Patent ID: 6895879

Claim:
A bobbin case assembly comprising: a wall structure mountable operably upon a support and defining a first receptacle within which a supply of thread is stored, and a tensioning assembly for exerting a frictional force on thread extending away from the receptacle to thereby resist drawing of the thread out of the receptacle, the tensioning assembly comprising a first surface that bears against the thread extending away from the receptacle, at least one of the wall structure and tensioning assembly comprising a second surface, the thread extending away from the receptacle residing between the first and second surfaces so that the frictional force on the thread is generated between the first and second surfaces, at least one of the first and second surfaces defined by a body that is bendable to thereby allow the one of the first and second surfaces to be moved selectively towards and away from the other of the first and second surfaces, the body comprising a mounting portion and a flexing portion which projects away from the mounting portion, the flexing portion bendable relative to the mounting portion and comprising a first flexing region and a second flexing region, the second flexing region more flexible in bending relative to the first flexing region than the first flexing region is flexible in bending relative to the mounting portion, the first surface defined on the second flexing region, wherein the first and second flexing regions are connected by a hinge portion, wherein the body has a length and the first and second flexing regions are spaced from each other lengthwise of the body, wherein the body has a cross-sectional area as viewed in a plane extending transversely to the length of the body and the hinge portion has a cross-sectional area that is less than the cross-sectional area of first and second portions of the body that are spaced from each other lengthwise of the body and between which the hinge portion resides.