Composite Felt Drag Washer for Durable, Tunable Reel Braking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drag washers for fishing reels face challenges in achieving high durability and suitable braking force while maintaining cost-effectiveness, with carbon cloth washers being expensive and prone to 'peaky' behavior, and felt washers being durable but inferior under high loads.
Innovation Solution
A drag washer design featuring a felt material formed by intertwining fibers with different lengths and directions, where vertical fibers intersect with horizontal fibers, increasing fiber density in all directions, reducing wear and breakage, and allowing for fine adjustment of braking force, thus enhancing durability and reducing material costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a carbon cloth washer is used, then durability and braking force are improved, but material cost increases and braking force becomes too sensitive to pressing force changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite felt material made from carbon fiber and aramid fiber mixed in specific proportions (carbon fiber 30-70 wt%, aramid fiber 70-30 wt%). This composite structure combines the high strength and durability of carbon fiber with the flexibility and fine-adjustment capability of aramid fiber, resolving the contradiction between durability and braking force adaptability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a felt washer is used, then material cost is reduced and braking force adaptability is improved, but durability and resistance to high load decrease
Solution Approach 1:
By incorporating carbon fiber (30-70 wt%) into the felt material, the patent enhances durability and high-load resistance while maintaining the aramid fiber's contribution to braking force adaptability. The composite structure allows the material to exhibit both the fine-adjustment characteristics of traditional felt and the strength of carbon fiber.
3Reliability
If fiber density along the sliding surface is increased, then wear resistance is improved, but fiber arrangement complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies that the sliding surface must have a fiber density of 0.35 g/cm³ or more, creating a locally optimized region with enhanced wear resistance. This local quality approach concentrates the fiber density requirement where it is most needed (at the sliding surface) without unnecessarily complicating the overall fiber arrangement throughout the entire drag washer.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a drag washer with improved durability, reduced wear, and adaptable braking force, outperforming conventional designs in both durability and cost-effectiveness, with a significant increase in the number of test cycles under high drag force conditions.
Implementation Method 1
wear against shear can be suppressed and the occurrence of breakage and damage can be reduced
Implementation Method 2
wear against shear
Implementation Method 3
braking force suitable for fishing drag
Data Source
AI summary
A drag washer for a fishing reel has a sliding surface slidable relative to a plate washer. The drag washer includes a felt material formed by entwining a first fiber and a second fiber. The first fiber extends in a first direction along a thickness of the drag washer. The second fiber extends in a second direction along the sliding surface.