JP7529638B2 - Fishing line guide and fishing rod - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a fishing line guide and a fishing rod equipped with a fishing line guide.

Fishing rods that can be fitted with various fishing reels, such as spinning reels and double-bearing reels, are known in the past. These fishing rods have fishing line guides attached at regular intervals along the length of the rod to guide the fishing line that is paid out from the fishing reel. Typically, fishing line guides are configured to include a fishing line insertion section (a guide ring holder to which a guide ring is attached) through which the fishing line passes, guide legs that are fixed to the rod shaft, and a connecting section that connects the fishing line insertion section and the guide legs. In addition, such fishing line guides are formed into a plate shape from metal, synthetic resin, or fiber-reinforced resin (see Figure 8 of Patent Document 1), and are fixed to the rod shaft by placing the guide legs on the rod shaft, fastening the line to the guide legs, and applying resin to the guide legs.

JP 2016-119887 A

The above-mentioned plate-shaped fishing line guide can be integrally molded from ceramic material, for example, by injection molding. Fishing line guides integrally formed from ceramic material in this way can be made sufficiently hard and lightweight. In particular, ceramic material allows good sliding properties for fishing line, so there is no need to attach a guide ring to the fishing line insertion section, making it possible to effectively reduce weight.

However, ceramic materials have low impact strength and can be damaged if they are struck by other objects during fishing or handling. For this reason, when they are formed to the same size as typical metal fishing line guides, their low impact strength results in the need to make them thicker. In this way, thickening the fishing line guide makes it more susceptible to air resistance, reducing the operability of the fishing rod and making it look heavy.

The present invention was made with a focus on the above problems, and aims to provide a fishing line guide that is molded from ceramic material to be the same size as a metal guide, yet has the necessary impact strength, is less susceptible to air resistance, and appears light, as well as a fishing rod fitted with such a fishing line guide.

To achieve the above-mentioned objective, the fishing line guide of the present invention is characterized in that it is constructed as a plate integrally molded from ceramic material, and includes a guide leg that serves as a fixed portion relative to the rod shaft, a fishing line insertion portion through which the fishing line is inserted, and a connecting portion that rises from the guide leg and connects to the fishing line insertion portion, and has a thick portion that protrudes toward the rod tip near the fixed portion of the guide leg.

The fishing line guide of the above configuration is integrally molded from ceramic material, which makes it lightweight and eliminates the need to attach a guide ring to the fishing line insertion section. In addition, the fixed portion of the guide leg is a part where a large load is applied when the fishing line guide is struck by another object, and is prone to breakage. However, by forming a thick section protruding toward the rod tip near this part, it is possible to efficiently ensure the same impact resistance strength even for a fishing line guide of the same size as a metal guide. In addition, because the main body of the fishing line guide is not made thicker than necessary, it is less susceptible to air resistance and does not give the impression of being heavy.

The present invention also provides a fishing rod equipped with the above-mentioned fishing line guide.
This type of fishing rod is equipped with multiple fishing line guides that efficiently increase impact strength without increasing the weight as described above, so the weight of the entire fishing rod does not increase, and therefore the operability does not decrease and the rod does not look heavy.

According to the present invention, even if a fishing line guide of the same size as a metal guide is molded using a ceramic material, it is possible to obtain a fishing line guide that has the necessary impact strength, is less susceptible to air resistance, and appears light, as well as a fishing rod equipped with such a fishing line guide.

1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a fishing rod according to the present invention. 2 is a perspective view of the fishing line guide shown in FIG. 1, viewed from above on the base end side. FIG. 2A is a side view of the fishing line guide shown in FIG. 1 , and FIG. 2B is a side view of the fishing line guide showing a modified example of the through hole of the rib. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the fishing line guide shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the fishing line guide shown in FIG. 1, seen from below on the rod tip side. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the fishing line guide shown in FIG. 2A and 2B are diagrams showing the state in which the fishing line guide shown in FIG. 1 is fixed to the surface of a fishing rod, (a) being a side view, and (b) being a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in (a). 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a first modified example of a fishing line guide, in which (a) is a plan view of a guide leg portion, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a diagram showing a modified example of a concave-convex structure. FIG. 13 is a plan view of a guide leg portion showing a second modified example of the fishing line guide. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a guide leg portion of a fishing line guide according to a third modified example. 13A to 13C are diagrams showing a fourth modified example of the fishing line guide, in which FIG. 13A is a perspective view, FIG. 13B is a side view, and FIG. 13C is a diagram showing a modified example of the connecting portion. 13A and 13B are views showing a fifth modified example of the fishing line guide, in which FIG. FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of a fishing line guide.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a fishing rod according to the present invention.
The fishing rod 1 shown in FIG. 1 is configured as a telescopic rod in which a middle rod 5 and a tip rod 7 are housed in a butt rod 3 and are sequentially telescopically joined. Each rod is configured as a tubular body, and is made, for example, by winding a prepreg sheet made of fiber-reinforced resin in which reinforced fibers are impregnated with synthetic resin. Tubular bodies made of such materials are made by known manufacturing methods, and the rods constituting the fishing rod of the present invention may have a solid structure in addition to such a tubular body structure. In addition, the number of rods housed inside the butt rod 3 (the number of joints) is arbitrary, and the joining method may be a parallel joint type, a spigot joint type, etc. in addition to a telescopic type. In addition, the fishing rod may be a single rod rather than a rod that is joined to a plurality of rods.

A reel seat 9 with a reel leg mounting portion is disposed on the base end side of the butt rod 3. This reel seat 9 is provided with a fixed hood and a movable hood on both axial sides of the reel leg mounting portion, and by placing the reel leg of the fishing reel 100 on the reel leg mounting portion and moving the movable hood in the axial direction, the reel leg is fastened and fixed onto the reel leg mounting portion. The movable hood may be disposed on either the tip side or the base end side, and both sides may be configured as movable hoods.

Line guides 10, 10A that guide the fishing line are attached to the butt rod 3, middle rod 5, and tip rod 7 (line guide 10A is the top guide). A number of line guides 10 are arranged on the surface of each rod at regular intervals along the axial direction. These line guides 10 include a type that is fixed by a fixing method described below (fixed guide), and a type that can slide along the surface of the rod when it is stored (floating guide).

Next, the configuration of the fishing line guide 10 attached to the fishing rod described above will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 6. These figures show a fixed guide that is fixed to the surface of the rod, and the attachment position for each rod is on the front end side. Therefore, the size, etc., of the guide can be changed as appropriate depending on the outer diameter of the rod to which it is attached.

The fishing line guide 10 of this embodiment comprises a guide leg 11 that extends in the axial direction of the rod to which it is attached, a fishing line insertion section 13 through which the fishing line is inserted, and a connecting section 15 that rises from the tip end of the guide leg 11 and connects to the fishing line insertion section 13, all of which are formed in a flat plate shape. The flat fishing line guide 10 that comprises these components is integrally molded by powdering ceramic material such as alumina, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, silica, and zirconia, and then injection molding the powder.

The fishing line guide 10 of this embodiment has a single-leg structure in which the guide leg 11 extends axially from the base end, and the tip end of the guide leg 11 forms a connecting part 15 that curves upward, and is equipped with a fishing line insertion part 13 having a circular opening 13A at the upper end of the connecting part 15. Because the fishing line guide is made of the ceramic material described above, there is no need to attach a guide ring to this fishing line insertion part 13 to improve the sliding properties of the fishing line.

In the above-described configuration, the guide leg 11 is a region that is fixed to the rod 5 (see FIG. 7). The connecting portion 15 is defined as the region above an inflection point P1 where the line guide starts to rise in a curved manner relative to the rod surface (horizontal plane P) when viewed from the side with the fishing line guide fixed to the rod surface. The fishing line insertion portion 13 is defined as the region above a position P2 that is the lowest end of the circular opening 13A. For this reason, when viewed from the side, the connecting portion 15 has a curved ridge 15A on the lower surface (rod tip side), and a curved ridge 15B on the upper surface (base end side) (the connecting portion has a substantially uniform thickness).
3, the inflection point P1 of the ridge 15A is located slightly above the bottom end (horizontal plane P) of the guide leg 11, but depending on the shape of the thick portion (rib 20) described below, the ridge 15A may extend to the bottom end of the guide leg 11. In other words, the inflection point P1 of the lower ridge 15A that defines the connecting portion 15 may be located at the bottom end (horizontal plane P) of the guide leg 11.

As described above, the fishing line insertion portion 13 is integrated with the connecting portion 15, and the connecting portion 15 is formed so as to curve and rise from the guide leg 11. In this case, the rise angle α of the surface 15C of the connecting portion 15 on the rod tip side relative to the guide leg 11 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that it is formed in the range of 30°≦α≦85° so that the fishing line can be smoothly guided and the fishing line can be easily removed even if it becomes tangled in a loop. In addition, the surface 15C of the connecting portion 15 in this embodiment is formed flush with the surface 13C on the rod tip side of the fishing line insertion portion 13, and is the surface Pd that determines the rise angle α.

The fishing line guide 10 has a thickened portion formed to improve its impact strength. As described above, the fishing line guide 10 is made of a ceramic material, and therefore may be damaged when subjected to an impact. In the shape of this embodiment, the largest load acts on the fixed portion of the guide leg 11, and in particular, a large load (bending stress) acts on the portion (inflection point portion) where the guide leg 11 transitions in a curved upward direction to the connecting portion 15.

In the present invention, a thick section is formed near the fixed portion of the guide leg 11 so as to protrude toward the rod tip, enhancing the reinforcing effect. That is, in a conventional fishing line guide formed in a plate shape, the lower surface of the guide leg (the lower surface that comes into contact with the rod) gradually curves upward to form a connecting section at the front end position, but this section (transition section) is easily damaged when subjected to impact. For this reason, a thick section is formed so as to protrude toward the rod tip from near the fixed portion of the guide leg 11 toward the fishing line insertion section 13.

The thick portion of this embodiment is configured with a rib 20 having a predetermined width and height that protrudes toward the rod tip to reinforce the connecting portion 15. As shown in FIG. 3, when the fishing line guide is viewed from the side, the rib 20 is formed so as to protrude from the ridge 15A of the connecting portion 15 toward the rod tip, and at its upper end position 20a, is integrated with the surface 15C of the connecting portion 15. In other words, the protruding end face (end face on the rod tip side) 20A of the rib 20 of this embodiment is formed so as to be flush with the surface 15C of the connecting portion 15 and the surface 13C on the rod tip side of the fishing line insertion portion 13.

In general, when the fishing line gets caught on the fishing line guide 10 of the above type, a large load (bending stress in the clockwise direction in FIG. 3) acts on the vicinity of the fixed portion from the guide leg 11 to the connecting portion 15 (the curved portion that transitions from the inflection point P1 to the connecting portion 15), but by forming the rib 20 in this portion, an effective reinforcing effect can be obtained. In other words, the impact strength of the ceramic material, which is the injection molding material, can be improved.

The rib 20 is preferably formed on the tip-side surface 15C of the connecting portion 15 in the area transitioning from the guide leg 11 of the fishing line guide to the fishing line insertion portion 13, and more preferably in the center of the tip-side surface 15C of the connecting portion 15 as shown in FIG. 5. That is, the rib 20 (thick portion) may be formed over the entire surface 15C of the fishing line guide, but by forming it in the center as shown in FIG. 5, it is possible to efficiently enhance the reinforcing effect without increasing the weight of the entire fishing line guide. In this case, the upper end position 20a of the rib 20 may be formed to be located at the circular opening 13A of the fishing line insertion portion 13, but since the vicinity of the circular opening 13A is not particularly subjected to a large load (no large impacts), it is sufficient to form it up to approximately the middle position of the connecting portion 15 as shown in FIG. 5.

As shown in FIG. 3, the ribs 20 are preferably formed at a height that does not protrude from the surface 13C on the tip side of the fishing line insertion portion 13 toward the tip side, i.e., at a height that does not protrude from the surface Pd toward the tip side. This is because if they are formed too high (thick), the rigidity distribution will change significantly and the strength may actually decrease. Also, if the ribs 20 are too high, they will be more susceptible to wind resistance and the operability of the fishing rod will decrease, so it is preferable to form them at a height below the surface Pd.

In this embodiment, the width W of the rib 20 is uniform as shown in Figures 5 and 6, but it is preferable to make it wider on the side where it is fixed to the rod and narrower toward the fishing line insertion part. This configuration provides an efficient reinforcing effect without increasing weight, and furthermore, it is possible to withstand a larger load without concentrating stress in one area.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the height H of the rib 20 is higher on the side where it is fixed to the rod and lower toward the fishing line insertion section 13. This configuration efficiently improves strength without concentrating stress in one area, and, in combination with the structure in which the width W changes, it creates a tapered shape, making it easier to mold. In addition, the upper end of the rib 20 is less susceptible to wind resistance, preventing a decrease in the operability of the fishing rod.

It is preferable to form a through hole 22 in the rib 20. As shown in FIG. 3(a), the through hole 22 in this embodiment is formed on the side of the fixed portion where the fixing line 50 (see FIG. 7) is wound around the guide leg 11. By forming the through hole 22 at such a position, when the fishing line guide 10 is fixed to the rod, the wound line 50 can be inserted and pillow-wound, and the fishing line guide can be prevented from coming off in the fixed state. In addition, since the through hole 22 can be formed to reduce weight, multiple through holes may be formed, and some or all of them may be configured as recesses rather than through holes. The size (inner diameter) and shape of the through hole are not limited, and it is possible to appropriately modify it, for example, to form it to a size that allows more than two lines 50 to pass through, as in the through hole 22A shown in FIG. 3(b).

3, the protruding end face (end face on the rod tip side) 20A of the rib 20 is formed flush with the face 15C of the connecting portion 15 and the face 13C on the rod tip side of the fishing line insertion portion 13, and the end face 20A is bent at approximately 90 degrees to connect to the lower end face 20B that abuts against the surface of the rod to which it is fixed. In this way, the lower end face 20B of the rib 20 abuts against the rod surface when the fishing line guide 20 is fixed to the rod, so that even if a large bending stress acts on the fishing line guide, it is unlikely to wobble or deform, and it is possible to maintain a stable fixed state. In other words, when a conventional fishing line guide that does not have ribs 20 is fixed to the surface of a rod, the gaps in the curved connecting parts are filled with fixing resin, which makes the fixed state of the fishing line guide unstable and causes a poor appearance, but the presence of ribs 20 in such gaps stabilizes the fixed state of the fishing line guide and prevents the poor appearance.

The lower end surface 20B of the rib 20 may be extended in the axial direction as it is, integrated with the guide leg 11, and used as a fixed portion that abuts against the surface of the rod. In this case, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, it is preferable to form a groove 24 that extends along the axial direction of the rod in the portion that is fixed to the rod surface.

In addition, because the fishing line guide 10 of this embodiment is less likely to come loose and has a stable fixed state due to the above-mentioned configuration, it is possible to reduce the weight of the guide legs 11 by thinning the tip side 11A. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, it is also possible to reduce the weight by forming multiple polygonal recesses 15a in the connecting portion 15. In other words, a fishing rod with multiple fishing line guides 10 of the above-mentioned configuration installed on the rod shaft can reduce the weight and improve operability without compromising the appearance.

Next, a method for fixing the fishing line guide 10 having the above-mentioned structure to the surface of a rod (here, the middle rod 5) will be described with reference to FIG.
When the fishing line guide 10 is fixed to the surface of the rod 5, the guide leg 11 is placed on the surface of the rod 5 and a fixing line 50 is wound around it. After the line 50 is wound, a fixing resin is applied to the surface to stabilize the fixed state.

When winding the line 50, the line can be passed through the through-hole 22 formed in the rib 20 and wrapped around the rod, improving the impact resistance while also improving the pull-out strength of the fishing line guide. During this fixing process, with conventional fishing line guides, resin would get into the gap between the rod surface and the guide, making it difficult to work with, but by forming the rib 20, resin will no longer get in, improving workability. In addition, resin will get into the through-hole 22, creating an anchor effect between the rod surface and the guide, improving the fixing strength and stabilizing the fixed state of the fishing line guide.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7(b), when the underside (guide leg) of the rib 20 is pressed against the surface of the rod, the groove 24 formed in the rib 20 provides two-point contact 20P with the rod, making it possible to stabilize the fixed state.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible. Configuration examples of the modifications will be described below.
In addition, in describing the various modified examples below, the same components as those in the above-described embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 8 shows a first modified example of the fishing line guide, where (a) is a plan view of the guide leg portion, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a view showing a modified example of the uneven structure.
As shown in this modified example, a plurality of uneven portions 16 (anti-slip structures) may be formed along the axial direction of the portion of the surface of the guide leg 11 around which the thread 50 is wound. The uneven portion 16 may be formed by continuously forming recesses 16a as shown in (b), or may be formed by continuously forming protrusions 16b as shown in (c).

By forming such uneven portions 16, when the fishing line is fastened, the fishing line enters the recessed area, making it possible to prevent the fishing line guide from coming loose.
The method of forming the uneven portion can be modified in various ways, and the anti-dislodgement structure may be such that the surface is roughened or knurled.

FIG. 9 is a view showing a second modified example of the fishing line guide, and is a plan view of the guide leg portion.
As described above, the retaining structure formed on the guide leg 11 can also be configured by forming the wide portion 16A on the tip side of the guide leg 11.

FIG. 10 is a view showing a third modified example of the fishing line guide, and is a cross-sectional view of the guide leg portion.
As described above, the rib 20 may be configured to be integral with the guide leg 11 and to be pressed against the surface of the rod and wound with the thread, or it may be configured so that the back surface of the guide leg 11 is pressed directly against the surface of the rod and fixed thereto without extending in the axial direction.

In such a configuration, it is preferable to configure the guide leg 11 with a curved surface so that it fits the surface of the rod. By forming it into such a curved surface, it is possible to make two-point contact with the rod surface, as shown in Figure 7, improving the fixing strength and stabilizing the fixed state of the fishing line guide.

11A and 11B are views showing a fourth modified example of the fishing line guide, in which (a) is a perspective view and (b) is a side view.
The fishing line guide 10 in the above embodiment has a single-leg structure in which the guide leg 11 extends toward the base end of the axial direction of the fishing rod, but as shown in (a) and (b), the fishing line insertion portion 13 may have a two-leg structure extending to both axial sides of the fishing rod, with the fishing line insertion portion 13 standing vertically. In such a fishing line guide structure, the rib 20 may be formed on only one of the guide legs, but it is preferable to form the rib 20 on each of the opposing areas of both guide legs 11. Furthermore, as shown in (c), the fishing line insertion portion 13 may have a structure that stands up at an angle.

FIG. 12 shows a fifth modified example of the fishing line guide, where (a) is a perspective view and (b) is a side view.
In the above-described embodiment and modified examples, the connecting portion 15 is formed in a plate shape, but the connecting portion may have a frame structure extending from both sides of the fishing line insertion portion 13 to the guide legs 11. In this way, even if the fishing line guide is partially formed of a frame structure, by forming the ribs 20 that serve as the thick portions described above in the frame portions (each frame 15F), it is possible to improve impact strength even when a ceramic material is used.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the fishing line guide, and is an enlarged view showing the fishing line guide (tip guide) attached to the tip rod 7 shown in FIG.
The rib 20 of the fishing line guide 10A of this embodiment can be formed integrally with the tubular portion 19 that is press-fitted into the tip of the tip rod 7. The fishing line guide 10A is press-fitted into the tip rod 7 and adhesively fixed thereto, but by forming a through hole 22 in the rib 20, an anchor effect can be obtained, and the adhesive strength can be increased.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment and can be modified in various ways.
In the above embodiment, a fixed guide fixed to the rod is shown, but a similar rib (thickened portion) can also be formed on the connecting portion of the floating guide. The present invention is characterized in that a thickened portion (rib 20 as in this embodiment) is formed on the connecting portion rising from the fixed portion of the fishing line guide, particularly on the surface on the rod tip side, and other configurations are not limited to the shapes shown in the figures. Furthermore, the size and shape of the thickened portion can be appropriately changed, and for example, it can be made into a structure with a curved surface (approximately hemispherical or approximately semi-elliptical) or the corners of the rib shape can be chamfered or tapered, making it possible to effectively prevent damage, etc.

Reference Signs List 1 Fishing rod 3 Base rod 5 Center rod 7 Tip rod 10, 10A Fishing line guide 11 Guide leg 13 Fishing line insertion section 15 Connection section 20 Thick section (rib)
22 Through hole

Claims (9)

A plate-shaped fishing line guide is integrally formed from a ceramic material and includes guide legs which are fixed to a fishing rod, a fishing line insertion portion through which a fishing line is inserted, and a connecting portion which rises from the guide legs and connects to the fishing line insertion portion,
A fishing line guide characterized in that a thick portion protruding toward the rod tip side is formed near the fixing portion of the guide leg. The fishing line guide according to claim 1, characterized in that the thick portion is a rib formed at the connecting portion. The fishing line guide according to claim 2, characterized in that the rib is formed from the center of the back surface of the guide leg to the center of the connecting part. The rib is formed so as to abut against a surface of the rod when fixed to the rod,
4. The fishing line guide according to claim 3, wherein a groove extending along the axial direction of the rod is formed in the portion fixed to the rod surface. The fishing line guide according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the rib is formed at a height such that it does not protrude from the surface of the fishing line insertion portion toward the rod tip. The fishing line guide according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the width of the rib is wider on the side fixed to the rod and narrows toward the fishing line insertion part. The fishing line guide according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the height of the rib is higher on the side fixed to the rod and lowers toward the fishing line insertion part. The fishing line guide according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that a through hole is formed on the fixed portion side of the rib. A fishing rod in which the guide leg according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is wound around the rod shaft and a fishing line guide is attached by applying a resin material to the surface of the rod.

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