TWI834255B - Fishing rod locking mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

A locking mechanism for a multi-piece fishing rod includes an adapter having an external joint part; a lock ring having an outer diameter; a locking nut, the locking nut further comprising: a counterbore section having an open end and a partially closed end and an internal joint part; the partially closed end having an aperture therethrough, the aperture having a diameter less than the outer diameter of the lock ring; and the internal joint part of the counterbore configured to engage with the external joint part of the adapter to draw the locking nut into contact with the lock ring and the adapter and the locking nut towards one another.

Description

Fishing rod locking mechanism

The present invention relates to fishing rods, and more particularly to connection arrangements for multi-piece fishing rods.

Multi-piece fishing rods are often used where it is desirable to have a rod that can be broken down into two or more pieces to facilitate packaging, shipping and/or storage. Current multi-piece rods utilize a simple ferrule joint to connect the rod pieces for use. The ferrule joint involves a friction fit between one end of the tip section when inserted into the mating end of the butt section of the rod. Although these ferrule joints are very simple to make and use, they tend to separate the rod sections under the various forces that can be exerted on the rod during use.

Therefore, a locking mechanism is needed to secure the sections of a multi-piece fishing rod together.

One aspect of the invention provides a locking mechanism for a multi-piece fishing rod having a docking section with a handle having a distal end and a proximal end and a docking section having a distal end and a proximal end. a tip section, wherein the distal end of the docking section is intended to engage the proximal end of the tip section, the locking mechanism comprising: an adapter adjacent the distal end of the docking section and having thereon an external joint portion; a locking ring adjacent the proximal end of the tip section and having There is an outer diameter; a lock nut distal to the tip section of the lock ring, the lock nut comprising: a counterbore section having an open end and a portion of the closed end and an internal joint portion, wherein The open end of the counterbore is oriented toward the proximal end of the tip section; the partially closed end has a hole therethrough having a diameter greater than the proximal end of the tip section but smaller than the locking ring. a diameter of the outer diameter; and the inner connector portion of the counterbore is configured to engage the outer connector portion of the adapter to draw the lock nut into contact with the lock ring and pull the adapter and lock nut towards each other.

Another aspect of the invention provides a locking mechanism for a multi-piece fishing rod having a docking section with a handle having a distal end and a proximal end and having a distal end and a proximal end. a tip section, wherein the distal end of the docking section is intended to engage the proximal end of the tip section, the locking mechanism comprising: an adapter adjacent the distal end of the docking section or the tip region one of the proximal ends of the section and having an external joint portion thereon; a locking ring adjacent the distal end of the docking section or one of the proximal ends of the tip section and having an external diameter; a lock nut adjacent the lock ring, the lock nut comprising: a counterbore section having an open end and a portion of the closed end and an internal joint portion, wherein the open end of the counterbore faces the One of the distal end of the docking section or the proximal end of the tip section is oriented; the partially closed end has a hole therethrough, the hole having a diameter larger than the distal end of the docking section or the tip section the diameter of one of the proximal ends but less than the outer diameter of the lock ring; and the inner connector portion of the counterbore is configured to engage the outer connector portion of the adapter to secure the lock nut Pull into contact with the locking ring and pull the adapter and locking nut toward each other.

These aspects are merely illustrative of the numerous aspects associated with the invention and should not be considered limiting in any way. These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

10:Multi-section fishing rod

12: docking section

14: Tip section

20:Lock mechanism

30: Fixed adapter

32:External connector part

34:Inner diameter

40:Lock ring

42:Outer diameter

50:Lock nut

52: Counterbore

54:Inner diameter

56: Distal wall

58: Rod hole

60: diameter

112: docking section

114: Tip section

130: Fixed adapter

140:Lock ring

150:Lock nut

180: Shell

182:Opening section

184: Cylindrical insert

Reference is now made more particularly to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one or more embodiments of the present invention and wherein like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a multi-piece fishing rod with a locking mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the multi-piece fishing rod of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of an adapter suitable for use in a locking mechanism according to various embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 3A is an end view of the adapter of Figure 3.

4 is a perspective view of a lock ring suitable for use in a locking mechanism according to various embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 4A is an end view of the adapter of Figure 4.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a locking nut suitable for use in a locking mechanism according to various embodiments of the present invention.

Figure 5A is a perspective view of the adapter of Figure 5 from a different angle.

Figure 5B is an end view of the adapter of Figure 5.

Figure 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of a multi-piece fishing rod with a locking mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Cross-references to related applications

This application claims the currently pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/068,026 entitled "FISHING ROD LOCKING MECHANISM" filed on August 20, 2020, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The following description of the technology is merely illustrative in nature of the subject matter, manufacture and use of one or more inventions and is not intended to limit the scope, application or uses of any particular invention claimed in this or these other applications. , if you can submit a claim to claim priority for this application or the patent arising therefrom. When reviewing the technical description set forth in this article, the following definitions and non-limiting guidelines must be considered.

The headings (such as "Introduction" and "Abstract") and subtitles used herein are for the purpose of general organization of the subject matter within this disclosure and are not intended to limit the technology or the disclosure of any aspect thereof. In particular, the subject matter disclosed in the Introduction may include new technology and may not constitute a reference to prior art. The subject matter disclosed in the Abstract is not an exhaustive or complete disclosure of the entire scope of the technology or any embodiments thereof. For convenience, a material is classified or discussed in a section of this specification as having a particular utility, and it should not be inferred that the material must or will function solely in accordance with its classification when used in any given composition. .

The citation of references herein does not constitute an admission that such references are prior art or have any relevance to the patentability of the technology disclosed herein. All references cited in the "Embodiments" section of this specification are hereby incorporated by reference.

The description and specific examples, while indicating embodiments of the technology, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the technology. Furthermore, reciting multiple embodiments having recited features is not intended to exclude other embodiments having additional features, or other embodiments incorporating different combinations of recited features. Specific examples are provided to illustrate how to make and use devices and systems of the technology and, unless expressly stated otherwise, are not intended to represent that a given embodiment of the technology has or has not been made or tested.

As used herein, the word "comprises" and variations thereof are intended to be non-limiting, such that reference to an item in a list does not exclude materials, compositions, Devices and methods and other similar items. Similarly, the terms "could" and "could" and variations thereof are intended to be non-limiting, such that a statement that an embodiment may or may include certain elements or features does not exclude the practice of the technology without including those elements or features. Other embodiments.

As used herein, "a" and "an" indicate that there is "at least one" of the item; if possible, there may be a plurality of such items. When applied to a value, "approximately" indicates that the calculation or measurement allows for some slight imprecision in the value (accuracy of approaching the value by some means; approximately or reasonably close to the value; almost). If for some reason the imprecision provided by "approximately" is not understood in this ordinary sense in the art, then the indication of "approximately" as used herein can at least be produced by ordinary methods of measuring or using such parameters. changes. In addition, the disclosure content of the range includes the disclosure content of all different values and the further divided ranges within the entire range.

In a multi-section fishing rod 10, two or more individual fishing rod sections are connected to form a complete fishing rod. The docking (or handle) section 12 of the rod may be provided with a larger diameter than the tip section 14 to which it is intended to be connected, although in some cases this progression may be reversed and still be accommodated within the present invention. Similarly, each of the segments may taper from the proximal end toward the distal end, or vice versa. The rod handle is typically located near the proximal end of docking section 12. According to various embodiments of the present invention, the proximal end of tip section 14 may be inserted into the distal end of docking section 12 in the form of a ferrule connector and secured in place by a locking mechanism 20 .

1 to 5B illustrate embodiments of a locking mechanism 20 and components for the locking mechanism according to the present invention. The locking mechanism 20 may include three components: a fixed adapter 30; a locking ring 40; and a locking nut 50. As shown in Figures 3 and 3A, the adapter 30 may be a cylindrical member having an inner diameter 34 adjacent the distal end or tip of the docking section 12 of the rod 10 and provided with a first joint portion , such as a screw thread or one half of a bayonet connector. Preferably, The adapter 30 is fixed relative to the docking section 12 so that it cannot rotate independently of the docking section 12 .

Similarly, a locking ring 40 , an embodiment of which is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 4A , may be adjacently secured to the proximal or butt end of the tip section 14 of the rod 10 . The locking ring 40 may be disposed at a point slightly distal to the proximal end of the tip section 14 . This leaves a section of the proximal end of the tip section 14 whose original diameter can be inserted a distance from the distal end of the docking section 12 to maintain a basic ferrule joint. Although the locking ring 40 can be secured to the tip section 14 so that it cannot rotate relative to the tip section 14, this is not required. More importantly, the locking ring 40 cannot pass past the proximal end of the tip section 14 so as to secure it to the tip section 14 .

Although the above description refers to adapter 30 being associated with docking section 12 and locking ring 40 being associated with tip section 14, these relative positions of adapter 30 and locking ring 40 may be reversed.

As shown in FIGS. 5-5B , embodiments of the locking nut 50 are preferably freely rotatable relative to the tip section 14 . Further, the locking nut 50 may be located distally of the locking ring 40 along the length of the tip section 14 . In one embodiment, the tip section 14 may be provided with a protrusion extending fully or partially around its outer diameter to create a stop to limit the travel of the locking nut 50 toward the distal end of the tip section 14 . The structure of the lock nut 50 includes a counterbore 52 with an inner diameter 54 extending partially through the central axis of the lock nut 50 . The counterbore 52 begins at the proximal end of the locking nut 50 and extends toward its distal end where it meets one of the distal walls 56 of the locking nut. The inner surface of the counterbore 52 may be provided with an internal connector portion, such as threads or part of a bayonet type connector, which can engage the external connector portion of the adapter 30 . A hole 58 having a diameter 60 smaller than the inner diameter 54 of the counterbore 52 passes through the center of the distal wall 56 . The hole 58 is larger than the diameter of the tip section of the rod to facilitate a sliding relationship between the tip section 14 and the locking nut 50 .

An outer diameter 42 of the locking ring 40 may preferably be sized so that the interior joint portion of the counterbore 52 can slide over the locking ring 40 without interference. However, the outer diameter 42 of the locking ring 40 may also be Greater than the diameter 60 of the rod bore 58, the locking ring 40 engages the distal wall 56 to prevent further proximal movement of the locking nut 50. Further, the engagement of the locking ring 40 with the distal wall 56 of the locking nut 50 allows the locking nut 50 to exert a force on the tip section 14 through the locking ring 40 as described below.

In operation, the distal end of docking section 12 and the proximal end of tip section 14 may be axially aligned with each other such that externally threaded adapter 30 and locking ring 40 are adjacent one another. The locking nut 50 can then slide on the locking ring 40 so that the inner fitting portion of the locking nut 50 can engage the outer fitting portion 32 of the adapter 30 . When the locking nut 50 is engaged to the adapter 30 , the distal wall 56 of the locking nut 50 engages the locking ring 40 . As the locking nut 50 is further threaded onto the threaded adapter 30 , the engagement of the distal wall 56 and the locking ring 40 forces the tip section 14 into secure engagement with one of the docking sections 12 .

In some embodiments, the locking ring 40 may be disposed at the proximal end of the tip section 14 , which may result in a butt joint with one of the distal ends of the docking section 12 rather than a ferrule joint.

It should be noted that although the adapter 30 and locking ring 40 are embodiments of components that are added to an existing docking section 12 and tip section 14 of a rod 10 , respectively; however, in alternative embodiments, these components may be integrated with the rod 10 Those segments are formed as a whole.

FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention, in which the docking section 112 , the fixed adapter 130 and the external connector portion 132 are at least partially embedded in a housing 180 . Shell 180 may be, for example, a piece of soft material intended to provide a cushioning and enhanced feel to a user. The housing 180 may extend to the end of the fixed adapter 130 . An open section 182 is provided at the end of the housing to allow the locking nut 150 to engage the securing adapter 130 . To provide additional support for the housing 180 around the open section 182, a cylindrical insert 184 may be disposed within the open section 182. Fixed adapter 130, locking nut 150 and locking ring 140 interact in the same manner as described above to securely dock section 112 and tip section 114.

The preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above to explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to utilize the invention. However, since various modifications may be made to the structures and methods described and illustrated herein without departing from the scope of the invention, all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings is incorporated by reference. All material expressly incorporated herein is to be construed as illustrative and not restrictive. Accordingly, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by the above-described illustrative embodiments, but should be defined only by the following appended claims and their equivalents.

10:Multi-section fishing rod

12: docking section

14: Tip section

30: Fixed adapter

50: Floating lock nut

Claims (18)

A locking mechanism for a multi-piece fishing rod having a docking section with a handle having a distal end and a proximal end and a tip section having a distal end and a proximal end, wherein the docking section The distal end of the segment is intended to engage the proximal end of the tip segment, the locking mechanism comprising: an adapter fixedly attached adjacent the distal end of the docking segment and having an external joint portion thereon , wherein the docking section is configured with a first tapered section between the distal end of the docking section and the adapter; a locking ring fixedly adjacent the proximal end of the tip section Attached and having an outer diameter, wherein the tip section is configured with a second tapered section between the proximal end of the tip section and the locking ring; a locking nut distally located on the On the tip section of the lock ring, the lock nut further includes: a counterbore section having an open end and a portion of the closed end and an internal joint section, wherein the open end of the counterbore faces toward the tip section. the proximal end is oriented; the partially closed end has a hole therethrough, the hole having a diameter sufficient to allow at least the proximal end of the tip section to pass through but less than the outer diameter of the locking ring; and wherein when the The first tapered section of the docking section and the second tapered section of the tip section are configured to be inserted into the When the other of the first or second tapered sections is engaged with each other, the inner fitting portion of the counterbore is configured to engage the outer fitting portion of the adapter to draw the locking nut in Contacting the locking ring and pulling the adapter and the locking nut toward each other, and wherein the docking section and the tip section are connected by the locking mechanism Thereafter, the engagement of the first tapered section and the second tapered section and the relative positions of the adapter to the first tapered section and the locking ring to the second tapered section Maintain separation between the adapter and the locking ring. The locking mechanism for a multi-piece fishing rod of claim 1, wherein the outer joint portion includes a first portion of a bayonet joint and the inner joint portion includes a second portion of a bayonet joint. The locking mechanism for a multi-piece fishing rod of claim 1, wherein the outer joint portion includes external threads and the inner joint portion includes internal threads. A locking mechanism for a multi-piece fishing rod as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adapter is secured to the docking section and the locking ring is secured to the tip section. A locking mechanism for a multi-piece fishing rod as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adapter is integrally formed with the docking section and the locking ring is integrally formed with the tip section. The locking mechanism for a multi-piece fishing rod as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a housing surrounding the docking section and the adapter and wherein the housing is provided with a cylindrical opening surrounding the adapter and the cylindrical opening is provided There is an inner diameter that is larger than the outer diameter of the lock nut. The locking mechanism for a multi-piece fishing rod of claim 6, further comprising an insert within the cylindrical opening, the insert having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the lock nut. The locking mechanism for a multi-piece fishing rod as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the first tapered section of the docking section and the second tapered section of the tip section are fully engaged with each other, The adapter and the locking ring are configured with a first distance therebetween, and wherein the first distance is maintained when the adapter and the locking nut are pulled toward each other. A locking mechanism for a multi-piece fishing rod having a docking section with a handle having a distal end and a proximal end and a tip section having a distal end and a proximal end, wherein the docking section The distal end of the segment is intended to engage the proximal end of the tip segment, the locking mechanism comprising: an adapter adjacent one of the distal end of the docking segment or the proximal end of the tip segment and having an external connector portion thereon, wherein the docking section is configured with a first tapered section and the tip section is configured with a second tapered section, and wherein the adapter is positioned on the Either on a docking section having the first tapered section between the adapter and the distal end of the docking section, the tip section having a the second tapered section between the adapter and the proximal end of the tip section; a locking ring adjacent one of the distal end of the docking section or the proximal end of the tip section and having an outer diameter, wherein the locking ring is positioned on one of the docking section or the tip section, the docking section having the locking ring and the distal end of the docking section a first tapered section, the tip section having the second tapered section between the locking ring and the proximal end of the tip section; a locking nut adjacent the locking ring, The locking nut further includes: a counterbore section having an open end and a portion of the closed end and an internal joint portion, wherein the open end of the counterbore faces the distal end of the docking section or the tip section one of the proximal ends is oriented; the partially closed end has a hole therethrough having a diameter greater than one of the distal end of the docking section or the proximal end of the tip section but smaller than the a diameter of the outer diameter of the lock ring; and wherein when the first tapered section and the second tapered section are configured to When one is inserted into the other of the first or second tapered sections to engage each other, the inner connector portion of the counterbore is configured to engage the outer connector portion of the adapter to engage the The lock nut is drawn into contact with the lock ring and draws the adapter and the lock nut toward each other, and wherein after the docking section and the tip section are connected by the locking mechanism, the first tapered section and The engagement of the second tapered section and the relative positions of the adapter and the locking ring on the butt and tip sections maintain separation between the adapter and the locking ring. The locking mechanism for a multi-piece fishing rod of claim 9, wherein the outer joint portion includes a first portion of a bayonet joint and the inner joint portion includes a second portion of a bayonet joint. The locking mechanism for a multi-piece fishing rod of claim 9, wherein the outer joint portion includes external threads and the inner joint portion includes internal threads. A locking mechanism for a multi-piece fishing rod as claimed in claim 9, wherein the adapter is secured to one of the docking section or the tip section and the locking ring is secured to the other of the tip section or the docking section One. The locking mechanism for a multi-piece fishing rod as claimed in claim 9, wherein the adapter is integrally formed with one of the docking section or the tip section and the locking ring is integrally formed with the other of the tip section or the docking section. One and the same. The locking mechanism for a multi-piece fishing rod of claim 9, wherein the adapter is secured to the docking section and the locking ring is secured to the tip section and further includes a housing surrounding the docking section and the adapter and wherein the housing is provided with a cylindrical opening surrounding the adapter and the cylindrical opening is provided with an inner diameter larger than an outer diameter of the lock nut. The locking mechanism for a multi-piece fishing rod of claim 14, further comprising an insert within the cylindrical opening, the insert having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the lock nut. A locking mechanism for a multi-piece fishing rod as claimed in claim 9, wherein when the first tapered section of the docking section and the second tapered section of the tip section are fully engaged with each other, The adapter and the locking ring are configured with a first distance therebetween, and wherein the first distance is maintained when the adapter and the locking nut are pulled toward each other. A method of securing a distal end of a docking section and a proximal end of a tip section of a multi-piece fishing rod, which includes the following steps: providing a locking mechanism for the multi-piece fishing rod, which includes: a An adapter fixedly attached adjacent the distal end of the docking section and having an external connector portion thereon, wherein the docking section is configured to mate with the adapter at the distal end of the docking section a first tapered section between the devices; a locking ring fixedly attached adjacent the proximal end of the tip section and having an outer diameter, wherein the tip section is configured in the tip region a second tapered section between the proximal end of the section and the locking ring; a locking nut distally on the tip section of the locking ring, the locking nut further comprising: a counterbore section , which has an open end and a partially closed end and an internal joint portion, wherein the open end of the counterbore is oriented toward the proximal end of the tip section; the partially closed end has a hole therethrough, the hole having a diameter sufficient to allow at least the proximal end of the tip section to pass through but less than the outer diameter of the locking ring; and engaging the first tapered section with the second tapered section until the docking the segment and the tip segment are no longer able to move toward each other; engaging the inner joint portion of the locking nut with the outer joint portion of the adapter; drawing the locking nut into contact with the locking ring; and bringing the adapter and The locking nuts are pulled toward each other, wherein the engagement of the first tapered section and the second tapering section and the relative position of the adapter and the locking ring on the butt and tip sections maintain the adapter separation from the locking ring. The method of claim 17 for securing a distal end of a docking section and a proximal end of a tip section of a multi-piece fishing rod, wherein the first tapered section of the docking section and the tip section After the second tapered sections of the sections are fully engaged with each other, the adapter is separated from the locking ring a first distance, and wherein the first distance is maintained when the adapter and the locking nut are pulled toward each other.