Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Reeling device – Fishing rod reel
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-13
2002-06-25
Marcelo, Emmanuel M. (Department: 3653)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Reeling device
Fishing rod reel
CD22S140000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06409113
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to reel units, and in particular, to fishing-rod mounted dual-bearing reel units in which fishing line is wound on a spool that is rotated by turning a handle on the reel.
2. Description of Related Art
Dual-bearing reels include a reel body to be mounted on a fishing rod, a spool disposed inside the reel body, a handle provided on one side of the reel unit, and a rotation transmission mechanism for transmitting rotation of the handle to the spool. The reel body includes a frame and a pair of side-covers. The frame includes a pair of left and right side-plates and connection members connecting the two side-plates, which are covered by the side-covers. The rotation transmission mechanism includes a main gear mounted on the handle shaft and a pinion gear mounted on the spool shaft; enlarging the two gears diametrically improves their rotation transmission efficiency.
Among dual-bearing reels of this kind, round dual-bearing reels are known whose side-plates and side-covers are made of metal and are substantially circular when viewed from the side. With conventional round dual-bearing reels manufactured of metal, the outer peripheral surface is finished by a machining process that serves to improve the style. With the aim of raising the rotation transmission efficiency of the rotation transmission mechanism in these round dual-bearing reels, the spool axis has been set off upward and rearward in the reel unit in order to enlarge the inter-shaft separation between the main gear and the pinion gear. This disposes the handle axis and the spool axis approximately on a diameter of the round outward form of the reel body. Nevertheless, with conventional compact round dual-bearing reels, such as disclosed for example in Japanese Reg. Utility Model No. 2552677, there is a limit to the expanding the inter-shaft distance.
A through-hole for inserting and removing the spool is provided in the reel body in round dual-bearing reels of this sort. Therefore, setting the spool axis off beyond a certain degree would make the thickness between the portion in which the through-hole is formed and the outer peripheral portion flimsy, diminishing the strength of the reel body against impact from being dropped. Moreover, this would put the outer circumference of the spool too close to the outer peripheral side of the reel body and to the clutch operating device, making it difficult to perform pitching and to operate the clutch.
In order to prevent this, dual-bearing reels are known in which the side-cover on the side where the handle is mounted protrudes axially as well as diametrically outward. Usually the protruding portion, which is roughly rectangular when viewed laterally, is formed stepped off beneath the rest so that it can accommodate the larger-diameter main gear mounted on the handle shaft. Furnishing the protruding portion in this manner keeps the strength from diminishing and keeps the reel from being awkward to operate, and at the same time increases the rotation transmission efficiency.
With conventional dual-bearing reels having the protruding portion, the protrusion sticks out in roughly rectangular form. Therefore, even though the outer circumferential surface of the remaining circular section can be machined by for example a lathe, machining the outer peripheral surface of this protruding portion that is roughly rectangular in prominence is difficult. This means that a machined section and an un-machined section appear on the outer peripheral surface, giving rise to an unnatural disparity from a design standpoint, which degrades the overall style and decorativeness of the reel unit. Moreover, even if the reel body is not machined, the round portion and rectangular portion lend an odd feel to the design, diminishing the style and decorativeness of the reel unit overall.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention to improve style and decorativeness in dual-bearing reel outward appearance among those in which the reel body has a protruding portion.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a dual-bearing reel unit to be mounted on a fishing rod has a handle disposed on one side surface of the dual-bearing reel unit and a spool disposed inside the dual-bearing reel unit, and includes a frame, a pair of side-covers and a fishing rod mounting portion. The frame includes a pair of side-plates between which the spool is disposed and a connection member for connecting the side-plates. The pair of side-covers covers the outer side of the two side-plates, and the handle is mounted on a proximal of the pair of side-covers. The fishing rod mounting portion is mounted on the fishing rod between the pair of side-plates. On the side on which the handle is mounted, the proximal side-cover and the proximal side-plate form a first cylindrical portion and a second cylindrical portion. The first cylindrical portion has a cylindrical first space inside, and the second cylindrical portion has a cylindrical second space inside that protrudes outward with respect to the first cylindrical portion in a spool shaft direction and is connected to the cylindrical first space, an outer circumference of the second cylindrical portion being staggered, so that it intersects with an outer circumference of the first cylindrical portion.
In a dual-bearing reel unit thus, a first cylindrical portion and a second cylindrical portion are arranged on the side where the handle is mounted, the first cylindrical portion has a first space, and the second cylindrical portion has a cylindrical second space inside that protrudes outward in a spool shaft direction and is connected to the cylindrical first space, an outer circumference of the second cylindrical portion being staggered, so that it intersects with the first cylindrical portion. That is to say, the side-plate and the side-cover form two staggered cylindrical portions with intersecting outer circumferences. Making the protruding portion with the second cylindrical portion, which protrudes to the outside, it becomes easy to form the outer peripheral surface in a cutting process while increasing the rotation efficiency by providing a protruding portion, and the two cylindrical portions do not impart the odd feel to the design arising in reels with the rectangular protrusion. Thus, the appearance and decorativeness of a dual-bearing reel unit having a protruding portion can be improved.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in a dual-bearing reel unit as in the first aspect, the outer peripheral surfaces of the two cylindrical portions overlap at least partially in the spool shaft direction. In this case, the outer peripheral surfaces of the two cylindrical portions overlap at least partially, so that the space formed by the first space and the second space in the portion where the two cylindrical portions overlap becomes large with respect to a direction intersecting with the spool shaft, and the main gear and various mechanisms, such as the clutch control mechanism, can be accommodated in a compact fashion without extending the length of the reel in the spool shaft direction. Therefore, the storage space inside the reel unit is increased, and a compact appearance can be achieved.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in a dual-bearing reel unit as in the first or second aspect, the two cylindrical portions have substantially the same diameter. In this case, the processing of the outer surfaces of the cylindrical portions is easier, because the two cylindrical portions have the same diameter.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in a dual-bearing reel unit as in any of the first to third aspects, the proximal side-cover is positioned with respect to the proximal side-plate by a plurality of positioning members. In this case, the proximal side-cover can be easily centered spanning both rotation shafts of the handle and the spool, because the side-cover and the side-plate are positioned with positioning members.
According
Hirayama Hirokazu
Sakurai Tomoharu
Marcelo Emmanuel M.
Shimano Inc.
Shinjyu Global IP Counselors, LLP
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