Patent ID: 8684390

Claim:
A retractable tow strap apparatus, comprising: a housing having including first and second side walls and a peripheral wall between the first and second side walls, the peripheral wall having first and second opposed end areas, each of the end areas including a slot; a unitary tow strap extending through the housing and having first and second ends, each of the first and second ends extending through one of the slots, the tow strap being operable between an extended position and a retracted position; a spool rotatably mounted in the housing and engaging the tow strap such that (a) the tow strap is unwound from the spool into the extended position when the spool is rotated in a first direction, and (b) the tow strap is wound onto the spool into the retracted position when the spool is rotated in a second direction; a manual crank on one of the first and second side walls of the housing and operably connected to the spool so as to rotate the spool in the second direction when the crank is rotated in the second direction; a tensioning mechanism in the housing configured to apply a frictional braking force to a portion of the tow strap that is wound on the spool as the tow strap is wound onto the spool and unwound from the spool; and a spring mounted in the housing so as to apply the frictional braking force, the spring comprising: a first spring portion secured to the housing; a second spring portion having a surface that is engageable against the portion of the tow strap that is wound on the spool; and a third spring portion connecting the first and second spring portions.