Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Reeling device – Fishing rod reel
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-08
2004-01-06
Marcelo, Emmanuel (Department: 3654)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Reeling device
Fishing rod reel
C242S263000, C242S264000, C242S266000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06672526
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
(Not Applicable)
STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT
(Not Applicable)
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to fishing equipment and, more particularly, to an automatic two-speed transmission for a fishing reel to provide automatic shifting from high speed to low speed and from low speed to high speed.
Big game fishing tackle is characterized by heavy-duty revolving spool reels. Most big game reels today are lever drag reels of either the single speed or two-speed variety. However, despite their increased cost, two-speed lever drag reels account for half of all lever drag reels sold. In fact, reel technicians upgrade some single speed reels to two-speed versions with after-market conversions.
The prior art describes a manual two-speed fishing reel including a low speed gear engageable with a second low speed gear and a high speed gear engageable with a second high speed gear, the second low and high speed gears driving a spool. A shifter transmits the rotation of a handle shaft from the first low gear to the first high gear in order to engage the high gear, and vice versa. However, this arrangement is problematic in that manual shifting is cumbersome because both hands may be occupied in fighting a large fish, with one hand on the rod and the other on the crank handle. Even temporarily removing either hand may lead to the loss of the fish.
The prior art also describes a two-speed fishing reel allowing bi-directional reeling through the use of a cylindrical shaft for transmitting force from a crank handle. The cylindrical shaft is axially slidable and can alternately engage either a low speed gear or a high speed gear upon the manual pushing or pulling of a control button. However, the manually selectable two-speed fishing reel of this configuration has the same drawbacks that are inherent in any manually selectable two-speed fishing reel—namely, the need for the angler to divert attention when fighting a large or powerful fish to manually push or pull a control button to effect a gear change. Manually changing gears, as may be required many times during the course of landing a large and powerful fish, could result in losing the fish if the fishing line slackens during the time that it takes to manually shift gears.
Also included in the prior art is an automatic two-speed drive mechanism. Two driving gears of different diameters are rotatably mounted on a main shaft, the two driving gears meshing with two smaller driven gears. The two driven gears are biased toward each other with springs. Cam surfaces are disposed on the ends of the driven gears facing each other, the cam surfaces disengaging the driven gears and urging them axially away from each other when the smaller driven gear rotates relative to the larger driven gear in one direction. When the larger driven gear rotates relative to the smaller driven gear in this direction, the cams drivingly couple the two driven gears together. Included with the configuration is the ability to set the frictional force on the high gear independent from the frictional force setting of the low gear so that the frictional settings are compatible with the type of lure used and the type of fishing. However, the drawback to the above mechanism is that the construction is complicated with many moving parts and the manufacturing cost is high.
Another automatic two-speed drive mechanism included in the prior art is a planetary gear configuration wherein planetary gears extend from one side of a high speed main drive gear and are engaged by a secondary drive gear. A friction clutch is interposed between a main drive shaft and the main drive gear. When the friction clutch slips, the secondary drive gear, through orbital rotation of the planet gears, drives the main drive gear. As planetary gear systems necessarily involve many parts, the two-speed drive mechanism of this configuration is also complicated and costly.
As can be seen, there is a need for an automatic shifting two-speed lever drag fishing reel that can automatically and rapidly shift from low speed to high speed and vice versa without the need for manual speed selection by the user. Additionally, there is a need for an automatic shifting two-speed lever drag fishing reel wherein the frictional torque is easily adjustable. Furthermore, there is a need for an automatic two-speed transmission for a fishing reel that is low cost and of simple construction with a minimal number of parts.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention specifically addresses and alleviates the above referenced deficiencies associated with the use of the two-speed fishing reels of the prior art. More particularly, the present invention is an improved, automatic two-speed transmission for a fishing reel that will automatically shift into high speed gear ratio when tension on the line is low. As will be demonstrated below, the automatic two-speed transmission of the present invention differs from existing two-speed lever drag fishing reel transmissions in that it does not require manual shifting by the operator to change from a high speed gear ratio to a low speed gear ratio. The automatic two-speed transmission will automatically shift into low speed gear ratio when fishing line tension exceeds a predetermined setting of the tension preset wheel. The tension preset wheel is also easily adjustable for regulating the point at which the transmission shifts from high gear to low gear and from low gear to high gear.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an automatic two-speed transmission for a fishing reel that will automatically shift from high speed to low speed and from low speed to high speed. The automatic two-speed transmission of the present invention includes a reel frame side plate connected to a reel frame, the transmission driving a spool rotatably mounted on a spool shaft. The transmission includes a drive shaft that is carried by the reel frame side plate. A crank handle connected to the drive shaft rotates the drive shaft. A drive sleeve is carried on and non-rotatably fixed to the drive shaft.
A low gear, freely rotatable on the drive shaft, drives a low pinion gear with the low pinion gear connected to the spool shaft, the spool shaft disposed parallel to the drive shaft and journaled into the reel side plate. A low gear driver is slidably disposed on the drive shaft. The low gear driver is non-rotatable on the drive sleeve.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the low gear driver includes six posts for engaging a set of arcuate mating cavities on the low gear. Engagement of the gear driver posts with the arcuate mating cavities enables the rotation of the low gear. Also in a preferred embodiment, the arcuate mating cavities of the low gear have ramps allowing the chamfer posts of the gear driver to smoothly disengage from the arcuate mating cavities when the low gear rotates at a speed greater than that of the drive shaft. Optionally, the low gear driver may have only three posts for engaging three arcuate mating cavities in the low gear. However, there are a number of arrangements that can provide the necessary engagement and disengagement characteristics of the low gear driver with the low gear.
The drive sleeve also includes a pair of clutch washers that are held non-rotatable on the drive sleeve. In a preferred embodiment, an anti-reverse gear fixed to the drive sleeve provides bearing support for one of the clutch washers. The anti-reverse gear prevents the transmission from rotating in a rearward direction. The other of the pair of clutch washers is located adjacent the low gear driver.
Interposed between the low gear driver and one of the clutch washers is a set of springs. The biasing force of the springs allows the posts of the low gear driver to engage the arcuate mating grooves of the low gear only when the low gear is rotating slower than the drive shaft while the posts and mating grooves are aligned. Optionally, at least one sp
Bledsoe Steven W.
Duncan Richard
Marcelo Emmanuel
Stetina Bronda Garred & Brucker
Tiburon Engineering, Inc.
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