GB2312363A

GB2312363A - Bite Indicator

Info

Publication number: GB2312363A
Application number: GB9718014A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Darren Edward Elvins
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-03-31
Filing date: 1995-03-31
Publication date: 1997-10-29
Anticipated expiration: 2015-03-31
Also published as: GB2324949B; GB2324696A; GB2324696B; GB9817156D0; GB9506609D0; GB2312363B; GB9718014D0; GB2299252A; GB2324949A; GB9817265D0; GB2299252B

Abstract

In addition to detecting movement of a fishing line, the bite indicator also discriminates between forward and backward line movement and produces different audible outputs depending on 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 upwardlypointing 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 arranged to detect line movement and discriminate between forward and backward line movement; and audible output means arranged to provide a plurality of different audible indications including 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.

By noting whether one or both of the first and second audible indications have been provided by the audible output means, 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 audible indications may 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.

The audible 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 different tones would 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, and providing a plurality of different audible indications including 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.

The attention of the reader is drawn to the applicant's U.K. Patent Application No. 9506609.8 (GB-A-2299252) which claims a bite indicator for a fishing line, comprising: means arranged to detect line movement and discriminate between forward and backward line movement; and light source means arranged to provide a plurality of different visual indications including 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. It also claims a corresponding method.

A non-limiting embodiment 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 illustrate 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 visual output displays for the bite indicator of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a block diagram of the electronics of 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 abovementioned 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 TR1 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 alternative arrangement of Fig. 2B and Fig. 3B and to the alternative arrangement of Fig. 2C and Fig. 3C.

Thus, the phase relationship of the on-off output signals of TOR 1 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 TRI 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 examples 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 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 the electronics of 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. The sequential logic circuit also instructs a gated oscillator to output a first tone from a 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

1 A bite indicator for a fishing line, comprising: means arranged to detect line movement and discriminate between forward and backward line movement; and audible output means arranged to provide a plurality of different audible indications including 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.

2. A bite indicator according to claim 1, wherein the first and second audible indications comprise different tones.

3. A bite indicator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the audible output means is arranged to vary a characteristic of each audible indication in accordance with the rate of the respective line movement.

4. A bite indicator according to claims 2 and 3, wherein the output means is arranged to vary the pulsation frequency of each tone in accordance with the rate of the respective line movement.

5. A method of providing a bite indication when fishing with a fishing line, comprising detecting line movement, discriminating between forward and backward line movement, and providing a plurality of different audible indications including 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.