Patent ID: 7216665

Claim:
A retractable reel comprising: a housing including a front cover and a rear cover, the rear cover including a first opening and the front cover including a second opening, a trough extending radially inward from the second opening to a center of the front cover, the trough including at least one tab and at least one dimple, and a resiliently deflectable latch arm; a spool including a wall that extends axially outward from a front surface of the spool, the spool rotatably supported within the housing and positioned such that the front surface, the wall and the front cover cooperatively define a chamber therebetween, the spool further including at least one ratchet member selectively engaged by the resiliently deflectable latch arm to prevent rotation of the spool in a winding direction; a spring including a first end engaging the rear cover and a second end engaging the spool for rotatively biasing the spool in the winding direction; a flexible member including a first portion that passes through the first opening and is spirally wound upon the spool and a second portion that passes through the second opening, the second portion having a first section secured to the housing in the trough by the tab and dimple, and a second section spirally wound in the chamber; and whereby the first portion of the flexible member may be selectively unwound from the spool as the second portion of the flexible member is unwound and wound about itself within the chamber or wound upon the spool as the second portion of the flexible member is unwound and wound about itself within the chamber.