AU2015101591A4 - Intermittently powered fishing reel - Google Patents

Abstract

An intermittently powered reel powered reel for attachment to a fishing rod, a spool of the reel configured to automatically retrieve slack fishing line during reeling in of an aquatic organism, the slack fishing line being produced by a user moving a 5 tip of said fishing rod downwardly after gaining fishing line from the immediately preceding upward thrust of the fishing rod tip and repeating this downward/upward movement of the fishing rod tip. The intermittently powered reel powered reel is preferably handleless or at least having a detachable or disengagable handle. 74 ...c* 54

Description

2 INTERMITTENTLY POWERED FISHING REEL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to motorised fishing reels and in one aspect relates to an intermittently powered conventional or baitcasting fishing reel, 5 which in one form does not include a handle. The term 'fish' used throughout the specification should be given its broadest definition and encompass any aquatic organism that is targeted by recreational fishermen which are caught on a line, including bony fish species, cephalopods and shark species. 10 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There are numerous powered fishing reels that are disclosed in the prior art. These ranges from large cumbersome systems that are mounted on fishing charter boats or fishing trawlers, to small portable handheld type systems. The large systems are typically used to haul in bigger fish species or to 15 retrieve fish from a significant depth. These types of reels include the PENN SENATOR@ and SHIMANO TIAGRA@, which are used for game fishing and the like. A portable handheld type powered fishing reel is disclosed in US Patent 4,515,324 to BARTON, that illustrates a reel includes a pivotable lever for selectively operating a motor for retracting the fishing line. The lever is manually moved into 20 and out of engagement with a switch means by the user, to thereby control the activation of the motor. Another powered unit for a fishing reel is sold under the name Power Fish'N Pro ReeTM. The hybrid electric fishing reel comprises an electric motor unit that can be retrofitted onto a conventional spinning reel. In this way the motor or the hand 25 crank can alternatively be used to retrieve the line. There are several limitations with the currently available powered reels. The larger systems are expensive, require large batteries and are not suitable for most recreational anglers. Many smaller systems still require a reasonable sized battery since they are being used to haul in the line under load when the fish has been 30 hooked. Furthermore, there are some anglers who prefer to be actively involved in 3 hauling in the fish and so do not use powered reels since they somewhat reduce the enjoyment of the experience. These limitations have therefore restricted the uptake of powered reels by anglers in general. There are however some individuals who due to incapacitation or injury wish 5 to still have the experience of fishing without the difficulties associated with manually retrieving the line by use of the reel handle. Furthermore, there are many anglers who would be aided by a small motor that would assist in the dispensing or retracting of the fishing line to thereby reduce fatigue. It should further be appreciated that any discussion of the prior art throughout 10 the specification is included solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention and should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art was widely known or formed part of the common general knowledge in the field as it existed before the priority date of the application. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 15 In one aspect of the invention, but not necessarily the broadest or only aspect, there is proposed an intermittently powered reel for attachment to a fishing rod, said powered reel including: a main frame that rotatably supports a spool thereon, whereby a length of fishing line being wound or windable onto said spool; and 20 a motor mounted to, or adjacent, the main frame and configured to cause rotation of said spool to retrieve the fishing line thereonto; wherein the motor is configured to automatically retrieve slack fishing line during reeling in of an aquatic organism, the slack fishing line being produced by a user moving a tip of said fishing rod downwardly after gaining fishing line from the 25 immediately preceding upward thrust of the fishing rod tip, and repeating this downward/upward movement of the fishing rod tip to automatically retrieve slack fishing line until the aquatic organism has been landed, and wherein there is direct connection between the motor and the spool, such that the powered reel is gearless. The fishing line may be automatically dispensed from the spool during casting 30 of tackle attached thereto. Preferably the powered reel is handleless whereby retrieval or dispensing of the fishing line is substantially controlled by said motor. In another form the powered 4 reel may include a handle that can be detached therefrom or disengaged during normal operation. The repeated movement of the fishing rod tip up and down produces sequential lengths of slack line that are automatically taken up onto the spool of the 5 powered reel. Preferably, the motor is also configured to dispense the line during casting. This ensures that excessive line is not fed out during the casting process which therefore reduces the chances of backlash or over-run when casting, which can result in a so called 'birds nest' occurring in the excessive dispensed line. The motor 10 may also be configured to control the length of the cast irrespective of the energy inputted by the user during the casting action. This means that the user will not cast beyond a specified distance, which can be useful in certain circumstances. The drag may be disengagable via a dog clutch from the spool to allow free rotation of the spool during casting. 15 In a preferred form the motor is an electric motor that converts stored electrical energy into mechanical energy. The motor may in one form be a printed motor or other miniaturised motor. The electrical energy is preferably stored in a battery and more preferably a rechargeable battery. In one form the motor may be a step or stepping motor. 20 The battery in one form is removably contained within a chamber formed in the reel or fishing rod. In another form the battery may be integral with the reel or fishing rod and may be recharged by way of a small solar module or include a connection for attaching to a power source. In a preferred form the battery is contained within a handle of the fishing rod. 25 The skilled addressee will appreciate that the motor chosen to retrieve the fishing line is not for the purpose of retrieving the fishing line under any heavy load but rather to retrieve the slack line when the operator plunges the rod tip downwards after gaining line from the immediately preceding upward thrust of the rod tip. Accordingly the motor only has to be strong enough to take up the slack line and not 30 to actually haul in the fish. This configuration has signification space, weight and cost advantages over the prior art.

5 An advantage with the present invention is that in one form the fishing reel no longer requires gearing from a hand or an electrically driven main shaft. The powered handless reel allows both hands to be utilised to assist with the aforementioned upward thrust of the rod tip to retrieve the fish. This advantage will 5 be fully realised when retrieving large fish from extended depths. In addition to the other advantages of this arrangement the inventor anticipates the inclusion of an electronic circuit to assist with the casting action by feeding out line at a rate that will negate friction and inertia when the line is fed off the spool to therefore increasing the distance achieved by the cast. The electronic circuit 10 includes a microprocessor. The reel may also have a communications module that is connected to the electronic circuit. The communication module may allow wireless communication by way of Wi-Fi, BLUETOOTH@, near field communication or any other form of wireless communication means. In this way the user can monitor the activity of the reel 15 and/or modify how the reel responds to different situations by way of a portable communications device, smart phone, personal computing device, wearable technology, or other electronic device. The powered reel may be a conventional or baitcasting type reel however others types of reel configurations, such as but not limited to a spinning reel, could be 20 used without departing from the scope of the invention. The reel may increase the drag applied to the line to exhaust the fish and prevent too much line being taken off during the fight. Furthermore, the reel may automatically apply the drag to the line after the line can be drawn out by a predetermined amount. This allows the hook to be set before any tension is applied 25 to the line, which will reduce the chance of the fish being lost. The spool of the powered handless reel is a direct drive configuration rather than having gears. This reduces the moving component of the system that require regular maintenance, as would be appreciated by the reader. The reel may also include buttons, switches or levers to control the movement 30 of the spool and control the amount of drag or activation thereof.

6 The reel is preferably water resistant to protect the electrical components contained therein. The fishing line may include markings and the reel may include sensors to be used in determining the speed that the line is being retrieved or dispensed. These 5 markings/sensors can also be used to determine when to apply the drag such that sufficient time is given for the hook to be set when taken by a fish. The apparatus may include other sensors or measuring devices that are used to determine the slackness of the line to thereby assess when the reel needs to be operated to retrieve the line. 10 The reel may also include various switches or buttons that can be operated by the user to select what mode the reel should be operated in. For instance, the modes may include a casting mode and a retrieval mode. The reel thereby automatically controls the feeding out or retrieval of the line depending upon what mode the user has selected. The reel may also include selectable modes for 15 different tackle arrangement or situations, for instance there may be a float mode that can be selected when a float is attached to the fishing line, or a drift mode when the user is using light tackle. The reader should however appreciate that the present invention is not limited to the use of different modes. Sensors on the traveller or level wind ensures that the line is drawn from the 20 powered reel at right-angles to an axis of the spool, and marks on the fishing line give precise measurements of the fishing line travelling through the traveller or level wind. The motor aids the spool in casting, wherein a sensor or sensors determine/s the speed at which spool is turning and controls the speed of said spool to inhibit 25 overrunning of the fishing line and wherein the length of the cast can be preset. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an implementation of the invention and, together with the description and claims, serve to explain the advantages and principles of the 30 invention. In the drawings, 7 Figure 1 is a side view of one embodiment of a powered reel of the present invention, illustrating an enlarged section showing the rod handle includes a battery compartment; Figure 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the powered reel, 5 illustrating a user holding the rod with both hands; Figure 3a is a side view of the powered reel of Figure 1 illustrating the rod being pivoted upwardly to haul the fish up through the water column; Figure 3b is a side view of the powered reel of Figure 3a, illustrating the rod tip being dropped towards to water surface wherein the motor operates 10 the spool to retrieve the slack line; Figure 4a is a side cross-sectional schematic view illustrating yet another embodiment of the powered reel, with the drag being engaged via a dog clutch; Figure 4b is a side cross-sectional schematic view of the powered reel of Figure 15 4a illustrating the dog clutch being disengaged so that the line is retrieved onto the spool; and Figure 5 is a side cross-sectional schematic view illustrating still another embodiment of the powered reel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED AND EXEMPLIFIED 20 EMBODIMENTS Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings. Dimensions of certain parts shown in the drawings may have been modified and/or exaggerated for the purposes of clarity or illustration. Referring to the drawings for a more detailed description, a powered reel 10 is 25 illustrated, demonstrating by way of examples, arrangements in which the principles of the present invention may be employed. Although in one embodiment the powered reel 10 is described as a 'powered handleless reel' it should be appreciated that the invention in not limited to a reel that does not include a handle. It may be that the reel does include a handle however the 30 handle can be removed or disengaged during use under typical circumstance such 8 that it is not used to reel in or feed out the fishing line. Accordingly the idea of a handleless reel as described also encompasses the idea of having a reel wherein the handle is not used during normal operation. In one embodiment as illustrated in Figure 1, an intermittently powered 5 handleless reel 10 is attached to a conventional fishing rod 12 having a handle 14, shaft 16 and eyelets 18. The reel 10 includes a main frame 20 that rotatably supports a spool 22, onto which is wound a length of fishing line 24, and a motor 26 for driving the spool 22 to dispense the line 24 or retrieve the line 24 when a fish 28 is attached. 10 The motor 26 is configured to retrieve slack line during reeling in of a fish 28, the slack line being produced by a user moving a tip 42 of said fishing rod downwardly after gaining line from the immediately preceding upward thrust of the fishing rod tip as will be discussed below with reference to Figures 3a and 3b. A rechargeable battery 30 is positioned within battery compartment 32 of 15 handle 14, which can be sealed by cover 34. Figure 2 illustrates another embodiment of the powered handleless reel 10 that is attached to rod seat 36. The rod 12 is illustrated as being held by both hands 38 of the user. As further illustrated in Figure 2 the reel 10 includes clutch pressure adjustment dial 40. 20 The process of winding the line 24 onto the spool 22 is illustrated in Figures 3a and 3b. Figure 3a illustrates the arrangement of the rod 12 as the angler thrusts the tip 42 of the rod 12 upwards in the direction of the vertical broken arrow. The upward movement draws the fish 28 upwardly in the water column 44. During this stage the spool 22 is held generally stationary relative to the main frame 20, except 25 for slipping under load set by the drag controls as will be discussed below. The subsequent rapid movement of the rod tip 42 downwardly by the angler results in a length of slack line being produced, as illustrated in Figure 3b. The motor 26 is then automatically activated to rotate, as indicated by the curved arrow to retrieve the slack line 24 in the direction of the oblique broken arrow. 30 The repeated movement of the fishing rod tip 42 up and down produces sequential lengths of slack line that are automatically taken up by the powered handleless reel 10, until the fish has been landed or otherwise secured. As the 9 reader will appreciate this slack line is normally taken up by rotation of a handle that causes the spool to rotate. In contrast with the present invention this slack line is taken up by use of the motor that causes the spool 22 to rotate. This reduces fatigue and means that incapacitated or injured persons who cannot use a conventional 5 fishing reel can still be actively involved in fishing activities. One of the advantages with the reel 10 of the present invention is that the motor 26 chosen for the purpose need not be a powerful motor 26 but only have sufficient power to retrieve the slack line 24 produced by the downward thrust at a speed that prevents the captured fish 28 from taking too much line back before a 10 subsequent upward thrust of the rod tip 42 by the angler. Accordingly the battery 30 used to drive the motor 26 need not be large and in one form can be housed in the tubular handle 14 of the fishing rod 12 and connected by suitable wiring and couplings (not shown). The battery may be connectable to a power source for recharging purposes 15 using conventional recharge couplings. Alternatively the battery may be rechargeable using known wireless recharging techniques. In another form a small solar panel can be attached to the fishing rod to recharge the battery during use. This means that the battery can be contained within a seal compartment to prevent damage to the battery due to misuse or installation of the cover. 20 Figures 4a and 4b illustrate side cross-sectional views of another embodiment of the powered handleless reel 10. Figure 4a illustrates the powered handleless reel 10 with the drag being engaged when the line 24 is being fed off the spool 22, while Figure 4b illustrates the powered handleless reel 10 with the drag being disengaged when the line 24 is being retracted onto the spool 22. 25 As further illustrated in Figures 4a and 4b, the reel 10, includes a motor magnet 50, motor windings 52, standard ball race 54, fixed drag plate 56, drag pressure spring 58, drag compound 60, drag adjust knob 62, uni-direction ball race 64 and moving drag plate 66. In another embodiment as illustrated in Figure 5, the reel 10, includes a motor 30 magnet 50, motor windings 52, clutch electromagnet 68, standard ball race 54, dog clutch return spring 70, dog clutch 72 that releases the spool for casting, electronic strike alarm 74 with selectable volume, main frame 20, control buttons 76, and end cap 78. The reel 10 of the present embodiment also includes a moving clutch or 10 drag plate 66, drag compound 60, fixed drag plate 56, one way roller race 80 that applies drag when the line 24 is being fed off the spool 22. A clutch or drag pressure control 62 and drag pressure spring 56 are used to control the amount of drag applied and the drag pressure control 62 can also be used to manually turn spool 22. 5 The level wind sensors 82 are used to determine the alignment of line 24 with the spool 22. The level wind motor 84 with reversible thread drive ensures the line 24 is evenly wound onto the spool 22, as is well known in the art. The level wind or traveller in the present embodiment is a conventional lead screw with the advantage that the reversing motor can drive directly to the required position without having to 10 go to the end in order to reverse direction. The motor 26 is configured to dispense the line during casting to ensure that excessive line is not fed out during the casting process to thereby reduce backlash or over-run. The motor 26 is also configured to control the length of the cast. Accordingly the reel 10 is provided with a line measuring sensor 86 and line 15 measuring markers 88 are used to control the length of cast by measuring line travel. The illustrated invention provides advantages over the prior art by providing motorised fishing line retrieval or dispensing means that can be of a small size such that it can be easily incorporated into handheld fishing tackle. The reader will appreciate that the power requirements of the motor that is configured to only take up 20 the slack line during reeling in a fish ensures that the weight and size of the motor components and battery can be kept to a minimum. The feature of having a gearless reel also has significant advantages for the maintenance of the reel. Various features of the invention have been particularly shown and described in connection with the exemplified embodiments of the invention, however it must be 25 understood that these particular arrangements merely illustrate the invention and it is not limited thereto. Accordingly, the invention can include various modifications, which fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (5)

1. An intermittently powered reel for attachment to a fishing rod, said powered reel including: a main frame that rotatably supports a spool thereon, whereby a length of 5 fishing line being wound or windable onto said spool; and a motor mounted to, or adjacent, the main frame and configured to cause rotation of said spool to retrieve the fishing line thereonto; wherein the motor is configured to automatically retrieve slack fishing line during reeling in of an aquatic organism, the slack fishing line being produced 10 by a user moving a tip of said fishing rod downwardly after gaining fishing line from the immediately preceding upward thrust of the fishing rod tip and repeating this downward/upward movement of the fishing rod tip to automatically retrieve slack fishing line until the aquatic organism has been landed, and wherein there is direct connection between the motor and the 15 spool, such that the powered reel is gearless.

2. The powered reel in accordance with claim 1, wherein sensors on the traveller or level wind ensures that the line is drawn from the powered reel at right-angles to an axis of the spool, and marks on the fishing line give precise measurements of the fishing line travelling through the traveller or level wind. 20

3. The powered reel in accordance with claim 1 or 2, wherein the powered reel is handleless or a handle is detachable therefrom or a handle is disengagable therefrom, whereby retrieval or dispensing of the fishing line is substantially controlled by said motor.

4. The powered reel in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the 25 reel is in wireless communication with another device, being a portable communications device, smartphone, personal computing device, wearable technology, or other electronic device.

5. The powered reel in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said motor aids the spool in casting, wherein a sensor or sensors determine/s the 30 speed at which spool is turning and controls the speed of said spool to inhibit overrunning of the fishing line and wherein the length of the cast can be preset.