Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Reeling device – Fishing rod reel
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-19
2003-12-02
Matecki, Kathy (Department: 3654)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Reeling device
Fishing rod reel
C242S319000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06655622
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This present invention generally relates to spools. More specifically, the present invention relates to spinning-reel spool that is movable back and forth with respect to the reel unit.
2. Background Information
Spinning reels are in general furnished with a reel unit rotatively carrying a handle, a rotor, and a spool. The spinning-reel spool is movable back and forth with respect to the reel unit, and is furnished: with a fishing-line winding bobbin trunk; a front flange disposed on the front end of the bobbin trunk and having a larger outer diameter than the outer diameter of the bobbin trunk; and a cylindrical skirt provided rearward on the bobbin trunk. The fishing line scraping on the front flange easily scratches the front flange. Therefore, the front flange is often made as a separate member from the bobbin trunk.
Wherein a front flange is to be fixed to the bobbin trunk, conventionally it has been fastened using a flange-fastening member. Fastening is done, for example, by fixing the flange-fastening member to the bobbin trunk by means of bolts and sandwiching the front flange in between the bobbin trunk and the flange-fastening member.
Spools whose bobbin trunk is formed from, e.g., an aluminum-alloy sheet metal, in order to devise an overall lighter weight spool, are known among the spools of this sort.
The bobbin trunk in the foregoing conventional spool formed from sheet metal is fashioned to have thin thickness, and therefore the strength of the bobbin trunk is liable to deteriorate. That being the case, in order to heighten the strength of the bobbin trunk, thought has been given to installing an inner drum member made of a synthetic resin on the inner peripheral side of the bobbin trunk. It is conceivable in this case to fasten the flange-fastening member to the inner drum member, by fixing with bolts, such that the front flange is sandwiched between the bolts and the inner drum member.
Nevertheless, with a structure in which a plurality of screw-holes are formed in the inner drum member, and bolts passing through the flange-fastening member are screwed into the screw-holes-particularly in deep-channel spools whose front flange is large in outer diameter with respect to the diameter of the bobbin trunk—if screw-holes are to be formed in the front-end face of the inner drum member, the inner diameter of the inner drum member will be smaller. In spools fitted with a drag mechanism and spool-detaching/reattaching mechanisms, the interior space for accommodating these mechanisms will therefore be small, making it harder to accommodate these mechanisms. Likewise, as to the drag mechanism, the surface area of its disk elements will be made smaller, making it harder to obtain stronger drag force.
In view of the above, there exists a need for a spinning-reel spool which overcomes the above mentioned problems in the prior art. This invention addresses this need in the prior art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a spinning-reel spool that is light in weight while securing sufficient interior space in the spool.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a spinning-reel spool that can be shifted back and forth with respect to the reel body includes: a bobbin trunk, an inner barrel member, a front flange, and a skirt. The bobbin trunk, outer circumferentially onto which fishing line is wound, is formed from sheet metal. The inner barrel member is installed inner-peripherally along the bobbin trunk, and has a male-threaded portion on its front end or rear end. The front flange is provided on the front end of the bobbin trunk and affixed to the inner barrel member using the male-threaded portion. The skirt is of diameter larger than the bobbin trunk, and is provided on the rear end of the bobbin trunk.
As for the bobbin trunk in this spool, an inner barrel member is installed along the inner-peripheral side of the sheet-metal-manufactured bobbin trunk, and a front flange is fastened to the inner barrel member using a male-threaded portion provided on the front or rear end of the inner barrel member. Wherein the male-threaded portion is provided on the front end of the inner barrel member, the front flange may be fastened there by screwing on a flange-fastening member, or else the front flange may be fastened to the inner barrel member by screw-joining the front flange itself onto the male-threaded portion. Wherein the male-threaded portion is provided on the rear end of the inner barrel member, a brim may be formed on the front-end outer peripheral face of the inner barrel member; and a nut member may be screw-joined onto the male-threaded portion with the front flange sandwiched in between the bobbin-trunk fore end and the brim, to press the bobbin trunk frontward and fasten the front flange. In whichever case, the front flange may be simply fastened using the male-threaded portion. Herein, the fact that the male-threaded portion is formed on the inner barrel member installed along the inner periphery of the sheet-metal-manufactured bobbin trunk, and the front flange is fastened using the male-threaded portion makes it so that the spool may be devised lightened in weight while securing sufficient interior space.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in a spool as in the first aspect, the male-threaded portion is formed on the rear end of the inner barrel member so as to project rearward beyond the bobbin trunk. In situations where a drag mechanism is to be accommodated in the front portion of the inner barrel member, the fact in this case that the male-threaded portion is formed on the rear end of the inner barrel member lets sufficient interior space be secured for accommodating the drag mechanism.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, a spool as in the second aspect, the skirt is formed integrally with the bobbin trunk by press-working the sheet metal, and has a rear flange extending peripherally outward on the rear of the bobbin trunk, and a round cylindrical portion extending rearward from the rear flange on its outer periphery; the inner barrel member on its fore end has a large-diameter brim to enable locking the front flange portion; and the front flange has a through-hole through which the inner barrel member outer circumferential surface excluding the brim is passable; and further includes a nut member having a female-threaded portion for screw-joining onto the male-threaded portion, and disposed against the rear flange for vising the front flange between the brim and bobbin trunk by screw-joining the female-threaded portion onto the male-threaded portion. In this case, after the front flange is fitted on the outer periphery of the inner barrel member and abutted on the brim, the bobbin trunk is fitted onto the inner barrel member, sandwiching the front flange between the bobbin-trunk fore end and the brim. In this situation, by screw-joining the nut member onto the male-threaded portion projecting rearward from the rear flange on the skirt, the bobbin trunk via the rear flange is pressed forward to fasten the front flange. Herein, because the nut member fastens the front flange from the rear, the fastening structure on the spool front, which is exposed to the exterior, is not exposed. The appearance of the spool therefore takes on a sharp outward look, and meanwhile fishing line is unlikely to snarl at the spool front.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in a spool as in the third aspect, the nut member is made of synthetic resin. This condition maintains the corrosion resistance of the spool and serves to make it lighter weight.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in a spool as in the first aspect, the male-threaded portion is formed on a radially inner periphery relative to the front end of the inner barrel member, so as to project frontward beyond the bobbin trunk. The fact that the male-th
Furomoto Yoshiyuki
Kitajima Keigo
Langdon Evan
Matecki Kathy
Shimano Inc.
Shinjyu Global IP Counselors, LLP.
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