Patent ID: 7165703
Filing Date: 2007-01-23
Classification: B63B

Abstract:
1. In a holder for holding, on a moveable vehicle, fishing rods of the type comprising an elongated pole which has line guides or loops mounted along one side of said pole and (a) a predetermined relatively large cross-sectional dimension measured normal to said pole and defined by said pole and said line guides or loops, and (b) a predetermined relatively small cross-sectional dimension measured normal to said pole and said relatively large cross-sectional dimension, and defined by said pole or said line guides or loops, the improvement comprising: a container comprising an elongated bottom wall, a pair of elongated parallel spaced side walls extending up substantially perpendicularly from said bottom wall, and a series of spaced elongated dividers also extending up substantially perpendicularly from said bottom wall and between said side walls, said dividers being substantially parallel to each other and to said side walls, and a top wall that is substantially parallel to said bottom wall and covers and is contiguous to said side walls and said dividers, such that said series of spaced elongated dividers, said bottom wall, said side walls, and said top wall cooperate to form a series of adjacent elongated compartments, with each compartment being bounded (a) on its sides by a pair of said dividers, or a divider and a side wall, and (b) on its top and bottom by said bottom wall and said top wall, each of said compartments being sized to hold a respective one of said fishing rods, an end of each of said dividers having a resilient bumper thereon, said top wall having top and bottom opposing surfaces, said bottom surface being contiguous said tops of said series of dividers, said top surface being a roughened, slip-resistant surface so that it can be used as a secure stepping platform or utility surface to reduce the possibility of accidents, especially during movement of said vehicle, said top wall having a series of parallel slots, said slots being aligned with said respective elongated compartments so that each slot overlies a respective compartment and is spaced from each of a pair of dividers or a divider and a side wall, said slots being free of any covering or obstruction thereabove so that a fishing rod can be inserted into each compartment through the slot overlying its respective compartment, the width of each slot being about ⅓ or less of the width of its respective compartment and less than said first cross-sectional dimension of said fishing rods and greater than said second cross-sectional dimension of said fishing rods, whereby said holder can securely hold a plurality of said fishing rods in said respective compartments by inserting said fishing rods into said compartments, respectively, by positioning each fishing rod over and parallel to the slot overlying a respective one of said compartments so that said fishing rod's relatively small cross-sectional dimension is parallel to said top wall and its relatively large cross-sectional dimension is perpendicular to said top wall, inserting said fishing rod through said slot into said compartment, and allowing said fishing rod to be oriented so that its relatively small cross-sectional dimension is perpendicular to said top wall and its relatively large cross-sectional dimension is parallel to said top wall, thereby preventing said fishing rod from easily falling out of said compartment, and said top wall can be used as a secure stepping platform or utility surface.