Fishing reel having a brake mechanism for braking a rotary element

A fishing reel includes a spool for taking up a fishing line and acting as an electric conductor also, and a brake mechanism having permanent magnets arranged adjacent a side face of the spool. The brake mechanism includes a controller for controlling a distance between the magnets and spool, and a perforated shield plate formed of a magnetic substance for insertion between the magnets and spool. The shield plate is interlocked to the controller such that magnetic flux of the magnets is shielded in a progressively increasing amount as the controller is operated in a direction to increase the distance between the magnets and spool.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to a fishing reel having a brake mechanism for 
braking a rotary element, and more particularly to a fishing reel 
comprising a rotary element for taking up a fishing line, an electric 
conductor formed in a system rotatable with the rotary element, permanent 
magnets arranged adjacent the electric conductor, and a brake mechanism 
for applying a braking force to the rotary element by causing magnetic 
flux of the permanent magnets to induce electric current on the electric 
conductor. 
2. Description of the Related Art 
A known brake mechanism as constructed above is often called a mag-brake. 
This type of brake mechanism employs an electric conductor formed of 
aluminum, copper or other non-magnetic substance. The quantity of magnetic 
flux of the permanent magnets applied to the electric conductor is 
controllable by a control system that varies a distance between the 
conductor and permanent magnets or by means of a perforated shield plate 
formed of a magnetic substance. When the fishing reel is used, electric 
current induced on the conductor is varied by the above control, to adjust 
the braking force applied to the spool (rotary element). See Japanese 
Utility Model Publication Kokai No. 60-94072 or No. 58-164478. 
This type of brake mechanism is used in a baitcasting reel, and has a 
function to check a backlash at a casting time. 
This brake mechanism includes no component that contacts the spool or other 
rotatable element, and therefore is capable of smooth braking action. With 
the structure in which the distance between the electric conductor and 
permanent magnets is varied as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model 
Publication Kokai No. 60-94072, the distance may be reduced to apply a 
relatively strong braking force. However, when the distance between the 
conductor and permanent magnets is increased to lessen the braking force, 
a certain quantity of magnetic flux is still applied to the conductor. 
Thus, there is a limit to reduction of the braking force. 
Where the perforated shield plate is used as in Japanese Utility Model 
Publication Kokai No. 58-164478, the braking force may be reduced without 
increasing the distance between the conductor and permanent magnets. 
However, the braking force cannot be increased greatly since the conductor 
and permanent magnets have a fixed distance therebetween. In this sense, 
the two prior art structures have room for improvement. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The object of the present invention is to provide a fishing reel of simple 
structure having a brake mechanism whose braking force is readily 
adjustable from high value to low value while retaining the advantage of 
smooth braking action. 
The above object is fulfilled, according to the present invention, by a 
fishing reel comprising a brake mechanism for applying a braking force to 
a rotary element by action of an electric conductor and permanent magnets, 
a controller for controlling a distance between the permanent magnets and 
electric conductor, and a shield plate formed of a magnetic substance for 
insertion between the permanent magnets and the electric conductor when 
the controller is operated to move the permanent magnets away from the 
electric conductor, wherein the shield plate is interlocked to the 
controller such that the magnetic flux of the permanent magnets is 
shielded in a progressively increasing amount as the controller is 
operated in a direction to increase the distance between the permanent 
magnets and the electric conductor. 
This fishing reel has the following functions and effects: 
Where the above features are arranged as shown in FIGS. 1 through 5, for 
example, a controller 29 is operated to reduce the distance between 
permanent magnets 28 and electric conductor 6 (rotary element 6 itself 
acts as the conductor) to increase magnetic flux of the magnets 28 applied 
to the conductor 6, thereby increasing the braking force. For reducing the 
braking force, the controller 29 is operated to increase the distance 
between permanent magnets 28 and electric conductor 6 and also to insert a 
shield plate 30 between the permanent magnets 28 and electric conductor 6. 
The shield plate 30 intercepts the magnetic flux, thereby to substantially 
reduce the magnetic flux acting on the conductor 6. 
Thus, according to this invention, the braking force may be increased by 
adjusting the distance between the permanent magnets 28 and conductor 6. 
In addition, the braking force may be reduced to a very small value by 
using the shield plate 30 to substantially reduce the magnetic flux acting 
on the conductor, without greatly increasing the distance between the 
permanent magnets 28 and conductor 6. 
This fishing reel, though not enlarged in construction, has a brake 
mechanism whose braking force is readily adjustable from high value to low 
value while retaining the advantage of smooth braking action using the 
permanent magnets and electric conductor. 
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent 
from the following description of the preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
A fishing reel according to the present invention will be described in 
detail with reference to the drawings. 
FIGS. 1 through 7 show a baitcasting reel embodying the present invention. 
The reel comprises a left case 1, a right case 2, and a level wind 
mechanism mounted in a front position between the left and right cases 1 
and 2 and including a screw shaft 3, a guide rod 4 and a line guide 5. 
Further, the reel has a rotatable spool 6 mounted centrally thereof and a 
clutch controller 7 mounted in a rear position. The right case 2 supports 
a handle 8, a drag controller 9, and a cast controller 10. 
In this reel, parts of the left case 1 and right case 2, and an upper thumb 
rest 11 and a pair of lower frames 12 are formed into an integral unit A 
by aluminum die casting. To form a reel body, a cover 2A is disposed to 
extend over an outer side of the right case 2. A mounting foot 13 extends 
between the pair of lower frames 12 to be secured to a fishing rod. 
The cover 2A is removably attached to the right case 2 by means of a 
plurality of bolts 14 extending to the cover 2A through the left case 1. 
Nuts 15 screwed to threaded ends of the bolts 14 are unrotatably fitted in 
countersinks 2B formed in the cover 2A. Elastic rings 16 are fitted 
peripherally of the left case 1 and cover 2A, respectively, to protect the 
reel body from damage. The handle 8 has paddles 17 each of which is freely 
rotatably supported on an axis 18 as shown in FIG. 6. Each paddle 17 
includes a ring 19 meshed with an inner wall thereof and having a flange 
19A. A cap 20 is fitted in the paddle 17 for holding the ring 19 in place 
and for adjusting a clearance between the flange 19A and a head 18A of the 
axis 18 to check chattering. 
As shown in FIG. 2, the handle 8 and drag controller 9 are mounted on a 
handle shaft 21 extending from the right case 2. The handle shaft 21 
supports a drag mechanism D and a ratchet wheel 22 mounted on an inward 
end portion thereof. A spool shaft 23 rotatable with the spool 6 supports 
a clutch sleeve 24 slidably mounted thereon and a pin 25 fixed to the 
spool shaft 23 to be engageable with the clutch sleeve 24. The clutch 
sleeve 24 and pin 25 constitute a clutch mechanism C. The clutch sleeve 24 
has an input gear 24A meshed with an output gear 26 of the drag mechanism 
D, whereby torque from the handle 8 is transmitted to the spool 6 through 
the drag mechanism D and clutch mechanism C. 
The clutch mechanism C is disengageable by operating the clutch controller 
7 (the interlock therebetween will not particularly be described). The 
spool shaft 23 is supported at opposite ends thereof by bearings 27. The 
cast controller 10 is screwed to the right case 2 for adjusting a 
frictional force applied to the righthand end of the spool shaft 18. 
As shown in FIG. 1, the left case 1 has a magnet type brake mechanism B 
mounted therein for preventing backlashes. The brake mechanism B includes 
permanent magnets 28 disposed adjacent a side face of the spool 6 which is 
formed of a metal to act also as an electric conductor. The distance 
between the magnets 28 and the side face of the spool 6 is adjustable by 
turning a brake controller 29. When the controller 29 is turned in a 
direction to move the magnets 28 away from the spool 6, a shield plate 30 
formed of a magnetic substance is inserted between the magnets 28 and 
spool 6. 
Specifically, the controller 29 includes a pair of cam grooves 29A and a 
gear portion 29B on an inward face thereof opposed to the spool 6, the cam 
grooves 29A extending around an axis X of rotation of the controller 29. 
The plurality of magnets 28 are mounted on a movable member 31 having 
projections 31A for engaging the cam grooves 29A. The shield plate 30 is 
in the form of a disk defining an arcuate opening 30A and a gear portion 
30B for rotating the plate 30. The gear portion 30B is connected to the 
gear portion 29B of the controller 29 through intermediate gears 32. The 
movable member 31 and shield plate 30 are supported on an intermediate 
member 33 as sandwiched between the intermediate member 33 and a screw 
member 34. The movable member 31 is biased by a coil spring 35 so that the 
projections 31A contact the cam grooves 29A. 
With this brake mechanism B, when the controller 29 is turned in a 
direction to increase a braking force, the cam grooves 29A push the 
movable member 31 toward the spool 6 to increase magnetic flux of the 
magnets 28 acting on the side face of the spool 6 through the opening 30A 
of the shield plate 30. When the controller 29 is turned in the direction 
to decrease the braking force, the cam grooves 29A allow the movable 
member 31 to move away from the spool 6 to decrease the magnetic flux of 
the magnets 28 acting on the side face of the spool 6. When the magnets 28 
reach a predetermined position with the above movement away from the spool 
6, the shield plate 30 driven by the controller 29 through the 
intermediate gears 32 drastically reduces the magnetic flux applied from 
the magnets 28 to the side face of the spool 6. 
The above embodiment may be modified in various ways. For example, a copper 
plate, an aluminum plate or the like may be attached to the side face of 
the spool to act as a conductor. A brake mechanism according to the 
present invention may be provided for a system that receives power from 
the spool. 
The brake controller 29 may be disposed in a rear position of the reel to 
facilitate adjustment of the braking force while a bait is cast.