The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 15, 2007
Filed:
Jun. 18, 2004
Dewey Sims, Jr., Berkley, MI (US);
Dewey Sims, Jr., Berkley, MI (US);
Sub-Q, LLC, Wayne, MI (US);
Abstract
A retractable reel includes a housing having 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 includes a wall that extends axially outward from a front surface of the spool, the spool is rotatably supported within the housing and is positioned such that the front surface, the wall and the front cover cooperatively define a chamber therebetween. The spool further includes at least one ratchet member selectively engaged by the resiliently deflectable latch arm to prevent rotation of the spool in a winding direction. The retractable reel includes a spring having a first end engaging the rear cover and a second end engaging the spool for rotatively biasing the spool in the winding direction. The retractable reel also includes a flexible member having a first portion that passes through the first opening and is spirally wound upon the spool and a second position 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 is spirally wound within the chamber. 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.