Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
108146(~
The present invention relates to an improved line
guide assembly for fishing rods, and more particularly relates
to an improved construction of a line guide assembly used for
passing fishing lines on fishing rods.
The conventional line guide assembly for fishing
rods is in general made up of an innermost line guide ring
made of an extremely hard material such as ceramics, an inter-
mediate cushion ring inserted over the innermost line guide
ring and made of an elastic material such as plastics, and
an outermost fixing ring forcibly inserted over the intermedi-
- ate cushion ring and made of a metallic material. With this
conventional construction of the line guide assembly, use of
the intermediate cushion ring is indispensable on one hand in
order to absorb shocks accidentally imposed upon the outermost
fixing ring and dimensional variance in the construction of
the line guide assembly. However, on the other hand, use of
the intermediate cushion ring inevitably results in an enlar-
ged construction and increased weight of the line guide assem-
bly which hinder smooth handling of the fishing rod to which
the line guide assembly is applied.
A primary object of the present invention is to pro-
; vide a line guide assembly for fishing rods which is very com-
pact in its construction.
Another object of the present invention is to provide
a line guide assembly of considerably reduced weight.
The present invention provides an improved line guide
assembly for fishing rods comprising a fixing ring of elastic
metallic material having an outer periphery and an inner peri-
phery, and having circumferentially spaced projections on the
inner periphery, and a guide ring within said fixing ring, said
guide ring having an outer periphery of smaller diameter than
said inner periphery of said fixing ring, and said projections
- applying radial pressure between the rings to hold the rings
,.,. 1
_ _
;
:.
10819~60
in an assembled condition.
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of an example of the
conventional line guide assembly in a disassembled state;
Figure 2A is a transverse cross sectional view of
the main part of one embodiment of the line guide assembly in
accordance with the present invention;
- Figure 2s is a section taken along the line II - II
in Figure 2A;
Figure 3 is a transverse cross sectional view of the
other embodiment of the line guide assembly in accordance with
the present invention; and
Figures 4A, 4B, and 4C are side sectional views of
a further embodiment of the present invention.
A typical example of the conventional line guide
assembly for fishing rods is shown in Figure 1 in a disassem-
; bled state, in which the line guide assembly includes an inner-
most line guide ring 1, an intermediate cushion ring 2 and an
outermost fixing ring 3. The line guide ring 1 is provided
with an axial circular through hole 11 adapted for passing
fishing lines and is made of an extremely hard material. The
cushion ring 2 is made of a relatively soft elastic material.
The fixing ring 3 is made of a metallic material , and provi-
ded with a pair of side arms 31 merging into a common seat 32
and another arm 33 the free end of which forms another seat 34.
In use of the line guide assembly, same is mounted on a fish-
ing rod and fixed thereto by suitable wires or strings binding
~ the seats 32 and 34 to the body of the fishing rod.
; With the above-described construction of the conven-
tional line guide assembly for fishing rods, presence of the
intermediate cushion ring 2 between the innermost guide ring 1
and the outermost fixing ring 3 results in increased weight of
the entire line guide assembly and relatively small effective
--2--
. . . .
1081~
internal diameter of the assembly adapted for passing fishing
lines despite of its relatively large outer diameter. The
increased weight of the line guide assembly hinders smooth
handling of the fishing rod for which such a line guide assem-
bly is used. The relatively large outer diameter of the line
guide assembly results in increas~ pneumatic resistance when
the fishing rod is swung in use. The small diameter of the
line guide assembly forms a bar to smooth running of fishing
lines through the line guide ring.
The above-described troubles caused by the construc-
tional feature of the conventional line guide assembly may
successfully be avoided by omitting the cushion ring 2 between
the innermost line guide ring 1 and the outermost fixing ring
3. In this case, the line guide ring 1 is directly coupled to
the fixing ring 3. During actual use of the fishing rod, it
often happens that the line guide assembly mounted on the
fishing rod is unintentionally hit against something very hard
such as rocks and direct transmission of shock caused thereby
to the line guide ring 1 from the fixing ring 3 results in
undesirable damage of the line guide ring 1. Thus, the inter-
mediate cushion ring 2 is an indispensable element in the
construction of the line guide assembly which functions as a
shock absorber. In addition, the intermediate cushion ring
functions as an element for absorbing dimensional variance in
the coupling of the line guide ring 1 with the fixing ring 3.
From this point of view also, the intermediate cushion ring
is an indispensable element in the construction of the conven-
tional line guide assembly for fishing rods.
A basic embodiment of the line guide assembly for
fishing rods in accordance with the present invention is shown
in Figure 2, in which the line guide assembly 40 includes an
inner line guide ring 41 and an outer fixing ring 42. The
construction of the line gu-de ring 41 is almost similar to
" ,:
' ` .
~ 1081460
that of the conventional one and is made of an ex-tremely hard
material such as ceramics. The fixing ring 42 is made of a
highly elastic metallic material such as stainless steel and
is provided on its inner periphery with three radial projec-
tions 42a. Dimension of the line guide assembly 40 should be
so chosen that the inner diameter of the fixing ring 42 is
somewhat larger than the outer diameter of the line guide ring
41 and that the diameter of an imaginary circle tangential to
the radia~ projections 42a is somewhat smaller than the outer
diameter of the line guide ring 41. For coupling of the two
rings, the line guide ring 41 is forcibly inserted into the
fixing ring 42 by suitable mechanical pressure, whereby the
outer fixing ring 42 is forced to deform. After coupling is
complete, the outer fixing ring 42 tends to resume its origi-
nal form due to its elastic nature to strongly hold the inner
line guide ring 41 in position by radial pressure exerted
through the projections 42a. In this coupled state, the
inner line guide ring 41 is held suspended within the outer
fixing ring 42 via three points of contact only. Over the
remainder of their circumference other than the three points,
the two rings 41 and 42 are not in contact with each other
leaving gaps G. Due to presence of these gaps G, direct trans-
mission of forces accidentally imposed on the outer fixing ring
42 to the inner line guide ring 41 is considerably mitigated
and, thus, the outer fixing ring 42 functions as a kind of
protector for the inner line guide ring 41.
In the above-described embodiment, the line guide
assembly is further provided with elements for mounting same
to fishing rods such as the arms and seats of the conventional
line guide assembly shown in Figure 1.
As is well understood, omission of the conventionally
used cushion ring in accordance with the present invention
enables reduction of the outermost diameter of the fixing ring,
-4-
J~ ,S
10~1460
i.e. minimization in size of the line guide assembly, and re-
duced weight of the line guide assembly.
Further reduced weight of the line guide assembly can
be achieved by the construction of the embodiment shown in
Figure 3, in which the fixing ring 42 has a uniform thickness
in the radial direction over its entire periphery. It is pro-
vided with three indentations 43a to 43c in the outer surface
thereof at positions corresponding to the inner diametrical
projections 42a to 42c for supporting the inner line guide ring
41. Thus, the line guide assembly is provided with three gaps
G left between the two rings 41 and 42. As in the preceding
embodiment, the projections 42a to 42c are spaced from each
other at substantially equal intervals around the periphery of
the fixing ring 42.
As shown in Figure 4A, and in more detail in Figure
4B, the gaps between the two rings 41 and 42 may advantageously
be filled with a suitable bonding agent, thereby well consoli-
dating the coupling of the two rings.
In accordance with the other aspect of the present
invention, the line guide ring 41 may be provided with a rough-
ened outer peripheral surface to increase the frictional resis-
tance of same. The increased frictional resistance of the
surface very effectively restrains undesirable slippage which
may otherwise occur between the two rings 41 and 42 at their
points of contact. It may also be desirable to form a groove
or grooves in the outer periphery of the line guide ring 41
in order to immovably receive the projection or projections
of the fixing ring 42 as seen in Figure 4C. The two rings 41
and 42 may be bonded to each other by a suitable adhesive at
their points of contact.
'`I
