Reel arrangement and locking mechanism

Abstract

An apparatus and method for dispensing a wound media including one or more reels with an associated locking mechanism. The locking mechanism can allow one or more of the reels to be rotated in one particular direction, while preventing one or more of the reels from being rotated in the opposite direction.

1 . A reel assembly comprising:
 a reel stand having a base and two end plates that extend upwards from opposing ends of the base, wherein each of the end plates includes a cutout that extends downwards from a top edge of each of the end plate and a plurality of protrusions radially aligned along at least a portion of the cutout on an inside face of each of the end plates; and   a reel having a longitudinally extending core and at least two flanges positioned at opposing ends of the core, each flange having a central opening and a plurality of apertures that circumscribe the central opening, wherein each flange has a respective portion of the core that extends through the central opening into a respective one of the cutouts of the end plates and wherein the plurality of protrusions extend into at least some of the plurality of apertures.   
     
     
         2 . The reel assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of the cutouts is U-shaped. 
     
     
         3 . The reel assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of protrusions is a flap that is angled relative to a plane of the associated end plate. 
     
     
         4 . The reel assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the flap includes a ramp surface and a locking surface, wherein the locking surface is generally orthogonal to the associated end plate and the ramp surface is angled relative to the associated end plate along a top edge of the locking surface. 
     
     
         5 . The reel assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a package having two side walls, front and rear walls that extend upwards from the base, a window in the front wall and two side wall apertures, wherein the reel stand and reel are positioned inside the package. 
     
     
         6 . The reel assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the each respective portion of the core that extends into the respective one of the cutouts further extends into a respective one of the side wall apertures. 
     
     
         7 . The reel assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the reel assembly is composed of a corrugated material. 
     
     
         8 . A reel assembly locking mechanism comprising:
 a plurality of apertures circumscribing a flange positioned at an end of a reel that is mounted in a reel stand;   a plurality of protrusions that extend outwards from an inner face of an end plate that extends upwards from a base of the reel stand, each protrusion of the plurality of protrusions being a flap having a locking surface that extends generally orthogonally to the inner face of the end plate and a ramp surface that is angled relative to the inner face of the end plate and extends along a top edge of the orthogonal surface; and   each of the protrusion of the plurality the plurality of protrusions being oriented in a particular circumferential direction and aligning with and extending into at least a subset of the plurality of apertures.   
     
     
         9 . The reel assembly locking mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of protrusions are radially aligned along a cutout in the end plate of the reel stand. 
     
     
         10 . The reel assembly locking mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein each of the protrusions is U-shaped. 
     
     
         11 . The reel assembly locking mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of protrusions are integral with the end plate. 
     
     
         12 . A reel assembly comprising:
 a reel stand having a base and one or more endplates, wherein one or more of the endplates extend generally orthogonally from the base, wherein the one or more end plates include a cutout and wherein one or more of the endplates include one or more protrusions that are radially aligned along at least a portion of the cutout of one or more of the endplates; and   a reel having a longitudinally extending core and one or more flanges that each include a central opening, wherein each flange, of the one or more flanges, is positioned at either a first end of the longitudinally extending core or a second end of the longitudinally extending core, wherein one or more of the flanges includes one or more apertures that are radially aligned along at least a portion of the central opening of one or more of the flanges, wherein one or more of the protrusions of one or more of the endplates extend one or more of the apertures, and wherein one or both of the first end of the longitudinally extending core and the second end of the longitudinally extending core extend into the cutout of the one or more of endplates.   
     
     
         13 . The reel assembly of  claim 12 , wherein each of the cutouts of the one or more endplates is U-shaped. 
     
     
         14 . The reel assembly of  claim 12 , wherein one or more of the protrusions is a flap. 
     
     
         15 . The reel assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the flap includes a ramp surface and a locking surface, wherein the locking surface is generally orthogonal to one or more of the end plates and the ramp surface is angled relative to one or more of the end plates. 
     
     
         16 . The reel assembly of  claim 12 , further comprising a box having a window in a front wall and one or more side wall apertures in one or more side walls, wherein the reel stand and reel are positioned inside the box. 
     
     
         17 . The reel assembly of  claim 16 , wherein one or both of the first end of the longitudinally extending core and the second end of the longitudinally extending core further extend into one or more of the side wall apertures in one or more of the side walls. 
     
     
         18 . The reel assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the reel assembly is composed of a corrugated material. 
     
     
         19 - 68 . (canceled)