The present disclosure relates broadly to an artificial fishing lure which incorporates a mechanical hook assembly. In terms of recreational fishing, a lure is an object attached to the end of fishing line and designed to resemble and move like an item of fish prey. The basic purpose of the lure is to use movement, vibrations, and/or color to catch the fish's attention and to entice the fish to “bite” the hook. Conventional lures may be equipped with one or more exposed single, double, or treble hooks. Such lures are generally used with a fishing rod and fishing reel. When a lure is used for casting, it is continually cast out and retrieved—the retrieval making the lure “swim” through the water.
The concept of the present disclosure may be incorporated in many different types of fishing lures. For example, the present lure may comprise or incorporate a jig, spoon, plug (or crankbait), artificial fly, bass worm, spinnerbait, or the like. Additionally, multiple lures of the present disclosure may be used on a single line, as in the manner of a trotline.
Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described below. Use of the term “exemplary” means illustrative or by way of example only, and any reference herein to “the invention” is not intended to restrict or limit the invention to exact features or steps of any one or more of the exemplary embodiments disclosed in the present specification. References to “exemplary embodiment,” “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “various embodiments,” and the like, may indicate that the embodiment(s) of the invention so described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Further, repeated use of the phrase “in one embodiment,” or “in an exemplary embodiment,” do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although they may.
According to one exemplary embodiment, the present disclosure comprises an artificial fishing lure incorporating a spring-biased hook assembly adapted for sudden movement from a loaded condition to a released condition. A hook-setting base temporarily retains the hook assembly in the loaded condition. A pliant, outwardly-flexed compression trigger is adapted for straightening upon application of an inwardly directed force. When straightened, the trigger pushes the hook-setting base away from the hook assembly, and releases the hook assembly for sudden movement from the loaded condition to the released condition. The term “lure” is used broadly herein to mean any device used alone, or in combination with other devices, elements, or structure, for purposes of attracting and/or catching fish.
According to another exemplary embodiment, the hook assembly comprises first and second integrally-formed metal hooks having oppositely directed bends and points.
According to another exemplary embodiment, the first and second hooks define respective outwardly curved pinch points adapted for being simultaneously pressed together to return the hook assembly from the released condition to the loaded condition.
According to another exemplary embodiment, the hook assembly defines an eye for receiving a free end of fishing line.
According to another exemplary embodiment, the hook-setting base comprises a weighted body defining a pocket for releasably receiving a portion of the hook assembly in the loaded condition.
According to another exemplary embodiment, the outwardly-flexed trigger comprises opposing, resilient legs formed with the weighted body and attached (and locked) to the hook assembly adjacent the eye.
According to another exemplary embodiment, with the hook assembly in the loaded condition, the resilient legs are laterally spaced apart a distance of between 10 and 20 mm at opposing points of greatest flexion.
According to another exemplary embodiment, with the hook assembly in the released condition, the resilient legs are laterally spaced apart a maximum distance of less than 15 mm.
In yet another exemplary embodiment, the present disclosure comprises an artificial fishing lure incorporating a spring-biased hook assembly and hook-setting ring. The hook assembly is adapted for sudden movement from a loaded condition to a released condition, and comprises at least one hook having an elongated shank and bend. The hook-setting ring is carried on the shank of the hook adjacent the bend for temporarily retaining the hook assembly in the loaded condition. A compression trigger including a projecting tooth is adapted for engaging the hook-setting ring, and moving the ring along the shank of the hook upon application of an inwardly directed force. Sliding movement of the hook-setting ring away from the bend of the hook releases the hook assembly for sudden movement from the loaded condition to the released condition.
According to another exemplary embodiment, the hook assembly includes first and second integrally-formed metal hooks having oppositely directed bends and points. Use of multiple hooks may effect multiple holds upon the fish. Alternatively, the hook assembly may comprise only a single hook.
According to another exemplary embodiment, the hook assembly defines an eye for receiving a free end of fishing line.
According to another exemplary embodiment, the compression trigger includes a folded flat metal spring comprising first and second spaced-apart opposing metal plates. Alternatively, the compression trigger (and/or other components of the fishing lure) may be formed of a plastic or any other suitable material.
According to another exemplary embodiment, the projecting tooth comprises an integrally-formed portion of the first metal plate bent inwardly towards the second metal plate.
According to another exemplary embodiment, the projecting tooth has a substantially wedge-shaped profile.
According to another exemplary embodiment, the second metal plate defines a tooth opening adapted for receiving a tip of the projecting tooth upon compression of the trigger.
According to another exemplary embodiment, the compression trigger includes a cooperating second projecting tooth comprising an integrally-formed portion of the second metal plate bent inwardly towards the first metal plate.
According to another exemplary embodiment, the second projecting tooth has a substantially wedge-shaped profile.
According to another exemplary embodiment, the first metal plate defines a tooth opening adapted for receiving a tip of the second projecting tooth upon compression of the trigger.
According to another exemplary embodiment, the compression trigger comprises integrally-formed (or separately formed) bait attachment pins extending between the first and second metal plates.
In yet another exemplary embodiment, the invention may comprise an artificial fishing lure having a base assembly, a spring-biased hook assembly, a movable hook-setting post, a fixed retention member, and a pivoted actuation lever. The base assembly has spaced apart leading and trailing ends. The hook assembly is carried by the base assembly, and is adapted for sudden movement from a loaded condition to a released condition. The hook assembly comprises a proximal end and a pointed distal end adapted for piercing a fish. The hook-setting post is located adjacent the leading end of the base assembly, and is adapted for temporarily engaging the proximal end of the hook assembly in the loaded condition. The fixed retention member is located adjacent the trailing end of said base assembly, and is adapted for cooperating with the hook-setting post to temporarily hold the hook assembly in the loaded condition. The actuation lever is connected to the hook-setting post, and is adapted for moving the hook-setting post away from the hook assembly when actuated. The hook-setting post then disengages the proximal end of the hook assembly, and thereby releases the hook assembly for sudden rearward movement outwardly from the retention member from the loaded condition to the released condition.
According to another exemplary embodiment, the hook assembly comprises first and second integrally-formed metal hooks having oppositely directed bends and points.
According to another exemplary embodiment, the hook assembly defines an eye at its proximal end for receiving a free end of fishing line.
According to another exemplary embodiment, the base assembly comprises a substantially planar body defining opposing outwardly-flared wings designed for guarding the pointed distal end of the hook assembly in the loaded condition.
According to another exemplary embodiment, a line-guiding head is integrally formed with the actuation lever and located at the leading end of the base assembly.
According to another exemplary embodiment, the line-guiding head defines a through-bore for receiving a free end of fishing line.
According to another exemplary embodiment, an elongated bait-attaching tail is located at the trailing end of the base assembly.
According to another exemplary embodiment, the retention member comprises a retention bridge defining an underpassage through which the hook assembly extends.
According to another exemplary embodiment, a hook stop is located rearward of the retention bridge, and is adapted for limited rearward movement of the hook assembly from the loaded condition to the released condition.
The description of exemplary embodiments proceeds in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:
The present invention is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which one or more exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown. Like numbers used herein refer to like elements throughout. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be operative, enabling, and complete. Accordingly, the particular arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention, which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any and all equivalents thereof. Moreover, many embodiments, such as adaptations, variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements, will be implicitly disclosed by the embodiments described herein and fall within the scope of the present invention.
Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Unless otherwise expressly defined herein, such terms are intended to be given their broad ordinary and customary meaning not inconsistent with that applicable in the relevant industry and without restriction to any specific embodiment hereinafter described. As used herein, the article “a” is intended to include one or more items. Where only one item is intended, the term “one”, “single”, or similar language is used. When used herein to join a list of items, the term “or” denotes at least one of the items, but does not exclude a plurality of items of the list.
For exemplary methods or processes of the invention, the sequence and/or arrangement of steps described herein are illustrative and not restrictive. Accordingly, it should be understood that, although steps of various processes or methods may be shown and described as being in a sequence or temporal arrangement, the steps of any such processes or methods are not limited to being carried out in any particular sequence or arrangement, absent an indication otherwise. Indeed, the steps in such processes or methods generally may be carried out in various different sequences and arrangements while still falling within the scope of the present invention.
Additionally, any references to advantages, benefits, unexpected results, or operability of the present invention are not intended as an affirmation that the invention has been previously reduced to practice or that any testing has been performed. Likewise, unless stated otherwise, use of verbs in the past tense (present perfect or preterite) is not intended to indicate or imply that the invention has been previously reduced to practice or that any testing has been performed.
Referring now specifically to the drawings an artificial, mechanical fishing lure according to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4-7, the exemplary lure body 11 substantially covers the loaded hook assembly 12, and may comprise a stamped and folded metal blank constructed of any suitable finished or non-finished high carbon spring steel, nickel-silver, high-nickel alloy, stainless steel, phosphor-bronze and beryllium-copper combination, or the like. The curve radius “R” (
A further exemplary embodiment of an artificial mechanical fishing lure 50 is shown in
Referring to
The hook-setting post 112 is located adjacent the leading end of the base assembly 110, and operates to temporarily engage the proximal end 115 of the hook assembly 111 in the loaded condition shown in
The actuation lever 114 is connected to the hook-setting post 112 and an underside of the planar body 121 at fulcrum 126. A line-guiding head 128 defining a small through-bore 129 may be formed with the actuation lever 114 forward of the hook-setting post 112. A flexible fishing line (not shown) attached to a conventional rod and reel outfit is passed through the line-guiding head 128 and tied at the eye 115 (proximal end) of the hook assembly 111. When the lever 114 is depressed towards the planar body 121 of the base assembly 110, as indicated by arrow 131 in
In further alternative embodiments, the mechanical fishing lure may be substantially encapsulated within a larger artificial lure, or may be used or alone or in combination with other lures, tackle, or lure bodies and components, and may be of any desired size, shape, and configuration.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described above. No element, act, or instruction used in this description should be construed as important, necessary, critical, or essential to the invention unless explicitly described as such. Although only a view of the exemplary embodiments have been described in detail herein, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in these exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims.
In the claims, any means-plus-function clauses are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents, but also equivalent structures. Thus, although a nail and a screw may not be structural equivalents in that a nail employs a cylindrical surface to secure wooden parts together, whereas a screw employs a helical surface, in the environment of fastening wooden parts, a nail and a screw may be equivalent structures. Unless the exact language “means for” (performing a particular function or step) is recited in the claims, a construction under §112, 6th paragraph is not intended. Additionally, it is not intended that the scope of patent protection afforded the present invention be defined by reading into any claim a limitation found herein that does not explicitly appear in the claim itself.
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Parent | 12154300 | May 2008 | US |
Child | 12313159 | US |