Abstract:
A collapsible containment device, which can be neatly folded and easily carried or stored in a fisherman&#39;s tackle box, serves as a live well for the storage and preservation of fish, typically game fish, features a receptacle having at least one opening for the insertion and removal of fish and a tube member having an opening at each end: one opening for inserting fish into the tube member and another in communication with the opening in the receptacle to permit transferring fish into the receptacle.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application No. 60/311,564 filed Aug. 10, 2001. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention describes a collapsible and easily transported retaining or containment device that functions as a live well for the storage and preservation of fish. The containment device has been designed to be used primarily by game fishermen, and it is intended to be used from the bank of a stream, the shore of a lake and/or the side of a dock or boat. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     Game fish, after being removed from the hook, are typically stored in creels, in live wells, in collapsible baskets and on stringers. Most of the collapsible retaining devices are easily transportable, and some are buoyed to float. U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,577 dated Nov. 3, 1987, which issued to Gubash, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,404 dated Mar. 6, 1990, which issued to Pasion et al. are illustrative and typical of containment devices with those features. Other floating, collapsible, fish retaining devices featuring elaborate closing and locking arrangements that appear to fulfill some unmet fishermen&#39;s needs are also described in Sawlsville&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 4,251,943 dated Feb. 24, 1981 and Nelson et al.&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,413 dated Jan. 2, 1990. But, by comparison, the instantly disclosed invention is remarkable for its structural simplicity, ease of transport and facile adaptation to all fishing environments. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Specifically, the invention disclosed herein is a collapsible containment device that can be neatly folded and easily transported by sports fishermen to lakes, rivers and streams and used as a live well for the storage of fish. Essentially, the fish containment device comprises a receptacle having at least one opening for the insertion and removal of fish, and an elongated, tube-like member (hereinafter, simply “tube member”) having an opening at each end. A proximal opening is for inserting fish into the tube member and the distal opening communicates with the opening in the receptacle to permit transferring fish from the tube member into the receptacle for storage. 
     The disclosed containment device is designed to be neatly folded so that it can be stored in the typical tackle box or hand-carried with pole and bait. In use, the receptacle and the distal end of the tube member are designed to be fully submersible, while the proximal end of the tube member remains out of the water while fish are introduced into the tube member and added to the receptacle. This minimizes the trauma to the stored fish, which can be left undisturbed while most activity resulting from the addition of newly caught fish is confined to the tube member of the device. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the fish containment device in an open or extended mode, but with the tube member sectioned. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the fish containment device showing the tube member sectioned and permanently attached to the receptacle. FIG. 3 is an elevated side view of an alternative embodiment of the fish containment device with the tube member in partial section. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the collar of the receptacle and a section of the tube member demonstrating ease of attachment and removal of the tube member from the receptacle, and FIG. 5 illustrates the foldable feature of the preferred embodiment of the fish containment device. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference to the drawing will provide a full appreciation of this uniquely configured, collapsible fish containment device. FIG. 1 depicts a preferred embodiment of the fish containment device  10  in its unfolded condition, ready for use. Prominent features of the device include the receptacle  12  and the tube member  14 . In this particular embodiment, the distal opening  15  in the tube member, see FIG. 4, is aligned with the opening  11  in the receptacle to permit the transfer of fish from the interior of the tube member to the interior of the receptacle. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, the alignment is secured with a zipper fastening mechanism  28  that provides a semi-permanent attachment of the tube member  14  to the receptacle  12 . 
     With further regard to the receptacle  12 , it is ideally made of a water permeable material. It is designed to be submerged while in use, and ambient water is intended to flow quickly into the receptacle after it is placed in the water. Preferably, the receptacle  12  is fabricated from a durable mesh material  22  such as a knitted monofilament, high-density polyethylene material, commonly known as “shade cloth” (mfd. by Roxford Fordell) to provide years of reliable service in rugged environments. As the name suggests, this material provides a measure of shade reducing the amount of stress on stored fish. The desired mesh material  22  can be fabricated and formed to assume any of a variety of shapes and sizes, but recent experimentation suggests that a suitable receptacle  12  can be fashioned from two identically-sized, oval-shaped pieces of mesh material, positioned in a 90° orientation, with edges aligned and coincident. The mesh material  22  is then stitched to a tensioned, continuous spring loop  20 , encased in a binding  21 , as shown in the cutout of FIG. 1, which will, when the spring loop  20  is allowed to expand to form a 3-dimensional, Quonset-like enclosure with sides arching at about 45°. The continuous spring loop  20  can be fashioned from a variety of materials. Typically, it is preferably made from plastic or fiberglass, but a corrosion resistant metal material has also been used successfully. 
     When no longer in use the fish storage device  10  can be compacted by holding opposite sides of the spring loop  20  and twisting in opposite directions, causing the receptacle to coil into three small, stacked or layered, congruent circular configurations. The tube member  14 , with no rigid member to hold its shape, can then be wrapped around the collapsed receptacle to prevent the receptacle  12  from springing open. To secure the collapsed and folded containment device  10  and permit easy toting and storage, a storage strap  29  is wrapped around the collapsed and folded device. FIG. 5 illustrates how a preferred embodiment of the disclosed device can be folded to form a secure and neat packet. 
     In use, the fish storage device  10  is unwrapped by simply removing the storage strap  29 , and shaken, to allow the tube member  14  to extend to its predetermined, full length, which can be any reasonable length, but preferably between 4 and 8 feet, and to permit the receptacle  12  to expand to its predetermined shape and size. Once expanded and extended, the receptacle  12  can be submerged in the lake or stream and the tube member  14  secured to land, boat or a dock by means of attachment such as loop  31  or the storage strap  29 . 
     In muddy-shore environments, the fisherman can simply toss the receptacle  12  into the lake or stream and use the tube member  14  to bridge the muddy shore while the proximal opening end  16  of the tube member  14  remains with the fisherman on dry land. Fish, after they are removed from the hook, can be inserted through the proximal opening  16  in the tube member  14  and allowed to slide into the receptacle  12  for storage. Fish stored in this way swim freely to avoid injury and can be kept in the receptacle  12  for a reasonable length of time. 
     When placed into service, the fisherman locates the proximal opening  16  in the tube member  14 , inserts the fish, and elevates the proximal end of the tube member  14 , which by dint of gravity, urges the fish to move through the tube member  14 , through the distal opening  15  in the tube member, through the receptacle opening  11  and, ultimately, to enter the confines of the receptacle  12 . The storage device is once again secured to the shore, dock or boat and fishing is resumed. 
     The tube member  14  is preferably made from a water permeable, mesh-like material, not unlike the material used to construct the receptacle. Most any kind of woven or nonwoven fabric that can tolerate extended exposure to water would be suitable. It is preferred that the tube member  14  be an unsupported, flexible tube that can lay in a flat two-dimensional form and be folded around the receptacle  12  for storage. It is also desirable that the inner surface of the tube member  14  have a smooth hand or finish so that the fish can be smoothly transported from proximal opening  16 , through the tube member  14  and into the receptacle  12 . An additional subtle feature that has been found to be beneficial is an annular reinforcement  17  defining the proximal opening  16 . This provides more substance to the end of the tube member  14  defining its proximal opening  16 , which encourages the proximal opening  16  to, in fact, be open, which in turn makes finding the opening and inserting fish easier. 
     In a preferred embodiment, a tie-off loop  31 , conveniently located midway in the length of the tube member  14 , can be used to attach the tube member  14  to a boat or dock so that the proximal opening  16  of the tube member  14  can be elevated for the insertion of fish without detaching the tie-off loop  31  from its anchored position. The tie-off loop  31  also allows the receptacle  12  to be maintained at a constant water depth, ensuring that the fish are always kept in the water while the proximal opening  16  of the tube member  14  can be repositioned at will to accept more fish. 
     FIG. 2 depicts essentially the same fish containment device  10  as FIG. 1 but with an added feature and modification. More apparent is a second opening  33  in the dorsal surface of the receptacle  12 . This second opening  33  affords easy access to the fish contained in the receptacle  12 , especially when fitted with a zipper mechanism  35  for easy opening and closing. The second opening  33  is especially useful in the embodiment of the containment device  10  where the tube member  14  is permanently attached to the receptacle  12  by stitching  27  or other permanent fastening means. 
     FIG. 3 depicts another embodiment of the containment device  10 . Notably, in this embodiment the receptacle  12  is the classic, collapsible wire mesh basket that has been used by sport fishermen for years. However, with the addition of the tube member  14 , the collapsible wire mesh receptacle  12  is more user-friendly and can now be used in more situations, including those muddy-shore environments, where the preferred embodiments work so well. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the tube member  14  is removably secured to the collapsible wire basket (receptacle)  12  with a drawstring  26 , but permanent and semi-permanent attachments of the tube member  14  to the receptacle  12  are also envisioned. 
     Using the drawstring  26  as a means for attaching the tube member  14  to the receptacle  12  can also be employed with the preferred collapsible mesh embodiment illustrated in FIG.  1 . FIG. 4 depicts how the collapsible mesh housing  22  stretched around the tensioned spring loop  20  can be fitted with a collar  24  extending from the outer surface of the receptacle  12  to provide annular points of attachment for the distal end of the tube member  14  and tightened and secured with a drawstring  26 . In this embodiment, the collar  24  is preferably fitted with a rigid collar member  23  to provide structure of substance for the drawstring  26  to encircle. 
     While the foregoing is a detailed and complete description of the preferred embodiments of the disclosed fish containment device, it should be apparent that numerous variations with modifications can be made and employed to implement the all-important purpose of device without departing from the spirit of the invention, which is fairly defined by the appended claims.