GB2452331A

GB2452331A - Bait container

Info

Publication number: GB2452331A
Application number: GB0717039A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mohamed El Sayed; John Christian Servaas Snr; John Christian Servaas Jnr; Edwin Robin Russell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-09-01
Filing date: 2007-09-01
Publication date: 2009-03-04
Also published as: WO2009027713A1; GB0717039D0

Abstract

A bait container 10 comprises a body portion 12 which forms a partial enclosure for bait and a closure member 14 which is movable between a closed position in which bait is enclosed within the container and an open position. The closure is selectively held in the closed position by a selectively operable retainer (48 fig 4). The container further comprises a sealed unit 28 containing the electronic timer (40 fig 3) for controlling the operation of the retainer. The sealed unit is removable from the container. The sealed unit may contain the retainer, and a battery, and may have a waterproof casing (34 fig 2). The timer may measure a preset time period and have an external indicator of that time. Also disclosed is a sealed modular unit for use with the bait container which comprises a waterproof housing, a closure member, a retainer for the closure member, and an electronic timer.

Description

Bait Container The present invention relates to a bait container and more specifically to a bait container for use underwater.

The use of bait containers is well known and allows bait to be effectively positioned prior to release in order to improve the efficiency with which the bait is used to attract a particular species. Whilst such bait containers may be of use to individual fishermen, by far the greatest benefits of such containers are to be found in the commercial fishing industry.

The preservation of bait and/or other attractants in a closed container protects the bait from becoming dispersed by water currents or eaten by other predators until a time when it can be best released in the vicinity of the required species. The correct release of bait can greatly improve the efficiency of fishing.

When fishing for crustaceans such as lobster, crab or crayfish, it can be estimated that the weight of crustaceans caught is roughly equal to the weight of bait used. The bait used typically comprises fish which must first be caught and transported for use at the relevant location. In many instances it is more cost-effective to import suitable bait instead of catching bait locally and so it will be appreciated that the wastage of bait represents a vast expense for the commercial fishing industry.

Various methods of releasing bait and other attractants from a closed container are known. One such method involves the use of a mechanical, clockwork trigger mechanism to release a closure member and thus expose the bait within the container. However such mechanisms become corroded very quickly in a saltwater environment or else sullied by particulate material and cease to function as intended. In addition, bait containers are frequently subjected to impact either on board a vessel, or else upon hitting the water surface or the sea bed and thus mechanical components can easily become damaged or misaligned.

This problem has been recognised and a solution proposed which involves the use of a degradable member to retain the closure member in the desired closed position. The degradable member corrodes when placed in water, delaying the release of the closure member for a period of time after the container has been deployed. This form of release system is referred to as a galvanic timer, for which an anodic material is corroded by water. Thus the corrosive properties of seawater are put to positive use.

However the reliability of operation of such containers is subject to a number of factors including water temperature, salinity, turbidity, flow rates and turbulence.

Thus it is difficult to accurately predict if or when each container will be triggered.

Fishing for crustaceans typically requires baited pots to be laid down at predetermined offshore locations and subsequently retrieved by boat. The failure of a container to open results in a pot being retrieved with little or no chance that anything has been caught. Hence malfunctioning bait containers further reduce the efficiency and increase the costs of commercial fishing.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a more effective and reliable bait container.

According to the present invention, there is provided a bait container for use in an underwater environment, the container comprising a body portion which forms a partial enclosure for bait and a closure member which is movable between a closed position in which bait is enclosed within the container and an open position in which the bait is exposed, wherein the closure is selectively held in the closed position by selectively operable retaining means, the container further comprising electronic timing means for controlling the operation of said retaining means, said electronic timing means and retaining means being contained within a modular unit which is removably appendable to the container.

The present invention is particularly advantageous since the modular unit can be simply appended and removed from the container as required. Thus a plurality of modular timer units can be provided for which a predetermined time delay has been set. The provision of the relevant timer module to the relevant container sets the container for a specific time delay without the need to individually administer a time delay setting to each container.

Modular timer units pertaining to different time delays can be colour coded or otherwise marked for ease of recognition. Thus a common design of modular unit can be provided for use in conjunction with the container such that individual units can be removed and replaced or reused.

The modular unit preferably comprises a sealed waterproof housing within which the electronic timer and retaining means are contained. In one embodiment the housing takes the form of a plastic casing or shell.

The sealed nature of the housing prevents the internal components becoming corroded or otherwise degraded by the surrounding environment. The modular unit may be weighted to be neutrally buoyant or else to sink or float as required.

The modular unit typically comprises a power source in the form of a battery.

The battery is sealed within the housing, thus avoiding contamination of the surrounding environment.

According to a preferred embodiment, the modular unit is removably insertable into the container. Typically the body portion comprises one or more internal formations for location of the modular unit within the container. In one embodiment the modular unit and a portion of the body portion are correspondingly shaped. Thus the modular unit cam be simply pressed into the container in order to hold it in place and an be simply removed as required.

The modular unit housing typically comprises an abutment portion, against which the closure member is locatable.

In one embodiment, the retaining means comprises a magnetic member. The magnetic member may be positioned adjacent an inside surface of the housing when the closure member is fastened. Typically the magnetic member is positioned adjacent the abutment portion.

Preferably the retaining means is actuable between a retaining position and a retracted position in which the closure member is released. In one embodiment, the retaining means comprises a solenoid.

The present invention comprises a minimal number of moving parts which increases the robustness and operational life of the container. In addition, the sealed nature of the timer module avoids the problems associated with the ingress of water and/or particulate material which can adversely affect mechanical components.

In one embodiment, the closure member comprises a sprung loaded latching means, which may be engageable with a corresponding aperture in the body portion. The latching means may comprise a magnetic member arranged to be located adjacent a corresponding retaining means within the housing. The latching means may be biased against the attractive force between the retaining means and magnetic member such that the latching means tends towards a disengaged condition when the magnetic attractive force is reduced or removed.

According to a preferred embodiment, the container comprises signal transmission means Preferably the container comprises detection means for determining the condition of the closure member. In one embodiment, the detection means comprises a contact sensor for determining the retaining or retracted position of the retaining means. Thus the container can detect whether or not the container has correctly opened or not.

In the event that incorrect operation of the container is detected, the retaining means is actuated one or more further times. Thus multiple attempts to open the container can be undertaken automatically. This reduces the incidents of malfunction of containers, improving the efficiency with which bait is dispersed.

Typically the closure member is biased towards the open condition such that release of the closure by the retaining means causes the container to open. In one embodiment, the closure member is sprung loaded.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an insert module for a bait container according to the present invention.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 shows a three dimensional view of a bait container according to the present invention; Figure 2 shows a three-dimensional view of a modular timer unit according to the present invention; Figure 3 shows the basic components of the modular timer unit; Figure 4 shows a cross sectional view of the bait container of figure 1; and, Figure 5 shows a part cut away perspective view of a further embodiment of the present invention.

Turning firstly to figure 1, there is shown a bait container 10 in an open condition.

The container 10 generally comprises a body 12 and a closure member 14, both of which are generally hemi-cylindrical is shape such that the two portions each form half of a generally cylindrical canister.

The diameter of the closure member 14 is slightly larger than that of the body member such that the body member can fit substantially within the closure member. In addition, both the body member 12 and closure 14 have a circumferential groove 15 of reduced diameter, which serves to align the closure and body in a coaxial arrangement.

The closure has a hub portion 16 at each end thereof disposed adjacent corresponding hub portions 18 on the body. A projection 20 on the body hub portion 18 is located within a corresponding recess in the closure hub 16 such that the closure 14 can rotate relative to the body 12 about axis or rotation 22.

The axis 22 is congruent with the axis of the canister when formed.

The adjacent hub portions 16 and 18 may alternatively be connected by way of a nut or bolt or other conventional fixing means which allow rotation of one of the body or closure relative to the other.

The body portion 12 has a lip 24 extending around an edge of the body, The lip 24 protrudes a short distance beyond the periphery of the body. When the container lOis in the open condition as shown in figure 1, the lip 24 abuts against the peripheral edge of the closure 14, thus preventing rotation of the closure beyond the lip 24. Thus when the container is in the open condition in the orientation shown, the movement of the closure is limited to a single degree of freedom, that is anticlockwise rotation about the axis 22 only.

The closure 14 is biased into the open condition by a torsion spring (not shown) mounted in the force path between the hub portions 16 and 18.

In order to close the container 10, a user rotates the closure 14 anticlockwise against the force of the torsion spring such that the peripheral edge 26 of the closure abuts against the free side of the lip 24. The closure 14 is held in a closed condition by way of a magnetic member (not shown in figure 1) which will be described in further detail below.

In order to ensure a good seal between the lip 24 and edge 26, either of the lip or opposing edge may be provided with a resiliently deformable material.

A removable module 28 is located at one end of the body 12, details of which can be seen in figure 2. The remainder of the body forms a cavity in conjunction with the closure 14 into which bait can be inserted.

The module 28 is generally in the form of a cylinder, from the periphery of which a semi annular portion has been removed. The module 28 can thus be defined as having a lower hemicylindrical portion 30 from which extends an opposing upper hemicylindrical portion 32 of smaller diameter. The depth of the module 28 is smaller than the smallest diameter thereof such that the module is generally disc shaped.

The difference in diameter between the upper 32 and lower 30 portions creates a pair of abutment portions in the form of radially protruding faces or stops 33 and 35. The faces are formed in a plane parallel to the axis of the revolution of the module 28 such that when the module is inserted into the body 12, the faces 33 and 35 lie parallel to the plane of the lip 24. When the module 28 is mounted for use as shown in figure 1, the faces 33 and 35 are within or immediately adjacent the plane of the lip The lower portion 30 is shaped to fit tightly within the inner wall of the body 12.

The module 28 and/or the body 12 may be provided with conventional fixing means such as a clip fixing or the like in order to ensure that the module is firmly held in place. The fixing is releasable such that the module can be removed and replaced as required. The fixing may comprise a protrusion and corresponding recess on either of the module or body wall. Either the protrusion or recess may be resiliently deformable such that the module 28 clicks into place.

Alternatively the module may be shaped to form a friction or interference fit with 0 the inner wall of the body.

The module 28 has an outer plastic casing 34, within which is sealed a power supply in the form of a battery cell 36 and a solenoid 38. As shown in figure 3, there is also provided a control means in the form of an electronic timer 40 which is connected to the power supply and the solenoid. Each of the solenoid, battery and timer are fixedly mounted relative to the casing 34 either by mounting the components on a board, which is insertable into the casing, or else by internal formations in the casing wall which engage the parts to prevent lateral movement.

The solenoid 38 has a cylinder 42 and a piston arm 44. As will be appreciated by the person skilled in the art, the piston 44 is mounted within the cylinder 42, which has a coiled conductive material located therein. The piston is axially movable relative to the cylinder in response to a magnetic field generated by the supply of electric current to the coil.

With reference to figures 3 and 4, the battery 36 is connected to both the solenoid 38 and the electronic timer 40 for the supply of power thereto. The solenoid piston 44 has retaining means in the form of a magnetic member 48 attached thereto which is movable in unison with the piston 44 end. In this embodiment the magnetic member is a permanent magnet in order to avoid the power consumption associated with use of an electro-magnet.

The timer 40 is preset to a specific time period. Thus the timer will count up or down to the same time increment when triggered by a signal as described below.

In this regard, modules can be provided for varying preset time increments, such that the required module can simply be selected and inserted into the container as required. Modules will typically be marked to indicate the time period for which they are set. This can be achieved by colour coding of the casing or by printing indicia thereon or else by forming indicia in the casing itself.

The casing 34 is shaped to provide an internal recess 47 immediately behind the face 33, which is shaped to receive the magnet 48. The magnet is movable with the piston 44 between an extended position, in which the magnet is inserted into the recess such that the magnet abuts against the internaI wall of the face 33, and a retracted position in which the magnet is removed a short distance from the face 33 and recess 47.

The closure 14 is formed with an abutment portion 50 adjacent the edge 26, which opposes the face 33 when the container is closed. The abutment portion is magnetic and may comprise either a magnetically attractive material or else a permanent magnet.

Detection means in the form of a contact or proximity sensor 46 is also provided in the casing 34. The sensor 46 detects whether or not the closure is in the extended position in which it engages with the face 33.

When the magnet 48 is in the extended position against face 33 and the closure is closed, the magnetic attractive force between the magnet 48 and abutment portion 50 is greater that the torsion applied by the torsion spring and so the closure is retained in the closed position. However when the magnet 48 is ruhvo. .. ---retracted, the attracted force experienced by the abutment portion 50 is reduced, resulting in the closure rotating to the open condition under the force of the torsion spring.

The basic control logic for the setting and operation of the container is described below: If the closure 14 is open and the solenoid is in the extended position, the container is at rest. No action is required and the container is ready to be baited.

If the sensor subsequently detects the presence of abutment portion 50 against face 33, the container has been closed. This condition automatically starts the timer 40.

The timer 40 continues counting until the predetermined time period has expired, which triggers the supply of current to the solenoid to retract the piston 44 along with the magnet 48.

If the piston fails to retract or the closure fails to open, the solenoid is actuated one or more further times. This is typically repeated two or more times.

If the solenoid is retracted and the abutment portion 50 is not detected at face 33, the container has opened and the solenoid is actuated to return the piston to the extended position. The magnet 48 is guided into the correct position by the walls of the recess 47. The bait can be dispersed from the container. This returns the container to the starting condition at which the container is at rest and ready to be reused.

If the closure incorrectly opens at any stage whilst the piston is extended, the container is returned to the at rest condition, at which the cycle is reset.

In view of the foregoing, operational steps, it will be appreciated that a sensor is required to determine the open/closed condition of the closure and also the position of the solenoid piston 44. A programmable processing means is also provided to control the operation of the container. The processor and timer are typically integral.

However a simplified embodiment is possible in which detection means is provided only to detect the position of the piston 44. In this embodiment, the timer can be triggered by insertion of the casing into the body 12 or else by manual depression of a portion of the casing 34. Accordingly the timer will measure the predetermined time period at which point the solenoid will be automatically operated three times in succession.

In the event that the container has failed to operate, the container will remain closed, prompting the user to check the torsion spring ore else replace the module 28.

Given the minimal power consumption, a standard 9V battery is sufficient to power the module for significant lengths of time. Thus the module can be sealed to ensure correct operation of the module throughout its working life. The present invention thus avoids the need for exposed moving parts which are subject to corrosion.

A further embodiment of the present invention is shown in figure 5 in the form of bait container 52. The component parts of the bait container 52 are the same as the bait container 10 described in figures 1 to 4 and will not be described in further detail, It will be understood that the features of bait container 10 are interchangeable with the bait container 52 as far as practicably possible save for the differences described below.

The bait container 52 has a body portion 54, the end wails 56 and 58 of which are of increased height such that they cover substantially the full circumference of the inside of the canister. In this regard, the end walls 56 and 58 are generally circular in profile. The end wall 58 is adjacent the insert module 62 in use and has an aperture 60 therein.

In this embodiment, the module 62 has a solenoid 64 mounted therein, typically on a circuit board and connected to the power source. A pin member 66 depends from the solenoid 64. The pin member 66 has an end 68 located against an internal wall of the housing 62. The wall thickness of the housing adjacent the pin 66 may be of reduced thickness.

When mounted in the body 54 of the container for use as shown, the pin end 68 is adjacent the aperture 60 in the end wall 58 of the body 54. The pin member 66 is sprung loaded into the position shown in figure 5, which represents the at rest position of the pin. Thus in order to actuate the pin 66, a force must be applied which is greater than the spring force which presses the spring towards the end wall 58.

The closure 70 of the bait container 54 has an end waIl 72 which lies adjacent end wall 58 of the body 54 when the container is closed. The end wall 72 of the closure 70 has a recess 74, in which is mounted a sprung loaded latching member 76. The latching member 76 is located adjacent the aperture 60 when at rest. In this condition, a coil spring 78 biases the latching member away from the aperture 60.

When the container is closed and the solenoid 64 is not activated, the pin 66 is biased towards the wall of the housing 62 adjacent the aperture 60 and attracts the latching member 76 which is formed of a magnetic material. The latching member 76 is thus moved against the biasing force of the spring 78 towards the pin 66 and engages within the aperture 60. It will be appreciated that the aperture 60 is shaped to correspond to the shape of the latching member 76, plus an additional tolerance to ensure correct operation.

The engagement of the latching member in the aperture 60 within the side wall of the body 54 prevents relative movement between the body and closure. This provides a secure fastening which is resilient to impact or other forces which may otherwise serve to open the container accidentally.

When the desired time is reached, the solenoid is activated such that the pin 66 is retracted away from the wall of the housing 62 towards the solenoid 64 against the force of the spring. The magnetic attractive force between the pin 66 and 76 is reduced as the pin moves away. Once the magnetic attractive force on the latching member is sufficiently small, the spring 78 returns the latching member 76 out of engagement with the aperture 60 such that the closure can move relative to the body 54 in order to open the container.

The solenoid 64 will typically operate a number of times in succession in order to ensure correct opening of the container 52. After operation of the solenoid 64, the pin will return to the position shown in figure 5 by virtue of its spring loading such that it is ready for the bait container to be reset.

The type of latching mechanism shown in figure 5 may replace the solenoid arrangement shown in figures 2 to 4 or else may be used in addition thereto in order to more securely hold the container in a closed condition.

Claims

Claims: 1. A bait container for use in an underwater environment, the container comprising: a body portion which forms a partial enclosure for bait; a closure member which is movable between a closed position in which an the container provides an enclosed bait cavity and an open position in which the bait cavity is exposed; and, retaining means for releasably holding the closure is in the closed position, wherein the container further comprises electronic timing means for controlling the operation of said retaining means, said electronic timing means being contained within a sealable unit which is removably appendable to the container.
2. A bait container according to claim 1, wherein the retaining means is contained within the sealable unit.
3. A bait container according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a battery is contained within the sealable unit.
4. A bait container according to any preceding claim, wherein the sealable unit comprises a waterproof casing.
5. A bait container according to any preceding claim, wherein the sealable unit comprises a sealed plastic shell.
6. A bait container according to any preceding claim, wherein the sealable unit is removably insertable into either the body or closure.
7. A bait container according to claim 6, wherein at least a portion of the sealable unit and container are correspondingly shaped so as to form a close fit.

I -
8. A bait container according to any preceding claim, wherein the electronic timing means is preset to measure a predetermined time period.
9. A bait container according to claim 8, wherein the sealable unit comprises external indicia representative of the time period measured by the timing means therein.
10. A bait container according to any preceding claim, wherein the sealable unit comprises an abutment portion, against which the closure member is

locatable.
11. A bait container according to any preceding claim, wherein the retaining means is operable between a retaining and a release condition.
12. A bait container according to claim 11, wherein the retaining means is operable by the selective supply of current to a solenoid.
13. A bait container according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the retaining means is located adjacent an inside surface of the sealable unit in the retaining condition.
14. A bait container according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the retaining means is operated a plurality of times upon determination of a predetermined time period by said timing means.
15. A bait container according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the retaining means comprises a magnetic member.
16. A bait container according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein the retaining means comprises a retaining member which is selectively actuable between said retaining and release conditions by retraction of the retaining member.
17. A bait container according to any one of claims 11 to 16, further comprising latching means located on the closure.
18. A bait container according to claim 17, wherein the latching means is actuable between a retracted position in which the latching means is disengaged from the body portion and an engaging position wherein the latching means is engaged between the body portion and the closure member.
19. A bait container according to claim 18, wherein the latching means is actuable under a magnetic attractive force with the retaining means when in the retaining condition.
20. A bait container according to any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein the latching means is biased towards the retracted position by a spring.
21. A bait container according to any preceding claim, wherein the container comprises detection means for determining the condition of the closure member.
22. A bait container according to any preceding claim, wherein the container comprises detection means for determining the condition of the retaining means.
23. A bait container according to any preceding claim, wherein the closure is biased to the open condition.
24. A sealed modular unit for use with a bait container comprising a body portion which forms a partial enclosure for bait and a closure member which is movable between a closed position in which bait is enclosed within the container and an open position in which the bait is exposed, wherein the sealed unit is removably appendable to the bait container and comprises: a waterproof housing containing, retaining means for reteasably holding the closure is in the closed position; and, electronic timing means for controlling the operation of the retaining means.
25. A modular sealable unit according to claim 24, wherein the unit further contains a battery.
26. A bait container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.