Centrifugal brake assembly

A pawl and a rotor for use with a centrifugal brake assembly, comprising:

• the rotor including a receiving portion configured and arranged to receive a portion of the pawl, the pawl being movable relative to the rotor between an engaged position and a disengaged position;
• and
• the rotor having a slotted portion, the pawl having an elongated protrusion, the elongated protrusion at least partially extending within the slotted portion and moving generally along the slotted portion when the pawl moves between the engaged position and the disengaged position;
• wherein the pawl comprises a generally rectangular base portion, a circular portion and a triangular protrusion, with the elongated protrusion, the circular portion, and the triangular protrusion all protruding outwardly from the generally rectangular base portion, with the circular portion of the pawl being the portion of the pawl that is received within the receiving portion of the rotor and about which the pawl pivots relative to the rotor,
• wherein the triangular protrusion protrudes generally outward from the generally rectangular base portion of the pawl in a direction generally aligned with an unwinding direction of the rotor, wherein the elongated protrusion protrudes outwardly from the generally rectangular base portion of the pawl in a direction generally aligned with a winding direction of the rotor and that is generally opposite the direction in which the triangular protrusion protrudes,
• and wherein the generally rectangular base portion of the pawl comprises a rotor-contact surface that faces generally in the winding direction of the rotor and that is located proximate a junction of the elongated protrusion with the generally rectangular base portion of the pawl, the pawl and rotor being configured so that the rotor-contact surface of the generally rectangular base portion of the pawl contacts the rotor when the pawl is in the engaged position.