Title: Rotor for a spinning reel
Abstract: A rotor of a spinning reel includes a rotor unit, and a fishing line guide portion. The rotor unit has a body portion that is rotatably mounted on the reel unit, and first and second rotor arms that each extend forward from opposing positions on the outer peripheral surface of the body portion. The fishing line guide portion is mounted only on the first rotor arm. The first and second rotor arms are formed such that a line L1 drawn along the pivot center axis of the fishing line guide portion of and a line L2 drawn through the width-wise center of the second rotor arm and substantially parallel to the first line L1 are on opposite sides of the rotational axis X of the body portion. A spinning reel rotor having a fishing line guide portion arranged on only one rotor arm can maintain rotational balance.
Patent Number: 6,955,314 Issued on 10/18/2005 to Furomoto, et al.
| Inventors:
|
Furomoto; Yoshiyuki (Kishiwada, JP);
Nishikawa; Tomohiro (Osaka, JP);
Ochiai; Koji (Sakai, JP);
Kitazaki; Tomokazu (Osaka, JP)
|
| Assignee:
|
Shimano Inc. (Osaka, JP)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
770516 |
| Filed:
|
February 4, 2004 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
| Feb 05, 2003[JP] | 2003-028465 |
| Feb 05, 2003[JP] | 2003-028472 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
242/231 |
| Intern'l Class: |
A01K 089/01 |
| Field of Search: |
242/231,232,230,234
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
| 4196869 | Apr., 1980 | Shepherd.
| |
| 4509705 | Apr., 1985 | Councilman et al.
| |
| 5379957 | Jan., 1995 | Furomoto et al.
| |
| 5673868 | Oct., 1997 | Takeuchi.
| |
| 5743478 | Apr., 1998 | Plestan.
| |
| 5765781 | Jun., 1998 | Tsutsumi.
| |
| 5799889 | Sep., 1998 | Plestan.
| |
| 5890668 | Apr., 1999 | Hitomi.
| |
| 5947397 | Sep., 1999 | Hitomi.
| |
| 5967438 | Oct., 1999 | Furomoto et al.
| |
| 6027058 | Feb., 2000 | Furomoto et al.
| |
| 6336604 | Jan., 2002 | Aratake et al.
| |
| 6644578 | Nov., 2003 | Hong.
| |
| Foreign Patent Documents |
| 369904 | May., 1990 | EP.
| |
| 568528 | Jan., 1982 | JP.
| |
| 10-276629 | Oct., 1998 | JP.
| |
Other References
Daiwa, Daiwa 1982 Catalog, catalog, 1982, p. 20, 21, and 100, Japan.
|
Primary Examiner: Marcelo; Emmanuel
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Shinjyu Global IP Counselors, LLP
Claims
1. A rotor for a spinning reel that winds fishing line around a spool that is
mounted to be movable back and forth on a reel unit that is adapted to be mounted
to a fishing rod, the rotor comprising:
a rotor unit having
a body portion that is mounted to the reel unit so as to be rotatable about a
rotational axis, and
first and second rotor arms that each extend forward from opposing positions
on an outer peripheral surface of the body portion; and
a fishing line guide portion that guides the fishing line to the spool, and is
mounted only on the first rotor arm so as to be pivotable between a line-winding
posture and a line-releasing posture about a pivot center;
wherein the first and second rotor arms are formed such that a first line that
is drawn along a pivot center axis of the fishing line guide portion and a second
line that is drawn through a width-wise center of the second rotor arm and is substantially
parallel to the first line are positioned on opposite sides of the rotational axis
of the body portion.
2. The rotor for a spinning reel as set forth in claim 1, wherein
the first and second lines are disposed at a substantially equal distance from
the rotational axis.
3. The rotor for a spinning reel as set forth in claim 1, wherein
the second rotor arm extends forward further than the first rotor arm.
4. The rotor for a spinning reel as set forth in claim 1, further comprising
a first weight member that is accommodated within the second rotor arm.
5. The rotor for a spinning reel as set forth in claim 4, wherein
the first weight member is accommodated in a front portion of the second rotor
arm.
6. The rotor for a spinning reel as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:
a tubular-shaped line-entanglement prevention member that is mounted to the body
portion; and;
a second weight member that is disposed on an inner peripheral surface of the
line-entanglement prevention member such that the rotational axis of the body portion
is interposed between the second weight member and the fishing line guide portion.
7. The rotor for a spinning reel as set forth in claim 1, wherein
the fishing line guide portion includes:
a support member that is pivotably mounted on a tip of the first rotor arm;
a stationary shaft whose base end is mounted to a tip of the support member,
a line roller that is rotatably mounted to the stationary shaft and capable of
guiding the fishing line,
a stationary shaft cover that is provided on a tip of the stationary shaft and
includes a fishing line guide surface that guides the fishing line to the line
roller, and
a fishing line-catching portion provided on a tip of the stationary shaft cover.
8. The rotor for a spinning reel as set forth in claim 7, wherein
the stationary shaft cover is an approximately cone shaped member whose vertex
tilts rearward further from the tip of the stationary shaft.
9. The rotor for a spinning reel as set forth in claim 1, wherein
a thickness of a front end side of the second rotor arm is thicker than a thickness
of a rear end side of the second rotor arm.
10. The rotor for a spinning reel as set forth in claim 1, wherein
the second rotor arm includes a cut-out portion formed on its rear end side.
11. The rotor for a spinning reel as set forth in claim 1, wherein
a tip portion of the second rotor arm is formed into a shape that projects forward.
12. A spinning reel adapted to be mounted to a fishing rod, comprising:
a handle assembly;
a reel unit adapted to be mounted to the fishing rod and rotatably supporting
the handle assembly;
a rotor rotatably mounted on the front of the reel unit, the rotor including
a rotor unit having
a body portion that is mounted to the reel unit so as to be rotatable about a
rotational axis, and
first and second rotor arms that each extend forward from opposing positions
on an outer peripheral surface of the body portion; and
a fishing line guide portion that guides the fishing line to the spool, and is
mounted only on the first rotor arm so as to be pivotable between a line-winding
posture and a line-releasing posture about a pivot center;
wherein the first and second rotor arms are formed such that a first line that
is drawn along a pivot center axis of the fishing line guide portion and a second
line that is drawn through a width-wise center of the second rotor arm and is substantially
parallel to the first line are positioned on opposite sides of the rotational axis
of the rotor; and
a spool that is disposed on the front of the rotor and which moves back and forth.
13. The spinning reel as set forth in claim 12, wherein
the first and second lines are disposed at a substantially equal distance from
the rotational axis.
14. The spinning reel as set forth in claim 12, wherein
the second rotor arm extends forward further than the first rotor arm.
15. The spinning reel as set forth in claim 12, further comprising
a first weight member that is accommodated within the second rotor arm.
16. The spinning reel as set forth in claim 15, wherein
the first weight member is accommodated in a front portion of the second rotor
arm.
17. The spinning reel as set forth in claim 12, further comprising:
a tubular-shaped line-entanglement prevention member that is mounted to the body
portion; and;
a second weight member that is disposed on an inner peripheral surface of the
line-entanglement prevention member such that the rotational axis of the body portion
is interposed between the second weight member and the fishing line guide portion.
18. The spinning reel as set forth in claim 12, wherein
the fishing line guide portion includes:
a support member that is pivotably mounted on a tip of the first rotor arm;
a stationary shaft whose base end is mounted to a tip of the support member,
a line roller that is rotatably mounted to the stationary shaft and capable of
guiding the fishing line,
a stationary shaft cover that is provided on a tip of the stationary shaft and
includes a fishing line guide surface that guides the fishing line to the line
roller, and
a fishing line-catching portion provided on a tip of the stationary shaft cover.
19. The spinning reel as set forth in claim 18, wherein
the stationary shaft cover is an approximately cone shaped member whose vertex
tilts rearward further from the tip of the stationary shaft.
20. The spinning reel as set forth in claim 12, wherein
a thickness of a front end side of the second rotor arm is thicker than a thickness
of a rear end side of the second rotor arm.
21. The a spinning reel as set forth in claim 12, wherein
the second rotor arm includes a cut-out portion formed on its rear end side.
22. The spinning reel as set forth in claim 12, wherein
a front portion of the second rotor arm is formed into a shape that projects forward.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rotor. More particularly, the present invention
relates to a rotor for a spinning reel which is rotatably mounted to a reel unit
of a spinning reel and which winds fishing line around a spool that can move back
and forth.
2. Background Information
A rotor for a spinning reel having a fishing line guide portion on only one rotor
arm thereof (hereinafter referred to as a "bail-less type rotor") has been known
in, as seen in for example Japanese Design Registration No. 568528 (hereinafter
referred to as "'528 Design") and 1982 Daiwa General Catalog, pp. 20-21, published
by Daiwa Seiko Inc. (hereinafter referred to as "Daiwa Catalog"). A conventional
bail-less type rotor for a spinning reel includes a rotor unit that is rotatably
mounted on a reel unit, and a fishing line guide portion that is mounted on the
rotor unit so that it can pivot between a line-releasing posture and a line-winding posture.
The rotor unit has a body portion that is rotatably mounted on the reel unit,
and first and second arms that extend forward from the rear end portions of the
outer periphery of the body portion. As is clear from the figure on the left side
view in the '528 Design, both rotor arms are positioned at substantially symmetrical
positions relative to the rotational axis of the rotor.
The fishing line guide portion includes a support member that is mounted so as
to be pivotable between a first rotor arm line-releasing posture (shown in the
'528 Design) and a first rotor arm line-winding posture (shown in the Daiwa Catalog),
a stationary shaft, a line roller, and a stationary shaft cover. As is clear from
the figure on the left side view in the '528 Design, the support member is configured
such that the pivot axis thereof crosses with the rotational axis of the rotor.
The tip of the support member is disposed further outward than the pivot axis.
Thus, the fishing line guide portion that includes the support part that is disposed
such that it has a significant tilt with respect to the first rotor arm. The base
end of the stationary shaft is mounted to the tip of the support member. The line
roller is rotatably mounted on the stationary shaft, and can guide the fishing
line. The stationary shaft cover is formed such that it is tapered toward the tip
thereof, and extends in the same direction as the axis of the stationary shaft.
With a spinning reel having a bail-less type rotor configured in this manner,
the fishing line guide portion is pivoted to the line-releasing posture when casting,
and as the fishing line guide portion is grasped with the fingers of the hand not
holding the fishing rod and returned to the line-winding posture after casting,
the fishing line will be grasped and hooked onto the line roller. This allows the
fishing line to be wound onto the spool when the rotor is rotated in the line winding direction.
With the aforementioned conventional configuration, because the first and second
rotor arms are disposed in substantially symmetrical positions relative to the
rotational axis of the rotor, the rotational balance of the rotor would be maintained
if this was the entire configuration. However, because the fishing line guide portion
is tilted severely outward from the tip of the first rotor arm, when the rotor
is rotated in the line winding direction, the rotational balance of the rotor will
worsen, and it will be difficult to rotate the rotor smoothly.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this
disclosure that there exists a need for an improved rotor of a spinning reel that
overcomes the problems discussed above. This invention addresses this need in the
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 rotor which
has
a fishing line guide portion arranged on only one rotor arm thereof and which can
maintain rotational balance.
A spinning reel rotor according to the first aspect of the present invention
is
rotatably mounted to a reel unit of a spinning reel and winds fishing line around
a spool that can shift back and forth, and includes a rotor unit and a fishing
line guide portion. The rotor unit has a body portion that is rotatably mounted
to the reel unit, and first and second rotor arms that each extend forward from
opposing positions on an outer peripheral surface of a rear end portion of the
body portion. The fishing line guide portion is mounted only on the first rotor
arm such that the fishing line guide portion can pivot between a line-winding posture
and a line-releasing posture. The first and second rotor arms are formed such that
a first line that is drawn along the pivot center axis of the fishing line guide
portion of the first rotor arm and a second line drawn through the width-wise center
of the second rotor arm and substantially parallel to the first line have the rotational
axis of the body portion interposed therebetween and are disposed on opposite sides
of the rotational axis.
In this rotor for a spinning reel, the first line drawn along the pivot center
axis of the fishing line guide portion of the first rotor arm and the second line
drawn through the width-wise center of the second rotor arm and substantially parallel
to the first line have the rotational axis interposed therebetween and are disposed
on opposite sides of the rotational axis. Here, because the pivot center axis of
the fishing line guide portion mounted on the first rotor arm is tilted with respect
to the rotational axis of the body portion, the fishing line guide portion can
be tilted with respect to the rotational axis, and the fishing line guide portion
can be disposed in a position which will easily guide fishing line to the line
winding portion of the spool that is disposed concentric with the rotational axis.
In addition, because the center of gravity of the second rotor arm is shifted away
from the rotational axis on a side opposite from the first rotor arm, the rotational
balance can be easily obtained even if the centers of gravity of fishing line guide
portion and the first rotor arm are shifted from the rotational axis.
In the rotor for a spinning reel according to the second aspect of the present
invention is the rotor as set forth in the first aspect, where the first and second
lines are disposed at a substantially equal distance from the rotational axis.
Here, rotational imbalance caused by shifting the center of gravity of the fishing
line guide portion can be corrected with better accuracy, and the exterior appearance
of the rotor will be improved.
The rotor for a spinning reel according to the third aspect of the present invention
is the rotor as set forth in the first or second aspect, in which the second rotor
arm extends forward further than the first rotor arm. A distance (R1) in
an axial direction of the spool between a rear surface of a rear end of the body
portion and a front end of the first rotor arm is shorter than a distance (R2)
in the axial direction of the spool between the rear surface of the rear end of
the tubular portion and a front end of the second rotor arm. Here, the center of
gravity of the second rotor arm can be brought closer to the center of gravity
of the first rotor arm, which includes the fishing line guide portion. Thus, the
rotational balance can be further corrected.
The rotor for a spinning reel according to the fourth aspect of the invention
is the rotor as set forth in one of the first through third aspects, and further
includes a first weight member that is accommodated within the second rotor arm.
Here, the rotational balance can be further corrected because the first weight
member is provided in the second rotor arm, which is lighter than the weight of
the first rotor arm side that includes the fishing line guide portion.
The rotor for a spinning reel according to the fifth aspect of the present invention
is the rotor disclosed in the fourth aspect, in which the first weight member is
accommodated in the tip of the second rotor arm. Here, because the first weight
member is disposed on the front portion of the second rotor arm, the center of
gravity of the second rotor arm can be brought closer to the center of gravity
of the first rotor arm, whose center of gravity is toward its tip portion. Accordingly,
the fishing line guide portion can be mounted on the tip of the first rotor arm,
and the rotational balance of the rotor can be further corrected.
The rotor for a spinning reel according to the sixth aspect of the invention
is the rotor as set forth in one of the first through fifth aspects, further including
a tubular-shaped line-entanglement prevention member that is mounted to the body
portion, and a second weight member that is disposed on the inner peripheral surface
of the line-entanglement prevention member such that the rotational axis of the
line-entanglement prevention member such that the rotational axis of the body portion
is interposed between the second weight member and the fishing line guide portion.
Here, the fishing line can be prevented from wrapping around the spool shaft by
the line-entanglement prevention member, and the rotational balance of the rotor,
which is easily disturbed by mounting the fishing line guide portion thereon, can
be further corrected by use of the second weight member mounted on the inner peripheral
surface of the line-entanglement prevention member.
The rotor for a spinning reel according to the seventh aspect of the present
invention is the rotor as set forth in one of the first through sixth aspects,
in which the fishing line guide portion includes a support member that is pivotably
mounted on the tip of the first rotor arm, a stationary shaft whose base end is
mounted to the tip of the support member, a line roller that is rotatably mounted
to the stationary shaft and capable of guiding the fishing line, a stationary shaft
cover that is provided on the tip of the stationary shaft and includes a fishing
line guide surface that guides the fishing line to the line roller, and a fishing
line-catching portion that is provided on the tip of the stationary shaft cover.
Here, the fishing line can be guided to the spool by the line roller provided on
the fishing line guide portion.
The rotor for a spinning reel according to the eighth aspect of the present invention
is the rotor as set forth in the seventh aspect, in which the stationary shaft
cover is an approximately cone shaped member whose vertex tilts rearward further
from the tip of the stationary shaft. Here, because the stationary shaft cover
is cone shaped and the vertex thereof tilts rearward, the fishing line guided by
the stationary shaft cover can be smoothly moved to the line roller.
The rotor according to the ninth aspect of the present invention is the rotor
as set forth in one of the first through eighth aspects, in which a thickness (D1)
in the radial direction of a front end side of the second rotor arm is thicker
than a thickness (D2) in the radial direction of a rear end side of the
second rotor arm. Here, the center of gravity of the second rotor arm can be easily
disposed forward of the center of gravity of the first rotor arm by forming the
front end side of the second rotor arm to be thicker than the rear end side thereof.
The rotor according to the tenth aspect of the present invention is the rotor
as set forth in one of the first through ninth aspects, in which the second rotor
arm includes a cut-out portion formed on its rear end side. Here, by reducing the
weight of the rear end portion of the second rotor arm, the center of gravity of
the second rotor arm can be reliably disposed forward of the center of gravity
of the first rotor arm.
The rotor according to the eleventh aspect of the present invention is the rotor
as set forth in one of the first through tenth aspects, in which a tip portion
of the second rotor arm is formed into a shape that projects forward. Here, the
design of the second rotor arm can be improved, and the fishing line can be prevented
from becoming entangled on the tip portion.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention
will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description,
which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment
of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of this original disclosure:
FIG. 1 is a side view of a spinning reel in accordance with one embodiment of
the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional rear view of the spinning reel in accordance with
the embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the spinning reel in accordance with
the embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is an exploded oblique view of a reel unit in accordance with the embodiment
of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is an oblique view of a gear-down train of the spinning reel in accordance
with the embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a front view of a rotor in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a right side view of the rotor in accordance with the embodiment of
the present invention;
FIG. 8 is a left side view of the rotor in accordance with the embodiment of
the present invention;
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the stationary shaft cover in accordance
with the embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 10 is a view showing the dimensional relationships of the rotor in accordance
with the embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 11 is an exploded oblique view showing a mounting structure of a spool
in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Selected embodiments of the present invention will now be explained with
reference to the drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art from
this disclosure that the following descriptions of the embodiments of the present
invention are provided for illustration only and not for the purpose of limiting
the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
Referring to FIGS. 1 to
3, a spinning reel according to one embodiment
of the present invention primarily includes a handle assembly
1, a reel
unit
2 adapted to be mounted to a fishing rod and rotatably supporting the
handle assembly
1, a rotor
3 rotatably mounted on the front portion
of the reel unit
2, and a spool
4 that is disposed on the front portion
of the rotor
3 and which moves back and forth. The spinning reel additionally
includes a rotor drive mechanism
5 for driving the rotor
3 to rotate
in cooperation with rotation of the handle assembly
1, and an oscillating
mechanism
6 for moving the spool
4 back and forth in cooperation
with rotation of the rotor
3.
Reel Unit
2
The reel unit
2 accommodates the rotor drive mechanism
5 and the
oscillating mechanism
6 in the interior thereof. The reel unit
2
includes, as shown in FIGS. 1 to
4, a housing unit
10 having an opening
on both sides thereof, first and second lids
11 and
12 for closing
both sides of the housing unit
10, a rod-attachment portion
13 formed
integrally with the housing unit
10, and a cover member
14 for covering
the housing unit
10, the first lid
11 and the second lid
12
from the rear ends thereof.
The housing unit
10 has an anodic oxide film formed on the surface thereof,
and is made of, for example, a magnesium alloy which is lightweight and capable
of maintaining specific strength. The housing unit
10 is a frame-shaped
member in which both sides are opened to form an accommodation space
10a
that serves to accommodate and support the rotor drive mechanism
5 and
the oscillating mechanism
6. The housing unit
10 has a substantially
uniform depth dimension (the dimension along the orthogonal direction to the plane
of FIG.
3). A disk-shaped mechanism support portion
10b is
formed in the front surface of the housing unit
10, and has mounted thereto
a pinion gear
9, a one-way clutch
51 for an anti-reverse mechanism
50. An operation support portion
10c for supporting a switching
operation unit
52 of the anti-reverse mechanism
50 is formed in the
rear portion. An intermediate support portion
10d for supporting
the pinion gear
9 and the switching operation unit
52 extends downward
from the upper portion at the rear of the mechanism support portion
10b.
A first lid
11 is a member made of an aluminum alloy that can maintain
high
specific strength and corrosion resistance, and is formed so as to cover one side
of the housing unit
10. The first lid
11 is, as shown in FIG. 2,
arranged adjacent to a master gear
7. As is clear from FIGS. 1 and 4, the
first lid
11 includes a first cover portion
11a for covering
the master gear
7 that rotates according to rotation of the handle assembly
1 in the opening of one side of the housing unit
10, and a first
cut-out
11b that exposes an opening rearward from the first cover
portion
11a (further rearward than the portion indicated by the dashed
line in FIG.
1). This type of first cut-out
11b is formed
to minimize the overlapping portion between the first lid
11 and the cover
member
14 to achieve weight reduction.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, a first boss portion
11c that supports
one end of a master gear shaft
8 on which the master gear
7 is arranged
is formed on the first lid
11, and protrudes outward on the approximate
central portion of the wall surface. An approximately semi-circular first flange
portion
11d that constitutes a disk-shaped portion that enters inside
the rotor
3 is formed on the front portion of the first lid
11. An
approximately semi-circular arc-shaped first mechanism accommodating cover
11e
that is disposed on the rear surface of the mechanism support portion
10b
and approximately flush with the outer peripheral surface of the mechanism
support portion
10b is formed on the front portion of the first flange
portion
11d. Since the master gear
7 is adjacently arranged
to the first lid
11, a large force tends to act on the first boss portion
11c when the master gear shaft
8 receives a large load. In
view of this, the first lid
11 is made of metal in order to keep the specific
strength high. In a lower front portion of the first lid
11, a first screw
hole
11f is formed for fitting the cover member
14 and for
performing maintenance such as draining water after washing or filling with grease.
The second lid
12 has a shape that is substantially symmetrical and has
a mirror image relationship with the first lid
11. Provided therewith are
a second cover portion
12a, a second cut-out
12b, a
second boss portion
12c, a second flange portion
12d having
substantially a mirror image relationship with the first flange portion
11d,
and a mechanism accommodating cover
12e. A second screw hole
12f
(see FIG. 2) is also formed at a location opposing the first screw hole
11f.
The first and second flange portions
11d and
12d are
formed so as to constitute a circular shape together with the outer peripheral
surface of the rear of the mechanism support portion
10b of the housing
unit
10. This circular portion is configured so as to be inserted in the
rear of the rotor
3 at a slight gap. The second lid
12 is arranged
relatively far from the master gear
7, so a large force is not likely to
act on the second boss portion
12c. Accordingly, in order to achieve
weight reduction, it is made of a synthetic resin such as nylon
66. The
second boss portion
12c is formed to protrude outward on the approximate
central portion of the wall surface of the second lid
12 and opposing the
first boss portion
11c, and serves to support the other end of the
master gear shaft
8.
It should be noted that both the lid portions
11 and
12 are fastened
by fastening screws
19 such as round-head screws to the housing unit
10.
Various modifications are conceivable for the method of fastening the lids
11
and
12. For example, the lids
11 and
12 may be fastened by
screws passing from one of the lids to the other lid through the housing unit
10.
The rod-attachment portion
13 is a T-shaped member extending upward from
the housing unit
10, and a reel foot
13a formed on the tip
thereof and extending longitudinally is adapted to be mounted onto a reel seat
(not shown) of a fishing rod. The rod-attachment portion
13 is formed so
that thickness-reducing portions
13b and
13c are formed
in its upper face and front face to attain weight reduction and uniform wall thickness.
The cover member
14 is curved so as to cover the sides and the bottom
of the housing unit
10 onto which the first and second lids
11 and
12 are mounted from the rear. The cover member
14 is provided in
order to close the first and second cut-outs
11b and
12b
formed at the rear of the first and second lids
11 and
12, and
to prevent from being scratched the side and the rear faces of the housing unit
10 and lids
11 and
12, including their rear end corners. The
cover member
14 is made of a relatively hard synthetic resin such as ABS
resin, and its surface is subjected to metal plating. In the cover member
14,
stepped screw-fitting holes
14a and
14b are formed
at the locations corresponding to the first and second screw holes
11f
and
12f. Screw members
14c screwed through the
first and second screw holes
11f and
12f are screwed
through these screw-fitting holes
14a and
14b respectively
so that the cover member
14 is fastened to both of the lids
11 and
12, and also that the cover member
14 can be opened for maintenance.
The cover member
14 is screwed onto the lower surface of the housing unit
10 at the rear end of the lower surface of the cover member
14. It
is also retained by means of a screw member
14d.
With a reel unit
2 thus configured, the first lid
11, which is
arranged adjacent to the master gear
7 and is thus likely to be acted on
by a relatively large force, can be made to have a high specific strength. In the
mean time, weight reduction is possible because the first lid
11 is made
of an aluminum alloy, which is lightweight and has a high specific strength. Moreover,
because the second lid
12, which is far from the master gear
7 and
is thus unlikely to be acted on by such a large force, is made from a synthetic
resin, weight reduction is achieved. Furthermore, since the housing unit
10
is made of a magnesium alloy, the specific strength of the reel unit
2 as
a whole is kept high and weight reduction is achieved.
Rotor Drive Mechanism
5
The rotor drive mechanism
5 includes the master gear shaft
8 into
which a handle assembly shaft
1a of the handle assembly
1
is screwed. The master gear
7 is formed integrally with the master gear
shaft
8 and a pinion gear
9 that meshes with the master gear
7.
The master gear shaft
8 is rotatably mounted to the reel unit
2
via bearings
15a and
15b fitted onto the first and
second boss portions
11c and
12c. The boss portions
11c and
12c are formed in the respective lids
11
and
12 of the reel unit
2. Threaded portions
8a and
8b are respectively formed on the inner circumferential surfaces
of both ends of the master gear shaft
8. The threaded portions
8a
and
8b are screws that are tightened when the handle assembly
1 is rotated in a line reel-in direction. Therefore, the threaded portion
8a on the left of FIG. 2 is a left-hand screw, whereas the threaded
portion
8b on the right of FIG. 2 is a right-hand screw. It should
be noted that the handle assembly
1 can be attached to either end of the
master gear shaft
8, either to the left side as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 or
the right side as shown in FIG.
3. Nevertheless, because the threaded portions
8a and
8b have different tightening directions, respective
handle shafts
1a are made available for specific use in attaching
the handle shaft
1a on respective sides. FIG. 2 shows the handle
shaft
1a for the left handle assembly
1.
The pinion gear
9 is a hollow tubular member, and its front portion passes
through the rotor
3 and is mounted non-rotatably to the rotor
3.
A spool shaft
16 is disposed so as to pass through the inner circumference
of the pinion gear
9. A nut
17 is fitted to the front of the pinion
gear
9, and the rotor
3 is fixedly coupled to the pinion gear
9
by means of the nut
17. The pinion gear
9 is supported rotatably
by the respective bearings
18a and
18b at its mid-portion
and rear end portion with respect to the shaft axis in the housing unit
10
of the reel unit
2. The bearing
18a is fitted to the mechanism
support portion
10b, and the bearing
18b is fitted
to the intermediate support portion
10d. A ring-shaped cut-out
9c
is formed in a gear portion
9b formed on the rear end side of
the pinion gear
9. The ring-shaped cut-out
9c is provided
in order to compactly house a later-described gear-down train
20.
Rotor drive mechanisms are well-known components in the art. Thus, its structure
and functions will not be described in further details herein.
Oscillating Mechanism
6
The oscillating mechanism
6 includes, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a gear-down
train
20 that meshes with the pinion gear
9, a worm shaft
21
that rotates in cooperation with the gear-down train
20, a slider
22
that engages with the worm shaft
21 and moves back and forth, and two guide
shafts
23a and
23b for guiding the slider
22
in the spool shaft
16 direction.
As shown in FIG. 5, the gear-down train
20 includes a stepped gear unit
25, a first intermediate gear shaft
26, and a driven gear
27.
The stepped gear unit
25 has a large diameter gear
25a and
a small diameter gear
25b, the large diameter gear
25a
meshing with the pinion gear
9. The first intermediate gear shaft
26
includes a first intermediate gear
26a that meshes with the small
diameter gear
25b and a second intermediate gear
26b spaced
apart from the first intermediate gear
26a. The driven gear
27
is fitted non-rotatably to the worm shaft
21 and meshes with the second
intermediate gear
26b.
The stepped gear unit
25 rotates around an axis parallel to the pinion
gear
9. The large diameter gear
25a is a screw gear that meshes
with the pinion gear
9. The small diameter gear
25b, the first
intermediate gear
26a, the second intermediate gear
26b,
and the driven gear
27 are also screw gears. The intermediate shaft
26
rotates around an axis different from that of the stepped gear unit
25,
and the worm shaft
21, to which the driven gear
27 is fitted, rotates
around an axis that is different from that of the intermediate shaft
26
and is parallel to the pinion gear
9. The second intermediate gear
26b
of the intermediate shaft
26 is disposed below the cut-out
9c
of the pinion gear
9. As a consequence, the worm shaft
21 can
be arranged closer to the pinion gear
9 than when the cut-out is not formed,
and thus the reel as a whole can be made compact. With the gear-down train
20
thus configured, the rotational speed of the pinion gear
9 is greatly reduced
when transmitted to the worm shaft
21.
The worm shaft
21 is a member that has intersecting helical grooves
21a
formed thereon, and is disposed parallel to the spool shaft
16. The
worm shaft
21 is rotatably mounted on the front and rear ends of the housing
unit
10 via bearings made of, for example, a synthetic resin. The worm shaft
21 is inserted from the rear of the housing unit
10, and is retained
by a fixing plate
54 screwed to the rear surface of the housing unit
10.
The slider
22 has an engaging member
22a that engages with
the grooves
21a of the worm shaft
21. The slider
22
is coupled to the rear end of the spool shaft
16 non-rotatably and axially
immovably. With the tip of the engaging member
22a engaging with
the grooves
21a, the slider
22 moves back and forth in the
spool shaft direction in accordance with rotation of the worm shaft
21,
and moves the spool shaft
16 back and forth in cooperation with rotation
of the handle assembly
1.
The guide shafts
23a and
23b pass through the slider
22, and guide the slider
22 along the spool shaft
16. The
guide shaft
23a is fixedly supported at both ends thereof by the
rear end and the intermediate support portion
10d of the housing
unit
10. The guide shaft
23a is mounted from the rear of the
housing unit
10, and its rear end is retained by the fixing plate
54
that retains the worm shaft
21. The guide shaft
23b is also
fixedly supported at both ends thereof by the front and rear ends of the housing
unit
10. The guide shaft
23b is inserted from the front of
the housing unit
10. The front portion of the guide shaft
23b
can come into contact with the fastening screw
19 that fastens the front
portion of the first lid
11, such that the guide shaft
23b is
retained by the fastening screw
19.
Oscillating mechanisms are well-known components in the art. Thus, its
structure and functions will not be described in further details herein.
Rotor
3
The rotor
3 is a so-called bail-less type rotor in which a fishing line
guide portion is provided on only one of the rotor arms.
The rotor
3 includes, as shown in FIGS. 3,
6 to
8, and
10,
a rotor unit
30 rotatably mounted to the reel unit
2 via the pinion
gear
9, and a fishing line guide portion
31 fitted pivotably onto
the rotor unit
30.
The rotor unit
30 is made of, for example, a magnesium alloy on the surface
of which has an anodic oxide film formed thereon, and includes a cylindrical body
portion
32 and first and second rotor arms
33 and
34 spaced
from the body portion
32 and extending forward from respective opposing
locations on the outer peripheral surfaces of the rear end of body portion
32.
The body portion
32 is a substantially cylindrical member that is tapered
so that its diameter decreases from the rear end toward the front and is then formed
into a cylindrical shape. A front wall
32a is formed on the front
portion of the body portion
32, and a boss portion
32b through
which the front of the pinion gear
9 passes is formed in the central portion
of the front wall
32a. The boss portion
32b is non-rotatably
mounted to the front of the pinion gear
9. The nut
17 is screwed
onto the front of the pinion gear
9 at the front of the front wall
32a,
and the rotor
3 is fastened to the pinion gear
9 by the nut
17.
A tubular-shaped line-entanglement prevention member
35 that prevents entanglement
of fishing line with the spool shaft
16 is mounted at the front of the body
portion
32.
The fishing line guide portion
31 is mounted on the tip of the first rotor
arm
33 so as to be pivotable between a line-winding posture and a line-releasing
posture. An interlocking mechanism
40 that interlocks with the pivoting
of the fishing line guide portion
31 is mounted in the first rotor arm
33.
The radially outward periphery of the first rotor arm
33 is covered by a
first cover member
36.
Like the first rotor arm
33, the second rotor arm
34 extends forward
and its radially outward periphery is covered by a second cover member
37.
The second rotor arm
34 is provided for the purpose of maintaining the rotational
balance of the rotor
3. For this reason, the second rotor arm
34
is configured such that its center of gravity C
2 is shifted forward in order
to bring it close to the center of gravity C
1 of the first rotor arm
33,
on which the fishing line guide portion
31 is mounted. In order to shift
the center of gravity C
2 forward, the second rotor arm
34 is provided
with an opening
34a formed on the rear end side, and a weight-accommodating
portion
34b for mounting a weight member
38 on the tip side.
The weight member
38 is made of, for example, a tungsten alloy. Further,
in order to shift the center of gravity C
2 forward, the second rotor arm
34 extends forward (upward in FIGS. 7 and 8, leftward in FIG. 10) at a length
that is longer than that of the first rotor arm
33, as clearly seen from
FIGS. 7 and 8.
Here, as shown in FIG. 6, the two rotor arms
33 and
34 are formed
such that a first line L
1 drawn along a pivot center axis Y of the fishing
line guide portion
31 of the first rotor arm
33 and a second line
L
2 drawn through a width-wise center Z of the second rotor arm
34
and substantially parallel to the first line L
1 are arranged so that they
are spaced at the same distance from the rotational axis X of the rotor unit
30
on opposite sides thereof. When the rotor arms
33 and
34 are arranged
in this manner, the rotational balance can be most favorably maintained even if
the fishing line guide portion
31 tilts severely away from the rotational
axis X (outward with respect to the first line L
1 in FIG.
6).
The line-entanglement prevention member
35 includes a cylindrical entanglement-preventing
portion
35a so formed as to be flush with the cylindrical portion
of the body portion
32, and a pair of tongue-shaped attachment portions
35b provided on the rear end of the entanglement-preventing portion
35a opposite each other with the rotational axis X therebetween.
The tip of the entanglement-preventing portion
35a has a larger diameter
than the rest of the entanglement preventing portion
35a, thereby
preventing the fishing line from entering the inside of the spool
4. In
addition, a weight-accommodating portion
35c for accommodating a
weight member
39 for correcting rotational balance is formed on the inner
peripheral surface of the tip of the entanglement-preventing portion
35a.
The weight member
39 is also made of, for example, a tungsten alloy. Although
the weight accommodating portion
35c is depicted in FIG. 3 as if
it is formed at a location near the second rotor arm
34 for the sake of
clarity in illustration, the weight accommodating portion
35c is
actually disposed, as shown in FIG. 6, at the mid position between the two rotor
arms
33 and
34 in the direction in which the fishing line guide portion
31 pivots. By disposing the weight accommodating portion
35c in
this way, the rotational balance can be corrected by the weight member
39
that is disposed on the opposite side of the fishing line guide portion
31
with respect to the rotational axis X, even though the fishing line guide portion
31 tilts in a direction further away from the rotational axis X than the
first line L
1.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the line-entanglement prevention member
35
is
fastened to the front wall
32a by two screw members
29, which
are screwed from the front of the attachment portions
35b. The front
face of the front wall
32a and the attachment portions
35b
are designed to form a ring-like flat surface when the line-entanglement prevention
member
35 is fitted. In order to form such a flat surface with the attachment
portions
35b on the front face of the front wall
32a,
recessed portions
32c in which the tongue-like-shaped attachment
portions
35b are fitted are formed in the front wall
32a.
Accordingly, even when foreign matter enters from the spool
4 side and attaches
to the spool, the foreign matter can be easily removed by detaching the spool
4
and, for example, wiping it off.
The fishing line guide portion
31 is arranged so that fishing line is
smoothly guided from the fishing rod to the spool
4 and wound around the
spool
4. Thus, as shown in FIG. 6, the fishing line guide portion
31
tilts severely outward (left to right in FIG. 6) from the rotational axis X of
the rotor such that fishing line will be easily guided onto the outer peripheral
surface of a bobbin
4a (described below) of the spool
4. The
fishing line guide portion
31 includes, as shown in FIGS. 6 to
9,
a support member
41 fitted to the tip of the first rotor arm
33,
a stationary shaft
42 whose base end is fixedly coupled to the tip of the
support member
41, a line roller
43 that is rotatably mounted to
the stationary shaft
42 and is capable of guiding fishing line, a stationary
shaft cover
44 provided on the tip of the stationary shaft
42, and
a fishing line-catching portion
45 that is provided on the tip of the stationary
shaft cover
44 and which catches the fishing line.
The support member
41 is fitted on the tip of the fishing line guide portion
31 so as to be pivotable between a line-winding posture and a line-releasing
posture. The stationary shaft
42 is so configured that its base end is locked
non-rotatably to the tip of the support member
41, and is fixedly coupled
to the support member
41 with a mounting bolt
42a. As shown
in FIG. 6, the tip of the stationary shaft
42 is slightly inclined toward
the spool
4 with respect to the pivoting surface (FIG. 1) of the support
member
41. The line roller
43 is rotatably mounted onto the outer
periphery of the stationary shaft
42 via a pair of bearings
46. A
ring-shaped guide groove
47 for guiding fishing line is formed on the outer
peripheral surface of the line roller
43, so that line kinks do not occur
easily. Both ends of the outer periphery of the line roller
43 are covered
by the support member
41 and the stationary shaft cover
44.
The stationary shaft cover
44 is made of, for example, a stainless steel
alloy, and is formed integrally with the stationary shaft
42 as a one-piece
unitary member. The stationary shaft cover
44 is arranged on the tip side
of the stationary shaft
42, the vertex
44b of the stationary
shaft cover
44 is tilted rearward (downward in FIG. 9) further from the
tip
42a of the stationary shaft
42. The stationary shaft cover
44 is an approximately cone-shaped member that has a fishing line guide
surface
44c provided on the reel unit
2 side thereof (lower
side of FIG.
9). The region on the rear surface of the stationary shaft
cover
44 indicated by hatching in FIG. 7 is the fishing line guide surface
44c that guides fishing line to the line roller
43. As shown
in FIG. 6, the tip of the stationary shaft cover
44 is concentric with the
stationary shaft
42, and is inclined toward the spool
4. When the
fishing line guide portion
31 is in the line-winding posture, the fishing
line guide surface
46c is arranged such that the distance between
the fishing line guide surface
44c and the reel unit
2 gradually
decreases from the tip side toward the fishing line-catching portion
45
side of the stationary shaft
42. A grasping portion
44a that
is recessed from the rest of the stationary shaft cover
44 is formed on
the front face of the stationary shaft cover
44. This type of grasping portion
44a is useful in returning the fishing line guide portion
31
from the line-winding posture to the line-releasing posture. The fishing line-catching
portion
45 is formed so that it bulges below the vertex
44b to
smoothly continue with its ridge line and protrude outwardly from the vertex
44b,
and so that the tip of the fishing line-catching portion
45 is thicker than
the rest of the fishing line-catching portion
45. The tip of the fishing
line-catching portion
45 is rounded into a spherical shape.
With the fishing line guide portion
31 thus configured, the fishing line
does not easily come off once it is caught by the fishing line-catching portion
45 because the tip of the fishing line-catching portion
45 is thicker
than the rest of the fishing line-catching portion
45. In addition, because
the fishing line-catching portion
45 and the vertex
44b of
the stationary shaft cover
44 are tilted rearward, the fishing line caught
by the fishing line-catching portion
45 can be reliably guided to the guide
groove
47 of the line roller
43 by the line-guiding surface
44c.
The dimensional relationships of the rotor
3 are shown in detail in FIG.
10.
A distance (H) in the axial direction of the spool
4 between a surface
of
the body portion
32 that is nearest to the spool
4 (the front surface
of a boss portion
32d on the front surface of the rear end portion
of the body portion
32 in this embodiment) and the pivot center axis Y of
the fishing line guide portion
31 is in a range of 50% or greater and 80%
or less of a distance (S) that the spool
4 moves forward and backward. More
specifically, where the distance (H) is 26 mm and the distance (S) is 40 mm, the
distance (H) is 65% of the distance (S).
A distance (L) in the axial direction of the spool
4 between the rotational
center of the line roller
43 and the pivot center axis Y of the support
member
41 is in a range between 50% or greater and 85% or lower of the distance
(S) that the spool
4 moves forward and backward. More specifically, when
the distance (L) is 32.7 mm and the distance (S) that is 40 mm, the distance (L)
is 81.75% of the distance (S).
A distance (R
1) in the axial direction of the spool
4 between the
rear surface of the rear end portion of the tubular portion
32 and a front
end (left hand side end in FIG. 10) of the first rotor arm
33 is shorter
than a distance (R
2) in the axial direction of the spool
4 between
the rear surface of the rear end portion of the tubular portion
32 and the
front end of the second rotor arm
34. In addition, a thickness (D
1)
in the radial direction of the spool
4 at the front end side of the second
rotor arm
34 is thicker than a thickness (D
2) in the radial direction
of the spool
4 at the rear end side of the second rotor arm
34. such
that a center of gravity C
2 of the second rotor arm
34 is shifted frontward.
Anti-Reverse Mechanism
50
As shown in FIG. 3, an anti-reverse mechanism
50 can prohibit/permit the
rotation of the rotor
3 in the line reel-out direction. The anti-reverse
mechanism
50 includes a roller-type one-way clutch
51 fitted to the
mechanism support portion
10b of the housing unit
10. The
one-way clutch
51 can be switched between a reverse-rotation prohibited
state and a reverse-rotation permitted state. The anti-reverse mechanism
50
further includes a switching operation unit
52 for switching the one-way
clutch
51 between the reverse-rotation prohibited state and the reverse-rotation
permitted state. The switching operation unit
52 is supported pivotably
by the operation support portion
10c and the intermediate support
portion
10d of the housing unit
10. Anti-reverse mechanisms
are a component well known in the art. Therefore, the structure and functions of
the anti-reverse mechanism
50 will not be explained in further detail herein.
Spool
4
As shown in FIG. 11, a male screw portion
16a and chamfered portions
16b that are cut out parallel to each other are formed on the fore-end
