AU2021106815A4 - Variable Weighting System for Aquatic Traps - Google Patents

Abstract

A trap for aquatic species comprising: an enclosure comprising at least one entryway, at least one weight releasably affixed to the trap by one or more weight retaining means, and at least one recess or cavity in which the at least one weight can be retained by the one or more weight retaining means, wherein the one or more weight retaining means comprises one or more resilient weight retaining clips, and to attach the weight to the trap, the weight is pressed into the recess which biases the one or more resilient weight retaining clips from a neutral position in a direction away from the weight, until the weight is within the recess, and the one or more resilient weight retaining clips return to the neutral position and a lip of the one or more weight retaining clips enclose a portion of the edge of the weight such that the weight is retained within the recess. 1/6 Figure 1 13 16 12 10 18 307IMi! M 36..20 38 14 38 20 22 2

Description

1/6

Figure 1

13 16 12 10 18

307IMi! M

36..20 38

38 20 22 2

Variable Weighting System for Aquatic Traps

Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a variable weighting system for traps for use in catching crustaceans and other aquatic species.

Background

[0002] Bait traps are used in the commercial and recreational catch, capture and harvesting of high value decapod crustaceans including lobsters, rock lobsters, crayfish, and crabs amongst other aquatic species.

[0003] The crustaceans move by walking, crawling, and swimming and are attracted to enter the bait trap through an entryway to an enclosure by the attractants and nutrients released into the surrounding water by the bait.

[0004] Bait traps used by fishermen comprise a variety of different configurations and materials which are chosen for reasons including cost, availability, storage, transport, weight, and individual preference or historical reasons, amongst others. However, they usually all include permeable walls surrounding a trap area, accessible by a single, or multiple entryways.

[0005] Bait traps are not one size fits all which can require changing out of inventory of pots based on location of setting traps. Furthermore, the desired type of crustacean can respond differently to the type of trap and how a trap is set.

[0006] In order to set a bait trap, the trap is sunk to the seabed or the bed of another body of water. A line (or lines) attached to the trap is usually attached to a buoy which floats on the surface of the water for ease of retrieval as it marks the location of the trap below and allows for lifting of the trap from the seabed. While the weight of the trap will usually allow it to sink to the seabed, strong currents and water movement in certain locations can lead to the trap moving from the place it is set, or even cause it to roll. This can potentially reduce the catch in the trap if it moves along the seabed to a non preferable location or the entryway(s) are blocked to entry. Also, crustaceans have been shown to avoid entering traps that have too much movement on the seabed.

[0007] For this reason, there has been some hesitancy to replace conventional wooden crayfish traps with plastic moulded crayfish traps, even though the plastic traps are more convenient to store and transport. That is, with plastic traps being lighter, they have greater potential to move on the seabed with the water currents.

[0008] As a result, weights or ballast may be added to traps and particularly plastic traps to assist in sinking the trap in the preferred location and keeping it upright with minimal movement on the seabed.

[0009] Examples of weights used for this purpose include the use of cement bricks in the rectangular lobster taps used in the Gulf of Maine, United States. Bricks are often also attached to the base of the wire frame of beehive pots as weights for the relatively light pots. Wooden batten pots used for Western Rock Lobster are constructed from wood with a steel base which weighs their base down keeping the trap upright. Also lumps of lead and pieces of metal are often tied or cable tied to traps as weights.

[0010] Accordingly, as a matter of good practice, improvements in the setting of a trap are always being explored.

[0011] The preceding discussion of the background art is included exclusively for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It should be appreciated that the discussion is not an acknowledgement or admission that any of the material referred to was part of the common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention in Australia or elsewhere before the priority date.

[0012] Throughout the specification unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

[0013] Throughout the specification unless the context requires otherwise, the word "include" or variations such as "includes" or "including", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

[0014] Each document, reference, patent application or patent cited in this text is expressly incorporated herein in their entirety by reference, which means that it should be read and considered by the reader as part of this text. That the document, reference, patent application, or patent cited in this text is not repeated in this text is merely for reasons for conciseness.

Summary of Invention

[0015] In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a trap for aquatic species, the trap comprising:

an enclosure comprising at least one entryway, and

at least one releasably affixable weight,

wherein aquatic species can enter the enclosure through the at least one entryway and be contained within the enclosure.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the at least one weight is releasably affixed to the trap by one or more weight retaining means. The trap preferably comprises at least one recess or cavity in which at least one weight can be retained by one or more weight retaining means.

[0017] The weight preferably comprises the shape of a block. The weight more preferably comprises a substantially tablet or plate shape, or a substantially rectangular prism. The weight preferably comprises a heavy material. The heavy material preferably comprises lead, metal, or metal alloy.

[0018] The weight retaining means preferably contacts at least a portion of an edge of the weight. In a preferred embodiment, the weight retaining means comprises one or more resilient clips and/or swivel clips. In another embodiment, a first portion of the weight is placed within a slot in the trap and the one or more resilient clips and/or swivel clips retains a second portion of the weight to the trap.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, wherein the one or more weight retaining means comprises one or more resilient weight retaining clips, and to attach the weight to the trap, the weight is pressed into the recess which biases the one or more resilient weight retaining clips from a neutral position in a direction away from the weight, until the weight is within the recess, and the one or more resilient weight retaining clips return to the neutral position and a lip of the one or more weight retaining clips enclose a portion of the edge of the weight such that the weight is retained within the recess.

[0020] The trap is preferably a portable trap. In a preferred embodiment, the trap is constructed from moulded plastic. In other embodiment, the trap is constructed from at least one material in the group comprising: plastic, metals, plastic-coated metals, wood, wire, cane, and netting.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment, the trap comprises a first portion and a second portion. The first portion and the second portion are preferably connected by at least one hinge and/or at least one trap opening latch that connects the first portion and second portion to form an enclosure of the trap. The at least one trap opening latch can preferably be released to open the enclosure by separating the first portion and second portion on at least three sides. Opening the enclosure preferably enables access to remove aquatic species caught in the trap, for ease of access to remove or set the at least one weight within the weight retaining means in the trap, and/or access to place or replace bait, for example, a bait carrier or box within the trap.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment, the at least one hinge comprises a removable rod. Removing the rod preferably enables complete separation of the first portion and the second portion. The first portion and second portion when separated are preferably stackable with other first portions and second portions for ease of storage and transport.

[0023] The first portion preferably comprises the top portion of the trap. A surface on the top portion of the trap preferably comprises an entryway for crustaceans to enter the enclosure formed by the trap in the closed configuration.

[0024] The second portion preferably comprises the bottom portion of the trap. The at least one weight is preferably releasably affixed to the bottom portion of the trap, and preferably affixed within the enclosure of the trap.

[0025] In a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of using a trap as described herein for aquatic species, the method comprising the steps:

attaching a retrieving means to a trap as described herein;

placing a bait for the aquatic species within the trap; deploying the trap in an aquatic environment and sinking it to set on a bed of the aquatic environment; and retrieving the trap from the body of water by the retrieving means to collect any aquatic species caught in the trap.

[0026] The aquatic environment preferably comprises the sea and the trap sinks to set on the seabed. The trap preferably comprises bait suitable for the target aquatic species. The aquatic species preferably enter the at least one entryway into the trap.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment, the aquatic species comprise decapod crustaceans. The decapod crustaceans preferably comprise lobster, crayfish, and/or crabs.

[0028] The retrieving means preferably comprises at least one line. The retrieving means is preferably attached to the first portion. The at least one line preferably comprises one or more of the following materials selected from the group comprising: metal cable, chain, rope, and nylon rope. The retrieving means is preferably attached to at least one float or buoy. The float or buoy preferably comprises or forms a location marker.

[0029] In a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a trap as described herein. In a preferred embodiment, the first portion and second portion are constructed from moulded or 3D printed plastic.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0030] A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the following drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a trap according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the first portion of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a cross section view of the second portion according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 4 (A) is an isometric view of the hinge joints of the first and the second portion, and (B) is a side view of the latch according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

Figure 5 (A) is a top view of a weight installed in the weight retaining recess according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and (B) is a top view of the second portion showing the weight retaining recesses.

Description of Embodiments

[0031] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. It is to be understood that the invention includes all such variations and modifications, and such modifications are intended to form part of the invention described in this specification. The invention also includes all of the steps, features, compositions and compounds referred to or indicated in the specification, individually or collectively and any and all combinations or any two or more of the steps or features.

[0032] The present invention is not to be limited in scope by the specific embodiments described herein, which are intended for the purpose of exemplification only. Functionally equivalent products, compositions and methods are clearly within the scope of the invention as described herein.

[0033] Other definitions for selected terms used herein may be found within the detailed description of the invention and apply throughout. Unless otherwise defined, all other scientific and technical terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention belongs.

[0034] Features of the invention will now be discussed with reference to the following preferred embodiments.

[0035] A trap 10 for catching decapod crustaceans including lobsters and crayfish according to a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 1. The trap 10 is formed from two moulded plastic portions, a first portion 12 (Figure 2) forming the top of the trap 10, and a second portion 14 (Figure 3) forming the base of the trap. The walls of the first portion 12 and second portion 14 are less than approximately 1 cm thick and are perforated with square and rectangular apertures to allow water to flow easily through the walls and into the trap. The trap 10 has the approximate shape of a hexagonal prism.

[0036] An entryway 16 in the top 13 of the trap 10 in a wall of the first section 12 comprises a substantially cylinder to cone-shaped shaft 18 with open ends of a width sufficient to enable the crustaceans to be able to enter the trap 10 through the entryway 16.

[0037] The first portion 12 and second portion 14 when releasably fixed together form an enclosure within which crustaceans that enter the trap 10 through the entryway 16 can be contained within as they consume bait that has been placed within the trap. The inner end 19 of the shaft 18 of the entryway 16 is configured to be 'suspended' above the base 15 of the second portion 14 of the trap 10 making it difficult for crustaceans enclosed within the trap to exit the trap 10 through the entryway 16.

[0038] Access gates 20 attached by access gate clips 22 in the sides of the first portion 12 and second portion 14 allow the user access to the inside of the enclosure of the trap to collect crustaceans caught within the trap.

[0039] The first portion 12 and second portion 14 are hingedly connected together along one side by a series of hinge joints 30 formed from aligning opposing first hinge portions 32 on the first portion 12 with second hinge portions 34 on the second portion 14 which are connected together by a removable rod 36. The rod 36 passes though hinge apertures 38 (shown in Figure 4A) and can be removed to separate the first portion 12 from the second portion 14. A benefit of separating the first portion 12 and the second portion 14 is for portions of multiple traps of the invention to be able to be stacked together which takes us considerably less room for storage or transport that maintaining the traps in their completed forms. Alternatively, the removable rod 36 may be replaced by hinge connectors formed from other, for example, non-rigid materials, comprising, amongst others, rope, cable, cable ties, or wire.

[0040] On the opposite side to the hinge joints 30, the first portion 12 and second portion 14 are releasably connected by two latches 40. In the closed configuration when the latches 40 are closed, the trap is formed for use. In the open configuration, the first portion 12 can rotate relative to the second portion 14 about the hinge joints 30.

[0041] As shown in Figure 4B, the latch 40 comprises a pair of latch engaging portions 42 and complementary latch receiving portions 44. Each of the latch engaging portions 42 are received through an aperture in the latch receiving portion 44. Each of the latch engaging portions 42 comprise a section of greater thickness which is larger than the opening in the latch receiving portions 44. The latch 40 comprise a material which is suitable for flexion to permit each latch engaging portion 42 to pass through the respective apertures in the latch receiving portion 44. An alternative latch 40 may be an over centre latch. The example provided is one type of latch, however, the person skilled in the art would appreciate that any latch or fastener which will secure the first portion 12 and the second portion 14 would be encompassed in the present invention.

[0042] As shown in Figure 5A and B, up to two long flat tablet or plate shaped weights can be releasably affixed within a recess 52 (or cavity) along the two ends of the base 15 of the second portion 14 accessible from inside the trap 10. Thus, a variable weighting system is provided as the user can choose whether one or two weights, and of what size can be releasably affixed to the trap, depending on the aquatic environmental conditions.

[0043] As shown in Figure 5A, a weight 50 has been releasably affixed within the recess 52 by a weight retaining clip 56 at each end of the long flat tablet shaped weight 50. The weight retaining clip 56 is integrally formed in the second portion 14 of the same moulded plastic. The weight retaining clip 56 overlaps the edge of the weight 50 holding it in place within and against the recess 52 and minimises movement of the weight 50 within the recess 52 relative to the second portion 14.

[0044] To attach the weight 50, the weight 50 is pressed into the recess 52 which biases the resilient weight retaining clips 56 from a neutral position towards a direction away from the weight 50. Once the weight 50 is within the recess 52, the resilient weight retaining clips 56 return to the neutral position and the lip of the weight retaining clips 56 enclose a portion of the edge of the weight 50 such that the weight 50 is retained within the recess 52.

[0045] To release the weight 50, the resilient weight retaining clips 56 can be manually biased away from the neutral position by pushing against them towards a direction away from the weight 50 to provide clearance for the weight 50 to be moved past the lip of the resilient weight retaining clips 56. Weight retaining clips may also comprise other forms, for example, amongst others, a swivel clip, or another type of clip which can hold the weight 50 in place during use that is connected to the second portion 14.

[0046] When attached to the second portion 14 of the trap 10, the two weights of a heavy material such as lead, metal, and/or metal alloy, substantially increase the cumulative weight of the trap 10. In addition, the weights 50 maintained within recesses 52 provide a low profile within the trap meaning they do not take up as much room in the trap 10 as can occur with added weights of various types in other types of traps, thereby providing more space for caught crustaceans.

[0047] The trap 10 may comprise additional weight retaining clips or other formations for holding weights to the trap within or outside a weight-retaining recess. The weight retaining means in this preferred embodiment comprises at least one resilient clip. However, in other embodiment, the weight retaining means may comprise any suitable means for retaining a weight. For example, the weight retaining means may comprise clips, straps, detent members, clasps, latches, magnets, covers, etc. The geometry of the weight retaining means may retain or assist in retaining the weights.

[0048] There may be more than two resilient weight retaining clips 56 positioned at the edges of the recess 52. For instance, each longer side of the weight 50 may be contained within place within the recess 52 by additional clips.

[0049] Alternatively, the weight retaining means may also be releasably or permanently affixed (i.e. retrofitted) to the frame of an existing trap of a different shape/style. Accordingly, the weight retaining means may be an apparatus comprising a body having an adjustable configuration with attaching means for adapting to affix to various shaped and sized traps. The attaching means may comprise straps, hooks, loops and/or locking members. Any suitable means for rigidly affixing the weight retaining means to the frame of a trap should is intended to fall within the scope of the present invention. In this manner an older trap may be reconfigured to provide the features and benefits of the present invention.

[0050] Retrieval lines attached to one or more marker buoys are attached to the trap when in use. Commonly the retrieval lines are attached at two points of the trap 10.

Claims (5)

Claims

1. A trap for aquatic species, the trap comprising:

an enclosure comprising at least one entryway; and

at least one releasably affixable weight;

wherein aquatic species can enter the enclosure through the at least one entryway and be contained within the enclosure.

2. A trap according to claim 1, wherein the at least one weight is releasably affixed to the trap by one or more weight retaining means.

3. A trap according to claim 2, wherein the trap comprises at least one recess or cavity in which the at least one weight can be retained by the one or more weight retaining means.

4. A trap according to claim 3, wherein the one or more weight retaining means comprises one or more resilient weight retaining clips, and to attach the weight to the trap, the weight is pressed into the recess which biases the one or more resilient weight retaining clips from a neutral position in a direction away from the weight, until the weight is within the recess, and the one or more resilient weight retaining clips return to the neutral position and a lip of the one or more weight retaining clips enclose a portion of the edge of the weight such that the weight is retained within the recess.

5. A method of using a trap for aquatic species, the method comprising the steps:

attaching a retrieving means to a trap according to any one of claims 1 to 4;

placing a bait for the aquatic species within the trap;

deploying the trap in an aquatic environment and sinking it to set on a bed of the aquatic environment; and

retrieving the trap from the body of water by the retrieving means to collect any aquatic species caught in the trap enclosure.