Tape measure reatraction decelerator

A tape measure comprising:

• a housing assembly comprising a housing wall having a first housing annular rib centered on an axis;
• a reel rotatably coupled to the housing wall, the reel comprising a reel wall comprising a first reel annular rib and a second reel annular rib, the first reel annular rib centered on the axis, the second reel annular rib centered on the axis;
• a tape coupled to the reel;
• a first seal member coupled to at least one of the housing wall or the reel wall, the first housing annular rib, the first reel annular rib, and the second reel annular rib extending around the first seal member;
• and
• a fluid disposed radially outward from the first seal member away the axis, the fluid operable to resist rotation of the reel relative to the housing wall and decelerate retraction of the tape.

A tape measure comprising:

• a housing assembly including a housing wall comprising:
• a first housing annular rib,
• a second housing annular rib, and
• a first housing annular groove disposed between the first housing annular rib and the second housing annular rib;
• a reel rotatably coupled to the housing wall, the reel comprising a reel wall having a first reel annular rib, at least a portion of the first reel annular rib disposed within the first housing annular groove;
• a tape coupled to the reel;
• and
• a fluid disposed at least partly within a cavity at least partly defined by the first housing annular groove such that the fluid is disposed between the first reel annular rib and the first housing annular groove, the fluid operable to resist rotation of the reel relative to the housing wall and decelerate retraction of the tape.