US 11,713,210 B2
Drive structure for tape or chalk reels
Cecil Mckinley Wilson, Sanford, NC (US)
Assigned to APEX BRANDS, INC., Apex, NC (US)
Appl. No. 17/800,429
Filed by APEX BRANDS, INC., Apex, NC (US)
PCT Filed Mar. 3, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/020641
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 17, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/178515, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 10, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/985,187, filed on Mar. 4, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0081691 A1, Mar. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. B44D 3/38 (2006.01); B65H 75/44 (2006.01); G01B 3/1005 (2020.01)
CPC B65H 75/4492 (2013.01) [B44D 3/38 (2013.01); G01B 3/1005 (2013.01); B65H 2403/61 (2013.01); B65H 2701/357 (2013.01); G01B 2003/1025 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A tool comprising:
a housing having an aperture;
a reel assembly disposed in the housing and having a reel, the reel being configured to receive a flexible and extendible media wound onto the reel and capable of being extended through the aperture; and
a retraction assembly comprising a rotatable crank, the retraction assembly being configured to interface with the reel to enable the flexible and extendible media, after extension from the housing, to be wound onto the reel responsive to rotation of the crank;
a drive assembly configured to operably couple the reel to the crank via a stress relief plate disposed between mating surfaces of the drive assembly,
wherein the drive assembly comprises a carrier operably coupled to the reel,
wherein the stress relief plate is interposed between the carrier and the crank, and
wherein the carrier is operably coupled to the reel via a gear assembly.