Bottom plug for fishing rods, and fishing rod

Abstract

Provided are: a bottom plug for fishing rods, which makes it possible to suppress deterioration of appearance by making scratches less visible; and a fishing rod. The present invention is characterized by comprising a bottom plug body 12 which is attached to and detached from an end portion of a fishing rod body through screwing, and a groove part 31 which is formed at the bottom part of the bottom plug body 12 and into which a coin is inserted for screwing, and is characterized in that: the groove part 31 has an inlet section 32 that is exposed to the outside, and a distal section 33 that is located distal to the inlet section 32; and the groove width H2 at the distal section 33 is narrower than the groove width H1 at the inlet section 32. The plane cross-sectional shape of the inlet section 32 and the plane cross-sectional shape of the distal section 33 are preferably both narrow rectangles.

Description

Fishing rod bottom plug and fishing rod

[0001] CROSS REFERENCE This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-166830 (filed September 28, 2023), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The present invention relates to a bottom plug for a fishing rod, and a fishing rod.

[0002] A fishing rod bottom plug that can be detachably attached to the end of a fishing rod body is known (Patent Document 1). The fishing rod bottom plug has a groove formed at the bottom for inserting a coin, and is detachable by inserting a coin into the groove and rotating the coin to screw it in. By using coins that are easily available to users, no special tools or dedicated knobs are required, and the fishing rod bottom plug can be easily attached and detached from the fishing rod body.

[0003] Patent No. 2613868

[0004] However, conventional fishing rod bottom plugs have the drawback that the groove and the area around it are easily damaged because torque is applied to the groove by rotating the coin, which can cause damage to the appearance of the fishing rod.

[0005] From this perspective, an object of the present invention is to provide a fishing rod bottom plug that can make scratches less visible and prevent deterioration of the fishing rod's aesthetic appearance.

[0006] In order to solve such problems, the present invention comprises a bottom plug body that is attached and detached to the end of the fishing rod body by screwing it, and a groove portion formed at the bottom of the bottom plug body into which a coin is inserted when screwing it, the groove portion having an entrance portion exposed to the outside and a rear portion further back than the entrance portion, and the groove width of the rear portion is narrower than the groove width of the entrance portion.

[0007] The present invention is also characterized by comprising a fishing rod body and a fishing rod bottom plug according to any one of claims 1 to 6 that is attached to and detached from the end of the fishing rod body by screwing.

[0008] According to the present invention, most of the torque generated by rotating a coin inserted in the groove acts on the wall surface of the rear side, which is prone to scratches. However, by providing an entrance in front of the rear side, scratches are less visible from the outside, which helps prevent deterioration of the aesthetic appearance. Furthermore, since there is no need to provide other components to make scratches less visible, deterioration of the aesthetic appearance can be prevented without increasing the number of parts.

[0009] The inlet portion and the rear portion may each have a planar cross-sectional shape that is an elongated rectangle.

[0010] According to the present invention, the cross-sectional shapes of the entrance and rear side portions are both elongated rectangles, making scratches inside the grooves less visible from the outside. Furthermore, the cross-sectional shapes of the entrance and rear side portions are similar to the cross-sectional shapes of coins, preventing rattling. This improves operability.

[0011] The groove may have an R-shape that conforms to the outer shape of the coin when viewed from the side.

[0012] According to the present invention, coins inserted into the grooves do not rattle, improving operability.

[0013] The groove width at the rear side portion may be 1.50 to 1.90 mm, and the groove width at the entrance portion may be 1.95 to 2.30 mm.

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a fishing rod bottom plug having grooves that are compatible with the various coins currently in circulation in Japan.

[0015] The bottom of the groove in the rear portion may have a drain hole communicating with the outside.

[0016] According to the present invention, water that has entered the groove can be easily drained.

[0017] The depth of the groove may be formed so that when the coin is inserted, 40 to 60% of the diameter of the coin is inserted into the groove.

[0018] According to the present invention, the area of ​​the handle portion of the coin for the user can be appropriately secured, thereby improving operability and allowing sufficient torque to be applied to the fishing rod bottom plug.

[0019] Further, an opening on a short side of the entrance portion may be formed with an opening-side step portion that is wider than the back side of the entrance portion.

[0020] According to the present invention, scratches can be prevented on the short side of the opening of the groove.

[0021] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a fishing rod bottom plug and a fishing rod that can make scratches less visible and prevent deterioration of the appearance.

[0022] 4 is a side view of a fishing rod according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a fishing rod bottom plug according to a first embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the outside; FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a fishing rod bottom plug according to a first embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the fishing rod body side; FIG. 7 is a bottom view of a fishing rod bottom plug according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 8 is a side view of a fishing rod bottom plug according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 4; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 5; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a fishing rod bottom plug according to a first embodiment of the present invention, before a coin is inserted into the groove; FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a fishing rod bottom plug according to a second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 13 is a plan view of the groove of a fishing rod bottom plug according to a third embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a fishing rod bottom plug according to a third embodiment of the present invention, after a coin is inserted into the groove.

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that each embodiment described below is merely an embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the present invention. Furthermore, each embodiment can be applied in appropriate combination.

[0024] [First embodiment] Fig. 1 is a side view of a fishing rod according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1 shows the fishing rod 1 in an extended state. The fishing rod 1 comprises a fishing rod body 2 and a fishing rod bottom plug 11. The fishing rod body 2 is a telescopic rod, but the present invention may also be applied to a jointed rod. The fishing rod bottom plug 11 is detachably attached to the end 2a of the fishing rod body 2 at the rod base by screwing.

[0025] As shown in Figures 2 to 5, the fishing rod bottom plug 11 comprises a bottom plug body 12 and a protruding portion 14. The bottom plug body 12 is generally cylindrical. A male thread 18 is formed on the side circumferential surface of the bottom plug body 12. The male thread 18 is a portion that is threaded into a female thread 38 (see Figure 8) formed on the inner circumferential surface of the end portion 2a of the fishing rod body 2.

[0026] A groove 31 is formed in the bottom (bottom surface) 13 of the bottom plug body 12. In addition, a protruding portion 14 that protrudes radially outward is formed in the bottom 13 of the bottom plug body 12. The outer diameter of the protruding portion 14 is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the end portion 2a of the fishing rod body 2. The bottom portion 13 and the protruding portion 14 are portions that are exposed to the outside when the fishing rod bottom plug 11 is screwed onto the end portion 2a.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 3, a drain hole 34 is formed in the center of the end face 15 opposite the bottom portion (bottom surface) 13 of the bottom plug body 12, connecting the groove portion 31 to the outside.

[0028] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the groove 31 is a groove into which a coin is inserted when the end 2a of the fishing rod body 2 and the fishing rod bottom plug 11 are screwed together. The groove 31 has an entrance portion 32 exposed to the outside and a rear portion 33 located further back than the entrance portion 32. The cross-sectional shapes of the entrance portion 32 and the rear portion 33 are both elongated rectangles. The entrance portion 32 and the rear portion 33 each have a constant groove width, depth, and length.

[0029] On the long side of the groove 31, wall surfaces 33b, 33b rise from both edges of the bottom surface 33a of the rear portion 33. The bottom surfaces 32a, 32a of the inlet portion 32 are continuous with the ends of the wall surfaces 33b, 33b, respectively, and the bottom surface 32a protrudes outward on both sides. Furthermore, wall surfaces 32b, 32b rise from both edges of the bottom surface 32a of the inlet portion 32. The bottom surface 32a and the wall surfaces 32b form a step portion (long side step portion) on the long side of the groove 31. Note that, as shown in FIG. 6 , no step is provided on the short side of the groove 31 in this embodiment, and the inlet portion 32 and the rear portion 33 are flush (the length M is constant).

[0030] As shown in FIG. 7 , the groove width H2 of the rear portion 33 is narrower than the groove width H1 of the entrance portion 32. The groove width H1 is preferably set larger than the thickness of the coin to be inserted. On the other hand, the groove width H2 is preferably set equal to or slightly larger than the thickness of the coin to be inserted. In other words, the groove width H1 is preferably dimensioned to have a slight margin relative to the thickness of the coin, and the groove width H2 is preferably large enough to fit the coin without rattle. The groove widths H1 and H2 are preferably set to, for example, 1.95 to 2.30 mm for the groove width H1 and 1.50 to 1.90 mm for the groove width H2, to accommodate current Japanese coins (1 yen, 5 yen, 10 yen, 50 yen, and 100 yen coins). The step between the entrance portion 32 and the rear portion 33 may be set as appropriate, but is preferably set to, for example, 0.05 to 0.8 mm. The groove width H1 is preferably set to, for example, about +0.5 mm relative to the recommended coin width, and the groove width H2 is preferably set to, for example, about +0.1 mm relative to the recommended coin width.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 6 , the depth D and length M of the groove 31 are preferably formed so that when a coin is fully inserted, 40 to 60% of the diameter of the coin is inserted into the groove 31 (the length of the portion of the coin inserted into the groove 31 is 40 to 60% of the diameter). The depth D1 of the entrance 32 and the depth D2 of the rear portion 33 are either the same size, or the depth D1 is greater. The depth D1 is preferably set so that the opening of the rear portion 33 (around the step between the entrance 32 and the rear portion 33) is difficult to see from the outside. The depth D2 is preferably set so that 10 to 30% of the diameter of the coin is inserted (the length of the portion of the coin inserted into the rear portion 33 is 10 to 30% of the diameter). In other words, the depth D2 is preferably set so that the torque of the coin acts on the rear portion 33. Considering the size of Japanese coins (details to be given later), it is preferable that the depth D1 be a minimum of approximately 1.5 mm in order to make the step between the rear portion 33 and the entrance portion 32 less noticeable, and a maximum of approximately 9.0 mm in order to ensure that the torque applied when turning the coin acts sufficiently on the rear portion 33.

[0032] Next, the effects of the first embodiment will be described. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the bottom plug according to the first embodiment of the present invention before a coin is inserted into the groove. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the bottom plug according to the first embodiment of the present invention after a coin has been inserted into the groove. Here, the case of removing the fishing rod bottom plug 11 that is threaded onto the end 2a of the fishing rod body 2 will be illustrated.

[0033] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, a coin C is inserted through the opening of the groove 31 and abuts against the bottom surface 33a of the rear portion 33. At this time, the side of the coin C comes into contact with the wall surfaces 33b, 33b of the rear portion 33 or faces the bottom surface 33a with a very small gap. Meanwhile, the side of the coin C faces the wall surfaces 32b, 32b of the entrance portion 32 with a gap. When the coin C is rotated, the torque received by the groove 31 acts on the wall surfaces 33b, 33b of the rear portion 33, which have a narrow groove width, and is less likely to act on the wall surfaces 32b, 32b of the entrance portion 32, which have a wide groove width. In this way, by inserting the coin C and rotating it with the user's fingers, the fishing rod bottom plug 11 can be attached or detached by threading.

[0034] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, when coin C is inserted to the deepest part, the outer edges of coin C (both edges in the vertical direction in Figure 9) come into contact with the opening ends 31a of groove portion 31, but the length M of groove portion 31 may also be set so that there is a gap between the outer edges and opening end 31a of groove portion 31.

[0035] Here, in conventional fishing rod bottom plugs, the grooves are formed with a single groove width. Generally, if the groove width is set to be the same as or slightly wider than the thickness of the coin, the coin does not rattle in the groove, making it easier to apply torque. However, this configuration makes it difficult to insert coins into the groove, which can cause the open end 31a of the groove to be scratched or damaged. On the other hand, if the groove width is set sufficiently larger than the thickness of the coin, the coin will rattle, making it difficult to apply torque, and there is also the risk of the coin spinning freely and damaging the groove.

[0036] In this regard, according to the fishing rod bottom plug 11 of this embodiment, the groove width H1 of the entrance portion 32 is slightly wider than the groove width H2 of the rear side portion 33, making it easier to insert the coin C and less likely to scratch the area around the opening of the groove portion 31 during insertion. Also, the groove width H2 of the rear side portion 33 is narrower than the groove width H1 of the entrance portion 32, so the coin C does not rattle in the direction of rotation of the coin C and torque can be easily applied to the rear side portion 33.

[0037] Furthermore, when the coin C is rotated, the wall surfaces 33b, 33b of the rear side portion 33 are easily scratched, but the entrance portion 32 is less likely to be scratched. As a result, even when the coin C is rotated, the entrance portion 32 is less likely to be scratched. Furthermore, although the wall surfaces 33b, 33b of the rear side portion 33 are easily scratched, since the entrance portion 32 is provided in front of the rear side portion 33, the scratches are less visible from the outside, and deterioration of the aesthetic appearance can be suppressed. Furthermore, since there is no need to provide other components to make the scratches less visible, deterioration of the aesthetic appearance can be prevented without increasing the number of parts.

[0038] Furthermore, the cross-sectional shapes of the entrance portion 32 and the rear portion 33 may be set as appropriate, but in this embodiment, they are both elongated rectangles, making scratches inside the groove portion 31 less visible from the outside. Also, the cross-sectional shapes of the entrance portion 32 and the rear portion 33 are similar to the cross-sectional shapes of the coin C, preventing rattling. This improves operability.

[0039] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the drain holes 34 are provided in the groove bottom (bottom surface 33a) of the groove 31, so that water that has entered the groove 31 can be drained to the outside.

[0040] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the groove 31 is formed so that when a coin C is inserted, 40 to 60% of the diameter of the coin C is inserted. This allows the area of ​​the user's handle of the coin C to be appropriately secured, improving operability and allowing sufficient torque to be applied to the fishing rod bottom plug 11.

[0041] Incidentally, the current 1-yen coin has a diameter of 20.0 mm and a thickness of 1.45 mm. Similarly, the 5-yen coin has a diameter of 22.0 mm and a thickness of 1.55 mm or 1.60 mm depending on the year of issue. The 10-yen coin has a diameter of 23.50 mm and a thickness of 1.55 mm. The 50-yen coin has a diameter of 20.90 mm and a thickness of 1.75 mm. The 100-yen coin has a diameter of 22.60 mm and a thickness of 1.70 mm. Therefore, if the groove width H2 of the rear portion 33 is 1.50 to 1.90 mm and the groove width H1 of the inlet portion 32 is 1.95 to 2.30 mm, it is possible to provide a fishing rod bottom plug 11 having a groove portion 31 with a groove width corresponding to the various coins currently in circulation in Japan.

[0042] [Second embodiment] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of a fishing rod bottom plug according to a second embodiment. In this embodiment, the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment are used for components and the like that are common to the first embodiment, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted. The bottom plug 11A of this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the groove 31A (corresponding to the groove 31 described above) has an R-shape that conforms to the outer shape of the coin C when viewed from the side.

[0043] Since the groove 31A has an R-shape that conforms to the outer shape of the coin C, it is possible to prevent the coin C from rattling when inserted into the groove 31A, thereby improving operability.

[0044] [Third embodiment] Fig. 11 is a plan view of the groove of a fishing rod bottom plug according to a third embodiment. Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the fishing rod bottom plug according to the third embodiment after a coin has been inserted into the groove. In this embodiment, the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment are used for components and the like that are common to the first embodiment, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0045] As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the fishing rod bottom plug 11B according to the third embodiment includes a groove 31B. Opening-side step portions 42, 42 that are wider than the rear side of the inlet 32 ​​are formed at the opening on the short side of the inlet 32. The opening-side step portion 42 includes a step bottom surface 32d and a step wall surface 32e. The step bottom surface 32d is continuous with the wall surface 32c on the short side of the inlet 32 ​​and protrudes outward beyond the wall surface 32c. The step wall surface 32e rises from the step bottom surface 32d. The opening-side step portion 42 is a short side step portion provided on the short side of the groove 31B.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 12, when a coin C is inserted into the groove 31, the edge of the coin C abuts against the corner formed by the wall surface 32c and the stepped bottom surface 32d at the upper side of Fig. 12, but does not abut against the opening end 31a. On the other hand, the edge of the coin C abuts against neither the corner formed by the wall surface 32c and the stepped bottom surface 32d nor the opening end 31a at the lower side of Fig. 12.

[0047] According to the present embodiment described above, the provision of the opening-side step portions 42, 42 prevents the coin C from coming into contact with the opening edge 31a when inserted into the groove 31B. This prevents damage to the opening of the groove 31B and its surrounding area, which are easily visible from the outside. Furthermore, although the coin C may come into contact with both corners when inserted to the deepest part of the groove 31B, in this embodiment, the coin C is set to abut one of the corners but not the other. This prevents damage to the corners and allows the coin C to be inserted and removed smoothly.

[0048] 12, the long-side step portion and the short-side step portion of the groove portion 31B are formed at different height positions, but they may be formed at the same height position. In other words, the bottom surface 32a of the inlet portion 32 and the bottom surface 42a of the opening-side step portion 42 may be formed at the same height position. While the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, appropriate design changes are possible within the scope of the present invention.

[0049] 1 Fishing rod 2 Fishing rod body 2a End portion 11, 11A, 11B Bottom plug for fishing rod 12 Bottom plug body 31, 31A, 31B Groove portion 32 Entrance portion 33 Back side portion 34 Drain hole 42 Opening side step portion H1 Groove width H2 Groove width

Claims

1. A bottom plug for a fishing rod comprising: a bottom plug body which is attached and detached to the end of a fishing rod body by screwing it into place; and a groove formed in the bottom of the bottom plug body into which a coin is inserted when the bottom plug body is screwed into place, wherein the groove has an entrance portion exposed to the outside and a rear portion which is further back than the entrance portion, and the groove width of the rear portion is narrower than the groove width of the entrance portion.

2. The fishing rod bottom plug according to claim 1, wherein the planar cross-sectional shapes of the inlet portion and the rear portion are both elongated rectangular shapes.

3. The fishing rod bottom plug according to claim 1, wherein the groove has an R-shape that conforms to the outer shape of the coin when viewed from the side.

4. The fishing rod bottom plug according to claim 1, wherein the groove width at the rear portion is 1.50 to 1.90 mm, and the groove width at the inlet portion is 1.95 to 2.30 mm.

5. A fishing rod bottom plug as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a drain hole communicating with the outside is provided at the bottom of the groove at the rear side.

6. The fishing rod bottom plug according to claim 1, wherein the depth of the groove is formed so that when the coin is inserted, 40 to 60% of the diameter of the coin is inserted into the groove.

7. A fishing rod bottom plug as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that an opening side step portion is formed at the opening on the short side of the inlet portion, which is wider than the back side of the inlet portion.

8. A fishing rod comprising: a fishing rod body; and a fishing rod bottom plug according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which is attached to and detached from an end of the fishing rod body by screwing.

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