GB2299252A - Fishing bite indicator - Google Patents

Fishing bite indicator Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2299252A
GB2299252A GB9506609A GB9506609A GB2299252A GB 2299252 A GB2299252 A GB 2299252A GB 9506609 A GB9506609 A GB 9506609A GB 9506609 A GB9506609 A GB 9506609A GB 2299252 A GB2299252 A GB 2299252A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
line movement
response
detection
light source
bite indicator
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB9506609A
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GB9506609D0 (en
GB2299252B (en
Inventor
Darren Edward Elvins
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Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to GB9817156A priority Critical patent/GB2324696B/en
Priority to GB9506609A priority patent/GB2299252B/en
Priority to GB9718014A priority patent/GB2312363B/en
Priority to GB9817265A priority patent/GB2324949B/en
Publication of GB9506609D0 publication Critical patent/GB9506609D0/en
Publication of GB2299252A publication Critical patent/GB2299252A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2299252B publication Critical patent/GB2299252B/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01KANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
    • A01K97/00Accessories for angling
    • A01K97/12Signalling devices, e.g. tip-up devices
    • A01K97/125Signalling devices, e.g. tip-up devices using electronic components

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  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Environmental Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Animal Husbandry (AREA)
  • Biodiversity & Conservation Biology (AREA)
  • Illuminated Signs And Luminous Advertising (AREA)
  • Indicating Or Recording The Presence, Absence, Or Direction Of Movement (AREA)

Abstract

In addition to detecting movement of a fishing line, the bite indicator also discriminates between forward and backward line movement and produces an output (visual and/or audible) indicating the detected discriminated direction of line movement.

Description

BITE INDICATOR The invention relates to a bite indicator for use by an angler.
Known bite indicators are described in GB-1503596, GB-2170382, GB-2248755 and EP-0570117. Typically, the known bite indicator is fitted to the top of a rod support stick and has a housing which defines a pair of upwardly-pointing arms. The fishing rod rests in the slot between the arms so that the fishing line, positioned below the rod, extends into a narrower slot beneath the main slot. When located in the narrower slot, the fishing line engages with a roller or rollers so that movement of the fishing line is detected and the bite indicator produces a visual and/or audible output in order to alert the angler.
The known bite indicators do not discriminate between forward line movement and backward line movement. To an angler, this information would be useful. If only forward or backward line movement has occurred, it is likely that a fish is hooked on the line. If both forward and backward line movement have occurred, it is likely that a fish has fouled the line and then swum off.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bite indicator for a fishing line, comprising means for detecting line movement and for discriminating between forward and backward line movement and output means for providing a first indication in response to detection of forward line movement and a second indication in response to detection of backward line movement.
By noting whether one or both of the first and second indications have been provided, an angler is able to diagnose whether a fish has taken the bait and is moving it or whether a fish has merely swum into contact with the line and now moved away.
The first and second indications may be visual and/or audible.
In a particular embodiment, the output means comprises first and second light sources and is arranged to illuminate the first light source in response to detection of forward line movement and to illuminate the second light source in response to detection of backward line movement.
In a more sophisticated embodiment, the output means comprises first to fourth light sources and is arranged to illuminate the first light source in response to each new detection of forward line movement, to illuminate the second light source in response to each new detection of backward line movement, to illuminate the third light source in response to the first detection of forward line movement and to illuminate the fourth light source in response to the first detection of backward line movement. The first and second light sources provide information about the current movement of the line. The third and fourth light sources provide information about the historic movement of the line.For example, if the first, third and fourth light sources are illuminated, the angler would be able to deduce that there had been previous line movement in both directions and that the current line movement is in the forward direction.
Conveniently, the output means is arranged to illuminate the third or fourth light source by latching it on until the bite indicator is reset.
Preferably, the output means is arranged, when illuminating the first light source if the second light source is already illuminated, to switch off the second light source and, when illuminating the second light source if the first light source is already illuminated, to switch off the first light source.
An alternative would be for the output means to latch on the first or second light source for a comparatively short time period when the respective line movement is detected. If more line movement in a particular direction is detected after the predetermined latching period has expired, the appropriate light source could be kept illuminated for a further latching period.
If, during the latching period of the first or second light source, the line movement in the appropriate direction stops or is replaced by line movement in the opposite direction, the light source would be switched off at the end of the latching period.
If the output means is arranged to provide an audible indication in addition to the first and second visual indications, the audible indication will usually indicate detection of line movement in either direction.
Preferably, the output means is arranged to vary the pulsation frequency of a tone in accordance with the rate of forward or backward line movement. For example, the pulsation frequency may increase as the rate of forward or backward line movement increases, and the pulsation frequency may decrease as the rate decreases.
If the first and second indications are audible indications and not visual indications, or are audible indications in addition to visual indications, it is preferable that they comprise different tones. Alternatively, the first audible indication may comprise a tone having a first pulsation frequency, and the second audible indication may comprise the same tone but at a different pulsation frequency.
If different tones are being used for the first and second audible indications, the output means may be arranged to vary a characteristic of each audible indication in accordance with the rate of the respective line movement. Thus, the tones provide information about the rate of line movement in addition to the direction of line movement. The characteristic to be varied may conveniently be the pulsation frequency of each tone.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of providing a bite indication when fishing with a fishing line, comprising detecting line movement, discriminating between forward and backward line movement, providing a first indication in response to forward line movement and providing a second indication in response to backward line movement.
Non-limiting embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a front view showing the interior of a bite indicator in accordance with the present invention; Figs. 2A, 2B and 2C are diagrammatic views of alternative designs of detector wheel for use in the bite indicator of Fig. 1 and also illlustrate the positioning of associated photodetectors; Figs. 3A, 3B and 3C show the same detector wheels as Figs. 2A, 2B and 2C respectively but also illustrate the positioning of the associated LEDs; Figs. 4A and 4B illustrate alternative embodiments of visual output displays for the bite indicator of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a block diagram of electronics suitable for the bite indicator of Fig. 1.
The bite indicator illustrated in Fig. 1 may have a physical construction which is similar to the known bite indicators illustrated in the above-mentioned GB and EP specifications. For this reason, only certain of the features of the bite indicator of Fig. 1 will now be described. Details not described may be provided by the man skilled in the art by referring to the prior art GB and EP specifications.
In Fig. 1, the bite indicator is shown as comprising a housing 1 which provides a pair of upwardly extending arms 11 between which is a slot 12 in which may be rested a fishing rod.
The slot 12 leads down to a narrow slit 13 which passes through the housing 1. Located in the slit 13, within the housing 1, is a rotatable pulley wheel which has a circumferential groove so that the pulley wheel 2 may be engaged with the fishing line which is located beneath the fishing rod.
Forward movement of the fishing line occurs as the line is paid out from a reel of the fishing rod and backward movement occurs as the line is reeled onto the reel. The two types of linear movement of the line rotate the pulley wheel 2 in respective directions.
Instead of a single pulley wheel being used, with the pulley wheel being mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis, a plurality of pulley wheels may be provided, rotatable about vertical axes as illustrated in GB-2248755, so as to define a sinuous path between the pulley wheels to be followed by the fishing line.
A detector wheel 3 is mounted on the same shaft as the pulley wheel 2 so as to be driven thereby. As the detector wheel 3 rotates, it makes and breaks light paths between light emitting diodes LED 1 and LED 2 and respective photodetectors TR1 and TR2.
Alternative physical arrangements of the detector wheel 3, LED 1, LED 2, TR1 and TR2 are illustrated in Figs. 2A-2C and Figs. 3A-3C. In each of Figs. 2A-2C, the view is towards the left in Fig. 1. In each of Figs. 3A-3C, the view is towards the right in Fig. 1.
Considering the particular arrangement of Fig. 2A and Fig. 3A, the positioning of the apertures in the detector wheel 3 and the positioning of LED 1, LED 2, TR1 and TR2 is such that the on-off output signal of TRl has a first phase relationship to the on-off output signal of TR2 when the pulley wheel 2 rotates in one direction and when the detector wheel 3 is rotated by the pulley wheel 2 in that direction and has a different phase relationship when the detector wheel 3 is rotated in the opposite direction. This difference of phase relationship also applies to the embodiment of Fig. 2B and Fig. 3B and to the embodiment of Fig. 2C and Fig. 3C.
Thus, the phase relationship of the on-off output signals of TR1 and TR2 may be used to discriminate between forward and backward line movement in addition to indicating the actual occurrence of line movement. The frequency of the on-off pulses produced by TR1 and TR2 indicates the rate of line movement.
Instead of using a detector wheel 3 which makes and breaks light paths, a different detection principle could be used, such as magnetic, electromagnetic, proximity sensing or piezo transducer detection of the occurrence of line movement, the direction of line movement and the rate of line movement.
Alternative embodiments of visual display 8 are illustrated in Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B. Although not shown in Fig. 1, the visual display 8 would be provided on the exterior of the housing 1.
In the embodiment shown in Fig. 4A, the visual display 8 comprises a green LED 3 for indicating forward line movement and a red LED 4 for indicating backward line movement.
A more sophisticated visual display 8 is shown in Fig. 4B.
This is additionally provided with a green LED 5 and a red LED 6.
LED 3 and LED 4 provide information about the current direction of line movement.
LED 5 and LED 6 provide historic information about the previous direction or directions of line movement. In response to the first forward line movement, green LED 5 is illuminated and latched on until the bite indicator is reset. Red LED 6 is illuminated and latched on in response to the first detection of backward line movement and again remains latched on until the bite indicator is reset. After either LED 5 or LED 6 has been illuminated, any change in direction is indicated by also illuminating green LED 3 and LED 5 or red LED 4 and LED 6 to indicate the new direction of line movement. Subsequent changes in direction leave LED 5 and LED 6 illuminated and merely cause switching between LED 3 and LED 4.
In relation to the visual display 8 of Fig. 4B, an angler might note that only green LED 5 is illuminated. This would indicate that there has only been forward line movement.
Illumination of only red LED 6 would indicate that only backward line movement has occurred. If both forward and backward line movement have occurred, LED 5 and LED 6 will both be illuminated and the appropriate one of LED 3 and LED 4 will be illuminated in order to indicate the current direction of line movement.
A block diagram of suitable electronics for the bite indicator is diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 5. The on-off output pulse signals of TR1 and TR2 are fed into a sequential logic circuit which determines that line movement has been detected and also discriminates the direction of line movement.
The sequential logic circuit controls the visual display 8 via a gated visual display controller. The sequential logic circuit and gated visual display controller are run under the control of a timer.
A power source powers the sequential logic circuit via an on-off switch which enables the bite indicator to be switched on and off. In addition to the discriminated direction of line movement being indicated on the visual display 8, the occurrence of line movement in either direction results in the sequential logic circuit driving a loudspeaker 9 via a gated oscillator.
Increases and decreases in the rate of line movement may be used to raise and lower, respectively, the output tone of the loudspeaker 9. Alternatively, the loudspeaker 9 may be used to duplicate the direction information provided by the visual display 8. For example, the sequential logic circuit could instruct the gated oscillator to output a first tone from the loudspeaker 9 to indicate forward line movement and to output a second tone to indicate rearward line movement. Each tone could be pulsed with the pulsation frequency rising and falling as the rate of line movement in the corresponding direction rises and falls.
Variable resistors could be incorporated in the gated oscillator to permit the user to adjust the tones to be output by the loudspeaker 9.
LED 3 - LED 6 may be single-colour devices but they could alternatively be bi-colour or tri-colour so as to permit, for example, LED 3 and LED 5 to be combined and LED 4 and LED 6 to be combined.
The form of illumination provided by each one of LED 3 LED 6 may be steady illumination or could, instead, be flashing illumination. Alternatively, a combination of both types of illumination could be used. For example, when first illuminated, LED 5 or LED 6 could provide flashing illumination. When the direction of line movement changes and a different LED is illuminated, the previously-illuminated LED 5 or LED 6 could be switched from flashing illumination to steady illumination.

Claims (17)

1. A bite indicator for a fishing line, comprising means for detecting line movement and for discriminating between forward and backward line movement and output means for providing a first indication in response to detection of forward line movement and a second indication in response to detection of backward line movement.
2. A bite indicator according to claim 1, wherein the output means is arranged to provide a first visual indication in response to detection of forward line movement and a second visual indication in response to detection of backward line movement.
3. A bite indicator according to claim 2, wherein the output means comprises first and second light sources and is arranged to illuminate the first light source in response to detection of forward line movement and to illuminate the second light source in response to detection of backward line movement.
4. A bite indicator according to claim 2, wherein the output means is arranged to provide the first visual indication in response to each new detection of forward line movement, the second visual indication in response to each new detection of backward line movement, a third visual indication in response to the first detection of forward line movement and a fourth visual indication in response to the first detection of backward line movement.
5. A bite indicator according to claim 4, wherein the output means comprises first to fourth light sources and is arranged to illuminate the first light source in response to each new detection of forward line movement, to illuminate the second light source in response to each new detection of backward line movement, to illuminate the third light source in response to the first detection of forward line movement and to illuminate the fourth light source in response to the first detection of backward line movement.
6. A bite indicator according to claim 5, wherein the output means is arranged to illuminate the third or fourth light source by latching it on until the bite indicator is reset.
7. A bite indicator according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the output means is arranged, when illuminating the first light source if the second light source is already illuminated, to switch off the second light source and, when illuminating the second light source if the first light source is already illuminated, to switch off the first light source.
8. A bite indicator according to claim 3 or any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein each light source is a light emitting diode.
9. A bite indicator according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the output means is arranged to provide an audible indication in response to detection of forward or backward line movement.
10. A bite indicator according to claim 9, wherein the output means is arranged to vary a characteristic of the audible indication in accordance with the rate of forward or backward line movement.
11. A bite indicator according to claim 10, wherein the output means is arranged to vary the pulsation frequency of a tone in accordance with the rate of forward or backward line movement.
12. A bite indicator according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the output means is arranged to provide a first audible indication in response to detection of forward line movement and a second audible indication in response to detection of backward line movement.
13. A bite indicator according to claim 12, wherein the first and second audible indication comprise different tones.
14. A bite indicator according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the output means is arranged to vary a characteristic of each audible indication in accordance with the rate of the respective line movement.
15. A bite indicator according to claims 13 and 14, wherein the output means is arranged to vary the pulsation frequency of each tone in accordance with the rate of the respective line movement.
16. A method of providing a bite indication when fishing with a fishing line, comprising detecting line movement, discriminating between forward and backward line movement, providing a first indication in response to forward line movement and providing a second indication in response to backward line movement.
17. A bite indicator for a fishing line, substantially as herein described with reference to, or with reference to and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.
GB9506609A 1995-03-31 1995-03-31 Bite indicator Expired - Fee Related GB2299252B (en)

Priority Applications (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9817156A GB2324696B (en) 1995-03-31 1995-03-31 Bite indicator
GB9506609A GB2299252B (en) 1995-03-31 1995-03-31 Bite indicator
GB9718014A GB2312363B (en) 1995-03-31 1995-03-31 Bite indicator
GB9817265A GB2324949B (en) 1995-03-31 1995-03-31 Bite indicator

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9506609A GB2299252B (en) 1995-03-31 1995-03-31 Bite indicator

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB9506609D0 GB9506609D0 (en) 1995-05-24
GB2299252A true GB2299252A (en) 1996-10-02
GB2299252B GB2299252B (en) 1999-04-21

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Family Applications (4)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB9817156A Expired - Fee Related GB2324696B (en) 1995-03-31 1995-03-31 Bite indicator
GB9718014A Expired - Fee Related GB2312363B (en) 1995-03-31 1995-03-31 Bite indicator
GB9506609A Expired - Fee Related GB2299252B (en) 1995-03-31 1995-03-31 Bite indicator
GB9817265A Expired - Fee Related GB2324949B (en) 1995-03-31 1995-03-31 Bite indicator

Family Applications Before (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB9817156A Expired - Fee Related GB2324696B (en) 1995-03-31 1995-03-31 Bite indicator
GB9718014A Expired - Fee Related GB2312363B (en) 1995-03-31 1995-03-31 Bite indicator

Family Applications After (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB9817265A Expired - Fee Related GB2324949B (en) 1995-03-31 1995-03-31 Bite indicator

Country Status (1)

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GB (4) GB2324696B (en)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2313761A (en) * 1996-06-06 1997-12-10 Reynolds Hepburn Ltd Fishing bite detector
EP0850562A1 (en) * 1996-12-24 1998-07-01 Fox Design International Limited Fish-bite detector
GB2348096A (en) * 1999-03-26 2000-09-27 Delkim Prod Ltd Bite indicator
WO2004021777A1 (en) * 2002-09-04 2004-03-18 Tna Designs Limited Improved bite alarm for fishing
GB2394876A (en) * 2002-11-06 2004-05-12 Top Flight Products Ltd Fish bite indicator for slack line fishing

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB0005921D0 (en) * 2000-03-13 2000-05-03 Fox Design Int A fish-bite detector
US7624531B2 (en) * 2007-07-31 2009-12-01 Brian Stanley Kirby Fish alarm system
GB2507259A (en) * 2012-10-16 2014-04-30 Catchum 88 Ltd Line Clip
US10524460B1 (en) * 2016-12-01 2020-01-07 Konitzer Manufacturing LLC Ice fishing indicator device
GB2571700A (en) * 2017-12-18 2019-09-11 Wolf Holdings Ltd A fishing line motion sensor

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB873546A (en) * 1959-06-05 1961-07-26 Francis William Mulchinock An indicator for use with fishing lines
GB2211056A (en) * 1987-10-16 1989-06-28 David Charles Skilton Apparatus for use in fishing
GB2260676A (en) * 1991-07-31 1993-04-28 Romart Tackle Limited Bite indicator for fishing lines
EP0602879A1 (en) * 1992-12-15 1994-06-22 Fox Design International Limited A bite indicator

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE69005409T3 (en) * 1989-10-10 2010-02-11 Fox Design International Ltd., Chelmsford Bite indicator.
NL9400827A (en) * 1994-05-19 1996-01-02 Frans Adolf Knuth Bite alarm.

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB873546A (en) * 1959-06-05 1961-07-26 Francis William Mulchinock An indicator for use with fishing lines
GB2211056A (en) * 1987-10-16 1989-06-28 David Charles Skilton Apparatus for use in fishing
GB2260676A (en) * 1991-07-31 1993-04-28 Romart Tackle Limited Bite indicator for fishing lines
EP0602879A1 (en) * 1992-12-15 1994-06-22 Fox Design International Limited A bite indicator

Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2313761A (en) * 1996-06-06 1997-12-10 Reynolds Hepburn Ltd Fishing bite detector
EP0811321A2 (en) * 1996-06-06 1997-12-10 Reynolds-Hepburn Limited Bite detector
EP0811321A3 (en) * 1996-06-06 1998-09-16 Reynolds-Hepburn Limited Bite detector
EP0850562A1 (en) * 1996-12-24 1998-07-01 Fox Design International Limited Fish-bite detector
GB2348096A (en) * 1999-03-26 2000-09-27 Delkim Prod Ltd Bite indicator
GB2348096B (en) * 1999-03-26 2003-06-18 Delkim Prod Ltd Bite indicator
WO2004021777A1 (en) * 2002-09-04 2004-03-18 Tna Designs Limited Improved bite alarm for fishing
GB2394876A (en) * 2002-11-06 2004-05-12 Top Flight Products Ltd Fish bite indicator for slack line fishing
GB2394876B (en) * 2002-11-06 2005-06-22 Top Flight Products Ltd Fish bite indicator

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB2312363A (en) 1997-10-29
GB9817265D0 (en) 1998-10-07
GB9718014D0 (en) 1997-10-29
GB2324949A (en) 1998-11-11
GB2324949B (en) 1999-04-21
GB2324696A (en) 1998-11-04
GB2324696B (en) 1999-04-21
GB9506609D0 (en) 1995-05-24
GB2312363B (en) 1999-04-21
GB2299252B (en) 1999-04-21
GB9817156D0 (en) 1998-10-07

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732E Amendments to the register in respect of changes of name or changes affecting rights (sect. 32/1977)
PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 20120331