Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Reeling device – Fishing rod reel
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-13
2002-10-01
Marcelo, Emmanuel M. (Department: 3654)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Reeling device
Fishing rod reel
C242S260000, C242S319000, C242S321000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06457662
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to fishing-rod attachable spinning reels that wind fishing line about an axis paralleling the rod. In particular the invention relates to a rotor drive device for such spinning reels, which drives the spinning reel rotor in the reeling-in direction by the rotation of a handle rotatably supported on the reel unit, and which prevents the rotor from reversing in the line winding-out direction.
2. Description of Related Art
Spinning reels are generally fitted on fishing rods wherein the fishing line winds about an axis paralleling the rod. Such spinning reels have a reel unit with a handle, a rotor that is rotatably supported on the reel unit, a spool fitted on the reel unit movably in the axial direction and around which a fishing line guided by the rotor is wound.
The handle is disposed sideways, orthogonal to the spool axis. The rotor has first and second arms disposed opposite each other as though clasping the longitudinally disposed rotating shaft. A bail free to pivot via bail support members is provided on the distal ends of the arm components, and a line roller is provided at the distal end of one of the bail support members. When fishing line is reeled in, it is guided around the outer periphery of the spool by the bail and the line roller.
Drive mechanisms—a rotor drive mechanism for transmitting rotation of the handle to the rotor, and an oscillating mechanism for moving the spool back and forth in the longitudinal direction—are provided inside the reel unit. The rotor is non-rotatably fixed to the front end of the pinion gear.
The rotor drive device has a face gear that rotates in conjunction with the handle, and a pinion gear that is disposed along a longitudinal direction offset from the face gear and that meshes with the face gear. The pinion gear is unable to rotate with respect to the rotor, and when the handle is rotated, the pinion gear rotates via the face gear, causing the rotor to rotate.
With this sort of spinning reel, the rotor drive device is provided with a rotation check apparatus so that the rotor will not reverse in the line winding-out direction during casting or reeling.
Among spinning reels of this class, ones in which a cylindrical barrel is formed protruding from the front part of the reel unit are disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Application S62-80567 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application H6-58348.
The spinning reel disclosed in the former publication has a pair of bearings that support the pinion gear inside the barrel. The pinion gear extends into the reel unit, and the inside of the barrel communicates with the inside of the reel unit.
The spinning reel disclosed in the latter publication has disposed inside the barrel a reversing check mechanism having a roller-type one-way clutch. The reversing check mechanism is fitted between the front part of the reel unit and the pinion gear, and prevents the reversal of the rotor by prohibiting the reverse rotation of the pinion gear. A rolling-contact bearing for rotatably supporting the pinion gear on the reel unit is fitted at the front part of the reel unit, and the rotation check apparatus is disposed forward of the rolling-contact bearing and in contact with the rolling-contact bearing.
The reversing check mechanism comprises a roller-type one-way clutch that is able to assume an operational position in which reversal is permitted and a non-operational position in which reversal is prohibited, and a switching mechanism for switching the one-way clutch between its operational position and non-operational position.
The one-way clutch has: an outer ring fitted non-rotatably to the barrel; an inner ring relatively rotatable with respect to the outer ring; a plurality of roller members disposed between the outer and inner rings and able to assume a dovetailing operational position between the rings and an idling non-operational position in between the rings; and an annular retaining piece that retains the rolling members circumferentially spaced apart, and that retains them at the front and rear ends. Screws threaded into the barrel axially immovably fit the outer ring on. The annular retaining piece is fitted permitting rotation on the inner ring.
The switching mechanism has a switching member that is rotatably coupled to the annular retaining piece forward of the outer ring and that switches the roller members between their operational and non-operational positions, and a switching lever for rotating the switching member. The switching member is rotatably fitted at one end to the annular retaining piece, and the other end extends radially. The switching lever engages the other end of the switching member on the outer peripheral side of the barrel, and passes from the engaged portion through the reel unit, protruding at the rear part of the reel unit.
With a conventional spinning reel having a thus structured reversing check mechanism, when the handle is rotated in the reeling-in direction, the pinion gear is also rotated in the reeling-in direction, causing the rotor to rotate in the reeling-in direction. Meanwhile, when the roller members are displaced to the operational position, reverse rotation of the pinion gear is prohibited even if the rotor is subjected to force in the reverse direction during casting or the like, and therefore reverse rotation of the rotor is prevented.
In the foregoing conventional configuration, if the fishing line is subjected to a strong tensile force due to a bite from a fish, a snag, or the like, the rotor is pulled axially forward, and is subjected to forward thrust force (axially directed force). When forward thrust acts on the rotor, the force is also transmitted to the rolling-contact bearing via the pinion gear. Since the one-way clutch is disposed in contact with the rolling-contact bearing, when forward thrust acts on the rolling-contact bearing, the forward thrust force also acts upon the one-way clutch.
When thrust force thus acts on the one-way clutch, the roller members of the one-way clutch are also subjected to thrust force, which requires roller-member dimensioning that takes the thrust force into account. At the same time is the concern that problems such as an uneven load acting on the rolling members will arise. Also, in order to restrict the movement of the one-way clutch in the axial direction, screws or the like to handle heavy loads must be utilized so as to withstand the thrust force.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is a rotor drive device for a spinning reel wherein thrust force does not act on the one-way clutch.
Because a bearing supporting the pinion gear is provided inside the barrel in each of the conventional configurations discussed above, the rotational efficiency of the rotor tends to decline if liquid such as sea water should seep in from the barrel and corrode the bearing. Furthermore, since the barrel communicates with the inside of the reel unit, if liquid should seep from the barrel into the reel unit, the drive mechanisms—the oscillating mechanism and rotor drive mechanism—will corrode, further deteriorating rotational efficiency. In particular, in the latter conventional configuration, a roller-type one-way clutch is disposed in addition to the bearing inside the barrel, and if this clutch becomes corroded the rotational efficiency of the rotor will decline even further.
Furthermore, in the conventional spinning reel disclosed in the latter publication, because the switching mechanism switches the state of the reversing check mechanism forward of the outer ring, the switching member coupled to the annular retaining piece is positioned forward of the barrel. Positioning the rotating switching member forward of the barrel makes a structure in which waterproofing toward the front end of the barrel in the reel unit is difficult. Consequently, there is the danger of liquid seeping into the interior of the reel unit, including the barrel. Furthermore, since the switching lever passing through the reel unit is engag
Marcelo Emmanuel M.
Shimano Inc.
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