Hunting decoy apparatus

An apparatus wherein a housing includes a right and left door overlying the housing, the housing configured to camouflage a hunter interiorly thereof positioned within an "L" shaped seat within the housing. The doors include cooperating mesh portions to permit a viewing of the hunter through the mesh portions of the mesh portion overlying the seat.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The field of invention relates to decoy apparatus, and more particularly 
pertains to a new and improved hunting decoy apparatus wherein the same is 
arranged to position wing panels overlying a hollow housing, with a 
viewing screen mesh mounted within the wings to permit viewing from within 
the housing. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Various decoy apparatus has been set forth in the prior art to provide 
concealment for hunters and inducement for various hunting game to be 
attracted to the organization. The instant invention has attempted to 
overcome deficiencies of the prior art by providing a decoy apparatus 
arranged to permit an individual to be positioned therewithin to induce 
water fowl to be directed toward the decoy while further concealing a 
hunter interiorly therewithin in a totally enclosed manner. Examples of 
the prior art include U.S. Pat. No. 4,885,861 to Gazalski provides a 
hollow shell decoy with foot portions mounted to the decoy for permitting 
filling of the foot portions with weighted material, such as sand and the 
like. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,689,913 to Brice sets forth a collapsible decoy wherein a 
framework formed of wire-like structure mounts an overlying skin thereon. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,800,457 to Barrett sets forth a water fowl decoy arranged 
for automatically facing into the wind in balancing of the decoy upon a 
peg member. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,651,458 to Lanius sets forth a bird decoy that may be 
assembled into a feeder or sentry position by displacement and 
repositioning of the neck relative to the body. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,428 to Gagnon sets forth a further example of a 
self-lining decoy, wherein a socket is mounted substantially at a center 
of gravity with a mounting stake provided to permit turning and motion of 
the decoy to simulate a water fowl. 
As such, it may be appreciated that there continues to be a need for a new 
and improved hunting decoy apparatus as set forth by the instant invention 
which addresses both the problems of ease of use as well as effectiveness 
in construction and in this respect, the present invention substantially 
fulfills this need. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of decoy 
apparatus now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a 
hunting decoy apparatus wherein the same provides a housing for 
concealment of a hunter therewithin prior to opening of doors overlying 
the cavity of the housing to permit a hunter access to water fowl and the 
like. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which Will be 
described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved 
hunting decoy apparatus which has all the advantages of the prior art 
hunting decoy apparatus and none of the disadvantages. 
To attain this, the present invention provides an apparatus wherein a 
housing includes a right and left door overlying the housing, the housing 
configured to camouflage a hunter interiorly thereof positioned within an 
"L" shaped seat within the housing. The doors include cooperating mesh 
portions to permit a viewing of the hunter through the mesh portions of 
the mesh portion overlying the seat. 
My invention resides not in any one of these features per se, but rather in 
the particular combination of all of them herein disclosed and claimed and 
it is distinguished from the prior art in this particular combination of 
all of its structures for the functions specified. 
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, of course, 
additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter 
and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
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 and 
improved hunting decoy apparatus Which has all the advantages of the prior 
art hunting decoy apparatus and none of the disadvantages. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved 
hunting decoy apparatus which may be easily and efficiently manufactured 
and marketed. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved hunting decoy apparatus which is of a durable and reliable 
construction. 
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved hunting decoy apparatus 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 hunting decoy apparatus economically available to the buying 
public. 
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and 
improved hunting decoy apparatus 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 and 
improved hunting decoy apparatus wherein the same sets forth a concealment 
housing for positioning a hunter therewithin, with store structure 
overlying a cavity of the housing pivotally mounted relative to the 
housing. 
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 had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there 
is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 to 7 
thereof, a new and improved hunting decoy apparatus embodying the 
principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated 
by the reference numeral 10 will be described. 
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art hunting decoy 1, wherein the body 2 includes 
leg members 3 mounted thereto permitting filling of the legs with a 
particular material such as sand to permit positioning of the decoy in 
soft or frozen ground, as set forth in U S. Pat. No. 4,885,861. U.S. Pat. 
No. 4,689,913 sets forth a further example of a hunting decoy as 
illustrated in FIG. 2, wherein the decoy structure 4 utilizes a wire 
framework 5 to mount a decoy covering 6 thereon. 
More specifically, the hunting decoy apparatus 10 of the instant invention 
essentially comprises a body housing 11 including an elongate head and 
neck portion 12 of a decoy configuration mounted to a forward end wall of 
the housing. A top portion of the housing is selectively covered by a 
right and left convex wing door 13 and 14 respectively. The wing doors 13 
and 14 are in contiguous communication relative to one another along 
respective right and left contact closure lines 15 and 16 of the 
respective right and left wing doors 13 and 14. The first position of the 
wing doors in contiguous contact with one another along the respective 
contact closure lines 15 and 16, as illustrated in FIG. 4, whereupon 
separation of the wing doors in a second position is set forth in FIG. 7. 
The right wing door includes a right hinge edge 17 opposed to the contact 
closure line 15, wherein the left wing door includes a left hinge edge 18 
separated from the left contact closure line 16. Accordingly, a plurality 
of right hinges 19 are mounted to the right hinge edge 17 with a plurality 
of left hinges 20 mounted to the left hinge edge 18. Right mesh screen 21 
of a generally semi-elliptical configuration is formed through the right 
convex wing door 13 extending inwardly into the wing door from the right 
contact closure line 15, with a left mesh screen 22 extending inwardly 
into the left convex wing door 14 from the left contact closure line 16. 
The right and left mesh screens 21 and 22 each include a right and left 
mesh screen engagement edge 21a and 22a respectively overlapping the 
contact closure lines of each door and are coextensive with one another, 
whereupon closure of the mesh screens into the first position, as 
illustrated in FIG. 4, sets forth a viewing screen that a hunter may peer 
through when contained within the housing 11. The housing 11 defines a 
housing cavity 23 interiorly thereof (see FIG. 5 for example) including an 
"L" shaped seat member 24 mounted therewithin, with the "L" shaped seat 
member 24 including a horizontal leg 24a mounted to the housing floor 25, 
with a vertical leg 24b extending rearwardly and upwardly of the 
horizontal leg to underlie the head and neck portion 12. As illustrated, 
the mesh screen organization defined by the right and left mesh screens 21 
and 22 Will overlie an intersection defined by the horizontal and vertical 
legs 24 a and 24b to properly position the mesh screen relative to a 
hunter contained within the housing cavity 23. 
FIG. 6 illustrates the use, if desired, of a respective first and second 
adjustable shoulder strap 26 and 27 mounted to an exterior surface of the 
housing floor 25 to permit transport of the organization by an individual 
in a backpack type arrangement. Further, a right and left elongate opening 
28 and 29 (see FIGS. 3 and 5 for example) are directed through a rear wall 
of the housing 11 opposed to that of the head and neck portion 12 to 
permit a hunter to extend the hunter's legs therethrough for comfort and 
convenience, and to further effect stability to the organization when the 
hunter is positioned therewithin. 
As to the manner of usage and operation of the instant invention, the same 
should be apparent from the above disclosure, and accordingly no further 
discussion relative to the manner of usage and operation of the instant 
invention shall be provided. 
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized 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.