FISHING ROD AND METHOD FOR ATTACHING LINE GUIDES, TIP TOPS AND ACCESSORIES TO A ROD BLANK

Abstract

A method for securing a line guide to a fishing rod blank includes the steps of positioning a line guide having a guide foot along a rod blank, and wrapping a wrap having a substrate and an adhesive layer around the rod blank and the guide foot to secure the line guide to the rod blank.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to fishing rods and, more particularly, to a method for attaching line guides, hook keepers and other accessories to a rod blank.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As is known in the art, it is common to employ guide eyelets to a fishing rod for the purpose of guiding the fishing line along the length of the rod. These guide eyelets are usually provided with feet which embrace the rod and are secured thereto by thread wrapped securely about both. While wrapping the guide eyelets to secure them to the rod blank can be performed manually, it typically requires high skill and dexterity to perform acceptably. Accordingly, numerous devices have been developed to help with wrapping, most of which include a spool of thread, a tensioner for the thread, and a mechanism for rotating the rod blank to effect wrapping.

The wrapping procedure carried out using most of these devices is generally the same and, with reference to FIG. 1, involves first temporarily attaching the guide 12 to the rod blank 10 using a piece of tape or adhesive. The initial portion of the wrapping thread 14 is then wrapped around the rod blank 10 at the position adjacent to where the guide foot 16 of the guide 12 placed, by rotating the rod blank 10. As the rod blank 10 is rotated, successive wraps 18 are placed on the rod blank 10. As indicated, the wraps 18 begin on the rod blank 10 and transition to the guide foot 16 of the guide 12 in the direction of arrow, A, as the rod blank 10 is rotated to secure the guide foot 16 to the rod blank 10. When the end of the guide foot 16 is reached, a special procedure is utilized to tie off the thread 14. One such way of doing this involves a separate loop of thread, which is used to pull the tail 20 of the thread 14 underneath at least some of the wraps to hold the entire wrap tightly in place. The loop can then be removed. An epoxy coating is then overlaid atop the entire wrap.

As will be appreciated, however, this wrapping process, whether performed manually or with the aid of various wrapping devices, is quite tedious and labor intensive. In particular, each successive wrap must be tightly packed against the preceding one, without overlap (FIG. 1 shows the wraps 18 spaced apart for ease of illustration). During the wrapping process, a worker must often stop to pack the wraps together using a separate burnishing tool. Accordingly, training employees to carry out this wrapping procedure in an acceptable manner takes time, and even when proficiency is reached, securing a single guide to a rod blank can take upwards of 15 minutes. Depending on the rod length and type, a single fishing rod may have two to three, to upwards of ten or more guides. As such, securing line guides and other accessories to rod blanks using conventional wrapping procedures adds significant time and expense to the manufacture of fishing rods.

In view of the above, there is a need for a method for attaching line guides, hook keepers and other accessories to a rod blank that is simpler and faster than existing methods, and which therefore decreases the cost to manufacturing fishing rods, as a whole.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for securing line guides and other accessories to a fishing rod blank.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for securing tip tops to a fishing rod blank.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for securing line guides and other accessories to a fishing rod blank that is simpler than existing methods.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for securing line guides and other accessories to a fishing rod blank that is quicker than existing methods.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a fishing rod having line guides and other accessories that is simpler and quicker to manufacture than existing fishing rods.

These and other objects are achieved by the present invention.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method for securing a line guide to a fishing rod blank includes the steps of positioning a line guide having a guide foot along a rod blank, and wrapping a wrap having a substrate and an adhesive layer around the rod blank and the guide foot to secure the line guide to the rod blank.

According to another embodiment of the invention, a fishing rod includes a rod blank, a plurality of line guides positioned along the rod blank, a tip top located at a distal end of the rod blank, and a wrap securing at least one of the plurality of line guides and/or the tip top to the rod blank. The wrap includes a substrate and an adhesive layer on at least one side of the substrate.

According to yet another embodiment of the invention, a method for securing an accessory to a fishing rod blank includes the steps of positioning an accessory along a rod blank, and wrapping a wrap having a carbon fiber prepreg around the rod blank and the accessory to secure the accessory to the rod blank.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be better understood from reading the following description of non-limiting embodiments, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein below:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged elevational view of a fishing rod, illustrating a prior art method of securing a line guide to a fishing rod blank.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, cross-sectional illustration of a wrap material used to attach a line guide to a fishing rod blank according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the wrap material of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged elevational view of a fishing rod, illustrating a method for securing a line guide to a fishing rod blank using the wrap material of FIG. 2, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged elevational view of the fishing rod of FIG. 4, illustrating completion of the wrapping process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIGS. 2-5, the present invention relates to a method for securing a line guide to a fishing rod blank 50 without the use of conventional nylon thread or any tensioning device. The method disclosed herein instead utilizes a wrap 100 in the form of a ribbon or tape to secure the line guides to the rod blank. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in an embodiment, the wrap 100 includes a substrate 102, a pressure sensitive adhesive layer 104 affixed to one face of the substrate 102, and a backing layer or liner paper 106 removably affixed to the pressure sensitive adhesive layer 104. In an embodiment, the wrap 100 may additionally include a scrim cloth (not shown) on one side of the substrate 102.

In the preferred embodiment, the substrate 102 may be a carbon fiber prepreg having a plurality of carbon fibers (preferably unidirectional carbon fibers), e.g., fibers 108, 110, 112, 114 preimpregnated with a resin, as best shown in FIG. 3. In an embodiment, the carbon fiber used has a low modulus (e.g., about 55 to about 155 GPa) and it is thinly and evenly dispersed in a prepreg sheet weighing less than about 60 grams per square meter and, more preferably, between about 20-30 grams per square meter. In an embodiment, the resin used in the carbon fiber prepreg contains no curative, obviating the need to keep the prepreg in a low temperature, low humidity environment. In addition, as the resin contains no curative, the prepreg has a long shelf life at ambient conditions, including high humidity environments, and renders it more flexible so as to facilitate the wrapping of the wrap 100 around a small diameter rod blank, as disclosed hereinafter.

While a carbon fiber prepreg is disclosed, it is contemplated, that the substrate 102 may also be formed from other materials such as, for example, fiberglass, plastic, nylon, cotton, silk, polyester, Kevlar, bamboo, and/or other flexible fiber materials, or combinations of such materials. In an embodiment, the wrap 100 is between about 1 millimeter in width to about 12 millimeters in width and, more preferably, about 3 millimeters or about ⅛ inch in width. Moreover, while the resin of the prepreg substrate is disclosed as having no curative, in some embodiments the resin may contain a curative. In yet other embodiments, the adhesive 104 may not be pressure sensitive, but instead may be formulated to adhere to the opposite side of the wrap 100 (e.g., the substrate 102) as it is would around and atop itself, in the manner disclosed hereinafter.

With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, in an embodiment, a method for securing a line guide to a rod blank includes positioning a rod blank 50 in a mandrel or other device configured to rotate the rod blank 50 about its longitudinal axis. Alternatively, the rod blank 50 may simply be positioned in a holding fixture where manual rotation of the rod blank 50 will be utilized during the wrapping process. The backing layer 106 of the ribbon 100 is then be peeled off to expose the pressure sensitive adhesive layer 104. The wrap 100, itself, can then be used to initially secure the guide 52 on the rod blank 50 in the desired position prior to wrapping. In an embodiment, this is accomplished by placing the guide foot 54 of the guide 52 on the rod blank 50 at the desired position, and using the wrap 100 to initially maintain the guide 52 in such position (e.g., by pressing a first end of the wrap 100 onto a portion of the rod blank 50, extending the wrap 100 over the guide foot 54, and pressing the wrap 100 onto a portion of the rod blank 50 on the opposite side of the guide foot 54 such that the wrap 100 overlies the guide foot 54 and is in adhesive contact with the rod blank 50 on opposing sides of the guide foot 54). This is in contrast to conventional methods which require extraneous materials such as tape or adhesive to initially position the guide 52 on the rod blank 50.

Once the guide 52 is positioned in the desired position on the rod blank and held in position by the wrap 100, the wrap 100 is wrapped around the rod blank 50 and guide foot 54 in a slightly angled manner (e.g., a spiral manner) and such that the each successive turn (or wrap) 120 of the wrap 100 overlaps the preceding turn 120. In an embodiment, the overlap is approximately % the width of the wrap 100 (i.e., each successive turn overlaps approximately 50% of the preceding turn). In an embodiment, the overlap may be greater than, or less than 50%. In yet other embodiments, there may be no overlap at all, such that there are gaps present between the wrap 120. In such a case, this may be desirable to allow epoxy or overlay material, discussed below, to flow underneath the wrap material. FIG. 4 illustrates a plurality of turns 120 of the wrap 100 covering the guide foot 54 of the guide 52, part way through the wrapping process.

FIG. 5 shows the guide 52 secured to the rod blank 50 with wrap 100, i.e., upon competition of the wrapping procedure. Once enough turns have been placed over the guide foot 54 and rod blank 50 to secure the guide 52 to the rod blank 50, the wrap 100 may be cut and the tail end pressed into contact with the rod blank 50 and/or one of the turns of the wrap 100 to prevent unraveling. In an embodiment, once the guide 52 is secured using the wrap 100, an epoxy overlay (not shown) may be applied to encase the wrap 100 and guide foot 54 and to protect the wrap 100 from water. As indicated above, in the case where there are spaces between adjacent turns of the wrap 100, the epoxy may flow into such spaces to more reliably secure the guide foot 54 to the rod blank 50. In an embodiment, other water resistant coatings and/or materials may be utilized as an overlay or encasing material to seal and protect the wrap such as, for example, an adhesive (e.g., light cured acrylic or acrylate), without departing from the broader aspects of the invention.

In contrast to existing methods, the entire wrapping process takes only 10-15 seconds for each guide. This is due, at least partially, to many fewer turns being required to span the entire length of the guide foot 54 (as the width of the ribbon 100 is much greater than the width of conventional nylon threads or filaments). Moreover, and importantly, no special training is needed to become proficient in the wrapping procedure, as the wrapping method of the present invention is much simpler than prior art methods and requires no special equipment, no temporary tape or adhesive to initially secure the guide to the blank, and no specialized technique for securing the end of the wrap to prevent unraveling. Indeed, as a result of the simpler process and the fact that many fewer wraps/turns are necessary, hand rotation of the rod blank 50 to lay the turns 120 around the rod blank 50 can more readily be utilized. In addition, there is no need to stop to pack threads together, or to ensure there is no overlap between threads, which is necessary using conventional methods.

While it is contemplated that the method disclosed herein is to be utilized during the fishing rod manufacturing process, it is also envisioned that the method can be readily adapted for do-it-yourself repairs (e.g., such as when a line guide/eyelet breaks). Indeed, in the event a line guide needs replacement, it can be removed from the rod blank 50 and a user can secure a new guide quite easily using the wrap 100 and method described herein. This is in contrast to current practice, where rods are often discarded or sent out to specialized shops for repair. While the embodiments disclosed above contemplate rotating the rod blank 50 to place successive turns of the wrap 100 over the blank 50 it is also envisioned that the rod blank may be held stationary while the wrap 100 is wrapped around the blank 50 in a spiral manner.

As indicated above, the wrap 100 is much easier to apply that the nylon thread used in conventional methods. In addition, the carbon fibers present in the substrate 102 of the wrap 100 are much lighter and much stronger than conventional nylon thread. Moreover, in an embodiment, the thickness of the wrap 100 is between approximately 1/1000^th to about 5/10000^th of an inch thick and, more preferably, approximately 1/1000^th of an inch thick, which looks very sleek and inconspicuous once applied to the rod blank 50. In addition to the above-noted advantages, the use of the wrap 100 to secure the guides 52 also helps increase the sensitivity of the fishing rod as compared to those using nylon threads, as the ribbon 100 and carbon fibers 108, 110, 112, 114 thereof provide less damping than nylon threads. Accordingly, in addition to ease of manufacture and decreased cost, the use of the ribbon 100 to attach the guides 52 also results in better performance.

While the present invention has been described above as being particularly suited for securing line guides to rod blanks in the manufacture of fishing rods, the present invention is not so limited in this regard. In particular, it is contemplated that the techniques and methods disclosed herein may also be utilized to secure hook keepers, tip tops and other accessories to rod blanks. Still further, it is envisioned that the wrap 100 and methods disclosed herein may be utilized to securely fashion various components to one another, outside of the field of fishing rod manufacture.

For example, in an embodiment, the wrap 100 may be used to secure a rod tip top to the distal end of the rod blank 50 using a process substantially similar to that disclosed above. In particular, a tip top may be positioned in a desired orientation and location on the distal end of the rod blank 50 and held in such position using the wrap 100 in the manner similar to that disclosed above. The rod blank 50 may then be rotated to place successive turns of the wrap 100 onto the rod blank and over a guide foot or tube of the tip top to secure the tip top to the distal end of the rod blank. As will be appreciated, therefore, the wrap 100 and method of the present invention may be utilized in the manufacture of fishing rods, or in the repair of guides, tip tops and accessories of fishing rods.

In connection with the above, in a further embodiment of the present invention, a kit for the repair or manufacture of fishing rods may include a spool or length of wrap 100, at least one line guide, and at least one tip top. In an embodiment, the kit may have a plurality of different spools/lengths of wrap material, in differing widths. In an embodiment, the kit may include a plurality of line guides having different ring sizes, and/or a plurality of tip tops of different insert and frame configurations, insert sizes and/or tube sizes. The kit therefore allows for quick, easy and in-field repair/replacement of fishing rod guides and tip tops for almost any fishing rod. In particular, the kit allows a user to select among an array of wraps, guides and/or tip tops to repair almost any fishing rod.

Although this invention has been shown and described with respect to the detailed embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of skill in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed in the above detailed description, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for securing a line guide to a fishing rod blank, comprising the steps of: positioning a line guide having a guide foot along a rod blank; andwrapping a wrap having a substrate and an adhesive layer around the rod blank and the guide foot to secure the line guide to the rod blank.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: after positioning the line guide along the rod blank, utilizing the wrap to initially maintain the line guide in position along the rod blank prior to wrapping the wrap around the rod blank.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein: the step of wrapping the wrap around the rod blank includes wrapping the wrap around the rod blank in a spiral manner such that each successive turn of the wrap at least partially overlaps a preceding turn.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein: the step of wrapping the wrap around the rod blank includes wrapping the wrap around the rod blank in a spiral manner so as to leave spaces between adjacent turns of the wrap.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of: sealing or encasing the wrap with a water resistant coating.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein: the water resistant coating is at least one of an epoxy and adhesive coating.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein: the adhesive layer includes a pressure-sensitive adhesive.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein: the substrate is a carbon fiber prepreg.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein: the substrate includes a plurality of unidirectional carbon fibers.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: applying an epoxy overlay over the wrap.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein: the wrap is between about 1 millimeter and about 12 millimeters wide.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein: the wrap is approximately 3 millimeters wide.

13. A fishing rod, comprising: a rod blank;a plurality of line guides positioned along the rod blank;a tip top located at a distal end of the rod blank; anda wrap securing at least one of the plurality of line guides and/or the tip top to the rod blank, the wrap including a substrate and an adhesive layer on at least one side of the substrate.

14. The fishing rod of claim 13, wherein: the wrap includes a plurality of turns, at least one successive turn of the plurality of turns overlying at least one preceding turn of the plurality of turns.

15. The fishing rod of claim 13, wherein: the adhesive layer includes a pressure sensitive adhesive.

16. The fishing rod of claim 13, wherein: each turn of the wrap is between about 1 millimeter and about 12 millimeters in width.

17. The fishing rod of claim 13, wherein: each turn of the wrap is between about 3 millimeters in width.

18. The fishing rod of claim 13, wherein: the substrate is a carbon fiber prepreg having a plurality of unidirectional carbon fibers.

19. The fishing rod of claim 13, wherein: the wrap is formed from a plurality of turns arranged encircling the rod blank, with spaces formed between adjacent turns of the plurality of turns; andwherein the fishing rod further includes a water resistant coating encasing the wrap and occupying the spaces between adjacent turns of the plurality of turns.

20. The fishing rod of claim 13, wherein: the wrap secures the tip top to the rod blank.

21. The fishing rod of claim 18, wherein: the carbon fiber prepreg is devoid of a curative.

22. A method for securing an accessory to a fishing rod blank, comprising the steps of: positioning an accessory along a rod blank; andwrapping a wrap having a carbon fiber prepreg around the rod blank and the accessory to secure the accessory to the rod blank.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein: the accessory is a tip top.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein: the wrap includes an adhesive disposed on the carbon fiber prepreg.