Failure compensating lace tension devices and methods
US10952503B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 16, 2017 |
| Grant date | Mar 23, 2021 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 7, 2037 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T29/49826
- WIPO fieldOther consumer goods
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
A reel for tightening an article includes a housing and a spool positioned within the housing. A knob is coupled with the spool to cause the spool to rotate within the housing and thereby wind a tension member about a central post of the spool. A load holding mechanism is coupled with the spool and the housing and includes a first friction element and a second friction element that are frictionally engageable to prevent rotation of the spool in a second direction to prevent unwinding of the tension member from the spool's central post. Rotation of the knob in a first direction reduces frictional engagement of the friction elements to enable rotation of the spool in the first direction and tension in the tension member biases the spool toward rotation in the second direction which increases the frictional engagement of the friction elements.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.