GB2577603A

GB2577603A - A multi-purpose bait bucket

Info

Publication number: GB2577603A
Application number: GB1910949.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony Brooks John
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-07-31
Filing date: 2019-07-31
Publication date: 2020-04-01
Anticipated expiration: 2039-07-31
Also published as: GB201910949D0; GB201812454D0; GB2577603B; GB2575997A

Abstract

A bucket 1 for storing fishing bait comprising one or more vents 2 formed in a wall 4 of the bucket and one or more shutters 6. Each shutter is arranged, in use, to retractably cover at least a portion of at least one vent, such that the bucket is reconfigurable in any one of an open state, a closed state or an intermediate state by appropriate positioning of the one or more shutters. The vents may comprise mesh. The bucket may comprise shutter guides 14 arranged to receive one or more shutters. The vents may be positioned one above the other such that the shutters can be stacked in order to cover the vents. The shutter members may be pivotally attached to the bucket. One or more trays may be received within the bucket. The trays may be supported by lips formed at the end of each shutter member. The trays may be rotated in order to cover the vents. The bucket may be provided with a vented lid and adjustable legs.

Description

A Multi-Purpose Bait Bucket The present invention relates to a bucket for storing fishing bait, and particularly to a ventilated bucket for storing multiple types of fishing bait.

Various types of bait are commonly used for fishing, the particular type used being dependent on factors such as the particular function of the bait, the particular method of fishing being used, or the particular variety of fish to be caught, for example. A fisher must store and carry multiple types of bait when on a fishing outing or trip, since multiple types will commonly be required at any one time or through the course of an outing or trip.

However, different types of bait require different storage conditions, and thus the fisher must carry multiple containers, which is cumbersome.

For example, groundbait comprises a mixture of dry ingredients moistened with water. Fishing pellets, such as trout pellets are commonly used in combination with groundbait and are mixed together with the groundbait before casting into the water. However, it is preferable to keep fishing pellets dry before use, and these are therefore generally mixed with the groundbait shortly before casting in order to prevent the pellets from going soggy. The groundbait and fishing pellets must therefore be stored separately.

Boilies are commonly used fishing baits, which may comprise preservatives to prolong the shelf-life of the boilie. For this reason, frozen boilies are often preferred since these contain little or no preservative. However, these must be kept cool to prevent rotting and thus require particular storage conditions during a longer fishing outing or trip.

Furthermore, bait storage containers may be ventilated to keep the bait cool and fresh. However, this can be problematic, particularly during a longer fishing outing or trip, since animals such as rats or squirrels are able to eat the bait through the vent holes.

The present invention arose in an attempt to provide an improved bait bucket.

According to the present invention there is provided a bucket for storing fishing bait, the bucket comprising one or more vents formed in a wall of the bucket and one or more shutter members, wherein the or each shutter member is arranged, in use, to selectively cover at least a portion of at least one vent, such that the one or more vents of the bucket may be opened or closed such that the bucket is reconfigurable in any one of an open state, a closed state or an intermediate state by appropriate positioning of the one or more shutter members.

As used in the context of the present specification, the term "open state" refers to a state of the bucket in which no closable part of any vent is covered or closed by a shutter, the term "closed state" refers to a state of the bucket in which every closable part of a vent is covered or closed by one or more shutters, and the term "intermediate state" refers to a state of the bucket in which at least a portion of at least one closable vent is covered or closed by a shutter, or in the case of multiple vents, some of the vents are closed by one or more shutters. For example, in one embodiment the bucket may comprise two vents and, in the intermediate state, one of the vents is wholly covered and the other is wholly uncovered. In an alternative embodiment, the bucket may comprise a single vent and, in the intermediate state, said vent is only partially covered.

The present invention provides a bait bucket which can be reconfigured to be suitable for the storage of the particular bait for which it is to be used. Moreover, it is possible to configure the bait bucket in such a manner so as to be suitable for the simultaneous storage of multiple types of fishing bait. If it is required to provide ventilation to the internal compartment of the bait bucket, the bucket can be configured in an open or intermediate state, such that at least a portion of at least one vent is open, allowing air flow within the container to keep the bait stored within fresh and cool. In an intermediate state, the bucket can be configured to 'close' certain portions of the bucket, whilst keeping other portions open and ventilated. For example, shutters can be retractably inserted in a lower portion of the interior space of the bucket to cover any vents or portions of vents positioned in that lower portion so as to provide a closed compartment at the base of the interior space of the bucket suitable for the storage of groundbait or the like.

The bucket can also be configured in a closed state, wherein all of the vents are covered. This may be desired in order to insulate the internal space within the bucket, where ice blocks, cool packs or other refrigerant are being used for example, and/or in order to prevent the contents of the bait bucket from being accessed by rats, squirrels or other animals.

Accordingly, the bait bucket of the present invention may be of particular use during an overnight fishing trip. For example, the bucket can be configured in the closed state overnight in order to protect the stored bait from animals and to keep the contents cool (if refrigerated, for example), and can be configured in an open or intermediate state during the day to provide appropriate ventilation.

Preferably, the bucket is substantially cylindrical. However, it will be appreciated that the bucket may be of any desired shape.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the bucket may comprise a plurality of vents aligned in a generally vertical direction in the wall of the vent. That is to say, said plurality of vents are aligned in a direction extending from a point on a lower edge of the wall at a base of the bucket to the nearest point on an upper edge of the wall at a mouth of the bucket. Accordingly, said plurality of vents can be covered by a single shutter arranged to extend along substantially the entire height of the wall of the bucket, or by a plurality of shutters stacked or aligned in the vertical direction. Alternatively, a single shutter which has a height less than the height of the wall of the bucket may be arranged to cover one or more, but not all, of the vents aligned in the vertical direction, such that one or more of the vents are covered, whilst the remaining vents remain open.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, a 'large' vent may be formed in the wall of the bucket, which 'large' vent extends along substantially the entire height of the wall of the bucket. The bucket may comprise a 'large' shutter arranged to extend along substantially the entire height of the wall of the bucket so as to wholly cover said 'large' vent. Alternatively, or additionally, the bucket may comprise a plurality of 'small' shutters, each having a height less than the height of the wall of the bucket, which 'small' shutters can be stacked or aligned in a vertical direction to cover the 'large' vent. The 'small' shutters may alternatively be used alone to cover a portion of said 'large' vent.

Any of the vents of any embodiment of the present invention may preferably comprise a mesh screen covering the vent in a permanent manner so as to allow air flow through the vent, whilst retaining the contents of the bucket within the interior space of the bucket. It will be appreciated that any vent may be provided with a mesh screen, regardless of the size or configuration of the vent.

In one preferred embodiment, the bucket may comprise one or more shutter guides, each shutter guide being arranged to receive one or more respective shutters by sliding said respective shutters into said shutter guide, and being positioned such that a shutter inserted into said shutter guide retractably covers at least a portion of at least one vent.

One or more shutter guides may comprise a pair of corresponding retaining members extending inwardly from an inner surface of the wall into the interior space of the container, wherein a first retaining member of each pair is positioned to one side of a vent, and a second retaining member of each pair is positioned to the other side of said vent.

Accordingly, a shutter can retractably slide in between the pair of retaining members so as to be held in position by the retaining members, at the same time covering at least a portion of the vent located between the retaining members. Each retaining member may extend along substantially the entire height of the inner surface of the wall of the bucket, or alternatively, each retaining member may extend along only a portion of the height of the wall. A plurality of shutter guides may be displaced in a vertical direction, and aligned in said vertical direction, along the height of the inner surface of the wall, so as to allow a shutter to slide relative to the aligned shutter guides so as to be retained in position. In the context of the present specification, the term "vertical direction" refers to a direction extending from a point on a lower edge of the wall at a base of the bucket to the nearest point on an upper edge of the wall at a mouth of the bucket.

The bucket may comprise one or more storage guides for the shutter or shutters, each storage guide being arranged to receive one or more shutters, and being positioned such that a shutter inserted into said storage guide does not cover any portion of any vent.

The storage guides may substantially correspond in configuration to the shutter guides, such that the storage guides are configured to retain the shutters in an appropriate position within the bucket.

Preferably, the shutters are stackable such that a plurality of shutters can be stacked in a vertical direction so as to selectively cover particular vents or portions of vents. Alternatively or additionally, the bucket may comprise one or more shutter supports arranged to support a shutter in a raised position above the base of the bucket within the shutter guides. Accordingly, it is possible to position an operative shutter so as to selectively cover a vent or a portion of a vent positioned at a height above the base of the container which is greater than the height of the shutter, without the need to first insert another shutter upon which said operative shutter is stacked. Thus, a lower vent, or a lower portion of a vent, may remain open whilst an upper vent, or an upper portion of a vent, is closed by the operative shutter. In some embodiments of the present invention, spacers may be provided, which spacers are configured in substantially the same manner as the shutters such that they are insertable into the shutter guides. However, the spacers are provided with one or more apertures, which apertures may or may not be covered with a mesh screen. Thus, when a spacer is inserted into a shutter guide, any vent or portion of the vent which said spacer covers remains open by virtue of the aperture or apertures formed in the spacer, thus permitting air to flow through the vent and the spacer apertures, into the interior space of the container. Accordingly, the spacers can be utilised to allow a shutter to be stacked upon the spacer so as to cover an upper vent, or an upper portion of a vent, whilst air flow through a lower vent, or lower portion of a vent remains possible.

Advantageously, the bucket may comprise one or more trays arranged to be received within the bucket. The trays may comprise a mesh material. Preferably, the trays may comprise a mesh material having an aperture width of 3 mm or less.

The trays may be arranged within the bucket so as to provide a plurality of individual storage compartments within the bucket. In order to enable the trays to be so arranged within the bucket, the bucket may further comprise a plurality of brackets arranged to hold one or more of the trays within the bucket at a position remote from the base of the bucket to define a storage compartment below the one or more trays. The plurality of brackets may be arranged to define a plurality of storage levels within the bucket. For example, a first set of brackets may be positioned at a first height above the base of the bucket, such that when a first tray is supported by said first set of brackets, a first storage level is defined. Similarly, a second set of brackets may be positioned at a second height above the base of the container, such that when a second tray is supported by said second set of brackets, a second storage level is defined. It will be appreciated that any number of storage levels could be so defined, depending on the size of the bucket, the size of the trays, and the positions of the brackets. It will be further appreciated that said brackets may be repositionable within the interior space of the bucket, such that the height of the various storage levels can be selected according to the intended use of the bucket.

In one embodiment of the present invention, each bracket comprises a lip formed at an end of a respective shutter, the lip being arranged, in use, to protrude inwardly into the interior space of the bucket, in order to support a tray. Accordingly, the shutters can be selectively inserted into the container so as to define a desired state (open, closed, intermediate), and further to define a desired number and arrangement of storage levels.

The inwardly-protruding lip may be substantially flush with the edge of the bracket, or may be lowered or displaced with respect to the edge of the bracket on which the lip is formed. In alternative embodiments, the brackets may be releasably attachable to an end of a respective shutter, such that the brackets can be selectively attached to particular shutters according to a desired use of the bucket.

In an alternative embodiment, one or more of the shutters may be pivotably attached to the bucket, such that each said shutter is capable of being pivoted from a position in which said shutter covers at least a portion of at least one vent, to a position in which said shutter does not cover any portion of any vent. Accordingly, in this embodiment, each said shutter is permanently fixed to the bucket and is reconfigurable between an open position, in which said shutter does not cover any portion of any vent, and a closed position in which said shutter covers at least a portion of at least one vent.

In a further alternative embodiment the bucket may comprise one or more trays arranged to be received within the bucket, wherein one or more trays of the one or more trays each has at least one shutter member thereon, such that the position of the tray or trays within the bucket causes the shutter member, or members, to selectively cover at least a portion of at least one vent, such that the bucket is reconfigurable in any one of an open state, a closed state or an intermediate state by appropriate positioning of the one or more trays.

In this manner the trays themselves may form the shutter members, avoiding the need for additional shutter members, and preferably the shutter members are formed integrally with a tray, although they could comprise of separate components mounted on the tray.

Preferably, rotating at least one of the one or more trays between different positions causes at least one vent formed in the wall of the bucket to be opened or closed by the at least one shutter member on the tray. Thus rotating the tray may open associated vents, without the need to remove the tray.

At least one shutter member may be outwardly biased from the tray into substantially sealing engagement with wall of the bucket. This ensures efficient closing of the vent. Where the shutter member is formed integrally with the tray, the biasing may be by a resilient "living hinge" type arrangement, connecting the shutter member to a main body of the tray.

Preferably at least a portion of at least one tray, with a shutter member thereon, is arranged to let air pass through a vent in the wall of the bucket when that portion of the tray is located adjacent the vent. This may be achieved, for example, by the outer diameter of a main body of the tray being less than the inner diameter of the bucket, so as to provide an airgap between them, with the shutter member then extending outwardly of the main body of the tray to close the vents when positioned adjacent the vents. Alternatively the main body of the tray, remote from the shutter members, may be made of mesh or have one or more apertures extending through it.

A bait bucket in accordance with the invention may comprise a plurality of vents positioned one above another in the wall of the bucket, or a vertically extending vent, and a plurality of trays each having at least one shutter member thereon, such that the position of each tray within the bucket causes the associated shutter member or members to selectively cover one or more of the plurality of vents, or selectively cover one or more portions of the vertically extending vent.

Preferably the rotational position of the trays may be adjusted independently of each other, so that each tray may be independently positioned to control the flow of air through the associated vent, or portion of a vent, in the wall of the bucket adjacent said tray.

Preferably the bucket and trays are circular in horizontal cross section, permitting the trays to be rotated in position to control the ventilation within the bucket and to permit them to be positioned at any angular position. Thus a single shutter member may fully close, partly open or fully open an associated vent, or portion of a vent, depending on the rotational position of the tray on which it is located relative to the vent.

With any of the above embodiments the bucket may comprise one or more vent covers provided on the exterior of the wall, which vent covers extend outwardly from the wall so as to at least partially cover one or more of the vents. Such vent covers provide a shield to the vents, so as to prevent the ingress of water through the vent (when it is raining, for example), whilst maintaining the vents in an open state to allow air flow and circulation through the vents. The vent cover may be integral to the wall, or alternatively the vent covers may be detachably fixed to the wall.

The bucket may further comprise a lid, which lid comprises at least one vent, which vent is reconfigurable between an open state and a closed state. When in an open state, the lid vent facilitates air flow into the container through the vents provided in the walls of the container, and out through the vent formed in the lid. Accordingly, air circulation through the bucket when the lid is in place is improved. In order to further encourage air flow, the lid may further comprise a fan unit.

The bucket may comprise a compartment for the storage of ice blocks or other refrigerant. Said compartment is preferably provided at a base of the bucket. Said compartment may be separate to the interior space of the bucket, or may be provided within the interior space of the bucket.

The bucket may be provided with adjustable legs, which adjustable legs are arranged to raise a base of the bucket above a surface upon which the bucket is stood when in an operative position. The adjustable legs are preferably reconfigurable between an operative position, in which the legs extend below the base of the bucket, and an inoperative position, in which the legs do not extend below the base of the bucket.

Non-limiting embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the figures in which: Figure la is a perspective view of a bucket according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 1 b is a perspective view of a bucket according to another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a vertical cross-section of the bucket of Figure la as indicated by line 11 in Figure la; Figures 3a to 3c are cross-sectional views of the bucket of Figures la and 2, as indicated by line III in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a bucket according to one embodiment of the present invention having vent covers and trays; Figure 5 is a perspective view of a bucket according to one embodiment of the present invention having a lid and legs; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a bait bucket according to another embodiment of the present invention, where two trays, shown above the bucket, close vents in the wall of the bucket; Figure 7 shows, to an enlarged scale, one of the trays of Figure 6; Figure 8 is a side elevation corresponding to Figure 6, with the two trays shown prior to being positioned in the bucket; and Figure 9 corresponds to Figure 8, but shows the trays in position in the bucket.

With reference to the figures, there is shown in Figures 1 to 5 a bucket 1 for storing fishing bait, the bucket 1 comprising one or more vents 2 formed within a wall 4 of the bucket 1. The vents are generally defined by apertures formed in the wall 4 of the bucket 1, however as will be appreciated from the following description, there are no particular limitations to the size or shape of the apertures defining the vents 2.

In the embodiments shown in the figures, the bucket is substantially cylindrical in shape, and thus comprises a single cylindrical wall 4 defining the periphery of the bucket 1.

However, it will be appreciated that alternative embodiments of the present invention may adopt alternative shapes and may comprise a plurality of walls, which are joined together so as to define a periphery of the bucket. Further, the illustrated embodiments show a cylindrical bucket 1 having a tapered wall 4, such that the circumference of the wall 4 at a mouth 10 of the bucket 1 is larger than the circumference of the wall 4 at a base 12 of the bucket 1. However, it will be appreciated that alternative embodiments of the present invention may comprise substantially vertical walls, wherein the circumference of the wall at the mouth 10 and the base 12 thereof is substantially identical.

The bucket further comprises a plurality of shutters 6 arranged, in use, to cover at least a portion of at least one vent 2, such that the bucket 1 is reconfigurable in any one of an open state, a closed state or an intermediate state by operation or insertion of appropriate shutters.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure la, each of the vents 2 extends substantially along the entire height of the bucket wall 4. In order to form a barrier to prevent the egress of the contents of the bucket 1 through the vents 2, each of the vents 2 comprises a mesh screen 8 covering the aperture in the wall 4 which defines each vent 2. The mesh screen 8 preferably has an aperture width of 3mm or less. In an alternative embodiment shown in Figure 1 b, a plurality of smaller vents 2 are formed in the bucket wall 4, said vents 2 being aligned in a generally vertical direction. It will be appreciated that being aligned in a generally "vertical direction" relates to the alignment of the vents 2 in a vertical direction when the bucket is in use with its base on a horizontal surface (or parallel to a horizontal surface if raised above the surface), said vertical direction extending from a point on a lower edge of the wall at a base 12 of the bucket 1 to the nearest point on an upper edge of the wall at a mouth 10 of the bucket 1.

In order to position the shutters 6 within the bucket 1 so as to cover or partially cover the vents 2, the bucket 1 further comprises a plurality of shutter guides 14 arranged to receive the shutters 6 by sliding the shutters 6 into the shutter guides 14, as indicated by the arrows shown in Figures la and 1 b. The shutter guides 14 are positioned such that when a shutter 6 is inserted into a shutter guide 14, said shutter 6 retractably covers at least a portion of at least one vent 2. In the embodiment of Figure 1b, the shutter 6 has a height such that when inserted into the shutter guide 14, the shutter 6 covers the lowest of the vertically aligned vents 2. However, it will be appreciated that larger shutters may be provided which are arranged to cover multiple vents.

The configuration of the shutter guides according to one embodiment of the present invention can be seen in Figure 2, which is a vertical cross-section of the bucket 1 of Figure la as indicated by line 11 in Figure la. A plurality of shutters 6 are positioned within the shutter guides 14 so as to at least partially cover each of the vents 2. Each shutter guide 14 comprises a first retaining member 16 positioned to one side of the vent 2, and a second retaining member 18 positioned to the other side of the vent 2. Each retaining member 16, 18 extends inwardly from an inner surface 4a of the wall 4 into an interior space 20 of the bucket 1. Each retaining member 16, 18 comprises a flange 16a, 18a arranged to prevent a shutter 6 from moving laterally out of said retaining members. That is to say, the shutters 6 are only movable within the shutter guides 14 in a vertical direction and thus can only be inserted into or removed from the shutter guides 14 by sliding in a vertical direction (i.e. upwards or downwards).

A gap 22 is formed between the respective flanges of each shutter guide 14, which gap 22 allows a lip 24 of each shutter 6 protrude into the interior space 20 of the bucket 1, as will be explained in greater detail below. However, in embodiments of the present invention in which the shutters do not comprise a lip 24, the respective retaining members 16, 18 of each shutter guide 14 may be joined.

As shown in Figure 2, the bucket 1 further comprises a plurality of storage guides 26, each storage guide comprising a pair of retaining members 28, 30. The storage guides 26 are identical in construction to the shutter guides 14. However, the storage guides 26 are positioned away from the vents 2, such that the shutters 6 can be stored in the storage guides 26 without covering any portion of any of the vents 2.

Figures 3a to 3c are horizontal cross-sections of the bucket 1, illustrating the insertion of the shutters 6 into the shutter guides 14 so as to cover the vents 2. As shown in Figures 3a to 3c, the vents 2 are flanked by respective retaining members 16, 18 of shutter guides 14. As can be seen, each retaining member 16, 18 extends substantially along the entire height of the wall 4 of the bucket 1. However, it will be appreciated that in alternative embodiments of the present invention, each retaining member may be substantially shorter in height, and a plurality of retaining members may be displaced and aligned in a vertical direction. In such embodiments, the distance between a respective pair of vertically displaced retaining members is preferably less than the height of each shutter.

Figure 3a shows the bucket 1 with no shutters 6 inserted. First shutters 6a are inserted by sliding into the shutter guides 14a, 14b in the direction indicated by the arrows shown into the positions shown in Figure 3b. Accordingly, first shutters 6a cover a lower portion of the respective vents 2a, 2b, whilst the remainder of vents 2a, 2b remain open. Second shutters 6b are subsequently inserted into the respective shutter guides 14a, 14b in the same manner and are stacked upon the first shutters 6a, so as to cover a middle portion of the respective vents 2a, 2b as shown in Figure 3c. It will be appreciated that this process can be repeated until the bucket 1 is in a closed state. Alternatively, the shutters 6 can be inserted selectively to cover some vents but not other vents, and/or some portions of vents but not other portions of said vents, such that the bucket 1 is in an intermediate state.

With reference to Figure 4, each shutter 6 comprises a lip 24, which protrudes into the interior space 20 of the bucket 1. Accordingly, each lip 24 serves as a bracket which is able to support a tray 28, 30 within the interior space 20 of the bucket 1 at a position which is remote from the base 12 of the bucket 1. Figure 4 shows a first tray 28 and a second tray 30 positioned within the bucket 1. When the first tray 28 is inserted, a storage compartment 32 below the first tray 28 is defined. Accordingly, the bucket 1 provides multiple storage areas, allowing various types of bait to be simultaneously stored, whilst also being kept separate. For example, the storage compartment 32 may be used for the storage of groundbait. Since the storage compartment 32 is formed when shutters 6 are in place, egress of the groundbait (or other bait to be stored) through the vents 2 is prevented by the shutters 6. Other types of bait such as boilies or trout pellets may be stored in the trays 28, 30. In the embodiment shown, the trays 28, 30 are formed of a mesh material, which allows effective circulation of air within the bucket 1. The lower mesh tray 28 has an aperture width of 3mm or less, which is suitable for the storage of fishing pellets, for example. The upper mesh tray 30 has a larger aperture diameter, which is suitable for the storage of larger baits such as boilies, or other larger fishing accessories, for example. The storage compartment 32 may alternatively be used for the storage of ice blocks, cool packs or other refrigerants in order to refrigerate bait stored in the container over long periods of time, such as over a weekend, for example. This is particularly useful for the storage of frozen boilies.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 4, the bucket 1 comprises a plurality of vent covers 34 provided on the outer surface 4b of the wall 4. The vent covers 34 extend outwardly from the wall 4 so as to partially cover the vents 2. However, since the vent covers extend outwardly from the wall 4, the vent covers 34 do not cover the vents 2 to the extent that any portion of the vents 2 are closed. The vent covers 34 act to prevent rainwater, for example, from entering the bucket 1 through the vents 2 whilst allowing air flow through the vents 2 into the interior space of the bucket 1. Any appropriate number of vent covers 34 may be provided, such that every portion of every vent 2 is covered.

A further embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Figure 5, in which the bucket 1 is provided with a lid 36 comprising a vent 38 which is reconfigurable between an open configuration and a closed configuration. Accordingly, the lid vent 38 can be opened to allow circulation of air through the bucket 1, or can be closed, for example to keep the contents cool. The lid 36 or main body of the bucket 1 may additionally be provided with a fan unit (not shown) to promote the circulation of air into the bucket 1 through the vents 2, and out of the bucket through the lid.

In the embodiment of Figure 5, the bucket 1 further comprises legs 40 arranged to raise the base 10 of the bucket 1 above a surface upon which the bucket 1 is stood. The legs 40 are preferably adjustable such that the legs 40 are reconfigurable between an operative and inoperative position. The mechanism by which the legs are so adjustable is not particularly limited and it will be appreciated that there are numerous ways in which the adjustable legs 40 could be reconfigured. The adjustable legs 40 may be foldable, pivotable or telescopic, for example.

Referring now to Figure 6, there is shown here an alternative embodiment where a bait bucket, indicated generally as 41, comprises a bucket 42 having a lower set of pairs of vents 43a to 43d located in a wall 44 of the bucket 41 and a higher set of pairs of vents 45a to 45d.

The bucket 41 further comprises two trays 46 and 47, which are identical and a lid (not shown) which may be of the type described previously with reference to Figure 5. Additionally, the bucket may comprise legs (not shown) as per the legs 40 described previously with reference to Figure 5.

With reference now to Figure 7, there is shown one of the trays 46 of the two identical trays 46 and 47 of Figure 6. The tray 46 comprises a circular base portion 55 bisected by a transverse ridge 48, the ridge 48 having a pair of opposed apertures 49 and 50 therein, which together define a handle for the tray 46.

The tray 46 further comprises an outer peripheral wall 51 which has an outer diameter slightly less than the inner diameter of the wall of the bucket 42. On the peripheral wall 51 of the tray 46 are four equally spaced shutter members 52a to 52d.

These are, in this example, integrally formed with the main body of the tray 46 and are hinged thereto by an upper portion of each joining the respective shutter member 52a to 52d to the main body of the tray 46. The tray 46 and thus the shutter members 52a to 52d, in this embodiment, are moulded from polycarbonate and the shutter members 52a to 52d are moulded such that they are resiliently biased outwardly. However the shutter members 52a to 52d could be formed in any number of other ways from many different materials.

Through the peripheral wall 51 (except in the region of the shutter members 52a to 52d), through the base portion 55 and through the ridge portion 48 extend a plurality of slots 53. These slots 53 enable air to pass through the peripheral wall 51 through the base portion 55 and through the ridge portion 48, so that air may circulate freely through and within the tray 46.

With reference to Figure 8, this shows the two identical trays 46 and 47, one above the other, above the bucket 42. The trays 46 and 47 are rotationally offset to each other by 45° such that the shutter members 52a to 52d of the lower tray 47 are aligned with the pairs of vents 43a to 43d, whereas the shutter members 52a to 52d of the upper tray 46 are offset at 45° relative to the pairs of vents 45a to 45d. As will be appreciated from studying the lower tray 47 of Figure 8, the shutter members 52a to 52d of both trays 46 and 47 extend outwardly from the peripheral wall 51 of the trays 46 and 47. Thus when the trays 46 and 47 are inserted in the bucket 42, as shown in Figure 9, the shutter members 52a to 52d abut the inner surface of the wall of the bucket 42. Thus, in the case of the lower tray 47, these shutter members 52a to 52d are aligned with respective pairs of vents 43a to 43d and therefore, in the position shown in Figure 9, the shutter members 52a to 52d close the adjacent vents 43a to 43d. However, if the lower tray 47 were to be rotated through 45° so that it corresponded to the rotational position of the upper tray 46 above it, shown in Figure 9, then as in the case of the upper tray 46, this then permits air to flow through the associated pairs of vents 45a to 45d, into the void 54 between the peripheral wall 51 of the upper tray 46 and the inner wall of the bucket 42, which air may then pass through the slots 53 in the tray 46. This permits air to flow into the container and through the tray 46.

As will be appreciated from Figure 9 and the description above, rotating the trays 46 and 47 may be used to control the amount of air flowing through the different levels within the bucket 41 and through the trays 46 and 47 within the bucket 41. Thus, for example, it may be desired to keep bait fresher in the lower part of the bucket than in the upper part of the bucket from which bait is being used, in which case the lower tray 47 could be rotated to the position shown in Figure 9, such that the shutter members 52a to 52d of the lower tray 47 close the corresponding pairs of vents 43a to 43d in the wall of the bucket 42, keeping the lower tray cooler, assuming the bucket is initially at a lower temperature than the ambient air, while the other tray could be positioned as shown to allow ambient air to flow through the upper part of the bucket 42 and through the upper tray 46, to increase the temperature of bait in the upper tray 46 if that bait is to be used first for example.

Although an embodiment has been described and shown which has only two trays, a bait bucket could accommodate a different numbers of trays. More generally, the invention has been described above with reference to specific embodiments, which are given by way of example only. It will be appreciated that many different arrangements are possible, which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

Claims 1. A bucket for storing fishing bait, the bucket comprising one or more vents formed in a wall of the bucket and one or more shutter members, wherein the or each shutter member is arranged, in use, to selectively cover at least a portion of at least one vent, such that the one or more vents of the bucket may be opened or closed such that the bucket is reconfigurable in any one of an open state, a closed state or an intermediate state by appropriate positioning of the one or more shutter members.
2. A bucket according to claim 1 comprising a plurality of shutter members wherein appropriate positioning of the multiple shutter members is arranged to reconfigure the bucket between one of the open state, the closed state or the intermediate state.
3. A bucket according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the vents comprises a mesh screen.
4. A bucket according to any preceding claim, further comprising one or more shutter member guides, each shutter member guide being arranged to receive a respective one or more of the shutter members by sliding said respective one or more shutter members into said shutter member guide, such that a shutter member inserted into said shutter member guide covers at least a portion of at least one vent.
5. A bucket according to claim 4 comprising a plurality of vents positioned one above another in the wall of the bucket, or a vertically extending vent, wherein a shutter member guide is arranged to extend vertically and accept multiple shutter members stacked one upon the other in the shutter member guide, so that one or more of the multiple shutter members arranged in the shutter member guide may selectively cover one or more of the plurality of vents, or selectively cover one or more portions of the vertically extending vent.
6. A bucket according to claim 4 or 5, further comprising one or more storage guides for the one or more shutter member, each storage guide being arranged to receive the one or more shutter members, and being positioned such that a shutter member inserted into said storage guide does not cover any portion of any vent.
7. A bucket according to claim 4, 5 or 6, further comprising one or more trays arranged to be received within the bucket.
8. A bucket according to claim 7, further comprising a plurality of brackets arranged to hold one or more of the trays within the bucket at a position remote from the base of the bucket to define a storage compartment below the one or more trays.
9. A bucket according to claim 8, wherein each bracket comprises a lip formed at an end of a respective shutter member, the lip being arranged, in use, to protrude inwardly into the interior space of the bucket, in order to support a tray.
10. A bucket according to claim 8, wherein each bracket is attachable to an end of a respective shutter member.
11. A bucket according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein one or more shutter members are pivotably attached to the bucket, such that each said shutter member is capable of being pivoted from a position in which said shutter member covers at least a portion of at least one vent, to a position in which said shutter member does not cover any portion of any vent.
12. A bucket according to claim 1, 2 or 3 further comprising one or more trays arranged to be received within the bucket, wherein one or more trays of the one or more trays each has at least one shutter member thereon, such that the position of the tray or trays within the bucket causes the shutter member, or members, to selectively cover at least a portion of at least one vent, such that the bucket is reconfigurable in any one of an open state, a closed state or an intermediate state by appropriate positioning of the one or more trays.
13. A bucket according to claim 12 wherein rotating at least one of the one or more trays between different positions causes at least one vent formed in the wall of the bucket to be opened or closed by the at least one shutter member on the tray.
14. A bucket according to claim 12 or 13 wherein the at least one shutter member is formed integrally with the tray.
15. A bucket according to claim 12, 13 or 14 where the at least one shutter member is outwardly biased from the tray into substantially sealing engagement with wall of the bucket.
16. A bucket according to any one of claims 12 to 15 wherein at least a portion of at least one tray is arranged to let air pass through a vent in the wall of the bucket when that portion of the tray is located adjacent the vent.
17. A bucket according to any one of claims 12 to 16 comprising a plurality of vents positioned one above another in the wall of the bucket, or a vertically extending vent, and a plurality of trays each having at least one shutter member thereon, such that the position of each tray within the bucket causes the associated shutter member or members to selectively cover one or more of the plurality of vents, or selectively cover one or more portions of the vertically extending vent.
18. A bucket according to claim 17 wherein the angular position of the trays may be adjusted independently of each other, so that each tray may be independently positioned to control the flow of air through the associated vent or portion of a vent in the wall of the bucket adjacent said tray.
19. A bucket as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 18 wherein the bucket and trays are circular in horizontal cross section.
20. A bucket according to any preceding claim, further comprising one or more vent covers provided on the exterior of the wall, which vent covers extend outwardly from the wall so as to at least partially cover one or more of the vents.
21. A bucket according to any preceding claim, further comprising a lid, which lid comprises at least one vent.
22. A bucket according to claim 21, wherein the vent on the lid can be opened and closed.
23. A bucket according to claim 21 or 22, wherein the lid further comprises a fan unit.
24. A bucket according to any preceding claim, further comprising a compartment for the storage of ice blocks or other refrigerant.
25. A bucket according to any preceding claim, further comprising adjustable legs, which adjustable legs are arranged to raise a base of the bucket above a surface upon which the bucket is stood when the legs are in an operative position.