Fishing reel with electronically variable brake for preventing backlash

An antibacklashing fishing reel having an electronically variable brake for preventing backlash. A spool holds and releases a length of fishing line. An electronically variable brake is coupled with the spool for applying a variable braking force to resist rotation of the spool during casting to prevent the spool from overrunning the length of fishing line being released from the spool. An overrun status of the length of fishing line being released from the spool is determined, and a status signal dependent thereon is generated. A controller receives the status signal and controls the electronically variable brake to apply the variable braking force to resist rotation of the spool during casting so that a progressively greater braking force is applied when the overrun status indicates that the spool is overrunning the length of fishing line being released. The progressively greater braking force is applied until the overrun status indicated that the spool is not overrunning the length of fishing line, thus preventing the spool from overrunning the length of fishing line being released from the spool during casting.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention pertains to a tension responsive fishing reel having 
an anti-backlashing device. More particularly, the present invention 
pertains a fishing reel using a dynamic braking system for providing a 
controllable variable drag resistance to control the unwinding of the 
fishing line from the fishing reel. The invention also pertains to an 
anti-backlashing device utilizing a variable braking device to precisely 
control rotation of the spool of the reel during casting to prevent 
overrun or backlashing. 
A type of conventional fishing reel, known as a bait casting reel, has a 
horizontally disposed spool rotatably supported during casting to allow 
fishing line wound on the spool to be played out during the cast. The 
spool is then rotatably driven by a crank shaft to retrieve the played out 
fishing line back onto the spool. Another type of fishing reel, known as a 
spinning reel, has a vertically mounted spool that remains stationary 
during a cast. The fishing line is played out over the top edge of the 
vertically mounted spool. The line is retrieved by cranking a bail around 
the spool to wind the line thereon. Bait casting reels have many 
advantages over spinning reels. For example, under equal circumstances, a 
bait casting reel is capable of longer casting distances than a spin 
casting reel. This is primarily due to the freedom by which the fishing 
line is played out from the spool, since the spool is rotationally 
supported. 
To maximize the casting distance using a bait casting reel the resistance 
to rotation of the spool must be minimized as much as possible. A very 
common problem which often occurs when using a bait casting reel is that 
the spool rotates faster at some point during the cast when the line is 
being played out from it, causing the line to wrap itself back under the 
spool resulting in what is called backlashing, overrun or bird nesting. 
This backlashing phenomenon has seriously limited the use of the bait 
casting reel, and it is used mostly by those who have taken the time and 
effort to master the subtle technique necessary to overcome the tendency 
of the spool to backlash. 
Preventing backlashing of the bait casting spool is done by a method known 
as "thumbing" the spool. A light and precisely controlled thumb pressure 
is exerted on the wound line on the spool during the cast as the spool 
rotates and the line is played out. The pressure exerted by the thumb, and 
thus the resistance to rotation of the spool, must be very precisely 
controlled to enable a long distance cast while preventing the backlashing 
phenomenon. However, the maximization of the advantages of the bait 
casting reel has eluded all but a few who have mastered this technique. 
Therefore, the typical use of a bait casting reel results in much 
frustration and lost fishing time caused by the entangled bird nest of 
line resulting from the backlashing. 
In an attempt to alleviate the effects of backlashing, centrifugal and 
magnetic brakes have been employed to slow down the acceleration or speed 
of the rotating spool. However, the centrifugal brakes are applied without 
regard to the relative speed of the line being played out relative to the 
spool's rotation, and usually either reduce the obtainable casting 
distance by applying too much of a braking force, or are ineffective at 
reducing the spool's rotation at the proper time to prevent backlashing. 
An example of a centrifugal brake mechanism for a fishing reel is 
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,021, issued to Ikuta. 
FIG. 20(a) shows the components of a conventional bait casting reel. The 
conventional bait casting reel includes a spool 1 for holding and 
releasing fishing line 2. The spool is supported on a shaft 3, such as by 
rotational bearings disposed in the interior of the spool 1. A manual 
casting drag adjustment knob 4 is used to adjust a friction force applied 
to resist rotation of the spool 1 during casting. The manual casting drag 
adjustment knob 4 is set at a selected level prior to casting and 
generally remains at this selected level during the entire cast. Stated 
otherwise, whatever level of drag is selected using the manual drag 
adjusting knob 4 prior to casting remains as a drag against rotation of 
the spool during the entire cast. Thus, conventionally anglers have had to 
tread a delicate balance between too much casting drag resulting in 
shorter casting distances, and too little casting drag resulting in an 
increased tendency of backlashing. A manual fighting drag adjustment wheel 
5 is used to adjust the frictional force applied to the crank gear 6, 
which in turn acts as a braking force against the rotation of the spool 
when reeling in a hooked fish. As shown in FIG. 20(b), during a casting 
operation the fishing line is pulled from the spool by a projected lure or 
weight, causing the spool to rotate as the fishing line is released. When 
the fishing line and projected lure are traveling at a slower speed than 
the rotating spool is allowing the fishing line to be released, the outer 
wrapped strands of the fishing line expand off the spool until a bird 
nesting phenomenon occurs. During the bird nesting phenomenon, the overrun 
of the spool causes the strands to become entangled, thus preventing the 
line from being released from the spool. 
FIGS. 21(a)-21(f) show the internal components of a conventional reel. FIG. 
21(a) shows the cranking and fighting drag components assembled, and FIG. 
21(b) show the components in an exploded view. The components include a 
frame 7 on which is supported a frame mount 8. A spring member 9 is 
disposed on the frame mount and urges against the base of a crank shaft 10 
also mounted on the frame mount 8. A line-guide gear 11 is mounted on the 
crank shaft 10 and is used to drive a line-guide 12 (shown in FIG. 20(b)) 
of the fishing reel in a reciprocating manner so that the line is 
retrieved evenly on the spool 1. The crank gear 6 is mounted on the crank 
shaft 10 followed by a number of friction disks 13. A sleeve 14 is mounted 
on the crank shaft 10 followed by a pair of spring elements 15. The 
fighting drag is adjusted by turning a fighting drag adjustment wheel 
which has a threaded central portion that is mated with a threaded portion 
of the crank shaft 10. By turning the wheel, an increasing or decreasing 
contact pressure is placed on the friction elements (disk 13) of the 
fighting drag, thereby creating more or less resistance to the rotation of 
the crank gear 6. 
The crank handle 15 is mounted on the crank shaft 10, and is used to rotate 
the crank gear 6. A nut 16 and slip ring 17 attach the crank handle and 
other components together. 
FIGS. 21(c) and 21(d) show the elements of a conventional spool and casting 
drag brake, as well as the spool engagement mechanism 18 used to engage 
and disengage the crank gear 6 from the spool gear 19 during times of 
casting (disengagement) and reeling (engagement). As shown in FIG. 21(e), 
during periods of engagement, the engagement portion fixed with the spool 
gear 19 is urged into contact with engagement posts 21 on the face of the 
spool (FIG. 21(f)). To adjust the casting drag, an urging member 22 on the 
spool shaft 3 is urged against a contacting surface 23 of the spool face 
(FIG. 21(f)) causing a friction surface 24 on the opposite spool face to 
come into greater or lesser contact pressure with a friction surface on 
the reel housing (not shown). 
There have been prior attempts at preventing the unwanted backlashing of a 
spool of a fishing reel during casting. U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,871, issued to 
Kobayashi, describes the use of a mechanical spool brake having a spring 
biased pivotally mounted brake lever bearing a frictional brake shoe 
against an inner surface of a reel spool flange. When an unwinding fishing 
line is under tension, a roller is lifted by the fishing line, releasing 
the spool brake against the force of the biasing spring. When the line 
tension is reduced, the spool brake is re-engaged by the force of the 
biasing spring in an attempt to prevent backlashing. However, this prior 
device relies on a relatively inadequate, complicated, and delicate 
mechanical braking system, and lacks the subtle controllability necessary 
to effectively prevent backlashing. U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,831, issued to 
Runyon, utilizes a sleeve attachment that is positioned on a bait casing 
reel line spool after a quantity of line has been released from the spool 
during a cast. The released line is then wound on the spool over the 
sleeve attachment. The sleeve attachment lightly frictionally grips the 
outer convolutions of fishing line on the bait casting reel line spool to 
prevent backlash of the line left on the reel beneath the attachment 
during subsequent casting operations. This prior attempt, has limited 
effectiveness, does not prevent backlash of the fishing line being 
released from the spool and requires the complicated attachment and 
removal of the sleeve attachment for use. Also, the distance obtainable by 
a subsequent cast is limited due to the presence of the sleeve attachment. 
My prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,195,267, issued Mar. 23, 1993 and 5,248,113, 
issued Sep. 28, 1993, both of which are incorporated by reference herein, 
teach a tension responsive fishing reel that varies a resistance applied 
to a bobbin member to control the release of fishing line. A friction 
plate surrounded by a variable viscosity fluid, such as an electrical 
Theological fluid, or a magnetic-powder dispersed fluid is rotated by the 
spool, and by controlling a field applied to the variable viscosity fluid, 
the rotation of the spool is braked.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
For purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the 
invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in 
the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It 
will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the 
invention is thereby intended, there being contemplated such alterations 
and modifications of the illustrated device, and such further applications 
of the principles of the invention as disclosed herein, as would normally 
occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. 
Referring to FIG. 1(a), in accordance with the present invention, an 
anti-backlashing bait casting fishing reel is provided. A spool 30 holds 
and releases a length of fishing line 32. The fishing line 32 is wound 
around the spool 30 by rotating a crank handle 34, which in turn rotates a 
crank gear 36, which is coupled with a spool gear 38, which in turn 
rotates the spool 30. As the spool 30 is rotated in a retrieving 
direction, the fishing line 32 that had been released from the spool 30 
(during a just previous cast) is retrieved and wound on the spool 30. An 
electronically variable brake 40 is coupled with the spool 30 for applying 
a variable braking force to resist rotation of the spool 30. As shown in 
FIG. 1(a), two electronically variable brakes 40 may be provided, one 
being a fighting drag brake 40a associated with the crank gear 36 and 
coupled to the spool 30 through the crank gear 36 and spool gear 38, and a 
casting drag brake 40b, which, as shown, may be directly coupled with the 
spool 30. The casting drag brake 40b may, alternatively, be coupled with 
the spool 30 through an appropriate gearing mechanism, or other coupling 
means, such as a spool 30 shaft rotated with the spool 30, etc. Various 
configurations of the casting drag brake are disclosed herein. The 
electronically variable brake 40 (casting drag brake 40b) is coupled with 
the spool 30 for applying a variable braking force to resist rotation of 
the spool 30 during casting to prevent the spool 30 from overrunning the 
length of fishing line 32 being released from the spool 30. The casting 
drag brake 40b is applied at varying strengths during different times of 
the cast so that the rotation of the spool 30 is appropriately slowed. 
The high degree of braking precision afforded by the use of an 
electronically variable brake 40 allows for optimum braking force to be 
applied to the spool 30, so that resistance is not applied at times when 
the spool 30 should be rotating freely (i.e., when during a cast the line 
is being released or played out from the spool 30 at the same rate that 
the spool 30 is rotating). On the other hand, a correct proportional 
amount of braking force is applied to slow the rotation of the spool 30 
when needed (such as during times when the line is being played out or 
released from the spool 30 at a rate slower than the spool 30 is rotating 
causing an overrun or birds nesting situation). 
FIG. 1(b) shows an embodiment of the inventive fishing reel in which the 
casting drag brake 40b, spool 30, fighting drag brake 40a, and cranking 
components are contained within a cover 44. Just prior to casting, a 
casting release lever 46 is depressed to disengage the crank gear 36 from 
the spool gear 38 in a conventional manner. 
Conventionally, after the casting release lever 46 is depressed the spool 
30 is free-wheeling and the release of the line from the spool 30 is 
controlled by the user pressing his thumb against the line wrapped on the 
spool 30 to apply a user-applied braking force against the rotation of the 
spool 30 and the release of the line. At the appropriate time in the 
casting operation, the user releases his thumb from the spool 30, allowing 
the line to be played out, as it is pulled forward by the momentum of the 
lure or sinker being cast. In accordance with the present invention, after 
the casting lever 192 is depressed, a braking force against the rotation 
of the spool 30 is automatically applied by the casting drag brake 40b to 
prevent the line from being released at an undesired moment. The user 
still presses his thumb against the spool 30 to control the release of the 
line during the initial casting operation. Once the thumb pressure is 
released, the lure or sinker is projected forward by the casting 
operation, and the line is released and played out from the spool 30. In 
accordance with the present invention, determining means 48, which may be 
a tension sensor 144 or a position sensor as described below, determines 
an overrun status of the length of fishing line 32 being released from the 
spool 30. The determining means 48 generates a status signal dependent 
thereon, which is received by a controller 50 (as shown, for example, in 
FIG. 11(b)). The electronically variable brake 40 is controlled by the 
controller 50 to apply a variable braking force to resist the rotation of 
the spool 30 during casting so that a progressively greater braking force 
is applied when the overrun status indicates that the spool 30 is 
overrunning the length of fishing line 32 being released. The 
progressively greater braking strength is applied until the determined 
overrun status indicates that the spool 30 is not overrunning the length 
of fishing line 32, so as to prevent the spool 30 from overrunning the 
length of fishing line 32 being released from the spool 30 during casting. 
FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) show isolated views of the fighting drag brake 40a and 
cranking components in accordance with the present invention. Various 
embodiments of electrical rheological (ER) fluid and magnetic rheological 
(MR) fluid resistance devices, along with a detailed description of the 
mechanics of an ER fluid and an MR fluid can be found in applicant's 
co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 240,884, filed May 10, 1994, 
which is incorporated by reference herein. These resistance devices may be 
used for providing an electrically variable braking device for controlling 
the rotation of the spool. In this embodiment, the fighting drag brake 40a 
comprises an ER brake including a plurality of rotating electrodes 52 
(shown, for example, in FIG. 4(a)) that are rotated by the crank gear 36 
via a one-way clutch mechanism 54. The rotating electrodes 52 are 
surrounded by a variable viscosity material (ER fluid 56, MR fluid, SSP), 
such as an ER or MR fluid. In the case of the ER fluid brake shown, the 
rotating electrodes 52 are sandwiched between respective stationary 
electrodes 58 with an ER fluid 56 disposed in the gap between the 
stationary and rotating electrodes 52. When an electrical field is applied 
to the electrodes, the ER fluid 56 reacts by progressively gelling in 
proportion to the voltage applied to the electrodes. In accordance with 
the present invention, by varying the voltage applied to the electrodes, 
the resistance to the rotation of the crank gear 36 is selectively 
controlled so that, when the crank gear 36 is engaged with the spool gear 
38, a braking force is applied to the spool 30 from the fighting drag 
brake 40a. In the case of an MR fluid, the rotating electrodes 52 are 
replaced by rotating plates 92 (which may or may not conduct electricity), 
and a variable magnetic field is applied through the use of an 
electromagnetic coil 96. The fighting drag brake 40a may alternatively 
comprise any of the configurations described herein for the casting drag 
brake 40b; however, generally, the fighting drag brake 40a will be 
required to provide more braking potential, since it is used to combat the 
efforts of a hooked fish. In contrast, the casting drag brake 40b is not 
used to resist the efforts of a hooked fish, but rather is used to 
controllably apply a variable braking force to slow the rotation of the 
spool 30 during casting. Also, the casting drag brake 40b may supplement 
the fighting drag brake 40a when fighting a hooked fish, to apply a 
maximum braking force against the rotation of the spool 30. The various 
cranking components are assembled on a frame mount 62 supported by a frame 
64 which is fixed in place to the body of the reel. In this configuration, 
the fighting drag brake 40a has a hollow shaft 66 which accepts a one-way 
clutch mechanism 54. 
The crank gear 36 is rotated by the one-way clutch mechanism 54 that 
couples the crank gear 36 to the fighting drag brake 40a, and is also 
driven by the crank handle 34 via the one-way clutch mechanism 54 during 
retrieval of the line onto the spool 30. A line guide gear 68 is rotated 
with the crank gear 36, as in a conventional reel, for reciprocating a 
line guide 70 back and forth to evenly dispose the fishing line 32 onto 
the rotating spool 30 (shown in FIG. 1(b)). 
FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) show an assembled and exploded view, respectively, of 
the spool 30, spool engaging mechanism 72, and casting drag brake 40b in 
accordance with the present invention. The spool engaging mechanism 72 
utilizes a construction similar to that of a conventional reel, and its 
detailed description is omitted. 
The function of the spool engaging mechanism 72 is to selectively engage 
the spool gear 38 with the crank gear 36 during retrieval of the line back 
onto the spool 30, and when fighting a fish. The spool engaging mechanism 
72 is operable by the casting release lever 46 (shown in FIG. 1(b)) to 
disengage the spool gear 38 from the crank gear 36, so that during casting 
the spool 30 rotates without any resistance due to the fighting drag brake 
40a and cranking components. As shown schematically, the spool 30 is 
coupled with the casting drag brake 40b, so that in this configuration, 
the rotation of the spool 30 causes the rotating electrode 52 to rotate. 
The spool 30 may be coupled with the rotating electrode 52 through any 
suitable mechanism such as a gearbox, interconnecting shafts or other 
gearing or coupling mechanism. In the configuration shown, the spool 30 
rotates freely on a spool shaft 42 and is coupled with a hollow shaft 66 
of the rotating electrode 52 via a coupling protrusion 74 integrally fixed 
with the spool 30. The coupling protrusion 74 has an appropriate shape to 
engage with and mate with a hollow shaft 66 of the rotating electrode 52. 
Thus, rotation of the spool 30 is coupled with rotation of the rotating 
electrode 52. 
As shown in FIG. 3(c), this configuration of the casting drag brake 40b 
comprises an ER fluid brake. The ER fluid brake has a housing body 76 
which supports mounting posts 78. The mounting posts 78 engage with a 
first shaft support 80 and hold the first shaft support 80 in place on the 
housing body 76. The hollow shaft 66 of the rotating electrode 52 is 
rotatably supported at one end by the first shaft support 80. At the other 
end, the hollow shaft 66 is rotatably supported by a second shaft support 
82. The second shaft support 82 passes through a housing cover 84 which 
acts with the housing body 76 to define an interior space for containing 
the rotating electrode 52 and surrounding ER fluid 56. The interior walls 
of the housing body 76 and the housing cover 84 are electrically 
conductive and act with the rotating electrode 52 to apply a variable 
electric field to the ER fluid 56 contained therebetween. By varying the 
electric field applied to the ER fluid 56, a variable braking force is 
applied to resist the rotation of the spool 30. The rotating electrode 52, 
the housing body 76 and the housing cover 84 are applied with electric 
potential via leads (not shown) supplied with electricity from a variable 
power source 158 (shown, for example, in FIGS. 11 (a) and 11 (b)). The 
leads attached to the rotating electrode 52 spool 30 must accommodate the 
rotation of the electrode, such as through the use of an electrically 
conductive brush, or other sliding electrode arrangement. 
As shown in FIG. 3(d), an alternative casting drag brake 40b utilizes a 
piezo electric motor 86 to apply a counter rotating braking force to the 
rotation of the spool 30. A piezo electric or ultrasonic motor is a 
vibration wave motor that transduces a vibration caused by an application 
of a period voltage to an electro-strain element to a rotational motion. 
Since it does not require any conductive winding (required in a 
conventional motor) it is simple in structure and compact in size, 
provides a high torque at a low rotating speed and has a small inertial 
rotation. A piezo electric or ultrasonic motor having an appropriate 
maximum rotational driving force, or torque, may be used as the casting 
drag brake 40b thereby providing a compact, inexpensive and easy to 
manufacture variable brake effective for controlling the rotation of the 
spool 30 of a bait casting reel so that the overrun, or bird nesting 
phenomenon, is prevented. By applying a counter rotating torque relative 
to the rotation of the spool 30, the use of a motor is able to apply an 
effective, highly responsive braking force against the rotation of the 
spool 30. 
Further detail on the use of a piezo electric or ultrasonic motor is 
described herein. 
FIGS. 4(a)-5(d) show various configurations of casting drag brake 40b which 
may be used in accordance with the present invention. As shown in FIG. 
4(a) the inventive ER fluid brake consists of a first shaft support 80 
that is supported on mounting posts 78 fixed to a housing body 76, which 
rotationally supports a hollow shaft 66. The hollow shaft 66 engages (or 
is integrally formed) with a rotating electrode 52. The hollow shaft 66 is 
supported by a second shaft support 82 which passes through a housing 
cover 84 and has a flange that contacts an opposing surface of the housing 
cover 84 to provide a fluid seal to prevent leakage of the ER fluid 56. A 
sealing plate 90 may be disposed over the housing cover 84 to increase the 
effectiveness of the sealing of the ER fluid 56 within the housing body 
76. The hollow member engages with an appropriate coupling member, such as 
a coupling protrusion 74, and is rotated by the spool 30. Thus, when the 
spool 30 rotates, the rotating electrode 52 rotates surrounded by the ER 
fluid 56. By applying a controlled variable electric field to the ER fluid 
56, the resistance to rotation of the spool 30 is variably controlled to 
effectively prevent overrun, or bird nesting, of the spool 30. 
FIG. 4(b) shows another configuration of the casting drag brake 40b in 
which a rotating plate 92 is rotated by a hollow shaft 66 (the hollow 
shaft 66 may have any construction effective to engage with and couple the 
rotation of the spool 30). A permanent magnet 94 is rotated by the 
rotating plate 92 and passes through magnetic field lines generated by an 
electromagnetic coil 96. By varying the energy applied to the 
electromagnetic coil 96, the strength of the magnetic field lines is 
variably controlled. Thus, the magnetic field generated by the 
electromagnetic coil 96 is effective to apply a braking force to the 
rotation of the spool 30. FIG. 4(c) shows a similar construction to that 
of FIG. 4(b), but in this configuration the electromagnetic coil 96 is 
rotated by the rotating plate 92. The configuration shown in FIG. 4(b) and 
4(c) (as well as other configurations disclosed herein) impart a minimum 
internal resistance to the rotation of the spool 30 when the 
electromagnetic coil 96 is not energized. This feature may be particularly 
useful when extremely long distance casting is desired, in which case, 
during periods of the casting operation, the spool 30 drag should be 
minimum. 
FIG. 4(d) shows another configuration of the casting drag, in which case, a 
magnetic particle brake construction is utilized. The magnetic particle 
brake includes a rotating plate 92 that is rotatably coupled with the 
rotation of the spool 30. The rotating plate 92 is surrounded by finely 
sized magnetic particles 98, such as stainless steel powder (SSP). 
Magnetic field lines generated by an electromagnetic coil 96 align the 
finely sized magnetic particles 98 into fibrils, thus applying a 
resistance to the rotation of the plate in proportion to the field 
strength applied by the electromagnetic coil 96. Similarly, an MR fluid 
may be utilized in the construction shown in FIG. 4(e), in which case, the 
formation of fibrils due to the alignment of suspended magnetizable 
particles is in proportion to the field strength applied by an 
electromagnetic coil 96. A rotating plate 92 coupled with the rotation of 
the spool 30 experiences a varying resistance depending on the applied 
field strength, thereby providing a controllable electronically variable 
brake 40. 
FIGS. 5(a)-5(d) show alternative configurations of the casting drag brake 
40b. These configurations comprise magnetically urged components. It is to 
be specifically noted that the construction of the various alternatives of 
the casting drag brake 40b may also be utilized in the construction of the 
fighting drag brake 40a. The casting drag brake 40b has a single rotating 
electrode 52 that receives a charge. The stationary electrode 52 is 
enclosed within the housing walls, which form oppositely charged 
stationary electrodes. In the case of fighting drag brake 40a, the number 
of elements (for example, the number of rotating electrodes 52 and 
corresponding stationary electrodes, may be increased and/or the 
components may be enlarged to provide a greater potential braking strength 
to resist the efforts of a hooked fish. 
The configuration shown in FIGS. 5(a)-5(d) include a rotatable friction 
surface 100 coupled with the spool 30 for rotation by the spool 30. A 
stationary friction surface 102 is provided to engage frictionally with 
the rotatable friction surface 100 to generate the braking force. An 
electronically controlled urging means, such as a magnetic field 
generating coil 104, urges either of the stationary friction surface 102 
in an urging direction effective to vary a contact pressure between the 
stationary friction surface 102 and the rotatable friction surface 100. 
For example, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the stationary friction surface 102 
(which may include a magnetic or magnetically reactive material) is pulled 
towards the rotating friction surface through the action of a magnetic 
field generated by the magnetic field generating coil 104. By varying the 
strength of the magnetic field, the contact pressure between the 
stationary friction surface 102 and the rotated friction surface 100 is 
varied to obtain an electronically variable brake 40. The electronically 
controlled urging means comprising the magnetic field generating coil 104 
may be disposed behind the stationary friction surface 102, in which case 
the generation of the magnetic field pushes the non-rotated or stationary 
friction surface 102 in an urging direction towards the rotatable friction 
surface 100, and the strength of the applied magnetic field varies the 
frictional contact pressure and thus the braking force generated. A spring 
member 106 may be provided for biasing either the rotatable friction 
surface 100 or the non-rotatable or stationary friction surface 102 
against the urging direction so that, as shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(d), 
when no field is applied, the non-rotated or stationary friction surface 
102 is separated from the rotatable friction surface 100 to allow free 
rotation of the spool 30. As another alternative, during times when the 
magnetic field generating coil 104 is not energized, the spring member 106 
may urge the non-rotating or stationary friction surface 102 into contact 
with the rotatable friction surface 100, and when energized, the 
non-rotated or stationary friction surface 102 is pulled away from the 
rotatable friction surface 100 to reduce the contact pressure, and thus 
the applied braking force, in a controllable and variable manner. 
Alternatively, this configuration of the electronically controllable 
variable brake can be constructed so that a friction member is urged 
axially outwards from the center of rotation and towards a stationary 
non-rotating friction drum surface (not shown). In this case, a 
centrifugal force on the friction member will be controllably enhanced by 
increased or decreased contact pressure depending on an applied magnetic 
field. 
FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) show another configuration of the electronically 
variable brake 40 coupled with the spool 30. In this case, the 
electronically variable brake 40 comprises either of a rotor 108 and a 
stator 110 of an electric motor rotatable by the spool 30 relative to the 
other of the stator 110 and the rotor 108. Thus, a rotor 108 may be formed 
integrally with a spool 30 (as shown in FIG. 6(a)), or may be coupled or 
attached in an assembly operation. Sliding electrical leads 112 are 
electrically insulated from a rotatably supported axle of the rotor 108 by 
an electrically insulating layer 114. During assembly, the rotor 108 has 
conductive coils 116 wound on it, and during use the sliding electrical 
leads 112 come into electrical contact with a DC voltage as the rotor 108 
rotates (similar to a conventional DC motor). Thus, as shown in FIG. 6(b), 
a DC motor is formed comprising a rotor 108 rotatable by the spool 30 
relative to a permanent magnet stator 110. Similarly, another motor 
construction (DC, AC, brushless, piezo electric, ultrasonic, etc.) can be 
utilized, having a structure in which the spool 30 rotates with the rotor 
108 of the motor while the stator 110 is held relatively stationary. The 
rotor 108 may be coupled with the spool 30 through an alternatively 
constructed coupling mechanism, such as gearing, flexible shaft, or the 
like. 
FIGS. 7(a)-7(c) show configurations of an inventive bait casting reel 
having a rotationally driven brake. As shown in FIG. 7(a), a drive motor 
118 can be used to provide a rotational driving force applied in an 
opposite direction as the rotation of the spool 30 to apply a braking 
force on the spool 30. The drive motor 118 may be, for example, a DC 
electric motor, an AC electric motor, a piezoelectric motor, a stepper 
motor, an ultrasonic motor, rotational solenoid, or the like. The drive 
motor 118 may be used to drive a drive gear 120, which in turn engages 
with and drives a drive gear 120 structure fixed or integrally formed with 
a flange 124 of the spool 30 (FIG. 7(a)). Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 
7(b), the drive motor 118 may drive a driving surface 126, such as a 
resilient rubber or plastic wheel, which engages with an appropriately 
constructed driven surface 128 formed or disposed on the spool 30. During 
times when the spool 30 is being rotated, by, for example, the momentum of 
a projected lure or weight, the drive motor 118 may act as a generator to 
produce electrical energy that is stored in a capacitor 130. The 
temporarily stored electrical energy in the capacitor 130 can later be 
used to apply an electromotive force to the motor so that it is operated 
to drive the driven surface 128 in a direction opposite the direction of 
rotation of the spool 30. The drive motor 118 may act as a generator when 
driven by the rotating spool 30, and the energy generated may be 
simultaneously fed back with a reverse polarity to the drive motor 118 to 
generate a braking force. The application of electricity to the drive 
motor 118 is controlled through an appropriate analog or digital circuit 
so that the projected lure has the desired flight characteristics, while 
the bird nesting phenomenon is eliminated. 
To cause the spool 30 to act as if it is frictionlessly supported (i.e., no 
frictional loss due to bearing surfaces), a small voltage can be applied 
to the drive motor 118 to drive the driven surface 128 so that the spool 
30 is driven in the same direction as the spool 30 is being rotated by the 
line being pulled by the projected lure or weight. This small forward 
driving voltage is applied to overcome internal magnetic and frictional 
resistance of the drive motor 118, spool 30 shaft, bearings, etc. so that 
the spool 30 behaves as if supported by frictionless bearings (under the 
control of a drive circuit which may include a microprocessor). The spool 
30 may be forwardly driven in the same direction as it is being rotated by 
the line being played out during a cast with a sufficient driving force so 
that the inertia of the spool 30 (and any other resistance experienced by 
the projected lure and line) is negated so as to optimize the casting 
distance obtainable utilizing the inventive reel. The drive motor 118 may 
also be used to drive the spool 30 in a direction effective to retrieve 
the line to assist a physically challenged or weak person when reeling in 
a fish. The drive motor 118 speed can be controlled in proportion to the 
cranking speed of the crank handle 34 by sensing the rotational velocity 
of the crank handle 34 being rotated by the angler. The drive motor 118 
speed can also be controlled by a lever 192 or push button SMA actuator, 
so that even a severely handicapped person can reel in a fish, or any 
angler can be assisted when reeling in a particularly strong or heavy 
fish. 
FIG. 7(c) schematically shows the drive motor 118 driving the spool 30 and 
its attendant circuitry. When the drive motor 118 is acting as a 
generator, control circuit 142 is used to direct the current being 
generated to an energy storage device, such as a capacitor 130 or battery. 
When the motor is used to apply a braking driving rotation through the 
driving surface 126 driving the driven surface 128 of the spool 30, the 
control circuit 142 taps the energy stored in the energy storage device 
and/or taps a battery. As will be described in detail below, a sensing 
device determines the status of sensed parameters, such as the line 
tension or line strand position, and this information is received by the 
control circuit 142 where an appropriate response to the sensed 
information is sent to the drive motor 118. The control circuit 142 can 
include a microprocessor so that a variety of advantageous enhancements of 
the inventive reel can be obtained. For example, the microprocessor can be 
programmed with a form of artificial intelligence so that it learns the 
casting pattern of an angler over a series of sequential casts. 
Information pertaining to spool velocity, braking application and casting 
duration can be stored for a number of casts and this information can be 
utilized to refine the application of braking force or resistance negating 
driving force from the motor to optimize the cast. 
Referring to FIGS. 8(a)-8(d), in accordance with the present invention, 
determining means 48 determines an overrun status while a length of line 
is being released from the spool 30 and generates a status signal 
dependent thereon. As shown in FIG. 8(a), the determining means 48 may 
comprise position detecting means 132 for detecting a position of strands 
of the length of line held on the spool 30. In this case, a photo-emitter 
134 emits a light beam (infrared beam, etc.) and a portion of the emitted 
light beam hitting the bundle of line wrapped tightly on the spool 30 is 
totally reflected back to a photo-detector 136. A portion of the light 
beam that does not reflect from the bundle of tightly wrapped line is 
transmitted and absorbed by an infrared absorbing material 138 on the 
opposite side of the spool 30 so as to not influence the detection of 
reflected light. 
As shown in FIGS. 8(b)-8(d), as the spool 30 overruns the line being played 
out (i.e., the speed at which the line is being played out is slower than 
the speed at which the spool 30 is rotating), partially reflected light 
from the individual strands 140 that expand off the tightly wound bundle 
due to the overrun of the spool 30 is detected by the photo-detector 136 
thereby increasing the total amount of detected light. The total amount of 
detected light includes the totally reflected light from the tightly 
wrapped bundle of line and the partially reflected light from the 
individual strands 140 as the strands expand away from the spool 30. Thus, 
the transmitted light includes a fully transmitted portion and an 
attenuated transmitted beam which is absorbed by an infrared absorber 
(FIG. 8(c)). 
As more of the individual strands 140 from the bundle of tightly packed 
line become loose and expand from the spool 30, more of the light emitted 
by the photo-emitter 134 is partially reflected from these individual 
strands 140. Thus, the total detected light increases as the bird nesting 
or overrun proceeds. The photo-emitter 134 and photo-detector 136 act to 
detect the position of the individual strands 140 of the length of line 
held on the spool 30. 
This information is received by a control circuit 142 that controls the 
electronically variable brake 40 (casting drag brake 40b) to apply a 
variable braking force to resist rotation of the spool 30 during casting, 
greater braking force is applied when the position of the strands 
indicates that a portion of the line held on the spool 30 is wrapped loose 
on the spool 30 (FIGS. 8(c) and 8(d)). Less braking force is applied when 
the position of the line indicates that the line held on the spool 30 is 
wrapped tight on the spool 30 (FIG. 8(b)). By thus controlling the 
variable braking force, the spool 30 is prevented from overrunning the 
length of fishing line 32 being released from the spool 30 during casting, 
while maximizing the casting distance. 
FIG. 9 shows an alternative configuration of the position detecting means 
132 in which the photo-emitter 134 emits a light beam across the line 
wrapped on the spool 30 and the transmitted light beam is detected by the 
photo-detector 136. The amount of light that is transmitted is dependent 
on the degree to which the line is becoming loosened from the spool 30 as 
the spool 30 begins to overrun. The photo-emitter 134 and photo-detector 
136 detect the position of the individual strands 140 of the length of 
line held on the spool 30. The control circuit 142 controls the 
electronically variable brake 40 (casting drag brake 40b) to apply a 
variable braking force to resist rotation of the spool 30 during casting. 
A greater braking force is applied when the position of the strands 
indicates that a portion of the line held on the spool 30 is wrapped loose 
on the spool 30 (FIGS. 8(c) and 8(d)). Less braking force is applied when 
the position of the line indicates that the line held on the spool 30 is 
wrapped tight on the spool 30 (FIG. 8(b)). By thus controlling the 
variable braking force, the spool 30 is prevented from overrunning the 
length of fishing line 32 being released from the spool 30 during casting, 
while maximizing the casting distance. 
FIG. 10(a) is a flow chart of an algorithm to sample and compare the 
detected reflected light during the unwinding of the line from the spool 
30. To begin the casting operation, the user depresses the casting release 
lever 46 (step one). A brake initialization operation (step two) occurs 
just at the start of the cast. The brake initialization operation begins 
when the casting release lever is released and just before the lure is 
projected (step three). The brake initialization operation controls the 
rotation of the spool 30 to optimize the cast. For example, during the 
brake initialization operation, a rotationally driven member (see FIG. 7) 
may be used to impart a slight forward rotation to the spool to overcome 
initial resistance of rotation due to friction losses, inertia, etc. The 
brake initialization operation may control the rotation of the spool 30 at 
the onset of the casting operation so as to resist rotation when the 
projected lure is imparted with its maximum acceleration. The exact 
constraints imposed on the rotation of the spool 30 by the brake 
initialization operation may depend on various factors, such as the weight 
of the lure, type of fishing pole used, line test strength, etc. 
The brake initialization operation ends after performing its controlling 
function (step four). During the cast, as the lure is being projected and 
the spool 30 is rotating, a photo detection begins to detect the existence 
of an overrun or birds nest of the line (step five). The light beam is 
emitted from the photo-emitter 134 (step six) and the light reflected or 
transmitted, depending on the construction of the detecting means 132, is 
detected by the photodetector 136 to obtain a value of a first sample 
(step seven). The light beam is emitted again (step eight), and a value of 
a second sample is determined from the light detected by the 
photo-detector 136 (step nine). The first sample is compared with the 
second sample (step ten). In the case of a reflector-type construction 
(shown in FIGS. 8(a)-8(d)), if the second sample is greater than the first 
sample, then a potential overrun is determined and an increased braking 
force is applied to slow the rotation of the spool (step eleven). On the 
other hand, if sample 2 is less than or equal to sample 1, then less 
braking force is applied (or no braking force is applied) to allow the 
spool to rotate with more ease (step twelve). The operations of steps six 
through twelve continue until the cast is completed and the spool 30 stops 
rotating. Thus, the rotation of the spool 30 is automatically controlled 
to maximize the casting distance, while preventing the occurrence of an 
overrun or birds nest. A similar flow chart would describe the 
transmittance-type construction shown in FIG. 9, however, in this case, if 
sample 2 is greater than or equal to sample 1 in step 10, then it is 
determined that an overrun is not occurring, and the braking force is 
decreased. If sample 2 is less than sample 1, then an overrun is 
occurring, and braking force is increased. In the case of the tension 
sensors 144 described herein, a similar flow chart would describe the 
operation of the inventive bait casting reel. However, in the case of the 
tension sensors, the control of the applied braking force (steps six 
through twelve) will depend on line tension rather than on reflected or 
transmitted light. 
As shown in the graph shown in FIG. 10(b), the brake initialization 
operation (step two) may require the brake strength to be increased 
quickly during the time that the projected lure is imparted with its 
maximum acceleration. This initialization operation automatically slows 
the rotation of the spool 30 during the beginning of a cast. After the 
brake strength has decayed, the photo detection sampling and comparing 
maintains the correct balance of braking force on the spool 30 to prevent 
bird nesting while enabling a long cast. As described above, the brake 
initialization operation may vary, depending on a number of factors, and 
the graph shown in FIG. 10(b) illustrates only one of the potential 
constraints on the rotation of the spool 30 that are useful during the 
brake initialization operation. 
FIGS. 11(a) and 11(b) show a configuration of the determining means 48 in 
which a tension sensor 144 is used for sensing a tension on the fishing 
line 32 being released from or retrieved onto the spool 30. The tension 
sensor 144 generates a tension signal dependent on the line tension, which 
is received by a control circuit 142 (FIG. 11(b)) for controlling the 
electronically variable brake 40 in response thereto. In this case, the 
tension sensor 144 includes a small spring arm 146 pivotally mounted on a 
support frame 148 (shown in FIG. 1(b)) and having a movable roller 150 
fixed thereto. The fishing line 32 is thread over the movable roller 150 
passing first through a stationary roller 152 and then exiting passing 
over another stationary roller 152. As the line tension increases, the 
line is stretched over the movable roller 150 causing it to move and 
thereby pivot the small spring arm 146 against its spring tension. The 
small spring arm 146 has an electrical contact 154 associated with it that 
makes contact with a casting drag resistance strip 156. 
An electrical circuit for the casting drag electronically variable brake 40 
includes a variable power source 158 (which may be pulsed and/or voltage 
or current varied), the casting drag brake 40b, the electrical contact 154 
and the casting drag resistance strip 156. The amount of electric 
potential applied to the casting drag brake 40b from this circuit is 
varied depending on the position of the electrical contact 154 on the 
casting drag resistance strip 156. As the electrical contact 154 moves 
away from the terminal end of the casting drag resistance strip 156, the 
resistance in the circuit increases and thus the braking force applied by 
the casting drag brake 40b decreases. Thus, during a cast as the line 
tension due to the momentum of the projected lure and the played out line 
creates a tension on the line, displacement of the movable roller 150 
causes the resistance in the circuit due to the position of the electrical 
contact 154 on the casting drag resistance strip 156 to be increased 
resulting in a decrease of the casting drag brake 40b against the rotation 
of the spool 30. As the line tension becomes less, and the line begins to 
slacken, the potential for overrun occurs. In this case, the circuit 
resistance caused by the position of the electrical contact 154 on the 
casting drag resistance strip 156 decreases due to proximity of the 
electrical contact 154 to the terminal end of the strip. The electrical 
energy applied to the casting drag brake 40b is increased, so as to slow 
the rotation of the spool 30 thereby increasing the tension on the line. 
An equilibrium is maintained whereby the spool 30 rotation relative to the 
speed at which the line is played out from the spool 30 is optimized. 
When the line is being retrieved, such as when bringing in a hooked fish, a 
large spring arm 160 is moved when a sliding bearing 162 of the movable 
roller 150 comes into sliding contact with it. As the tension on the line 
becomes greater, the distance between a terminal end of a fighting drag 
resistance strip 164 and an electrical contact 154 of the large spring arm 
160 becomes less, thereby applying a greater braking force through the 
fighting drag brake 40a. The effective spring constant of the large spring 
arm 160 can be controlled by positioning a selection pin contact 166 in 
any one of a plurality of holes. Each hole is positioned so that the 
spring constant of the large spring arm 160 is appropriate for a 
predetermined line test strength. The selection pin contact 166 in contact 
with the large spring arm 160 is part of the electrical circuit including 
a variable power source 158, the fighting drag brake 40a, the fighting 
drag resistance strip 164 and the electrical contact 154. An appropriate 
resistor is included in this circuit (R1-R3), depending on the position of 
the selection pin contact 166. The resistor varies the base line of the 
energized fighting drag brake 40a so as to be appropriate for the line 
test strength of the fishing line 32 held by the spool 30. A balancing 
spring 168 ties the small spring arm 146 with the large spring arm 160, 
and may be included to provide a bias urging force on the small spring arm 
146 so that extremely small fluctuations in tension on line can be sensed 
during casting. 
FIG. 11(b) schematically shows the line tension sensor 144 and various 
circuit components for providing a variety of features. A weight 
calculator 170 may be included by which the weight or the fighting 
strength of a fish can be determined depending on the selection pin 
contact 166 position and its corresponding resistor (R1-R3) and the 
position of the electrical contact 154 on the fighting drag resistance 
strip 164. A display device 172, which may be an LCD display 172 or the 
like, receives the weight information from the weight calculator 170 and 
displays it to the angler. 
A timer 174 may be included for counting the time elapsing during the 
duration of the landing of a fish from the time it is hooked (in which 
case the electrical contact 154 of the large spring arm 160 will come into 
contact or move on the fighting drag resistance strip 164) and the time 
that the fish is landed (which may be manually inputted by the angler). A 
clock 176 may be included so that the time of day may also be displayed on 
the display 172 device. 
The control circuit 142 can accept user inputted settings to manually 
increase or manually decrease (manual-up, manual-down) the strength of the 
braking force applied by the fighting drag brake 40a. The control circuit 
142 may also receive user input in the form of selection buttons for 
"run", "reel" and "troll". If the selection button "run" is pressed, then 
the fighting drag brake 40a receives an amount of energy through the 
control circuit 142 that is just below the line tension determined by the 
position of the large spring arm 160 electrical contact 154 on the 
fighting drag resistance strip 164. If the "reel" selection button is 
depressed, then the control circuit 142 supplies an amount of energy to 
the fighting drag brake 40a that is greater than the line tension, thereby 
enabling the retrieval of the line. If the "troll" selection button is 
depressed, then the control circuit 142 supplies the energy necessary for 
the fighting drag brake 40a to equalize the line tension, which, of 
course, varies as the large spring arm 160 is urged by the movable roller 
150. 
A rotation sensor 178 can be used to determine the rotation of the spool 30 
from which can be measured the casting distance, or the amount of line 
played out from the spool 30, by a distance calculator 180. Also, the user 
can input a selected distance through a distance input 182, which is 
received by a control circuit 142. The control circuit 142 then receives 
the information from the spool 30 rotation sensor 178 and distance 
calculator 180, so that when the input distance is achieved during a cast, 
a braking force is applied via the casting drag brake 40b so that the line 
is stopped from being played out from the spool 30 and the cast lure is 
projected the preselected distance. The control circuit 142 may include an 
algorithm executed by a microprocessor, an analog circuit or a digital 
circuit, or other means for varying the casting drag brake 40b in response 
to the distance input 182 so that the applied braking force results in a 
smooth and elegant cast to precisely the desired distance. 
FIG. 12(a) shows the relative position of the components of the tension 
sensor 144 and the percentage of the applied braking force from the 
casting drag brake 40b. It is noted that this Figure shows the applied 
braking force over time by way of example only, and a graph showing an 
actual cast controlled in accordance with the present invention may or may 
not be similar. The line tension on the movable roller 150 is minimal such 
as at the beginning of a cast, and so the braking force applied by the 
casting drag brake 40b is maximum (100%). At time 2, the line tension 
during the cast causes the movable roller 150 to flex the small spring arm 
146, causing the electrical contact 154 to slide along the casting drag 
resistance strip 156 so that a minimal braking force (0%) is applied. At 
time 3, the line tension is again a minimum, indicating that an overrun is 
about to occur (since the spool 30 is rotating faster than the line is 
being played out). Thus, the applied braking force is instantaneously 
brought to an appropriate degree (in this case, maximized at 100%) to 
quickly slow the rotation of the spool 30. At time 4, the line tension is 
half way between the minimum and the maximum so the applied braking force 
is at 50%. Again, at time 5, the line tension is at the casting maximum, 
so the applied braking force is again 0%. In actual use, the applied 
braking force is nearly instantaneously varied between 0 and 100% during 
the casting operation so that an appropriate braking force is applied to 
the spool 30 to minimize the bird nesting phenomenon and to maximize the 
casting distance. A microprocessor having an appropriate clock speed can 
be used to sample the line tension and control the braking force in 
response thereto so that very efficient use is made of the energy imparted 
to the lure by the angler (i.e., the casting energy exerted by the angler 
is used almost fully to project the lure with very little of it being lost 
to over control of the rotation of the spool 30). Also, an analog circuit 
(such as that shown in FIG. 11(b)) can be used without a microprocessor 
for automatic control of the applied braking force. 
FIG. 12(b) shows the relationship of the various components of the line 
tension sensor 144 during the fight of a fish, or the retrieval of the 
line. In this case, at time 1 it is assumed that the fish has just taken 
the lure and the hook is being set by the angler. Thus, the line tension 
is maximized and the applied braking force from the fighting drag brake 
40a is at 100%. At time 2, the fight of the fish results in the line 
tension being somewhere between 0 and 100% of the maximum, so the braking 
force is appropriately applied at 40%. At time 3, only 20% of the braking 
force is needed to overcome the fight of the fish and retrieve the line 
(it is to be noted that in this case the controller 50 is set to the 
"reel" push button selection). The fight continues through time 4, 5 and 
6, wherein the appropriate braking force is applied depending on the 
sensed line tension. 
FIGS. 13(a)-13(c) show an alternative configuration for the line sensor. In 
this configuration, the movable roller 150 is supported on a support 
platform 184 which is in turn supported on a post 186. The post 186 is 
mounted so it can move up and down against the urging forces of the 
springs 188 and the line tension. The smaller spring 188 is relatively 
easy to compress, and is used to sense the line tension during the cast. 
In this case, the post 186 moves up and down depending on the line 
tension, with the post 186 being at its down-most position when the line 
tension is at a casting minimum (FIG. 13(a)), and the post 186 at its 
casting maximum height above the platform when the line tension is at its 
casting maximum (FIG. 13(b)). By sensing the relative position of the post 
186 height, the appropriate casting brake drag can be applied to 
controllably slow the rotation of the spool 30 to prevent bird nesting, 
and to allow for a maximum casting distance. The height can be sensed 
using a variety of constructions, such as resistance strips 190 on the 
post 186 (one for the casting drag and one for the fighting drag), the 
movement of a lever by the post 186 (not shown), information obtained from 
a plurality of electrical contacts formed on the post 186 etc. In a 
similar manner, the fighting line tension during the fight of a hooked 
fish is sensed. The line tension during the fight of a hooked fish 
compresses the larger spring 188, which is sensed to appropriately control 
the fighting drag brake 40a. 
FIGS. 14(a) and 14(b) show an alternative configuration for the line 
tension sensor 144. In this configuration, a lever 192 is pivoted about a 
pivot point and has a moving roller fixed at one of its ends. At the other 
end of the lever 192 are a casting drag electrical contact 154 and a 
fighting drag electrical contact 154 which complete an electrical circuit 
by contacting the respective casting drag resistance strip 156 and 
fighting drag resistance strip 164 depending on the pivot position of the 
lever 192. The fishing line 32 is threaded over the moving roller and over 
a stationary roller 152 so that a tension applied to the fishing line 32 
causes the lever 192 to pivot. As tension is applied to the line, the 
moving roller is urged upwards causing the lever 192 to pivot against an 
urging force applied by a coil spring 194 188. As the lever 192 pivots 
during casting (due to the line tension acting on the movable roller 150), 
the fighting drag electrical contact 154 slides along the casting drag 
resistance strip 156, which is constructed so that when no tension on the 
line exists (i.e., during times when backlash is likely), the braking 
force applied to the spool 30 by the casting drag brake 40b is maximum. As 
the line tension increases during the cast (i.e., the line is being played 
out from the spool 30 at a rate equal to or greater than the rotation of 
the spool 30) the position of the electrical contact 154 on the casting 
drag resistance strip 156 results in the brake applying less of a braking 
force on the spool 30 so that the spool 30 rotates more freely. In this 
manner, the backlashing tendency of the spool 30 is prevented while 
allowing for a maximum casting distance. When a fish is hooked and is 
being retrieved, the line tension causes the moving roller to pivot the 
lever 192 so that the fighting drag electrical contact 154 comes into 
contact with the fighting drag resistance strip 164. The fighting drag 
resistance strip 164 is constructed so that when the line tension is low, 
the braking force applied is also low. As the line tension increases, the 
lever 192 pivots causing the fighting drag electrical contact 154 to slide 
on the fighting drag resistance strip 164 resulting in a proportionally 
greater braking force applied by the fighting drag brake 40a. When the 
line tension reaches a predetermined maximum (below the maximum test 
strength of the line), the control circuit 142 reduces the braking force 
automatically, so that the line will never snap. In the drawings, FIG. 
14(a) shows the position of the various components of the tension sensor 
144 when the line tension is a minimum. FIG. 14(b) shows the various 
components of the tension sensor 144 as the line tension reaches its 
maximum allowable limit. 
FIGS. 15(a)-17(c) show a cranking speed adjustment mechanism that allows 
the angler to select the mechanical advantage of the crank handle 34, and 
thus the speed at which the line is retrieved onto the spool 30 and the 
ease at which the handle can be turned. The advantages of an adjustable 
cranking speed handle, combined with an electronically variable fighting 
drag brake 40a gives the angler superior control over the dynamics 
involved when landing a fish, and are particularly useful when bringing in 
a large fish on relatively light tackle. Also, since the crank speed can 
be precisely controlled, the angler can provide subtle variation to the 
retrieval speed of a lure so that a particular species of fish is properly 
enticed by a particular speed at which the lure travels through the water. 
For example, the same lure can be used to entice both bluefish and striped 
bass to strike. However, the optimum speed at which the lure is dragged 
through the water varies depending on the fish species. When fishing for 
blue fish, it is more advantageous to have a relatively fast lure speed, 
as opposed to striped bass which tend to strike at a relatively slower 
moving lure. 
FIG. 15(a) shows a top plan view of the crank handle 34 in accordance with 
this aspect of the present invention. The crank handle 34 has a centrally 
located longitudinally disposed groove 196 and finger grips 198 at either 
end. As shown in FIG. 15(b), when mounted on the crankshaft 200 of the 
fishing reel, the crank handle 34 is fixed in position by a clamping force 
exerted between the crankshaft 200 and a washer 202, in which the clamping 
force is adjusted by the adjustment knob 204. 
FIG. 16(a) is an exploded view of the crank handle 34, friction washer 202, 
adjustment knob 204 and crankshaft 200. The crankshaft 200 terminates in 
an engagement structure 206 which mates with the groove 196 in the handle. 
In this case, the engagement structure 206 is a rectangular box shape 
structure that slidably fits in the groove 196 of the handle. A threaded 
hole 208 mates with a threaded post 210 of the adjustment knob 204 to 
apply the clamping force for holding the handle in place. Thus, as shown 
in FIG. 16(b)-16(d), the handle may be disposed at a suitable location 
relative to the crankshaft 200 so that the orbit at which the finger grips 
198 move around the crankshaft 200 has a selected diameter. For example, 
in FIG. 16(b) the finger grips 198 are disposed an equal distance from the 
center of the crankshaft 200, resulting in an orbit diameter giving a 
cranking leverage and spool 30 rotation speed that is midpoint in the 
range of the adjustable handle. FIG. 16(c) shows the case where the finger 
grip that is used by the angler (the right side finger grip) is at a 
maximum distance from the center of rotation of the handle, so that the 
mechanical leverage during cranking is maximum and the speed at which the 
spool 30 rotates for a given hand crank speed is at its lowest. FIG. 16(d) 
shows the case where the finger grip is at its closest point to the center 
of rotation, resulting in the fastest spool 30 rotation for a given hand 
speed and the weakest mechanical advantage. 
FIG. 17(a)-17(c) show the crank handle 34 mounted on the inventive fishing 
reel, at various adjusted positions. In FIG. 17(a), if the angler is 
rotating the handle using the lower finger grip, than the crank speed will 
be slowest, which is suitable during the fight of a large fish or when 
slowly retrieving the fishing lure. In FIG. 17(b) the finger grips 198 are 
equidistant from the center of rotation, and this can be considered the 
average cranking speed of the reel. At FIG. 17(c), the lower finger grip 
is at its closest position relative to the center of rotation, making the 
cranking speed for a given hand speed at a maximum, for use during a quick 
retrieval of the fishing line 32. It is noted that the angler can adjust 
the speed "on the fly" by merely turning the adjustment knob 204 to loosen 
the clamping force on the handle and sliding the handle to an appropriate 
position. Also, the angler can switch between finger grips 198 to go from 
a relatively fast crank speed to a relatively slow crank speed depending 
on the fishing conditions. 
FIGS. 18(a)-18(c) schematically show another alternative embodiment of the 
inventive tension sensor 144. In accordance with this embodiment, the 
inventive tension sensor 144 includes an arm 212 pivotally fixed to the 
frame of the inventive bait casting fishing reel. One end of the arm 212 
terminates in a roller 214, underwhich passes the fishing line 32 that is 
wound on the spool 30. As the fishing line 32 is played out from or 
retrieved back onto the spool 30, tension on the line 32 urges the roller 
214 causing the arm 212 to pivot relative to the frame 216 of the 
inventive bait casting fishing reel. As the arm 212 pivots due to the 
urging force applied by the tension on the fishing line 32, an arm 
restraining spring 218 supplies a small restoring force urging the arm 212 
in a direction opposite the direction of urging from the tension on the 
fishing line 32. During the casting operation, the tension on the line 32 
caused by the projected lure is relatively small as compared with the 
tension on the line 32 during the fight of a fish. The arm restraining 
spring 218 has a small spring constant that can be overcome by the tension 
of the line 32 that exist during a casting operation. The tension of the 
line 32 during the cast depends on the weight of the lure being cast, the 
force by which the angler whips the fishing pole, wind conditions, etc. 
The tension will usually vary through-out the time between when the cast 
begins and when the cast ends. At the end of the arm 212 opposite the 
roller 214, an electrical contact 220 is disposed slidably touching a 
casting resistance strip 222. The arm 212 is pivotally mounted to the 
frame 216 so that a relatively small deflection of the roller 214 caused 
by the varying line tension will be translated into a large movement of 
the contact 220 sliding over the casting resistance strip 222. 
A roller retaining spring 224 is disposed having one end fixed to the frame 
216 and the other end fixed to a post member 226. The post member 226 is 
held by a support 228 with a gap provided between the post member 226 and 
the arm 212. The gap distance is provided so that during the casting 
operation, the roller retaining spring 224 does not exert any force 
against the movement of the arm 212 caused by the varying line tension. 
However, once the line tension exceeds a fighting drag threshold minimum 
(such as during the fight of a fish), the roller 214 is deflected to a 
point where the arm 212 makes contact with and lifts the post member 226 
off the support 228. The roller retaining spring 224 is stretched as the 
post member 226 is lifted, exerting a restoring force on the arm 212 
against the line tension. 
As shown in FIG. 18(a), when the line tension is a minimum (such as during 
an overrun condition), the electrical contact 220 is disposed on the 
casting resistance strip 222 closest to the terminal end of a casting 
resistance wire 230. The arm 212 is conductive so that the contact 2is 
electrically coupled with a grounding wire 232 connected at the pivot 
point of the arm 212. A casting drag circuit is thus completed including a 
positive terminal of a power source 234 (battery, capacitor, etc.), to a 
positive terminal of a brake 40, to a negative terminal of the brake 40, 
to the grounding wire 232, to the arm 212, to the contact 220, to the 
casting resistance strip 222, to the casting resistance wire 230, to a 
casting resistor element 236 and finally to a negative terminal of the 
power source 234. The brake 40 shown in FIGS. 18(a)-18(c) consists in this 
embodiment as a solenoid that drives a brake pad 238 against the flange 
124 of the spool 30, although any of the other brakes described herein may 
be substituted. When the tension on the line 32 is at a minimum (such as 
during an overrun condition), there is little or no casting resistance 
strip 222 electrically separating the contact 2from the casting resistance 
wire 230. Thus, when there is an overrun condition the brake 40 receives a 
maximum power (available from the casting drag circuit) and exerts a 
maximum casting drag braking force against the rotation of the spool 30. 
As the tension in the line 32 increases (due to the forward momentum of 
the lure pulling the line 32 from the spool 30), the contact 220 is 
disposed so that more of the casting resistance strip 222 is between it 
and the casting resistance wire 230. The casting resistance strip 222 
reduces the power received by the brake 40 from the circuit so that less 
braking force is applied. When the line tension is such that contact 220 
is off the casting drag resistance strip 222 (as shown in FIG. 18(b)), 
then the casting drag circuit is open and no braking force is exerted. 
A fighting drag circuit consists of the same elements as the casting drag 
circuit except for a fighting drag resistance strip 240 being substituted 
for the casting drag resistance strip 222, and a fighting resistance wire 
242 being substituted for the casting resistance wire 230. The brake 40 
consists of a fighting drag brake 40a that couples the cranking mechanism 
of the inventive bait casting reel with the rotation of the spool, and the 
fighting drag circuit also lacks the casting resistor element 236. The 
fighting drag brake 40a is shown as applying a braking force through the 
pressing of a brake pad 238 against the flange 124 of the spool (as is 
done for controlling the spool rotation during casting). The casting 
resistor element 236 is provided in the casting drag circuit to illustrate 
that the power received by the brake 40 during the casting operation is 
reduced, as compared with the power that is received by the brake 40 
during the fight of a fish. Since the fighting drag circuit does not 
include the casting resistor element 236, more power is sent from the 
power source 234 to the brake 40 when the contact 220 is disposed on the 
fighting drag resistance strip 240. 
As shown in FIG. 18(c), during the fight of a fish the tension in the line 
32 causes the roller 214 to be deflected enough for the arm 212 to contact 
and lift the post member 226 from the support 228. When a maximum line 
tension is reached, the arm 212 is positioned as shown in FIG. 18(c), and 
the contact 220 is at the end of the fighting drag resistance strip 240 
that is closest to the fight resistance wire. Thus, at this condition a 
maximum power is received by the brake 40, and a maximum braking force is 
exerted on the spool 30. 
FIGS. 19(a)-19(h) illustrate another embodiment of the inventive casting 
drag brake 40b. As described above with reference to other embodiments of 
the casting drag brake 40b, this embodiment of the inventive casting drag 
brake 40b is also controlled depending on the sensed overrun condition so 
as to apply a braking force to slow the rotation of the spool 30. This 
embodiment of the inventive casting drag brake 40b utilizes actuator wires 
242 made from a shape memory alloy (SMA). An SMA exploits a shape memory 
phenomenon which occurs in certain alloys, such as alloys in the 
nickel-titanium family. An example of an SMA actuator wire is manufactured 
by Dynalloy, Inc. of Irvine, Calif. and sold under the trademark Flexinol. 
When heated, the SMA actuator wires 242 contract and can exert 
considerable pulling force as their length shortens. Upon cooling, the SMA 
actuator wires 242 relax back to their original length. One way of heating 
the SMA actuator wires 242 is to pass an electrical current through them. 
The inventive casting drag brake 40b utilizes the contraction of the SMA 
actuator wires 242 heated by a controlled current flow to drive friction 
elements together to electronically control the rotation of the spool 30. 
As shown in FIGS. 19(a)-19(e), this embodiment of the inventive casting 
drag brake 40b includes a cylindrical friction element 244 that passes 
through a through-hole 246 formed in the frame 216 of the inventive bait 
casting fishing reel. The cylindrical friction element 244 is fixed to a 
heat sink head 248. A restoring spring urges the heat sink head 248 so as 
to prevent contact between the cylindrical friction element 244 and the 
face of the spool 30. One or more SMA actuator wires 242 have their ends 
clamped between a pair of clamps 250 and pass over the heat sink head 248. 
The clamps 250 are fixed to the frame 216 of the inventive bait casting 
fishing reel. As shown in FIG. 19(c), the heat sink head 248 may have 
grooves that hold the SMA actuator wires 242 in position. A positive wire 
lead 252 and a negative wire lead 254 are also clamp to respective clamps 
250. When a voltage is applied to the positive wire lead 252 and the 
negative wire lead 254, current flows through the SMA actuator wires 242, 
causing them to heat up. The SMA actuator wires 242 contract due to the 
heating, and exert an urging force against the heat sink head 248. 
As shown in FIG. 19(a), when no current is applied to the SMA actuator 
wires 242, a restoring spring 256 maintains the separation between the 
cylindrical friction element 244 and the face of the spool 30. However, 
when current is applied to the SMA actuator wires 242 urge the heat sink 
head 248 so that contact is made between the cylindrical friction element 
244 and the face of the spool 30. This contact controllably slows the 
rotation of the spool 30 so as to prevent an overrun condition. As soon as 
the current stops flowing to the SMA actuator wires 242, they begin to 
cool (facilitated by the heat sink characteristics of the various 
components) and relax back to their original lengths, allowing the urging 
force of the restoring spring 256 to again separate the cylindrical 
friction element 244 from the face of the spool 30. 
The SMA actuator wires 242 relax back to their original length upon 
cooling, and therefore must be cooled as quickly as possible for the 
fastest response time. The clamps 250 are preferably thermo-conductive and 
also act as heat sinks, drawing the heat from the heated SMA actuator 
wires 242 to the metal frame 216 of the inventive fishing reel. The heat 
sink head 248 provides a large heat sink contact surface area, enabling 
the heated SMA actuator wires 242 to quickly cool so as to improve the 
response time of the inventive casting drag brake 40b. The heat sink head 
248 is preferably configured and dimensioned so that the SMA actuator 
wires 242 have the greatest contact with the heat sink components when 
they are contracted. To further enhance the heat sink effect, cooling fins 
(not shown) can be disposed at appropriate locations, for example, on the 
heat sink head 248, clamps 250 and/or frame 216. 
As shown in FIGS. 19(d) and 19(e), this embodiment of the inventive casting 
drag brake 40b includes a cylindrical friction element 244, which may be 
formed from rubber, leather, polymer, metal, or other suitable material. 
The heat sink head 248 and the clamps 250 may be formed from a material, 
such as aluminum, or polymer, and preferably has a high thermal transfer 
rate to act as efficient heat sink components. The clamps 250 comprise a 
clamp top 258 having through-holes for receiving screws, and a clamp base 
260 having threaded holes for engaging with the screws. The SMA actuator 
wires 242 are clamped between the clamp top 258 and the clamp base 260 by 
tightening the screws. To facilitate assembly, the positive wire lead 252 
and the negative wire lead 254 may also be clamped by the respective 
clamps 250. The current supplied to the positive wire lead 252 and the 
negative wire lead 254 comes from the power source 158 (shown, for 
example, in FIGS. 11(a) and 11 (b)). 
As shown in FIGS. 19(f)-19(h), this embodiment of the inventive casting 
drag brake 40a is fixed to the frame 216 (not shown) so that the 
cylindrical friction element 244 can be driven to contact the face of the 
spool 30. A friction enhancing disk (not shown) may be provided on the 
spool 30 face to enhance the rotation slowing friction generated when the 
cylindrical friction element 244 is urged toward the face of the spool 30. 
As shown in FIG. 19(g), when the SMA actuator wires 242 are cool (no 
current supplied through the positive wire lead 252 and the negative wire 
lead 254), the cylindrical friction element 244 is disposed so there is a 
slight gap or very little contact pressure between the cylindrical 
friction element 244 and the spool face (or friction enhancing disk). As 
shown in FIG. 19(h), when current flows through and heats up the SMA 
actuator wires 242, they contract and urge the cylindrical friction 
element 244 against the spool face (or friction enhancing disk). 
The inventive casting drag brake 40b shown in FIGS. 19(a)-19(h) illustrate 
only one construction the utilizes SMA actuator wires 242 to enable 
controlled contact between friction elements 244 used to control the 
rotation of the spool 30. Other constructions may, for example, utilize 
the SMA actuator wires 242 to drive a lever so as to press a friction 
brake pad against, for example, the flange 124 or the face of the spool 
30. 
FIG. 22 is a schematic view of an alternative configuration of the 
inventive bait casting fishing reel. In this configuration, an SMA 
actuator wire 242 is used to pivot a lever 262 so as to drive a brake pad 
238 against the flange 124 of the spool 30. The SMA actuator wire 242 is 
held within a groove 264 and upon contraction, comes into contact with the 
walls of the groove 264. The wall of the groove 264 thus perform a heat 
sinking function to improve the response time of the SMA actuator wire 
242. 
FIG. 23(a) is an isolated enlarged side view of an inventive line motion 
sensor 266. The line motion sensor 266 is utilized for similar purposes as 
the detecting means 48 and the tension sensor 144 described above. Namely, 
the line motion sensor 266 provides a sensed reading of the 
characteristics of the fishing line 32 as it is drawn off the spool 30 
during a casting operation and/or during the fight of a fish. The 
inventive line motion sensor 260 includes a driven wheel 268 which is 
driven by the fishing line 32 as it is drawn from the spool 30. A pressing 
wheel 270 may be provided for maintaining the fishing line 32 in contact 
with the driven wheel 268. One or more sensor units 272 are provided on 
the driven wheel 268 so that the rotation of the driven wheel 268 due to 
the motion of the fishing line 32 can be sensed. 
FIG. 23(b) is an isolated enlarged side view of the inventive line motion 
sensor shown in FIG. 23(a) having photo-detecting means. In this case, the 
sensor units 272 comprise a reflective surface. A light beam emitted from 
a photo-emitter 274 is reflected by each sensor unit 272 as the driven 
wheel 268 is rotated by the line 32 being drawn from the spool 30. Each 
time the light beam is reflected, a photo-detector 276 receives the 
reflected light and generates a pulse, such as a voltage or current pulse. 
The detection of this pulse by a pulse detector indicates that the line 32 
is being drawn from the spool 30, and an overrun condition is not 
occurring. If during the casting operation the pulse is not detected, than 
it is determined that an overrun condition is occurring, and a casting 
drag brake 40b (as described herein) is controlled to slow the rotation of 
the spool 30, take up the slack in the line 32, and prevent the 
entanglement or birds nesting of the line 32 on the spool. 
FIG. 23(c) is an isolated enlarged side view of the inventive line motion 
sensor shown in FIG. 23(a) having photo-detecting means. In this case, the 
sensor units 272 comprise windows in the driven wheel 268. The light beam 
emitted by the photo-emitter 274 passes through each window as the driven 
wheel 268 rotates. Each time the light beam passes through a window, a 
pulse is generated by the photo-detector 276 to determine whether the line 
is being drawn from the spool 30, or if an overrun condition is occurring. 
FIG. 23(d) is an isolated enlarged side view of the inventive line motion 
sensor shown in FIG. 23(a) having magnetic detecting means. In this case, 
the sensor units 272 comprise magnetic elements. The motion of the 
magnetic elements is detected by a magnetic detector 278 so that the 
movement of the line 32 being drawn from the spool 30 can be determined. 
The determination of the movement of the line 32 can also be used during 
fishing to indicate that a fish has taken the bait. In this case, after 
casting out the baited hook, the line 32 will stop moving once movement of 
the hook ceases. At a later time, if a fish takes the hook and begins to 
move away with it, the line 32 will again begin to move. This movement of 
the line 32 as it is drawn from the spool 30 by the fish can thus be 
determined. An audible or visual alert can be generated to inform the 
angler of the line's 32 movement so that he can set the hook in the fish. 
With respect to the above description, it is realized that the optimum 
dimensional relationships for parts of the invention, including variations 
in size, materials, shape, form, function, and manner of operation, 
assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled 
in the art. All equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the 
drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed 
by the present invention. 
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the 
principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and 
changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired 
to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and 
described. Accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be 
resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.