AU713621B2 - Improvements in and relating to fishing rods - Google Patents

Description

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P/00/0011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

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Name of Applicants: Actual Inventor: Address for service in Australia: Invention Title: Raymond Kenneth JACOBSON and Tania Loise JACOBSON Raymond Kenneth JACOBSON CARTER SMITH BEADLE 2 Railway Parade Camberwell Victoria 3124 Australia IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO FISHING RODS The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO FISHING RODS This invention relates to fishing rods and is particularly concerned with providing an improved fishing rod for use in night fishing.

Many anglers consider that the best fishing, particularly in surf fishing, occurs at night. In surf fishing it is common for an angler to set up two or more rods at intervals in the surf and to wait at another location for fish to bite on hooks on the fishing lines of the rods. At night, unless the angler relies on the use of flashlights or lanterns to illuminate the rods, it is difficult for the angler to know when a fish has been caught. An audible alarm actuated by movement of a fishing °..rod when a fish bites would not be very satisfactory owing to the high background noise level of the surf.

It is known for some surf anglers to attach small chemical light emitting devices to the tips of their rods so that when a fish bites on the end of the fishing line, the angler is alerted by means of a moving light on the end of the rod.

Chemical lights, however, have a limited lifespan of only a few hours and require replacement at regular intervals. Also, a light attached to the external surface of a rod can affect the balance of the rod.

It is therefore desirable to provide a fishing rod with a light emitting device S-in which at least some of the disadvantages of previously proposed devices are alleviated.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a fishing rod comprising a front tip part, a rear butt part and at least one elongate tubular section extending between the front tip and rear butt parts, the front tip part including electric light emitting means electrically connected to an electric power supply at the rear butt part by wires extending within the at least one tubular section, wherein the electric power supply comprises at least one battery contained within the rear butt part, the power supply from the at least one battery to the electric light emitting means being controllable by electric switch means sealed within the rear butt part and actuable by depression of a flexible end surface of a sealed end cap of the rear JRG:JA#32106DIV 9 August 1999 butt part which end surface is engageable with a movable switch member of the electric switch means.

With a battery-operated light, such as a low voltage light emitting diode LED, it is possible to obtain approximately forty hours use of an illuminated fishing rod in accordance with the invention. Also, the power supply to the light can be switched off when it is not required further prolonging the use of the light and battery. Further, with the battery, light and other electrical components sealed within the butt, tubular section and tip of the rod, balance of the rod is not affected and effective protection from salt air and water is provided.

Preferably the rear butt part comprises a hollow handle having a longitudinal bore within which a battery housing is located, and a switch housing having a bore within which the electric switch means is located, the bore in the switch housing being closed by the sealed end cap, which is preferably made of an elastomeric material, such as rubber. The switch housing is preferably connected to the hollow handle by a screw-threaded connection which is sealed by an o-ring. The screw threaded connection allows ready replacement of the at least one battery.

The battery housing may conveniently be in the form of a hollow tube of plastics material adapted to receive at least two batteries connected end-to-end.

S. Preferably, spring-loaded electrical contacts are provided at each end of the battery housing so as to provide good electrical contacts to the battery terminals.

S.A fishing rod in accordance with the invention is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and simple to assemble. It may be manufactured and/or sold in kit form for subsequent assembly.

A rod in accordance with the invention may have a single tubular section extending between the front tip and rear butt parts of the rod. Alternatively, a plurality of tubular sections can be provided between the front tip and rear butt parts with the tubular sections disconnectable for transport and storage. In the latter case, the ends of the tubular sections preferably include complementary spring-loaded plug and socket connectors connected to wires extending within the tubular sections to the light emitting means and the electric power supply in the front tip and rear butt portions.

JRG:JA#32106DIV 9 August 1999 According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a fishing rod comprising a front tip part, a rear butt part and a plurality of elongate tubular sections connected end to end and extending between the front tip part and the rear butt part, wherein the front tip part includes electric light emitting means electrically connected to a switchable electric power supply contained within the rear butt part by wires extending within and through the elongate tubular sections, wherein adjacent ends of the plurality of elongate tubular sections include complementary electrical plug and socket connectors connected to the wires extending between the tubular sections, at least one of the plug and socket connectors being spring-urged into engagement with its complementary socket or plug connector to maintain electrical connection upon bending of the fishing rod.

.i Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by .oi way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a view of a first embodiment of a fishing rod in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the tip of the fishing rod of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an exploded view of the components forming the tip of Figure 2; Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the butt of the fishing rod of Figure 1; .::Figure 5 is a view of a first butt portion of the butt of Figure 4; Figure 5 is a view of a firstecond butt portion of the butt of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a view of a second butt portion of the butt of Figure 4; Figure 7 is an exploded view of the first and second butt portion of Figures and 6; Figures 8 and 9 are views of a second embodiment of a fishing rod in accordance with the invention in partly assembled and fully assembled form; Figure 10 is an enlarged view of a central connecting portion of the fishing rod of Figures 8 and 9; and Figure 11 is an exploded view of the components of the central connecting portion of Figure The fishing rod illustrated in Figures 1 to 7 comprises a tip part 1 at its front end, a butt part 2 at its rear end and an elongate tapered tubular central rod JRG:JA#32106DIV 9 August 1999 section 3. The central section 3 is of hollow form and may conveniently be made of fibreglass or any other plastics material. One or more runners 4 for a fishing wire are provided on the elongate central section 3 and a reel (not shown) may also be mounted on the central section towards the rear butt part 2.

Referring more particularly to Figures 2 and 3, the tip part 1 comprises a hollow tip end 10 to which a front end runner 11 is attached, and a tapered sleeve 12 adapted to receive a 3mm light emitting diode (LED) 14. The sleeve 12 may also be made of fibreglass and has a central clear portion 15 within which the LED 14 is positioned, a front portion 16 and a rear portion 18 which may be painted to conform with the colour or colours of the central section 3 of the rod. The front portion 16 is inserted into the hollow tip end 10 and is sealed therein to prevent the entry of moisture. The front portion 16 is preferably of solid form so as to locate the LED 14 within the clear portion 15 of the sleeve 12. In this position the LED 14 .e is visible, when energized, from all angles around the rod.

The LED 14 is connected to an electrical power supply in the butt 3 (to be described later) by insulated wires 19 which are threaded through the tapered tubular central section 3 of the rod. The front ends of the wires 19 are soldered to the LED 14 and are insulated by quick setting epoxy resin. The front end of the tapered central section 3 is inserted into the rear portion 18 of the sleeve 12 and sealed therein.

S.Referring more particularly to Figures 4 to 7, the rod butt 2 is assembled in two parts, a hollow handle part 20 (Fig. 6) and a battery and switching part The hollow handle part 20 comprises a housing of generally stepped cylindrical form having a wider rear portion 21 and a narrower front portion 22. A stepped cylindrical bore 23 extends longitudinally through the housing and has a wider rear bore portion 24 and a narrower forward bore portion 25. The rear end 26 of the wider bore portion 24 is provided with a screw thread for connecting the handle part 20 to the battery and switching part 30. The hollow handle part 20 may conveniently be formed from wood which is turned to the required shape and drilled and threaded to form the stepped bore 23 with its threaded rear end 26.

JRG:JA#32106DIV 9 August 1999 The wider portion 24 of the bore 23 receives a spring-loaded electrical connector 40 at its front end. The electrical connector 40 comprises a flat ring 41 of metal, e.g. copper, on the rear end of a plastic bush 42 having a through bore 43, and a flanged tube 44 of metal, e.g. copper, received in the bore 43 such that its rear flange 45 is on the rear end surface of the plastic bush 42. The rear end of one of the wires 19 connecting the power supply to the LED 14 is connected to the ring 41 and extends along the outer surface of the bush 42. The rear end of the other wire 19 is connected to the flanged tube 44 and extends forwardly out of the bore 43 in the bush 42. Both wires 19 then extend forwardly through the narrower forward bore portion 25 and out of the front end of the hollow handle part 20. A compression spring 46 is provided between a shoulder 27 at the front end of the rear bore portion 24 and a forwardly facing surface 47 of the bush 42. The narrower front portion 22 of the hollow handle part 20 fits into the rear end of the tapered tubular central section 3 of the rod.

The battery and switching part 30 of the rod butt 2 comprises a tubular battery housing 31 and a switch housing 32. The battery housing 31 may be formed from a conduit of insulating plastics material, such as PVC. The tubular battery housing 31 is adapted to receive a plurality of electrical batteries 33 end-to-end. A flanged metal tube 39 e.g. of copper, is mounted in the front end of the battery housing 31. The switch housing 32 is preferably also formed of insulating plastics *material and has a tapered rear portion 34, a front extension 35 and an intermediate externally screw-threaded portion 36 which is adapted to be screwed into the threaded rear end 26 of the bore 23 in the handle part 20. An O-ring seal 29 is provided for sealing the handle part 20 and switch housing 32 when they are screwed together.

The switch housing 32 has a longitudinally extending stepped through bore having a rear bore portion 37 of wider diameter and a forward bore portion 38 of lesser diameter. A hollow rubber cap 50 containing a push button switch 51 is received in the rear bore portion 37. The switch 51 has a cylindrical body 52 with two forwardly extending contacts 53, 54 and a rear switch member 55 which is movable relative to the switch body 52 to open or close the switch 50 when pressure JRG:JA#32106DIV 9 August 1999 is applied to the end surface 56 of the rubber end cap 50. Epoxy resin may be used to seal the switch 51 within the end cap 50 and the switch contacts 53, 54 within the switch housing 34. A conductive tube 57, e.g. of copper, is mounted in the front extension 35 of the switch housing 32 and a compression spring 58 is fitted around the front end of the tube 57. The rear end of the tube 57 is connected by an insulated conductive wire 59, e.g. of copper, to one of the forwardly extending contacts 53 of the switch. The other switch contact 54 is connected by an insulated wire 60 to the flanged metal tube 39 at the front end of the battery housing 31.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the fishing rod is simple to assemble with the tip part 1 mounted on the front end of the tapered tubular central section 3, the rear end of the central section 3 received on the front portion 22 on the hollow handle part 20 of the butt 2 and the threaded portion 36 of the switch housing 32 screwed into the threaded portion 26 in the rear end of the bore 24 in the hollow handle part 20. In the assembled rod, the front terminal of the forwardmost battery 33 abuts against the flanged metal tube 44 in the bush 42 and the flanged metal tube 39 at the forward end of the battery housing 31 contacts the flat ring 41 on the bush. Thus, actuation of the push button switch 51 by depression of the end surface 56 of the end cap 50 switches on and off the electrical power supply to the LED 14 from the batteries 33.

In use of the fishing rod, the LED 14 can be switched on at night or in conditions of poor visibility so that the angler is alerted to movement of the tip of the rod when a fish bites on the end of the fishing line of the rod.

A modified fishing rod 100 in accordance with the invention is shown in Figures 8 to 11. The fishing rod 100 has front tip and rear butt parts 1 and 2 similar to the corresponding parts of the embodiment of Figures 1 to 7 and corresponding reference numerals have been applied to corresponding parts.

The fishing rod 100 differs from the embodiment of Figures 1 to 7 in that there are two tapered tubular intermediate rod sections 101 and 102 between the front tip 1 and rear butt parts 2 instead of the single tubular central rod sections 3.

The intermediate rod sections 101 and 102 are preferably formed from tapered tubes of fibreglass or plastics material. A rear end portion 103 of the first intermediate JRG:JA#32106DIV 9 August 1999 8 rod section 101 is adapted to fit over the front portion 22 of the hollow handle part of the but part 2.

The front end portion 104 of the first intermediate rod section 101 is adapted to fit within a rear end portion 105 of the second intermediate rod section 102. The front end portion 106 of the second rod section 102 is adapted to fit within the rear portion 18 of the tapered sleeve 12 of the tip part 1.

As shown in Figures 8 and 9, a reel 107 and a runner 4 are mounted on the first intermediate rod section 101 and another runner 4 is mounted on the second rod section 102.

A first pair of insulated conductive wires 108 electrically connected to the batteries*33 in the hollow handle 20 extend longitudinally within the first intermediate rod section 101 and a second pair of conductive wires 109 extend longitudinally within the second intermediate rod section 102 with the LED 14 being connected on the front ends of the wires 109. Preferably, the wires 108, 109 are formed from insulated copper wire.

Referring more particularly to Figures 10 and 11, an electrical socket connector 110 connected to the front ends of the first pair of wires 108 is mounted in the front end portion 104 of the first rod section 101. A complementary electrical plug connector 120 connected to the rear ends of the second pair of wires 109 is mounted in the rear end portion 105 of the second rod section 102. The socket connector 110 comprises a cylindrical tube 112 having a socket opening 114 in its front end. The plug connector 120 has a tubular body 121 mounted in a plastics sleeve 122 with a connector pin 123 extending rearwardly from the tubular body 121. An insulating bush 124, e.g. of plastics material, is mounted in the plastics sleeve 122 at its front end and a compression spring 125 is provided in the sleeve 122 between the bush 124 and the rear end of the plug connector body 121. The rear ends of the wires 109 are connected to the rear end of the body 121 and extend through a plastics tube 126 which, in turn, extends through the bush 124 and the front end of the sleeve 122. A collet 127, also of plastics material, is positioned over the plastics tube 126 and controls travel of the plug connector 120 within the second rod section 102.

JRG:JA#32106DIV 9 August 1999 When the first and second rod sections 101 and 102 are joined together, the plug and socket connectors 120, 110 are also connected to provide the required electrical connection between the pairs of wires 108 and 109. The compression spring 125 maintains the electrical contact.

After assembly of the fishing rod 100, the rod functions in the same manner as the embodiment of Figures 1 to 7 insofar as the LED can be switched on or off as required during different visibility conditions.

The advantages of the fishing rod embodiments described above are several.

The LED 14 indicates the position and movement of the tip part 1 of the rod at night and during poor visibility conditions. The LED can be switched off when not required to conserve the life of the batteries. The device is economical in operating costs; for instance, two AA batteries can provide approximately 40 hours of usage :at a running cost of about one cent per hour. The LED, batteries and electrical components are effectively sealed within the parts of the rod preventing ingress of salty air and water. The butt part, tip part and joining parts can be economically manufactured in kit part to suit most popular fibreglass fishing rods. Locating the LED and other electrical componentry within the rod has a minimum effect on the weight and balance of the rod. Battery removal and replacement can be simply achieved by unscrewing the battery housing from the handle. The rod construction provides for easy maintenance and replacement of parts. Moreover, the LED within the transparent tubular sleeve of the tip part provides 3600 illumination and •can be viewed from all angles around the rod.

It will be appreciated that various modifications and alterations may be made to the preferred embodiments described above without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

JRG:JA#32106DIV 9 August 1999

Claims (10)

1. A fishing rod comprising a front tip part, a rear butt part and at least one elongate tubular section extending between the front tip and rear butt parts, the front tip part including electric light emitting means electrically connected to an electric power supply at the rear butt part by wires extending within the at least one tubular section, wherein the electric power supply comprises at least one battery contained within the rear butt part, the power supply from the at least one battery to the electric light emitting means being controllable by electric switch means sealed within the rear butt part and actuatable by depression of a flexible end surface of an end cap of the rear butt part which is engageable with a movable switch member of the electric switch means.

2. A fishing rod according to claim 1 wherein the end cap is made of an :.elastomeric material.

3. A fishing rod according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the rear butt part comprises a hollow handle having a longitudinal bore within which a battery housing is located, and a switch housing having a bore within which the electric switch means is located, the bore in the switch housing being closed by the sealed end cap.

4. A fishing rod according to claim 3 wherein the switch housing is connected to the hollow handle by a screw-threaded connection which is sealed by an O-ring. A fishing rod according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the battery housing is in the form of a hollow tube of plastics material which is adapted to receive at least two electrical batteries disposed end-to-end. JRG:JA#32106DIV 9 August 1999 11

6. A fishing rod according to claim 5 wherein spring-loaded electrical contacts are provided at each end of the battery housing.

7. A fishing rod according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a single tubular section extends between the front tip and rear butt parts of the rod.

8. A fishing rod according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein a plurality of tubular sections extend between the front tip and rear butt parts.

9. A fishing rod according to claim 8 wherein adjacent ends of the plurality of tubular sections include complementary electrical plug and socket connectors connected to the wires extending within the tubular sections to the electric light emitting means and the electric power supply, wherein at least one of the plug and socket connectors is spring-urged into engagement with its complementary socket 15 or plug connector to maintain electrical connection upon bending of the fishing rod. 4*4* a. 4 A fishing rod according to claim 9 wherein the spring-loaded plug or socket connector comprises a tubular body mounted in a plastics sleeve which is closed at go one end, and a compression spring is provided between the closed end of said plastics sleeve and an adjacent end of the tubular body of said plug or socket connector.

11. A fishing rod according to claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings. JRG:JA#32106DIV 9 August 1999 M __m 12

12. A fishing rod according to claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 8 to 11 of the accompanying drawings. DATED: 9 August 1999 CARTER SMITH BEADLE Patent Attorneys for the Applicants: Raymond Kenneth JACOBSON and Tania Louise JACOBSON v06 JRG:JA#32 1O6DIV 9 August 1999