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US 2016/0206047 A1Published application
Reel based closure system
AssigneeBoa Technology Inc.
InventorsGary Hammerslag, Mark Soderberg, Michael T. Mayberry
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a closure system used in combination in any of a variety of applications including clothing, for example as a footwear lacing system comprising a lace attached to a tightening mechanism. The lace extends through a series of guide members positioned along two opposing footwear closure portions. The lace and guides preferably have low friction surfaces to facilitate sliding of the lace along the guide members so that the lace evenly distributes tension across the footwear member. The tightening mechanism allows incremental adjustment of the tension of the lace. The closure system allows a user to quickly loosen the lace and inhibits unintentional and/or accidental loosing of the lace.
Claims20
A reel based closure system, comprising:
- a housing, comprising an outer housing wall with housing teeth on an inner surface of the outer housing wall, wherein the outer housing wall defines an interior region;
- a spool rotatably positioned within the interior region of the housing, the spool comprising:
- an upper flange;
- an annular channel that receives a tension member as the spool rotates within the interior region of the housing, wherein as the spool rotates in a first direction within the interior region of the housing, the tension member winds about the channel, and wherein as the spool rotates in a second direction within the interior region of the housing, the tension member unwinds from about the channel;
- and
- a spool tooth coupled to the upper flange of the spool;
- a knob comprising an axially extending protrusion, the knob being rotatably coupled with the housing;
- a pawl component disposed within the housing and operationally coupled to the knob and the spool, the pawl component comprising:
- a first pawl member that is configured to engage with the housing teeth;
- and
- a second pawl member that is engagable with the spool tooth and transitionable between a first position and a second position, wherein the second pawl member engages the spool tooth in the first position to prevent rotation of the spool in the second direction, and wherein the second pawl member disengages from the spool tooth in the second position to enable the spool to rotate in the second direction and thereby unwind the tension member;
- wherein the second pawl member transitions from the first position to the second position as the knob rotates the axially extending protrusion into contact with the second pawl member.
9 more elements
A reel based closure system comprising:
- a housing having housing teeth disposed on an inner surface of the housing;
- a spool rotatably disposed within the housing, the spool being coupled with a tension member such that as the spool rotates in a first direction, the tension member winds about the spool and as the spool rotates in a second direction, the tension member unwinds from about the spool;
- a knob rotatably coupled with the housing;
- a pawl component disposed between the knob and the spool and operationally coupled therewith, the pawl component comprising:
- a first pawl member that engages with the housing teeth;
- and
- a second pawl member that is engagable with the spool and that transitions between a first position and a second position, wherein:
- in the first position, the second pawl member engages with the spool to prevent rotation of the spool in the second direction, and
- in the second position, the second pawl member disengages from the spool to enable rotation of the spool in the second direction;
- wherein a rotation of the knob in the second direction causes the second pawl member to transition from the first position to the second position.
7 more elements
A shoe tensioning system, comprising:
- a shoe;
- a tension member coupled to the shoe;
- a reel based tensioning system coupled to the shoe and the tension member, the reel based tensioning system comprising:
- a housing having housing teeth disposed on an inner surface of the housing;
- a spool rotatably disposed within the housing, the spool being coupled with the tension member such that rotation of the spool in a first direction winds the tension member about the spool and rotation of the spool in a second direction unwinds the tension member from about the spool;
- a knob rotatably coupled with the housing;
- and
- a pawl component disposed between the knob and the spool and operationally coupled therewith, the pawl component comprising:
- a first pawl member that engages with the housing teeth;
- and
- a second pawl member that is engagable with the spool and transitionable between a first position and a second position such that in the first position, the second pawl member engages with the spool to prevent rotation of the spool in the second direction, and in the second position, the second pawl member disengages from the spool to enable rotation of the spool in the second direction;
- wherein rotation of the knob in the second direction causes the second pawl member to transition from the first position to the second position.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.