Patent ID: 6192619
Filing Date: 2001-02-27
Classification: A01K

Abstract:
A fisherman's release clip comprising a clip body including a pair of fingers extending in side-by-side relationship to each other, the clip having gripping means on the fingers for frictionally gripping a line extending between the fingers, and the clip body being a unitary molded element and also including a snap hook, in which the clip body includes a living hinge, in which the snap hook comprises a hook element and a gate, the hook element and gate together forming an eye for receiving a line, the hook element having substantially parallel inside and outside surfaces, the inside surface facing the interior of the eye and the outside surface facing the exterior of the eye, in which the hook element and one of the fingers are connected by the living hinge to the gate and the other of said fingers, in which the thickness of the hook element, measured between said substantially parallel inside and outside surfaces, is substantially greater than the thickness of the living hinge, measured in a direction parallel to the direction in which said fingers extend when parallel to each other, whereby the hook element is substantially more rigid than the hinge, and in which, when the hinge is in a relaxed condition, the fingers diverge from each other from the location of the hinge and the gate is separated from the hook element, and in which, when the fingers are brought into parallel relation to each other, a bending stress is exerted on the hinge and the gate is held, by said bending stress, in resilient contact with the hook element whereby the gate is in a closed condition.