GB2330756A

GB2330756A - Line connector for a fishing rod

Info

Publication number: GB2330756A
Application number: GB9723199A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kevin Stack
Original assignee: FUTURE INTERNATIONAL
Current assignee: FUTURE INTERNATIONAL
Priority date: 1997-11-03
Filing date: 1997-11-03
Publication date: 1999-05-05
Also published as: GB9723199D0

Abstract

To eliminate the possibility of a looped line disengaging from a slot 90 within a fishing tackle connector 80, a body portion 82 of the connector 80 and a sleeve 83 of the connector have co-operating threaded sections 92-95 that interlock through a rotational mechanism. Consequently, a substantially longitudinal force through the connector 80, exerted by a fish hooked through coupling of a line into the connector, is unable to displace the sleeve 83 from across an opening to the slot 90 in the connector 80. In an alternative embodiment the locking mechanism may consist of a lug and a raised plateau having a channel cut therethrough (Figs. 7,8).

Description

LINE CONNECTOR FOR A FISHING ROD Backaround to the Invention This invention relates, in general, to a line connector for a fishing rod or fishing pole, and is particularly, but not exclusively, applicable to a mechanism and apparatus for coupling a fishing line to an elastic tether used in high length poles.

Summary of the Prior Art Vast numbers of the population enjoy fishing principally for recreational purposes, and in this respect many differing forms of fishing tackle have been developed to improve the reliability of equipment, generally, whilst maintaining the skill and sporting element associated with landing a catch.

With particular regard to coarse fishing, equipment and tackle has been developed to obtain access to hitherto inaccessible regions of water, such as deep water in the middle of a wide river or coved shallows that nestle into river banks and sometimes cannot therefore be reached efficiently by conventional fishing methods. For example, anglers who practice the art of pole fishing utilize carbon-fibre poles that span up to approximately twenty metres in length. These carbon-fibre poles are tapered in diameter and constructed from many interlocking sections of approximately one-metre lengths.

Unlike conventional rod and reel techniques that land a fish by a process of reeling in line onto a spool, carbon-fibre poles have a line of fixed length attached to an elasticated suspension system (or "shock absorber") that is fixed within one of the end sections of the pole. The elasticated suspension system is realized by an elastic tether that is fixed within but is also capable of extending from the end of the pole.

Therefore, when a fish is hooked and runs (and in contrast to reel-based rods that feed line from the spool), the shock absorber system has the effect of lengthening the line between the fish and the angler. The elastic tether therefore acts to minimise the effects of a sudden change in fishing line tension, while also providing a resilient force that can erode the energy of a fish to improve the chances of a successful landing. Once hooked, the angler disassembles the pole from the base towards the tip by disconnecting the tapering and interconnected carbon-fibre sections. Eventually, the overall rod length is reduced from the twenty metre pole to, perhaps, three metres in length, which reduced length is sufficiently short so as to enable the angler to draw the fish into the bank to enable successful netting.

In one of the upper section of the carbon-fibre pole, a bung securely attaches the elastic tether to the pole at the larger diameter end of the section, which bung comprises a conical section and hook that is located within the interior of the carbon-fibre sections. Consequently, the elastic is tied to the hook on the bung and then fed through the carbon-fibre sections to emerge at the tip-end of the pole. The elastic tether is typically manufactured from a material such as latex and can vary in gauge typically between 0.55 millimetres (mm) and 2.7 mm.

Additionally, the elastic tether is typically coated with a Teflons lubricant that reduces friction caused by rubbing of the elastic tether against a PTFE bush located within a tip of the carbon-fibre pole.

In relation to the connection of the elastic tether to the line, a small connector block is utilized. The connector block is usually made of an injection-moulded plastic (such as nylon or acetol), and has a generally streamlined shape of an elongate capsule to help to reduce tangles with the line These connector blocks are often realised as elastic connectors" or "flick-tip connectors". Unlike flick-tip connectors, elastic connectors are preferable (instead of a knot) because they allow an angler an ability to quickly replace tackle and to continue fishing without the need of having to use several rods or poles.

With respect to the structural configuration of such connectors, the line is attached to one end of the connector by having a tied loop of line inserted into a slotted portion at one end of a central body portion of the connector. A ring-shaped sleeve or cover is then applied about the body portion and pushed towards the end of the connector such that it abuts against an integrally moulded head-piece and covers the slot through which the looped line could otherwise escape. The connector can, in fact, be constructed from a three-part construction where a sleeve firstly extends over the slot and then a back cover is pushed about the remaining central body portion to produce the capsule. The back cover protects the knot in the elastic from damage.

In relation to the elastic tether, the connector also contains a hole bored through the central body portion, which hole is used to tie-off an end of the elastic tether. An appropriate tension, as determined by the angler is selected according to the length of elastic tether that extends between the fixed bung and the knot in the connector. The resilience of the elastic tether is also determined both by the diameter of the elastic tether and the material from which the elastic tether is manufactured, such as latex or a polymerized rubber.

Unfortunately, the sleeve or cover that closes the slot has been found to be an inefficient closure mechanism because a hooked fish can impart sufficient force (if, for example, the fish was to run through weed stalks) to cause the close fitting plastic sleeve or cover to move away from the head-piece to expose the opening at the mouth of the slot. The looped line, float and hooked fish can therefore escape.

In an attempt to prevent the sleeve or cover from moving away from its abutting position against the head-piece, some designs have incorporated a small raised nodule positioned on the central body portion at a location proximate to the mouth of the slot. This mechanism allows the ring to be pushed over the raised nodule, whereby the raised nodule provides some resistance to the ring being removed over the nodule and hence secures the line in the slot. However, this mechanism requires a multi-piece construction and is not easy to assemble because the intricate nature of the small, individual components. Additionally, while the nodule does provide some additional obstacle against removal of the sleeve or cover, larger fish are sufficiently powerful to cause the sleeve or cover to be forcibly displaced from over the mouth of the slot and hence to release the looped line (and tackle).

In relation to the manufacture of these injection-moulded plastic connectors, multi-piece assemblies are also undesirable because manufacturing tolerances cause problems associated with correct alignment and fit. More especially, manufacturing temperatures significantly impact shrinkage of these moulded plastic connectors, which shrinkage can prevent the fitting together of supposedly complimentary components.

A further problem exists in relation to the use of such connectors, namely that their mass (i.e. their weight) must be as small as possible.

Specifically, a roach pole may have an overall length approaching twenty or so metres, and so even slight increases in weight required for such connectors to produce more elaborate mechanisms of secure attachment of the looped line have significant effects on the balance of the pole. Indeed, when the plastic connector is located twenty or so metres from the fulcrum of the pole, i.e. where the pole is held by the angler, even a plastic connector weighing only a few grammes can have a significant turning force associated therewith. There is clearly therefore a desire to reduce weight in the connector while ensuring that the connector is sufficiently robust so as both to maintain its integrity and be a reliable form of fixing. Furthermore, with the use of elastic connectors that couple the fishing line to the elastic tether, these connectors must be even more resilient and robust than flick-tip connectors because they are repeatedly drawn from and catapulted back into the end of the carbon-fibre pole by the action of the fish.

With respect to the alternate form of flick-tip connector, this is usually constructed from a two piece assembly having a central body portion with a slot and a cover portion that extends over the slot to produce a retaining enclosure for a looped line. Such flick-tip connectors are then securely glued onto the ends of poles.

Finally, the desire to ensure that the fishing tackle is easily detachable from the connector is therefore in direct conflict with the necessity of ensuring that a looped line is retained within the connector (to prevent a fish from evading capture).

A need therefore exists for a light-weight connector that has an improved line connection mechanism.

Summarv of the Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a line connector for retaining fishing line, the line connector comprising: a body portion having a first part of a locking mechanism and an opening leading to an internal slot for receiving the fishing line; and a sleeve having a second part of the locking mechanism arranged to co-operate with and positively engage the first part of the locking mechanism through a relative rotational movement of the sleeve to the body portion such that the sleeve, when positively engaged against the first part of the locking mechanism, substantially covers the opening.

In another aspect of the present invention there is provided a line connector for retaining fishing line, the line connector comprising: a body portion having a first part of a locking mechanism and an opening leading to an internal slot for receiving the fishing line; a sleeve arranged to slip over the body portion and to cover the opening; and a cover having a second part of the locking mechanism arranged to co-operate with and positively engage the first part of the locking mechanism through a relative rotational movement of the cover to the body portion, such that the cover, when positively engaged against the first part of the locking mechanism, secures the sleeve substantially in place across the opening.

The rotational engagement of the sleeve to the body portion therefore restricts a relative lateral movement of the sleeve to the body portion because a relative lateral movement (sufficient to expose the opening to the internal slot) can only be achieved after first causing rotational disengagement of the locking mechanism.

In a preferred embodiment, the locking mechanism is realised by complementary threads on the body portion and sleeve.

The line connector may be an elastic connector for a fishing pole or a flick-tip connector on a pole.

Brief Description of the Drawings Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a diagram, in exploded form, of a prior art flick-tip connector; Fig. 2 is a diagram of the assembled flick-tip connector of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a diagram, in exploded form, of a prior art elastic connector; Fig. 4 illustrates partial assembly of the elastic connector of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a diagram of a connector according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 6 illustrates the connector of the present invention in situ within a conventional fishing pole; Fig. 7 is a diagram of an alternative embodiment of a central body portion of a connector in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention; and Fig. 8 is a sectional view through a sleeve that co-operates with the central body portion of Fig. 7 to form an elastic connector according to the alternative embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Descriction of a Preferred Embodiment Before describing in detail the preferred embodiments of the present invention, reference is made to the prior art drawing figures. In this way, a greater understanding of the functional and structural differences between the present invention and the prior art will be obtained by the addressee. Furthermore, to assist in understanding, components that are common between drawing figures share common reference numerals.

Now, referring to Fig. 1, a prior art flick-tip connector is shown. The flick-tip connector is generally circular in section and comprises a two piece construction. A body member 10 comprises a central shaft 12 and an abutting, integrally moulded head-piece 14. The head-piece is dome shaped in section and has a diameter larger than the central shaft 12.

The entire structure is usually injection moulded and is therefore of unitary construction. An angled slot 1 6 is formed within a central portion of the central shaft 12, which slot 16 extends into the head-piece 14.

Typically, the slot 1 6 has an opening 1 8 that is inclined away from a front end of the flick-tip connector, i.e. angled away from the head-piece 14. A cover 20 of the flick-tip connector is generally cylindrical in nature and is arranged to fit over the central shaft 1 2. Typically, the cover 20 will be shaped to have a flange 22 at an abutting face 24 of the cover 20.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the flick-tip connector 10 of Fig. 1 is shown in an assembled form. The cover 20 can be seen to abut against the headpiece 14 of the body member 10. The central shaft 12 can be seen to extend from the back of the cover 20, while the co-operation of the cover 20 abutting against the head-piece 14 produces an enclosure 26 through which a looped line would have previously been inserted Also, in relation to Fig. 2, a tip of a fishing pole 28 is shown to demonstrate how the central shaft 12 fits over the tip of the pole. As previously outlined, the central shaft 12 will be glued onto position within the tip of the pole 28. Potential lateral movement of the cover 20 is shown by the arrow 30. As can be seen, the overall shape of the flick-tip connector is oblong and pill-shaped, although the flange 22 of the abutting face 24 of the cover causes a slight discontinuity (i.e. a raised lip) to be seen across the breadth of the flick-tip connector, which raised lip effects the overall streamlined shape of the flick-tip connector and which raised lip can also snag against weeds.

In relation to Fig. 3, there is shown a conventional elastic connector 40.

Generally, the elastic connector 40 is similar in structure to the flick-tip connector to Figs. 1 and 2. Again, the elastic connector 40 contains a body portion 42 comprised from moulded plastic. The body portion 42 has an abutting head-piece 14 that is attached to a central shaft 44.

Again, the cross-section of the body portion is generally circular and the abutting head-piece 14 has a larger diameter than the central shaft 44.

In a similar fashion to Figs. 1 and 2, the central shaft 44 and the headpiece 14 contain a centrally located slot 16 arranged to receive a loop of fishing line (not shown). Unlike Fig. 1, the central shaft 44 of Fig. 3 contains a raised nodule 46 that protrudes slightly from the surface of the central shaft 44. The raised nodule 46 is positioned relative to an opening 18 of the slot 16, but in a slightly offset location behind the opening 18 to the slot 16. The central shaft 44 further includes a hole 48 that extends through the central shaft 44. Typically, the central shaft will have a rear end 50 that is shaped in an arcuate and concave fashion 52 in which the knot sits.

The elastic connector of Fig. 3 also comprises two removable portions; namely a sleeve 54 and a cover 56. Both the sleeve 54 and the cover 56 are generally tubular in nature and are arranged to fit over the central shaft 44. The sleeve also contains a flange 58 that facilitates removal of the sleeve from the body portion, which the flange 58, in use, typically orientated at the abutting surfaces between the sleeve 54 and the headpiece 14.

The hole 48 in the central shaft 44 functions as a mechanism by which an elastic tether is tied off (i.e. attached to) the elastic connector 40 and, as such, has a diameter commensurate with the gauge of elastic tether used in the pole. The gauge of the elastic tether therefore determines the size of the elastic connector since the knot tied in the elastic tether represents the limiting physical size of the connector. Also, to retain strength within the connector, the hole 48 is sized relatively to the diameter of the central shaft, such that unnecessary stresses are not exerted on the moulded plastic during tensioning of the elastic connector or playing the fish.

With reference to Fig. 4, the sleeve 54 and cover 56 are seen to be positioned on the body portion 42. In relation to the sleeve 54, an enclosure 26 is produced by the sleeve abutting against the head-piece 14. The sleeve ideally has a internal diameter that is marginally smaller than the diameter across the combined width of the central shaft 44 and nodule 46. In this way, the sleeve 54 is retained in abutting contact with the head-piece by the protruding nodule 46. However, as will be appreciated and as has been described above, there may some lateral movement of the sleeve 54 relative to the head-piece 14 as a consequence of manufacturing tolerances. In fact, it is possible that the sleeve is incorrectly sized relative to the central shaft and does not therefore fit over the central shaft, or the sleeve 54 has a width greater than the distance between the protruding nodule 46 and an abutting surface 70 of the head-piece 14. Consequently, the sleeve may not necessarily form a secure fit across the opening 18 and may have lateral movement causing the opening to expose the looped line (not shown).

The cover 56 can also be seen to fit over the central shaft 44 of Fig. 4.

Usually, the cover 56 will abut relatively closely to the sleeve 54 to form a generally pill-shaped elastic connector. The flange 58 of the sleeve and cover disrupt the smooth outer cylindrical surface of the elastic connector of Fig. 4, which flanges 58-62 enable the disassembly of the cover and sleeve from the body portion 40. Additionally, in relation to Fig. 4 an elastic tether 72 is shown to extend from a hole in the bottom of the cover. As previously indicated the elastic tether has been knotted through the hole 48.

Generally, wherever possible, the moulded plastic connectors of Figs. 14 are weight limited by using tubular, hollow constructions of moulded plastic. This technique is well known and is also applicable to the present invention since, as previously indicated, weight of the connector is critical in relation to the production of a usable, balanced pole.

Turning now to a first embodiment of the present invention as shown in Fig. 5. An elastic connector 80 is shown in sectional view. The elastic connector 80 is, in this exemplary format, shown as a two-piece construction comprising a body portion 82 and a cover 83, although a three-piece construction is also applicable. The structure of the body portion 82 has significant similarities to the body portion of Fig. 3 inasmuch as it contains an abutting head-piece 84, a central shaft 86 having a bored hole 88 and a slot 90 centrally located with the body portion 86 and the abutting head-piece 84. Wherever possible, weight is reduced by utilizing hollow tubular construction techniques as indicated above.

Although the slot 90 is shown to have a section that is substantially Lshaped, it will be appreciated that this is a design variant on the inclined slot structures of Figs. 1-4 (in which an opening of the slot appears inclined to a nominal perpendicular datum for the central shaft). As such, the present invention can use any appropriately shaped and inclined slot 90.

A significant difference between the present invention of Fig. 5 and the prior art occurs in the mechanism by which closure of the opening in the slot 90 occurs. Specifically, the body portion 86 contains a threaded section 92-94 located somewhere along the central shaft 86 of the elastic connector 80. Preferably, the threaded section is located marginally behind the opening to the slot and therefore towards the rear of the central shaft 86. The threaded section 92-94 typically has a length between 5% and 30% of the overall length of the connector and more preferably between 15% and 20% of the overall length of the connector, but it will be appreciated that only one or a few spiraling threads (or coils) may be sufficient to secure effectively the cover 83 to the body portion 82, which threads may be intermittent in nature. The cover 83 of the connector 80 necessarily also includes a co-operating threaded section 95. The position of the threaded section 95 on the interior wall of the cover 83 is such that both co-operating threading sections 92-95 fully engage one another when the cover abuts against the head-piece 84 of the body portion 82. Consequently, the cover can only be removed from the central shaft by a rotational movement about the central shaft.

Advantageously, therefore, use of rotational locking mechanism in relation to the cover has significant benefits in relation to securing a looped line in the enclosure formed by the slot 90 co-operating with the cover 83. Specifically, when a fish is hooked and begins to run, irrespective of the size of the fish, the cover cannot be withdrawn from the body portion by a sheer lateral force. As such, the line and tackle is retained within the elastic connector 80 and on the pole. Furthermore, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is a reduced component bit count since no separate sleeve is required to seal the opening to the slot. Moreover, the improved efficiency by which the looped line is locked into the elastic connector 80 allows the size of the connector to be reduced and the amount of plastic used correspondingly reduced by up to 25%. This is a significant advantage when considering balancing of an extended twenty metre pole, since the turning moment caused by the weight of the elastic connector 80 at the tip of the pole is significantly reduced. Furthermore, not only is the improved elastic connector reduced in size, but the mechanism of interconnection allows a more streamlined connector to be produced. Specifically, whereas a lateral movement is required in the prior art to remove the sleeve and cover (which necessarily requires flanges on the sleeve and cover against which finger leverage can be sought), the twisting mechanism employed in the present invention facilitates disconnection of the cover from the body portion. Also, by providing an interlocking mechanism between both the cover and the body portion, the present invention is less susceptible to manufacturing tolerance variations, since the numerous threads in the threaded sections each provide a mechanism for positive engagement between the body portion and the cover.

Referring now to Fig. 6, there is shown a pole 100 incorporating the elastic connector 80 of the present invention. Specifically, the pole 100 comprises interconnecting carbon-fibre tubular sections 102-106 each having an approximate length of one metre. When constructed, the pole has a tapering profile from a base end 107 to a tip 108, with interconnecting sections coupled together through a conventional collar and sleeve assembly. Unlike reel-based rods, the pole does not contain any external eyelets through which a fishing line would otherwise be run.

At the tip of the rod, a smooth bush 109, typically manufactured from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or other low friction material, is inserted to prevent an internally located elastic tether 72 from rubbing against abrasive end edges of the carbon-fibre pole.

At the intersection of two upper sections of the pole (typically two to four sections from the tip 108), a plastic or rubber bung 110 provides a fixed base against which to tie one end of an internally located elastic tether 72. The bung 110 has a conical head that is seated internally within the hollow carbon-fibre section of the pole 100, which bung 110 is sandwiched or wedged in place between adjacent abutting carbonfibre sections 104-106. At a tip of the bung, a loop or hook assembly 112 provides the actual fixing mechanism by which the elastic tether 72 is coupled to the bung 110 and therefore retained in a fixed position relative to the pole 100. The elastic tether 72 is then run through successive carbon-fibre sections 102-104 of the pole to emerge through the bush 109. The elastic tether 72 is passed through the cover before being tied through the hole 88 in elastic connector 80 with a suitable fishing knot, such as an overhand knot.

Clearly, to maintain a streamline arrangement, the elastic tether 72 actually feeds through a base hole in the cover 83 of the elastic connector 80. The angler, as will be appreciated, is able to determine the tension in the elastic by appropriately altering the tension of the elastic tether between the retaining hole 11 2 of the bung 110 and the bore 88 through the body portion 86 of the connector 80. Therefore, the cover 83 of the elastic connector 80 is usually seated under tension in the bush 109, with the angler determining the amount of resistive restraint by varying the tie-off length between the bung 1 10 and the elastic connector 80.

As previously indicated, the slot 90 retains the fishing tackle typically comprised from a hook (not shown), a float 114 and a looped fishing line 11 6. The loop of the fishing line is slotted through the opening 18 of the elastic connector 80 prior to the cover 83 being fixedly located over the opening.

An alternative embodiment of the locking mechanism of the present invention is shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8. In relation to Fig. 7, an elastic connector 120 comprises a body portion 122 and an abutting, integrally moulded head-piece 1 24. An opening 126 in the body portion provides access to an interior channel (slot) that runs centrally within the body portion 1 20 towards and into the head-piece 1 24. In a similar fashion to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, closure of the opening 1 26 provides retention of a looped line in enclosure 125.

In departing from the structure of Fig. 5, the alternative embodiment of the present invention contains protruding lugs 128-130 that extend slightly outwardly from the body portion 1 22. These protruding lugs 128-130 are typically located between the opening 126 and the abutting head-piece 124, although these lugs may be located elsewhere along the body portion 1 22 and/or in numerous groupings along the length of the body portion 122.

Fig. 8 shows a sectional view of a cover 132 (which may be of multipiece construction or may be a single moulded article) that co-operates with the lugs in a rotational sense to form a secure fixing of the cover over the body portion 120. Specifically, the cover 132 contains a raised plateau 1 34 of interior radius substantially equal to the radius of the body portion 122. In fact, the radius of the cover is slightly larger than the radius of the body portion in order to allow the cover to be slipped across the body portion 122. The raised plateau 134 does, however, include cut-away sections (or channels) 136-138 that have a radial dimension that takes into account a width of the lugs 128-130 on the body portion 122. As such, when correctly aligned, the cover 132 can be guided over the lugs 128-130 to abut against the head-piece 124.

Then, by rotating the cover 132, the raised plateau 124 engages against the lugs and prevents the cover from being withdrawn (merely by a lateral movement of the cover 132) from the body portion 122 of the elastic connector 120. Consequently, the cover 132 is locked in place by the co-operation of the lugs 128-130 and interior raised plateau 134 of the cover 132, whereby the opening to the enclosure is securely closed to prevent the looped line from being withdrawn.

Typically, the width of the plateau substantially corresponds to a distance between the abutting head-piece 124 and the lugs 128, such that a relatively snug fit exists between the cover 132 and the body portion 1 22.

Although the alternative embodiment provides the same benefits as the preferred embodiment of the invention, namely that a simple lateral movement is sufficient to expose the opening in the body portion and hence release the looped line, the alternative embodiment of the present invention is of relatively simple construction and does not require more than approximately 900 of rotation before the cover is potentially disengaged from the lugs. The alternative embodiment of the present invention therefore is designed to have a plateau section that extends substantially about an internal circumference of the cover or sleeve, such that the lugs 128-130 are engaged by the plateau as soon as is reasonably possible.

Although the outer surface of the connector has been described as being smooth, an alternative embodiment of the present invention contemplates that the cover (or sleeve) contains external ridges that are arranged to aid an angler in rotating the sleeve relative to the body portion, i.e. the angler is able to obtain some grip against the ridges to facilitate rotation (and hence locking or disengagement) of the

The present invention advantageously provides an improved line connector that has a stronger looped line retention mechanism realized by a relatively simple and lightweight design. Furthermore, the rotational locking mechanism of the present invention can be applied to both elastic connectors, flick-tip connectors and line-to-line connectors (such as used in fly fishing). The present invention can also be applied to any length of pole (manufactured from carbon fibre or other suitable substitute, such as bamboo canes), although the reduced weight of the connector is particularly beneficial in relation to high length poles.

It will, of course, be appreciated that the above description has been given by way of example only and that modifications in detail may be made within the scope of the present invention. For example, while the rotational locking mechanism of the present invention has been described in relation to a threaded sleeve and the co-operation of lugs with a plateau, other rotational locking mechanisms may be employed, such as by using pins and slots internally located within the cover or sleeve. Additionally, it will be appreciated that the two-piece construction of the preferred embodiments of the present invention is exemplary, and that multi-piece sleeve and separate back-cover arrangements can be adopted. In this respect, the term "sleeve" should be construed to include both an annular ring (for a construction having three of more individual components) and an entire cover (as used in the two-piece construction of FIG. 5).

Finally, in relation to a three-part construction, the co-operating locking mechanism of the present invention can be engaged between the body portion and a back cover such that, in use, a sleeve (or collar) locates against the head-piece to substantially cover the opening to the slot, while the sleeve is only secured in place by the locking (rotational) interaction of the back cover and the body portion. In other words, the back cover contains an internal thread (or equivalent co-operating locking mechanism) that positively engages against an appropriately located thread (or equivalent co-operating locking mechanism) on the exterior of the body portion. The back cover is therefore fixed relative to the body portion by the rotational locking mechanism to secure the sleeve over the opening by sandwiching the sleeve against the headpiece.

Claims

Claims 1. A line connector for retaining fishing line, the line connector comprising: a body portion having a first part of a locking mechanism and an opening leading to an internal slot for receiving the fishing line; and a sleeve having a second part of the locking mechanism arranged to co-operate with and positively engage the first part of the locking mechanism through a relative rotational movement of the sleeve to the body portion such that the sleeve, when positively engaged against the first part of the locking mechanism, substantially covers the opening.
2. The line connector according to claim 1, wherein the first part and the second part are complementary threads.
3. The line connector according to claim 2, wherein the complementary threads extend for between 10% and 30% of the length of the line connector.
4. The line connector according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the first part of the locking mechanism is located juxtaposition the opening.
5. The line connector according to claim 1, wherein the first part contains a protruding lug and the second part comprises a raised plateau having a channel cut therethrough, wherein the channel is arranged to allow passage of the protruding lug therethrough and the relative rotation of the sleeve causes the raised plateau to positively engage the protruding lug.
6. The line connector according to any preceding claim, further comprising a cover that, in use, abuts against the sleeve.
7. The line connector according to any preceding claim, wherein the body portion includes a domed-shaped head-piece and wherein the sleeve is arranged, in use, to abut against the head-piece.
8. The line connector according to any preceding claim, wherein the body portion and the sleeve co-operate to form a line connector having a substantially smooth outer surface.
9. The line connector according to claim 8, wherein the line connector is pill-shaped.
10. The line connector according to any preceding claim, wherein the line connector is made from plastic.
11. The line connector according to any preceding claim, wherein the line connector is a flick tip connector.
12. The line connector according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the line connector is a line-to-line connector.
13. The line connector according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the line connector is an elastic connector.
14. A line connector for retaining fishing line, the line connector comprising: a body portion having a first part of a locking mechanism and an opening leading to an internal slot for receiving the fishing line; a sleeve arranged to slip over the body portion and to cover the opening; and a cover having a second part of the locking mechanism arranged to co-operate with and positively engage the first part of the locking mechanism through a relative rotational movement of the cover to the body portion, such that the cover, when positively engaged against the first part of the locking mechanism, secures the sleeve substantially in place across the opening.
15. The line connector according to claim 14, wherein the first part and the second part are complementary threads.
16. The line connector according to claim 14, wherein the first part contains a protruding lug and the second part comprises a raised plateau having a channel cut therethrough, wherein the channel is arranged to allow passage of the protruding lug therethrough and the relative rotation of the cover causes the raised plateau to positively engage the protruding lug.
17. The line connector according to claim 14, 15 or 16, wherein the body portion includes a domed-shaped head-piece and wherein the sleeve is arranged, in use, to abut against the head-piece.
18. A line connector substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to FIGs. 5 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.
19. A fishing pole including a line connector according to any preceding claim.