Abstract:
Disclosed are fishing lures formed from sheet material and having a cross-section which is generally a line. The lures are inexpensive, easy to manufacture, may receive a wide variety of surface treatments, and may be formed in a wide range of sizes. The “Mr. Humplay” lure has a slight asymmetry along the horizontal midline and a curved tail, which imparts a slight spiral to the overall shape and which produces a wobbling rotation and darting motion when pulled through the water and/or when subject to a current. The “Z-Bandit” includes fixedly oppositely turned vanes which produce body rotation and darting motion. The “Y-Belly” includes two mirror image wings connected to a triangular component and an upturned nose. The Y-Belly is more nearly symmetrical and produces a irregular wobbling and darting when pulled through the water and/or when subject to a current.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims the benefit of provisional application No. 60/803,615, filed May 31, 2006. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Fishing lures have been used for a substantial portion of human history. The disclosed invention relates generally the field of manufactured fishing lures which move, reflect light, and produce sound when pulled through the water and/or when subject to a current in the water. Such fishing lures simulate the motion of prey and/or otherwise excite predator fish, resulting in attempts by such fish to consume the fishing lure, whereupon a hook—which may be attached to, incorporated into, and/or in proximity to the lure—hooks the fish, generally through the fish&#39;s mouth. A line attached to the lure and/or hook may then be reeled in, hopefully with the fish in tow. 
         [0003]    Artificial lures range from the very elaborate—as is demonstrated by many hand-tied fly-type lures and the many lures which incorporate multiple parts—to the more simple—as may be demonstrated by the spoon type lure, attributed to Julio T. Buel in the 19 th  century. See for example, patent number 00014706, dated Apr. 22, 1856 and issued to J. T. Buel. 
         [0004]    It is a goal of many fishing lure designers to design a lure which is easy to manufacture, which may be made from a wide variety of inexpensive materials, which may receive various surface treatments, which may be made in a broad range of sizes, and which is effective in catching a wide range of different fish species. Many fishing lures are also designed with one or more spinning or rotating parts, which reflect light, produce sound, and further serve to excite predator fish and/or otherwise result in attempts by such fish to consume the lure. It is believed to be desirable that the spinning or rotating motion be irregular and/or that it may change from one direction to another, thereby more closely matching the motion of living prey. 
         [0005]    Class  43 , subclass  42  defines, “Artificial or imitation bait designed to attract fish and catch or aid in catching the same. Such lures frequently look like, or when moved through the water, take on the appearance of live bait.” Indented below subclass  42  is subclass  42 . 5 , which defines “Spoon type” lures, “the cross-section of which is a line rather than an area, and which have a curved or troughed cross-section in at least one plane.” Indented below subclass  42 . 5  is subclass  42 . 51  which includes, “Lures either in the form of a spiral or with fixed oppositely turned vanes to produce body rotation.” 
         [0006]    The art has not demonstrated a fishing lure with the unique combination of features found in this disclosure, which features are effective at catching fish and in being manufactured in a reasonable manner. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key feature or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
         [0008]    Generally stated, the invention is directed to fishing lures formed from sheet material and thus having a cross-section which is generally a line, rather than an area (it being understood that the thickness of the sheet material is described as a line). Being formed from sheet material, the lures are inexpensive, easy to manufacture, may receive a wide variety of surface treatments, and may be formed in a wide range of sizes. The lures have at least one troughed cross-section. One of the lures, the “Mr. Humplay” lure, has a slight asymmetry along the horizontal midline and a curved tail, which imparts a slight spiral to the overall shape and which produces a wobbling rotation and darting motion when pulled through the water and/or when subject to a current. Another of the lures, “Z-Bandit,” includes fixedly oppositely turned vanes which produce body rotation and darting motion. Another of the lures, “Y-Belly,” includes two mirror image wings connected to a triangular component and an upturned nose. The Y-Belly is more nearly symmetrical and produces a irregular wobbling and darting when pulled through the water and/or when subject to a current. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  depicts the Mr. Humplay lure as a plan view of sheet material with markings to indicate dimension measurements, prior to final bending and forming. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  depicts the Mr. Humplay lure as a plan view of sheet material with the sides labeled according to the claims. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  depicts a perspective side view of the Mr. Humplay lure, viewed from a horizontal plain upon which the lure is resting. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  depicts a perspective view of the Mr. Humplay lure, generally from the top. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  depicts three perspective views of the Mr. Humplay lure in three sizes, generally from the side rear and slightly above the lure&#39;s highest point 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  depicts the Z-Bandit lure as a plan view of sheet material with markings to indicate dimension measurements, prior to final bending and forming. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  depicts the Z-Bandit lure as a plan view of sheet material with the sides labeled according to the claims. 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  depicts the Z-Bandit lure as a perspective view from the front and rear. 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  depicts the Z-Bandit lure in three sizes as a perspective view from above. 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  depicts the Z-Bandit lure as a perspective view, generally from the side. 
           [0019]      FIG. 11  depicts various views of the Y-Belly lure. 
           [0020]      FIG. 12  depicts two top views of the Y-Belly lure. 
           [0021]      FIG. 13  depicts a side view of the Y-Belly lure. 
           [0022]      FIG. 14  depicts a view of the Y-Belly lure viewed from the end to which a hook may be attached. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0023]    With reference to  FIG. 1 , following is a table with dimensions which correspond to the dimension labels in the drawings. Three sizes and example dimensions are presented, “Size A,” “Size Be” and “Size C.” However, these sizes and dimensions are presented as examples only, it being understood that the sizes are presented as examples and that the dimensions within a size and/or between sizes may vary within the range allowed by the claims. These example dimensions are presented in units of decimal inches. The number “1” is included in the following table to clarify that the reference is to the dimension label in  FIG. 1 . The shorthand “Dim” is used in the figure for “dimension.” 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 SIZE A 
                 SIZE B 
                 SIZE C 
               
               
                   
                 (SMALL) 
                 (MEDIUM) 
                 (LARGE) 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 DIMENSION 1.A 
                 1.9 
                 3.22 
                 3.8 
               
               
                   
                 DIMENSION 1.B 
                 0.22 
                 0.35 
                 0.43 
               
               
                   
                 DIMENSION 1.C 
                 1.88 
                 3.20 
                 3.78 
               
               
                   
                 DIMENSION 1.D 
                 1.57 
                 2.77 
                 3.18 
               
               
                   
                 DIMENSION 1.E 
                 0.75 
                 1.58 
                 1.55 
               
               
                   
                 DIMENSION 1.F 
                 0.62 
                 1.04 
                 1.30 
               
               
                   
                 DIMENSION 1.G 
                 0.52 
                 0.84 
                 1.06 
               
               
                   
                 DIMENSION 1.H 
                 0.22 
                 0.35 
                 0.46 
               
               
                   
                 DIMENSION 1.I 
                 0.13 
                 0.26 
                 0.28 
               
               
                   
                 DIMENSION 1.J 
                 0.1325 
                 0.50 
                 0.625 
               
               
                   
                 DIMENSION 1.K 
                 0.21 
                 0.42 
                 0.38 
               
               
                   
                 DIMENSION 1.L 
                 0.21 
                 0.42 
                 0.38 
               
               
                   
                 DIMENSION 1.M 
                 0.09 
                 0.19 
                 0.19 
               
               
                   
                 DIMENSION 1.N 
                 0.05 
                 0.16 
                 0.14 
               
               
                   
                 DIMENSION 1.O 
                 0.19 
                 0.38 
                 0.38 
               
               
                   
                 DIMENSION 1.P 
                 1.50 
                 2.50 
                 3.00 
               
               
                   
                 DIMENSION 1.Q 
                 0.75 
                 0.90 
                 1.15 
               
               
                   
                 DIMENSION 1.R 
                 0.625 
                 0.875 
                 0.875 
               
               
                   
                 DIMENSION 1.S 
                 0.50 
                 0.75 
                 0.75 
               
               
                   
                 DIMENSION 1.T 
                 0.125 
                 0.25 
                 0.375 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0024]      FIG. 2  depicts the Mr. Humplay lure as a plan view of sheet material with the sides labeled according to the claims. As used in the claims, the distal and proximate portions of sides are relative to the front of the lure—the terminal end proximate to element  14 . While this end is described here as the “front” of the lure, it is possible to use the lure with element  14  in the rear. Elements  14  and  15  may be attachment locations for attachment of fishing line, tie-off loops, eyes, hooks, swivels, and/or other lures (including other Mr. Humplay lures) or other hardware. Alternative to a hole, as is depicted in  FIG. 2 , a loop of material may be attached to, braised, welded and/or otherwise bonded onto, formed out of, or otherwise incorporated into an area near these locations. In a preferred embodiment, element  14  of  FIG. 2  serves as an attachment location for a fishing line while element  15  of  FIG. 2  serves as an attachment location for a small hoop to which a fishing hook may be attached. 
         [0025]      FIG. 2  depicts the front portion of the Mr. Humplay lure as being comprised of a pentagon with sides  1  through  5 . The middle portion of the lure is a hexagon with sides  5  through  10 —side  5  being an imaginary line shared in common with the front portion. The back portion is a quadrilateral comprised of sides  10  through  13 , with side  10  being an imaginary line shared in common with the middle portion. When the term approximate is used throughout this specification and the claims, it is understood to indicate plus or minus one-quarter inch. The Mr. Humplay lure has a slight asymmetry when reflected along the horizontal midline produced by the difference in size between side  6  and side  7  as well as a curved tail, which imparts a slight spiral to the overall shape and which produces a wobbling rotation when pulled through the water and/or when subject to a current. 
         [0026]    Element  16  of  FIG. 2  is an imaginary line connecting the distal ends of sides  6  and  7 . As depicted in  FIGS. 3 ,  4 , and  5 , a bend may be formed in the sheet material at approximately this location. The bend may be approximately 90 degrees, plus or minus 15 degrees. The bend may be in either direction, relative to the plane of the sheet material. Also as depicted in  FIGS. 3 ,  4 , and  5 , a generally continuous curve may be formed in the sheet material in the area comprising sides  8  and  9  and the back portion, this being referred to as the curved portion. The curved portion need not be curved continuously, but may be curved in equal or unequal steps. The curved portion must have a sufficient arc radius to bring the high-point of the curve above the level of the front end of the lure, as is shown in  FIG. 3 . The arc radius may differ along one side of the lure relative to the other side (these sides being relative to a horizontal centerline when the sheet material for the lure is viewed from above), as is noted in  FIG. 3  and the corresponding example table entries for Dimension R, Dimension S, and Dimension T. Dimension R is depicted as being lower than Dimension S, though in another embodiment Dimension R may be equal to or higher than Dimension S. 
         [0027]      FIG. 6  depicts the Z-Bandit lure as a plan view of sheet material with markings to indicate dimension measurements, prior to final bending and forming. Following is a table with dimensions which correspond to the dimension labels in the drawings. Three sizes and example dimensions are presented, “Size A,” “Size B,” and “Size C.” However, these sizes and dimensions are presented as examples only, it being understood that the sizes are presented as examples and that the dimensions within a size and/or between sizes may vary within the range allowed by the claims, including that the plan view of the sheet material is rectangular and that each of sides  1  and  10  are shorter than the combination of sides  3 ,  6  and  9  or sides  2 ,  5 , and  8 . These example dimensions are presented in units of decimal inches. The number “6” is included in the following table to clarify that the reference is to the dimension label in  FIG. 6 . The shorthand “Dim” is used in the figure for “dimension.” 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 SIZE A 
                 SIZE B 
                 SIZE C 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 DIMENSION 6.A 
                 0.50 
                 0.75 
                 1.00 
               
               
                   
                 DIMENSION 6.B 
                 2.25 
                 3.00 
                 3.75 
               
               
                   
                 DIMENSION 6.C 
                 0.75 
                 1.00 
                 1.25 
               
               
                   
                 DIMENSION 6.D 
                 1.00 
                 1.50 
                 1.75 
               
               
                   
                 DIMENSION 6.E 
                 0.19 
                 0.25 
                 0.31 
               
               
                   
                 DIMENSION 6.F 
                 1.80 
                 2.30 
                 2.50 
               
               
                   
                 DIMENSION 6.G 
                 0.25 
                 0.50 
                 0.63 
               
               
                   
                 DIMENSION 6.H 
                 0.68 
                 1.06 
                 1.30 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0028]      FIG. 7  depicts the Z-Bandit lure as a plan view of sheet material with the sides labeled according to the claims. The Z-Bandit comprises a first portion, a middle portion, and a second portion. The first, middle, and second portions are each trapezoids; the middle portion is an isosceles trapezoid. A trapezoid is a shape with four sides and which has a pair of parallel sides. In an isosceles trapezoid, the base angles are congruent, as are the pair of non-parallel opposite sides. In  FIG. 7  side  5  is the base of the isosceles trapezoid defined by sides  4 ,  5 ,  6  and  7 . In  FIGS. 6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9 , and  10 , the first portion and the second portion are depicted as mirror images (reflected around a vertical centerline). However, in an embodiment, the first portion and the second portion may be of different lengths; e.g. Side  2  and  3  may be of different lengths than sides  8  and  9 . The first and second portions of the Z-Bandit form fixedly oppositely turned vanes which produce body rotation. 
         [0029]    Elements  11  and  12  may be attachment locations for attachment of fishing line, tie-off loops, eyes, hooks, swivels, and/or other lures (including other Z-Bandit lures) or other hardware. Alternative to a hole, as is depicted in  FIGS. 6 through 10 , a loop of material may be attached to, braised, welded and/or otherwise bonded onto, formed out of, or otherwise incorporated into an area near these locations. In a preferred embodiment, either element  11  or  12  of  FIG. 7  may serve as an attachment location for a fishing line while the other element serves as an attachment location for a small hoop to which a fishing hook may be attached. 
         [0030]    As depicted in  FIGS. 8 ,  9 , and  10 , a bend may be formed in the sheet material at approximately the location of sides  4  and  7 . The bend may be approximately 90 degrees, plus or minus 15 degrees. The bend may be in either direction, relative to the plane of the sheet material, provided that the two bends are in opposite directions relative to each other and the plain of the sheet material. The bends are depicted as being approximately equivalent in  FIGS. 6 through 10 , though in an embodiment the bends may be unequal. 
         [0031]    The sides  1  through  13  depicted in  FIG. 2  and sides  1  through  10  depicted in  FIG. 7  are depicted as straight lines, though these sides may be wavy, jagged, rounded, may include other cutouts or protrusions and/or may be irregular in form, provided that the endpoint of the sides meet in approximately the same locations to form shapes according to the claim limitations. For example, and without limitation side  13  of  FIG. 2  is depicted as having a regular jagged “M” or “W” form; side  13  may be formed as a straight line without deviating from the spirit of the invention or the claims. Similarly, sharp or defined corners may be rounded and rounded corners—such as the corners defined by the intersections of sides  1  and sides  2  and  3 —may be sharp. Decorations—such as streamers, tassels, beads, tinsel and the like—may be attached to the basic forms depicted in the figures. 
         [0032]      FIGS. 11 through 14  depict the Y-Belly lure. Feature  120  is a rounded portion including a hole. Feature  121  is a triangular portion. Features  122  are arc segments with a short side connected to feature  121  and long sides which connect to each other. The triangular portion is angled down by approximately 15 degrees (plus or minus 5 degrees) relative to the line formed by the intersection of the long sides of features  122 , as shown in  FIG. 13 . The rounded portion  120  is angled up (in the direction opposite to the downward angle of feature  121 ) by approximately 60 degrees (plus or minus 10 degrees) relative to a line parallel to the line formed by the intersection of the long sides of features  122 , as shown in  FIG. 13 . Features  122 , when viewed from the front or back, are angled down by approximately 15 degrees (plus or minus 5 degrees) relative to a plane tangent to the intersection of the long sides of features  122 , as shown in  FIG. 14 . Either of the holes at either end of the Y-Belly lure may accommodate a hook, line, attachment loop, and/or other hardware, including another lure. The Y-Belly lure may be produced in a wide range of sizes. When pulled through the water, the Y-Belly lure is more nearly symmetrical and has a tendency to spin and weave in an irregular manner. 
         [0033]    The figures depict sheet material which may be cut, stamped, and/or bent and manipulated according to conventional manufacturing processes; however, in embodiments the lures may be formed in 3-dimensional molds. 
         [0034]    The lures may comprise iron, steel, aluminum, nickel, zinc, copper, chromium, gold, silver, titanium, metal alloys, plastic, cellulose-based plastics, polystyrene, PVC, nylon, rubber, acrylic, polyethylene, ceramic, hardened polymer resins, hardened polymer resins plus cloth, fiberglass cloth or fiberglass mat, stone, stone powder and resin. Surface treatments may include, without limitation, painting, decals, stickers, plating, electroplating, oxidation, polishing, brushing, scratching and similar. Surface treatment may include regular or irregular solids, stripes, spots, geometric shapes, and/or irregular shapes. Surface treatment may be applied to before, during, or after preparation of the lures. It should be understood that references to a “hook” and/or “hooks” throughout refer to single, double, and/or treble hooks, with or without barbs and/or bends or other features in the hook shank.