Fishing reel

#This application is based on and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application Serial No. 2013-201634 (filed on Sep. 27, 2013), the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety,

#The invention relates to a fishing reel.

#Conventionally, there are known fishing reels having a spool rotatably supported between side plates of a reel body, and a clutch mechanism for switching the spool between a line-winding state and a free-spool state (see, e.g., Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-4681). The clutch mechanism includes a drive force transmission route for transmitting a drive force from a handle. The drive force transmission route contains a power transmission member operable in conjunction with the rotational operation of the handle or the operation of a switching member, so as to switch the clutch between On and Off states.

#FIG. 1 is a partially sectional plan view of a double bearing reel as a fishing reel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

#FIG. 2a is a sectional view showing an expanded pinion portion under clutch-On state; and FIGS. 2b and 2c are expanded sectional views showing fitting on the bearings.

#FIG. 3a is a sectional view showing an expanded pinion portion under clutch-Off state; and FIGS. 3b and 3c are expanded sectional views showing fitting on the bearings.

#Embodiments of a fishing reel according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the directions referred to as “front and rear” and “left and right” are based on those shown in FIG. 1. The same elements are denoted with the same numeral and free of duplicate description.

#As shown in FIG. 1, the reel body 1 of a double-bearing reel may include a left frame 2a and a left side plate 3a mounted on the left frame 2a via a sealing material with a predetermined space therebetween, and a right frame 2b and a right side plate 3b mounted on the right frame 2b in the same manner as the left side plate 3a. The left frame 2a and the right frame 2b may be integrated with each other via a plurality of beams and may be mounted on a reel seat (not shown) of a fishing rod via a reel leg mounted on lower beams.

#Between the left and right side panels 2a, 2b (the left and right frames 3a, 3b), a spool shaft 5 may be rotatably supported via bearings 4A, 4B. The spool shaft 5 may carry a spool 6 around which a fishing line is to be wound. The spool 6 may be configured so as to be rotatable in accordance with rotational operation of the handle 10, which may be mounted on an end of a handle shaft 7 projecting from the right side plate 3b.