Patent Application
20100146837
The present invention relates to fishing lures and, in particular, to lures and a method of construction to include high tensile strength fibers (e.g. aramid, nylon) along with other lure accessory pieces (e.g. eyelets, fasteners, hooks, magnets, attractors) disposed in the lure body to prolong lure life, maintain resiliency, and improve fish catching properties.
Fishing lures have been constructed from wide ranging materials, including lead, wood, resins, plastics, and soft plastics (e.g. plastisol, pvc and other pliable, resilient, expansible and compressible plastics) and wire or combinations thereof. The lures are typically configured in one or more sections and may include bill pieces or other body parts, including filamentary appendages that define or augment body movement. Multi-section, jointed lures and soft plastic lures enhance and/or provide side-to-side or swimming movements to the lure due to the presence of mechanical joints or the resilience and flexibility of the material. Joints between body sections or appendages are typically defined by homogeneous portions of the material used to mold the lure body. Occasionally, mechanical joints typically comprising hinge assemblies, for example, a piano-type hinge, interconnected eyelets or other mating hinge/pivot pieces, are included. The interconnected hinge pieces are fastened or molded into the adjoining body sections.
Soft plastic lures with or without joints are typically molded to mimic natural bait species (e.g. alewives, minnows, crayfish, frogs, shad, salamanders, worms, insects, among many other natural fresh or saltwater baits). Some soft plastic, fresh water lures of which applicant is aware are shown at U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,815,978; 6,212,818; 7,107,719; 7,356,963; D537,911; and D542,882. The soft lure bodies typically include appendages and/or surface shapes that promote flexion during retrieval.
Smaller body size soft plastic lures can be relatively inexpensive. When damaged with use such as exposure to the sun and weather or by tearing, tooth marks and other general abrasion, the lures are typically discarded. Where larger freshwater and saltwater fish are the targeted sport fish, the lures and/or “teasers” (e.g. hook free attractors) can be rather costly (e.g. $10.00-$50.00) and damaged lures with impaired movements frequently are used beyond there effective lives.
The present invention was developed for adaptation to any size lure to provide resilient lure bodies of one or more sections that provide resilient flexion and life-like movement. The invention finds particular application with soft body or other plastic tear resistant plastic fishing lures. The lure bodies are constructed with internal strands of high tensile strength fibers (e.g. aramid, KEVLAR®, fiberglass, nylon, braided or woven fibers or other materials compatible with the material used to mold the lure body).
The strands are trained in appropriate alignments (e.g. longitudinally, transverse, radially and/or circumferentially) within the lure body and especially at high wear areas, joints, appendages or the like to minimize tearing and generally improve lure life. The fibers can be used alone or in combination with a wrapping core (buoyant or non-buoyant) or any members used to retain associated hooks, attractors or accessories to the body. The fibers may also be interconnected with any such accessories.
The reinforcement fibers find particular advantage in “swim bait” type lures which are constructed in relatively large sizes (e.g. 4 to 18 inches) to exhibit life-like movements. The bodies are molded from resilient, durable materials (e.g. plastisol, soft plastic, soft polyvinyl chloride (pvc) materials or other highly flexible materials) capable of flexing during lure retrieval. Portions of the fibers are presently wound on core pieces and trained through the molded bodies independent of mechanical joints, hook fasteners etc., although can be adapted to fasten to such accessory pieces.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a fishing lure containing strands of high tensile strength fibers relative to the body material to enhance lure durability, among other improvements.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a fishing lure containing strands of high tensile strength fibers that are trained within the body at high wear areas, joints and/or appendages susceptible to tearing, independent of any members used to retain associated hooks and other accessories to the body.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a fishing lure molded from a soft plastic containing at least one flexible joint or surface area and strands of aramid or other fibers that span the flexible lure region and are molded into the adjoining body pieces and impregnated with the molding material.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a molded fishing lure containing an array (e.g. longitudinal, transverse, radial, circumerential and/or spiral) of high tensile strength fibers that are arranged to permit body flexion and resilience and mimic lifelike movements.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a molded fishing lure containing a core piece and to which an array (e.g. longitudinal, transverse, radial, circumferential and/or spiral) of high tensile strength fibers are wound and that is arranged along with other accessory pieces (e.g. eyelets, fasteners, hooks etc.) in a fabrication mold to permit body flexion and resilience at the molded lure to mimic lifelike movements.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a molded fishing lure containing a web of high tensile strength fibers that extends within the body.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a molded plastic fishing lure containing a woven web of high tensile strength fibers that span at least one flexible joint or between adjoining body pieces to act as a hinge and/or secure the pieces together.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a molded fishing lure containing flexible appendages constructed of or containing high tensile strength fibers that are bonded to the adjoining body pieces.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a molded fishing lure containing tubular members molded into the lure body to support wire forms that for example can support a fishing line, hooks, attractors or other accessories.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a molded fishing lure containing a magnet located to retain a fish hook to the body.
The foregoing objects, advantages and distinctions of the invention, among others, are found in one presently considered lure construction, among other possible lures, that support a plurality of strands of high tensile strength materials to improve lure durability, permit body flexion and resilience to mimic lifelike movements. Molded into the lure body is a core piece having a plurality of channels, cavities, tubular appendages, bores and apertures. Strands of high tensile strength fibers (e.g. aramid, fiberglass, nylon, monofilament materials, fluorocarbon, braided or extruded fish line etc.) are wound and trained in the channels and through the appendages such that the fibers are impregnated into and/or with the molded body material. A variety of soft plastic materials (e.g. plastisol, polysilicon, soft pvc etc.) can be molded to define the lure.
Tubular pieces fitted to the core piece or molded into the lure body support wire forms and/or fasteners for eyelets and other devices that contain a fish line, hooks and other lure dressing pieces to the lure. A magnet is also molded into the core piece and located to retain an adjacent fish hook against the lure body during lure retrieval. The core piece may also be buoyant, include hollow or sound producing cavities.
Still other objects, advantages and distinctions of the invention will become more apparent from the following description with respect to the appended drawings. Considered alternative constructions, improvements or modifications are described as appropriate. The following description should therefore not be literally construed in limitation of the invention. Rather, the scope of the invention should be broadly interpreted within the scope of the further appended claims.
With attention to
The body pieces 4, 6 and 8 are interconnected by relatively thin, joint or hinge pieces 10, 12 and 13. The hinge pieces 10, 12 and 13 vertically span the lure 2 and are homogenously molded with the body pieces 4, 6 and 8. The material and hinged construction assure that the body and tail pieces 6 and 8 are thereby highly susceptible to lateral movement as the lure 2 is retrieved.
The hinge pieces 10, 12 and 13 each exhibit a thickness approximately ⅛ to ⅜ and no more than ½ the thickness of the body and tail pieces 4, 6, 7 and 8 as shown in the top view of
Molded into the head piece 4 are lifelike surface features such as eyes 16, gill plates 18 and fins 20. The center body piece 6 includes fins 22 and 24. The body and hinge pieces 7 and 13 include fins 26, 28 and the tail piece 8 includes a tail 30. The fins 22-28 and tail 30 are formed and located to facilitate a desired hydrodynamic lure motion during lure retrieval via a fish line 32. Depending upon the food specie being mimicked by the lure 2, the lure 2 can be constructed to include other body appendages such as arms, legs, claws, tentacles and the like that can be included to project from associated body pieces. The body size, surface ornamentation, coloration and other aesthetic features of the lure 2 can be varied as desired. Additional visual, audible, scent or tactile attractors or dressings can also be added, attached or embedded in the lure 2.
One or more hooks 34 are secured to the lure 2 (e.g. treble hooks). Presently, a single treble hook 34 is secured to the head piece 4. A magnetic member 36 is molded into the body piece 4 aft of the attachment point of the hook 34 and attracts the hook 34 such that the hook 34 lies against the body during lure retrieval. Grooves 37 or other surface projections or recesses at the member 36 facilitate retention of the member 36 to a core piece 42 discussed below and/or directly to the lure 2, if a core piece 42 is not used.
The strands 40 can be embedded or directly molded into the molding material. Short tubular channel pieces 48 can also be embedded into the hinge pieces 10 and 12 and through longitudinal bores of which strands of the fibers 40 can be trained. The channel pieces 48 enhance the flexion of the hinge pieces 10, 12 and 13, since the fibers 40 are not restricted and are free to move as the hinge pieces 10, 12 and 13 move laterally.
For some lures, it may be desired to selectively bond some of the fibers 40 to the lure body pieces 4, 6, 7 and 8 and allow others to float at one or more of any provided hinge pieces 10, 12 and 13. For example, the fibers at the hinge piece 10 can be bonded directly to the hinge piece 10 and the fibers 40 at the hinge piece 12 can float in channel pieces 48. The tailored attachment of the fibers 40 permits the design of tailored lateral lure movements to preferred orientations that define desired hydrodynamic lure movements. In lieu of tubular channel pieces 44, longitudinal bores 48 may also be formed into the hinge and/or body pieces 4, 6-8, 10, 12 and 13.
The fibers 40 can exhibit a single or multi-stranded construction. For multi-stranded fiber 40, the included thread pieces can be bundled loose, twisted, woven, braided or the like. Presently a multi-stranded aramid fiber material 40 is used that exhibits a tensile strength or break resistance that is particularly susceptible to impregnation with the soft plastic body material. Such a material is especially tear resistant in comparison to the soft pvc body material used to mold the body and hinge pieces 4-13. The multi-stranded material permits the soft plastic pvc material to flow between and into the porous fibers and threads to securely integrate the fibers 40 into the lure 2. The body and hinge pieces 4-13 are thereby securely held together when exposed to tearing and twisting motions from the teeth of a predator fish and/or to other typically encountered abrading forces. Other fibrous materials (e.g. fiberglass, nylon, monofilament materials, fluorocarbon, braided or extruded fish line etc.) can also be used to advantageous effect, provided the material exhibits sufficient tensile strength, tear resistance and adhesion properties to the molding material. Many such other fiber materials may however not bond as effectively as the present pvc material.
The core piece 42 is constructed of a material compatible with the lure material such that the core piece 42 is bonded to the lure 2 and doesn't shift or separate from the body material. The density or buoyancy of the core piece 42 can be tailored to vary the buoyancy characteristics of the lure 2. For example, the core 42 be used alone or hollow air pocket(s) 41, foam piece(s) or weight(s) 43 can be added to the core piece 42 to vary the floatation characteristic of the lure 2. One or more of any hollow chambers 41 can contain the foam, weight or rattle pieces 43. Powered audible and/or tactile vibration producing pieces 45 can also be included to attract fish.
The strands 40 trailing from the core piece 42 are appropriately trained in the mold 60. Some of the strands 40 can be trained through tubular pieces 48 mounted to pedestals 66 that define the thickness of the joint pieces 10, 12 and 13 between the successively contiguous body and tail pieces 4, 6 and 8. Pieces of mold release material 70 are pinned to the pedestals 66 to facilitate release of the lure 2 once molded to form. The fibers 40 can also be trained through shaped corrugations in the release material 70 that define bores in the hinge pieces 10, 12 and 13 in lieu of tubular pieces 48. The fibers 40 are overlapped at the tail piece recess 72 such that the lure material impregnates and interconnects the fibers 40.
Appropriate relieves or recesses 72 are defined in the mold halves 50 and 60 to form the fins and tail 22-30. Channels 74 extend from the recesses 72 to allow air and material to vent and assure complete filling of the mating mold halves 50 and 60 and all the recesses 72 during molding. Fibers 40 and sprue material that extend beyond the lure molding cavities 50 and 60 are trimmed after molding. An injection or fill port 76 opens to the mold halves 50 and 60.
While the invention has been described with respect to considered alternative assemblies and considered improvements or alternatives thereto, still other assemblies may be suggested to those skilled in the art. It is also to be appreciated that selected ones of the foregoing components can be used singularly or can be arranged in different combinations to provide a variety of improved lures. For example, the strands 40 can be bonded to a lure without a core piece 42. High tensile strength woven web pieces 80 can also be positioned in the body to span individual joints and/or multiple body pieces. The fibers 40 can be interconnected with lure attractor and accessory pieces. Hollow chambers, foam, weights, rattle pieces or other attractors, along with a magnetic hook holder, can be integrated into the body. The foregoing description should therefore be construed to include all those embodiments within the spirit and scope of the following claims.
