WO2003077647A1

WO2003077647A1 - Completely universal treble hook guards

Info

Publication number: WO2003077647A1
Application number: PCT/HR2002/000051
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ante Josic
Original assignee: Ante Josic
Priority date: 2002-03-18
Filing date: 2002-10-29
Publication date: 2003-09-25
Also published as: HRP20020230A2; AU2002343111A1

Abstract

They will be made of an adequate plastic material for the purpose of protecting one, two or three treble, double or single hooks, i.e. all sizes of treble, double and single hooks for fresh water and salt water fishing manufactured today. This invention therefore represents a big step forward in further development of products in fishing industry, which is undoubtedly of extreme significance and practical value for the protection of fishermen. Finally, this invention is not limited to the illustrated variants of implementation so that various modifications are possible. However, the scope of the invention is determined and defined by the accompanying patent claims.

Description

COMPLETELY UNIVERSAL HOOK GUARDS

INVENTION DESCRIPTION

This invention is completely universal and it relates to all three existing types of hooks which are manufactured today - treble, double and single hooks.

The inventor has got a lot of experience in salt water and fresh water fishing. He has used all three types of hooks which enabled him to conduct a thorough analysis of hook guards. He reached several conclusions. First of all, hook guards are probably the most important part of the fishing equipment as without them various minor and major injuries may occur. As for the technical segment of hook guards, the existing situation in the manufacturing of hook guards can be described in the following way:

^■ Only two hook guard models have been manufactured so far. They are used for covering treble hooks and each is made only in three sizes,

^■ No cover of any kind has ever been made for double hooks, i.e. not even one double hook guard has been manufactured so far.

^■ No cover of any kind has ever been made for single hooks, i.e. not even one single hook guard has been manufactured so far.

These undisputable facts have led the inventor to the conclusion that the existing situation in relation to hook guards and their production is unfortunately still at the pioneering stage and that situation should be remedied as soon as possible.

The aim of this invention is to solve that problem so that the inventor put in several years of his work in order to complete this task.

In order to illustrate the invention as clearly as possible, the inventor has divided it in three basic parts.

PART ONE

COMPLETELY UNIVERSAL TREBLE HOOK GUARDS

Before the first part of this invention is explained in detail, it briefly has to be stated that: ■ Fishermen need hook guards in order to protect their hooks whether on artificial lures or other systems which are today equipped with different kinds of treble, double and single hooks,

^■ The existing production of treble, double and single hooks for fresh water and salt water fishing has launched on the market an increasing number of different hook sizes, which is seen in Fig. 1 A, B and C.

Fig. 1 clearly illustrates a segment of the manufacturing program by a famous French fishing hook manufacturer - NMC, related to standard hooks (taken from their catalogue for

2000/2001).

This situation in the production of hooks made the inventor realize that:

^■ Apart from TREBLE HOOK GUARDS, DOUBLE AND SINGLE HOOK GUARDS have to be manufactured as soon as possible and

^■ HOOK GUARDS must cover all sizes of treble, double and single hooks which are manufactured today.

Therefore, the inventor closely examined the sizes of all fresh water and salt water fishing hooks. He found that:

^■ The hooks of the same size for fresh water and salt water fishing are marked by the same number(s) and

^■ Due to the growing number of different sizes of treble, double and single hooks manufactured today, it is necessary to find a universal solution on the basis of which hook guards may be constructed so that the hook guard of one size could cover not only one hook size but at the same time it should cover two closest hook sizes and possibly even three hooks closest in size, thereby covering all sizes of treble, double and single hooks manufactured today.

Therefore, the inventor closely examined and compared pairs of closest hook sizes and then three closest hook sizes. The result which he obtained clearly showed that it would be quite easy and possible to construct and manufacture COMPLETELY UNIVERSAL TREBLE HOOK GUARDS, DOUBLE HOOK GUARDS AND SINGLE HOOK GUARDS (for fresh water and salt water fishing), so that,

^■ A hook guard of one size is used only for covering the hooks of one size, i.e. FOR ONE HOOK, ^■ A hook guard of one size is used for covering two closest hook sizes, i.e. for TWO HOOKS and

^■ A hook guard of one size is used for covering three closest hook sizes, i.e. FOR THREE HOOKS.

This concludes the general outline of this invention.

The innovator closely examined the existing situation once again in order to discover and define the best technical solution related to the construction of COMPLETELY UNIVERSAL TREBLE HOOK GUARDS which will be continually and entirely functional. The inventor did not have any problems with that because only two MODELS OF HOOK GUARDS have been manufactured so far for covering treble hooks (shown in Fig. 2 A and B). Fig. 2 A shows THE FIRST MODEL OF HOOK GUARDS which is made of hard plastic but which was manufactured only for a short period (the production was terminated a couple of years ago). Fig. 2 B shows another MODEL OF HOOK GUARDS which is made of a foamy material which is still manufactured today (taken from the 2001/2002 catalogue of the German company named CORMORAN /DAIWA).

In the course of examination of these two materials the innovator quickly discovered that hard or soft plastic is definitely a better material for the production of hook guards than any foamy material. So, he analyzed the construction and all elements of THE FIRST MODEL FOR TREBLE HOOK GUARDS once again. The result, which he obtained, showed that that model had a series of constructive and functional deficiencies and that therefore its production was terminated. To put it differently, its functioning was doubtful for two basic reasons:

^■ The process of inserting a treble hook in the hook guard was difficult because the hook guard consisted of hemispheres, positioned in the interior lower part of each hook tip. Treble hook tips had to pass between these hemispheres. However, there was no distance (room) between these two hemispheres. Then, this model was made of hard plastic and its lower/horizontal surface and all three side/vertical surfaces of its tips were not constructed in a semi-circular form which affected the elasticity of its body. Naturally, elasticity of the body is necessary in order to insert treble hooks into the guards easily and smoothly,

^■ It was very difficult to remove a treble hook from such a hook guard (due to all the stated reasons) but also because all its visible external sides were completely smooth and there were no grooves or ridges on external sides which a fisherman could hold with his/her fingers. This would make the process of removing a hook from a hook guard much easier. The above-mentioned facts and other results that the innovator discovered enabled him to set and define all necessary elements for a new and completely universal construction which will be the basis for the production of treble, double and single hook guards. This new hook guard is characterized by the following:

^■ It is maximally simple, and

^■ Hook guards manufactured on this basis are continually and completely functional.

The main elements of the new hook guard construction shown on Fig. 3 A, B, C and D include the following:

^■ New hook guards will be made of an adequate plastic material which will provide necessary stability and elasticity to the whole hook guard body,

^■ Between the hemispheres or cones positioned in the interior lower part of each of its tips (between which hook tips have to pass), there should be more distance /room. This distance/room has to be smaller than:

The hook profile if the hook guard is used for protecting only one hook,

The hook profile of a smaller hook if the hook guard is used for protecting two closest hook sizes, i.e. for two hooks or - The hook profile of the smallest hook if the hook guard is used for protecting three closest hook sizes, i.e. for three hooks (see A),

^■ Its lower/horizontal surface and side/vertical surfaces of all its tips have a semicircular form, which increases the elasticity of the whole body (see B),

^■ Along the length of its lower/horizontal surfaces and in the lower part of side/vertical surfaces of all its tips, a big opening must be made which at the moment of inserting and removing the hook from the hook guard enables expansion of the lower part of its body, which makes inserting hooks in the guards and removing hook guards much easier (see C), ^■ A small or great number of grooves or ridges should be made on the visible external surfaces of the hook guard body which the fisherman will be able to hold and grip firmly with his/her fingers when covering the hook and removing hook guards (see D). It is better to solve this problem by means of ridges because due to the thinness of plastic used for making the hook guard body, it is much more difficult to make adequate grooves.

Fig. 4 shows what the COMPLETELY UNIVERSAL TREBLE HOOK GUARD will look like.

It clearly illustrates its completely universal construction, which can additionally be explained by the following:

^■ In order to achieve easy inserting and removing of hooks from the hook guards, hook guards are constructed in the manner that the upper interior width of the opening (through which a hook passes) must be bigger than the lower width and

^■ That ridges in the form of a cone which are placed on all its external sides are placed lower than axis (A), on axis (B) or higher than axis (C). The axis holds hemispheres (or cones) between which hook tips must pass, which intensifies the elasticity of its whole body thus making it easier to insert and remove the hook from a hook guard.

PART TWO

COMPLETELY UNIVERSAL DOUBLE HOOK GUARDS

Part two of this invention features for the first time a COMPLETELY UNIVERSAL DOUBLE HOOK GUARD. All elements of its construction are identical to the already explained COMPLETELY UNIVERSAL TREBLE HOOK GUARD. It can be used for covering one, two or three closest sizes of double hooks. In other words, it can be used for covering one, two or three double hooks.

Fig. 5 shows what it will look like. In order to illustrate double hooks more clearly, the distance between its tips is defined by degrees in the range from 60° to 90°. Fig. 1 B shows standard double hooks made by the renowned French manufacturer VMC.

The whole construction of hook guards is completely universal and therefore adaptable to any distance between tips on double hooks.

Fig. 5 shows a COMPLETELY UNIVERSAL DOUBLE HOOK GUARD whose distance between tips is defined by 60°. It differs from the COMPLETELY UNIVERSAL TREBLE HOOK GUARD only in the following aspects:

^■ Ridges on the external side of each of its tips are semi-circular,

^■ Between its tips it has a connecting board of the same thickness and in the same position as ridges, identical to their position in treble hook guards.

All this shows that COMPLETELY UNIVERSAL DOUBLE HOOK GUARDS may function continually.

PART THREE

COMPLETELY UNIVERSAL SINGLE HOOK GUARDS

Part three of this invention features for the first time a COMPLETELY UNIVERSAL

SINGLE HOOK GUARD. All elements of its construction are identical to the already explained COMPLETELY UNIVERSAL TREBLE AND DOUBLE HOOK GUARDS. It can also be used for covering one, two or three closest sizes of single hooks. In other words, it can be used for covering one, two or three single hooks.

Fig. 6 shows what it will look like.

The single hook guard is designed to protect single hooks. Fig. 1 C shows standard single hooks made by the well-known French manufacturer NMC.

Ridges in the semi-circular form on both external sides are placed in the same position as in treble and double hook guards.

To conclude, the COMPLETELY UNIVERSAL DOUBLE HOOK GUARD also functions smoothly.

This sums up in the shortest possible form all three parts of this invention.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Completely universal hook guards, characterized by covering one, two or three hooks closest in size, i.e. one, two or three treble, double or single fresh water and salt water fishing hooks, constructed in the following way:

^■ They are made of an adequate plastic material,

^■ Between hemispheres (or cones) in the interior lower part of each hook tip there is a maximal distance,

^■ Their lower/horizontal surface and all side/vertical surfaces of their tips are in a semi-circular form,

^■ Along the length of their lower/horizontal surface and in the lower part of side/vertical surfaces of their tips there is a maximally big opening,

^■ On their external longitudinal surfaces there is a small or great number of adequate grooves or ridges and

^■ The upper interior width of the opening, through which a hook is inserted or from which it is removed, is bigger than the lower one.

2. Completely universal hook guards according to patent claim 1, characterized by an adequate plastic material which refers to a plastic material with all the characteristics which provide necessary stability and necessary elasticity to the whole hook guard body.

3. Completely universal hook guards according to patent claim 1 and 2, characterized by a maximal distance between hemispheres (or cones) which refers to the distance smaller than:

^■ The hook profile if the hook guard is used for protecting only one hook,

^■ The hook profile of a smaller hook if the hook guard is used for protecting two closest hook sizes, i.e. for two hooks or

^■ The hook profile of the smallest hook if the hook guard is used for protecting three closest hook sizes, i.e. for three hooks.

4. Completely universal hook guards according to patent claim 1, 2 and 3, characterized by a maximal opening in their lower/horizontal surface and lower part of side/vertical surfaces of their tips except on its length which is defined by patent claim 1 , including the width of such opening which in the narrowest part does not allow the hook to pass, which means that it is in accordance with patent claim 3, i.e. in its narrowest part it is smaller than the hook profile, smaller than the smaller hook profile or smaller than the smallest hook profile.

5. Completely universal hook guards according to patent claims 1-4, characterized by adequate grooves or ridges which are in one part defined by patent claim 1 and which are placed on external longitudinal surfaces of their tips, these groves or ridges being of different length, of different depth and different width, being shaped in different forms.

6. Completely universal hook guards according to patent claims 1-5, characterized by their completely universal construction and nature, they can be used for protecting all types and kinds of treble, double and single hooks which are manufactured today for fresh water and salt water fishing.