Patent ID: 7445175

Claim:
A kit for providing a reconfigurable apparatus for drawing a flexible cord into a wrapped configuration around a reel, the kit comprising: a housing; a reel that is movable around a first axis relative to the housing with the reel operatively assembled to the housing; and a spring system through which a rotational force is exerted on the reel tending to rotate the reel around the first axis to thereby cause a flexible cord associated with the reel that is drawn away from the housing by turning of the reel in one direction around the first axis to be wrapped around the reel by turning of the reel oppositely to the one direction around the first axis, the spring system having a configuration that is changeable by a user, thereby permitting a user to selectively vary at least one of a) the nature and b) the magnitude of the rotational force exerted on the reel, wherein the spring system comprises first and second spring modules that can be interchangeably mounted on the housing in operative relationship with the reel, the first and second spring modules having different spring force characteristics, the first and second spring modules each separable as a unit from the housing and reel and mountable to the housing, one in place of the other, with the reel remaining operatively assembled to the housing.