 26 
                 First cable access hole 
               
               
                 27 
                 Second cable access hole 
               
               
                 28 
                 Raised land 
               
               
                 30 
                 First spool spindle 
               
               
                 32 
                 Second spool spindle 
               
               
                 34 
                 Gear spindle 
               
               
                 36 
                 Fastening post 
               
               
                 40 
                 First geared spool 
               
               
                 42 
                 Spindle hole 
               
               
                 44 
                 Gear teeth 
               
               
                 50 
                 Second geared spool 
               
               
                 52 
                 Spindle hole 
               
               
                 54 
                 Gear teeth 
               
               
                 60 
                 Drive gear 
               
               
                 62 
                 Gear teeth 
               
               
                 64 
                 Hex drive 
               
               
                 70 
                 Cover 
               
               
                 72 
                 Cover deck 
               
               
                 74 
                 First spool hole 
               
               
                 76 
                 Second spool hole 
               
               
                 78 
                 Drive gear hole 
               
               
                 80 
                 Collar 
               
               
                 82 
                 Collar teeth 
               
               
                 84 
                 Fastening hole 
               
               
                 90 
                 Adjustment knob 
               
               
                 92 
                 Knob knurl 
               
               
                 94 
                 Collar 
               
               
                 96 
                 Hex drive 
               
               
                 98 
                 Cam opening 
               
               
                 100 
                 Cam 
               
               
                 102 
                 Cam tooth 
               
               
                 110 
                 Knob fastener 
               
               
                 112 
                 Housing fastener 
               
               
                 114 
                 First cable 
               
               
                 115 
                 Second cable 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     Referring now to the drawings, a first embodiment of bidirectional spool apparatus (BSA)  10  comprises housing  20 , first geared spool  40 , second geared spool  50 , drive gear  60 , cover  70 , adjustment knob  90 , knob fastener  110 , a plurality of housing fasteners  112 , and cable  114 . Housing  20  preferably defines a plastic injection molded housing having floor  22 , wall  24 , a first cable access hole  26 , a second cable access hole  27 , raised land  28 , first spool spindle  30 , second spool spindle  32 , gear spindle  34 , and a plurality of fastening posts  36 . First geared spool  40  preferably defines a plastic injection molded spool having spindle hole  42 , and a plurality of gear teeth  44 . Second geared spool  50  preferably defines a plastic injection molded spool having spindle hole  52 , and a plurality of gear teeth  54 . Drive gear  60  preferably defines a plastic injection drive gear having a plurality of gear teeth  62 , and hexagonal shaped hex drive  64 . Cover  70  preferably defines a plastic injection molded cover having deck  72 , first spool hole  74 , second spool hole  76 , drive gear hole  78 , collar  80 , a plurality of collar teeth  82 , and a plurality of fastening holes  84 . Adjustment knob  90  preferably defines a plastic injection molded adjustment knob having a plurality of knurls  92 , collar  94 , hexagonal shaped hex drive  96 , a fastening hole  97 , a plurality of cam openings  98 , and a plurality of cams  100 , each cam  100  defining a flexible cantilevered flange cam, with each cam  100  having a cam tooth  102 . Knob fastener  110 , housing fasteners  112  preferably define conventional threaded fasteners. Cable  114  and cable  115  define conventional, preferably closed loop, cables such as cables that can secure a breath deflector (e.g. the breath deflector of US 20200179172), a shoe, or a boot. 
     BSA  10  is assembled such that first geared spool  40  is rotatably positioned on first spool spindle  30 , second geared spool  50  is rotatably positioned on second spool spindle  32 , and drive gear  60  is rotatably positioned on gear spindle  34 . Cable  114  is wound around first geared spool  40 , passed through cable access hole  26 , and connected to an objected to be adjustably secured (e.g. the breath deflector of US 20200179172). Cable  115  is wound around second geared spool  50 , passed through cable access hole  27 , and connected to an objected to be adjustably secured (e.g. the breath deflector of US 20200179172). Cover  70  is then placed on housing  20  such that first spool spindle  30  is positioned within first spool hole  74 , second spool spindle  32  is positioned within second spool hole  76 , and drive gear  60  is positioned within drive gear hole  78 . Adjustment knob  90  is then rotatably positioned on cover  70  such that collar  94  is slidably positioned within collar  80 , hex drive  64  is engaged with hex drive  96 , and cam teeth  102  are meshed with collar teeth  82 . Fastener  110  is threaded through fastening hole  97  and into drive gear  60  such that drive gear  60  is secured to adjustment knob  90  such that rotation of adjustment knob  90  causes a corresponding rotation of drive gear  60 . Fasteners  112  are passed through fastening holes  84  and securingly threaded into fastening posts  36 . 
     In practice, in order to tighten the object (e.g. the breath deflector of US 20200179172), a user pushes adjustment knob  90  inward along the rotational axis of adjustment knob  90  causing teeth  62  of drive gear  60  to mesh with gear teeth  44  of first geared spool  40  and causing BSA  10  to enter a tightening mode. In the tightening mode, first geared spool  40  is in a drivable configuration and second geared spool  50  is in a freely rotatable (but for the friction of the apparatus) configuration. A user then rotates adjustment knob  90 . The rotation of adjustment knob  90  causes first geared spool  40  to wind and tighten (reduce the payout of) cable  114  while allowing second geared spool  50  to rotate substantially freely and to allow cable  115  to loosen (increase the payout of), causing the object to be moved in a tightening direction. In order to loosen the object (e.g. the breath deflector of US 20200179172), a user pulls adjustment knob  90  outward along the rotational axis of adjustment knob  90  causing teeth  62  of drive gear  60  to mesh with gear teeth  54  of second geared spool  50  and causing BSA  10  to enter a loosening mode. In the loosening mode, first geared spool  40  is in a freely rotatable (but for the friction of the apparatus) configuration and second geared spool  50  is in a drivable configuration. A user then rotates adjustment knob  90 . This rotation of adjustment knob  90  causes second geared spool  50  to wind and tighten (reduce the payout of) cable  115  while allowing first geared spool  40  to rotate substantially freely and to allow cable  114  to loosen (increase the payout of), causing the object to be moved in a loosening direction. It is noted that when adjustment knob  90  is rotated, cam teeth  102  of cams  100  sequentially flexingly engage and disengage collar teeth  82  providing for tactile feedback to a user who rotates adjustment knob  90  and causing adjustment knob  90  to remain in a fixed rotational adjustment position in the absence of a user applied rotational load on adjustment knob  90 . 
     The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.