Braking force control device and fishing reel having the same

Abstract

To provide a braking force control device which can achieve both of backlash prevention and casting distance improvement without monitoring acceleration and a fishing reel having the same.SOLUTION: A braking force control device includes: a spool which is pivotally supported on a reel body and capable of winding a fishing line; a rotation speed detection part which detects the rotational speed of the spool; a braking part which generates braking force on the spool; and a braking force control part which controls the braking force of the braking part. The braking force control part is configured to adjust the braking force according to the elapsed time from the casting start or detection information of the rotation speed detection part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a braking force control device, and more particularly to a braking force control device for a dual-bearing reel that brakes a spool rotatably attached to a reel body, and a fishing reel equipped with the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Dual-bearing reels, particularly bait casting reels that use a fishing line with a lure or similar attached to the end for casting, are equipped with a braking device that brakes the spool to prevent backlash during casting. A known braking device of this type is an electrically controlled type that has a generator mechanism between the spool and the reel body and electrically controls the generator to adjust the braking force during casting. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-208630 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the braking device of Patent Document 1, tension and angular acceleration are considered to be proportional, and feedback control is performed by constantly monitoring the angular acceleration and switching the braking device between short circuit and open state so that the angular acceleration remains within a target range.

[0005] This method requires the detection of the angular acceleration of the spool. To detect the angular acceleration of the spool, for example, there is a method in which an incremental encoder is configured using two photosensors or the like, and the spool angle is obtained, and then the angle is differentiated twice with respect to time to obtain the angular acceleration, or a method in which a magnet is provided on the spool and a coil is provided on the reel body, and the back electromotive force proportional to the rotation of the spool is detected to obtain the angular velocity, and then the angular velocity is differentiated once with respect to time to obtain the angular acceleration.

[0006] However, the former method had the problem that it was easily affected by noise when differentiating the angle twice, making it difficult to control with the required precision, while the latter method had the problem that it was necessary to provide a magnet on the spool, which limited the extent to which the inertia of the spool could be reduced.

[0007] In addition, because a feedback loop is configured to constantly monitor angular acceleration, it is susceptible to oscillation under certain conditions, which increases the calculation load on the microcontroller.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a braking force control device and a fishing reel equipped with the same that can achieve both backlash prevention and improved casting distance without monitoring acceleration. Other objects of the present invention will become apparent by reading the entire specification. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A braking force control device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a braking force control device comprising a spool supported on a reel body and capable of winding fishing line therearound, a rotational speed detection unit which detects the rotational speed of the spool, a braking unit which generates a braking force on the spool, and a braking force control unit which controls the braking force of the braking unit, and the braking force control unit is configured to adjust the braking force in accordance with the elapsed time from the start of casting or detection information from the rotational speed detection unit.

[0010] In a braking force control device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the braking force control unit is configured to control the braking force based on a brake setting value defined for each time period during a first time period of throwing, and to control the braking force based on a brake setting value defined based on the rotational speed of the spool during a second time period of the throwing.

[0011] In the braking force control device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the brake setting value for the first time period of the throw and the brake setting value for the second time period of the throw can be set and changed separately.

[0012] In a braking force control device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the braking unit generates a braking force that increases in proportion to the angular velocity of the spool, and the braking force control unit is configured to control the proportionality coefficient so as to be variably proportional.

[0013] In one embodiment of the braking force control device, the braking unit is configured to include a conductive member provided on the spool, a magnetic force generating unit provided on the reel body, and a magnetic field adjustment unit that changes the magnetic field state of the magnetic force generating unit.

[0014] In a braking force control device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the conductive member is an inductor rotor, the magnetic force generating unit is a permanent magnet, and the magnetic field adjusting unit is a motor and a reducer.

[0015] In a braking force control device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the braking force control section controls the strength of the magnetic field acting on the conductive member so as to be proportional to the rotational speed of the spool.

[0016] In a braking force control device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the braking unit includes a brake plate provided on the spool and a magnetorheological fluid in contact with the brake plate, and the braking force control unit is configured to include a magnetic field adjustment unit that adjusts the magnetic field acting on the magnetorheological fluid.

[0017] A fishing reel according to one embodiment of the present invention is configured to include any one of the braking force control devices described above. Effect of the Invention

[0018] According to the above embodiment, it is possible to provide a braking force control device that can prevent backlash and improve casting distance without monitoring acceleration, and a fishing reel equipped with the same. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a procedure for casting and retrieving fishing gear such as a lure using a fishing reel. [Diagram 2] 1 is a diagram showing the transition of the spool rotation speed when casting and retrieving fishing gear such as a lure using a fishing reel. [Diagram 3] 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a fishing reel having a braking force control device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a fishing reel having a braking force control device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 5] 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a fishing reel having a braking force control device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 6] 4 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the spool rotation speed and the braking torque in the braking force control device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 7] 4 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between elapsed time and a brake set value in the braking force control device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a flowchart of a control method performed by the braking force control device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 5 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between elapsed time and a spool rotation speed, etc., in the braking force control device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 10] 5 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between a spool rotation speed change and a brake set value in the braking force control device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of a braking force control device and a fishing reel equipped with the same according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Components common to multiple drawings are designated by the same reference numerals throughout the multiple drawings. Please note that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale for the sake of convenience.

[0021] First, an example of the procedure for casting and retrieving fishing gear such as a lure using a general fishing reel 1 including this reel will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. First, as shown in Figure 1(a), the lure 7 is adjusted to a predetermined length from the tip of the fishing rod 10, the clutch is turned off, and the spool is set to a free state. At this time, the spool 3 of the fishing reel 1 is held down with the thumb so that the fishing line does not come out due to the lure's own weight or the like.

[0022] Next, as shown in Figures 1(b) to (d), the fishing rod 10 is swung to give the lure 7 an initial speed. Then, as shown in Figure 1(e), when the speed and release direction of the lure 7 become appropriate, the thumb is released from the spool 3, and the lure 7 can be cast.

[0023] Furthermore, after casting, from FIG. 1(g) onwards, the lure 7 starts to decelerate due to tension from the fishing line and air resistance. Meanwhile, the spool 3 starts to rotate due to tension from the fishing line. When the release speed of the fishing line and the flight speed of the lure 7 match, the spool 3 reaches its maximum rotation speed and the fishing line loses tension. The lure 7 continues to stall due to air resistance and the like. At this time, if the spool 3 continues to rotate at high speed due to inertia, the release speed of the fishing line will exceed the flight speed of the lure 7. As a result, excess fishing line will be released, causing the line to become tangled inside the fishing reel 1. To avoid this, a predetermined braking force can be applied to the spool 3 by a braking device.

[0024] FIG. 2 shows the change in spool speed over time. The horizontal axis shows the time elapsed since the start of spool rotation, and the vertical axis shows the number of rotations of the spool. As shown in FIG. 2, the speed of the spool 3 increases rapidly as soon as the cast begins, and reaches its maximum speed. The maximum rotation speed is about 6000 rpm to 40000 rpm depending on the type of lure 7 to be cast, the target distance, the diameter of the line wound on the spool, etc., and the time it takes to reach the maximum speed is about 70 ms to 150 ms. In one embodiment of the present invention, this region is called the acceleration region.

[0025] After that, when the line length is sufficiently released, the lure 7 is no longer affected by the action of the fishing rod 10, and the effect of air resistance becomes dominant, and the lure speed gradually decreases. In one embodiment of the present invention, this region is called the cruising region. The boundary between the acceleration region and the cruising region is often about 100 ms to 400 ms after the spool starts to rotate. After that, when the altitude of the lure 7 is sufficiently decreased, it lands on the water, and the lure speed rapidly decelerates. In one embodiment of the present invention, this region is called the water landing region.

[0026] In each region, if the braking force of the braking device is too large, the distance that the lure 7 can be cast will be shortened. On the other hand, if the braking force of the braking device is too small, the line will become tangled, making it difficult to properly reel it in or release it. The appropriate value of the braking force may vary depending on the mass of the lure 7 and air resistance. Furthermore, the appropriate value of the braking force may vary depending on various influences, such as the length of the fishing rod 10, the casting method, and natural conditions such as wind.

[0027] Next, the component configuration of a fishing reel 1 equipped with a braking force control device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 5. Figure 3 is a system diagram showing the configuration of the braking force control device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the component configuration of the braking force control device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the braking force control device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention after assembly.

[0028] A fishing reel 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention is comprised of a frame 2 constituting a reel body, a spool 3, a braked member (inductor rotor) 4, a bearing 11, a reflector 12, a fixed magnet 5, a rotating magnet 6, a set plate 13, a locking member 14, an inner lid 15, a motor 16, a reduction gear 17, a battery 18, a base plate 19, and an outer lid 21. For the sake of simplicity, some well-known functions of the reel body are omitted.

[0029] The spool 3 is generally cylindrical and can wind fishing line around its outer periphery when rotated in the normal direction. One of a pair of bearings 11 that support the rotation of the spool 3 is fixed to the frame (reel body) 2 and the other is fixed to a set plate 13.

[0030] Here, the frame (reel body) 2 can be attached to a fishing rod, and the fishing reel 1 has an operating means (handle) (not shown) like a conventional fishing reel, and when a user operates the spool 3 to rotate in the forward direction, the fishing line can be wound up. The rotation of the handle (not shown) is transmitted to the spool 3 by a transmission means such as a gear. The fishing reel 1 has a clutch means (not shown), and the user can operate the clutch means to select whether to connect or disconnect the power transmission to the spool 3. In the connected state, winding is possible using the operating means. In the released state, the spool 3 can be freely rotated in the forward and reverse directions, and the fishing line can be released.

[0031] The fishing reel 1 may also include a drag means for preventing the fishing line from breaking by rotating the spool 3 idly when a torque equal to or greater than a predetermined value is applied, and a reverse rotation prevention means for preventing the handle from rotating in reverse. Furthermore, the fishing reel 1 may also be provided with an oscillator device for evenly winding the fishing line by reciprocating the position of a guide portion that guides the fishing line in response to the rotation of the spool 3.

[0032] The set plate 13 can be fixed to the frame 2. In one embodiment of the present invention, the spool 3 and the set plate 13 can be detached from the frame 2 by adopting a bayonet structure in which multiple claws provided on the locking member are rotated to engage with a holding portion provided on the frame 2, but they may also be fixed by other methods such as screws or adhesives.

[0033] By fixing the set plate 13 to the frame 2, the spool 3 is rotatably supported. Furthermore, by holding the fixed magnet 5 and the rotating magnet 6 on the set plate 13, a braking force generating section (braking force generating means) 20, which will be described later, is formed. Furthermore, by integrating the set plate 13, the inner lid 15, and the outer lid 21, a side plate unit can be formed. The inner lid 15 and the outer lid 21 form a watertight chamber, which houses electrical components such as a circuit board 19, a battery 18, a motor 16, and sensors.

[0034] Next, the principle of braking force generation and a method of adjusting the braking force will be described mainly with reference to Fig. 3. Note that, in one embodiment of the present invention, a method of applying a braking torque to the spool by eddy current will be described, but various other methods are also possible. A ring-shaped braked part (induct rotor) 4 made of a non-magnetic conductor such as aluminum or copper is attached to the spool 3. A cylindrical rotating magnet 6 is arranged on the outer periphery of the induct rotor 4, and a cylindrical fixed magnet 5 is arranged on the inner periphery.

[0035] The outer periphery of the fixed magnet 5 is divided into N equal parts and magnetized with alternating N and S poles. Similarly, the inner periphery of the rotating magnet 6 is divided into N equal parts and magnetized with alternating N and S poles. The magnetic field created by the fixed magnet 5 and the rotating magnet 6 penetrates the induct rotor 4 (also called the eddy current generating plate) located between them. Therefore, when the spool rotates, eddy currents are generated in the induct rotor 4, and a braking torque according to the rotation speed is applied. The magnitude of the braking torque is proportional to the strength of the magnetic field and the rotation speed.

[0036] This realizes a braking force generating unit (braking force generating means) 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Note that a mechanism may be used in which the induct rotor 4 is made movable in the axial direction by balancing the centrifugal force and the spring force, thereby changing the opposing area between the magnet and the induct rotor, and adjusting the relationship between the rotation speed and the braking force.

[0037] The rotary magnet 6 is fixed to the rotary magnet holder 22 and supported rotatably relative to the set plate 13. The rotary magnet holder 22 has a gear portion, and receives force transmitted from the motor via the reduction gear 17. The position sensor 24 can transmit a voltage signal according to the position of the rotary magnet 6 to the control unit. In one embodiment of the present invention, this is achieved by detecting the angular position of a part of the gear that constitutes the gear portion with a volume, but other known means, such as detecting the angle of the rotary magnet 6 with a magnetic sensor, may also be used.

[0038] Also, a clutch state detection section (clutch state detection means) 31 is provided to detect the state of the clutch means, and it is considered that preparation for casting is completed when the clutch switches from an engaged state to a released state. The motor driver 25 supplies a predetermined amount of power to the motor 16 to rotate the motor 16. The braking force control section (braking force control means) 30 feedback-controls the rotating magnet 6 to a predetermined position by rotating the motor 16 forward and backward using the motor driver 25 based on a signal from the position sensor 24. In this way, the magnetic field acting on the braked part 4 can be set to a predetermined magnitude.

[0039] The magnetic field acting on the member to be braked 4 is at a minimum when the rotating magnet 6 and the fixed magnet 5 face each other with the same poles, and is at a maximum when they face each other with opposite poles. When the rotating magnet 6 is rotated from facing the same poles to facing the opposite poles, the magnetic field acting on the member to be braked 4 increases roughly in proportion to the amount of angular movement.

[0040] In the following, the same pole opposing state is defined as brake set value 1, and the different pole opposing state is defined as brake set value 20. Therefore, the braking torque acting on the spool 3 increases roughly in proportion to the brake set value. Figure 6 shows the relationship between the braking torque acting on the spool 3, the speed of the spool 3, and the brake set value. As shown in the figure, it can be seen that the braking torque increases in proportion to the spool rotation speed and the brake set value. The braking force control unit 30 can apply a desired braking force to the spool 3 by moving the rotating magnet to a predetermined position using the motor 16.

[0041] Next, a rotation speed detection means (spool rotation sensor 26 in the example shown in FIG. 3) for detecting the rotation speed of spool 3 will be described. In one embodiment of the present invention, the rotation speed is detected using a known incremental rotary encoder that outputs a predetermined number of pulse signals each time the spool rotates once. That is, the reflector 12 attached to the spool is divided into N equal parts, and the faces are painted alternately light and dark to change the reflectivity. The light parts are made of a metal surface or painted white. The dark parts are painted black or otherwise treated with a surface treatment that provides low reflectivity.

[0042] By disposing two reflective photosensors at positions facing the reflector 12, it is possible to detect the brightness of the surface facing each photosensor. This makes it possible to detect the rotation of the spool 3. In one embodiment of the present invention, the interval between the brightness and darkness of the reflector 12 is set to 180°, and the two photosensors are disposed 90° apart. This allows a four-pulse signal to be output each time the spool 3 rotates once.

[0043] As an incremental rotary encoder, in addition to using a reflective photosensor as described above, a transmission photosensor or a magnetic sensor can be used to achieve the same effect. The amount of rotation of the spool can be calculated based on the number of pulses of the rotary encoder. Also, the rotation speed of the spool can be detected by calculating the change in the number of pulses per time. Note that the rotation speed detection means is not limited to this method, and other conventionally known means can be used. Also, as described above, by using a non-contact rotation speed detection means that does not come into contact with the spool, it is possible to avoid unnecessary frictional resistance being generated on the spool.

[0044] A braking force control device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a braking force control device comprising a spool supported on a reel body and capable of winding fishing line therearound, a rotational speed detection unit which detects the rotational speed of the spool, a braking unit which generates a braking force on the spool, and a braking force control unit which controls the braking force of the braking unit, and the braking force control unit is configured to adjust the braking force in accordance with the elapsed time from the start of casting or detection information from the rotational speed detection unit.

[0045] According to the braking force control device of one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide a braking force control device that can prevent backlash and improve flight distance without monitoring acceleration. In particular, since the braking force control device of one embodiment of the present invention does not need to calculate acceleration or tension, it is resistant to noise generated during speed detection, and since it is a feedforward control that determines the brake setting value according to the brake speed, it does not oscillate and the calculation load can be reduced.

[0046] In the braking force control device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the braking force control unit is configured to control the braking force based on a brake set value defined for each time during a first time of throwing, and to control the braking force based on a brake set value defined based on the rotational speed of the spool during a second time of throwing. In this way, it is possible to apply an appropriate braking force without the need to calculate the acceleration during both the first time when the acceleration change is large and the second time when the speed gradually decreases.

[0047] In a braking force control device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the brake set value for the first time of the throw and the brake set value for the second time of the throw can be set and changed separately. In this way, the braking force can be set separately for the first time, where the optimal value of the braking torque is influenced by factors that vary greatly among individuals, such as the way the fishing rod is swung, and for the second time, where the optimal value of the braking torque is influenced by factors that vary less among individuals, such as air resistance. This makes it possible to easily optimize the braking force.

[0048] In a braking force control device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the braking unit generates a braking force that increases in proportion to the angular velocity of the spool, and the braking force control unit is configured to control the proportionality coefficient so that it can be changed. Here, "proportional" includes not only mathematically proportional but also the case where it can be regarded as the same as proportional (approximately proportional). Furthermore, "approximately proportional" means that, when the angular velocity of the spool is ω and the braking force setting value is B, the relationship between B and ω is B=kω. n This means that when approximating using the least squares method, the value of n is near 1, for example, in the range of 0.5 to 1.5. In this way, the speed change of the thrown object such as a lure and the speed change of the spool can be roughly matched, making it possible to optimize the braking force by feedforward control.

[0049] In one embodiment of the braking force control device, the braking unit is configured to include a conductive member provided on the spool, a magnetic force generating unit provided on the reel body, and a magnetic field adjustment unit that changes the magnetic field state of the magnetic force generating unit.

[0050] In a braking force control device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the conductive member is an inductor rotor, the magnetic force generating unit is a permanent magnet, and the magnetic field adjusting unit is a motor and a reducer.

[0051] In a braking force control device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the braking force control section controls the strength of the magnetic field acting on the conductive member so as to be proportional to the rotational speed of the spool.

[0052] In a braking force control device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the braking unit includes a brake plate provided on the spool and a magnetorheological fluid in contact with the brake plate, and the braking force control unit includes: The magnetorheological fluid is configured to include a magnetic field adjusting unit that adjusts the magnetic field acting on the magnetorheological fluid.

[0053] A fishing reel according to one embodiment of the present invention is configured to have any one of the braking force control devices described above. In this way, the fishing reel according to one embodiment of the present invention makes it possible to provide a fishing reel equipped with a braking force control device that can prevent backlash and improve casting distance without monitoring acceleration. In particular, the braking force control device according to one embodiment of the present invention does not need to calculate acceleration or tension, so it is resistant to noise generated when detecting speed, and does not oscillate and can reduce the calculation load because of feedforward control that determines the brake setting value according to the brake speed.

[0054] In general, feedback control has the advantage of being more resistant to disturbances than feedforward control and being easier to set optimal settings. In conventional braking force control devices using feedback control, angular acceleration is used as a monitoring target as described above. However, there are limitations to the accuracy and response speed of obtaining angular acceleration, and in particular, the weight of a thrown object such as a lure is often on the order of several grams, so the angular acceleration requires an accuracy equivalent to several grams. Therefore, in feedback control that monitors angular acceleration, if the accuracy and responsiveness of obtaining angular acceleration are insufficient, there are disadvantages in that it is difficult to set optimal settings for the braking force, it is affected by oscillation, and the calculation load is large. In one embodiment of the present invention, by doing as described above, it is possible to determine the characteristics of the braking device after previously grasping the braking force required at the time of throwing. This eliminates the need to use feedback, and thus provides the technical effect of avoiding the effects of oscillation and reducing the calculation load.

[0055] Next, a control method by the braking force control device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to Figs. 7 to 9. Fig. 7 shows an example of a braking force setting value set by a user. On the left side of the figure, a brake setting value in the acceleration region is set, and on the right side, a brake setting value in the cruising region is set.

[0056] In one embodiment of the present invention, in the acceleration region, the brake setting value is determined according to the elapsed time from the start of throwing. P1 indicates that the brake setting value is set to B1 at the start of throwing, and P2 indicates that the brake setting value is changed to B2 after t1 has elapsed. In the cruising region, the brake setting value is determined according to the rotational speed of the spool. P3 indicates that the brake setting value is set to B3 when the spool rotational speed is at its maximum speed, and P4 indicates that the brake setting value is set to B4 when the spool rotational speed is X% or less of the maximum speed. In this embodiment, the brake setting value between P3 and P4 (between X% and 100% of the maximum speed of the spool) is set to change linearly between the brake setting values ​​B3 and B4.

[0057] Next, Fig. 8 is a flowchart for explaining a control method by the braking force control device according to one embodiment of the present invention. When the braking force control device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention detects preparation for casting (step F1), it changes the brake setting value to an initial state (step F2). In one embodiment of the present invention, a clutch state detection unit (clutch state detection means) 31 that detects the state of the clutch means is provided, and it is considered that preparation for casting has been made when the clutch has switched from an engaged state to a released state.

[0058] As other methods for detecting preparation for casting, when the spool starts rotating in the line releasing direction from a stopped state, when the fishing rod is in a specified position such as facing a specific direction, or when the angular velocity of the reel 1 in a specified direction is equal to or exceeds a set threshold, the preparation for casting can be detected. The initial state of the brake setting value is the setting value B1 of point 1 in Figure 7.

[0059] When it is detected that the rotation speed of the spool obtained by the spool rotation sensor 26 exceeds a predetermined value, it is deemed that the cast has started (step F3). At this time, a timer is initialized to 0 (step F4). If the time t that has elapsed since the start of the cast is less than a predetermined value T1 (step F5), it is deemed to be in the acceleration region. In this region, the brake setting value is changed with time regardless of the spool speed (step F6). The brake setting value at this time can be determined by the function represented by the curve P1-P2-P3 on the acceleration region in Figure 7.

[0060] When the time t elapsed from the start of casting becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value T1, the control device assumes that the state has transitioned to a cruising state. The predetermined value T1 is, for example, in the range of 200 to 500 ms. In this state, the brake setting value is changed according to the change in speed. In this region, the timer acquires the rotation speed of the spool (step F8) every time a predetermined time Δt elapses (step F7). In response to this, the control circuit calculates the target brake setting value based on the setting determined by the function shown by the curve P3-P4 on the cruising region in FIG. 7, and drives the motor to move the rotating magnet to a predetermined position (step F9). When the spool rotation speed becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value (whether the speed is 0 in the example shown in FIG. 8) (step F10), the throw is deemed to have ended, and the device waits until the start of the next throw (cast) (step F11).

[0061] FIG. 9 shows an example of a cast result, with the horizontal axis showing the elapsed time from the start of the cast. The vertical axis shows the change in the spool rotation speed, the change in the brake setting value, and the change in the braking torque acting on the spool, respectively. As shown in the center, in the acceleration region, the brake setting value is changed according to the elapsed time. Similarly, in the cruising region, the brake setting value is reduced as the spool rotation speed decreases. As a result, as shown in the lower part, the braking torque in the latter half of the cast is reduced, which is effective in improving the casting distance. In the latter half of this cruising region, as shown in the upper part, the spool rotation speed and lure speed are also reduced, and the diameter of the line wound on the spool is also reduced, so that backlash is less likely to occur even if the braking torque is reduced.

[0062] As described above, the braking torque in the acceleration region and the braking torque during the gradual decrease in the spool speed can be set independently, which makes it possible to prevent backlash of the fishing line and increase the casting distance of the lure at the same time.

[0063] During the spool speed increase immediately after casting, the fishing line is constantly pulling the spool, so no line fraying occurs and no backlash occurs, so there is no need to apply the brakes. Backlash is most likely to occur immediately after the spool reaches its maximum speed and then starts to decelerate, so in order to prevent this, it is necessary to apply appropriate brakes to the spool at this timing. The optimal value of the braking torque at this time varies depending on the characteristics of the fishing rod being used (length, hardness, density, etc.), the way the fishing rod is swung, the length of the lure before casting, the weight of the lure, and the lure trajectory. Therefore, there is a large individual difference. In one embodiment of the present invention, the brake setting value can be specified for each time in this region. This makes it easy to reduce the braking force during times when braking is not necessary and to sufficiently increase the braking force during times when braking is necessary.

[0064] During cruising, the lure gradually decelerates. The main reason for the deceleration is the air resistance acting on the lure and the fishing line. In most cases, the air resistance during casting is in the turbulent region and is proportional to the square of the lure's speed and the forward projection area. The proportionality coefficient also depends heavily on the shape of the lure. If the tension of the fishing line is small enough, the air resistance is the lure's weight multiplied by the lure's deceleration, so the lure's deceleration (speed change) is proportional to the square of the lure's speed. By slowing down the rotational speed of the spool to a level equivalent to (slightly greater than) the speed change of the lure, the fishing line can continue to pull the spool at all times. In other words, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of line slack and backlash.

[0065] Therefore, while the lure speed is gradually decreasing, the spool should be braked according to the lure shape and weight. The optimal value of the braking force at this time does not depend so much on the characteristics of the rod being used or the way the rod is swung, so there is little difference between individuals or rods. In one embodiment of the present invention, the brake setting value in this range can be specified based on the rotation speed of the spool. This makes it easy to roughly match the speed changes of the lure and the spool, making it easy to optimize the brake.

[0066] According to the braking force control device 100 of one embodiment of the present invention, the braking torque at the beginning of a cast and the braking torque during cruising can be set independently. This allows the braking conditions to be optimized for each condition, and it is possible to prevent backlash of the fishing line and improve the casting distance of the lure at the same time. For example, when the lure is changed, only the setting of the acceleration region is changed, and when the weather conditions such as the wind direction change, only the setting of the cruising region is changed. In this way, it is possible to change the settings according to the situation.

[0067] In one embodiment of the present invention, the brake setting value is lowered in proportion to the spool rotation speed, as shown in FIG. 7. The spool braking torque is generally proportional to the brake setting value and the spool rotation speed, as shown in FIG. 6. In addition, in this embodiment, the brake setting value is increased in proportion to the spool rotation speed, as shown in FIG. 7. Therefore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the spool braking torque increases generally in proportion to the square of the spool rotation speed. When the air resistance to the lure increases in proportion to the square of the lure speed as described above, the deceleration of the spool and the deceleration of the lure can be synchronized by setting in this way, making it easy to optimize the braking conditions.

[0068] In addition, the winding radius of the fishing line wound on the spool decreases according to the number of revolutions of the spool. The speed v at which the fishing line is released from the spool is the spool rotation speed ω multiplied by the line winding radius r. Therefore, when the line is released and the radius r becomes smaller, the change in rotation speed Δω becomes relatively small compared to the speed change Δv of the fishing line. In other words, when the fishing line is far away, the required braking force is smaller than when the fishing line is closer. This effect is strong under conditions where the change in the line winding radius is large, such as when the spool is narrow or the fishing line is thick. To compensate for this effect, the brake setting value may be changed according to the number of revolutions of the spool.

[0069] Depending on the shape of the lure and its flight speed, air resistance may not increase in proportion to the square of the lure's speed. Furthermore, since the lure's flight trajectory is affected by acceleration and deceleration due to gravity, it is not necessarily optimal to lower the brake setting value in proportion to the spool rotation speed as shown in Figure 7. Under such conditions, as shown in Figures 10(A) and 10(B), the relationship between the spool rotation speed and the braking torque can be adjusted by changing the brake setting value in a curve that is convex upward or downward in response to the change in spool rotation speed. In this way, any braking torque can be applied to the lure during cruising.

[0070] Situations in which a user might change the brake settings of the braking force control device 100 of one embodiment of the present invention include a case in which the user spends time searching for optimal settings in order to increase the casting distance even slightly, and a case in which the user wants to minimize the effort required to change the settings in order to concentrate on fishing.

[0071] In one embodiment of the present invention, since there are multiple parameters for the brake setting conditions, it may be difficult to set each value on the reel body. Therefore, in order to change each of the above parameters (for example, the brake setting values ​​P1 to P4 in FIG. 7), it is effective to create setting values ​​using an external information device such as a smartphone and transmit them to the control device. This makes it possible to set each setting value independently.

[0072] When it is desired to reduce the effort required for changing the settings, it is desirable to be able to set the settings only on the fishing reel without using an external device, but compared to external information devices, the fishing reel body is often limited in the space available for providing an operating means. In this case, it is effective to make some of the above parameters changeable by operating the fishing reel. For example, in the example of FIG. 7, the brake setting value B2=B3 is set so that only the brake setting value B2 can be adjusted from the fishing reel. Then, by changing the brake setting value B2, the brake setting value B3 is also changed. This allows rough adjustment while reducing the effort required for changing the settings.

[0073] In the braking force control device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention, a braking device that obtains a braking force by generating an eddy current in a braked member provided on the spool is used, and the braking torque is roughly proportional to the rotational speed of the spool as described above. The deceleration of the lure during cruising is subject to an air resistance force roughly proportional to the square of the speed as described above. Therefore, by reducing the brake setting value in proportion to the spool speed, the braking force acting on the spool and the air resistance acting on the lure can be roughly synchronized. In addition, in the eddy current brake, since the braking torque is proportional to the spool angular velocity, even if the brake setting value is not changed, the braking torque does not deviate significantly from the optimal braking torque. Therefore, even if the frequency of changing the brake setting value is reduced, the braking torque does not deviate from the optimal braking torque, and the calculation load can be reduced.

[0074] In addition to the eddy current braking device described above, there is also a braking device that utilizes the viscous resistance of a fluid as a braking device in which the braking torque is roughly proportional to the spool rotation speed. As a method for controlling the viscous resistance of a fluid, for example, there is an MR fluid type braking device that uses an MR fluid whose viscosity can be controlled by the strength of a magnetic field, and the use of such a device also produces the same effects as one embodiment of the present invention.

[0075] Other benefits of the eddy current braking device include power saving and fail-safe effects. In the eddy current braking device of one embodiment of the present invention, a magnetic field is applied to the member to be braked by a permanent magnet. This makes it possible to apply a braking torque to the spool even when the power supply to the control device is cut off. Therefore, even if the control device abnormally stops during casting, it is possible to suppress backlash of the spool, realizing a fail-safe.

[0076] Also, since the control device only needs to energize the motor when it is necessary to change the brake set value, power saving can be achieved. Furthermore, since an eddy current type braking device is used, the spool braking torque is always proportional to the spool speed. In other words, even if the rotating magnet is not moved, if the spool speed decreases, the braking torque decreases accordingly. Therefore, even if the time Δt for changing the brake set value is changed, the change in the braking force acting on the spool over time does not change significantly. Therefore, the time Δt can be set to a relatively large value, which can reduce the power consumption of the motor and suppress the calculation load on the microcomputer.

[0077] As described above, in the braking force control device according to one embodiment of the present invention, it is not necessary to obtain the acceleration of the spool. As described above, in the braking force control device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the rotational speed of the spool is obtained using an incremental encoder, and the brake set value is determined according to the value. Note that the acceleration of the spool can also be obtained by differentiating the rotational speed of the spool, i.e., by calculating the amount of change in the rotational speed of the spool within a predetermined time.

[0078] However, the incremental encoder produces discrete data, and since various calculations require processing time, the time intervals at which the control device obtains the rotational speed of the spool are also discrete. Therefore, the differential value of the rotational speed is easily affected by noise. If a smoothing filter process is applied to avoid this, a time delay occurs. In other words, it is generally difficult to obtain acceleration with little noise without a time delay, and the calculation load on the microcomputer is also large. Therefore, according to a braking force control device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the braking torque to the spool is determined without obtaining the acceleration of the spool, so that the calculation load on the microcomputer can be avoided from being large.

[0079] The dimensions, materials, and arrangement of each component described in this specification are not limited to those explicitly described in the embodiments, and each component can be modified to have any dimensions, materials, and arrangement that can be included in the scope of the present invention. In addition, components not explicitly described in this specification can be added to the described embodiments, and some of the components described in each embodiment can be omitted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 1 Fishing reel 2 Frames 3 Spools 4 Braked part (inductor rotor) 5 Fixed magnet 6 Rotating Magnets 7. Lure 10 fishing rod 11 Bearings 12 Reflector 13 Set Plates 14 Locking member 15 Inner lid 16 Motor 18 battery 19 Substrate 20 Braking force generating unit (braking force generating means) 21 Outer lid 22 Rotating magnet holder 23 Reduction gear 24 Position Sensor 25 Motor Driver 26 Spool rotation sensor 30 Braking force control section 31 Throwing preparation detection unit (throwing preparation detection means)

Claims

1. A braking force control device comprising: a spool pivotally supported on a reel body and capable of winding a fishing line; a rotational speed detection unit that detects the rotational speed of the spool; a braking unit that generates a braking force on the spool; and a braking force control unit that controls the braking force of the braking unit, The braking force control unit adjusts the braking force according to the elapsed time from the start of throwing or the detection information of the rotational speed detection unit.

2. 2. The braking force control device according to claim 1, wherein the braking force control unit controls the braking force based on a brake set value defined for each time during a first time of the throw, and controls the braking force based on a brake set value defined based on the rotational speed of the spool during a second time of the throw.

3. 3. The braking force control device according to claim 2, wherein the brake setting value for the first time period of the throw and the brake setting value for the second time period of the throw are individually settable and changeable.

4. 4. The braking force control device according to claim 1, wherein the braking unit generates a braking force that increases in proportion to the angular velocity of the spool, and the braking force control unit controls the proportionality coefficient so as to be variable.

5. 5. The braking force control device according to claim 1, wherein the braking unit comprises a conductive member provided on the spool, a magnetic force generating unit provided on the reel body, and a magnetic field adjusting unit that changes the magnetic field state of the magnetic force generating unit.

6. 6. The braking force control device according to claim 5, wherein the conductive member is an inductor rotor, the magnetic force generating portion is a permanent magnet, and the magnetic field adjusting portion is a motor and a reducer.

7. 7. The braking force control device according to claim 5, wherein the braking force control section controls the strength of the magnetic field acting on the conductive member so as to be proportional to the rotational speed of the spool.

8. 5. The braking force control device according to claim 1, wherein the braking unit includes a brake plate provided on the spool and a magnetorheological fluid in contact with the brake plate, and the braking force control unit includes a magnetic field adjustment unit that adjusts a magnetic field acting on the magnetorheological fluid.

9. A fishing reel having a braking force control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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