Patent Application
20210251207
Ice fishing is a popular winter sport for which a wide variety of equipment has been developed. Because fish are not predictable, it important for a fisherman to be able to easily move from location to location, both to different locations on a same lake and to different lakes altogether.
A portable storage console including a body having an upper major surface including a number of storage compartments, and a lower major surface opposing the upper major surface. The lower major surface includes at least a first channel and a second channel, the first channel to selectively receive a component of a first fixture to releasably mount the storage console to the first fixture, and the second channel to selectively receive a component of a second fixture to releasably mount the storage console to the second fixture.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of embodiments and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments and together with the description serve to explain principles of embodiments. Other embodiments and many of the intended advantages of embodiments will be readily appreciated as they become better understood by reference to the following detailed description. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily to scale relative to each other. Like reference numerals designate corresponding similar parts.
In the following Detailed Description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. In this regard, directional terminology, such as “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “back,” “leading,” “trailing,” etc., is used with reference to the orientation of the Figure(s) being described. Because components of embodiments can be positioned in a number of different orientations, the directional terminology is used for purposes of illustration and is in no way limiting. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. It is to be understood that the features of the various exemplary embodiments described herein may be combined with each other, unless specifically noted otherwise.
Ice fishing is a popular winter sport for which a wide variety of equipment has been developed. Because fish are not predictable, it important for a fisherman to be able to easily move from location to location, both to different locations on a same lake and to different lakes.
With this in mind, portable ice fishing shelters have been developed, where such shelters generally include a base (e.g., a sled or tub), to which a collapsible frame and flexible outer covering are attached. The frame and outer covering can be quickly converted back-and-forth between a deployed position to form an enclosure, and a collapsed or stowed position on or within the sled for transport.
Within the confines of a portable ice fishing shelter, it is beneficial to store and organize a wide variety of fishing equipment (e.g., poles, jigs, lures, live bait, bobbers) and other gear (e.g., tools, flashlights, cell phones, car keys, beverages). It is also beneficial to be able to easily move and utilize such items to different locations within the shelter and to locations beyond the ice fishing shelter.
In one example, activity console 20 includes a body 22 having a first or upper major surface 24, an opposing second or lower major surface 26, a first longitudinal or side surface 28, an opposing second longitudinal or side surface 30, a first transverse or end surface 32, and an opposing second transverse of end surface 34. Although illustrated herein primarily as being rectangular in shape, it is noted that console 20 may have any number of shapes and dimensions.
In examples, upper major surface 24 includes a number of compartments 40 extending into body 22 toward lower major surface 26 for storing a variety of items and equipment. In one example, compartments 40 include a number of cylindrical compartments 41a-41c, such as for receiving a handle portion of a fishing pole to store unused poles, a number of rectangular compartments 42a and 42b, such as for holding cell phones, for example, a number of bin-like containers 43 (one in the illustrated example) for storing miscellaneous items (e.g., keys. flashlights, tape measures, tools), a number of cylindrical compartments 44a and 44b, such as for holding beverage containers, a number of compartments 46a and 46b having curved bottoms (e.g., semi-cylindrical) for storing cylindrical items, such as fishing line spools and bait containers, for example, and a number of channels 48a and 48b, such as for receiving fishing rod holders. It is noted that compartments 40 and the arrangement thereof, as illustrated by
In one example, main body 22 includes a number of mounting channels 50 extending across and into bottom major surface 26 toward upper major surface 24, such as mounting channels 52 and 54, where each of the mounting channels is to slideably receive a portion of a different fixture so as to releasably secure console 20 to such fixture. In one example, mounting channel 52 extends across bottom major surface 26 between first and second side surfaces 28 and 30, with mounting channel 52 extending into main body 22 from bottom major surface 26 toward upper major surface 24, such that mounting channel 52 is flush with bottom major surface 26. In one example, as illustrated, mounting channel 52 is a linear channel. In one example, mounting channel 52 extends transversely across bottom major surface 26 between first and second side surfaces 28 and 30. In one example, as will be described in greater detail below (e.g., see
In one example, as will be described in greater detail below, mounting channel 50 comprises an arcuate mounting channel 54 in bottom major surface 26, with arcuate mounting channel 54 extending into main body 22 from bottom major surface 26 toward upper major surface 24, such that mounting channel 52 is flush with bottom major surface 26. In one example, as illustrated, arcuate mounting channel 54 includes a first arcuate segment 54a and a second arcuate segment 54a, where, as will be described in greater detail below, arcuate mounting channel 54 is configured to slideably receive an upper rim of a 5-gallon bucket (or other fixture having a similar rim) such that portable console 20 may be mounted to such bucket.
In one example, console 20 is formed from a single, contiguous piece of molded plastic material. In one example, as will be illustrated in greater detail below, main body 22 has a width, W, in the transverse direction, which is less than a diameter of a conventional 5-gallon bucket. With main body 22 having a width, W, less than a diameter of a conventional 5-gallon bucket, in some examples, depending on a type of handle being employed by a particular bucket, main body 22 may pass under a handle of the bucket so that the handle can be used to carry the bucket with console 20 mounted to the upper rim thereof. For example, with buckets employing plastic handles, the plastic handles may typically be placed over console 20.
With reference to
Although portable ice fishing shelters are convenient and provide protection against the elements, fisherman do not always remain within such enclosures or even use such enclosures. For example, because fish are unpredictable, even when using a portable shelter, a fisherman may wish to try fishing at different locations on the lake without moving the enclosure, or simply may want to fish outside the enclosure in nice weather. Additionally, a fisherman may not own an enclosure or may simply choose not to use an enclosure. In such cases, nearly every ice fisherman transports fishing equipment and gear in one or more 5-gallon buckets, which are universally used and serve many purposes among ice fisherman (e.g., holding equipment, holding fish, as a stool).
As illustrated, to mount console 20 on bucket 100, console 20 is positioned with bottom major surface 26 facing bucket 100 such that first and second arcuate mounting channel segments slideably receive portions of radially opposing sides of top rim 104 of bucket 100. In one example, as illustrated, when a transverse width, W, of console 20 is less than a diameter of bucket 100 at upper rim 104, when mounting console 20 to top rim 104 via first and second arcuate mounting channel segments 54a and 54b, handle 106 may be placed in transport position 106b such that console may be positioned between handle 106 and top rim 104. In some examples, such as when handle 106 comprises a plastic handle, such positioning enables bucket 104 to be transported via handle 106 with console 20 mounted thereto. Upon reaching a desired location, console 20 may be temporarily removed from bucket 100 to enable handle 106 to be placed in resting position 106a, at which point console 20 once again be mounted to top rim 104, where console 20 is readily therefrom to enable access to an interior of bucket 100.
As illustrated, when mounted to bucket 100, console 20 receives top rim 104 within arcuate mounting channel segments 54a, 54b so as to be retained on top of bucket 100 with upper major surface 24 exposed to provide easy access to items stored within storage compartments 40. As illustrated, in one example, console 20 extends beyond the circumferential perimeter of bucket 100 in a longitudinal direction between first and second ends surfaces 32 and 34, but has a width, W, in the transverse direction between first and second side faces 28 and 30 which is narrower than the diameter of bucket 100, so as to leave an opening 110 to an interior of bucket 100 along side surfaces 28 and 30 of console 20. Such openings 110 provide access to an interior of bucket 100 and may be used to store various elongated items such as poles, ice skimmers, and tip-ups, for example.
By enabling console 20 to mount to multiple objects, such as to an element of a portable ice fishing shelter, and to a 5-gallon bucket, console 20 provides mobility to an ice fisherman to easily store, organize, transport, and use equipment in different scenarios (e.g., both with and without a portable shelter). Although described herein primarily in terms of ice fishing, portable shelters, such as shelter 80, and bucket 100, and, thus, console 20, can be used in other applications. For example, portable shelter 80 may be used as a hunting shelter, and bucket 100 can be used in any number of applications where console 20 may be utilized.
Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.
