Drag washer of reel for fishing and reel for washing using the same

#The present invention relates to a drag washer used for a drag mechanism of a fishing reel and to a fishing reel using the same.

#In general, a drag mechanism of a fishing reel is given a setting of a braking force so that when a tensile force in excess of a predetermined value is exerted on a fishing line, the drag mechanism is made to slip to allow the fishing line to be reeled out in response to pull of hooked fish, so as to prevent the fishing line from being break. The drag washers that are generally used as braking friction plates in the drag mechanism include, for example, asbestos-phenol-resin molded material, flammable woven fabric greased or impregnated with oil grease, and carbon-fiber woven fabric impregnated with resin and cured.

#These drag washers have the problems, however, that the friction resistance is subject to change under environmental changes, such as change in friction resistance caused by entrained seawater, change in friction resistance caused by frictional heat, and change in friction resistance resulting from durability in thickness direction against tightening force.

#FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a spinning reel of an embodiment employing drag washers of the present invention.

#FIG. 2 is a side elevation view in section of a drag mechanism of a spinning reel of an embodiment employing the drag washers of the present invention.

#FIG. 3 is a side elevation view in section of a double bearing reel of a lever drag type of an embodiment employing the drag washers of the present invention.

#In the following, certain preferred embodiments of fishing reels employing the drag washers of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

#Shown in FIG. 1 is an example of a spinning reel employing drag washers of the present invention. Shown in FIG. 2 is a side elevation view in section of a drag mechanism of the spinning reel of FIG. 1. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the spinning reel comprises a fishing line winding handle 1, a reel body 2 in which a winding power transmission system connecting with the fishing line winding handle 1 is disposed, a spool shaft 3 non-rotationally mounted on a front end of the reel body 2, a spool 4 mounted on the spool shaft 3 to be rotatable relative thereto, a rotary frame 5 that rotates around the spool 4, and a bail arm 6 mounted on the rotary frame 5.

#The spool 4 has an inwardly recessed space formed at a front end portion thereof, in which a drag mechanism 7 for the spool 4 is disposed and a drag control member 22 that acts on the drag mechanism 7 to produce a drag force is disposed at the outside of the drag mechanism 7. The operation of the drag control member 22 exerts the drag force on the drag washers to variably control the rotation of the spool 4 of the fishing reel in a direction for a fishing line to be reeled out. The drag mechanisms 7 that may be used include, for example, a star-drag type one for adjusting the drag force by rotating operation of a star drag threadedly engaged with a handle shaft, a drag-lever type one for adjusting the drag force by swinging operation of a drag lever swingably mounted on the reel body, and a finger-nut-drag type one for adjusting the drag force by screwing a finger nut screwably engaged with the spool shaft.