A dual-bearing reel includes a hook keeper having locking and support parts. The locking part has a hole and a slit. The slit extends from a first end surface to a second end surface of the locking part in a central axis direction. The support part supports the locking part, has a joining part including at least a portion of an annular ring, and is mounted on a mounting part at the joining part to be pivotable about a drive shaft. When the support part is positioned in a lateral direction of a handle, the hole and slit are on an outside of the handle in the lateral direction orthogonal to the drive shaft, and when the support part is positioned in a longitudinal direction of the handle, the hole and slit are on an inside of the handle in the lateral direction orthogonal to the drive shaft.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-136917, filed on Jul. 20, 2018. The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-136917 is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a dual-bearing reel.

BACKGROUND ART

During fishing, when the end of the fishing rod is moved or the fishing rod is changed, there are situations in which a fishing rod is carried around or set down with the tackle left attached to the fishing rod. In such cases, if a portion of the fishing line beyond the end of the rod is not fixed, this portion will move freely, and, depending on the tackle, the fishing hook may get caught in clothing, the reel body may become damaged, or the fishing line may become tangled. In order to prevent such occurrences, a hook keeper can be mounted on the fishing reel to lock the fishing hook. In general, in the hook keeper, a locking part for locking a fishing hook projects from the reel body, but the fishing line may become entangled in the projecting locking part when the hook keeper is not in use. Therefore, some conventional dual-bearing reels are equipped with a movable hook keeper. The dual-bearing reel disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Application No. 2014-236728, for example, is equipped with a hook keeper that can be stored as needed during use of a fishing rod by being able to turn from inside the reel body to the outside.

In the dual-bearing reel disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Application No. 2014-236728, since the hook keeper is capable of being housed inside the reel body, the structure of the reel body must be changed. In addition, the hook keeper disclosed in this application is for locking a fishing hook, but in the case of a down shot rig, since only the fishing hook is fixed, the sinker ahead is not fixed; thus, the problem of the reel body becoming damaged by the sinker or the fishing line becoming tangled is not solved.

SUMMARY

The present invention was made to solve the problem described above, and an object thereof is to provide a dual-bearing reel equipped with a movable hook keeper that, without changing the structure of the reel body, is capable of locking not only a fishing hook but also a sinker.

A dual-bearing reel according to a first aspect of the present invention is a dual-bearing reel for fishing, comprising a reel body, a spool supported by the reel body and around which fishing line is wound, a drive shaft rotatably supported by the reel body and constituting a winding mechanism for winding the fishing line around the spool, a handle having a mounting part mounted on one end of the drive shaft and that rotates the drive shaft, and a hook keeper having a locking part and a support part. A hole that penetrates the locking part and a slit that extends from the hole to the outside surface of the locking part and extends from one end surface to the other end surface of the locking part in the central axis direction of the hole are formed in the locking part. The support part supports the locking part, has a joining part that includes at least a portion of an annular ring, and is mounted on the mounting part at the joining part so as to be pivotable about the drive shaft. In a state in which the support part is positioned in a lateral direction of the handle, the hole and the slit of the locking part are on the outside of the outer surface of the handle in the lateral direction orthogonal to the drive shaft, and, in a state in which the support part is positioned in a longitudinal direction of the handle, the hole and the slit of the locking part are on the inside of the outer surface of the handle in the lateral direction orthogonal to the drive shaft.

Preferably, in the hook keeper, a line connecting the center of the slit at one end surface of the locking part in the central axis direction of the hole and the center of the slit at the other end surface is at a twisted position with respect to the central axis of the hole.

Preferably, the handle also has a handle arm that extends from the mounting part in a direction that intersects the drive shaft, and the hook keeper is attached on the outside of the handle arm in the axial direction of the drive shaft.

Preferably, the mounting part has a cylindrical portion for fixing the handle to the drive shaft, and an O-ring that is fitted and held in an annular groove formed in the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical member, the support part has a joining part configured by an annular member that has an inner circumferential surface that opposes the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical member and supports the locking part on the circumference of the annular member radially outwardly, and the O-ring is interposed between the inner circumferential surface of the annular member and the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical member.

More preferably, the support part supports the locking part so as to be rotatable with respect to the support part about an axis that intersects the central axis of the hole.

With the present invention, it is possible to provide a dual-bearing reel equipped with a movable hook keeper that, without changing the structure of the reel body, is capable of locking not only the fishing hook but also the sinker.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

A dual-bearing reel according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the figures, identical or equivalent parts have been assigned the same reference symbols.

First Embodiment

FIG. 1is a perspective view of a dual-bearing reel according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The dual-bearing reel200is attached to a fishing rod so that the left front side inFIG. 1is oriented toward the distal end (front) of the fishing rod. This dual-bearing reel200comprises a reel body210, a handle220disposed on one side of the reel body210, a spool230that is rotatably supported by the reel body210, and a star drag240for drag adjustment disposed on the reel body210side of the handle220.

The reel body210comprises a winding mechanism that rotates the spool230by receiving the rotation of the handle220to wind a fishing line around the spool230. The handle220is mounted on one end of a drive shaft that is supported by the reel body210so as to be rotatable. The drive shaft is a member constituting the winding mechanism. The handle220has a mounting part221that is mounted on one end of the drive shaft, a handle arm222that extends from the mounting part221in a direction that intersects the drive shaft, and a pair of grips223a(the second grip is not shown) mounted on a handle shaft, which extends from the distal end portion of the handle arm222parallel to the drive shaft and is rotatable.

The mounting part221includes a nut201for fixing the handle arm222to the drive shaft and a retainer202for retention of the nut201and fixing the nut201by tightening with a fixing screw. A hook keeper1has a locking part in which a hole and a slit are formed and a support part that supports the locking part and that has a joining part that includes a portion of an annular ring. The hook keeper1is mounted at the joining part so as to be capable of pivoting 180 degrees about the drive shaft (in the direction of arrow A in the figure).

When the hook keeper1is in use, the user brings the hole and the slit of the locking part of the hook keeper1into a state in which the hook keeper1is farther on the outside of outer surface S1of the handle220in a lateral direction orthogonal to the drive shaft, as shown inFIG. 1. This state is referred to as the raised state of the hook keeper1, and placement in this state is referred to as raising the hook keeper1. When the hook keeper1is not in use, the user brings the hole and the slit of the locking part of the hook keeper1into a state in which the hook keeper1is farther on the inside of the outer surface S1of the handle220in the lateral direction orthogonal to the drive shaft. This state is referred to as the lowered state of the hook keeper1, and placement in this state is referred to as lowering the hook keeper1.

When the hook keeper1is rotated 180 degrees about the drive shaft from the state shown inFIG. 1, the hole and the slit of the locking part of the hook keeper1are farther on the outside of outer surface S2(see e.g.,FIG. 5B), which is on the opposite side of the outer surface S1of the handle220in the lateral direction orthogonal to the drive shaft. That is, the hook keeper1can be raised on either side of the lateral direction orthogonal to the drive shaft of the handle220.

FIG. 2is a perspective view of the hook keeper according to the first embodiment. The hook keeper1has a locking part11in which a hole111and a slit112are formed and a support part12that supports the locking part11and that has a joining part121. The hole111penetrates the locking part11. The slit112extends through from the hole111to an outside surface of the locking part11and extends from one end surface E1to the other end surface E2of the locking part11in the direction of the central axis of the hole111. The joining part121has the shape obtained by cutting out a portion of an annular ring. The hook keeper1is mounted on the mounting part221of the handle220at the joining part121of the support part12. The support part12supports the locking part11on the opposite side of the joining part121.

When a fishing hook, including offset hooks, is locked to the hook keeper1, a shank or a bend of the fishing hook is passed through the slit112, pushed into the hole111, and locked. The slit112is preferably wider than the thicknesses of the shank and the bend of the fishing hook, and the hole111preferably has a diameter that is larger than the width of the slit112. When a fishing hook with an exposed hook point is locked, the hook point may be hooked on the locking part11at the periphery of the hole111.

When a sinker is locked to the hook keeper1, the fishing line is passed through the slit112and pushed into the hole111. The hole111preferably has a smaller diameter than the width of the sinker, and the sinker is locked outside of the hole111. At this time, if the diameter of the hole111is larger than the width of the eye of the sinker, only the eye of the sinker is housed inside the hole111.

FIG. 3is a side view of the hook keeper according to the first embodiment. In the hook keeper1, a line L connecting the center of the slit112at one end surface E1of the locking part11in the central axis direction of the hole111to the center of the slit112at the other end surface E2is at a twisted position with respect to the central axis A of the hole111. Forming the hole111and the slit112in this manner makes it less likely that the fishing hook or the sinker locked to the hook keeper3will become dislodged.

FIG. 4is a cross-sectional view of the handle, to which is attached the hook keeper according to the first embodiment. The cross-sectional view ofFIG. 4shows a portion of the cross section in the longitudinal direction of the handle220in the state in which the hook keeper1is lowered.

The mounting part221of the handle220includes the nut201for fixing the handle220to the drive shaft250, and the retainer202that retains the nut201. The nut201is a cylindrical member, whose upper portion201ahas the shape of a hexagonal column and fits in a hole of the retainer202. A lower portion201bthereof is cylindrical, having a female threaded portion201con the inner circumferential surface, and is screwed onto the drive shaft250by the female threaded portion201c.

The joining part121of the support part12of the hook keeper1fits in a groove222aformed on the handle arm222and in a groove202adisposed between the outer circumferential surface of the lower portion201bof the nut201and the inner circumferential surface of the retainer202, which is not fitted to the upper portion201aof the nut201; the hook keeper1is thus mounted so as to be pivotable about the drive shaft250.

A ring groove201dis disposed on the outer circumferential surface of the lower portion201bof the nut201, and an O-ring203is held by being fitted in the ring groove201d. A groove121ais disposed on a surface on the nut201side of the joining part121of the support part12of the hook keeper1, and a surface of the groove121athat opposes the outer circumferential surface of the nut201contacts the O-ring203. Since the hook keeper1does not move unless a certain amount of force is applied due to the friction with the O-ring203, the hook keeper1will not be lowered when in use, and the hook keeper1will not be raised when not in use.

FIG. 5Ais a perspective view of the handle showing the hook keeper1according to the first embodiment in a raised state and a lowered state in one lateral direction orthogonal to the drive shaft of the handle. The hook keeper1is mounted so as to be capable of pivoting 180 degrees about the drive shaft. The retainer202has an abutting portion202b. When the hook keeper1is rotated by the user in the direction to be raised on the abutting portion202bside, the hook keeper1strikes the abutting portion202band easily stops the hook keeper1in the raised state. In a state in which the hook keeper1is raised on the abutting portion202bside, the hole111and the slit112of the locking part11of the hook keeper1are farther on the outside of the outer surface S1of the handle220in the lateral direction orthogonal to the drive shaft. In a state in which the hook keeper1is lowered (broken lines in the figure), the hole111and the slit112of the locking part11of the hook keeper1are farther on the inside of the outer surface S1of the handle220in the lateral direction orthogonal to the drive shaft. The lowering of the hook keeper1by the user when the hook keeper1is not in use makes it possible to prevent the fishing line from becoming entangled with the hook keeper1.

In the example ofFIG. 5A, the outer surface S1of the handle220in the lateral direction orthogonal to the drive shaft faces upward. In this embodiment, the hook keeper1is used by being raised by the user to the abutting portion202bside. However, depending on the angle of the handle220, there are cases in which the outer surface S2faces upward. The case in which the outer surface S2faces upward will be described with reference toFIG. 5B.

FIG. 5Bis a perspective view of the handle showing the hook keeper according to the first embodiment in a raised state and a lowered state in the other lateral direction orthogonal to the drive shaft of the handle. The retainer202has an abutting portion202con the opposite side of the abutting portion202bin the lateral direction orthogonal to the drive shaft of the handle220. When the hook keeper1is rotated by the user in the direction to be raised to the abutting portion202cside, the hook keeper1strikes the abutting portion202cand easily stops the hook keeper1in the raised state. In a state in which the hook keeper1is raised to the abutting portion202cside, the hole111and the slit112of the locking part11of the hook keeper1are farther on the outside of the outer surface S2of the handle220in the lateral direction orthogonal to the drive shaft. In a state in which the hook keeper1is lowered (broken lines in the figure), the hole111and the slit112of the locking part11of the hook keeper1are farther on the inside of the outer surface S2of the handle220in the lateral direction orthogonal to the drive shaft. That is, the hook keeper1can be raised on either side of the lateral direction orthogonal to the drive shaft of the handle220. In addition, when the hook keeper1is in the lowered state, the hole111and the slit112do not come out from either outer surface of the handle220in the lateral direction orthogonal to the drive shaft.

As shown inFIG. 5A, the direction of tension on the fishing line when the fishing hook or the sinker is locked to the hook keeper1in a state in which the hook keeper1is raised to the abutting portion202bside is the left front direction ofFIG. 5A. On the other hand, as shown inFIG. 5B, the direction of the tension on the fishing line when the fishing hook or the sinker is locked to the hook keeper1in a state of being raised to the abutting portion202cside is the left rear direction ofFIG. 5B. In either situation, since the slit112of the locking part11of the hook keeper1is open in the direction opposite to the direction of tension on the fishing line, the shank or the bend of the fishing hook, or the fishing line, does not easily come out of the slit112.

However, as shown inFIG. 5B, because the direction of tension on the fishing line is the direction in which the hook keeper1can be lowered, the friction force between the hook keeper1and the O-ring203shown inFIG. 4is greater than the tension on the fishing line when the fishing hook or the sinker is hooked to the hook keeper1. In addition, a groove can be disposed on the abutting portion202cof the retainer202, and a pawl of an elastic member can be disposed in a portion that is in contact with the groove of the abutting portion202cof the hook keeper1, so that when the hook keeper1is raised to the abutting portion202cside, the groove of the abutting portion202cand the pawl of the hook keeper1engage, and the hook keeper1is not lowered even when pulled by the fishing line. Alternatively, the hook keeper1may be mounted so as to be capable of pivoting 90 degrees about the drive shaft, and when the hook keeper1is used, the user can orient the outer surface S1of the handle220upward and raise the hook keeper1to the abutting portion202bside.

FIG. 6is a perspective view of the fishing reel illustrating an example in which an offset hook is locked to the hook keeper according to the first embodiment. When an offset hook4is locked to the hook keeper1, the shank41or the bend42of the offset hook4attached to the tip of the fishing line6is passed through the slit of the hook keeper1and locked in the hole such that a worm follows along the handle arm222. The slit of the hook keeper1is wider than the thicknesses of the shank41and the bend42.

FIG. 7is a perspective view of the fishing reel showing an example in which the sinker5is locked to the hook keeper according to the first embodiment. When the sinker5is locked to the hook keeper1, the fishing line6passes through the slit of the hook keeper1and the sinker5is locked in the hole. In the example ofFIG. 7, since the diameter of the hole of the hook keeper1is greater than the width of the eye51of the sinker5, the sinker5is locked in a state in which only the eye51is housed inside the hole.

The hole of the hook keeper1described inFIGS. 1 and 4-7is formed such that the central axis thereof is parallel to the axial direction of the drive shaft, but the direction of the central axis of the hole is not limited thereto; the central axis of the hole can be formed normally or obliquely to the axial direction of the drive shaft. In addition, the support part12of the hook keeper1may support the locking part11so as to be rotatable with respect to the support part12about an axis that intersects the central axis of the hole. It is thus possible to set an angle with which the user can easily pass the fishing hook or the fishing line through the slit. In addition, if the locking part11is rotated in the direction in which the fishing line is pulled in a state in which the fishing hook or the sinker is locked, the tension on the fishing line can be increased, so that the fishing hook or the sinker is less likely to come off.

Second Embodiment

FIG. 8is a perspective view of the hook keeper according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The hook keeper1of the second embodiment differs from the hook keeper1according to the first embodiment mainly in terms of the shape of the joining part121of the support part12.

The joining part121of the support part12is formed as an annular member, and the hook keeper1is mounted on the mounting part221of the handle220at the joining part121. The support part12supports the locking part11on the circumference of the joining part121radially outwardly. The support part12may support the locking part11so as to be rotatable with respect to the support part12about an axis intersecting the central axis of the hole111.

The cross-sectional view of the handle220to which is attached the hook keeper1according to the second embodiment is the same as inFIG. 4. The joining part121of the support part12of the hook keeper1fits in a groove222aformed on the handle arm222and in a groove202aformed between the outer circumferential surface of the lower portion201bof the nut201and the inner circumferential surface of the retainer202, which is not fitted to the upper portion201aof the nut201; the hook keeper1is thus mounted to be pivotable about the drive shaft250.

A ring groove201dis formed on the outer circumferential surface of the lower portion201bof the nut201, and an O-ring203is held by fitting in the ring groove201d. The joining part121of the support part12of the hook keeper1has an inner circumferential surface that opposes the outer circumferential surface of the lower portion201bof the nut201. A groove121ais formed on the inner circumferential surface of the joining part121, and a surface of the groove121athat opposes the outer circumferential surface of the nut201contacts the O-ring203. That is, the O-ring203is interposed between the inner circumferential surface of the joining part121and the outer circumferential surface of the lower portion201bof the nut201. Since the hook keeper1does not move unless a certain amount of force is applied due to the friction with the O-ring203, the hook keeper1will not be lowered when in use, and the hook keeper1will not be raised when not in use.

FIG. 9Ais a perspective view of the handle showing a state in which the hook keeper according to the second embodiment is raised.FIG. 9Bis a perspective view of the handle showing a state in which the hook keeper according to the second embodiment is lowered. As shown inFIGS. 9A and 9B, because the joining part121is an annular member which covers the O-ring203, even when the hook keeper1is raised or when the hook keeper1is lowered, the O-ring203is not exposed; thus, deterioration of the O-ring203can be suppressed.

In the embodiment described above, an example is described in which a fishing hook, including an offset hook, is locked to the hook keeper1, but a lure with a hook and a short shank may also be locked to the hook keeper1. In this embodiment, the fishing line is passed through the slit112and pushed into the hole111. The hole111has a smaller diameter than the width of the lure, and the lure is locked outside of the hole111. At this time, if the diameter of the hole111is larger than the width of the eye of the lure, only the eye of the lure is housed inside the hole111.

The method shown in the embodiment described above in which a fishing hook, including an offset hook, is locked to the hook keeper1is only an example, and the user may arbitrarily choose the method of locking.

In the embodiment described above, the slit112of the locking part11of the hook keeper1is described as being wider than the thicknesses of the shank and the bend of the fishing hook; however, if the locking part11of the hook keeper1is an elastic member and the shank and the bend of the fishing hook can be passed through the slit112by pushing the shank and the bend of the fishing hook into the slit112, the slit112can be narrower than the thicknesses of the shank and the bend of the fishing hook. In addition, in the embodiment described above, the slit112of the hook keeper1is disposed on a side surface of the hook keeper1, but the embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the slit112of the hook keeper1may be formed on a surface on the opposite side of the joining part121.