Abstract:
An illuminated fishing rod for sensing when a fish strikes the fishing line and alerting the user by means of an indicator light while fishing in darkness. The illuminated fishing rod includes a fishing rod having a light assembly and a sensor for detecting when a fish has struck the fishing line, thereby illuminating an indicator lamp on the rod.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to illuminated fishing rods and more particularly pertains to a new illuminated fishing rod for sensing when a fish strikes the fishing line and alerting the user by means of an indicator light while fishing in darkness. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The use of illuminated fishing rods is known in the prior art. More specifically, illuminated fishing rods heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. 
     Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,996; U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,741; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 380,806; U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,808; U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,059; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,565,633. 
     While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new illuminated fishing rod. The inventive device includes a fishing rod having a light assembly and a sensor for detecting when a fish has struck the fishing line, thereby illuminating an indicator lamp on the rod. 
     In these respects, the illuminated fishing rod according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of sensing when a fish strikes the fishing line and alerting the user by means of an indicator light while fishing in darkness. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of illuminated fishing rods now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new illuminated fishing rod construction wherein the same can be utilized for sensing when a fish strikes the fishing line and alerting the user by means of an indicator light while fishing in darkness. 
     The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new illuminated fishing rod apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the illuminated fishing rods mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new illuminated fishing rod which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art illuminated fishing rods, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
     To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a fishing rod having a light assembly and a sensor for detecting when a fish has struck the fishing line, thereby illuminating an indicator lamp on the rod. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new illuminated fishing rod apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the illuminated fishing rods mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new illuminated fishing rod which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art illuminated fishing rods, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a new illuminated fishing rod which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new illuminated fishing rod which is of a durable and reliable construction. 
     An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new illuminated fishing rod which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such illuminated fishing rod economically available to the buying public. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new illuminated fishing rod which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new illuminated fishing rod for sensing when a fish strikes the fishing line and alerting the user by means of an indicator light while fishing in darkness. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new illuminated fishing rod which includes a fishing rod having a light assembly and a sensor for detecting when a fish has struck the fishing line, thereby illuminating an indicator lamp on the rod. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new illuminated fishing rod that would alert the user as to when a fish has struck the line by means of a sensing device on the pole, thereby lighting an indicator lamp. 
     Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new illuminated fishing rod that allows the user to fish in darkness more effectively. 
    
    
     These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a new illuminated fishing rod according to the present invention in the preferred embodiment. 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the lower portion of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the present invention in an alternate embodiment. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 3 thereof, a new illuminated fishing rod embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3, the illuminated fishing rod  10  generally comprises a fishing rod  12  includes a handle portion  14  and an extension portion  16 . The handle portion  14  is designed for being gripped by a user when the user is fishing. The extension portion  16  outwardly extends from the handle portion  14 . 
     A reel  18  is coupled to the handle portion  14  of the fishing rod  12 . The reel  18  includes a line  20  extending outwardly from the reel  18 . The reel  18  is for retracting the line  20  after the line  20  has been cast. The line  20  is extended through a plurality of eyelets  22  coupled to the extension portion  16  of the fishing rod  12 . The extension portion  16  acts on the line  20  extending through the eyelets  22  when the handle portion  14  of the fishing rod  12  is pivoted upwardly. 
     A light assembly  24  is coupled to the fishing rod  12 . The light assembly  24  emits light for illuminating the fishing rod  12  such that the light assembly  24  is designed for facilitating detection of the line  20  being struck by the fish. 
     The light assembly  24  includes a power supply  26  and a light emitter  28 . The light emitter  28  is operationally coupled to the power supply  26  such that the power supply  26  supplies power to the light emitter  28 . The light emitter  28  is coupled to the fishing rod  12  such that the light emitter  28  is movable when the fish strikes the line  20  thereby the light emitter  28  is designed for facilitating identification by the user of the fish striking the line  20  when the user is fishing at night. 
     The handle portion  14  of the fishing rod  12  includes a perimeter wall  30  defining an interior space  32 . The interior space  32  of the handle portion  14  includes an open end  34 . The open end  34  of the interior space  32  facilitates insertion of the power supply  26  into the interior space  32  of the handle portion  14  for storing of the power supply  26  when the user is fishing. A cap  36  is removably couplable to the handle portion  14  for selectively closing the open end  34  of the interior space  32  when the power supply  26  is stored in the interior space  32  of the handle portion  14  of the fishing rod  12 . 
     The light assembly  24  includes a switch  38 . The switch  38  is operationally coupled to the light emitter  28  and the power supply  26 . The switch  38  is coupled to the fishing rod  12 . The switch  38  is designed for being actuated by the user when the user is holding the fishing rod  12  such that actuation of the switch  38  controls power supplied to the light emitter  28  from the power supply  26  for turning the light emitter  28  on and off. 
     The light assembly  24  includes a strike sensing assembly  40 . The strike sensing assembly  40  is operationally coupled between the light emitter  28  and the power supply  26 . The strike assembly senses tension in the line  20  when the line  20  is struck by the fish thereby permitting power to be supplied to the light emitter  28  such that the light emitter  28  is designed for emitting light for alerting the user when the fish has struck the line  20 . 
     The strike sensing assembly  40  includes a pair of contacts  42  and a grommet  44 . The grommet  44  is coupled to an associated one of the contacts  42 . The contacts  42  are operationally coupled between the power supply  26  and the light emitter  28 . The contacts  42  are positioned in a spaced relationship such that the contacts  42  are not contacting each other such that power from the power supply  26  to the light emitter  28  is interrupted. The line  20  extends through the grommet  44  of the strike sensing assembly  40 . Increased tension of the line  20  when the line  20  is struck by the fish flexes the associated one of the contacts  42  towards the other of the contacts  42  thereby permitting contact between the contacts  42  and permitting power from the power supply  26  to be supplied to the light emitter  28  for emitting light. 
     A housing  46  includes a peripheral wall  48  defining an interior cavity  50 . The housing  46  is coupled to the fishing rod  12 . The strike sensing assembly  40  is positioned within the interior cavity  50  of the housing  46 . The housing  46  includes a first aperture  52  positioned at a first end  54  of the housing  46 . The housing  46  includes a second aperture  56  positioned at a second end  58  of the housing  46 . The first aperture  52  and the second aperture  56   s  permit the line  20  to extend through the housing  46  such that the line  20  operationally engages the strike sensing assembly  40 . 
     As an alternate embodiment, the light assembly  24  is located at a most outer end of the extension portion  16  of the fishing rod. 
     As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be reelized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.