GB2499420A

GB2499420A - Bite indicators

Info

Publication number: GB2499420A
Application number: GB201202629A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Derek Romang
Original assignee: Delkim Products Ltd
Current assignee: Delkim Products Ltd
Priority date: 2012-02-16
Filing date: 2012-02-16
Publication date: 2013-08-21
Also published as: GB201202629D0

Abstract

A bobbin 20 is connectable to a fishing line 18 in order to move with a section of the line and thereby provide a visual indication of a change in tension of the line, with a sensor 40 being coupled for movement with the bobbin to provide an electrical output signal indicative of the acceleration or the position of the bobbin. The sensor may be a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) accelerometer or inclinometer. A processor is preferably provided for analysing the electrical output signal of the MEMS sensor to provide an indication of the rate of rise and fall of the sensor. The processor may be operative to provide an audible or visible alarm indication. Also disclosed is the bobbin of the invention in combination with a bite alarm 12 responsive to line movement, the bite alarm incorporating a processor operative to analyse the electric output signal of the sensor coupled to the bobbin. The bite alarm may be operative to activate the sensor only after detection of movement of the fishing line.

Description

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BITE INDICATOR FOR USE IN ANGLING

Field of the invention

5 The present invention relates to a bite indicator for use in angling.

Background of the invention

10 It is conventional in certain types of angling,

especially when fishing for carp, to support a fishing rod on a rest for long periods of time and to use a bite indicator to alert the angler of activity on the line.

15 Certain bite indicators are sensitive to line movement,

relying on rotation of a pulley or vibration of a piezoelectric stylus by the movement of the fishing line. Other bite indicators respond to a change in line tension. To distinguish between the two, bite indicators sensitive to 20 line movement are referred to herein as bite alarms.

A simple form of tension sensing bite indicator is a bobbin attached by an automatically releasing line clip to a length of the line extending between the rod support and the 25 first ring on the rod used to guide the fishing line. The bobbin can be mounted for free sliding movement up and down a stationary post, whereupon it is sometimes referred to as a monkey climber. In this case, the weight of the bobbin is used to tension the line. Alternatively, the bobbin can be 30 mounted on an arm that is sprung or on a swinging arm that is pivoted and weighted to apply a downward force to the line and thereby maintain the line taut. In either case, the up and down movement of the bobbin provides a visual indication of the sudden change in line tension that occurs 35 when the bait is taken by a fish.

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Summary of the invention

According to the present invention, there is provided a bobbin connectable to a fishing line in order to move with a 5 section of the line and thereby provide a visual indication of a change in tension of the line, characterised in that a sensor is coupled for movement with the bobbin to provide an electrical output signal indicative of the acceleration or the position of the bobbin.

10

In one embodiment, the sensor is a MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) accelerometer.

In one embodiment, the sensor is a MEMS inclinometer.

15

The latter embodiments take advantage of the fact that MEMS sensors are sufficiently small and affordable to permit their use in angling as an alternative to, or to complement, more complicated and less compact line movement sensors.

20

The electrical output signal of the MEMS sensor can be processed by a dedicated processor. An indication can be given to the angler of the rate of rise and fall of the sensor and the current position of the bobbin relative to a 25 starting position. If desired, an audible or visible alarm indication may be given by the processor to indicate a sudden or excessive bobbin movement.

While a bite detection based on sensing movement of a 30 bobbin may be used alone, it may alternatively be used in combination with a line movement sensing bite alarm. In this case, a processor present within the bite alarm may be used to process the output signals of the sensor associated with the bobbin. The bite alarm may then use the output 35 signal of the bobbin sensor to determine the direction of movement of the fishing line, this being difficult to achieve in bite alarm that relies on a piezoelectric stylus.

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Brief description of the drawings

The invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing which is 5 a perspective view showing a bobbin and a swinging arm embodying the present invention.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiment

10 The accompanying drawing and the following description are based on the Applicant's own bobbin and swinging arm as described in GB 2455129. It should however be stressed that a MEMS acceleration sensor may be used with many alternative forms of bobbins and swinging arms and the swinging arm 15 described below is given only by way of an example.

The drawing shows a fishing rod 10 resting on an electronic bite alarm 12. The bite alarm 12 is mounted on a rod rest 14 which in this case is a T-bar having fittings 16 20 to receive two further bite alarms, so that the angler may use up to three rods at the same time. The T-bar is itself stably supported on the ground in some suitable manner, such as by means of one or more bank sticks driven into the ground, or it may form part of a so-called rod pod.

25

The line 18 of the rod 10 is tensioned by means of a bobbin 20 described in more detail below. The bobbin 20 is carried by a free end of a swinging arm, which is generally designated 22. The opposite end of the swinging arm 22 is 30 pivotably secured to the rod rest 14, such as by means of a bracket 28 sandwiched between the fitting 16 on the T-bar 14 and the electronic bite alarm 12.

The bobbin 20 has a main body which, in the illustrated 35 embodiment, incorporates an LED device that serves as a light source. At its upper end, the bobbin 20 includes a line clip that grips the line 18 sufficiently to permit the

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bobbin to be suspended from the line 18. However, when the angler strikes, the clip releases the line so that the bobbin remains attached to the swinging arm 22, leaving the angler free to reel in the fish. On its underside, the 5 bobbin is designed to receive different weights to allow the line tension to be set as desired and a MEMS sensor 40.

An electrical cable 24 connects the LED in the bobbin 20 as well as the MEMS sensor to the electronic bite alarm 10 12. The cable 24 is preferably weighted so that it tends to lie neatly in the shape of a catenary and so that it bends and unfurls smoothly as the bobbin moves up and down.

The bobbin 20 applies tension to the line 18 because 15 the swinging arm 22 allows it to move freely up and down. The tension ensures that the line 18 makes contact with a sensing element in the electronic bite alarm 12. If the bait at the end of the fishing line 18 is taken by a fish, the line 18 moves and causes the bite alarm to emit an audible 20 and/or visible signal to alert the angler.

At the same time, the change in line tension will cause the bobbin 20 to move up and down and in the present invention that movement is sensed by the MEMS accelerometer 25 40 the output signal from which is processed by a processor of the bite alarm 12.

The present invention is not concerned with the design nor manufacture of MEMS accelerometers or inclinometers, 30 such devices being well known. Their construction will not therefore be described herein but reference is made to Wikipedia which contains an entry detailing their construction and several other uses (see http://en.wikipedia.orq/wiki/MEMS).

35

As described in the latter reference, MEMS accelerometers can currently be found, in cars where they

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are used, amongst other things, in the deployment of airbags during collisions. They are also used in consumer electronics devices such as game controllers, personal media players, cell phones and a number of digital cameras.

5

By processing the electrical output signal of the MEMS acceleration sensor, the processor of a line movement sensor 12 can additionally provide the angler with an audible or visible indication of the rate of rise and fall of the 10 sensor. If desired, that signal may be integrated to indicate the current position of the bobbin relative to a starting position and the angler may additionally be warned of an excessive bobbin movement.

15 If the sensor 40 is an inclinometer, then the sensed inclination is indicative of the position of the bobbin 20 and the signal may be differentiated to determine the rate and direction of movement of the bobbin.

20 Though the processing of the output signal of the sensor 40 is described above as being performed by the processor of the line movement bite alarm 12, it should be noted that it is alternatively possible to provide a dedicated separate processor to analyse the electrical 25 output signal of the sensor and to furnish the angler with the required information regarding changes in line tension.

The bobbin can be permanently lit at night but, to save battery life, the LED may be illuminated by the bite alarm 30 12 only after line movement has been sensed.

The illustrated swinging arm 22 is formed of two U-shaped members 30, 32. The first U-shaped member 30 has a base 30a that is formed as one leaf of a separable hinge, 35 the other leaf of the hinge being formed by the bracket 28 sandwiched between the fitting 16 on the rod rest 14 and the electronic bite alarm 12. The two leaves of the hinge are

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preferably shaped to click together or they may be connected by a removable hinge pin. Two tubular limbs 30b and 30c, formed as pultrusions of carbon fibre reinforced resin, extend from the base 30a.

5

The second U-shaped member 32 has a base 32a designed to receive the bobbin 20 and can be clipped around it with a snap fit. Two elongate limbs 32b and 32c likewise extend from the base 32a but in this case they are formed as solid 10 rods of carbon fibre reinforced resin. The limbs 32b and 32c of the second member 32 are received telescopically in the limbs 30b and 30c of the first member 30 to form a rectangular frame that can be extended and contracted in the manner of a trombone. Rubber sleeves 34 fitted over the 15 ends of the limbs 30b and 30c frictionally engage the limbs 30b and 30c so that resistance is met in moving the two U-shaped members relative to each other.

Though the MEMS sensor 40 has been shown in the drawing 20 as being attached to the bobbin using a similar attachment to that used for swinging arm weights, it will be appreciated the sensor 40 may alternatively be mounted on the swinging arm or between the bobbin and the line clip, so long as it is coupled for movement with the bobbin.

25

A MEMS sensor will draw power at all times that it is activated. To save battery power, it would be possible to activate the MEMS sensor only after a line movement has been sensed by the line movement bite alarm. If vibration sensing 30 is used by the bite alarm to sense line movement, the addition of the MEMS sensor allows the bite alarm to differentiate between upward and downward movement of the bobbin, corresponding to a run or a drop back of the fishing line. This enables the bite alarm to provide the angler with 35 an audible or visual indication that distinguishes between the two directions of line movement.

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The extent or rate of line movement required to activate the MEMS sensor may be adjusted by the user using a sensitivity or threshold control from the host bite alarm. If required, the host bite alarm may activate the MEMS 5 sensor when a first threshold is exceeded but it may emit only an alarm signal after a second, higher, threshold has been exceeded. In this way, the MEMS sensor will be active prior to an alarm signal being produced by the host bite alarm, allowing the host alarm to modify its own alarm 10 signal to indicate the direction of the detected line movement.

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Claims

1. A bobbin connectable to a fishing line in order to move with a section of the line and thereby provide a visual 5 indication of a change in tension of the line, characterised in that a sensor is coupled for movement with the bobbin to provide an electrical output signal indicative of the acceleration or the position of the bobbin.

10

2. A bobbin as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor is a MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) accelerometer.

3. A bobbin as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor is a MEMS inclinometer.

15

4. A bobbin as claimed in Claim 2 or 3, wherein a processor is provided for analysing the electrical output signal of the MEMS sensor to provide an angler with an indication of the rate of rise and fall of the sensor.

20

5. A bobbin as claimed in claim 3, wherein the processor is operative to provide an indication of the current position of the bobbin relative to a starting position.

25

6. A bobbin as claimed in claim 3, 4 or 5, wherein the processor is operative to provide an audible or visible alarm indication to warn an angler of a sudden or excessive bobbin movement.

30

7. A bobbin as claimed in any preceding claim in combination with a bite alarm responsive to line movement, wherein the bite alarm incorporates a processor operative additionally to analyse the electrical output signal of the

35 sensor coupled to the bobbin.

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8. A combination as claimed in claim 7, wherein the bite alarm is operative to activate the sensor only after detection of movement of the fishing line.

5

9. A combination as claimed in claim 7, wherein the bite alarm is operative to activate the sensor in response to a lesser degree of movement of the fishing line than is required for the bite alarm to emit an alarm signal.

10

10. A combination as claimed in Claim 8 or 9, wherein the bite alarm includes a stylus that is vibrated in response to movement of the fishing line and wherein the bite alarm is operative to vary the audible and/or visual alarm signal generated upon detection of line movement in 15 dependence upon the output signal of the sensor in order to indicate the direction of the detected line movement.