Abstract:
A portable fishing pole holder and carrier comprises a planar tubular metal frame. A row of posts projects out-of-plane at each end of the frame for cradling one or more fishing poles, which are held in place by elastic cords. Support members depending from the frame are positionable perpendicular to the frame to hold the frame above a surface or adjacent to it for compact carrying. The support members can be unlocked and rotated to a compactness when the frame is hand carried by a person grasping one side member. Optionally, magnetic or Velcro® brand fastening patches anchor the support members to a deck or truck bed. Optionally, the fastening patches stabilize the support members when the support members are positioned adjacent the frame. Optionally, the frame or the support members may be equipped with wheels or handles. Optionally, a support member is positionable in plane with the frame and distal to an end member to serve as a handle.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims the benefit of prior copending U.S. Application Ser. No. 60/309,607, filed Aug. 2, 2001, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates to article-storing racks for free-standing or vehicular use and to article-carrying devices, more particularly to such items for storing or carrying elongated objects, and especially to holders for storing or carrying fishing poles.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0005]    An individual driving a van, a pickup truck, or a station wagon to a favorite fishing spot might wish he could keep a number of fishing poles arranged securely, apart from one another, and at an appropriate height and orientation. Arriving, he or she might wish to carry the fishing poles to a deck or boat and stow them there without disturbing their arrangement. Such a person would find it helpful to have a portable fishing pole holder.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    It is an object of the present invention to support several fishing poles in a parallel and spaced apart arrangement above the bed of a cargo compartment of a pickup truck, van, or station wagon.  
           [0007]    It is an additional object of the present invention to provide for the convenient removal of the fishing poles from the vehicle and their hand-carrying to a second location, where they are again supported and their arrangement is preserved.  
           [0008]    Additional objects of the present invention are to provide a fishing pole holder which may conveniently be anchored to a cargo space of a vehicle, which is easily configured either for carrying or for storing, which consists of simple parts and inexpensive materials, and which may be loaded either front-first or back-first into a vehicle cargo space while preserving its other advantages.  
           [0009]    In accordance with these objects and with others which will be described and which will become apparent, an exemplary embodiment of a fishing pole holder in accordance with the present invention comprises a rectangular tubular metal frame. A row of posts projects out-of-plane with the frame from each end of the frame. The posts cradle one or more fishing poles which are to be placed lengthwise on top of the frame. An elastic cord with hooked ends spans each end of the frame from side to side and holds the fishing poles against the frame. Support members depend from the frame and lock in position to hold the frame at a convenient height above a deck, truck bed, or other surface. The support members can be unlocked and rotated to a compact position against the frame for storage and, importantly, for convenient hand-carrying of the fishing pole holder.  
           [0010]    Optionally, the fishing pole holder in accordance with the present invention comprises fastening patches for anchoring the fishing pole holder to a deck or truck bed. In one exemplary embodiment, the fastening patches incorporate magnets for convenient anchoring to a steel deck or truck bed. Alternatively, Velcro® brand fasteners are arranged to anchor the support members to a deck or truck bed and also to anchor to one another for keeping the support members folded against the frame when it is to be carried.  
           [0011]    Optionally, the frame or the support members may be equipped with wheels for rolling the fishing pole holder over a flat surface or for hand-towing it over terrain. Optionally, a support member may swing out to a position of 180° relative to the frame, so that it may be used as a handle for hand-towing the fishing pole holder.  
           [0012]    It is an advantage of the present invention that several fishing poles may be kept together in a desired arrangement as they are stored, transported, hand-carried, and set up at a fishing location.  
           [0013]    It is an additional advantage of the present invention that the fishing poles are held at a safe height above water and debris on a deck and at a convenient height for retrieving fishing poles from a pickup truck bed.  
           [0014]    It is an additional advantage of the present invention that the fishing pole holder is easily withdrawn from and returned to a vehicle cargo space and easily anchored therein. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]    For a further understanding of the objects and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which like parts are given like reference numbers and wherein:  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fishing pole holder in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 2 is a plan view of a fishing pole holder in accordance with the present invention as viewed from above];  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 3 is a front end view of a fishing pole holder in accordance with the present invention; and  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 4 is an end view of a portion of of a fishing pole holder in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0020]    The invention will now be described with reference to FIG. 1, which illustrates in perspective view a preferred embodiment of a fishing pole holder in accordance with the present invention shown generally by the reference number  40 . The fishing pole holder  40  comprises a rectangular frame  42 , which in turn comprises a left side member  44 , a right side member  46 , a front end member  48 , and a back end member  50 .  
         [0021]    A front support member  52  depends from the frame  42  proximate the front end member  48  and comprises a front left leg  54  rotatably attached through a hinge  70  to the left side member  44 , a front right leg  56  rotatably attached through a hinge  68  to the right side member  46 , and a front leg cross-member attached to the front left leg  54  and to the front right leg  56 . In like manner, a back support member  60  depends via hinges  68  from the frame  42  proximate the back end member  50  and comprises a back left leg  62 , a back right leg  64 , and a back leg cross-member  66 .  
         [0022]    The front support member  52  and the back support member  60  support the frame  42  at a height substantially determined by the length of the legs  54 ,  56 ,  62 , and  64  and by the angles at which they are disposed relative to the frame  42 . The hinges  68  are selected to have sufficient resistance to rotation to be able to hold the support members  52  and  60  at desired angles relative to the frame  42 .  
         [0023]    With continued reference to FIG. 1, the left side member  44  and the right side member  46  are approximately 1.5 meter in length, the front end member  48  and back end member are approximately 0.8 meter in length, and the legs  54 ,  56 ,  62 , and  64  are approximately 0.4 meter in length. Thus, when positioned approximately perpendicular to the frame  42 , the support members  52  and  60  hold the frame  42  about 0.4 meter above any supporting surface.  
         [0024]    With reference to FIG. 2, which illustrates a top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a fishing pole holder in accordance with the present invention, the hinges  68  are also selected to allow the support members  52  and  60  to be rotated such that they are approximately parallel to and proximate the frame  42 . With the support members  52  and  60  so positioned, the fishing pole holder  40  is in a compact, flat configuration which lends itself to saving space. In this configuration, the fishing pole holder  40  may rest flat atop other cargo or may be tipped up on edge or on end against or between other cargo items. Additionally, the fishing pole holder may be hand-carried, preferably by grasping a central portion of a side member  42  or  46 .  
         [0025]    With reference again to FIG. 1, the front end member  48  and the back end member  50  each form a plurality of spaced apart upwardly projecting posts  70 , each post  70  being approximately 0.15 meter in length and 1 centimeter in diameter. Each post  70  on the font end member  48  is aligned with a corresponding post  70  on the back end member  50 .  
         [0026]    With reference to FIG. 3, a fishing pole  72  is placed lengthwise upon the frame  42  with its ends resting on the front end member  48  (not shown in FIG. 3) and the back end member  50  and cradled between adjacent posts  70 . The posts  70  reduce the chance that the fishing poles  72  and their respective lines will become entangled. An elastic cord  74  is attached by hooks  76  to the left side member  44  and the right side member  48  and secures the fishing pole  72  to the frame  42 .  
         [0027]    With reference generally to FIGS.  1 - 3 , it will be appreciated that a person may swing the support members  52  and  60  to a roughly perpendicular position, rest the fishing pole holder  40  on the support members  52  and  60  in the bed of a truck or wagon, place one or more fishing poles  72  on the fishing pole holder  40 , and secure them with one or more elastic cords  74  (two are recommended—one proximate each end member  48  and  50 ). The support members  52  and  60  will elevate the frame  42  to a convenient height above the truck bed where they may easily be retrieved by a person standing adjacent the truck bed and where they are protected from water and debris. Later, the person may, for example, open the tailgate of the pickup truck, withdraw the fishing pole holder  40  from the truck, rotate the support members  52  and  60  to their parallel positions, and carry the fishing pole holder  40 , with the fishing IS poles  72  secured thereto, by grasping the left side member  44  or the right side member  46  with one hand.  
         [0028]    The frame  42  and support members  52  and  60  are formed of bent aluminum tubing having a diameter of approximately  20  millimeters. Alternatively, these structures may be formed of a different metal, or of wood, plastic, composite, or other suitable material. The posts  70  are formed as wooden dowels or as tubes or rods of metal or plastic. Low mass, high stiffness, and tolerance of salt water and abrasive contaminants are preferred characteristics for the aforementioned structures. They are joined by any common means such as a press-fit, a weld, a braze, an adhesive, or a fastener. Optionally, a variety of prefabricated snap-locking fasteners may be used to provide for ready assembly without tools, and may be formed integrally with the aforementioned structural elements to reduce manufacturing costs. Optionally, a vinyl or resinous coating may be applied to improve appearance or inhibit corrosion.  
         [0029]    The hinges  68  are formed by, for example, passing a bolt through a bore in an end of a leg  54 ,  56 ,  62 , and  64  and a corresponding bore in a side member  44  and  46 , and securing the bolt with a nut and a washer. The nut may be tightened or loosened to allow rotation of the hinge. Alternatively, a prefabricated metal or plastic hinged fitting may be used to form the hinge  68  having suitable frictional or locking characteristics to hold each support member  52  and  60  at a desired angle relative to the frame  42 . Alternatively, a rivet may be used in conjunction with a strap, stop, or locking mechanism for keeping the hinge at a desired angle. High stiffness and tolerance of salt water and abrasive contaminants are preferred characteristics for the hinges  68 .  
         [0030]    With reference to FIG. 4, two Velcro® brand fastening patches  78  are attached to each of the front leg cross-member  58  and the back leg cross-member  66 . Four complemetary Velcro® fastening patches  78  (only two of which are are shown in FIG. 4) are provided for permanent attachment to the bed of a pickup truck and for easy temporary anchoring of the cross-members  58  and  66  to the bed of the pickup truck. Anchoring the fishing pole holder  40  to the truck bed (or to a boat deck) prevents the fishing pole holder  40  from sliding around and thus protects a vehicle or boat from being scratched. It is to be understood that “Velcro® brand” as used herein refers to a famous fastener system comprising a first half-fastener, surfaced with a loop-pile gauze, and a second half-fastener, surfaced with loop-ensnaring resilient hooks. The first and second half-fasteners are complementary in that each adheres to the other and not necessarily to its own kind.  
         [0031]    Optionally, the Velcro® brand fastening patches  78  may be so arranged that they may also be used to perform the function of anchoring the support members  52  and  60  to one another when the support members  52  and  60  are positioned adjacent the side members  46  and  48  for hand-carrying, thereby simplifying the design requirements of the hinges  68  for holding that particular hinge position. To support this function, each fastening patch  78  is made long enough that the fastening patches  78  will span any gap between the back leg cross-member  66  and the front leg cross-member  58  when both of the support members  52  and  60  are positioned adjacent the frame  42 .  
         [0032]    To preserve this function while at the same time preserving the ability of the Velcro® brand fastening patches  78  to match up with complementary Velcro® brand fastening patches  78  permanently anchored to the truck bed, each Velcro® brand fastening patch  78  should be of the same type as its diagonal opposite. In this way, it will not matter whether the fishing pole holder  40  is loaded into the truck bed front-first or back-first; either way, the Velcro® brand fastening patches  78  attached to the fishing pole holder  40  will adhere to their complementary patches anchored to the truck bed.  
         [0033]    Alternatively, magnets, snaps, or other fastener systems may be substituted for Velcro® brand fasteners. The fastening patches  78  are attached to the cross members  58  and  66  by adhesive, or by rivets, or by being stitched to form a loop about the tubing of the cross members  58  and  66 .  
         [0034]    Optionally, one or more handles may be formed in or attached to the frame  42 . Preferably, such a handle is positioned and designed to allow a person to shift his or her grip to a point along the length of the side member  44  or  46  which compensates for any imbalance in the weight of the fishing poles  72 .  
         [0035]    Optionally, the posts  70  are adjustable in their separation. This object may be served by providing additional points of attachment on the front and rear end members  48  and  50  and additionally providing posts  70  which may be removed and reattached at any of the attachment points. A threaded post  70 , a threaded nut, a Timmerman-style clip, or other suitable releasable fastening arrangement will serve this purpose.  
         [0036]    Optionally, wheels are attached to the cross members  58  and  66 , such that, when the support members  52  and  60  are positioned perpendicular to the frame  42  to support the fishing pole holder  40  above a surface, the weight of the fishing pole holder  40  rests on the wheels. The wheels may be mounted directly on the cross members  58  and  66 , or they may be mounted to small brackets allowing them to be rotated into position when desired or rotated upwards toward the frame when not desired. The wheels are spaced apart sufficiently to keep the frame  42  parallel with the support surface. Alternatively, one or more wheels may be attached to one or both of the end members  48  and  50 , permitting a person to tow the fishing pole holder  40  by grasping one end member  48  while allowing the other end member  50  to rest upon the wheels. Optionally, the person may rotate the back support member  60  to a position 180° opposite the side members  44  and  46  and use the back support member  60  as a handle for towing the fishing pole holder  40 . The use of the back support member  60  as a handle allows clearance between the person&#39;s hand and the fishing poles that might interfere with his or her grasping the back end member  50 .  
         [0037]    While the foregoing detailed description has described several embodiments of a fishing pole holder  40  in accordance with the present invention, it is to be understood that the above description is illustrative only and not limiting of the disclosed invention. For example, the frame  42  may be ellipsoidal instead of rectangular, thereby permitting its construction from a single hoop-like piece of tubing. The posts  70  may be formed integrally with the frame  42  by, for example, a molding process. The posts  70  may be articulated or collapsible. The front and back end members  48  and  50  may be movably attached to the side members  44  and  46 ; so that each row of posts  70  may be pointed toward the other to provide a flattened configuration of the fishing pole holder  40  for compact storage. The side members  44  and  46  may include a telescoping arrangement to render the fishing pole holder  70  more compact. Indeed, it will be appreciated that the embodiments discussed above and the virtually infinite embodiments that are not mentioned could easily be within the scope and spirit of the present invention. Thus, the present invention is to be limited only by the claims.