Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Reeling device – Fishing rod reel
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-05
2001-09-25
Marcelo, Emmanuel M. (Department: 3653)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Reeling device
Fishing rod reel
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293483
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to braking devices, in particular to braking devices on dual-bearing reels for braking the spool supported rotatively in the reel unit.
2. Description of Related Art
In dual-bearing reels referred to as bait reels, utilized mainly for lure fishing, generally braking force is made to act on the spool so that backlash, wherein the rotational speed of the spool when casting is faster than the line wind-out speed, does not occur. As examples of this class of braking device centrifugal braking mechanisms that employ centrifugal force developing from spool rotation to brake the spool, and casting control mechanisms that mechanically brake the spool shaft by grasping either end of the spool spindle are known.
Japanese Laid-Open patent application No. 10-304798 discloses a centrifugal braking mechanism in this class of braking device, wherein the braking force is adjustable from the outer side of the reel body.
The centrifugal braking mechanism is furnished with a rotary member that rotates linked with the spool; a plurality of shifting members disposed in radial fashion on the rotary member; a brake member that comes into contact with the tips of the braking members; and a braking force adjustment mechanism. The rotor is fixed to the spool spindle for the linked rotation with the spool. The shifting members of the plurality are fitted to, and pivotable around axes along chord directions of, the rotating member; by centrifugal force they pivot within planes that pass through the axis of the spool. The brake member is non-rotatably fitted to the reel body but able to travel in the spool spindle direction, and is brought into contact with shifting members that pivot under centrifugal force. A mechanism that shifts the brake member back and forth in the spool spindle direction, the braking force adjustment mechanism is for adjusting braking force that contacting of the shifting members on the brake member generates.
In the above-noted conventional centrifugal braking mechanism, when the spool rotates centrifugal force acts on the shifting members, and the shifting members pivot heading spool-spindle outward. The shifting members then contact the brake member, which brakes the spool. Shifting the brake member in the axial direction by means of the braking force adjustment mechanism adjusts the braking force by altering its moment according to the pivotal angle of the shifting members during contact with the brake member.
Casting control mechanisms, on the other hand, are furnished with friction plates disposed on either end of, as a pair sandwiching, the spool spindle, and a cap provided screw-mated to the reel body in order to regulate the grasping force by the friction plates. In the casting control mechanism, the spool shaft is braked by turning the cap, which presses the spool spindle more towards the friction plate on the other end than the friction plate on the one end.
In the conventional braking devices noted above, the spool spindle shifts slightly when adjusting the braking force with the casting control mechanism. When the spool shaft shifts, this accompanied by the rotary member of the centrifugal braking mechanism also shifting axially, along with its shifting members.
When the shifting members shift axially, the clearance between them and the brake member--fitted to be shiftable on the reel body--becomes different from the pre-shift clearance, and the shifting-member pivotal angle changes. When adjusting the braking force with the casting control mechanism, therefore, the braking force from the centrifugal braking mechanism will sometimes change even if the brake member is disposed in the same position axially. Accordingly, the above-noted conventional, exteriorly adjustable centrifugal braking mechanism leaves the concern that the braking force cannot be adjusted very accurately when the spool spindle shifts.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to facilitate, and enable to be accurately performed the operation of adjusting the braking force in dual-bearing reel braking devices.
Another object of the present invention is to ensure the accuracy of the braking force adjustment in braking devices for dual-bearing fishing reels regardless of casting control mechanism adjustment.
The braking device for a dual-bearing reel according to a first aspect of the present invention is a device for braking a spool which is rotatably provided in a reel body and includes a braking member, a rotating member, a plurality of moving members, and a moving means. The braking member is fixed to the reel body. The rotating member is disposed being concentric with the braking member. The rotating member is a member which rotates together with the spool and is capable of moving in a direction along the axial direction of the spool with respect of the reel body. The plurality of moving members is attached to the rotating member in a movable manner so that each member may be moved towards the braking member by a centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the spool. The plurality of moving members is also members which are capable of making contact with the braking member in a different-frictional state, as a whole, during a braking operation by the movement of the rotating member in the axial direction. The moving means is a means for reciprocating the rotating member in the axial direction.
In this braking device, when the spool rotates, the rotating member rotates together with the spool and the moving members move towards the braking member due to a centrifugal force. Then, when the moving members make contact with the braking member, a braking force, which is generated by a friction between the moving members and the braking member, is applied to the rotating member to brake the spool. At that time, the degree of braking force may be changed in accordance with the position of the rotating member in the axial direction which changes a friction state between the moving members and the braking member by changing, for instance, the number of the moving members that make contact with the braking member or a pressing force of the moving members against the braking member. Accordingly, an adjustment operation of the braking force may be easily performed by moving the rotating member in the axial direction using the moving means. Also, since the rotating member is movable with respect to the reel body in a direction along the spool axial direction, it is also relatively movable with respect to the spool shaft. For this reason, when the spool shaft is moved in the axial direction by such factors as an operation of the casting control mechanism, the rotating member does not move in the axial direction and the positional relationship between the rotating member and the braking member in the axial direction is not changed. As a result, a predetermined braking force is not changed when the spool shaft is moved, and the adjustment operation of the braking force may be carried out accurately.
The braking device for a dual-bearing reel according to a second aspect of the invention is a device as set forth in the foregoing first aspect, and further wherein the plurality of moving members are placed at the inner side with respect to the braking member and attached to the rotating member so that the number of the moving members which make contact with the braking member changes in accordance with the movement of the rotating member in the axial direction. In this braking device, when the rotating member is moved in the axial direction, the number of the moving members which make contact with the braking member is changed and the braking force is varied. In this case, since the braking force is adjusted by changing the number of the moving members, the degree of the braking force is changed stepwise and the change in the braking force becomes conspicuous.
According to a third aspect, the braking device is as described in the above second aspect, yet further wherein the braking member has a braking surface sprea
Kawasaki Ken'ichi
Sato Jun
Marcelo Emmanuel M.
Shimano Inc.
Shinjyu Global IP Counselors, LLP
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