Patent Application
20190124900
The invention relates generally to rod tip guides and, more particularly, yet not exclusively, to rod tip guides in a fishing environment.
Tip guides or tip-top guides for fishing rods typically have ring bodies, rod tubes, and legs. For a typical tip guide, a rod tube is disposed at a base of a ring body, and one or more legs extend from the ring body to a distal end portion of the rod tube. Typically, the one or more legs are welded to the rod tube. Although titanium is lighter weight than stainless steel, tip guides that are advertised as being titanium typically use stainless steel with a titanium coating for the frame of the rod tip. Welding titanium ring body and legs to a titanium rod tube can present challenges (for example, brittle welds, etc.). Further, stainless steel can be more susceptible to corrosion, rust, and stains than titanium. Moreover, a stainless-steel frame for the rod tip increases the weight of the tip guide. Thus, it is with regard to these considerations and others that the present invention has been made.
Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the present innovations are described with reference to the following drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various figures unless otherwise specified. For a better understanding of the described innovations, reference will be made to the following Detailed Description of the Various Embodiments, which is to be read in association with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
As also shown in
The distal end portion of rod tube 204 has opening 216 that is configured (for example, sized, shaped, dimensioned, positioned, oriented, or otherwise configured) to receive tip end 218 of tip end portion 106 of blank 102. Each leg may be configured (for example, sized, shaped, dimensioned, positioned, oriented, or otherwise configured) to maintain a separation space that does not overlap any portion of tip guide 100 between rod tube 204 and foot 208. For example, prior to insertion (or after removal) of tip end 218 of blank 102 into opening 216 of rod tube 204, the separation space that does not overlap any portion of tip guide 114 includes external environment fluid, such as air. In the example shown in
Because the entirety of each leg 206, heel 214, and foot 208 is spatially separated from rod tube 204, rod tube 204 and foot 208 can be separately and distinctly secured to blank 102 to provide rigidity to tip guide 114 (see
As shown in
In some examples, foot 208 includes one or more toes 222. In the example shown in
In some examples, each element of tip guide 114 (such as each ring body 202, base 210, rod tube 204, shoulder 212, leg 206, heel 214, foot 208, and toe 222) may be integral to each other element of tip guide 114. For example, each element of tip guide 114 may be formed from a single piece of material, such as metal. In some examples, tip guide 114 may be formed via molding, stamping, or another machining process to form tip guide 114 as a single integral component that includes each element of tip guide 114 (such as each ring body 202, base 210, rod tube 204, shoulder 212, leg 206, heel 214, foot 208, and toe 222).
Some examples of making tip guide 114 as a single integral component include stamping the entirety of tip guide 114 from only a single piece of material, such as a single sheet of titanium. Each element of tip guide 114 (such as each ring body 202, base 210, rod tube 204, shoulder 212, leg 206, heel 214, foot 208, and toe 222) may be formed from the single piece of material by one or more of piercing, cutting, punching, embossing, squeezing, bending, stretching, or another act of stamping. In some examples, each element of tip guide 114 may be integral to one or more other elements of tip guide 114 (for example, the single piece of material may not be severed between two elements and may instead be continuous in and between each element of tip guide 114, as shown in
Tip guide 114 can include titanium, aluminum oxide, aluminum alloy, stainless steel, shape-memory alloy (for example, nickel-titanium), Alconite, graphite, silicon carbide, titanium carbide, or another material. In some examples, tip guide 114 may be coated, such as coated with a layer of physical vapor deposition (PVD) to facilitate smoothness and durability. Tip guide 114 may include optional ceramic, porcelain, agate, or metal-alloy (for example, silicon carbide (SiC), Alconite, or others) ring inserts disposed in eye 220. Tip guide 114 may include different materials, sizes, shapes, dimensions, or other characteristics suitable for different types applications or different types of line 118. For example, when made for saltwater fishing where line 118 may have knots that need to pass through ring body 202, tip guide 114 may have a larger eye than, for example, when made for fly fishing in freshwater.
Although tip guide 114 has been explained with regard to a fishing environment (specifically in use with blank 102 of fishing rod 100), tip guide 114 may be used in any environment where a line slidably extends from or retracts toward a tip end portion of a rod that has been received in tip tube 204.
The various embodiments have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which show, by way of illustration, specific example embodiments by which the invention may be practiced. The embodiments may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these examples are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the embodiments to those skilled in the art. Among other things, the various embodiments may be methods, systems, or devices. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.
Throughout the specification and claims, the following terms take the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The phrase “in one embodiment,” “in one example,” or “in one implementation” as used herein does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, example, or implementation, though it may. Furthermore, the phrase “in another embodiment,” “in another example,” or “in another implementation” as used herein does not necessarily refer to a different embodiment, example, or implementation, although it may. Thus, as described throughout, various embodiments may be readily combined, without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.
In addition, as used herein, the term “or” is an inclusive “or” operator, and is equivalent to the term “and/or,” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term “based on” is not exclusive and allows for being based on additional factors not described, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In addition, the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references. Further, plural references should be interpreted as also disclosing singular references. The meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on.” Also, the use of “when” and “responsive to” do not imply that associated resultant actions are required to occur immediately or within a particular time period. Instead, they are used herein to indicate actions that may occur or be performed in response to one or more conditions being met, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Additionally, throughout the specification, the use of “exemplary” does not imply that other embodiments do not perform as well or are not as worthy of illustration. Instead, the term is used herein to emphasize that each element or function described by the term is an example element or function. Further, the terms “proximal,” “distal,” and the like are used consistently with respect to all elements of tip guide 114 and fishing rod 100. The terms “proximal,” “distal,” and the like are defined relative to the distal end portion of rod tube 204.
The foregoing examples should not be construed as limiting or exhaustive, yet rather, illustrative use cases to show implementations of at least one of the various embodiments of the invention. Accordingly, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the examples. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.
