Patent ID: 7237658

Claim:
A frictional brake mechanism for detaining a first body relative to a second body having a surface, comprising: a brake pad coupled to the first body and disposed adjacent to the surface and movable to and from a braking condition, wherein the brake pad frictionally engages the surface, and a non-braking condition, wherein the brake pad is disposed in a spaced relation to the surface; a biasing structure for biasing the brake pad to the braking condition; a release structure operably coupled to the brake pad and movable to and from a non-release position, wherein the brake pad is biasable to the braking condition, and a release position, wherein the brake pad is disposed substantially in the non-braking condition; and a release key in operable communication with the release structure and movable to and from first and second positions relative thereto, wherein when the key is disposed in either of the first or second positions, the release structure is disposed substantially in the release position and when the key is disposed between the first and second positions, the release structure is disposed in the non-release position.