Shimano Inc.

Koji Takikura

Takeshi Ikuta

Yoshiyuki Furomoto

Keigo Kitajima

Jun Sato

Masakazu Iwabuchi

Yasuhiro Hitomi

Seiji Myojo

Koji Ochiai

Taisei Morise

An oscillating mechanism is for reciprocating a spool in a spool shaft direction in cooperation with rotation of a handle. The oscillating mechanism includes a slider member, a gear member, and a guide shaft. The slider member is mounted at least axially immovably to a spool shaft, on the fore end of which the spool is mounted. The gear member reciprocates the slider member in the shaft axial direction in cooperation with rotation of the handle. The guide shaft is supported at two locations of its outer circumferential surface with the reel unit, has an annular groove to which a retainer can be attached for preventing disengagement of the guide shaft in one axial direction, and guides the slider member in a direction substantially parallel to the spool shaft. In this way, structure for retaining a guide shaft is simplified and design constraint alleviated.

Reciprocating device for spinning reel

Nut that screws together with pinion gear, and bearing that is arranged on the inner circumferential side of the nut, are provided on the front of a spinning-reel rotor. Pressing member is mounted on the front faces of the nut and bearing, such that it abuts on outer race of bearing. Pressing member is installed so as to be rotatable with respect to spool shaft, which is a rod element. Pressing member is water-repellency treated over all its surfaces, including the face that forms a clearance with spool shaft. The present invention prevents invasion of water droplets into rotatory-component clearances in a water-sealing component assembly composed of a relatively rotatable plurality of components, while sustaining rotational efficiency of the rotatory components.

Water-sealing component assembly

A power transmission mechanism is for transmitting power from a handle of a spinning reel to an oscillating mechanism, and includes a pinion gear, a dual-stepped gear, and a driven gear. The pinion gear rotates in cooperation with rotation of the handle. The dual-stepped gear has a larger-diameter gear that is a helical-tooth gear and meshes with the pinion gear, and a smaller-diameter gear that is arranged coaxially with the larger-diameter gear and is formed unitarily with the larger-diameter gear. The smaller-diameter gear is a straight-tooth gear or a helical gear whose orientation is substantially the same as an orientation of the larger gear. The driven gear meshes with the smaller-diameter gear to rotate the oscillating mechanism. In a power transmission device in a fishing reel, manufacturing cost is reduced while suppressing noise.

Fishing-reel power transmission device

Spinning-reel bail-tripping mechanism is a device for returning bail arm from line-releasing posture to line-retrieving posture as rotor rotates in line-retrieving direction. Bail-tripping mechanism includes shifting member that shifts front-to-rear as bail arm pivots; toggle-spring mechanism that urges and toggles bail arm to between the two postures; switching portion, and restraining mechanism. Switching portion comes into contact with the rear end of shifting member and shifts shifting member toward a first position. Restraining means restrains bail arm from returning into line-retrieving posture when bail arm is in line-releasing posture. Restraining means also releases restraint before the rear end of shifting member reaches the peak edge of first inclined face of switching portion as rotor rotates in line-retrieving direction while bail arm is in line-releasing posture. The present invention enables secure retention of bail arm in line-releasing posture, and eases its return from line-releasing posture into line-retrieving posture.

Spinning-reel bail-tripping device

A bail arm includes a bail, a fixed shaft formed by a machining process, a line roller supported by fixed shaft, and a fixed shaft cover formed in one piece with fixed shaft by a die forming process. Fixed shaft cover includes a guiding portion and a recessed portion. Recessed portion is formed on a side of fixed shaft cover opposite guiding portion with respect to bail. Guiding portion includes a cylindrical portion. Fixed shaft cover is formed such that the angle &agr; defined by center axis A of cylindrical portion and axis B of fixed shaft is at least 8&deg; and at most 30&deg;, and axial length L of cylindrical portion is at least 1 mm and at most 3 mm. The present invention provides a fishing line guiding mechanism with which fishing line can be guided smoothly to line roller.

Fishing line guiding mechanism for spinning reel

A spinning reel spool made lightweight while maintaining the strength of the bobbin trunk. The spinning reel spool ( ) includes a spool main section ( ), a front flange section ( ), and a front-flange fixing member ( ). The spool main section ( ) has a bobbin trunk ( ), a tubular skirt portion ( ) with a larger diameter that is formed unitarily with the rear end of the bobbin trunk ( ), and an inner barrel member ( ) made of a synthetic resin polymer, which is fitted to the inner circumference of the bobbin trunk ( ). The front flange section ( ) has a larger diameter and is attached to the front end of the bobbin trunk ( ). The front-flange fixing member ( ) fastens the front flange section ( ) to the spool main section ( ). The bobbin trunk ( ) and the skirt portion ( ) constitute dual larger-smaller stage tubular element that is formed unitarily by press-working a sheet of an aluminum alloy. The inner barrel member ( ) is made of a synthetic resin polymer and is fitted into the bobbin trunk ( ).

Spinning reel spool

Spinning reel spool in which fishing line is unlikely to get jammed in between the bobbin trunk and the flange. The spinning reel spool includes a spool main and a front flange as its chief components. The spool main includes a bobbin trunk around which fishing line is wound, and a larger diameter tubular skirt , formed unitarily with the rear end of the bobbin trunk . The front flange has a larger diameter than, and is attached to the front end of, the bobbin trunk . The bobbin trunk includes a tubular section and an inner barrel made of synthetic resin, attached inner circumferentially to the tubular section . Fitted between the front end of the inner barrel and the front flange A is a reinforcement made of metal. The reinforcement is for example an annular, plate-form ring element made of metal, such as a washer.

Spinning-reel oscillation mechanism employing a compact reel body to achieve dense winding of fishing line onto the spool. The spinning reel oscillation mechanism pumps a spool shaft , to the forward end of which a spool is mounted, back and forth in cooperation with rotation of a handle assembly . The spinning reel oscillation mechanism includes a drive gear , a worm , a driven gear , and a slider . The drive gear is fitted non-rotatably on a master gear shaft. The worm , superficially into which intersecting helical grooves are formed, is disposed paralleling the spool shaft. The driven gear is provided non-rotatably on the worm. Rotation of the drive gear is transmitted to the driven gear . The slider is fitted reciprocatingly in the body of the reel. The slider has an engagement that engages with the helical grooves , and the spool shaft is fitted back-and-forth immovably to the slider

Spinning-reel reciprocating device

A spinning reel rotor whose portions that are liable to contact other objects are kept from being damaged. The rotor has a rotor body , a bail arm , and a rotor cover . The rotor body has a cylindrical section that is rotatively fitted to the reel body , and that has a ring-like large-diameter portion diametrically larger than the rest, and a pair of rotor arms including a pair of connecting sections extending diametrically outward from opposing circumferential surface positions rear-endwise on the large-diameter portion and a pair of arms extending forward spaced apart from the cylindrical section . The bail arm is pivotally fitted tip-endwise to the pair of rotor arms , and is for guiding and fishing line onto the spool. The rotor cover is a member fitted so as to cover the large-diameter portion and external exposed surfaces of the pair of connecting sections, and to allow detachment from and reattachment to the rotor body

Growing community of inventors

Izumi, Japan

Koji Takikura