Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FISHING SPINNING REEL
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a fishing spinning reel, more
particularly to a fishing spinning reel which has a cam member
to drive a spool spindle to reciprocate with an increased
changeable range of the distance, and a spool on which a
fishline is wound with a quite even distribution.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other features and advantages of the present invention
will become apparent in the following detailed description
of the preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference
to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a partly sectional view of a conventional fishing
spinning reel;
Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, partly sectional view of the
conventional fishing spinning reel, taken along lines 2-
2 of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a partly sectional view of the preferred
embodiment of a fishing spinning reel according to this
invention;
Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of
the preferred embodiment;
Fig. 5 is fragmentary, partly sectional view of the
preferred embodiment, taken along lines 5-5 of Fig. 3; and
Fig. 6 is a schematic view illustrating the rotational
angles of a rotating member during forward and reverse travels
of a reciprocating spool spindle of the preferred embodiment .
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a conventional fishing
spinning reel is shown to include a reel body 1, a rotating
member 2, a reciprocating spool spindle 3, a coupling member
4, a handle 5, a spool 6, a bail unit 7, and a rotating unit
8 . The reel body 1 is formed with a shoulder 101. The rotating
member 2 is mounted in the reel body 1, and is rotatable
relative to the reel body 1 about a first axis (x), and has
an integral eccentric post 201. The reciprocating spool
spindle 3 is disposed in the reel body 1, and is movable
relative to the reel body 1 along a second axis (y) that is
perpendicular to the first axis (x). The coupling member 4
is connected to the spindle 3 , and is movable on the shoulder
101 of the reel body 1. The post 201 of the rotating member
2 is received movably in an elongate slot 401 formed in the
coupling member 4. The handle 5 has a handle axle 501 and
an integral gear 502 which is sleeved on the handle axle 501
and which meshes with the rotating member 2 so as to transfer
rotation of the handle 5 to the rotating member 2. When the
handle 5 and the rotating member 2 rotate, the post 201 moves
in the reel body 1 along a circular path so as to reciprocate
the spindle 3 along the second axis (y), and the rotating
unit 8 and the bail unit 7 rotate about the second axis (y) .
As such, a fishline (not shown) can be wound around or unwound
from the spool 6. The aforesaid conventional fishing spinning
reel suffers from the following disadvantages:
1. When the fishline is wound on the spool 6, it is shaped
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as a tubular unit, and is formed with a plurality of turns.
The spindle 3 effects a forward travel and a reverse travel
during each revolution of the rotating member 2. The number
of the turns during each forward travel of the spindle 3 is
equal to that formed during each reverse travel of the spindle
3. In addition, the number of the turns formed at two end
portions of the spool 6 is greater than that formed at a middle
portion of the spool 6, thereby resulting in an uneven
distribution of the fishline on the spool 6. Such an uneven
fishline distribution will affect adversely smooth winding
and unwinding operations of the fishing spinning reel.
2. The spindle 3 moves between two end positions, which
are spaced apart from each other by a distance that is twice
the distance between the post 201 of the rotating member 2
and the first axis (x). Because the changeable range of the
distance between the post 201 and the first axis (x) is
relatively small due to the volume constraint of the reel
body 1, the changeable range of the distance between the end
positions is reduced, thereby affecting utility of the
fishing spinning reel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a fishing
spinning reel including a spool spindle that is capable of
reciprocating with anincreased changeable range of distance,
and a spool on which a fishline is wound with a quite even
distribution.
According to this invention, the fishing spinning reel
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includes a reel frame, and a rotating member disposed in the
reel frame and rotatable relative to the reel frame about
a first axis in an axial direction. The rotating member has
a major wall which defines a plane normal to the first axis,
and a slot which is formed in the major wall and which extends
towards the first axis. A reciprocating spool spindle is
disposed in the reel frame and is movable relative to the
reel frame along a second axis that is perpendicular to the
first axis. The reciprocating spool spindle has first and
second spindle ends opposite to each other along the second
axis. A coupling member is connected to the first spindle
end of the reciprocating spool spindle, and has a cam follower
which confronts the major wall of the rotating member in the
axial direction. A cam member has first and second cam ends
disposed opposite to each other in the axial direction. The
first cam end is loosely engaged in the slot such that the
first cam end is movable relative to the first axis when the
rotating member is rotated about the first axis. The second
cam end engages the cam follower such that the coupling member
and the reciprocating spool spindle reciprocate along the
second axis when the first cam end is moved relative to the
first axis by rotating movement of the rotating member. A
non-circular guideway is disposed to guide the first cam end
to move along a non-circular path. A handle is mounted on
and is rotatable relative to the reel frame to drive the
rotating member to rotate about the first axis. A spool is
mounted to the second spindle end of the reciprocating spool
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spindle to be moved with and rotatable relative to the
reciprocating spool spindle for winding a fishline.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to Figs. 3 to 5, the preferred embodiment of a
5 fishing spinning reel according to the pr'sent invention is
shown to comprise a reel frame 10, a rotating member 20, a
coupl ing member 3 0 , a reciprocat ing spool spindle 4 0 , a handle
50, a non-circular guideway 60, a cam member 70, a spool 80,
a bail unit 90, and a rotating unit 110.
The reel frame 10 is a hollow body, and includes a
positioning post 11 which extends along a first axis (x) in
an axial direction.
The non-circular guideway 60 is disposed in the reel frame
10 to surround the first axis (x) , and defines a non-circular
path in elliptical shape. The non-circular guideway 60 can
be integrally formed with the reel frame 10.
The rotating member 20 is disposed in the reel frame 10,
and has an axial hole 21 to engage the positioning post 11
so as to be rotatable relative to the reel frame 10 about
the first axis (x) in the axial direction. The rotating member
20 has a major wall 24 which defines a plane normal to the
first axis (x) , a slot 23 which is formed through the major
wall 24 and which extends towards the first axis (x), and
a pair of posts 22 which extend from the major wall 24 in
the axial direction. The rotating member 20 is configured
as a spur gear.
The reciprocating spool spindle 40 is disposed in the reel
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frame 10, and is movable relative to the reel frame 10 along
a second axis (y) that is perpendicular to the first axis
(x) , and has first and second spindle ends opposite to each
other along the second axis.
The coupling member 30 is connected to the first spindle
end of the reciprocating spool spindle 40, and has a cam
follower 31 which confronts the major wall 24 of the rotating
member 20 in the axial direction. In this embodiment, the
cam follower 31 is configured as an elongate sliding groove,
and includes two opposing walls which are spaced apart from
each other in a longitudinal direction parallel to the second
axis (y) by a distance.
The cam member 70 is disposed at an opposite side of the
major wall 24 of the rotating member 20 relative to the
non-circular guideway 60, and includes a slider 74, a first
cam end 72 , a second cam end 73 , and a pair of elongate grooves
71. The slider 74 is mounted on and is movable relative to
the major wall 24 of the rotating member 20. The first cam
end 72 projects from the slider 74 in the axial direction
to be received and loosely engaged in the slot 23 such that
the first cam end 72 is movable relative to the first axis
(x) when the rotating member 20 is rotated about the first
axis (x). The first cam end 72 further extends downwardly
and outwardly of the slot 23 so as to be in sliding contact
with the non-circular guideway 60 such that the first cam
end 72 is guided to move along the non-circular path, i.e.
an elliptical path. The second cam end 73 is disposed opposite
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to the first cam end 72 in the axial direction. The second
cam end 73 has a diameter substantially equal to the distance
between the opposing walls of the cam follower 32, and
projects from the slider 74 in the axial direction so as to
be inserted into and engage the cam follower 31. Tas such,
when the first cam end 72 is moved relative to the first axis
(x) by rotating movement of the rotating member 20, the
coupling member 30 and the reciprocating spool spindle 40
reciprocate along the second axis (y) . The elongate grooves
71 are formed in the slider 74 to slidably accommodate the
posts 22 so as to cooperate with the posts 22 to serve as
a stabilizing member for regulating the course of movement
of the slider 74 relative to the major wall 24. The movement
of the first cam end 72 along the non-circular path is thus
stabilized.
The handle 50 is mounted on and is rotatable relative to
the reel frame 10, and has a gear 51 which meshes with the
rotating member 20 to drive the rotating member 20 to rotate
about the first axis (x).
The spool 80 is mounted to the second spindle end of the
reciprocating spool spindle 40 to be moved with and rotatable
relative to the reciprocating spool spindle 40 for winding
a fishline (not shown) in a known manner.
The bail unit 90 is attached to the rotating unit 110 in
a known manner. The rotating unit 110 and the bail unit 90
rotate about the second axis (y) so as to wind a fishline
around the spool 80.
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Referring to Figs. 3 and 5, when the handle 50 is rotated
by the user to drive the rotating member 20 about the first
axis (x) , the first cam end 72 of the cam member 70 is movable
relative to the first axis (x) along the non-circular path
of the non-circular guideway 60 such that the coupling member
30 and the reciprocating spool spindle 40 reciprocate along
the second axis (y) through the second cam end 73 and the
cam follower 31. Thus, the fishline can be wound around the
spool 80.
Referring to Fig. 6, the first cam end 72 moves along the
elliptical path (P) of the guideway 60, and the coupling
member 30 and the reciprocating spool spindle 40 move along
a path (K) . When the first cam end 72 moves to a right limit
point (Gl) , the second cam end 73 moves to a right limit point
(H1), and the reciprocating spool spindle 40 is disposed at
a right end position. When the first cam end 72 moves to a
left limit point (G2) , the second cam end 73 moves to a left
limit point (H2) , and the reciprocating spool spindle 40 is
disposed at a left end position. Thus, the reciprocating spool
spindle 40 effects a forward travel and a reverse travel
during each revolution of the rotating member 20 . The distance
traveled by the reciprocating spool spindle 40 during each
of the forward and reverse travels is indicated by (S1) . The
distance between the first axis (indicated by (O) ) and each
of the right and left limit points (G1) and (G2) is indicated
by (S2). The distance (S3) between the right limit points
(G1) and (H1) or the distance (S3) between the left limit
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points (G2) and (H2) is the distance between the first and
second cam ends 72, 73 in a radial direction relative to the
first axis (O). The relationship among these distances can
be obtained using the equation: S1 = 2 x (S2 + S3 ) . Accordingly,
the distance (S1) bet~e~en the end positions can be changed
by varying the distance (S2) and/or the distance (S3) , thereby
resulting in an increased changeable range of the distance
(S1) .
Furthermore, the fishline, which is wound on the spool
80, is shaped as a tubular unit, and is formed with a plurality
of turns. When the rotating member 20 rotates by an angle
(J) , the reciprocating spool spindle 40 moves over a distance
(P1) during winding of the fishline around an end portion
of the spool 80 to form a predetermined number of turns of
the fishline, and over a distance (P2) that is smaller than
the distance (P1) during winding of the fishline around a
middle portion of the spool 80 to form a predetermined number
of turns of the fishline. Accordingly, the number of turns
of the fishline wound on the spool 80 reduces gradually from
the middle portion of the spool 80 to two end portions of
the spool 80.
In the conventional fishing spinning reel shown in Figs.
1 and 2 , because the post 2 O1 of the rotating member 2 moves
along a circular path (Q) shown by the phantom lines in Fig.
6, when the rotating member 2 rotates by an angle (J), the
reciprocating spool spindle 3 moves over a distance (Q1)
during winding of the fishline around an end portion of the
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spool 6 to form a predetermined number of turns of the fishline,
and over a distance (Q2) that is greater than the distance
(Q1) during winding of the fishline around a middle portion
of the spool 6 to form a predetermined number of turns of
the f ishl ine . Accordingly, the number of turns of the f i shl ine
wound on the spool 6 increases from the middle portion of
the spool 6 to the two end portions of the spool 6. Because
the difference between (P1) and (P2) is smaller than that
between (Q1) and (Q2) , the fishline can be distributed more
evenly on the spool 80 of this invention.
While the present invention has been described in
connection with what is considered the most practical and
preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention
is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended
to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and
scope of the broadest interpretations and equivalent
arrangements.
