Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Reeling device – Fishing rod reel
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-21
2002-04-02
Marcelo, Emmanuel M. (Department: 3653)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Reeling device
Fishing rod reel
C188S18100R, C188S185000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06364230
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to reel-braking devices; in particular to dual-bearing reel centrifugal braking devices for braking the spool rotatively provided in the reel unit.
2. Description of Related Art
In dual-bearing reels referred to as a 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. Centrifugal braking devices that employ centrifugal force developing from spool rotation to brake the spool are an example of this type of braking mechanism.
Japanese Utility Model Gazette Reg. No. 2588000 discloses a centrifugal braking mechanism of a braking device of this type in which its braking force is adjustable from outside of a reel body.
The above centrifugal braking mechanism includes two guide shafts, four shifters, a brake element, and a shifting mechanism. The two guide shafts penetrate through the spool shaft in the radius direction and are fixed to different positions of the spool shaft in the axial direction. The four shifters are attached to both ends of each of the guide shafts in a movable manner in the axial direction. The brake element is non-rotatably provided in the reel body in a movable manner in the spool axial direction. The shifting mechanism moves the brake element in the spool axial direction. The brake element is a cylindrical member that is disposed outer periphery side of the shifters. The shifting mechanism is a mechanism that may be operated from outside of the reel.
In the above-mentioned conventional centrifugal braking mechanism, the shifters are moved outwardly in the spool axial direction, when the spool rotates, due to the centrifugal force applied to the shifters which are attached to the guide shafts. The shifters then make contact with the brake element to brake the spool. When the brake element is moved in the axial direction by an operation of the shifting mechanism from outside of the reel, the number of the shifters which make contact with the brake element is changed to adjust the braking force.
In the foregoing conventional centrifugal braking device, since the guide shafts are provided penetrating the spool shaft, the positions of the two guide shafts in the spool axial direction have to be apart by the guide shaft diameter or more. Therefore, the brake element must be shifted the guide shaft diameter or more in the spool axial direction to change the braking force; and it is difficult to make delicate adjustments to braking force that depends on different numbers of guide shafts in the axial direction.
Moreover, the braking force adjustment ranges are restricted to the range from the maximum braking state in which all of the shifters fitted on the guide shafts make contact with the brake element, to the minimal braking state in which only one shifter fitted on a guide shaft makes contact with the brake element, which fixes the ranges of adjustment. For example, in the earlier noted conventional configuration, wherein the number of the spool-shaft-penetrating guide shafts is two, the braking force can only be adjusted in ranges at two stage: a maximum braking state in which four shifters make contact and an initial braking state in which two shifters make contact. Thus, the braking force cannot be adjusted finely, which at the same time freezes the braking force adjustment range.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to enable fine adjustment of braking force in a braking device for a dual-bearing reel.
Another object of the present invention is to make it so that braking force adjustment ranges can be altered in the braking device for a dual-bearing reel.
A separate object of the present invention is to prevent mis-assembly of the plurality of shifters of differing braking characteristics in a dual-bearing reel thus equipped.
The centrifugal braking device for a dual-bearing reel in a first aspect of the present invention is a device for braking a spool which is rotatably fitted to the reel body and includes a brake element, a rotary member, a plurality of shifters, and a shifting mechanism. The brake element is a cylindrically shaped member whose rotation is restricted with respect to the reel body. The rotary member is a member that rotates together with the spool and is relatively movable in the rotational axis direction of the spool with respect to the brake element. The shifters are members each of which is movably attached to the rotary member and moved towards the brake element by a centrifugal force generated by a rotation of the spool. The shifters are capable of making contact with the brake element with a different number thereof due to the relative movement of the rotary member in the rotational axis direction to the brake element. The shifting mechanism is a mechanism for relatively moving the brake element and the rotary member in the rotational axis direction.
In this centrifugal braking device, for instance, when the brake element is moved in the rotational axis direction, the number of the shifters which make contact with the brake element is changed due to the movement of the brake element in the axial direction and, hence, the braking force may be adjusted.
Herein, the shifters are attached to the rotary member which rotates together with the spool, and not to the guide shaft which penetrates the spool shaft. For this reason, a delicate adjustment of the braking force may be achieved since the shifters may be shifted more minutely when the shifters are disposed so as to be shifted in the rotational axis direction. Also, it is possible not only to vary the number of the shifters that make contact with the brake element by changing the position of the shifters in the rotational axis direction but also to change only the position of the shifters in the axial direction at which they make contact with the brake element.
Herein, the braking force may further be adjusted more minutely not depending on the position of the shifters in the rotational axis direction.
The centrifugal braking device for a dual-bearing reel in a second aspect of the present invention is a device as set forth in the first aspect, but further comprising a switching means for changing a state of at least one of the plurality of shifters to an inoperative posture in which no contact with the brake element is possible or to an operative posture in which a contact with the brake element is possible by changing a position of the at least one of the plurality of shifters.
Herein the number of the shifters which may make contact with the brake element may be changed by switching the state of the shifters to the operative posture or the inoperative posture by using the switching means. Since the state of the shifters may be changed to the operative posture or to the inoperative posture by using the switching means, the maximum braking force, the minimum braking force, or the rate of the change in the braking force may be varied. For this reason, the range in the adjustment of the braking force may be changed and the braking force may be freely adjusted depending on the weight of a lure or fishing methods.
The centrifugal braking device for a dual-bearing reel in a third aspect of the present invention is a device in accordance with the either of the first and second aspects, but further wherein at least a part of the plurality of shifters is disposed so that the position where they come into contact with the brake element differs in the rotational axis direction.
Herein, the number of the shifters that make contact with the brake element is changed by the movement of the brake element in the rotational axis direction by changing the contacting position of the shifter in the rotational axis direction so that the braking force may be adjusted in a minute manner.
The centrifugal braking device for a dual-bearing reel in a fourth aspect of the present invention is a device in accordance with the either of the fir
Marcelo Emmanuel M.
Shimano Inc.
Shinjyu Global IP Counselors, LLP
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