The present invention relates to devices for fishing and luring fish.
For thousands of years, humans have turned to fishing for both a means to survive and a means of enjoyment. Over the course of time, specialized fishing techniques and equipment have been developed, aiding humans in their quest to catch a trophy-sized creature. Of the equipment developed, the modern “lure” is one of the most important.
There are several classes and types of fishing lures, as different fish species have different sensory characteristics and stimuli, but often the basic principles behind a lure's structure are the same. Perhaps the most important principles are the lure's ability to attract the attention of the fish and entice the fish to bite the lure. A combination of reflected light and movement can cause a predatory sensory reaction within a fish's brain, giving the fish the desire to bite the lure. If a lure does not reflect light to a wide range of directions, the chances that the lure will be seen by a fish are diminished. Likewise, if a fish sees the reflection of light from a lure but does not sense the proper water movements, the fish is less likely to pursue the lure.
Previous attempts have been made to create lures that draw the attention of a fish through reflected light and lateral movement. However, in previous lures the area in which light is reflected has been limited and the movement of the lure has not been very life-like and alluring to a fish because the lateral movement of the lure is limited. Accordingly, previous lures have limited effectiveness in attracting the attention of fish and enticing the fish to bite the lure. Fishing lures that use blades which are flat or with a single curve to the surface of the blade only allow a line tie connector to rotate about 90 degrees. This limits that sideways movement of the lure in the water when pulled through the water.
One or more embodiments are provided below for a device for fishing or luring fish. The device may include a corrugated sheet, an accessory, and a hook. The corrugated sheet may include a first end area, a second end area, at least one peak and at least one trough. The at least one peak and at least one trough may be between the first end area and the second end area in the first direction. The corrugated sheet may define a first line inlet between the first end area and the second end area and define a second line inlet between the first end area and the second end area the first end area and the second end area. The corrugated sheet may further define an accessory inlet in the first end area. The accessory may be attached to the corrugated sheet via the accessory inlet. The hook may be attached to the accessory.
The device may provide significant advantages over the devices known in the art. The device may have improved mobility side to side when pulled through in the water compared to other fishing lures due to the shape of the corrugated sheet and the ability of a line-tie connector connected through the first and second line inlets to rotate more than is possible with previous fishing lures and accessories.
Other advantageous features as well as other aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.
Embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings. The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
In the Summary above and in this Detailed Description, the claims below, and in the accompanying drawings, reference is made to particular features (including method steps) of the invention. It is to be understood that the disclosure of the invention in this specification includes all possible combinations of such particular features. For example, where a particular feature is disclosed in the context of a particular aspect or embodiment of the invention, or a particular claim, that feature can also be used, to the extent possible, in combination with and/or in the context of other particular aspects and embodiments of the invention, and in the invention generally.
The term “comprises” and grammatical equivalents thereof are used herein to mean that other components, ingredients, steps, among others, are optionally present. For example, an article “comprising” (or “which comprises”) components A, B, and C can consist of (i.e., contain only) components A, B, and C, or can contain not only components A, B, and C but also contain one or more other components.
Where reference is made herein to a method comprising two or more defined steps, the defined steps can be carried out in any order or simultaneously (except where the context excludes that possibility), and the method can include one or more other steps which are carried out before any of the defined steps, between two of the defined steps, or after all the defined steps (except where the context excludes that possibility).
The term “at least” followed by a number is used herein to denote the start of a range beginning with that number (which may be a range having an upper limit or no upper limit, depending on the variable being defined). For example, “at least 1” means 1 or more than 1. The term “at most” followed by a number is used herein to denote the end of a range ending with that number (which may be a range having 1 or 0 as its lower limit, or a range having no lower limit, depending upon the variable being defined). For example, “at most 4” means 4 or less than 4, and “at most 40%” means 40% or less than 40%. When, in this specification, a range is given as “(a first number) to (a second number)” or “(a first number)-(a second number),” this means a range whose lower limit is the first number and whose upper limit is the second number. For example, 25 to 100 mm means a range whose lower limit is 25 mm and upper limit is 100 mm.
Certain terminology and derivations thereof may be used in the following description for convenience in reference only and will not be limiting. For example, words such as “upward,” “downward,” “left,” and “right” would refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made unless otherwise stated. Similarly, words such as “inward” and “outward” would refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of a device or area and designated parts thereof. References in the singular tense include the plural, and vice versa, unless otherwise noted.
The term “coupled to” as used herein may mean a direct or indirect connection via one or more components.
Referring now to the drawings and the following written description of the present invention, it will be readily understood by those persons skilled in the art that the present invention is susceptible to broad utility and application. Many embodiments and adaptations of the present invention other than those herein described, as well as many variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements will be apparent from or reasonably suggested by the present invention and the detailed description thereof, without departing from the substance or scope of the present invention. This disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary of the present invention and is made merely for purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the invention.
A first mid portion 230 may be located between the first trough 222 and the first peak 212. The first mid portion 230 may extend from the first trough 222 to the first peak 212 in the first direction “X”. A second mid portion 240 may be proximate to the first peak 212 in the first direction “X” and extend from the first peak 212 to a second trough 224. A first line-receiving inlet 310 may be located in the first mid portion 230 and a second line-receiving inlet 320 may be located in the second mid portion 240. The line-tie connector 410 may be attached to the corrugated sheet 100 through the first line-receiving inlet 310 and the second line-receiving inlet 320. Optionally, a user may forgo use of the line-tie connector 410 and connect a line directly to the corrugated sheet 100 through the first line-receiving inlet 310 and the second line-receiving inlet 320.
The corrugated sheet 100 may include a grommet 500 inserted into the accessory inlet 330. The grommet 500 may act to protect the corrugated sheet 100 from damage from pulling the fish out of the water after a fish bites the hook 420, as shown in
The corrugated sheet 100 may include metal, plastic, or other durable material suitable for pulling a fish from the water. The metal, plastic, or other durable material may form a body of the corrugated sheet 100. The corrugated sheet 100 may include a material capable of reflecting or refracting light underwater. For example, the corrugated sheet 100 may include a material that reflects at least 60% of incident light that contacts the corrugated sheet 100. In some embodiments, the corrugated sheet 100 may include multiple materials. For example, the corrugated sheet 100 may include a metal that is coated with a reflective paint. In some example embodiments, the corrugated sheet 100 may include a single sheet of metal, with a thickness of about 1 mm, bent or pressed into the wave-like shape to form the peaks 210 and troughs 220.
In some examples, the peaks 210 may be of uniform shape and dimensions (e.g., same curvature, same height in the second direction). In other example embodiments, the peaks 210 may differ in shape, and dimensions. In some examples, the troughs 220 may be of uniform shape and dimensions (e.g., same curvature, same height in the second direction). In other example embodiments, the troughs 220 may differ in shape and dimensions. In some examples, the first end area 110 and the second end area 120 may extend in the same plane. In other examples embodiments, the first end area 110 and the second end area may extend in different planes.
Advantageously, when the user pulls on the line-tie connector 600, the passing of the corrugated sheet 100 through the water may cause the corrugated sheet to rotate. This causes the lure to appear to move like prey of the fish swimming. The shape of the corrugated sheet 100 with at least one peak 210 and at least one trough 220 causes the rotating effect to be increased while decreasing the drag of the corrugated sheet 100.
The corrugated sheet 100 may reflect light from a single light source in many directions due to the shape of the corrugated sheet 100. This advantageously increases the likelihood that a fish will see the lure 1000. The area in which light is reflected from a single light source (such as the sun) may be increased by differentiating the shape and dimensions of the peaks 210 and the troughs 220 and by having the first end area 110 and the second end area 120 extend in different planes. For example, in selecting for a preferred field of light reflection, a user may prefer a corrugated sheet 100 with a first trough 222 that has different shape and dimensions to the second trough 224. In another example, in order to achieve a preferred reflective field of light at a specific water depth, a user may select a corrugated sheet 100 with peaks 210 and troughs 220 featuring specific shapes and dimensions for the preferred reflective field.
The placement of the first and second line-receiving inlet 310, 320 on opposite sides of the first peak 212 allows the line-tie connector 410 to move in a larger arch (about 170 degrees) in a plane perpendicular to the first direction “X” than would be possible if the first and second line-receiving inlets 310, 320 were on a flat surface. Advantageously, this greater rotational movement of the line-tie connector 410 relative to the corrugated sheet 410 causes the lure 1000 to move more side to side when being pulled through the water. The combination of this advantage with the increased movement and decreased drag caused by the shape of the corrugated sheet 100 cause the lure to appear more lifelike in its movements and more alluring for fish such as bass.
The accessory connection assembly 450 allows the corrugated sheet 100 to have additional freedom to move relative to the hook 420 by adding the point of rotation between the shank 452 and the accessory connector 456. This allows the fishing lure 1000 to have even greater lateral movement through the water when it is pulled through the water giving the fishing lure a more attractive look and allowing the corrugated metal 100 to reflect light in an even broader area with more enticing movements for fish to follow.
In one example embodiment the fishing lure 1000 may include a corrugated sheet 100, an accessory 400, and a hook 500. The corrugated sheet 100 may include a first end area 110, a second end area 120, at least one peak 210 and at least one trough 220. The at least one peak 210 and at least one trough 220 may be between the first end area 110 and the second end area 120 in the first direction “X”. The corrugated sheet 100 may define a first line inlet 320 between the first end area 110 and the second end area 120 and define a second line inlet 310 between the first end area 110 and the second end area 120. The corrugated sheet 100 may further define an accessory inlet 330 in the first end area 110. The accessory 400 may be attached to the corrugated sheet 100 via the accessory inlet 330. The hook 500 may be attached to the accessory 400. The fishing lure 1000 may further include a line-tie connector 600 attached to the corrugated sheet 100 through the first line inlet 320 and the second line inlet 310. The line-tie connector 600 may be attached to the corrugated sheet 100 such that the line-tie connector 600 is capable of rotating at least 170 degrees relative to the corrugated sheet 100 in a plane perpendicular to the first direction “X”. Each of the at least one peak 210 may be a local maximum in the second direction “Y” perpendicular to the first direction “X”. Each of the at least one trough 220 may be a local minimum in the second direction “Y”.
The corrugated sheet 100 may include a first sloped portion 230 and a second sloped portion 240. One of the at least one peak 210 may be between the first sloped portion 230 and the second sloped portion 240, as shown for example in
The accessory 400 may include a shank 452 and an accessory connector 456, wherein the shank 452 is attached to the corrugated sheet 100 via the accessory connector 456, and wherein the accessory connector 456 is configured to rotate around the shank 452. The accessory connector 456 may connect to the shank 452 at multiple points. The fishing lure 1000 may further include a grommet 500 inserted in the accessory inlet 330.
In a second example embodiment the fishing lure 1000 may include a corrugated sheet 100, an accessory 400 and a hook 500. The corrugated sheet 100 may include at least one peak 210 and a plurality of troughs 220. The first peak 214 of the at least one peak 210 may be between a first trough 222 and a second trough 224 of the plurality of troughs 220. The corrugated sheet 100 may define a first line inlet 320 and define a second line inlet 310 between the first trough 222 and the second trough 224. The corrugated sheet 100 may further define an accessory inlet 330, where the first trough 222 is between the accessory inlet 330 and the first peak 214 in the first direction “X”. The accessory 400 may be attached to the corrugated sheet 100 via the accessory inlet 330. The hook 500 may be attached to the accessory 400.
Many different embodiments of the inventive concepts have been shown. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the features from different embodiments may be combined or replaced with other features from different embodiments.
The device may provide significant advantages over the devices known in the art. The fishing lure 1000 may have improved mobility side to side when pulled through in the water compared to other fishing lures due to the shape of the corrugated sheet 100 and the ability of a line-tie connector 600 connected through the first and second line inlets to rotate more than is possible with previous fishing lures and accessories.
The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. The present invention according to one or more embodiments described in the present description may be practiced with modification and alteration within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Thus, the description is to be regarded as illustrative instead of restrictive of the present invention.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent application No. 63/057,561, which was filed Jul. 28, 2020, which is incorporated in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63057561 | Jul 2020 | US |