AU2017101179B4 - A rod case - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a case for storing and protecting a fishing rod therein, which includes an elongate tubular sleeve member made from a flexible and braided plastic 5 material, said sleeve member having an open end and a closed end, the open end having a hem portion extending therearound, the hem portion capable of being progressively rolled axially and internally within the sleeve member and a retaining member for reversibly engaging the sleeve member to a portion of the fishing rod and/or a reel associated therewith. 3342232vl

Description

The present invention is broadly directed to a case for protecting an associated fishing rod and/or reel. It would be readily apparent that the case may be used with any fishing rod known in the art, including those with traditional and split grip handles.

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2017101179 29 Aug 2017

In one aspect is provided a case for storing and protecting a fishing rod, comprising:

an elongate tubular sleeve member comprising a flexible and braided plastic material, said sleeve member having an open end and a closed end, the open end having a hem portion extending therearound, the hem portion capable of being progressively rolled axially and internally within the sleeve member; and a retaining member for reversibly engaging the sleeve member to a portion of the fishing rod and/or a reel associated therewith.

In one embodiment, the retaining member is capable of being reversibly 10 connected to the sleeve member. In alternative embodiments, the retaining member is generally irreversibly connected to the sleeve member.

Suitably, the retaining member includes a loop portion for engaging the reel.

Preferably, the loop portion is or comprises an elastic material.

Suitably, the retaining member includes a clip element for reversibly engaging the sleeve member. Preferably, the clip element is for reversibly engaging a portion of the sleeve member adjacent or proximate the open end thereof.

In particular embodiments, the hem portion is about 2cm to about 10cm in length.

Suitably, the plastic material is or comprises nylon, polyethylene terephthalate 20 (PET), polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, vinyl polyethylene or combinations thereof.

Preferably, the plastic material is or comprises polyethylene terephthalate.

In particular embodiments, the plastic material is of or comprises a generally open weave.

In one embodiment, the sleeve member is capable of radially flexing to a 25 flexed diameter that is between about 120% to about 200% of that of the unflexed diameter thereof.

In some embodiments, the plastic material comprises plastic filaments having an average diameter in the range of about 0.15 mm to about 0.35 mm.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the present invention may be readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying illustrations, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements.

Figure 1: is a perspective view of an embodiment of a rod case of the invention.

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Figure 2: is a close up view of a closed end of the rod case of Figure 1.

Figure 3: is a close up view of an open end with an everted hem portion of the rod case of Figure 1.

Figure 4: is a perspective view of a retaining member in use with the rod case of

Figure 1.

Figure 5: is a close up view of the retaining member of Figure 4 in isolation.

Figure 6: is a perspective view of a further embodiment of a rod case of the invention having an alternative retaining member.

Figure 7: is a close up view of the rod case of Figure 1 showing a sleeve member with a generally open weave.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to Figure 1, there is provided a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of a rod case 10 of the present invention. As can be observed, the case 10 comprises an elongated, hollow tube or sleeve 11 which has a generally open end 12 and a closed end 13 to thereby define a space therebetween for receiving a rod 1. In the embodiment provided, the closed end 13 has a substantially cylindrical clasp or seal element 16 that effectively ties or closes off the case 10 at the closed end 13 (see Figure 2). As illustrated in Figure 1, the sleeve 11 has a length that extends from the distal tip of the assembled fishing rod 1 to be encased therein to just adjacent or proximate the connection point or reel seat of an associated reel 2 with the rod 1.

The sleeve 11 is preferably formed from a suitable plastic by braiding plastic filaments, such as in a generally open weave illustrated in Figure 7, together to form a braided plastic material or mesh. The braiding process allows for a thicker plastic material to be used and evenly distributed across the sleeve 11 so as to facilitate protection of the underlying rod 1 from external impacts. To this end, the plastic material employed is suitably sufficiently durable to afford protection to the underlying rod 1 and associated guides and eyelets from most impacts. The open weave also preferably allows for suitable radial and/or axial flexibility of the sleeve

11, such that the rod case 10 is configured to conveniently flex and slide over thicker fishing rods and larger line guides or eyes thereof, as are known in the art. Further to this, the rod 1 can easily be removed from the case 10 by grasping the handle of the fishing rod and applying a separating or pulling force between it and the sleeve 11. In particular embodiments, the sleeve 11 is capable of radially flexing or stretching to a

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2017101179 29 Aug 2017 flexed diameter that is between about 120% to about 200% of the unflexed diameter thereof.

Further to the above, the plastic material or mesh of the sleeve 11 is preferably made from nylon, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, vinyl polyethylene and the like owing to the inherent flexibility of these materials. Moreover, the sleeve 11 may be woven from filaments which comprise a combination of the above-described materials. In particular embodiments, the plastic filaments have an average diameter in the range of about 0.15 mm to about 0.35 mm (e.g., 0.15, 0.16, 0.17, 0.18, 0.19, 0.20, 0.21, 0.22, 0.23, 0.24, 0.25, 0.26, 0.27, 0.28, 0.29, 0.30,

0.31,0.32,0.33,0.34,0.35 mm).

Preferably, the plastic material of the sleeve 11 is sufficiently flexible to allow it to be rolled up for easy storage in, for example, a tackle box. Furthermore, the case 10 may be fabricated from plastic filaments of differing colours and designs. Moreover, the case 10 of the present invention will not absorb and retain moisture should it become wet during use, owing to the plastic material employed.

As can be observed in Figure 1, the open end 12 of the sleeve 11 is flared slightly outwardly to define a funnel-shaped opening 14, which facilitates insertion of the distal end of the fishing rod 1 therein. The open end 12 further includes an inverted or hem portion 15 that is formed by turning a portion, such as about 2 cm to about 10cm (e.g., 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6, 6.5, 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9, 9.5, 10 cm and any range therein), of the open end 12 of the sleeve 11 inwardly upon itself. Figure 3 illustrates the open end 12 of the sleeve 11 when the hem portion 15 is everted outwardly therefrom.

To create the funnel shaped opening 14 and the hem portion 15, the open end

12 of the sleeve 11 may be stretched over a conical mandrel or the like and heat applied so as to ensure that the plastic material of the sleeve 11 assumes and retains the required flared and inverted shape at the open end 12 thereof.

The hem portion 15 allows for the length of the case 10 to be customisable to suit the length or size of the fishing rod 1 to be received therein. To this end, the length of the sleeve 11 is adjustable by a simple pinch and roll method, typically performed by the thumb and fingers of a user, in which the hem portion 15 is progressively rolled axially and internally within the sleeve 11 until a desired length of the case 10 is achieved. This effectively and advantageously precludes users from having to select a specific case of a pre-set size for a particular sized rod 1, such that a

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2017101179 29 Aug 2017 user can have a single case 10 that can readily fit multiple rod sizes. In addition to this, it will be apparent that following adjustment by a user, a significant portion of the sleeve can be inverted or rolled inside itself, thereby affording an additional protective layer of plastic material overlying the rod 1 contained therein.

Given the above, it will be appreciated that the case 10 of the invention can be customised or adjustable to approximately half of an unadjusted length of the sleeve 11. By way of example, a case 10 having an unadjusted sleeve length of 2 metres can be customised or adjusted to an adjusted length of approximately 1.1 metres.

Contrary to the above, prior art rod cases are designed or pre-set to cover and 10 protect a specific length of rod 1. This can create a dilemma for consumers as they cannot accurately predict if the particular prior art rod case will adequately fit and protect their rod. This is due, at least in part, to the disproportionate sizing of fishing rods, in which a length of a handle portion 3 of the rod 1 (i.e., that portion of the rod 1 not to be covered and protected by the case 10) can differ significantly between rods, whilst prior art cases are only designed to extend from the distal tip of the rod 1 to just proximate the reel or reel seat. Accordingly, the handle portion 3 is typically not to be covered and protected by prior art cases. Given this, prior art cases may fail to adequately fit over or cover an associated rod and are either too long and extend or hang beyond the distal end of the rod 1 or are too short and fail to adequately cover and protect the full length, and in particular the proximal end adjacent the reel 2, of the rod 1. This problem with prior art rod cases can lead to a lack of confidence in consumers when deciding on a particular rod case and may lead to the purchase of incorrectly sized cases.

In reference to Figures 4 and 5, an embodiment of a retaining member 20 for use with the case 10 is provided. As can be observed from Figures 4 and 5, the retaining member 20 includes a clasp or clip element 21 having a pair of hingedly connected jaws 22a-b each having teeth portions (not shown) protruding outwardly from the opposed internal surfaces thereof to assist in gripping the sleeve 11 when engaged thereto.

The retaining member 20 further includes an arm portion 24 extending from the base of the jaws 22a-b and pivotably connected thereto. In this respect, the arm portion 24 can be pivotably moved relative to the clip element 21 and in relation to the pivot point defined by its connection or engagement with the base of the jaws 22ab. In the embodiment provided, the arm portion 24 is reversibly pivotable between a

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2017101179 29 Aug 2017 locked position (i.e., when pivoted to a position along or parallel with a longitudinal axis of the jaw 22b) and an unlocked position.

In use, a portion of the open end 12 of the sleeve 11 is first inserted between the respective jaws 22a-b of the clip element 21 when in an open position. The jaws

22a-b are then hingedly moved to a closed position around the sleeve 11 and reversibly locked in this position by a locking ridge or element (not shown) extending upwardly or outwardly from the arm portion 24. To this end, the arm portion 24 is pivoted by a user to be positioned substantially therealong a longitudinal axis of the jaw 22b and in this manner is substantially engaged within a correspondingly dimensioned locking channel 23 in the base of the jaws 22a-b. By virtue of this arrangement, the locking element of the arm portion 24 engages the hinge element of the jaws 22a-b and prevents hinged or pivotable movement thereof from the closed position.

From Figure 5, the arm portion 24 has an opening or aperture 26 at a distal end thereof, through which a flexible loop portion 25 is disposed. The loop portion 25 suitably comprises an elastic material as are known in the art. Upon engagement of the clip element 21 to the sleeve 11, the flexible and elastic loop portion 25 can then be extended over and engaged around a handle 4 of the reel 2, as illustrated in Figure 4, so as to facilitate retaining the sleeve 11 in an appropriate and desired position over the rod 1.

It will be appreciated that alternative embodiments of a retaining member 20 are contemplated. By way of example, Figure 6 demonstrates a retaining member 120 that simply includes a loop portion 125 irreversibly engaged to a sleeve 111 of a case 110. Alternatively, the retaining member 20 may include a strip portion (not shown) that extends through the aperture 26 and defines a pair of free ends that are configured to be engaged theretogether, such as by velcro, adhesive, a buckle element etc, once appropriately positioned around the reel 2. In addition to this, different clasp and clip elements 21, as are known in the art, are contemplated for use with the retaining member 20.

Throughout the specification the aim has been to describe the preferred embodiments of the invention without limiting the invention to any one embodiment or specific collection of features. It will therefore be appreciated by those of skill in the art that, in light of the instant disclosure, various modifications and changes can be

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2017101179 29 Aug 2017 made in the particular embodiments exemplified without departing from the scope of the present invention.

All computer programs, algorithms, patent and scientific literature referred to herein is incorporated herein by reference.

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2017101179 26 Apr 2018

Claims (5)

1. A case for storing and protecting a fishing rod, comprising:

an elongate tubular sleeve member comprising a flexible and braided plastic material, said sleeve member having an open end and a closed end, the open end having a hem portion extending therearound, the hem portion capable of being progressively rolled axially and internally within the sleeve member; and a retaining member for reversibly engaging the sleeve member to a portion of the fishing rod and/or a reel associated therewith, the retaining member comprising a retaining element capable of reversibly gripping the sleeve member.

2. The case of Claim 1, wherein the retaining member includes a loop portion for engaging the reel.

3. The case of Claim 2, wherein the loop portion is or comprises an elastic material.

4. The case of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the retaining element is or comprises a clip element or clasp element for reversibly gripping the sleeve member.

5. The case of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plastic material is or comprises polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

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FIG. 1

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FIG. 2

FIG. 3

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FIG. 4

FIG. 5

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FIG. 6

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FIG. 7