WO2007047020A2

WO2007047020A2 - Acoustical fishing lure

Info

Publication number: WO2007047020A2
Application number: PCT/US2006/036983
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jr. Stanley H. Mcgrew
Original assignee: Meadwestvaco Corporation
Priority date: 2005-10-11
Filing date: 2006-09-21
Publication date: 2007-04-26
Also published as: WO2007047020A3

Abstract

An acoustical fishing lure is described which comprises a power source (250) at least one data storage means (260) and a transducer (270) capable of generating natural sound output in a sufficient noise magnitude to attract fish nearby or at least one distributed mode actuator (270) for producing sound based on the stored data.

Description

IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE

International Patent Application For

ACOUSTICAL FISHING LURE

This non-provisional application relies on the filing date of provisional U.S. Application Serial No. 60/725,390, filed on October 11 , 2005, having been filed within twelve (12) months thereof, which is incorporated herein by reference, and priority thereto is claimed under 35 USC § 1.19(e).

BACKGROUND

Field of the Invention

[0001] This invention relates to an acoustic fishing lure capable of producing natural sounds preferred by fish in sufficient sound magnitude to attract fish.

Background of the Invention

[0002] There has been a continuing effort to make fishing lures more attractive to fish, thereby making it easier to catch fish. Three common ways to attract fish to lures are based on visual, odor, and sound. For visual, several methods have been used such as making the lure colorful and realistic looking, making the lure in a shape that it moves back and forth when being pulled through the water rapidly to animate life-like fish movements in the water, and adding spinners or other devices onto the lure to catch the eye of nearby fish. For odor, lures are covered with some types of odor producing materials. For sound, lures are made in such that sound can be generated from the lures to attract nearby fish. [0003] Sound has been found particularly useful in attracting fish. One way to produce sound is to add metal attachments such as spinners and rattle pieces onto a lure in a manner such that when drawn through water, the attachments will be forced to strike each other thus creating a sound. The most common method of producing an acoustical lure is to place at least one metallic pellet within the hollow interior of the lure. As collisions occur between the pellet or pellets and the inside wall of the lure, clicking sound is generated. U.S. Patent No. 3,894,350 describes a lure having at least one metal ball enclosed in a cavity or chamber within the lure. As the lure is moved through water, the ball moves around in random and strikes the sides of the chamber to produce an audible noise. Some drawbacks of this lure include a lack of ability to control sound production; a lack of ability of the lure to make realistic, life-like movements in the water; and a lack of ability to create loud enough sound magnitude. U.S. 5,926,995 teaches a top water fishing lure having a tubular sound emitting chamber running nearly the length of the lure, one or more striker elements made of two metal balls, and a weight balance. As a user casts the lure into the water or reels the lure, metal balls roll to the front and back ends of the tubular chamber striking the front and rear end of the tubular chamber and thereby producing clicking noise. Although the lure can produce more controllable noise in greater sound magnitude, the generated sound is a clicking noise which does not simulate noises made by living fish. Furthermore, it is a top water lure and its effectiveness to attract fish beneath water is limited. [0004] U.S. Patent No. 3,984,350 describes an acoustical fishing lure that addresses the problems of insufficient sound magnitude and sound characteristics. The disclosed lure generates noise that has sufficient sound amplification and has high frequency pulses in a preferred fish attracting range. The lure has two interior lure chambers. One is a small sound generating chamber housing a pellet, and the other is an adjacent larger acoustic chamber about three to ten times greater in volume than the small chamber. Furthermore, the sound generating chamber has relatively small size compared to the pellet. Consequently, there are a greater number of collisions per unit of time and the generated sound has higher frequency pulses in a preferred fish attracting range. The sound generating by the pellet in the small sound chamber is transmitted to the adjacent larger acoustic chamber, resulting in amplification of sound. However, the generated noise is still a clicking sound that does not simulate natural sound preferred by fish.

[0005] Various shortcomings exist for known acoustical fishing lures to sufficiently imitate the natural sounds such as a fish feeding, a fish in distress, or other natural sounds that would effectively attract fish to the lure.

[0006] Therefore, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a fishing lure capable of producing sounds of a fish feeding, a fish in distress, or any other natural sounds that would attract fish to the lure, in a sound magnitude sufficient to impact fish nearby.

[0007] It is another objective of the present invention to provide a fishing lure capable of generating natural sounds and having visual characteristics that attract fish when deployed and operated underwater.

[0008] Further objective of the present invention is to the provide an assembly for generating, in sufficient sound magnitude to impact fish, natural-imitated sounds that are more efficient in attracting fish then the clicking sound made from known acoustical assembly for fishing lure.

[0009] Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The object of the invention is to provide an acoustical fishing lure comprising a transducer capable of generating natural sound output in a sufficient noise magnitude to attract fish. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRA WINGS

[0011] Figure 1 illustrates a typical fishing lure.

[0012] Figure 2 illustrates a longitudinal, cross-sectional view of a fishing lure in an embodiment according to the invention.

DETAILED ESCRIPTION

[0013] Figure 1 illustrates a fishing lure 100. Although a fish is used as an example here, it should be understood that fishing lures may also represent other creatures such as other aquatic or marine animals. A typical lure may have a size and shape representative of a small fish, and may include such features as eye 112 and fin 114, and even a realistic surface appearance such as coloration and scale patterns 116. An attachment point 120, typically an eyelet or screw eye, is provided for attaching to a fishing line 125. Also, one or more attachment points 130, 132 are typically provided for attaching fish hooks 135. Often additional features are provided to make the lure appear more lifelike. For example, a spoon, disk, or other plate-like extension 140 may be used which will cause the lure to dive when fishing line 125 is reeled in. Other devices may be used to create other motions, for example to cause the lure to spin when pulled through the water.

[0014] Figure 2 illustrates a cutaway view of a fishing lure according to the invention. For the purposes of illustration, the lure has been cut apart along an approximately central plane to reveal the interior, as shown by separated parts 210 and 220. Within the lure are provided a power source 250 such as a battery, a control module 260 for example electronics that may include memory such as a voice chip for storing sound information, and a transducer 270 for creating sound. In a preferred embodiment, transducer 270 is a distributed mode actuator (DMA) such as are manufactured by NXT PIc. The distributed mode actuator is attached to the inside of the lure body, and uses the lure body to project sound into the water around the lure. Distributed mode actuators provide unusually high quality sound. In the case of the fish lure, the sound can be provided based on data within the control module and may include sounds such as a fish feeding, or a fish in distress, or other sounds that would attract fish to the lure. The control module may comprise circuitry such as a voice or sound synthesizer chip. [0015] The lure may be a molded device with the battery 250, control module 260, and transducer 270 permanently enclosed within the lure. Alternately, the lure may be a device capable of opening and resealing, for example to replace battery 250 or other parts of the device. To provide longer battery life, the control module 260 may be comprise or connect to a switch (not shown). The switch could be a manually activated switch, or a pressure switch activated by water pressure, or a switching action could be achieved by sensing a conductivity change between attachment points 130 and 132 indicative of whether the lure is in water (when the sound capability should be active) or out of water (when the sound capability should be inactive to preserve the battery).

[0016] Methods of making and using the fishing lure in accordance with the invention should be readily apparent from the mere description of the fishing lure and its varied appearances as provided herein. No further discussion or illustration of such methods, therefore, is deemed necessary. [0017] It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and maybe employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

[0018] Since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A fishing lure comprising a body; at least one power source; at least one data storage means to store data representative of at least one sound; and at least one transducer for producing sound based on the stored data.

2. The fishing lure of claim 1 , wherein the power source is a battery within the body.

3. The fishing lure of claim 1 , wherein the data storage means comprises an integrated circuit.

4. The fishing lure of claim 1 , wherein the transducer acts upon the body of the fishing lure to transmit sound into water surrounding the fishing lure.

5. The fishing lure of claim 1, further comprising a switch.

6. The fishing lure of claim 5, wherein the switch is activated by the lure being in water.

7. The fishing lure of claim 6, wherein the switch is activated by the water changing an electrical resistive characteristic of the switch.

8. The fishing lure of claim 6, wherein the switch is activated by the water pressure.

9. A fishing lure comprising a body; at least one power source; at least one data storage means to store data representative of at least one sound; and at least one distributed mode actuator for producing sound based on the stored data.

10. The fishing lure of claim 9, wherein the power source is a battery within the body.

11. The fishing lure of claim 9, wherein the data storage means comprises an integrated circuit.

12. The fishing lure of claim 9, wherein the distributed mode actuator acts upon the body of the fishing lure to transmit sound into water surrounding the fishing lure.

13. The fishing lure of claim 9, further comprising a switch.

14. The fishing lure of claim 13, wherein the switch is activated by the lure being in water.

15. The fishing lure of claim 14, wherein the switch is activated by the water changing an electrical resistive characteristic of the switch.

16. The fishing lure of claim 14, wherein the switch is activated by water pressure.