FISHING HEAD WITH RETRACTABLE BLADES FOR BOWFISHING

Fisherman bowfish by using a bow with an arrow having a fishing head on an arrow. The arrow is shot at the fish using the bow, with a fishing line attached to the arrow. A tip portion of a body of the fishing head impacts the fish and movement, resulting in movement between the body and a plunger along an impact axis. This movement causes the plunger to contact blades retracted within the body, such that the blades pivot from a retracted position to an extended position. In the extended position, the blades engage the fish, such that the blades engage the fish if the fishing head is pulled backward in the direction of entry into the fish. For removal, the fishing head is pushed along the same direction of entry, which causes the blades to automatically retract.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure is related to a fishing head with retractable blades for bowfishing.

BACKGROUND

Bowfishing is a type of fishing that uses archery equipment, such as a bow or crossbow, to shoot and recover fish. The fish are shot with a barbed arrow. The barbed arrow is attached with line to a reel that is mounted on a bow or crossbow. Some types of freshwater fish that are shot include carp, grass carp, alligator gar, bighead carp, bowfin, and the like. Bowfishing may also be done in saltwater to shoot rays, sharks, etc.

SUMMARY

Fisherman bowfish by using a bow with an arrow having a fishing head on an arrow. The arrow is shot at the fish using the bow, with a fishing line attached to the arrow. A tip portion of a body of the fishing head impacts the fish and movement, resulting in movement between the body and a plunger along an impact axis. This movement causes the plunger to contact blades retracted within the body, such that the blades pivot from a retracted position to an extended position. In the extended position, the blades engage the fish, such that the blades engage the fish if the fishing head is pulled backward in the direction of entry into the fish. For removal, the fishing head is pushed along the same direction of entry, which causes the blades to automatically retract.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The components of the disclosed embodiments, as described and illustrated herein, may be arranged and designed in a variety of different configurations. Thus, the following detailed description is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, as claimed, but is merely representative of possible embodiments thereof. In addition, while numerous specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments disclosed herein, some embodiments can be practiced without some or all of these details. Moreover, for the purpose of clarity, certain technical material that is known in the related art has not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the disclosure. Furthermore, the drawings are in simplified form and are not to precise scale. For purposes of convenience and clarity only, directional terms such as top, bottom, left, right, up, down, upper, lower, upward and downward may be used with respect to the drawings. These and similar directional terms are not to be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure in any manner. Additionally, the disclosure, as illustrated and described herein, may be practiced in the absence of any element that is not specifically disclosed herein.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers refer to like components throughout the several Figures,FIGS.1and2are illustrative views of a fishing head10of an arrow18being used for bowfishing by a fisherman14.FIG.1illustrates the fisherman holding a bow16and arrow18on a shoreline20and aiming for a fish24.FIG.2illustrates the fisherman14having shot the fish24with the bow16, where the fishing head10of the arrow18pierced the fish, and the arrow18is tethered to the bow16via a fishing line22or otherwise tethered.

Referring now toFIG.3, a side perspective view of the fishing head10is shown. The fishing head10includes a plunger26, a body28, and a pair of blades30. As illustrated by the broken lines, the blades30are configured to move from a retracted position32(blades30are illustrated as30a) through an intermediate position34(blades30are illustrated as30b). The blades30eventually extend, or flare out, from the body28to an extended position36(blades illustrated as30cin solid lines).

Referring toFIGS.3-5, the blades30may be pivotally attached to the body28via a pin31. The pin31is configured to pivotally secure the blades30relative to the body, such that the blades30pivot about the pin31, relative to the body28to move from the retracted position30ato the extended position30c.

With continuing reference toFIG.1, when bowhunting, the fishing head10is assembled with the blades30in the retracted position32, and the plunger26at least partially slidably disposed in an end of the body28. The fishing head10is configured such that the plunger26moves along an axis44(direction is indicated by arrow46), relative to the body28, in response to the tip portion38of the fishing head10impacting the fish24. More specifically, when the fishing head10is propelled, the tip portion38impacts the fish24, a force of the impact causes the plunger26to move within, and relative to, the body28, along the axis44until the plunger26contacts a ramp portion68. When the plunger26moves along the axis44, the end portion48of the plunger26moves further within the body28and pushes against the ramp portion68to force the blades30to pivot about the pin31, and outward relative to the body28, from the retracted position32to the extended position36. Details of this will be explained in more detail below.

A tip portion38may be attached to the body28, opposite the plunger26. The tip portion38may be attached to the body28via a treaded attachment40(FIG.4), adhesive, welding, and the like. The tip portion38may optionally be formed with the body28such that the body and the tip portion38are a single component.

Referring now toFIG.4, an arrow18is illustrated without a tip portion38. The arrow18includes the fishing head10attached to a shaft42.

FIG.5is a schematic exploded view of the fishing head10, including the plunger26, the body28, the pair of blades30, and the pin31. With specific reference toFIGS.6,7, and8, the blade30is schematically illustrated. Each blade30defines a pivot hole50configured to receive the pin31therein when attached to the body28. The blade30is configured with an outer edge52and an inner edge54, opposite the outer edge52. When the blade30is in the retracted position32, the outer edge52faces outward from the body28. The outer edge52is configured such that it does not cut the fish. Rather, the outer edge52is configured or otherwise shaped to slide directly through the fish24when the blades are in the retracted position32. The inner edge54of the blade30extends from a tip portion60to an end portion72. The inner edge54includes a barb56defining a V-shaped notch58that faces away from the tip portion60. When the blades30are in the extended position36, which is when the fishing head10is pushed through the fish24, the blades30are configured such that inner edge54, including the barb56and the inner edge54at the V-shaped notch58, abuts an outside of the fish24, or otherwise engages flesh within the fish24, such that the fishing head10does not slip back out of the fish.

With reference toFIGS.3,11, and12, the body28defines the pair of opposing slots74, extending therethrough. The blades30are pivotally attached to the body28such that the blades30are recessed within a respective one of the pair of opposing slots74when the blades30are in the retracted position32(30ainFIG.3) and a portion of the blades30extend from the respective slot74when the blades30are in the extended position36(30cinFIG.3).

Referring now toFIGS.9and10, the plunger26includes a first portion76and a second portion78. The first portion76is configured for attachment to the shaft42of the arrow18. The second portion78is configured to be received within an opening80defined in the body28, opposite the tip portion66. The second portion78of the plunger26may present an end portion82having a frustoconical shape, i.e., a ramped end. The end portion82is configured to rest against or otherwise abut the inner edgeb54of the blades30, between the tip portion66and the barb56, when the blades30are retracted. When the load is applied to the plunger26, along the axis44, the plunger26moves along the axis44, relative to the body28, such that the end portion82of the plunger26moves or otherwise rides along the blades30, between the tip portion66and the barbs56to force the blades30to flare out from the closed position32to the extended position36. As long as the plunger26maintains its position along the axis44, within the body28, the blades30will remain in the extended position36because the barbs56and the V-shaped notch58are flared beyond the slots74, such that the V-shaped notches58of the blades30engage the body28to prevent the blades30from moving from the extended position36back toward the retracted position32.

During bowfishing, the fishing head10is removed from the fish24by pushing the arrow18all the way through, or otherwise detaching the fishing head10from the shaft42.

While the best modes for carrying out the many aspects of the present teachings have been described in detail, those familiar with the art to which these teachings relate will recognize various alternative aspects for practicing the present teachings that are within the scope of the appended claims.