Patent ID: 8516662

Claim:
A reel for use in a lacing system, the reel comprising: a housing comprising a plurality of housing teeth; a spool supported by the housing, wherein the spool is rotatable with respect to the housing, the spool comprising a channel formed therein, the channel configured to collect a lace therein to tighten the lacing system as the spool is rotated in a tightening direction and to release lace therefrom to loosen the lacing system as the spool is rotated in a loosening direction; and a knob supported by the housing, wherein the knob is rotatable with respect to the housing, the knob being coupled to the spool such that rotation of the knob causes the spool to also rotate; wherein the knob comprises one or more pawls, and at least one of the one or more pawls comprises a pawl beam and a pawl spring integrally formed with the pawl beam, wherein the pawl beam and the pawl spring extend from a pawl base in the same general direction and the pawl spring is curved away from the pawl beam, wherein the pawl beam is movable between a first position and a second position and the pawl spring is configured to bias the pawl beam toward the first position, wherein the pawl beam comprises one or more pawl teeth configured to engage the housing teeth when the pawl beam is in the first position to prevent the knob from rotating in the loosening direction when a loosening force is applied to the knob, and wherein the one or more pawl teeth are displaced away from the housing teeth to the second position when the knob is twisted in the tightening direction to allow the knob and spool to rotate in the tightening direction.