GB2257004A

GB2257004A - Bail arm reversing apparatus for fishing reel.

Info

Publication number: GB2257004A
Application number: GB9210834A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Osamu Yoshikawa
Original assignee: Shimano Inc
Current assignee: Shimano Inc
Priority date: 1991-05-23
Filing date: 1992-05-21
Publication date: 1993-01-06
Also published as: JPH04129767U; GB9210834D0; DE4217086A1

Description

2 -2 -, 7 -, ' -1BAIL ARM REVERSING APPARATUS 1 () 1.5 2 5 The present

invention relates to a bail arm reversing apparatus, and more particularly to a bail arm reversing apparatus for a fishing reel having a t);iil arm extending between and supported by a pair of support arms formed on a rotary frame to be switchable bet.ween a line winding position and a line unwinding position. and a toggle type biasing mechanism for w21ntaining the bail arm in the line winding position or the line unwinding position.

A conventional structure for fixing the ball arm to the line winding position includes an arm cam oscillatable relative to one of the support arms to switch the ball arm between the line winding position and line unwinding position, the arm cam having a projection extending from a lower surface thereof into an interior of the support arm. This projection is coi,ttactable with an inside wall of the support arm. A toggle type biasing mechanism cooperates with the cam in maintaining the bail arm in the line winding position.

One such reversing apparatus is disclosed in JaVanese Utility Model Publication Kokai No. 1987 8,%^,..-)70, in which the bail arm is switchable to the line i\inding position automatically with line winding action of the rotary frame. This prior apparatus has a toggle type biasing mechanism including a piston Vin wounted in a holder to be movable between an extended position and a retracted position. and a spring ror biasing the piston pin toward the extended position.

The piston pin has a distal end thereof connected to the lower surface of the arm cam. The holder is contactable with a drive arm to be switched from a lirte unwinding position to a line winding position, and a reel body includes a projecting cam attached Go a forward end thereof for contacting and actuating the drive arm with rotation of the rotary frame.

According to this structure, the toggle type biasing mechanism causes the projection of the arm cam to st.rike the inside wall of the support arm with an impact and noise.

The projection of the arm cam may strike the inside wall of the support arm with an impact also when the bail arm is manually switched to the line winding position. Thus. there is room improvement.

-3 An object of the present invention is to provide a bail arm reversing apparatus having a simple additional mechanism between the projection of the arm cam and the inside wall of the support arm to suppress the impact and noise occurring with switching of th.e bail arm to the line winding position and to prolong life of the spinning reel.

The above object is fulfilled. according to the present invention, by a bail arm reversing apparaLus comprising an elastic stopper mechanism for elastically receiving the bail arm being switched 'k.o the line winding position, and setting the bail arm to the line winding position.

This construction has the following function and effect.

When the bail arm is switched from the line unwinding position to the line winding position, the bail arm is subjected to the urging force of the toggle type biasing mechanism. As the bail;jt-m approaches the line winding position, an elastic portion of the stopper mechanism first acts on Lhe bail arm to slow down the bail arm. In this state, the stopper mechanism stops the bail arm.

Thus, the simple improvement consisting in the 215 elastic structure of the stopper mechanism is effective to avoid the impact occurring with switching -4c), the bail arm to the line winding position, the biasing force of the toggle type despite biasing iii,-chanism. In this way. the invention prevents the noise of. impact and reduces the possibility of the spinning reel weakening due to impact, to assure a long period of use.

0Pier features and advantages invention description.

of the present will be apparent from the following The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is a plan view in cross section showing an interior structure of one support arm including a toggle type biasing mechanism and an elastic stopper mechanism, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view showing an interior structure of the other support arm including a similar elastic stopper mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a rear view in vertical section showing a bail arm switching mechanism, Fig. 4 is a plan view in cross section showing a modified elastic stopper mechanism. and Fig. 5 is a side view, partly in section. showing a spinning reel.

A bail arm reversing apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail hereinafter with reference to the drawings.

1,'ig. 5 shows a spinning reel including a handle 1 attached o a reel body 2, and a spool shaft 3 extending from the reel body 2. A spool 4 is rotatably mounted on the spool shaft 3.

is mounted between the spool shaft 3 and spool 4 to interconnect the spool shaft 3 and spool 4. A sleeve 1 shaft 6 is rotatably mounted on a proximal portion of the spool shaft 3. The sleeve shaft 6 carries a rotary frame 7 rotatable with the sleeve shaft 6, and a pinion gear 9 formed on a portion of the sleeve shaft 6 lying inside the reel body 2. The pinion gear 9 is meshed with a main gear 10 mounted on a handle shaf t, whereby turning of the handle 1 causes the rotary frame 4 t take a line winding action.

A switching structure for switching positions of a bail arm 8 will be described next. As shown in Vigs. 1 and 5, one end of the bail arm 8 is connected to an arm cam 11 to be oscillatable therewith. The arm, cam 11 is oscillatably supported on one of support arms 7a of the rotary frame 7. The other end of the bail arm 8 is oscillatably connected to the other support arm 7a. One of the support arms 7a contains a toggle type biasing mechanism A in an interior space A drag device thereof for maintaining the bail arm 3 in a line "Inding position or a line unwinding position. The biasing mechanism A includes a holder 12 oscillatable in the interior space. a piston pin 13 supported in the holder 12 to be extendible and retractable relative thereto, and a spring 14 for biasing the piston pin 13 to an extended position. The piston pin 13 has a distal end thereof connected to an inner wall of the arm cam 11.

A position switching mechanism B for forcibly switching the bail arm 8 from the line unwinding position to the line winding position will be described next. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, a drive arm 15 is disposed at an end of the holder 12 adjacent 1.5 the reel body 2 for oscillating the holder 12. The drive arm 15 has an inward end defining a contact portion 15a for contacting a projecting device 1.6 aLtached to the reel body 2. The projecting device 16 acts on the contact portion 15a when the rotary frAme 7 begins to wind the fishing line. When the contact portion 15a contacts a side face of the project.ing device 16, the drive arm 15 swings the holder 12 to switch the bail arm 8 to the line winding position The reel body 2 includes a radial recess for accommodating a movable element 17 to be extendible from and retractable to the recess, and a spring 18 -7for biasing the movable element 17 position. The movable element 17 constitute the projecting device 16. The movable element 17 is supported on a longitudinal axis to be pivotable under a force exceeding the spring load. With this construction, when the handle 1 is turned to rotate the rotary frame 7 in a line winding direction, the movable element 17 acts on the contact portion 15a to swing the drive arm 15. That is, the spring 18 flas a biasing force exceeding a pressing force imparted from the contact portion 15a. When the bail arm 8 is switched from the line winding position to the line unwinding position, the contact portion 14a and movable element 17 could become firmly engaged with each other. However, if the bail arm 8 is forcibly swung toward the line unwinding position, as shown in Fig. 3, the movable arm 17 pivots against the spring load, whereby the drive arm 15 moves past the movable element 17 without being caught by the latter. Thlis, the drive arm 15 becomes freely oscillatable to allow the bail arm 8 to be switched smoothly to the line unwinding position.

An elastic stopper mechanism 19 for acting on the bail arm 8 will be described next. As shown in Fig. 1, the support arm 7a of the rotary frame 7 defines a separate space divided from the space Cor Y5 to an extended and spring 18 a,:commodatirig the toggle type biasing mechanism A.

Titis separate. space contains a slide pin 20, and a spring 21 for biasing the pin 20 to an extended position. The arm cam 11 includes a stop element 11A projecting from a lower surface thereof toward the separate space. Pivotal movement of the arm cam 11 is stopped by contact between the stop element 11A;:t.iid slide pin 20.

As shown in Fig. 2, the other end of the bail arm 8 is oscillatably connected to the other support arm 7a through an arm 22. This support arm 7a contains a similar elastic stopper mechanism 19 to mitigate an impact and noise occurring with switching of the bail arm 8 to the line winding position.

A rubber cushion 23 is mounted on a surface of the slide pin 20 for contacting the stop element 11.A to promote the impact mitigating effect.

The foregoing embodiment may be modified as f o 1 lows.

As shown in Fig. 4, the arm cam 11 may define a space in a lower surface thereof for accommodating the slide pin 20 and spring 21 of the elastic stopper mechanism 19. In this case, the stop element 24 is formed on a wall of the support arm 7a.

The toggle type biasing mechanism A may simply-be a torsion spring.

Claims

-9CLAIMS arms posit 1. A bail arm reversing apparatus comprising: a rotary

frame: a:bail arm extending between a pair of s upport to be oscillatable between a line winding ion and a line unwinding position: a toggle type biasing mechanism for maintaining said bail arm in said line winding position and said line unwinding position; and an elastic stopper mechanism for elastically receiving said ball arm being switched to said line winding position. and setting said bail arm to said line winding position.
2. A bail arm reversing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said toggle type biasing mechanism includes aholder oscillatable in an interior space of said one of said support arms, a piston pin mounted in said holder to be slidable between an extended position and a retracted position, and a spring for biasing sald piston pin toward said extended position.
3. A bail arm reversing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said piston pin has a distal end thereof connected to an inner wall of an arm cam oscillatably al.tached to said one of said support arms.
4. A bail arm reversing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said elastic stopper mechanism includes a slide pin: mounted in a separate space divided from said interior space of said one of said support arms, a spring mounted in said separate space for biasing said slide pin to an extended position, and a stop element projecting from a lower surface of an arm ram toward said separate space for contacting said slide pin, said arm cam being oscillatably attached to said one of said support arms, oscillation of said arm cam being stopped by contact between said stop element and said slide pin.
5. A bail arm reversing apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said slide pin includes a rubber cushlon mounted on a surface thereof for contacting said stop element.
6. A bail arm reversing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said elastic stopper mechanism includes a slide pin mounted in a space formed in a lower surface of an arm cam. a spring mounted in said space for biasing said slide pin to an extended position, and a stop element projecting from a wall of said one of said support arms.
7. A bail arm reversing apparatus substantially as herei:n described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 and 1 or Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.