GB2300793A

GB2300793A - Fishing reel

Info

Publication number: GB2300793A
Application number: GB9609558A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yuzo Kawabe; Yasuhiro Hitomi
Original assignee: Shimano Inc
Current assignee: Shimano Inc
Priority date: 1995-05-16
Filing date: 1996-05-08
Publication date: 1996-11-20
Anticipated expiration: 2016-05-08
Also published as: GB9609558D0; DE19619714B4; GB2300793B; DE19619714A1; JPH08308444A

Description

2300793 is

TITLE OF THE I NVE NTION SPINNING REEL Background of the Invention A. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to spinning reels for fishing, and in particular spinning reels having a line roller which guides a fishing line onto a spool of a fishing reel. B. Description of the Related Art

A spinning reel generally includes a reel body with a handle, a rotor rotatably supported on the reel body, and a spool supported on the reel body on which fishing line is wound. The rotor has a first arm and a second arm located opposite one another on either side of the axis of rotation, and a pivotable bail support member is disposed at the ends of each of the first and second arms. A bail is disposed between both the bail support members, and the bail, together with the bail support members, may be pivoted between a fishing line winding position and a fishing line releasing position. A line roller is disposed at the end of one of the bail support members, which guides the fishing line around the circumference of the spool during the winding mode.

When the user wishes to cast the fishing line, the bail is first pivoted by the user to the releasing 1 position and the fishing line is cast. Then, after casting is completed and the user wishes to reel the line back in, the bail can be pivoted back to the winding position. when the handle is rotated in this configuration, the fishing line will be wound around the circumference of the spool, guided by the bail and the line roller.

when the fishing line on a spinning reel is cast out the line comes off the spool in a spiral pattern, so twisting occurs in the fishing line at this time. When the fishing line is reeled back onto the spool, a reverse twist is generated in the fishing line. If the same degree of twisting occurs in the fishing line when it is paid out as when it is reeled in, no residual twisting remains in the line wound onto the spool.

It has been found that movement of the fishing line along the outer surface of the line roller is responsible for extra twisting in the fishing line. In other words, if the fishing line slips in a lateral direction over the outer surface of the line roller as it is being wound around the spool, there will be additional twisting in the fishing line. However, as long as the fishing line is always guided onto the spool from a fixed point on the line roller (assuming a constant tension in the fishing line), there will be no additional twisting in the fishing 2 line.

In Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Application No. 6-46467, a technique for preventing this type of twisting is disclosed whereby a slot is formed in the center of the outer surface of the line roller, with the fishing line being guided onto the spool by means of this slot. In this type of spinning reel, tension acting on the fishing line keeps the line retained in the slot on the line roller, therefore guiding the line onto the spool from this point. However, when tension is released on the fishing line, the line will often come out of the slot and be displaced in a lateral direction along the line roller. A fishing line wound around a spool in this manner will therefore have some twisting in it.

It is therefore an object of this invention to reduce the amount of twisting in a fishing line wound onto a spinning reel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention, a spinning reel includes a reel body which is attachable to a fishing rod, a handle, a rotor, a first and second bail support member, a bail, a spool, a line roller and a roller support mechanism. The rotor has a first and a second arm and is rotatably supported by the reel body and rotates in accordance with a winding operation of a 3 handle. First and second bail support members are pivotally mounted on the ends of the first and second arms and may be pivoted between a winding and a releasing position. The bail is disposed between the two bail support members, with the ends of the bail disposed between the two bail support members. The spool is supported by the reel body. A roller support mechanism supports a line roller on the first arm and the line roller includes a guide which guides the fishing line onto the spool, and a restrict portion which restricts the lateral movement of the fishing line along the line guide.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the line roller is further provided with a guide taper which guides the fishing line into the guide.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the roller support mechanism includes a spindle fixed to the first bail support member, and bearings which support the line roller on the fixed spindle so that it may rotate freely.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the line roller is formed in a generally tubular shape so that the roller support mechanism may be housed within it, the guide is generally torus-shaped and disposed on the line roller and generally parallel to the axis of rotation, the restrict portion is a surface formed 4 generally perpendicular to the guide, and the guide taper tapers down from the outermost surface of the line roller towards the guide.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the guide has a length in the direction of the axis of rotation of the line roller of 0.3 mm or less.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the restrict portion is 0.5 mm or more in height.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the roller support mechanism has a fixed spindle fitted to the end of the first bail support member, bearings which support the line roller so that it may rotate freely, a fixed spindle cover which partially covers and is supported by the fixed spindle, a bail which has one end mounted on the fixed spindle cover, and a restrict portion disposed on the line roller.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the guide is located approximately in the center of the exposed portion of the line roller along it axis of rotation, between the first bail support member and the fixed spindle cover of the line roller.

According to one aspect of the present invention, in addition to a guide being provided on the line roller of the spinning reel, a restrict portion is formed at one end of the guide in the direction in which the fishing line is braced when the fishing line is reeled in, thereby restricting the movement of the fishing line in the lateral direction during reeling. In addition, the fishing line is always led onto the spool from a fixed point, so that it is possible to suppress the occurrence of line twisting.

According to another aspect of the present invention, since a guide taper is provided on the line roller, even if the tension in the fishing line should drop and the fishing line rises up onto the guide taper, when reeling in recommences the fishing line will be guided into the guide by the tapered surface of the guide taper.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, since the line roller is supported on a fixed spindle by bearings, the force required to wind in the line during reeling is reduced.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the guide of the line roller is generally torus-shaped, and since the restrict portion is a vertical surface, the fishing line may be smoothly guided onto the spool and movement in the lateral direction can be reliably controlled.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, since the length of the guide in the direction 6 of axial rotation of the roller is 0.3 mm or less, the lateral displacement of the fishing line is reduced.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, since the vertical surface of the restrict portion has a height of more than 0.5 mm above the guide, it is able to control the movement of the fishing line in the lateral direction more reliably, particularly with respect to fishing lines of a narrow diameter in which line twisting occurs easily.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, since the restrict portion of the line roller is formed at the end of the guide closest to the first bail support member, the fishing line is always braced against the restrict portion when reeling the line in.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, since the guide is positioned approximately in the center of the line roller in the axial direction, the fishing line is unlikely to interfere with the first bail support member or the fixed spindle cover during reeling.

Other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate the same or similar parts throughout.

7 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a spinning reel in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a part cross-section, part top elevational view of the spinning reel depicted in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a part cross-section, part elevation of a line guide of the spinning reel depicted in Figs. 1 and 2, with the line guide shown on a slightly enlarged scale; Fig. 4 is a side view of a portion of the line roller depicted in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a top view of the spinning reel depicted in Fig. 1, showing a fishing line being wound onto the spool of the fishing reel. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The spinning reel shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is provided with a reel body 2 having a handle 1, a rotor 3 rotatably supported on the reel body 2, and a spool 4, around which the fishing line is wound and which is supported by the reel body 2. An attachment 2a is formed on the reel body 2 for attaching the spinning reel to the fishing rod.

within the reel body 2 are provided a rotor drive mechanism (not shown) for rotating the rotor 3 and a level wind mechanism (not shown) for uniformly reeling the fishing line onto the spool 4 by moving the spool 4 back 8 and forth along its axis of rotation.

The rotor 3 has a first arm 5 and a second arm 6 which extend along the axis of rotation and are disposed on either side of the spool 4. The first bail support member 7 is fitted so as to pivot on the outer surface of the end of the first arm 5. The line guide member 8 guides the fishing line onto the spool 4 and is fitted to the end of first bail support member 7. Moreover, a second bail support member 9 is fitted so as to pivot on the outer surface of the end of the second arm 6. A bail 10 is disposed between the line guide member 8 and the second bail support member 9.

The line guide member 8 will now be described in more detail with reference to Figs. 2 and 3.

The line guide member 8 includes a generally cylindrical line roller 15 and a roller support mechanism 16, which is partially housed within the line roller 15 and supports the line roller 15 so that it may be rotated freely with respect to the first bail support member 7.

A roller support mechanism 16 includes a fixed spindle 20, and bearings 21 attached to the outer surface of the fixed spindle 20. The bearings 21 are provided to support the line roller 15 so that it may be rotated freely with respect to the fixed spindle 20. The fixed spindle 20 is fixed by means of a fixing bolt 22 to the 9 end of the first bail support member 7. Specifically, a female screw 20a is formed on the fixed spindle 20, and the fixing bolt 22, which passes through a hole 7a form d at the end of the first bail support member 7, engages with this female screw 20a. Projections (not shown in the diagram) are formed at the end of the fixed spindle 20, and these prevent the rotation of the fixed spindle 20 by engaging a slot (not shown) formed in the first bail support member 7. As a result, it is possible to prevent any loosening of the engagement between the fixed spindle 20 and the fixing bolt 22.

In addition, the bearing support member 23 is disposed adjacent to the side wall 7b of the first bail support member 7. A portion of the bearing support member 23 is in contact with a portion of the bearings 21.

A fixed spindle cover 24 is supported by the head of the fixed spindle 20. A spacer 25 is in contact with a portion of the bearings 21 and, together with the bearing support member 23, prevents the bearings 21 from moving in the axial direction. One end of the bail 10 is fixed to the fixed spindle cover 24.

A bush 26 is fitted between the inside of the line roller 15 and an outer portion of the bearings 21. At the end of the bush 26 closest to the first bail support member 7. a flange 26a is formed. The flange 26a projects outward and is disposed between the bearing support member 23 and the line roller 15. As a result, it is possible to avoid direct friction between the bearing support member 23 and the side of the line roller 15. At the other side of the bush 26, an inner projection 26b is formed which projects to the inside and is in contact with a portion of the fixed spindle cover 24. In addition, a bearing seal 27 is disposed between an inside surface of the bush 26 and an outer surface of the bearing support member 23. In this way the influx of water, dirt and the like into those parts where the bearings 21 are fitted can be prevented both by the inside projection 26b of the bush 26 and the bearing seal 27.

The line roller 15 is formed in a generally tubular shape as described above, and as shown partially in Fig. 4, includes a guide 30 which guides the fishing line to the spool 4, a restrict portion 31 for restricting the displacement of the fishing line, and a guide taper 32 which guides the fishing line to the guide 30.

The guide 30 is generally torus-shaped and disposed on the line roller 15 generally parallel to the axis of rotation. The parallel portion of the guide 30 (the parallel portion being part D in Fig. 4) is preferably 0.3 mm or less in length. This is because under normal circumstances fishing lines of gauge 2.5 or less (in other words fishing lines with a dia ter of 0.26 m or less) slip easily, and thus if the flat portion of the guide is made too long, the lateral displacement will be relatively large compared to the dia ter of the fishing line. if the flat portion is extremely short with respect to the diameter of the fishing line, there is a danger that the fishing line will catch in the guide, so it is not desirable that the guide have absolutely no flat portion. The restrict portion 31 is a surface formed continuously with the guide 30 and disposed at the end of the guide 30 closest to the first bail support member 7, and is formed perpendicular with respect to the guide 30. The height of this surface above the guide 30 (part E in Fig. 4) is approximately twice the diameter of the fine fishing lines in which twisting is most likely to occur, in other words preferably more than 0.5 mm. Furthermore, the guide taper 32 is formed continuously with the guide 30 and is disposed at the end of the guide 30 closest to the bail 10. The tapering surface of the guide taper 32 is formed such that the diameter of the portion of the line roller 15 which comprises the guide taper 32 increases away from the guide 30. Furthermore, a tapering surface 33 is disposed adjacent to the restrict portion 31 and opposite to the guide taper 32. The tapering surface 33 has a taper opposite that to the guide taper 32, thereby guiding 12 a fishing line into the guide 30. Because of this, even if the fishing line slackens and rises up over the outer surface of the restrict portion 31, when reeling recommences and tension is once again applied to the fishing line, the fishing line will be guided by the tapering surface 33 into the guide 30.

The line roller 15, as shown in Fig. 3, is partially exposed to the outside in the gap between the end of the first bail support member 7 and the fixed spindle cover 24, and is located so that the position of the guide 30 is almost in the center in the direction of rotation of this exposed part. As a result, when the fishing line is guided by the guide 30, it is possible to prevent the fishing line from interfering with the first bail support member 7 and the fixed spindle cover 24.

Next, the operation of the invention will be explained, paying particular attention to the moment when the line is reeled in.

when the rotor 3 is rotated by the user through the handle 1, the fishing line is wound onto the spool 4 and guided by the bail 10 and the line roller 15. At this time, the fishing line is guided onto the spool 4 through the guide 30 of the line roller 15, so as shown in Fig. 5 it is led onto the spool 4 from a fixed point, and for each turn of the rotor 3 the fishing line is twisted once 13 1 (one turn). As a result, the amount of twisting in the fishing line when the line is later paid out is small.

When the fishing line is reeled in, as will be clear from Fig. 5, the fishing line is braced against the side of the restrict portion 31. Because the restrict portion 31 is formed as a vertical surface on the end of the first bail member 7 side of the guide 30, the fishing line is always led onto the spool 4 through the guide 30 while being restricted by the restrict portion 31. Moreover, even if the tension in the fishing line drops when the line is reeled in, the movement of the fishing line will be restricted by the restrict portion 31. If the tension in the fishing line drops and the fishing line moves to the bail 10 side of the guide 30 and rises up onto the guide taper 32, when reeling in recommences and tension rises again in the fishing line, the fishing line position will be moved over to the side of the restrict portion 31, guided by the tapering surface of the guide taper 32. In this way even if the tension in the fishing line should drop during reeling, the fishing line is always led onto the spool 4 through the guide 30, thereby suppressing the occurrence of line slippage.

Various details of the invention may be changed without departing from its spirit nor its scope. Furthermore, the foregoing description of the embodiments

14 according to the present invention is provided for the purpose of illustration only, and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36

Claims

1. A spinning reel comprising: a reel body capable of being fitted to a fishing rod; a rotor having a first and a second arm, rotatably supported by said reel body and rotating in accordance with a winding operation of a handle; a spool supported by said reel body, which makes a traverse movement in accordance with the winding operation of said handle, and on the circumference of which is wound a fishing line; a first and a second bail support member pivotally mounted on the ends of said first and second arms respectively; a bail disposed between said bail support members extending therebetween; and a roller support mechanism which supports a line roller on one of said bail support members; wherein said line roller includes a guide which guides said fishing line onto said spool and a restrict portion which restricts the lateral movement of said fishing line along said line roller.

2. The spinning reel of Claim 1, in which said line roller further comprises a guide taper which guides said fishing line into said guide.

3. The spinning reel of either preceding claim, in which said roller support mechanism has a fixed spindle fixed to said first bail support member, and bearings which support said line roller on said fixed spindle so that said line roller may be rotated freely.

The spinning reel of Claim 2, in which: said line roller is generally tubular in shape; 16 1 2 3 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 32 33 34 35 36 said guide is generally torus-shaped and disposed on said line roller generally parallel to the axis of rotation; said restrict portion comprises a surface formed generally perpendicular to said guide; and said guide taper is a tapering surface formed so that the diameter of said guide taper portion of said line roller gradually increases away from said guide.

5. The spinning reel of any preceding claim, in which said guide has a length in the direction of the axis of rotation of said line roller of 0.3 mm or less.

6. The spinning reel of any preceding claim, in which the surface comprising said restrict portion is formed to a length of 0.5 mm or more.

7. The spinning reel of any preceding claim, in which said roller support mechanism includes: a fixed spindle fixed to the end of said first bail support member; bearings supported by said fixed spindle and which support said line roller so that it may rotate freely on said fixed spindle; a fixed spindle cover supported by said fixed spindle and covering a portion of said fixed spindle, with one end of said bail being mounted on said fixed spindle cover; and said restrict portion of said line roller being formed on the side of said guide closest to said first bail support member.

8. The spinning reel of Claim 7, in which said guide is disposed approximately in the centre of said line roller along the axis of rotation and between said first bail support member and said fixed spindle cover 17 1 2 3 4 of said line roller.

9. A spinning reel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

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