Integrated Closure Device Components and Methods

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/913,831 by Burns et al., entitle “INTEGRATED CLOSURE DEVICE COMPONENTS AND METHODS”, filed on Oct. 11, 2024, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/501,817 by Burns et al., entitled “INTEGRATED CLOSURE DEVICE COMPONENTS AND METHODS,” filed Nov. 3, 2023, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 12,144,401, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/186,779 by Burns et al., entitled “INTEGRATED CLOSURE DEVICE COMPONENTS AND METHODS,” filed Mar. 20, 2023, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 11,844,404, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/450,263 by Burns et al., entitled “INTEGRATED CLOSURE DEVICE COMPONENTS AND METHODS,” filed Oct. 7, 2021, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 11,633,020, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/006,171 by Burns et al., entitled “INTEGRATED CLOSURE DEVICE COMPONENTS AND METHODS,” filed Aug. 28, 2020, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 11,457,698, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/103,761 by Burns et al., entitled “INTEGRATED CLOSURE DEVICE COMPONENTS AND METHODS,” filed Aug. 14, 2018, now issued U.S. Issued U.S. Pat. No. 10,772,388, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/991,788 by Burns et al., entitled “INTEGRATED CLOSURE DEVICE COMPONENTS AND METHODS,” filed Jan. 8, 2016, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 10,076,160, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/297,047 by Cotterman et al., entitled “INTEGRATED CLOSURE DEVICE COMPONENTS AND METHODS,” filed Jun. 5, 2014, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 9,770,070, which claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 61/831,259 by Cotterman et al., entitled “INTEGRATED CLOSURE DEVICE COMPONENTS AND METHODS,” filed Jun. 5, 2013. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/991,788 also claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 62/101,283 by Burns et al., entitled “CLOSURE SYSTEM COMPONENTS FOR ENABLING EASY ATTACHMENT OF LACE,” filed Jan. 8, 2015. The entire disclosure of all above reference applications are hereby incorporated by reference, for all purposes, as if fully set forth herein.

The present invention is related to closure devices for various articles, such as braces, medical devices, shoes, clothing, apparel, and the like. Such articles typically include closure devices that allow the article to be placed and closed about a body part. The closure devices are typically used to maintain or secure the article to the body part. For example, shoes are typically placed over an individual's foot and lace is tensioned and tied to close the shoe about the foot and secure the shoe to the foot. Conventional closure devices have been modified in an effort to increase the fit and/or comfort of the article about the body part. For example, shoe lacing configurations and/or patterns have been modified in an attempt to increase the fit and/or comfort of wearing shoes. Conventional closure devices have also been modified in an effort to decrease the time in which an article may be closed and secured about the body part. These modifications have resulted in the use of various pull cords, straps, and tensioning devices that enable the article to be quickly closed and secured to the foot.

The embodiments described herein provide closure systems having a reduced overall part and/or component count. The closure systems may be used to close and/or tighten a variety of articles, such as shoes, braces, apparel, sporting equipment, and the like. The reduced part or component count reduces the overall cost of the system and/or enable simple assembly of the system. According to one aspect, a reel assembly for tightening an article is provided. The reel assembly includes a housing component that includes an interior region. A spool component is rotatably positioned within the interior region of the housing component. The spool includes an annular channel around which a tension member is gathered to tighten the article. A drive component is positioned axially above the spool component and operably coupled therewith. The drive component allows the spool component to rotate in a first direction within the housing component's interior region while preventing rotation of the spool component in a second direction.

A tightening component is rotatably coupled within the housing and positioned axially above the drive component and coupled therewith. Operation of the tightening component causes the spool component to rotate within the housing component's interior region in the first direction to gather the tension member around the spool component's annular channel and thereby tighten the article. An attachment component is positioned axially below the spool component. The attachment component includes a coupling member that protrudes axially upward into the interior region of the housing component to couple the attachment component with the drive component. The reel assembly includes no more than six separate components. In some embodiments, the reel assembly includes no more than five separate components. One or more of the reel assembly's components may assemble by snapping together so that the reel assembly is free of a screw, rivet, or other rigid fastener.

In some embodiments, the tightening component includes a main body and a grip body that is positioned on a circumferential edge of the main body. The grip body has a coefficient of friction that is greater than the main body to enable a user to easily grip and operate the tightening component. In some embodiments, the tightening component is axially moveable relative to the housing component to disengage the drive component and spool component and thereby allow the spool component to rotate in the second direction and thereby loosen the article. In some embodiments, the reel assembly may also include a mounting component that is couplable with the article and releasably couplable with the reel assembly. The mounting component may include a mounting feature that is configured for releasably coupling with the reel assembly and an attachment feature that is configured for coupling with the article. The mounting feature may be made of a first material and the attachment feature may be made of a second material that is softer than the first material.

In some embodiments, the drive component includes teeth that engage with corresponding teeth of the housing component or a clutch component (e.g., a separate disc or component) to allow the spool component to rotate in the first direction while preventing rotation in the second direction. The drive component includes one or more tabs that are positioned over a top surface of the drive component. The one or more tabs are configured to move the drive component's teeth axially upward as the drive component is moved axially upward to disengage the drive component's teeth from the corresponding teeth of the housing component or clutch component. The clutch component may be a component that mates with the spool component, housing component, or tightening component and includes teeth that axially or radially engage with the drive component's teeth. The drive component may be moved axially upward via a user pulling axially upward on the tightening component (e.g., knob), by a user operating the tightening component (e.g., rotating a knob counterclockwise), by a user pressing or selecting a button, and the like.

According to another embodiment, a reel assembly for tightening an article is provided. The reel assembly includes a housing having: an interior region, an open top end, and an open bottom end. A spool is rotatably positioned within the interior region of the housing. The spool is configured for gathering a tension member there around to tighten the article. A drive component is positioned axially above the spool and operably coupled therewith to allow the spool to rotate in a first direction within the housing's interior region while preventing rotation of the spool in a second direction. A tightening component is positioned axially above the drive component and coupled therewith such that operation of the tightening component causes the spool to rotate within the housing's interior region in the first direction to gather the tension member around the spool and thereby tighten the article. When the reel assembly is assembled, the spool is substantially positioned within the interior region and is accessible from the open bottom end of the housing to allow a user to couple the tension member with the spool.

In some embodiments, the reel assembly also includes an attachment component that is positioned axially below the spool. The attachment component includes a coupling member that protrudes axially upward into the housing's interior region and couples with the drive component. In some embodiments, the housing may also include a partition that is configured to contact a top surface of the spool to prevent the spool from being moved axially upward within the housing.

In some embodiments, the drive component may be axially moveable to disengage from the spool component and thereby allow the spool component to rotate in the second direction. The drive component may be axially moveable via a rotation of the tightening component in the second direction, or may be axially moveable via axial movement of the tightening component relative to the housing. In some embodiments, the tension member may be integrally formed from the housing by elongating and deforming a material of the housing.

According to another embodiment, a method of assembling a reel assembly is provided. The method includes coupling a drive component with a tightening component and coupling the tightening component with a top end of a housing so that the drive component faces an interior region of the housing. The method also includes inserting a spool component within a bottom end of the housing so that the spool component is positioned within the interior region of the housing and so that a top end of the spool component faces a bottom surface of the drive component. The method further includes coupling an attachment component with the bottom end of the housing. The attachment component includes a coupling member that couples with the drive component. Coupling of the coupling member with the drive component operationally couples the drive component and the spool component so that operation of the tightening component causes the spool component to rotate within the housing in a first direction while preventing rotation of the spool component in a second direction.

In some embodiments, assembling the reel assembly includes coupling the components such that the reel assembly is free of a screw or other rigid fastener. In some embodiments, coupling the drive component with the tightening component includes snapping the drive component into a recessed portion of the tightening component. In some embodiments, coupling the tightening component with the top end of the housing includes snapping a lip of the tightening component over a corresponding lip of the housing. In some embodiments, coupling the attachment component with the bottom end of the housing includes snapping a flange of the attachment component within an aperture of the housing. In some embodiments, the method further includes snapping the attachment component's coupling member within an aperture of the drive component to couple said components together. In some embodiments, the assembled reel assembly may be coupled with a mounting component that is positioned on an article to be tightened with the reel assembly.

According to another embodiment, a reel assembly for tightening an article is provided. The reel assembly includes a housing having an interior region and a partition that divides the interior region into an upper portion and a lower portion. A spool is rotatably positioned within the lower portion of the housing's interior region axially below the partition. The partition prevents the spool from axially moving upward into the upper portion. A drive component is positioned within the upper portion of the housing's interior region. The drive component is axially moveable relative to the spool between an engaged state and a disengaged state. In the engaged state, the drive component allows the spool to rotate in a first direction within the housing's interior region while preventing rotation of the spool component in a second direction. In the disengaged state, the drive component allows the spool to rotate in the second direction within the housing's interior region.

A tightening component is positioned axially above the drive component and coupled therewith so that operation of the tightening component causes the spool to rotate within the housing's interior region in the first direction. An attachment component is positioned axially below the spool. The attachment component includes a coupling member that protrudes axially upward into the interior region of the housing and couples with the drive component.

According to another embodiment, an integrated tightening device and lacing system is provided. The integrated device and system includes a base portion and a tension member that has a proximal end integrally formed with the base portion and a distal end opposite the proximal end. The tension member is formed by elongating and deforming a material of the base portion. The integrated device and system also includes a spool that is coupled with the distal end of the tension member. The spool is configured for gathering the tension member to tighten an article. The integrated device and system further includes a tightening component that is operationally coupled with the spool so that operation of the tightening component causes the spool to gather the tension member and thereby tighten the article.

In some embodiments, the distal end of the tension member includes a grip feature that facilitates in elongating the material of the base portion. In some embodiments, the material of the base portion is deformable only while the material is above a threshold temperature.

According to another embodiment, a method of forming a lacing system is provided. The method includes securing a material of a base portion and elongating the material of the base portion to form a tension member having a proximal end that is integrally attached to the base portion and a distal end opposite the proximal end. The method also includes coupling the distal end of the tension member with a spool. The spool is configured for gathering the tension member to tighten an article. The method further includes operationally coupling the spool with a tightening component so that operation of the tightening component causes the spool to gather the tension member and thereby tighten the article.

In some embodiments, securing the material of the base portion includes gripping a grip feature of the base portion. The grip feature facilitates elongation of the base portion's material. In some embodiments, the method additionally includes elongating the material of the base portion while the material is above a threshold temperature.

In the appended figures, similar components and/or features may have the same numerical reference label. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label by a letter that distinguishes among the similar components and/or features. If only the first numerical reference label is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components and/or features having the same first numerical reference label irrespective of the letter suffix.

Embodiments of the invention provide closure devices (hereinafter reel assemblies) with a reduced component count compared with conventional closure devices. The component count reduction may be provided by integrating one or more of the reel assembly components into a single component. The integrated components may perform multiple operations, such as functioning as a lace winding spool while simultaneously functioning as a ratchet winding mechanism. The reduced component count of the reel assembly simplifies the overall system, thereby reducing the cost and/or complexity of the system. The reduced component count may also reduce the risk of component or system breakage and/or malfunction.

Generally, the described reel assemblies may be used to close a variety of items, such as items of clothing (i.e., hats, gloves, and the like), sports apparel (boots, snowboard boots, ski boots, and the like), medical braces (i.e., back braces, knee braces, and the like), and various other items or apparel. A specific embodiment in which the closure devices may be used involves shoes, boots, and other footwear. For ease in describing the embodiments herein, the disclosure will be directed mainly to shoes although it should be realized that the closure devices may be used for the various other items.

Referring now to, illustrated is a perspective view of an embodiment of lacing systemused for tightening a shoe. The shoe can be any suitable footwear that can be tightened around a wearer's foot. The lacing systemcan be used to close or tighten various other articles as described herein, such as, for example, a belt, a hat, a glove, snowboard bindings, a medical brace, or a bag. The lacing system can include a reel assembly, a lace, and one or more lace guides. In the illustrated embodiment, the reel assemblycan be attached to the tongueof the shoe. Various other configurations are also possible. For example, the reel assemblycan be attached to a side of the shoe, which can be advantageous for shoes in which the shoe sides-are designed to be drawn closely together when tightened leaving only a small portion of the tongueexposed. The reel assemblycan also be attached to the back of the shoe, and a portion of the lacecan pass through the shoe, sometimes using tubing for the lace to travel through, on either side of the wearer's ankle such that the lacecan be engaged with the reel assemblywhen back-mounted.

is a perspective view of an embodiment of lacing systemthat can be similar to the lacing system, or any other lacing system described herein. The lacing system can include a reel assemblywhich can be similar to the reel assembly, or any other reel described herein.is an exploded perspective view of the reel assembly.is another exploded perspective view of the reel assembly.

With reference to, the reel assemblycan include a base member, a spool member, and a knob. The base member can include a spool housingand a mounting flange. The spool housingcan include a plurality of ratchet teeth, which can extend radially inwardly. The base membercan include lace holes-that allow the laceto enter the spool housing.

The spool membercan be disposed within the spool housingsuch that the spool memberis rotatable about an axiswith respect to the spool housing. The lacecan be secured to the spool membersuch that when the spool memberrotates in a tightening direction (shown by arrow A) the laceis drawn into the spool housingand is wound around the channelformed in the spool member, and when the spool memberrotates in a loosening direction (shown by arrow B) the laceunwinds from the channelof the spool memberand exits the spool housingvia the lace holes-The spool membercan also include spool teethformed thereon. It will be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein can be modified such that rotation in the direction shown by arrow B will tighten the lacing. In this particular embodiment, the knobmay be raised axially to disengage from spoolto allow the spool to freewheel in direction B in order to release the lace. In other embodiments, rotation of the knob in the direction shown by arrow B (or A) may loosen the lacing system.

The knobcan be attached to the spool housingsuch that the knobcan rotate about the axiswith respect to the spool housing. The knobcan include knob teeththat can be configured to mate with the spool teethto couple the knobto the spool membersuch that rotation of the knobin the tightening direction causes the spool memberto also rotate in the tightening direction. In some embodiments, the rotation of the knobin the loosening direction can also cause the spool memberto rotate in the loosening direction. The knobcan also include one or more pawl teethwhich can be biased radially outwardly so as to mate with the ratchet teeth. The pawl teethand ratchet teethcan be configured so that the ratchet teethcan displace the pawl teethradially inwardly when the knobis rotated in the tightening direction, thereby allowing the knobto rotate in the tightening direction. The pawl teethand the ratchet teethcan also be configured so that they engage one another when force is applied to twist the knobin the loosening direction, thereby preventing the knobfrom rotating in the loosening direction.

Thus, the reel assemblycan provide a one-way tightening system configured to allow the user to rotate the knobin the tightening direction, which causes the spool memberto rotate in the tightening direction, which in turn causes the laceto be drawn into the spool housingvia the lace holes-As the laceis drawn into the spool housingthe lacing systemcan tighten, causing the lace guideto be drawn in the direction toward the reel assembly(shown by arrow C in). Although the lacing systemis shown with a single lace guide, any other suitable number of lace guides can be used. Other features of the reel and lacing system are described in U.S. Patent Application No. 2011/0266384, filed Apr. 29, 2011, and Titled “Reel Based Lacing System”, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

As described previously, embodiments described herein integrate one or more of the reel assembly components into a single component to reduce the component count—i.e., number of components—of the reel assembly. For example, one or more of the components described inmay be integrated or consolidated into a single component. Integrating or consolidating the components to reduce the overall component count simplifies the system and/or reduces cost. In some embodiments, the reel assembly may be assembled without the use of a screw or other rigid fastener, which may increase the durability and/or impact resistance of the reel assembly. For example, individual components of the reel assembly may be configured to snap into engagement with each other, thereby reducing or eliminating the need for rigid fasteners, such as screws, rivets, bolts, and the like. These and other features of the reel assemblies will be more evident with reference to the embodiments described herein below.

illustrate embodiments showing how an upper portion or cover with gripand a lower portion or coreof a reel assembly's knob may be fit together into an assembly. Specifically, the cover with gripmay be snap fit over the core. The cover with gripmay have an inwardly extending flange portionthat snaps over an outwardly extending flangeof the core. In fitting the components together, the bottom portion of the cover with griptypically deflects outward as flangeis fit over flange. The bottom portion of the cover with gripthen resiliently snaps back into place to lock the cover with gripabout the core. Since the cover with gripis fit over the core, the cover's flangeis exposed to external objects. In some situations, the flangemay be hit or impacted at an angle by an external object, which may cause the cover with gripto become uncoupled from the core. To prevent uncoupling of the components, the coreand/or cover with gripis typically made of a robust material, such as glass filled nylon, which may be relatively expensive.

In some embodiments, impact strength can be improved by inverting the coupling configuration. For example, uncoupling of the cover with grip from the core may be prevented or hindered by inverting the coupling configuration between the components. For example, knobshows a core with griphaving a circumferential groovewithin which an edge of the coverfits. This knobconfiguration is further shown in. The covermay deflect inward or the core with gripmay deflect outward as the cover is pressed onto the core with grip. The edge of the covermay snap into the circumferential grooveto couple the components together. Since the connection between the components is within the core with grip, the knobis less susceptible to side or angled impacts that may otherwise uncouple the cover from the core. This configuration may allow for cheaper material to be used, such as ABS, nylon, or other materials. In some embodiments, the covermay include a slotthat allows the coverto be uncoupled from the core with grip, such by using a flat head screw driver for leverage. In some embodiments, one or more of the components described herein (i.e., pawls, teeth, spool, and the like) may be housed within an interior of the coupled cover and core.

Referring now to, illustrated is a reel assemblyhaving several integrated components.illustrates an exploded perspective view of the reel assembly. As shown, reel assemblyincludes a spool housinghaving an interior portion or chamber within which most of the other components fit, such as spooland pawl or drive disc(hereinafter pawl disc). Spool housingincludes a plurality of circumferentially positioned and radially inward facing ratchet teeththat are configured to engage with pawl teethof pawl discas the reel assemblyis operated to allow lace to be wound around spool.

The pawl teethof pawl discand ratchet teethof spool housingfunction as a ratchet mechanism that provides the one-way winding motion of the spoolto allow the lace to be wound around the spool. To provide the one-way ratchet mechanism, the pawl teethare configured to deflect radially inward relative to pawl discas the pawl teethrotate clockwise relative to ratchet teeth. The pawl teethare biased radially outward so as to engage and lock with the ratchet teethto prevent counterclockwise rotation of the pawl discrelative to spool housing. As the pawl discand pawl teethare rotated relative to ratchet teeth, the pawl teeth snap into position within corresponding housing teethdue to the inward and outward deflection of cantilevered pawl arms, which produces an audible “click” sound. This sound may be tailored by adjusting a thickness of the material of pawl disc.

Pawl discalso includes a plurality of axially oriented teeth(see) that are configured to engage with axially oriented teethof spool. The teeth,and, engage so that the pawl discdrives, or in other words causes, clockwise rotation of the spoolas the pawl discis rotated clockwise (or counterclockwise) relative to spool housing. As the spoolis rotated in this manner, lace (not shown) that is attached to the spoolis wound around a central portion or channelof the spool. To drive pawl discand spoolclockwise, a knobis attached to the pawl discvia a shaftas described in more detail below. In some embodiments, the pawl discmay include a keyed recessinto which a corresponding shaped extension or member (not shown) of the knobis positioned. The keyed recessand extension may function similar to teeth,and, to transfer rotational motion applied to the knobby a user to the pawl discand spool. To couple the components together (e.g., the spool, pawl disc, and knob), shaftmay be inserted through a centrally located apertureof spooland a centrally located apertureof pawl discand coupled with knob. In some embodiments, the shaftmay be sonically welded with knob, although other shaft-knob coupling arrangements are contemplated herein, such as via interference fit, adhesive bonding, heat welding, riveting, and the like.

Pawl discprovides several advantages over pawl discs of other reel assemblies. For example, the arrangement of the curved cantilever portion or member of pawl teethdeflects radially outward against the ratchet teethof spool housingas the lace is tensioned and/or the knobis rotated backward. In this manner, the spool housingsupports the pawl teethas the curved cantilever portion or member presses outwardly against the spool housing. Further, this configuration allows the location and orientation of the pawl teethto have a more defined and precise location relative to pawl disc, which increases the synchronized engagement of the pawl teethwith ratchet teeth.

In some embodiments, the spool housingmay include a plurality of circumferentially arranged spool housing fingersor fingers that are configured to engage with an inwardly oriented flanged portionof knob(see) to allow the teeth,and, of the spooland pawl discto be disengaged and thereby allow the lace to be unwound from spool. Specifically, during a winding operation of reel assembly, such as that described above, the flanged portionof knobmay be positioned axially below the spool housing fingers. A plurality of spool housing fingersthat extend radially outward from a top flanged end of spoolmay slidingly rest on a stepped inner tab or ledgeof spool housing. The stepped inner tab or ledgeof spool housingprevents axially upward movement of the spool, pawl disc, and knobrelative to spool housing. The spool housing fingersdescribed herein provide several advantages over other reel assembly designs. For example, the spool housing fingersmay include relative long preload ramps that provide improved resistance to accidental opening without increasing the overall height of the reel assembly.

In an alternative embodiment, the spoolmay be inserted within the spool housingfrom a position axially below the spool housing. The spoolmay be retained within the spool housingvia a lower or upper flange portion (not shown). In some embodiments, the shaftmay be relatively short component in the axial direction so that a space is provided in a central portion of the spoolto allow lace attachment with the spoolat or near the central portion.

As described briefly above, to unwind the lace, the teeth,and, of spooland pawl discmay be disengaged to allow the spool to freely spin or rotate counterclockwise (or clockwise in some embodiments). Disengagement of the teeth,and, of spooland pawl discis achieved by positioning a lipof pawl discaxially above a ledgeof shaft(see). The liphas an inner diameter that is smaller than an outer diameter of ledge. The shaftmay axially slide within a central housing of spoolwithout causing the spool to move axially upward. Accordingly, as the knobis pulled axially upward, the ledgeof shaftengages with lipto force the pawl discaxially upward. Axially upward movement of the pawl discdisengages the pawl teethfrom the ratchet teethof spool housingand also disengages the teeth,and, of the spooland pawl disc, thereby allowing counterclockwise rotation of the knob, pawl disc, and/or spoolrelative to spool housing. This disengaged configuration also allows spoolto rotate relative to knobwithout causing rotation of the cap. This allows the lace (not shown) to be unwound from spool.

As the knobis moved axially upward, the inwardly oriented flanged portionof knobpress against the spool housing fingersand causes the tabs to deflect radially inward. Axially upward movement of the flanged portionbeyond a top surface of the spool housing fingersallows the spool housing fingersto resiliently return to their un-deflected position or with a slight preload for a quality feel. In this arrangement, a bottom surface of the flanged portionmay rest on the top surface of the spool housing fingersso as to maintain the disengaged configuration or relationship of knoband pawl discfrom spool. Because the flanged portionmay rest on the spool housing fingersin this manner, the user is not required to hold the knoband pawl discin the disengaged configuration. Rather, the user may pull the knobaxially upward so that the flanged portionrests on the tab, release the knob, unwind the lace from spool, and then press the knobdownward to re-engage the pawl teethwith the ratchet teethof spool housingand to re-engage the teeth,and, of the spooland pawl discso that winding of the lace may be subsequently performed as describe above. To facilitate re-engagement of the ratchet teeth and pawl teeth, each of these components may have a chamfered or angle edge that biases the ratchet teeth and pawl teeth into an engaged orientation.

illustrate a bottom perspective view and top view of the pawl discrespectively. To facilitate re-engagement of the teethwith the teethof spool, the teeth(and teeth) may have an angled configuration on one side as shown.show a perspective view and a side view, respectively, of spool housing. The figures also show the spool housingcoupled with a bayonet, which may be stitched or otherwise attached (e.g., welded, riveted, adhesively bonded, and the like) into the fabric of a shoe, brace, or other apparel or device. The spool housingmay be removably coupled with the bayonet to allow the reel assemblyto be removed and/or replaced.further illustrate an aperturethrough which lace (not shown) may be threaded and coupled with the spool.illustrate perspective cross-sectional views of the components of reel assemblycoupled together.

Referring now to, illustrated is another embodiment of a reel assembly.illustrates a reel assemblythat includes a base member, a spool, a core, a pawl disc with spring, a cover with grip, and a coupling mechanism(e.g., a screw) that couples the pawl disc with spring, core, spool, and base membertogether. Base membermay be similar to spool housingin that base memberincludes teeththat couple with the pawl teethof pawl disc with springas previously described to allow the one-way ratchet motion. Base member may also include a flangethat is stitched into fabric of a shoe, brace, or other apparel or device. In some embodiments, base membermay be releasably coupled with a bayonet. Base membermay also include a central shaftabout which the spooland/or corerotate and/or with which the coupling mechanismattaches, such as by threading a screwinto the shaft.

Lace (not shown) may be wound around the spoolas previously described and the spoolmay include teeththat couple with corresponding teeth of pawl disc with springor core. In some embodiments, pawl disc with springmay include a centrally located springthat couples with a bushing. In some embodiments the central spring may be formed of a compliant or resilient material that deflects as the bushingis pushed through a central lumen of the pawl disc with spring. After the bushingis inserted through the central lumen, the resilient material of pawl disc with springmay press against the bushingto couple the components together. The screwmay be inserted through the bushingand coupled through the spoolto base member. Cover with gripfits over the assembly and couples with the base memberto cover the assembly and provide a component that the user can grip and rotate to wind the lace.

Referring now to, illustrated is another embodiment of a reel assembly. The reel assembly ofis similar to that described inin that the reel assembly includes a base member, a spool, a coverand a coupling mechanism, such as a screwand bushing. The reel assembly ofdiffers from reel assemblyin that the system includes an integrated spool housing with pawl disc. The outer cylindrical body portion of the spool housing with pawl discfits over the outer cylindrical wall of base memberand is rotatable relative thereto by a user grasping the outer cylindrical body. The pawl disc portion of the spool housing with pawl discfits within the inner cylindrical wall of base membersuch that the pawl teeth are able to engage with the ratchet teeth of base memberto wind and unwind lace from the spoolas described herein. The covermay be similar to those described in, and is coupled with an interior portion of cylindrical body of spool housing with pawl disc.

Referring now to, illustrated is another embodiment of a reel assemblywith integrated components. Similar to some of the other reel assemblies described herein, reel assemblyincludes a spool housingthat releasably couples with a bayonet, which may be coupled with a shoe, brace, or other apparel or device via stitching, adhesive bonding, molding, and the like. In some embodiments, to releasably couple the spool housingand bayonet, the bayonetmay include a tabhaving a hooked portion facing inward or outward that fits within a recessof a bottom flanged portion of the spool housing. The tabmay be pulled or pushed to remove the hooked portion from the recess to allow the spool housing and other components of the reel assemblyto be released from the bayonet. Uncoupling of the reel assemblymay be performed to replace the reel assembly, to replace the lace of the reel assembly, or for maintenance or other purposes.

Reel assemblyalso includes a spool with pawlsthat fits within the spool housing. Unlike the other reel assemblies described herein, reel assemblydoes not include a separate pawl disc. Rather, the pawl teethare integrated with the spool with pawlsinto a single component, thereby reducing the component count of reel assembly. As previously described, the pawl teethare biased radially outward with curved spring elements to cause the pawl teethto engage with ratchet teethof the spool housing to provide the one-way ratchet motion previously described.

Reel assemblyalso includes a cover with gripas previously described. The spool housingincludes spool housing fingersthat are spaced circumferentially around the body of the spool housing. In some embodiments, the fingersmay be an annular flange that partially or fully surrounds the spool housing. The fingerswill be referred to hereinafter as flange. The spool housing flangeinteracts with a corresponding flange or grooved interior channel (see) of the cover with gripas previously described to allow the cover with grip to be pulled axially upward and maintained in an axially raised orientation relative to the spool with pawls to disengage the pawl teethand ratchet teethand thereby allow lace(see) to be unwound from the spool with pawls. To couple the components together, a shaftmay be attached to a central cylindrical element (see) of the cover with gripvia sonic welding, adhesive bonding, press fitting, and the like.

In some embodiments, the spool with pawlsmay include a plurality of teethpositioned on a top surface that engage and interact with teeth (not shown) positioned within an interior portion of the cover with grip. In another embodiment, the cover with gripmay include a spline(see) that engages with the spool with pawls. As shown in, as the cover with gripis first pulled axially upward, friction between the splineand an apertureof the spool with pawlscauses the spool to move axially upward to a disengaged position () at which point the integrated pawl teeth are retracted from the ratchet teeth of the housing. At this point the user could incrementally unwind lace if desired and push the cover with gripaxially downward to the closed position in which the pawls are reengaged with the ratchet teeth. To fully release the spool with pawls, the cover with gripmay be pulled further axially upward to a second position () at which the pawl teeth disengage from the ratchet teeth and the splineis disengaged from the aperture, which allows the spool with pawlsto freewheel or freely spin/rotate while the cover with gripremains stationary.

To allow the splineto be disengaged from the aperture, the shaftmay be coupled axially below a lipped portionof the spool with pawlsas shown in. This allows the shaftto travel axially upward a desired distance before disengaging the splinefrom the aperture. Frictional engagement of the splineand aperturecauses the pawl teethto be disengaged from the ratchet teethvia pulling on the cover with gripas previously described. Positioning the shaftaxially below the lipped portionmay also reduce an amount of “wobble” of the cover with gripof reel assemblyproviding a benefit over other reel assemblies. In other embodiments, the shaftmay be coupled immediately below the lipped portionof the spool with pawlsso that any upward axial motion of the cover with gripis transferred to the spool with pawls.

As shown in, in some embodiments, the spool housing flangemay include two outwardly extending flanges (not shown) that are configured to hold the cover with gripin a first position in which the splineis disengaged from the apertureand in a second position in which the splineis disengaged from the apertureand in which the pawl teethare disengaged from the ratchet teeth. In other embodiments, the spool housingmay include circumferential grooves (not shown) in place of the spool housing fingers. A flanged portion of the cover with gripmay fit within the circumferential grooves of the spool housingand as the cover with gripis pulled axially upward, the flanged portion may slide into another circumferential groove to hold the cover with gripand any coupled components in an axially raised orientation. In some embodiments, this configuration may allow the cover with gripto be removed without the use of a tool. Removing the cover with gripallows the spool to be exposed and lace to be easily removed and retied or attached to the spool, such as for replacement.

As previously described, in some embodiments, the reel assemblymay be removed to replace the laceof the reel assembly.illustrates one embodiment in which the lacemay be replaced. Specifically, the spool housingmay include aperturesthrough which the laceis fed or threaded. The spool with pawlsmay likewise include aperturesthrough which the laceis fed or threaded. In such embodiments, the apertures,and, of the spool with pawlsand spool housing, respectively, may be aligned and the lacefed through the two apertures, either from the reel assemblies exterior or the interior regions. A knot may be tied in the lacethat is unable to pass through the aperturesof the spool with pawlsso as to couple the lace with the spool. In this manner, replacement of the laceis relatively quick, convenient, and easy. In some embodiments, the spool with pawlsmay include slots instead of apertures. The slots may extend from a bottom edge of the spool with pawlsaxially upward to allow the laceto be slid within the slot during lace replacement.

illustrates the integrated spool with pawlsand pawl teethof reel assemblyin greater detail.illustrate a method of assembling the components of reel assembly. For example, to assemble the components, the spool with pawlsand shaftmay be positioned below the spool housing. The spool with pawlsmay then be inserted within a chamber of the spool housingand moved axially upward relative to the spool housing until the pawl teethare positioned adjacent the ratchet teethof spool housing. To facilitate insertion of the spool with pawlswithin the spool housing, the spool housing may include a ramped or angled portionthat is configured to deflect the pawl teethinwardly around a bottom edge of the ratchet teeth. As the pawl teethare pushed upward adjacent the ratchet teeth, the pawl teeth may spring radially outward to engage with the ratchet teeth.

The cover with gripmay then be inserted over the spool with pawlsand spool housingso that a shaft or slugis inserted through a central aperture of the spool. The splineis inserted within the apertureof spool with pawls. The shaftmay then be inserted through the central aperture of spool with pawlsuntil the shaftcontacts the slug. The shaftand slugmay then be coupled together via sonic welding, adhesive bonding, riveting, heat welding, and the like. Lace may then be fed through the spool with pawls and spool housing and the coupled components may be releasably attached to a bayonetthat is coupled with a shoe, brace, or other device or apparel.