Patents by Inventor Shu KUSUDA

Shu KUSUDA has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11819012
    Abstract: A spinning reel has a reel body, a spool shaft, a spool, a spool ring, and a drag knob. The spool ring is disposed on the external radial portion of a front flange of the spool. The drag knob is disposed in front of the spool shaft. As seen from the outside of the spool ring in the radial direction, an angle formed by a tangent line, which passes through a contact point between an external radial portion and a spherical boundary and which is tangent to the spherical boundary, and a straight line, which is orthogonal to the spool shaft and which passes through the contact point, is less than or equal to degrees. The drag knob is disposed inside the spherical boundary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventors: Akira Niitsuma, Atsushi Kawamata, Shu Kusuda, Kei Saito, Hirokazu Hirayama, Satoshi Ikebukuro, Yoshiyuki Takemoto
  • Patent number: 11761494
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventors: Akira Niitsuma, Shu Kusuda, Atsushi Yagara, Takuji Takamatsu
  • Publication number: 20230122536
    Abstract: A spinning reel has a reel body, a spool shaft, a spool, a spool ring, and a drag knob. The spool ring is disposed on the external radial portion of a front flange of the spool. The drag knob is disposed in front of the spool shaft. As seen from the outside of the spool ring in the radial direction, an angle formed by a tangent line, which passes through a contact point between an external radial portion and a spherical boundary and which is tangent to the spherical boundary, and a straight line, which is orthogonal to the spool shaft and which passes through the contact point, is less than or equal to degrees. The drag knob is disposed inside the spherical boundary.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2022
    Publication date: April 20, 2023
    Inventors: Akira NIITSUMA, Atsushi KAWAMATA, Shu KUSUDA, Kei SAITO, Hirokazu HIRAYAMA, Satoshi IKEBUKURO, Yoshiyuki TAKEMOTO
  • Publication number: 20230071854
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Applicant: Shimano Inc.
    Inventors: Akira NIITSUMA, Shu KUSUDA, Atsushi YAGARA, Takuji TAKAMATSU
  • Patent number: 11395482
    Abstract: A spinning reel includes a rotor rotatable around an axis of a spool shaft, a handle shaft, a drive shaft rotatable around an axis of the handle shaft, a rotational transmission mechanism configured to transmit the rotation of the drive shaft to a rotor, a rotational control mechanism disposed between the handle shaft and the drive shaft and only transmitting rotation of the handle shaft in a reeling direction to the drive shaft and not transmitting rotation of the rotor in a casting direction from the drive shaft to the handle shaft, and a brake arranged to be in contact with the handle shaft and integrally rotatable with the drive shaft and configured to apply a braking force to the rotation of the handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventors: Shu Kusuda, Akira Niitsuma, Kei Saito
  • Publication number: 20210386046
    Abstract: A spinning reel includes a rotor rotatable around an axis of a spool shaft, a handle shaft, a drive shaft rotatable around an axis of the handle shaft, a rotational transmission mechanism configured to transmit the rotation of the drive shaft to a rotor, a rotational control mechanism disposed between the handle shaft and the drive shaft and only transmitting rotation of the handle shaft in a reeling direction to the drive shaft and not transmitting rotation of the rotor in a casting direction from the drive shaft to the handle shaft, and a brake arranged to be in contact with the handle shaft and integrally rotatable with the drive shaft and configured to apply a braking force to the rotation of the handle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Publication date: December 16, 2021
    Inventors: Shu KUSUDA, Akira NIITSUMA, Kei SAITO
  • Patent number: 10952419
    Abstract: A hook keeper configured to be mounted on a fishing reel includes a locking part and a holding part. The locking part includes a locking portion, a hole penetrating the locking portion and a slit extending from the hole to an outside surface of the locking part and extending from a first end surface to a second end surface of the locking part in a central axial direction of the hole. The holding part is configured to hold the locking part and has a joining part configured to mount the holding part on the fishing reel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventor: Shu Kusuda
  • Patent number: 10827734
    Abstract: A dual-bearing reel includes a hook keeper having locking and support parts. The locking part has a hole and a slit. The slit extends from a first end surface to a second end surface of the locking part in a central axis direction. The support part supports the locking part, has a joining part including at least a portion of an annular ring, and is mounted on a mounting part at the joining part to be pivotable about a drive shaft. When the support part is positioned in a lateral direction of a handle, the hole and slit are on an outside of the handle in the lateral direction orthogonal to the drive shaft, and when the support part is positioned in a longitudinal direction of the handle, the hole and slit are on an inside of the handle in the lateral direction orthogonal to the drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventors: Youhei Toake, Shu Kusuda
  • Publication number: 20200022352
    Abstract: A dual-bearing reel includes a hook keeper having locking and support parts. The locking part has a hole and a slit. The slit extends from a first end surface to a second end surface of the locking part in a central axis direction. The support part supports the locking part, has a joining part including at least a portion of an annular ring, and is mounted on a mounting part at the joining part to be pivotable about a drive shaft. When the support part is positioned in a lateral direction of a handle, the hole and slit are on an outside of the handle in the lateral direction orthogonal to the drive shaft, and when the support part is positioned in a longitudinal direction of the handle, the hole and slit are on an inside of the handle in the lateral direction orthogonal to the drive shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2019
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: Youhei TOAKE, Shu KUSUDA
  • Publication number: 20200022347
    Abstract: A hook keeper configured to be mounted on a fishing reel includes a locking part and a holding part. The locking part includes a locking portion, a hole penetrating the locking portion and a slit extending from the hole to an outside surface of the locking part and extending from a first end surface to a second end surface of the locking part in a central axial direction of the hole. The holding part is configured to hold the locking part and has a joining part configured to mount the holding part on the fishing reel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2019
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventor: Shu KUSUDA