Braking mechanism and tape cartridge for tape measure

A tape measure having a braking mechanism for providing a controlled tape retraction, the tape measure comprising:

• a housing having at least one wall defining a container, the at least one wall having an opening therein;
• a fixed cylindrical surface located in the housing;
• a reel supported in the housing, the reel having a tape adapted to extend and retract from the opening in the at least one wall of the housing;
• and
• at least one braking mechanism coupled with the reel, the at least one braking mechanism including:
• a flyweight having a first end and a second end, wherein the flyweight includes a first receiving shoulder extending from a first side of the flyweight and a second receiving shoulder extending from a second side of the flyweight,
• at least one biasing member connected between the reel and the flyweight, wherein the at least one biasing member allows movement of the flyweight between a first position and a second position, wherein one of the ends of the flyweight is in contact with the fixed cylindrical surface in one of the first and second positions, and wherein the at least one biasing member includes a spring contacting both the flyweight and the reel, and
• at least one guide, wherein the at least one guide maintains the flyweight in contact with the reel while allowing the flyweight to move between the first position and the second position, and wherein the at least one guide comprises a pair of guide rails, each guide rail extending outwardly from an outward surface of the reel and having a cantilever portion, wherein a bottom surface of the cantilever portion faces a top surface of one of the first and second receiving shoulders,
• wherein the whole flyweight slides radially outward when moving between the first position and the second position.

A tape measure having a braking mechanism for providing a controlled tape retraction, the tape measure comprising:

• a housing having at least one wall defining a container, the at least one wall having an opening therein;
• a fixed cylindrical surface located in the housing;
• a reel supported in the housing, the reel having a tape adapted to extend and retract from the opening in the at least one wall of the housing;
• and
• at least one braking mechanism coupled with the reel, the at least one braking mechanism including:
• a base disc upon which components of the braking mechanism are positioned, the base disc being coupled with the reel, a flyweight movably coupled with the base disc, the flyweight having a first end and a second end, wherein the flyweight includes a first receiving shoulder extending from a first side of the flyweight and a second receiving shoulder extending from a second side of the flyweight,
• at least one biasing member connected between the base disc and the flyweight, wherein the at least one biasing member allows movement of the flyweight between a first position and a second position, wherein one of the ends of the flyweight is in contact with the fixed cylindrical surface in one of the first and second positions, and wherein the at least one biasing member includes a spring contacting both the flyweight and the base disc, and
• at least one guide, wherein the at least one guide maintains the flyweight in contact with the base disc while allowing the flyweight to move between the first position and the second position, and wherein the at least one guide comprises a pair of guide rails, each guide rail extending outwardly from an outward surface of the base disc and having a cantilever portion, wherein a bottom surface of the cantilever portion faces a top surface of one of the first and second receiving shoulders,
• wherein the whole flyweight slides radially outward when moving between the first position and the second position.