Spinning reel for fishing

A spinning reel for fishing, comprising:

• a reel body having a left shell and a right shell opposite to said left shell in a longitudinal direction, said left and right shells defining therebetween an accommodation space, each of said left and right shells having inner and outer surfaces, said left shell having an inner engagement area disposed on said inner surface thereof;
• a main shaft disposed in said accommodation space, and extending along a first axis in the longitudinal direction, said main shaft having a left end segment, an intermediate segment, and a right end segment which is rotatably mounted on said inner surface of said right shell;
• a hand-powered crank coupled to said main shaft so as to permit said main shaft to rotate about the first axis;
• a spool shaft extending along a second axis in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction, and having a rear end segment disposed in said accommodation space, a middle segment, and a front end segment disposed forwardly of said reel body;
• a cam mechanism which is disposed to couple said right end segment of said main shaft with said rear end segment of said spool shaft, and which is configured to permit rotation of said main shaft to be translated into linear reciprocating motion of said spool shaft along the second axis;
• a tubular worm which is rotatably sleeved on said middle segment of said spool shaft, and which has a forward segment and a rearward segment opposite to said forward segment in the transverse direction;
• a rotor disposed forwardly of said reel body, and coupled to said forward segment of said tubular worm so as to be driven to rotate with said tubular worm about the second axis;
• a spool disposed forwardly of said rotor, and coupled to said front end segment of said spool shaft to move with said spool shaft;
• a larger-dimension output wheel disposed in said accommodation space, and having
• a first left surface having
• a central region having a first hub hole configured to permit said larger-dimension output wheel to be rotatably sleeved on said intermediate segment of said main shaft, and
• a first lef tmarginalregion surrounding said central region and having a first left engagement area, and
• a first right surface having
• an annular recess configured to surround and be in spatial communication with said first hub hole, and
• a first right marginal region which is opposite to said first left marginal region in the longitudinal direction, and which is formed with first worm teeth configured to mesh with said rearward segment of said tubular worm so as to permit said tubular worm to rotate about the second axis when said larger-dimension output wheel is driven to rotate about the first axis;
• a smaller-dimension output wheel having a second left surface, a second right surface, and a second hub hole which extends from said second left surface to said second right surface, and which is configured to permit said smaller-dimension output wheel to be rotatably sleeved on said intermediate segment of said main shaft, said second right surface having a second right marginal region formed with second worm teeth, said smaller-dimension output wheel being dimensioned to be fitted in said annular recess of said larger-dimension output wheel such that said second right marginal region is surrounded by said first right marginal region of said larger-dimension output wheel, and such that said second worm teeth are mesh with said rearward segment of said tubular worm to permit said tubular worm to rotate about the second axis when said smaller-dimension output wheel is driven to rotate about the first axis;
• a shell body including
• a left wall having a left wall surface, a right abutment surface, and a shaft hole which extends from said left wall surface along the first axis to said right abutment surface, and which is configured to permit said shell body to be sleeved on and to rotate with said main shaft about the first axis, and
• a tubular wall which extends rightward from a periphery of said left wall to define therein an inner space, and which has an inner periphery surface;
• a first tubular member which is rotatably sleeved on said intermediate segment of said main shaft, and which is coupled to be driven to rotate about the first axis, said first tubular member having
• an enlarged left end segment disposed in said inner space of said shell body, and having a first left end surface which confronts said right abutment surface of said left wall of said shell body,
• a mid segment defining, together with said enlarged left end segment, a shoulder region, and
• a first right end segment configured to extend into said first hub hole;
• a spline mechanism disposed to couple said first right end segment of said first tubular member with said second left surface of said smaller-dimension output wheel so as to permit said smaller-dimension output wheel to rotate about the first axis with said first tubular member;
• a second tubular member which is rotatably sleeved on said mid segment of said first tubular member in said inner space of said shell body, and which is coupled to be driven to rotate about the first axis, said second tubular member having
• a second left end surface disposed to confront said shoulder region of said first tubular member, and
• a second right end segment formed with a spline region;
• a sun planetary gear system which is disposed in said accommodation space, and which is configured to couple said larger-dimension output wheel with said spline region of said second right end segment of said second tubular member such that said sun planetary gear system is set in a selected one of an enabling state, where said larger-dimension output wheel and said second tubular member are rotated at different speeds, and a non-enabling state, where said larger-dimension output wheel and said second tubular member are rotated at the same speed;
• a shifting unit disposed in said inner space of said shell body, and including
• a carrier including an annular wall having an outer wall surface, an inner wall surface, and a plurality of slots, each of said slots extending from said outer wall surface to said inner wall surface, said slots being angularly displaced from each other about the first axis, said carrier being shiftable in the longitudinal direction between a first position, where said annular wall is disposed between said enlarged left end segment of said first tubular member and said inner periphery surface of said tubular wall of said shell body, and a second position, where said annular wall is disposed between said second tubular member and said inner periphery surface of said tubular wall of said shell body,
• a plurality of force transmitting members each being rotatably disposed in a corresponding one of said slots about a rotating axis parallel to the first axis, and
• a plurality of biasing members each being disposed in the corresponding one of said slots to bias a corresponding one of said force transmitting members to be in frictional engagement with said inner periphery surface of said shell body such that said force transmitting members are permitted to transmit rotational force of said shell body to said first tubular member when said carrier is in the first position, and such that said force transmitting members are permitted to transmit the rotational force of said shell body to said second tubular member when said carrier is in the second position;
• and
• a coupler disposed between said larger-dimension output wheel and said left shell, and having an axial hole configured to permit said coupler to be rotatably sleeved on said main shaft, said coupler having a leftward engagement area and a rightward engagement area opposite to said leftward engagement area in the longitudinal direction, said coupler being shiftable between a leftward position, where said leftward engagement area is in splined engagement with said inner engagement area of said left shell so as to set said sun planetary gear system in the enabling state, and a rightward position, where said rightward engagement area is in splined engagement with said first left engagement area of said larger-dimension output wheel so as to set said sun planetary gear system in the non-enabling state.