Abstract:
A fishing reel with improved transmission efficiency is disclosed to include a shaft mounted in a casing, a spool sleeved onto the shaft, a brake pad mounted at one side of the spool, two disks mounted at two sides of the brake pad and rotatable by an external force, and a support set provided between the spool and the shaft. Thus, when the shaft is moved axially to a predetermined position, the shaft exerts a pressure to one disk and the spool via the support set, causing the brake pad to be clamped by the two disks. Therefore, the fishing reel is provided with excellent power transmission efficiency and strong spool braking force.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a fishing reel and more specifically, to a fishing reel with improved transmission efficiency, which effectively transmits power and provides a high spool braking force. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   A conventional fishing reel uses a shaft to move a spool in axial direction such that a brake pad at one side of the spool is forced to stop against a metal disk. The metal disk is rotatable by a handle through a gear transmission mechanism. Therefore the power is transmitted from the handle to the spool. When the handle as well as the metal disk is fixed, the spool is provided with a braking force to prevent an excessive high speed of the let-off motion of the fishing line. 
   The aforesaid prior art design utilizes the friction force between the brake pad and the metal disk to transmit a rotary driving force from the handle to the spool, or to give a braking force to the spool. If the external force is excessively high, the brake pad and the metal disk may slip on each other, resulting in a power transmission loss and spool brake failure. 
   Therefore, it is desirable to provide a fishing reel that eliminates the aforesaid problem. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a fishing reel with improved transmission efficiency, which has low power transmission loss. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a fishing reel with improved transmission efficiency, which provides a high spool braking force. 
   To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the fishing reel comprises a casing, a shaft, a spool, a brake pad, a gear rod, a bushing, a first disk, a second disk, a spring member and a support set. 
   The shaft is mounted in the casing and movable in an axial direction between a first position and a second position. The spool comprises an axle, an axial hole for receiving the shaft, a first flange radially extending from a first end of the axle, a second flange radially extending from a second end of the axle, a cover affixed to the first flange and defining with said first flange a chamber. The cover has an axial hole. The brake pad is mounted in the chamber of the spool in a manner that the brake pad is rotatable with the spool. The gear rod is rotatably sleeved onto the shaft. The bushing is fixedly sleeved onto one end of the gear rod and inserted into the axial hole of the cover such that the bushing rotates with the gear rod. The first disk is mounted in the chamber between the brake pad and the cover in a manner that the first disk is rotatable with the bushing. The second disk is mounted in the chamber between the brake pad and the first flange in a manner that the second disk is rotatable with the bushing. The spring member is connected between the first disk and the second disk. The support set is provided between the shaft and the spool. The shaft exerts a pressure to the second disk through the support set to force the second disk, the brake pad and the first disk abutted one another when the shaft locates at said second position. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a fishing reel according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of a part of the fishing reel according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a sectional view taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of a part of  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 5  is similar to  FIG. 3  but showing the fishing reel operated. 
       FIG. 6  is an enlarged view of a part of  FIG. 5 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , a fishing reel  10  in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown comprised of a casing  12 , a shaft  16 , a spool  20 , a brake pad  30 , a gear rod  36 , a bushing  40 , a first disk  44 , a second disk  48 , a spring member  50  and a support set  52 . 
   The casing  12  is provided with a frame  13 , a left cover  14  and a right cover  15 . The shaft  16  is installed between the left cover  14  and the right cover  15 . One end, namely, the right end of the shaft  16  is connected with a spanner  18 . When turning the spanner  18 , the shaft  16  is moved in an axial direction A between a first position (see  FIG. 4 ) and a second position (see  FIG. 6 ). 
   The spool  20  comprises a axle  21 , an axial hole  22  extending through two distal ends of the axle  21  for receiving the shaft  16 , a first flange  23  radially extending from the right end of the axle  21 , a second flange  24  radially extending from the left end of the axle  21 , and a cover  25  affixed to the first flange  23  with four bolts  27 . The cover  25  has a circular center axial hole  26  in axial alignment with the axial hole  22  of the spool  20  for receiving the shaft  16 . The first flange  23  has four recesses  28  for accommodating four springs  281 . A chamber  29  is defined between the first flange  23  and the cover  25 . 
   The brake pad  30  is mounted inside the chamber  29  of the spool  20  in a manner that the brake pad  30  is rotatable with the spool  20 . Actually, the brake pad  30  has four protruding portions  32  respectively inserted into the four recesses  28  of the first flange  23  of the spool  20  so that the brake pad  30  is rotatable with the spool  20 . The four springs  281  are provided between the first flange  23  of the spool  20  and the brake pad  30  such that the brake pad  30  is stopped against the cover  25  when the brake pad  30  receives no external force. The brake pad  30  has a center axial hole  34 . 
   The gear rod  36  is rotatably sleeved onto the shaft  16 . Further, a handle  19  is pivoted to the right cover  15  and coupled to the gear rod  36  through a transmission mechanism (not shown). Therefore, the gear rod  36  can be driven to rotate by the handle  19 . Because the transmission mechanism is a known design, no further detailed description in this regard is necessary. Further, one end of the gear rod  36  has a rectangular cross section. 
   The bushing  40  is fixedly sleeved onto one end of the gear rod  36  such that the bushing  40  rotates with the gear rod  36 . The bushing  40  has a rectangular axial hole  41  for receiving the rectangular end of the gear rod  36 , therefore the bushing  40  is rotatable with the gear rod  36 . The bushing  40  has an engagement portion  42  with rectangular cross section. Further, the bushing  40  is inserted in the axial hole  26  of the cover  25  and the axial hole  34  of the brake pad  30 . 
   The first disk  44  is mounted in the chamber  29  of the spool  20  between the brake pad  30  and the cover  25  in a manner that the first disk  44  is rotatable with the bushing  40 . Actually, the first disk  44  has a rectangular axial hole  46  for receiving the engagement portion  42  of the bushing  40  so that the first disk  44  is rotatable with the bushing  40 . 
   The second disk  48  is mounted in the chamber  29  of the spool  20  between the brake pad  30  and the first flange  23  in a manner that the second disk  48  is rotatable with the bushing  40 . Actually, the second disk  48  has a rectangular axial hole  49  for receiving the engagement portion  42  of the bushing  40  so that the second disk  48  is rotatable with the bushing  40 . 
   The spring member  50  is disposed in the axial hole  34  of the brake pad  30  between the first disk  44  and the second disk  48 . According to the present embodiment, the spring member  50  is a spring washer sleeved onto the engagement portion  42  of the bushing  40 , imparting a spring force to keep the first disk  44  and the second disk  48  apart from the brake pad  30  when receiving no external force. 
   The support set  52  is provided between the shaft  16  and the spool  20 . According to the present preferred embodiment, the support set  52  comprises a left bearing  54  sleeved onto the shaft  16  and positioned at the left side of the axle  21  of the spool  20 , a retaining ring  55  clamped on the shaft  16 , and four spring washers  56  sleeved onto the shaft  16  and stopped between the retaining ring  55  and the left bearing  54 . The support set  52  further comprises a right bearing  57  sleeved onto the shaft  16  and positioned at the right end of the axle  21  of the spool  20 , a retaining ring  58  clamped on the shaft  16 , four spring washers  59  sleeved onto the shaft  16  and stopped between the retaining ring  58  and the right bearing  57 , and a thrust bearing  60  sleeved onto the shaft  16  and positioned between the right bearing  57  and the second disk  48 . 
   When the shaft  16  locates at the first position, as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the support set  52  simply supports the spool  20 . At this time, the brake pad  30  does not touch the first disk  44  or the second disk  48 . The spool  20  is freely rotatable and the power of the handle  19  cannot be transmitted to the spool  20 . On the contrary, when the shaft  16  is driven by the spanner  18  to move rightward to the second position, as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the shaft  16  forces the spool  20  to move rightward by means of the retaining ring  55 , the spring washers  56  and the left bearing  54 , keeping the brake pad  30  in contact with the first disk  44 . At the same time, the shaft  16  forces the second disk  48  to move rightward by means of the retaining ring  58 , the spring washers  59 , the right bearing  57  and the thrust bearing  60 , keeping the second disk  48  in close contact with the brake pad  30 . Thus, the shaft  16  exerts a pressure to both of the spool  20  and the second disk  48  through the support set  52  to force the first disk  44  and the second disk  48  clamping on the two opposite sides of the brake pad  30  to provide huge braking force to the spool  20 . Therefore, the invention eliminates the problem of slipping between the brake pad and the metal disk as seen in the prior art design. Further, the invention allows transmission of rotary driving power from the handle  19  through the gear rod  36 , the bushing  40 , the two disks  44 ,  48  and the brake pad  30  to the spool  20  effectively. Because the invention eliminates the slipping problem of the prior art design, the transmission loss of the transmission of the rotary driving power from the handle  19  to the spool  20  is insignificant. 
   Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the number of the recesses  28  of the first flange  23  of the spool  20  as well as the number of the protruding portions  32  of the brake pad  30  may be changed, i.e., the first flange  23  of the spool  20  can be made having at least one recess  28 , and the brake pad  30  can be made having at least one protruding portion  32  to fit the at least one recess  28  of the first flange  23 . The number of the springs  281  between the first flange  23  of the spool  20  and the brake pad  30  may be changed, i.e., at least one spring member  281  is enough. The engagement portion  42  of the bushing  40  can be made having any non-circular cross section that fits the axial hole  46  of the first disk  44  and the axial hole  49  of the second disk  48 . Coil springs may be used to substitute for the spring members  50 . The support set  52  may be made in any of a variety of alternate forms capable of supporting the spool  20  and exerting a pressure to the second disk  48  or moving the spool  20  upon movement of the shaft  16 . The brake pad  30  and the first disk  44  and second disk  48  may be made of different materials such as metal, carbon fiber cloth, etc. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.