Patent ID: 7883046

Claim:
A reel comprising: a spool rotatable about a first axis of rotation, the spool comprising a driven gear; a drive shaft comprising a proximal cam follower and a distal cam follower; a motor coupled to the drive shaft, the motor being configured to rotate the drive shaft in a first direction and a second direction about a second axis of rotation, the second direction being opposite the first direction; and a drive assembly disposed on the drive shaft, rotation of the drive shaft in the first direction moving the drive assembly along the drive shaft and into driving engagement with the spool, rotation of the drive shaft in the second direction moving the drive assembly along the drive shaft and out of driving engagement with the spool, the drive assembly being configured to rotate the spool about the first axis of rotation when in driving engagement therewith, the drive assembly comprising: a proximal cam surface centered about and extending along the second axis of rotation in one of a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction, the proximal cam follower of the drive shaft being adjacent the proximal cam surface, the proximal cam follower being configured to engage the proximal cam surface when the drive shaft is rotated by the motor in the first direction about the second axis of rotation, the proximal cam surface being configured to translate the rotation of the proximal cam follower into a first linearly directed force along the second axis of rotation, and move the drive assembly along the drive shaft and into driving engagement with the spool; a distal cam surface centered about and extending along the second axis of rotation in the other of the clock-wise direction and the counter-clock-wise direction, the distal cam follower of the drive shaft being adjacent the distal cam surface, the proximal cam surface being spaced from the distal cam surface along the drive shaft, the distal cam follower being configured to engage the distal cam surface when the drive shaft is rotated by the motor in the second direction about the second axis of rotation, the distal cam surface being configured to translate the rotation of the distal cam follower into a second linearly directed force along the second axis of rotation, the second linearly directed force being opposite the first linearly directed force, and move the drive assembly along the drive shaft and out of driving engagement with the spool; and a drive gear positioned between the proximal cam surface and the distal cam surface along the second axis of rotation, the drive gear being configured to be rotatably driven by the drive shaft when the drive assembly is in driving engagement with the spool, the driven gear of the spool being configured to mesh with the drive gear when the drive assembly is in driving engagement with the spool and translate the rotation of the drive gear in rotation of the spool.