Patent Application
20190320637
Not applicable to this application.
Not applicable to this application.
Example embodiments in general relate to a bag for boat livewell for providing efficient removal and transport of fish from a boat's live well.
Any discussion of the related art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such related art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.
A livewell is a tank found on fishing boats used to keep bait and caught fish alive. The tank of the livewell has a cover to selectively enclose the upper opening the tank. A livewell works by pumping fresh water from the surrounding body of water (e.g. lake, river) into the livewell tank, as well as keeping the water aerated. Livewells have various shapes and sizes based on the boat, size of fish and other factors.
One of the problems of livewells is that it can be difficult to remove fish from the live well. To remove the fish from the livewell, the fisherman typically removes each fish individually. The fish removed may be inserted into a container such as a bag for weighing at a fishing tournament.
An example embodiment is directed to a bag for boat livewell. The bag for boat livewell includes a bag having a floor, an upper opening opposite of the floor, a first sidewall extending from the floor, a second sidewall extending from the floor, a first end wall extending between the first sidewall and the second sidewall, and a second end wall extending between the first sidewall and second sidewall. The bag is constructed of a water permeable material. A first handle and a second handle extend from the first sidewall and the second sidewall respectively. A first interior closure and a second interior closure are attached to the sidewalls for selective closing of the upper opening. A first buoyant member and a second buoyant member are attached to the first sidewall and the second sidewall respectively.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, some of the embodiments of the bag for boat livewell in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional embodiments of the bag for boat livewell that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the bag for boat livewell in detail, it is to be understood that the bag for boat livewell is not limited in its application to the details of construction or to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The bag for boat livewell is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.
Example embodiments will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings, wherein like elements are represented by like reference characters, which are given by way of illustration only and thus are not limitative of the example embodiments herein.
An example bag for boat livewell generally comprises a bag 20 having a floor 22, an upper opening 21 opposite of the floor 22, a first sidewall 24 extending from the floor 22, a second sidewall 26 extending from the floor 22, a first end wall 28 extending between the first sidewall 24 and the second sidewall 26, and a second end wall 29 extending between the first sidewall 24 and second sidewall 26. The bag 20 is constructed of a water permeable material. A first handle 32 and a second handle 34 extend from the first sidewall 24 and the second sidewall 26 respectively. A first interior closure 40 and a second interior closure 42 are attached to the sidewalls for selective closing of the upper opening 21. A first buoyant member 50 and a second buoyant member 52 are attached to the first sidewall 24 and the second sidewall 26 respectively.
In one example embodiment shown in
In one example embodiment, the upper opening 21 has a length of approximately 24 inches and a width of approximately 11 inches. In another embodiment, the sidewalls 24, 26 and end walls 28, 29 have a height of approximately 12 inches. Various other lengths, widths and heights may be used with the various embodiments.
The bag 20 is constructed of a material that is permeable to water. It is preferable that the bag 20 is constructed of a material with a plurality of holes. For example, the bag 20 is preferably comprised of a mesh material in one embodiment. The mesh material is preferably flexible and constructed of a flexible material such as, but not limited to, a plastic mesh material. The mesh material may be vinyl coated or constructed of vinyl. The bag 20 is preferably UV resistant, tear resistant, rot resistant and mildew resistant to withstand the environment encountered by fishermen.
The bag 20 preferably includes boning 30 attached around an upper perimeter of the bag 20 adjacent the upper opening 21 as shown in
A first handle 32 attached to the first sidewall 24 and a second handle 34 attached to the second sidewall 26 as shown in
A first buoyant member 50 is attached to an upper portion of the first sidewall 24 and a second buoyant member 52 attached to an upper portion of the second sidewall 26 to vertically support the upper portion of the bag 20 when positioned within water in the livewell 10 in accordance with an example embodiment illustrated in
The first buoyant member 50 and the second buoyant member 52 are each comprised of a water buoyant material such as a foam material (e.g. extruded polystyrene foam).
The first buoyant member 50 extends along a substantial length of the first sidewall 24 and is positioned near the upper opening 21 in an example embodiment shown in
A first interior closure 40 is attached to an interior of the first sidewall 24 and a second interior closure 42 is attached to an interior of the second sidewall 26 as shown in
The first interior closure 40 and the second interior closure 42 are preferably positioned above the buoyant members 50, 52 respectively as illustrated in
The first interior closure 40 and the second interior closure 42 are comprised of hook and loop fastener in an example embodiment. However, the interior closures 40, 42 may be comprised of other closures such as snaps and hooks to close the upper opening 21.
The first interior closure 40 extends along a substantial length of the first sidewall 24 adjacent to the upper opening 21 and the second interior closure 42 extends along a substantial length of the second sidewall 26 adjacent to the upper opening 21 in an example embodiment best illustrated in
In another embodiment, a first connector 60 is attached to the exterior of the first sidewall 24 and is adapted to removably connect to a first wall connector 12 of the livewell 10 as illustrated in
In one embodiment, the first connector 60, the second connector 62, the first wall connector 12 and the second wall connector 14 are each comprised of a snap connector as shown in
In use, user positions the bag 20 within the interior of the boat's livewell 10 as shown in
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although methods and materials similar to or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the bag for boat livewell, suitable methods and materials are described above. All publications, patent applications, patents, and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety to the extent allowed by applicable law and regulations. The bag for boat livewell may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. Any headings utilized within the description are for convenience only and have no legal or limiting effect.
