Fishing rod guides

Abstract

We provide fishing rod guides made of fiber-reinforced resin that efficiently improve strength. [Solution] A fishing rod guide 1 has a frame 3 comprising a fishing rod fixing part 5, a ring holding part 7 to which a guide ring 6 is attached, and a support leg part 9 that connects the fishing rod fixing part 5 and the ring holding part 7, wherein the frame 3 is composed of multiple layers of laminated FRP prepreg, and the direction of the reinforcing fibers of the outermost layer is uniform.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fishing rod guide that is attached to a fishing rod and guides fishing lines paid out from various reels.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is known to form a fishing rod guide made of FRP by laminating a prepreg made of fiber reinforced resin (FRP prepreg). Further, Patent Document 1 describes that a woven fabric is used for the outermost layer of the FRP prepreg to be laminated in order to prevent the reinforcing fibers from tearing and peeling off.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above-described fishing rod guide made of FRP, since the FRP prepreg with a woven fabric is disposed on the outermost layer, the strength efficiency is reduced. That is, by using a woven fabric, delamination of the surface layer can be prevented, but the strength is reduced. On the other hand, if the reinforcing fibers are aligned in one direction, although delamination of the surface layer is likely to occur, it is possible to improve the strength and the strength efficiency.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a fishing rod guide made of fiber reinforced resin that can efficiently improve the strength and is less likely to cause delamination on the surface layer. [[ID=ID=40]]

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The fishing rod guide according to the present invention has a frame comprising a fishing rod fixing portion, a ring holding portion to which a guide ring is attached, and a support leg portion connecting the fishing rod fixing portion and the ring holding portion, wherein the frame is composed of multiple layers of laminated FRP prepregs, and the direction of the reinforcing fibers of the outermost layer is uniform.

[0007] When tension is applied to the fishing line, stress acts on the frame of the aforementioned fishing rod guide. The stress acting on the frame has a certain degree of directionality, and by aligning the orientation of the reinforcing fibers with the direction in which the greatest force is applied, the strength can be efficiently improved. In this case, by making the orientation of the reinforcing fibers uniform, it is possible to efficiently improve the strength, and by tilting them at a certain angle, delamination can also be effectively suppressed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, a fishing rod guide made of fiber-reinforced resin can be obtained that efficiently improves strength and is less prone to peeling at the surface. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] A longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example of a fishing rod guide configuration. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows a front view of the fishing rod guide frame, seen from direction D1. [Figure 3] This diagram shows a fishing rod guide fixed to a fishing rod and illustrates the angle of inclination of the outermost reinforcing fibers. [Figure 4] A cross-sectional view showing an example of a laminated structure for fishing rod guides. [Figure 5] A cross-sectional view showing another example of the laminated structure of a fishing rod guide. [Figure 6] Figure 3 shows the orientation of the reinforcing fibers in the outermost layer. [Figure 7] A diagram showing the inclination angle of the reinforcing fibers in the layer immediately below the outermost layer, in the direction of their orientation. [Figure 8] A diagram showing the state when bending stress is applied to a fishing rod guide. [Figure 9] A graph showing the results of the measured bending strength. [Figure 10] A graph showing the results of the measured bending stiffness. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The following describes one embodiment of a fishing rod guide.

[0011] First, an embodiment of a fishing rod guide will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. In the following explanation, the axis that is horizontal when the fishing rod is in a horizontal position is defined as the reference axis, and the axis that is vertical when viewing the fishing rod guide (frame) from the front is defined as the central axis Y.

[0012] The fishing rod guide 1 comprises a frame 3 formed from a fiber-reinforced prepreg (hereinafter referred to as prepreg) in which reinforcing fibers are impregnated with synthetic resin. The frame 3 is composed of multiple layers of FRP prepreg and comprises a fishing rod fixing portion 5 extending along the axial direction of the rod shaft 50 of the fishing rod, a ring holding portion 7 to which the guide ring 6 is attached, and a support leg portion 9 connecting the fishing rod fixing portion 5 and the ring holding portion 7.

[0013] The fishing rod fixing part 5 is a portion (also called a leg) that is fixed to the surface of the fishing rod at the lower end of the frame 3, and in the configuration shown in the figure, it is a single leg structure that extends toward the base of the fishing rod. The fishing rod fixing part 5 is fixed by thread fastening, adhesive, etc., with its back contact surface 5a resting on the surface of the rod shaft of the fishing rod.

[0014] The ring holding portion 7 is a portion for fixing the guide ring 6 so as to guide the fishing line in a state separated from the surface of the fishing rod. An opening 7a for fitting and fixing the guide ring 6 is formed in the ring holding portion 7, and it has a substantially circular outer shape as a whole. The guide ring 6 fitted into the opening 7a is formed in a ring shape and is made of a member having a small sliding resistance on its inner peripheral surface, for example, titanium, aluminum, SUS, ceramics, SIC, etc. This guide ring 6 is fitted and fixed to the opening 7a of the ring holding portion 7 after the frame 3 is integrally formed by the prepreg.

[0015] Also, the support leg portion 9 is a portion connecting the fishing rod fixing portion 5 and the ring holding portion 7 so as to separate the guide ring 6 from the surface of the fishing rod. An opening (hollowed out) 9a may be formed in this support leg portion 9 in order to achieve weight reduction.

[0016] As described above, the frame 3 is formed by an FRP prepreg (hereinafter referred to as a prepreg) in which a reinforcing fiber is impregnated with a synthetic resin. In this case, the prepreg is, for example, a sheet-like structure (hereinafter also referred to as a UD sheet) in which reinforcing fibers such as carbon fibers and glass fibers are aligned in a certain direction, and is configured to impregnate a thermosetting resin (for example, epoxy resin) or a thermoplastic resin (for example, nylon) as a matrix resin.

[0017] The shape of the frame 3 is not limited, and one or more bent portions may be formed. For example, one or more bent portions may be formed in a region rising from the fishing rod toward the ring holding portion 7. When a bent portion is formed in the frame 3, it becomes possible to set the bending angle by bending the entire frame step by step, and it becomes possible to disperse stress concentration and improve strength. Alternatively, a part of the support leg portion 9 may be formed in a curved shape, or the entire support leg portion may be configured in a curved shape.

[0018] The frame 3 is configured by laminating a plurality of prepregs. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the frame 3 comprises a central layer (central axis M) 20 which serves as the base material, and a first layer 21 and a second layer 22 which are laminated on the front and back sides of the central layer 20, respectively. In this case, the same prepreg is used for both the first layer 21 and the second layer 22 laminated on the front and back sides of the central layer 20, and preferably, they are laminated symmetrically on both sides with respect to the central axis M of the central layer 20.

[0019] In the laminated structure described above, as shown in Figures 4 and 6, a prepreg (UD sheet) is used in which the reinforcing fibers 22A of the outermost layer (second layer 22) are aligned in a single direction. In this case, if the reinforcing fibers of the outermost layer are made of a woven prepreg, it is not possible to efficiently improve strength, and it would also hinder the reduction of wall thickness and increase costs.

[0020] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, when using the UD sheet described above, the reinforcing fibers 22A of the outermost layer (second layer 22) are inclined with respect to a reference, that is, the inclination angle θ1 of the direction of the reinforcing fibers 22A of the outermost layer 22 of the prepreg with respect to a reference is arranged to be a predetermined inclination angle with respect to the reference.

[0021] The following describes the test results regarding bending strength and bending rigidity for a conventional product with a woven fabric on the outermost layer 22 and an embodiment in which a UD sheet is placed on the outermost layer. In this test, the direction of the reinforcing fibers in the outermost layer was considered to efficiently improve bending strength and bending rigidity, and furthermore, to determine a favorable range for the inclination angle θ1 in which delamination is less likely to occur (no delamination is visible) even when a UD sheet is placed on the outermost layer.

[0022] Specifically, comparing a conventional product with a woven fabric (plain weave configuration with reinforcing fibers at inclination angles of 0° and 90° relative to the reference) as the outermost layer, with a configuration in which the inclination angle θ1 of the unidirectional reinforcing fibers 22A is gradually changed (configuration of this embodiment), we derived the preferred range of inclination angle θ1 that yields the above-mentioned effects in terms of bending strength and bending rigidity, as well as the range of inclination angles that are less prone to peeling. In the tests, the conventional product and the embodiment used the same configuration as the reinforcing fiber configuration, resin configuration, impregnation amount, wall thickness, etc.

[0023] As shown in Figure 8, a fishing rod guide with the above-described configuration was attached to the rod shaft of a fishing rod, and a compressive force, indicated by the arrow, was applied to the highest point of the frame in the same direction as the rod shaft of the fishing rod as part of the bending test. In other words, when a compressive force is applied to this position, the fishing rod guide experiences the largest overall bending stress.

[0024] Figure 9 is a graph showing the measured bending strength results, and Figure 10 is a graph showing the measured bending stiffness results. In these graphs, the current product (with a plain weave prepreg as the outermost layer) is set to 1.00, and for products where the directionality angle of the reinforcing fibers changes, the results are shown as a ratio.

[0025] As these test results show, for inclination angles θ1, the bending strength was lower than that of the current product when the angle was between 85° and 90°. At 80°, the bending strength improved, but at angles greater than that, delamination of the reinforcing fibers was observed. Furthermore, when the inclination angle θ1 was set to 55° or less, the angle became too steep, resulting in a decrease in bending stiffness compared to plain weave.

[0026] Based on the above test results, it is preferable that the inclination angle θ1 be in the range of 55° < θ1 < 80°, and more preferably in the range of 60° < θ1 < 80°, with the reference being 0°.

[0027] Furthermore, in the outermost layer where the reinforcing fibers are directed at the inclination angle θ1 described above, it is preferable to have the same structure (symmetrical structure) on both the front and back sides. That is, as shown in Figure 4, by setting the inclination angle of the reinforcing fibers of the central layer 20 to 0°, and setting the inclination angles θ2 and θ1 of the first layer 21 and the second layer 22 on either side to the same angle on both sides, it is possible to suppress distortion during lamination in the manufacturing process.

[0028] Furthermore, in the above-described configuration, regarding the orientation direction (inclination angle θ2) of the reinforcing fibers in the layer immediately below the outermost layer (second layer 22) (first layer 21), in order to prevent delamination of the outermost layer and to avoid a decrease in strength, it is preferable to orient the reinforcing fibers 22A of the outermost layer within +60° and -60° relative to the orientation direction (inclination angle θ1 is set to 0°), as shown in Figure 7. Specifically, if the inclination angle θ1 of the reinforcing fibers 22A is set to 70°, it is preferable to set the inclination angle θ2 of the layer immediately below it (first layer 21) to ±60° with 70° as the reference (0°), that is, the inclination angle θ2 is in the range of 10° and 130° relative to the reference (10° < θ2 < 130°).

[0029] In particular, in order to improve strength while effectively preventing peeling, it is preferable to set the angle that straddles the Y axis, specifically, the inclination angle θ2, as shown by the inclination angle θ2' in Figure 7 when viewed from the reference, in the range of 90° to 130°.

[0030] In the above-described configuration, if there are multiple layers below the outermost layer, the prepregs from the third layer onwards are not limited; UD sheets may be used, woven fabrics may be used, or a configuration in which these are laminated may be used. For example, as shown in Figure 5, a third layer 30 with reinforcing fibers oriented at a 90° angle may be interposed between the central layer 20 and the first layer 21 (on both sides of the central layer 20).

[0031] Next, we will explain how to form frame 3 using the laminated structure of prepregs as described above. First, the prepreg, which is oriented as described above, is cut into a predetermined shape and stacked on both sides of the central layer 20. There are no particular limitations on the number of prepreg sheets (layers) to be stacked or the composition of each prepreg, but as described above, the outermost layer 22 is laminated so that the inclination angle θ1 of the reinforcing fibers is the angle described above.

[0032] The prepreg, stacked in this manner, is then set in a mold that is split into upper and lower sections. In this case, cavities are formed in the mold according to the position where the stacked prepreg is set, and a release agent is coated on the surface area of ​​these cavities.

[0033] The mold containing the laminated prepreg described above is then subjected to a heating process to cure the matrix resin and form the molded product (plate-like body). The molded product is then removed from the mold, and the frame is cut out to form the frame shape shown in Figure 1. Multiple frames 3 can be cut out from the molded plate-like body, enabling the efficient manufacture of lightweight, high-strength fishing rod guides.

[0034] In addition, it is preferable to simultaneously form the basic external shape of the frame 3, namely the ring holding portion 7 with an opening 7a and the support leg portion 9 with an opening 9a, during this processing, but these may also be formed in separate processes.

[0035] Next, detailed processing is performed as needed. This detailed processing includes, for example, shaping the fixing part 5 into a curved form so that it can be easily placed on a fishing rod, or polishing the end of the fixing part to make it easier to wind and secure the thread.

[0036] Next, the frame is surface-treated. For example, barrel polishing is performed to remove burrs from the surface and to achieve a glossy finish. The degree of polishing can be adjusted as needed, depending on the size, shape, and material properties of the fishing rod guide, using different polishing compounds and polishing times. By performing this barrel polishing, it becomes possible to polish the frame without cutting the reinforcing fibers, thereby stabilizing its strength and resulting in a fishing rod guide with a superior appearance.

[0037] Then, the guide ring 6 is attached to the opening 7a of the frame formed as described above. The guide ring can be attached using press fitting, adhesive bonding, curling, or any other method of fixing.

[0038] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described configuration and can be modified in various ways. The present invention is characterized in that, when constructing the frame portion of a fishing rod guide from multiple layers of prepreg, the outermost prepreg layer uses a UD sheet instead of woven fabric. The composition of such a prepreg, including the type of reinforcing fiber, elastic modulus, resin impregnation amount, and thickness, is not limited to the embodiment and can be modified in various ways.

[0039] Furthermore, the frame shape can be modified as needed, such as by using a multi-leg structure that extends in the front-to-back direction for fixing the fishing rod guide. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0040] 1 Fishing rod guide 3 frames 5 Fishing rod fixing part 6 Guide Rings 7 Ring holding part 9. Support Legs 20 middle layer 21 1st layer 22 Outermost layer

Claims

1. A fishing rod guide having a frame comprising a fishing rod fixing part, a ring holding part to which a guide ring is attached, and a support leg part connecting the fishing rod fixing part and the ring holding part, The aforementioned frame is composed of multiple layers of FRP prepreg, A fishing rod guide in which the outermost layer of reinforcing fibers has a single direction of orientation.

2. The fishing rod guide according to claim 1, wherein the outermost reinforcing fiber is arranged such that its inclination angle θ1 in the direction of direction is between a horizontal reference (0°) and a vertical axis Y (90°) perpendicular to this reference.

3. The fishing rod guide according to claim 2, wherein the inclination angle θ1 is 55° < θ1 < 80°.

4. The fishing rod guide according to claim 3, wherein the inclination angle θ2 of the layer one layer inward from the outermost layer is oriented to 60° or less when the inclination angle θ1 is considered as the axis (0°).

Images