Reel leg fixing apparatus, method of fabricating the reel leg fixing apparatus, and method of fabricating hood portion of the reel leg fixing apparatus

Abstract

One object is to provide a reel leg fixing apparatus including a hood portion having an efficiently reduced thickness and weight while maintaining a sufficient strength. Another object of the present invention is to provide a reel leg fixing apparatus including a hood portion having a reduced thickness and weight while efficiently ensuring necessary strength at relevant portions, and a method of fabricating the reel leg fixing apparatus. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a reel leg fixing apparatus including a hood portion having an oblique end that allows weight reduction and maintains a sufficient strength.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A reel leg fixing apparatus, comprising:
 a hood portion having a tubular shape and having an opening for receiving a reel leg of a fishing reel,   wherein the hood portion is formed of a plurality of prepreg sheets stacked together and is configured to be moved in an axial direction by an operation nut, and   wherein the hood portion includes a higher proportion of reinforcement fibers oriented in a circumferential direction in a portion adjacent to the opening than in a portion adjacent to the operation nut.   
     
     
         2 . The reel leg fixing apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the hood portion has a uniform thickness across an axial length thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The reel leg fixing apparatus of  claim 1  wherein a circumferential fiber layer including the reinforcement fibers oriented in the circumferential direction is thicker toward the opening. 
     
     
         4 . The reel leg fixing apparatus of  claim 1  wherein a circumferential fiber layer including the reinforcement fibers oriented in the circumferential direction is disposed in an inner layer of the hood portion. 
     
     
         5 . A reel leg fixing apparatus comprising:
 a hood portion having a tubular shape and including a protrusion protruding so as to have an opening for receiving a reel leg of a fishing reel,   wherein the hood portion is formed of a plurality of prepreg sheets stacked together and is configured to be moved in an axial direction by an operation nut, and   wherein the hood portion includes reinforcement fibers oriented at least in the axial direction and extending continuously across an entire length of the hood portion, and the protrusion includes a region where the reinforcement fibers oriented in the axial direction are oblique to the axial direction.   
     
     
         6 . The reel leg fixing apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the reinforcement fibers oriented in the axial direction are oblique to the axial direction symmetrically on both left and right sides of the hood portion. 
     
     
         7 . The reel leg fixing apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the region is disposed near the opening of the hood portion. 
     
     
         8 . The reel leg fixing apparatus of  claim 5  wherein an axial fiber layer including the reinforcement fibers oriented in the axial direction is disposed in an outer layer of the hood portion. 
     
     
         9 . The reel leg fixing apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the reinforcement fibers in the region are oblique to the axial direction at an angle of 5° or larger. 
     
     
         10 . A method of fabricating a hood portion of a reel leg fixing apparatus, the hood portion having a tubular shape and having an opening for receiving a reel leg of a fishing reel, and the hood portion being formed of a plurality of prepreg sheets stacked together and configured to be moved in an axial direction by an operation nut, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a prepreg sheet including reinforcement fibers oriented in an axial direction and arranged symmetrically;   providing a mandrel including a cylindrical portion and a protrusion having a slope gradually rising forward from a circumferential part of an end of the cylindrical portion, so as to conform to a shape of the hood portion; and   rolling the prepreg sheet on both left and right sides of the outer circumference of the mandrel positioned in a symmetry axis of the prepreg sheet, so as to form; in the protrusion of the mandrel, a symmetrical region where the reinforcement fibers oriented in the axial direction are oblique to the axial direction.   
     
     
         11 . A reel leg fixing apparatus, comprising:
 a hood portion having a tubular shape and having an opening for receiving a reel leg of a fishing reel,   wherein the hood portion is formed of a fiber reinforced resin material, and   wherein the hood portion has an oblique end extending from an opening region through which the reel leg is to be inserted, to an opposite region along surfaces of both sides so as to be oblique with respect to an axial direction, and   the fiber reinforced resin material includes an oblique fiber layer including reinforcement fibers oriented along the oblique end.   
     
     
         12 . A method of fabricating the hood portion of  claim 11 , comprising the step of:
 forming the oblique fiber layer by rolling around a mandrel a fiber reinforced resin tape released from a bobbin, the mandrel having a surface shape conforming to the shape of the hood portion, the fiber reinforced resin tape including the reinforcement fibers arranged regularly in one orientation,   wherein in forming the oblique fiber layer, the fiber reinforced resin tape released from the bobbin is controlled to be oblique with respect to an axial direction of the mandrel.   
     
     
         13 . The method of fabricating the hood portion of  claim 12 , wherein in forming the oblique fiber layer, the bobbin is moved along the axial direction of the mandrel, wherein in a butt end side of the hood portion, the bobbin is positioned at a vertical position from which the fiber reinforced resin tape is released orthogonally to the axial direction of the mandrel, and in an opening side of the hood portion, the bobbin is rotationally moved to oblique positions from which the fiber reinforced resin tape is released obliquely with respect to the axial direction of the mandrel. 
     
     
         14 . The method of fabricating the hood portion of  claim 12 , wherein in forming the oblique fiber layer, the bobbin is moved along the axial direction of the mandrel, wherein in a butt end side of the hood portion, the bobbin is positioned at a vertical position from which the fiber reinforced resin tape is released orthogonally to the axial direction of the mandrel, and in an opening side of the hood portion, the bobbin is moved at a higher speed. 
     
     
         15 . A method of fabricating the hood portion of  claim 11 , comprising the step of:
 rolling two prepreg sheets on the mandrel to form the oblique fiber layer,   wherein the mandrel has a surface shape conforming to the shape of the hood portion,   the two prepreg sheets include the reinforcement fibers arranged regularly and oriented along the oblique end, and   one of the two prepreg sheets is rolled on one side of the mandrel to form a half ply and the other is rolled on the other side to form a half ply, the two sides being divided at a top line of the opening.   
     
     
         16 . The method of fabricating the hood portion of  claim 15 , wherein a reinforcement prepreg sheet is disposed on a portion where the two prepreg sheets border or overlap each other, the reinforcement prepreg sheet including the reinforcement fibers arranged regularly in a circumferential direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the mandrel. 
     
     
         17 . A method of fabricating the hood portion of  claim 11 , comprising the step of:
 rolling a prepreg sheet on a mandrel having a surface shape conforming to the shape of the hood portion, the prepreg sheet including the reinforcement fibers woven obliquely with respect to the axial direction of the mandrel,   wherein the oblique end of the oblique fiber layer is formed by cutting the woven prepreg sheet obliquely along the orientation of the reinforcement fibers.