Spinning reel for fishing

Abstract: A spinning reel which is for fishing and includes a drag mechanism (10) and a shift mechanism (11) which is for shifting a spool (6) between a drag state and a release state. The reel has a shift mechanism (11) provided between a spool (6) and a spool shaft (7) so that a rotor turning mechanism, a spool sliding mechanism (9) and so forth, which are provided in a casing (8) of the reel, are not restricted. The reel may be provided with a return mechanism by which the shift mechanism in a state of keeping the spool (6) in the state of rotating freely from the action of the drag mechanism is returned to a state of keeping the spool (6) in the state of receiving the action.

Description: The present invention relates to a spinning reel for fishing which has a drag mechanism for applying a braking force to the spool, according to the preamble of claim 1. In the drag mechanism of a conventional spinning reel, the drag adjustment knob can be turned to gradually increase or decrease the braking force. In some instances during actual fishing, however, the drag mechanism must be suddenly released so the spool rotates freely in order to prevent breaking a fishline or tearing the hook out of the mouth of a fish, to promote the biting of a fish, etc. Since the drag adjustment knob must be turned by at least one rotation to release, it is impossible to easily and quickly release the mechanism. To solve this problem, a spinning reel in which the spool can be immediately released, through one-shot manipulation is as disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication No. Sho. 61-197872 and the U.S. Patent No. 4,746,077. However, since the mechanism for the shifting is provided in the casing of each of the above-mentioned conventional spinning reels, not only the mechanism but also a rotor turning mechanism, a spool sliding mechanism and a mechanism for returning the spool from free rotation to drag are located in the casing so that the interior of the casing is very complicated. Thus, it is very troublesome to assemble and disassemble the reel, the reel is likely to develop mechanical problems, the casing is large in size and weight, and the possible positions for locating the lever of a mechanism for stopping the rotor are restricted. From DE-U-86 31 555 a spinning reel for fishing is known comprising a reel body having a front side being the departing side of a fishing line, and a rear side opposite to said front side, a handle provided in said reel body, a rotor rotatable in response to manual rotation of said handle, a spool shaft slidably fitted in said rotor, said shaft extending from said front side of said reel body until a front end portion, and a spool provided on said front end portion of said spool shaft. The engagement between the spool shaft and the spool is obtained by clamping nuts or grooves by a torsion spring and the release is obtained by clamping the inwardly direction portions by means of a manual relating member so that the spool is freely rotatable with respect to the shaft. This is obtained by manipulating a member having two protruding portions which are able to spread said portions of said spring. Further, there is a disadvantage that the spinning reel for fishing of this document is not safe in operation because of the provision of several grooves and the manipulating member only spreads said end portions of the spring in order to release the shaft. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a spinning reel for fishing which is able to safely operate even under bad conditions, in which an accurate function of the different pieces is provided. This object is achieved by the characterising features of claim 1. A return mechanism, by which the shift mechanism is returned to drag, can semiautomatically return the shift mechanism from the former state to the latter state in conjunction with the rotation of the rotor of the reel, manually of return the shift mechanism from the former state to the latter, or both semiautomatic return of the shift mechanism from the former state to the latter in conjunction with the rotation of the rotor and manually return of the shift mechanism from the former state to the latter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a sectional side view of a spinning reel which is an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a front view of the spinning reel; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the spinning reel along a line A-A shown in Fig. 1; Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are views for describing the operation of the spinning reel; Fig. 7 is a perspective exploded view of a major part of the spinning reel; Fig. 8 is a sectional view of a major part of a spinning reel which is another embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the spinning reel along a line B-B shown in Fig. 8; Figs. 10 and 11 are sectional views for describing the operation of a part of the spinning reel along a line C-C shown in Fig. 9; Fig. 12 is a cutaway side view of a spinning reel which is yet another embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 13 is a front view of the spinning reel shown in Fig. 12; Fig. 14 is a sectional view of the spinning reel a-long a line D-D shown in Fig. 12; Figs. 15, 16 and 17 are views for describing the operation of the spinning reel shown in Fig. 12; Fig. 18 is a perspective exploded view of a major part of the spinning reel shown in Fig. 12; and Fig. 19 is a cutaway side view of a major part of a spinning reel which is a further embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention are hereinafter described in detail with reference to the drawings attached hereto. Figs. 1-7 show a first embodiment of a spinning reel. The reel has a handle 1, a drive gear 2, a pinion 3, a rotary quill 4, a rotor 5, a spool 6, a spool shaft 7, a casing 8, a conventional sliding mechanism 9, a drag mechanism 10, a drag adjustment knob 10', and a shift mechanism 11. The rotor 5, on which a fishline is engaged, is secured to the rotary quill 4, which is rotated by the handle 1 through the drive gear 2 and the pinion 3 engaged therewith. The spool shaft 7, at the tip portion or the front end portion 7a of which the spool 6 is provided, is slidably fitted in the rotary quill 4. The sliding mechanism 9 and the drag mechanism 10 are provided on the spool shaft 7 in the casing 8 so that the drag mechanism is located at the rear end of the spool shaft. The slip rotation of the spool shaft 7 can be braked by the drag mechanism 10 through the manipulation of the drag adjustment knob 10'. The shift mechanism 11 for shifting the spool 6 between drag is provided between the spool 6 and the spool shaft 7. The shift mechanism 11 includes a spool support cylinder 12, an engagement member 13, and a manipulation member 14. The spool 6 is fitted on the spool support cylinder 12 so that the spool can be rotated. The engagement member 13 is for engaging the spool support cylinder 12 with the spool 6. The manipulation member 14 is provided in the spool support cylinder 12 so as to manipulate the engagement member 13. The engagement member 13 includes an engagement claw 15, a manipulating portion 16 and a return portion 17, and is attached to a flange 12' provided integrally with the spool support cylinder 12. The engagement member 13 is urged by a spring 19 so that the engagement claw 15 can be engaged with one of the engagement projections 18 of the inside circumferential surface of the rear half portion of the spool 6. The manipulation member 14 has its body fitted in the front half portion of the spool support cylinder 12 and is urged in an outward direction by a helical spring 20 so that the operating portion 21 of the manipulation member, which projects from one end of the body of the member, is kept at one end of a notch 22 provided in the inner portion of the spool support cylinder 12. The tip of the operating portion 21 is located at that of the operating portion 16 of the engagement member 13. When the manipulation member 14 is pushed inward against the urging force of the helical spring 20, the operating portion 16 is turned clockwise as shown in Fig. 3 and engaged with an engaging notched part 24 having a stranding projection 23, so that the engagement claw 15 is disengaged from the engagement projection 18 of the spool 6. A return member 26 having a projection 25 is secured to the front of the inner portion of the rotor 5. A return mechanism is made of the return member 26 and the return portion 17 of the engagement member 13. When the rotor 5 is turned by the handle 1, the projection 25 of the return member 26 is revolved so that the engagement claw 15 comes into contact with the return portion 17 of the engagement member 13 disengaged from the engagement projection 18 of the spool 6 and turns the return portion to rotate the engagement member 13 clockwise as shown in Fig. 3 to disengage the operating portion 16 from the engaging notched part 24. When the manipulation member 14 is pushed in against the urging force of the helical spring 20, from a position shown by a dotted line in Fig. 1 to a position shown by a full line therein, the operating portion 16 of the engagement member 13 is put out of the position shown in Fig. 5 and is then engaged with the engaging notched part 24 of the operating portion 21 of the manipulation member 14 and the engagement claw 15 of the engagement member is disengaged from the engagement projection 18 of the spool 6 so that the spool is supported rotatably relative to the spool support cylinder 12, as shown in Fig. 3. The spool 6 is thus released from the action of the drag mechanism 10 so that the spool can rotate freely therefrom. When the rotor 5 is thereafter turned by rotating the handle 1, the projection 25 of the return member 26 comes into contact with the return portion 17 of the engagement member 13 to turn the engagement member clockwise to disengage the operating portion 16 from the engaging notched part 24 to move the manipulation member 14 forward by the outward urging force of the helical spring 20 and the engagement claw 15 is engaged with the engagement projection 18 of the spool 6 as shown in Fig. 5, to connect the spool to the spool shaft 7. The spool 6 is thus semiautomatically returned to drag. When the manipulation member 14 is moved in the notch 22 of the spool support cylinder 12 toward the other end of the notch against the urging force of the helical spring 20 as shown by an arrow in Fig. 2, the operating portion 21 of the manipulation member is turned counterclockwise in the notch as shown in Fig. 6, so that the operating portion 16 of the engagement member 13 is stranded onto the projection 23 of the engaging notched part 24 of the manipulation member up from the non-projection surface of the part and the manipulation member is moved forward by the urging force of the spring. The spool 6 is thus manually returned to the state of receiving the action of the drag mechanism 10. Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11 show a spring reel fishing which is a second embodiment. The difference of the reel from that shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 is that the rear of a spool 6 has a plurality of engagement recesses 18′ on a circle, the tip of the operating portion 21 of a manipulation member 14 is formed with an engagement claw 15′ projecting in the radial direction of the reel and capable of being engaged in the engagement recesses 18′, a stopper 16′ having a return portion 17′ urged toward the axis of the reel by a spring 19′ is supported by the flange 12′ of a spool support cylinder 12, and an engagement groove 27 is provided in the operating portion 21 at the butt of the engagement claw and capable of being engaged with the stopper. When the manipulation member 14 is pushed inward so that the engagement claw 15′ is disengaged from the engagement recess 18′, the stopper 16′ is engaged in the engagement groove 27 to keep the engagement claw disengaged from the engagement recess. As a result, the spool 6 is made rotatable relative to the spool support cylinder 12. The spool is thus put in a state of rotating freely from the action of a drag mechanism 10. When a handle 10 is thereafter' rotated, the projection 25 of a return member 26 comes into contact with the return portion 17′ of the stopper 16′ to turn the stopper outward against the urging force of the spring 19′ in the radial direction of the reel to disengage the stopper out of the engagement groove 27 as shown in Fig. 9. As a result, the manipulation member 14 is moved outward by the urging force of a helical spring 20 to engage the engagement claw 15′ in the engagement recess 18′ to connect the spool 6 and the spool support cylinder 12 to each other. The spool 6 is thus returned to drag. Although the return member 26 is secured to the rotor 5 in each of the above-described embodiments, the present invention may be otherwise embodied so that the return member is frictionally connected to the rotor to make it possible to smoothly and unimpulsively release the spool from the drag mechanism. According to first and second embodiments of the present invention, a shift mechanism for shifting a spool into and out of drag is provided between the spool and a spool shaft so as not to restrict the rotor turning mechanism, the spool sliding mechanism and so forth, which are provided in the casing of the spinning reel. For that reason, the drive lines of the reel are not complicated, it is easy to assemble and disassemble the reel, the reel is less likely to develop trouble, the casing can be made smaller in size and weight, and the fishing manipulation of the reel is facilitated. Besides, the spool can be semi-automatically shifted out of release into drag, by a return mechanism which acts in conjunction with rotation of a rotor. The return mechanism is provided at the spool so that the drove lines are not complicated in the casing, and the casing is reduced in size and weight. Figs. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 show a fishing spinning reel which is a third embodiment. The spinning reel comprises a handle 101, a drive gear 102, a pinion 103, a rotary quill 104, a rotor 105, a spool 106, a spool shaft 107, a casing 108, a conventional sliding mechanism 109, and a drag mechanism for the spool. The rotor 105, on which a fishline is engaged, is secured to the rotary quill 104, which is rotated by the handle 101 through the drive gear 102 and the pinion 103 is engaged, is therewith. The spool shaft 107, at the tip portion of which the spool 106 is provided, is fitted in the rotary quill 104 so that th spool shaft is only slidable in the axial direction thereof. The spool 106 is rotatably fitted on a coupling cylinder 111 having an engagement flange 110 at the rear end of the cylinder and rotatably fitted on a support cylinder 112 secured to the spool shaft 107. The drag adjustment knob 113 of the drag mechanism is screw-engaged with the coupling cylinder 111 at the front end thereof so that the knob can be moved backward and forward. When the knob 113 is moved backward, drag members 114 fitted on the coupling cylinder 111 in front of the front flange of the spool 106 and at the rear of the rear flange thereof are put into pressure contact with the spool. An engagement member 119 having an engagement claw 116, an operating portion 117 and a return portion 118 is attached to the flange 115 of the support cylinder 112, which is provided at the rear end of the cylinder. The engagement member 119 is urged by a spring 121 so that the engagement claw 116 can be engaged with one of engagement projections 120 provided on the peripheral portion of the engagement flange 110 of the coupling cylinder 111. A manipulation member 122 is fitted in the front portion of the support cylinder 112 and urged outward in the radial direction thereof by a helical spring 123 so that the operating portion 124 of the manipulation member, which projects inward from one end of the member in the axial direction thereof, is kept at one end of the notch 125 of the inner portion of the support cylinder 112 by the circumferential urging force of the spring, and the tip of the operating portion is located at the front of the operating portion 117 of the engagement member 119. When the manipulation member 122 is pushed inward against the urging force of the spring 123, the operating portion 117 is turned clockwise as to Fig, 14 so that the portion is engaged with an engaging notched part 126 included in the operating portion 124 of the manipulation member 122 and having a stranding projection 126′, and the engagement claw 116 is disengaged from the engagement projection 120 of the engagement flange 110 of the coupling cylinder 111. A return member 128 having a projection 127 is secured to the front of the inner portion of the rotor 105. When the rotor 105 is turned by the handle 101, the projection 127 comes into contact with the return portion 118 of the engagement member 119 having the engagement claw 116 disengaged from the engagement projection 120, to swing the return portion to turn the engagement member clockwise as to Fig. 14 to disengage the operating portion 117 from the engaging notched part 126. A knob 129 for adjusting the resistance to the free rotation of the spool 106 is provided around the manipulation member 122. When the manipulation member 122 is pushed in from a position shown by a dotted line in Fig. 12 to a position shown by a full line therein, the operating portion 117 of the engagement member 119 is shifted from the position shown in Fig. 16 and is engaged with the engaging notched part 126 of the operating portion 124 of the manipulation member and the engagement claw 116 of the engagement member is disengaged from the engagement projection 120 of the coupling cylinder 111, as shown in Fig. 15. As a result, the coupling cylinder 111 and the support cylinder 112 are disconnected from each other, and the spool 106 and the coupling cylinder are freely rotatably supported by the support cylinder as the spool and the coupling cylinder remain in pressure contact with the drag members 114. When the rotor 105 is thereafter turned by the handle 101, the projection 127 of the return member 128 comes into contact with return portion 118 of the engagement member 119 to turn the engagement member clockwise as to Fig. 15 to disengage the operating portion 117 from the engaging notched part 126. At that time, the manipulation member 122 is moved forward by the outward urging force of the helical spring 123, and the engagement claw 116 is engaged with the engagement projection 120, as shown in Fig. 105, so that the coupling cylinder 111 and the support cylinder 112 are connected to each other. The spool 106 is thus semiautomatically returned into a state of receiving the action of the drag mechanism because the drag members 114 thereof are in pressure contact with the spool and the coupling cylinder. When the manipulation membcr 122 is moved in the notch 125 of the support cylinder 112 against the circumferential urging force of the helical spring 123 as shown by an arrow in Fig. 13, the operating portion 124 of the manipulation member is turned counter-clockwise in the notch toward the other end thereof as shown in Fig. 17, so that the operating portion 117 of the engagement member 119 is stranded onto the stranding projection 126′ of the engaging notched part 126 up from the non-projection surface thereof, the manipulation member is moved forward by the outward urging force of the helical spring 123, and the engagement claw 116 of the engagement member is engaged with the engagement projection 120 of the coupling cylinder 111. The spool 106 is thus manually returned into the state of receiving the action of the drag mechanism. Fig. 19 shows a fourth embodiment in which a major part of a spinning reel which is for fishing is depicted. The difference of the fishing reel from the preceding one is that drag members 114 are not located on the front flange of a spool 106 but located in a recess 106′ provided in the spool. Although the return member 128 is secured to the rotor 105 integrally therewith in each of the above-described embodiments, the present invention may be otherwise embodied so that the return member is frictionally connected to the rotor to make it possible to smoothly shift the spool into the state of receiving the action of the drag mechanism. In a spinning reel provided in accordance with third and fourth embodiments of the present invention, a drag mechanism is provided for a spool so as to brake the rotation thereof. A shift mechanism for shifting the spool between a state of receiving the action of the drag mechanism and a state of rotating freely from the action is provided between the spool and a spool shaft so that the rotor turning mechanism, the spool sliding mechanism and so forth, which are provided in the casing of the reel, are not restricted. For that reason, the drive lines of the reel are not complicated, it is easy to assemble and disassemble the reel, the reel is less likely to develop trouble, the casing is prevented from being enlarged in size and weight, and the fishing manipulation of the reel is facilitated. Besides, the spool can be semiautomatically shifted from the state of rotating freely from the action of the drag mechanism, into the state of receiving the action, by a return mechanism which acts in conjunction with the turning of a rotor. Since the return mechanism is provided at the spool, the drive lines are not complicated in the casing and the casing is reduced in size and weight.

Claims: A spinning reel for fishing comprising: a reel body having a front side being the departing side of a fishing line, and a rear side opposite to said front side; a handle (1;101) provided on said reel body; a rotor (5;105) rotatable in response to manual rotation of said handle (1;101); a spool shaft (7;107) slidably fitted in said rotor (5;105), said shaft (7;107) extending from said front side of said reel body until a front end portion (7a); a spool (6;106) provided on said front end portion (7a;107a) of said spool shaft (7;107); drag means (10;114) for braking the rotation of said spool (6;106); characterized by a braking force release shifting means (11) for shifting said spool (6;106) from a drag state, in which the braking force of said drag means (10;114) is applied to said spool (6;106), into a released state, said braking force release shifting means (11) including an engagement member (13;15';119) being operatively connected between said spool (6;106) and said spool shaft (7;107) so as to engage or disengage said spool (6;106) and said spool shaft (7;107) one from the other, said braking force release shifting means (11) including a manipulation member (14) for manually manipulating said engagement member (13;15';119) from said drag state into said release state, said manipulation member (14) being provided on a front portion of said spool (6;106). The spinning reel according to claim 1, characterized in that said shifting means (11) includes a spool support cylinder (12;112) for supporting said spool (6;106) onto an outer surface thereof and freely rotating said spool (6;106) therearound, said spool support cylinder (12;112) being secured to said spool shaft (7;107), and provided with said engagement member (13;15';119) for engaging said spool support cylinder (12;112) with said spool (6;106). The spinning reel according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said manipulation member (14) for manipulating said engagement member (13;15';119) to engage with and disengage from said spool (6;106), is provided on an inner surface of said support cylinder (12,112). The spinning reel according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said engagement member (13;15';119) includes an engagement claw (15;15';116), a manipulating portion (16;117) and a return portion (17;118). The spinning reel according to at least one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said drag means (10) is located at a rear end of said spool shaft (7;107). The spinning reel according to at least one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said drag means (10;114) is located between said spool (6;106) and said shifting means (11). The spinning reel according to at least one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by a returning means (25,26,17;127,128,118) for returning said spool (6;106) from said release state to said drag state. The spinning reel according to at least one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said shifting means (11) include a support cylinder (12;112) secured to said spool shaft (7;107), a coupling cylinder (111) fitted on an outer surface of said support cylinder (12;112) and an engagement member (119) for engaging said support cylinder (12;112) with said coupling cylinder (111). The spinning reel according to claim 8, characterized in that said drag means (10;114) include drag members provided between said spool (6;106) and said coupling cylinder (111). The spinning reel according to claim 8, characterized in that said manipulating member (14) being provided on an inner surface of said support cylinder (12;112).

Inventors: KANEKO KYOICHI C O DAIWA SEIKO, KANEKO, KYOICHI, C/O DAIWA SEIKO INC.
Applicants: DAIWA SEIKO INC, DAIWA SEIKO INC.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: A01K89
IPC codes: A01K89