Patent Application
20120055316
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates general to a scented article and, in particular, to a scented lure for use in fishing, as well as a method of manufacturing the scented fishing lure.
2. Description of the Related Art
A wide variety of conventionally known scented articles have been developed to diffuse a scent to the surrounding environment. In some embodiments of the prior art, an ordinary article, such as a fishing lure, a wind chime, or a piece of jewelry, is coated with a scent by spraying or dipping the article in the scent. Such a coated article releases the scent to the environment to bait fish in the case of a scented fishing lure or create a pleasant smelling environment in the case of a wind chime or a piece of jewelry. In the case of a fishing lure and a wind chime, it is also desirable to have a hydro- or aero-dynamic shape to cause a desired movement of the fishing lure and the wind chime in the water and air, respectively.
Various fishing lures have been developed to aid fishermen in catching fish. Specifically, in order to catch a fish, the appropriate bait, line, hooks, etc. should be used, and if the angler decides against using live bait, the most appropriate lure should be used. There is a variety of differing shapes, styles and functioning of fishing lures, which are all designed to attract specific types of fish to bite or “hit” the lure (i.e., the hook). Therefore, it is of paramount importance that the lure be as lifelike as possible when trolled or urged through the water. In addition, it is important that the lure be trolled through the water at the appropriate depth in order to attract the target fish.
According to the prior art, lures that appear to have fishlike movements in the water are manufactured from or carved from wood or some similar synthetic material, e.g., plastics, polymers, etc. While such lures mimic the realistic movements of a small fish, they require the addition of extra weight on the fishing line or lure in order to obtain the action and depth to reach the targeted fish. Further, and according to the prior art, lures also are manufactured to appear like a fish and cause similar reflections of light as a live fish traveling through the water. For example, spoons and other metal lures are mass manufactured and rely upon the flashing, coloring or extra skirting to entice the fish to engage the lure.
Another example of an artificial fish-baiting lure arrangement is the odoriferous fishing device of U.S. Pat. No. 3,953,934 to Visser. This device works in conjunction with a lure, in this case a worm, which has multiple hooks extending from a surface thereof. The device is a sintered, metal body and must be used together with a lure portion. In particular, the device of the Visser patent includes interconnected pores filled with a fish attractant, which is released into the water from the pores in a uniform, slow rate to attract fish to the hooks on the lure. However, this device is not a lure, and instead must be used together with some other luring member, e.g., an artificial worm, fish, minnow, etc. Further, the device of the Visser patent is aerodynamically designed to eliminate movement in the water, and instead to move in front of the lure and release a scent in the water. U.S. Design Pat. No. D310,705 to Skripko illustrates a fishing lure having a planar longitudinal face opposite a curved longitudinal face, resulting in an asymmetric cross section across the longitudinal centerline. This design does not produce the desired oscillating, “fish-like” movement in water.
In embodiments there the fishing lure is scented with a fish attractant, such fish attractants generally have a base of fish oil with differing pungent scent enhancers added. These attractants may differ depending upon the target fish. One major drawback in the use of an attractant on today's fully-dense spoons and plastic lures is that the attractant washes off in the water, as it is being used. Additionally, conventional plastic scented baits are easily swallowed, rather than spit out, by the fish. In cases where the plastic scented bait is discarded or disconnected from the fishing line and then eaten by the fish, it cannot be digested by the fish and can cause a blockage which ultimately causes the fish to die.
In the case of a wind chime, one or more elements are vertically suspended from a stationary structure, such as a porch ceiling or a tree branch. Some wind chimes include a plurality of elements, such as hollow pipes of various lengths, in a circumferential arrangement about a central point. The plurality of elements are designed such that they have a high aerodynamic drag, which causes a relative movement of the elements in the wind. As the plurality of elements move in the wind, they often strike each other and/or the central point, causing the elements to emit a pleasant, melodic sound. As the wind increases or decreases in speed, the plurality of elements strike each other and/or the central point in randomized pattern to produce the sound. In an embodiment where the plurality of elements are scented by spraying or dipping them in a scented liquid, the wind chime releases a pleasant smell to the environment. However, a major disadvantage of such a design is that the scent diffuses or evaporates from the surface of the wind chime quickly, such that it no longer releases a pleasant smell to the environment. Wind chimes are often made from a wooden or smooth metallic material which cannot retain the scent for a long time. In order to impart the scent to the wind chime, the user must purchase a new, scented wind chime, or apply a new coat of the scented liquid to the wind chime. This process can be quite expensive and laborious, often causing the users to abandon the idea of having a scented wind chime altogether.
In the case of jewelry items, such as earrings, necklaces, watches, rings, pendants, or the like, it is desirable to impart a pleasant smell to such articles for the purpose of releasing a pleasant smell to environment when worn by the user. This is further advantageous when the user cannot wear perfume on clothing or directly on the skin due to allergies. However, as in the case of scented wind chimes, merely coating the jewelry item with a scent is not effective because the scent evaporates too quickly and requires constant re-coating to have the desired effect.
As seen above, there is considerable room for improvement in the area of design and manufacture of scented articles. In particular, there is a need for a fishing lure that moves in a lifelike manner in the water, and is capable of effectively submersing to the appropriate level without additional components. There is also a need for a fishing lure that attracts the fish in use, whether by movement or reflective light (and vision). Further improvement is possible in the art of design and manufacture of wind chimes, where the wind chime is operative for releasing a scent to the environment. Additionally, there is a need in the art for a scented jewelry article that maintains the scent for a long period of time.
It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a scented article that overcomes the drawbacks and deficiencies of the prior art. It is another object of the present invention to provide scented article in the form of a a fishing lure that moves in a lifelike manner when under water. It is a further object of the present invention to provide scented article in the form of a fishing lure that is an appropriate weight to descend under water to the location of the target fish. It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a scented article in the form of a fishing lure that reflects light in a manner similar to a live fish. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a scented article in the form of a fishing lure that does not require additional components to operate and function in the desired lifelike manner.
The scented article having the form of a fishing lure may be manufactured from a sintered metal powder comprising at least one of the following: at least one metal, at least one alloy or any combination or mixture thereof. The scented article in the form of a fishing lure may have a weight sufficient to sink to a depth in water. The fishing lure desirably includes a body having a first side surface, a second side surface opposite the first side surface along a longitudinal centerline of the body, and an edge surface extending along the longitudinal length of the body and separating the first side surface and the second side surface. The body may have a widened central portion extending across the longitudinal centerline of the lure adapted for causing the fishing lure to move in substantially oscillating motion when urged through water. At least one of the first side surface, the second side surface and the edge surface may include at least one undulation sufficient to cause the fishing lure to move in the substantially oscillating motion. Additionally, at least one orifice or bore may extend through the body and sized and shaped for the attachment of at least one of the following: at least one discontinuous loop of metal, a fishing line, at least one fishing hook, a fishing component or any combination thereof.
The scented article in the form of a fishing lure may further include a first orifice extending through a first end of the fishing lure, a second orifice extending through a second end of the fishing lure, and a discontinuous loop of metal attached through at least one of the first orifice and the second orifice. The fishing lure may include at least one design on at least a portion of at least one surface of the body, wherein the design is formed to represent at least one of the following: scales, eyes, mouth, a fish body part or any combination thereof. Furthermore, the fishing lure may include at least one slot extending at least partially within at least a portion of at least one surface of the body, wherein the slot is sized and shaped so as to at least partially engage a prefabricated, artificial fin therein. The fishing lure may be at least partially impregnated or injected with, or soaked in, a fish attracting material.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a scented article, includes the steps of filling a mold with metal powder, applying pressure to the metal powder in the mold, thereby providing a compacted form, sintering the compacted form under specified processing parameters, thereby forming an unscented form of the scented article, and impregnating the unscented form of the scented article with a scented fluid. The scented article may have a body that includes a first side surface, a second side surface opposite the first side surface along a longitudinal centerline of the body, and an edge surface extending across the longitudinal centerline of the body and separating the first side surface and the second side surface. The body may have a widened central portion extending across the longitudinal centerline of the body adapted for causing the scented article to move in substantially oscillating motion when urged through water or when moved by wind.
The metal powder used for manufacturing the scented article may include at least one of the following: at least one metal, at least one alloy, at least one lubricant, at least one binding agent, at least one wax-based material, at least one polymer-based material or any combination or mixture thereof. The metal powder may include at least one metal, and the metal may be at least one of the following: iron, copper, nickel, chromium, tin, zinc, molybdenum, magnesium, tungsten, aluminum. After compacting and prior to sintering, the method further may include the step of at least partially de-binding the compacted metal powder. The pressure applied to the metal powder may be from about 10 tons per square inch to about 60 tons per square inch. The sintering step may occur at a temperature between about 1,000° F. to about 2,800° F. and for a time period between about 20 minutes and about 180 minutes. The sintering may occur in a furnace having atmospheric conditions including at least one of the following: an inert atmosphere, a reducing atmosphere, a vacuum, nitrogen and hydrogen. After sintering, the formed scented article desirably has a density of about 50% to about 99% of the theoretical density of the metal powder.
The mold for making the scented article may be sized and shaped so as to form at least one surface of the scented article with at least one undulation sufficient to cause the scented article to move in substantially oscillating motion. At least a portion of the unscented form of the scented article may be impregnated with a scented fluid by placing the unscented form of the scented article in a container with the scented fluid and drawing a vacuum to impregnate the scented fluid in the pores of the unscented form of the scented article.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a scented wind chime may be manufactured from a sintered metal powder comprising at least one of the following: iron, copper, nickel, chromium, tin, zinc, molybdenum, magnesium, tungsten, aluminum, brass, bronze, stainless steel, carbon steel or any combination, alloy or mixture thereof. The scented wind chime may include a plurality of wind chime elements, each wind chime element having a body having a first side surface, a second side surface opposite the first side surface along a longitudinal length of the body, and an edge surface extending along the longitudinal centerline of the body and separating the first side surface and the second side surface. At least one of the first side surface, the second side surface and the edge surface may include at least one undulation that creates a central widened portion extending across the longitudinal centerline of the body, the at least one undulation adapted to cause the wind chime element to move in a substantially oscillating motion in the wind. Each wind chime element may be impregnated with a scented fluid.
For purposes of the description hereinafter, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “right”, “left”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “lateral”, “longitudinal” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as it is oriented in the drawing figures. However, it is to be understood that the invention may assume various alternative variations and step sequences, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification, are simply exemplary embodiments of the invention. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics related to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting.
It is to be understood that the invention may assume various alternative variations and step sequences, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification, are simply exemplary embodiments of the invention.
The present invention is directed to a scented article 10, as illustrated in various views and embodiments in
The method of manufacturing the scented article 10 will be described with particular emphasis on the manufacture of a fishing lure, as illustrated in
Once the powdered metal material is obtained, this material or mixture is placed in an appropriately sized and shaped mold. Such molds are well known in the art. Further, the mold would include an appropriate inner cavity to form the scented article 10 in a desired shape that leads to the oscillating fish-like motion, such as the shape illustrated in
It should be noted that the un-sintered compacted form of the scented article 10 can be produced through an injection molding method, wherein the metal powder is injected into the mold cavity and is compacted through the injection process, or through a mechanical die compaction method, wherein the metal powder is compacted by applying pressure to die components surrounding the metal powder. In either method, a compacted form of the scented article 10 is produced. In addition, and dependent upon the molding method utilized, certain additives may be used to facilitate the molding process. For example, the metal powder may be a metal powder mixture that contains a lubricant or binding agent to facilitate the injection molding or mechanical compaction processes. The lubricant may be a wax- or polymer-based material.
Next, in one preferred and non-limiting embodiment, the compacted form is debound in a de-binding process. This processing step can be used to remove the lubricant or binding agent prior to sintering, or alternatively, these materials can be removed at a point during the sintering process (as discussed hereinafter). Next, this compacted form is sintered and results in the sintered scented article 10 of the present invention. Further, the de-binding and sintering processes may be accomplished in a known continuous processing system.
In one preferred and non-limiting embodiment, the sintering occurs at a temperature between about 1,000° F. to about 2,800° F. and for a time period between about 20 minutes and about 180 minutes. Further, sintering may occur in a furnace configured to exhibit certain atmospheric conditions, e.g., an inert atmosphere, a reducing atmosphere, a vacuum, nitrogen, hydrogen, etc. Still further, after sintering, the formed fishing lure 10 may have a density of about 50% to about 99% the theoretical density of the starting material, i.e., the metal powder.
In one example of the method of manufacturing the scented article 10 of the present invention, the mold is filled in a dual-action press, and the powdered mixture is a standard 316 stainless steel powder, which includes 15-18% by weight chromium, 10-14% by weight nickel, 2-3% by weight molybdenum, 0.5-1.25% by weight lithium stearate (as a lubricant) and the balance iron. The mold desirably includes an upper punch, a lower punch, and a die having a curved shape corresponding to the outer shape of the scented article 10, shown as a fishing lure in
While discussed in connection with a compacted or “green” form, it is also envisioned that this “green” or intermediate (compacted) form is manufactured in a variety of manners. For example, this intermediate form may be created in an injection molding process, and subsequently sintered (as discussed above). Other processes to create and provide this pre-sintered form may be used within the context of the present invention.
In one non-limiting embodiment, the scented article 10 may be manufactured to obtain a specified porosity. Accordingly, and through the manufacturing process, the porosity is capable of being controlled. The powdered metal process is one in which the density/porosity of the finished part can be utilized in providing additional fish attractant mechanisms and functions. In general, the density/porosity is controlled by means of powder type, powder size and shape selection, compaction pressure, and/or sintering conditions, etc.
The scented article 10 can be injected or impregnated with a scented liquid, such as a fish attractant in an embodiment where the scented article 10 is a fishing lure, a pleasant smelling fluid in an embodiment where the scented article 10 is a wind chime, or perfume in an embodiment where the scented article 10 is a jewelry item. This scented fluid used to impart a scent to the scented article can be placed into the body of the scented article 10 by a number of methods, including (but not limited to): vacuum impregnation (covering the scented article 10 in the scented fluid, and then drawing a vacuum); heating the scented article 10, and then soaking it in the scented fluid; directly injecting or forcing the scented fluid into the body of the scented article 10; and/or some prolonged soaking period, where the scented fluid penetrates the pores of the body of the scented article 10. In one, non-limiting example, the unscented form of the scented article 10 is placed in a glass container containing a scented fluid, such as a fish attractant. The container is placed in a vacuum chamber set at 28″ of mercury for 20 minutes. The vacuum is then released and excess scented fluid, such as a fish attractant, is drained from the now scent-impregnated scented article 10 through a strainer. The scent-impregnated scented article 10 is then ready for use or additional processing steps to form a completed fishing lure, wind chime, or a jewelry item. As the scented fluid fills the pores of the scented article 10, the scent remains on the scented article 10 through multiple uses, whether in the form of a fishing lure, a wind chime, or a jewelry item.
One non-limiting embodiment of the shape of the scented article 10 in the from of a fishing lure is illustrated in
In another non-limiting embodiment of the scented article 10 in the form of a fishing lure, fins may be added to the body 11 during the molding process, as based upon the shape of the mold. However, and as illustrated in
As illustrated in
In another preferred and non-limiting embodiment, and as also illustrated in
The design elements 26 may be disposed or created on the first side surface 12 and/or the second side surface 14 in a variety of manners. For example, the design elements 26 may be created during the manufacturing process discussed above, such as through the use of the mold and elements of the mold that provide the undulations 15, curved features, relative thicknesses on the scented article 10. However, as with the orifices 18, 20 and, in some embodiments, the slots 19, the design elements 26 may also be applied to the side surfaces 12, 14 after the compacting, de-binding and sintering processes. Specifically, these design elements 26 may be etched or otherwise applied to the surfaces 12, 14 in a later stage of manufacturing, or even by the user of the scented article 10 in the form of a fishing lure after purchase.
In a further preferred and non-limiting embodiment, and as illustrated in
A still further preferred and non-limiting embodiment of the scented article 10 of the present invention is illustrated in
In addition, in this embodiment, a central bore 34 extends from the first end 22 (or “head” end) of the scented article 10 through the body 11 and to the second end 24 (or “tail” end) of the scented article 10. In operation, the fishing line (not shown) can be fed through this bore 34 at the first end 22 and either attached to a hook 30 at the second end 24, or alternatively, attached to the second end 24 or tail portion 32 of the scented article 10. Still further, in this embodiment, a slot 19 is formed at the second end 24 at the tail portion 32, such that the fishing line can be attached around side surfaces 12, 14 and/or edge surface 16 of the scented article 10 in the area surrounding the slot 19. Of course, and as discussed above, the slot 19 may be used to attach other components to the scented article 10. In one method of manufacturing the shape of the body 11 of the scented article 10 of this embodiment, the above-discussed injection molding process is used to obtain the “green” or compacted form of the scented article 10 prior to sintering.
In this manner, and due to the shape of the scented article 10 of the present invention, the scented article 10 in the form of a fishing lure moves in an oscillating or back-and-forth motion through the water in a lifelike manner. Still further, due to the manufacturing method discussed above, and by using the sintered metal powder material, the resultant scented article 10 exhibits the appropriate weight characteristics to descend into the water to the target fish location, without the requirement of additional weights attached thereto. Since the scented article 10 does not require additional weights attached thereto, it assumes the shape of a real fish, which increases the chances that the target fish will “hit” the scented article 10. Still further, and in some embodiments, by applying the appropriate design elements 26, together with the metallic finish of the scented article 10, the scented article 10 exhibits the appropriate reflective characteristics, which also provide a more lifelike appearance to the target fish. Still further, the scented article 10 of the present invention is in a form that permits the user to add other features to the scented article 10, e.g., fins 17, design elements 26, etc., which permits the user to be in control of how to tailor and create the most useful and successful scented article 10. In this manner, and by using the inventive process, a scented article 10 is provided that appears and acts in a lifelike manner, and descends to the appropriate depth to the target fish location. Additionally, the scented article 10 made in the form of a fishing lure is able to retain the scent of the fish attractant through multiple uses.
With reference to
Each wind chime element 108 is connected to an outer periphery of the connection element 106 via the string 110. The plurality of wind chime elements 108 are circumferentially arranged about the outer periphery of the connection element 106. Each wind chime element 108 may be coupled to the connection element 106 by passing the string 110 through a corresponding hole provided on the connection element 106. A sounding element 114 extends vertically downward from the center of the bottom portion 116 of the connection element 106 via a string 108. The sounding element 114 is placed vertically with respect to the wind chime elements 108 such that at least a portion of each wind chime element 108 is capable of striking the sounding element 114 as the wind chime elements 108 move in the wind. In an alternate embodiment, the sound element 114 may be omitted. In this case, the sound is produced as the wind chime elements 108 strike each other during movement caused by the wind.
Like the scented article 10 in the from of a fishing lure, the scented article 10 in the form of a wind chime may be manufactured from a sintered metal powder comprising at least one of the following: iron, copper, nickel, chromium, tin, zinc, molybdenum, magnesium, tungsten, aluminum, brass, bronze, stainless steel, carbon steel or any combination, alloy or mixture thereof. Furthermore, each wind chime element 108 desirably has a body having a first side surface, a second side surface opposite the first side surface along a longitudinal length of the body, and an edge surface extending along the longitudinal centerline of the body and separating the first side surface and the second side surface. At least one of the first side surface, the second side surface and the edge surface include at least one undulation that creates a central widened portion extending across the longitudinal centerline of the body, the at least one undulation adapted to cause the wind chime element to move in a substantially oscillating motion in the wind. This shape of the wind chime element 108 has the basic shape of the fishing lure shown in
In some embodiments, the connection element 106, wind chime elements 108, and the sounding element 114 of the scented article 10 shown in
With reference to
Although the invention has been described in detail for the purpose of illustration based on what is currently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that such detail is solely for that purpose and that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover modifications and equivalent arrangements that are within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. For example, it is to be understood that the present invention contemplates that, to the extent possible, one or more features of any embodiment can be combined with one or more features of any other embodiment. In another alternate embodiment, the scented article 10 may take the form of an item impregnated with a scent for pest control. For example, this item could be placed on a fence, such as a chain link fence, for the purpose of repelling pests.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/051,293, filed Mar. 19, 2008, which claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 60/918,831, filed Mar. 19, 2007 and 60/931,363, filed May 23, 2007, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60918831 | Mar 2007 | US | |
| 60931363 | May 2007 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 12051293 | Mar 2008 | US |
| Child | 13293695 | US |
