Abstract:
A fish hook protector comprising a body member having a hooked tail. The fish hook protector is removably secured onto a graduated guide of a fishing rod in the preferred embodiment when the fishing hook is not in use; to protect a user from being hooked, stabbed, or otherwise injured by a fishing hook while secured to a fishing line on a fishing pole.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to fishing equipment, and more particularly, to fish hook safety devices. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Fishing hooks are dangerous and it is not uncommon for individuals to be hooked, stabbed, or otherwise injured by a fishing hook while secured to a fishing line on a fishing pole. A point and a barb are typically found on the intrusive portion of known hooks. 
   It is known in the art to position the intrusive portion of an unprotected fishing hook in a graduated guide to secure fishing line and a fishing hook to a fishing rod for storage. However, existing guards and storage devices are bulky and prevent the hook from being secured to the graduated guides in a conventional manner. 
   Several designs for fish hook protectors have been designed in the past. None of them, however, includes a body assembly having cooperative protuberances that allow for leverage to be forced upon to safely store a fishing hook when a fishing hook is secured on line of a fishing pole. 
   Applicant believes that the closest reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,433 issued to Thompson, Jr. for Fish hook safety device. However, it differs from the present invention because Thompson, Jr. teaches a fish hook safety device to safely and securely hold a hook whether single or gang while the hook is attached to a fishing line or stored in a tackle box for later attachment and use. The device has a sloping interior surface defined by the frustum of a right cone. The barbed and pointed ends of a hook rest on the sloping surface. The device accommodates a variety of hooks of different sizes and shapes. 
   Applicant believes that another close reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,541 issued to Fisher for Fishing hook guard. However, it differs from the present invention because Fisher teaches a fishing hook guard including an elongated tubular base having a closed bottom end and an open top end and an inside diameter for receiving the point and barb of the hook and a cap adapted to fasten to and cover the open top end of the base so as to lock the point and barb of the hook in the guard. The cap and base are fastened together to hold the intrusive end of the hook thereinside. One or more longitudinal slots can be provided in the open top end of the base to receive the shaft of the hook. A generally lateral and outwardly protruding flange is interposed between the ends of the base to protect the user&#39;s thumb and/or fingers from being inadvertently poked during an attempted insertion of the hook into the base. Structures for aiding the user in gripping the outside of the guard are provided thereon. 
   Applicant believes that another close reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,168,017 issued to Bohmer, et al. for Device for storing and dispensing fishhooks. However, it differs from the present invention because Bohmer, et al. teaches a device for storing and dispensing small articles such as fishhooks. The dispenser is formed of two oppositely disposed side portions or with a spaced opening therebetween. Each side portion has a flexible cushioned flat surface adjacent the spaced opening. The side portions are positioned against tie flexible cushioned flat surfaces to create a means for entrapping objects between the closed surfaces of the side portions when a force is used to hold one side portion against the other. The articles may be trapped completely inside the perimeter of the closed surfaces or partially trapped, allowing portions of the articles to extend just beyond the perimeter. The force holding the two side portions together is sufficient to hold the objects securely between the side portions also enabling articles extending beyond the periphery of the side portions to be removed individually with moderate force. The disclosure also relates to a dispenser having a peripheral groove or a plurality of peripheral slits to store and dispense small articles. 
   Other patents describing the closest subject matter provide for a number of more or less complicated features that fail to solve the problem in an efficient and economical way. None of these patents suggest the novel features of the present invention. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention facilitates rather than interferes with the attachment of fishing line with a fishing hook thereon to graduated guides of a fishing rod for storage. 
   The instant invention is a fishing hook guard for covering a fishing hook having a shaft terminating in a point and a barb extending rearwardly and outwardly from the point. It comprises a body member having a head, shank, and a tail. The body member also has at least one protuberance at a first predetermined distance from the head extending towards the tail. The body member further comprises an aperture for receiving the point and the barb of the fishing hook thereinside. The aperture extends internally towards the head. The tail has a hook form and terminates at a tip. The tail is removably mounted onto a graduated guide of a fishing rod. 
   Gripping means are provided on the at least one protuberance. The gripping means include a generally horizontally and outwardly protruding ridge interposed between the first and second ends so as to grip the fishing hook guard during insertion of the point and the barb into the aperture. 
   Protecting means are also provided on the at least one protuberance. The protecting means include the generally horizontally and outwardly protruding ridge interposed between the first and second ends so as to protect a user from being inadvertently injured by the fishing hook during insertion of the point and the barb into the aperture. 
   The tail is sufficiently hooked so that the tip contacts or nearly contacts the shank so as to secure the fishing hook guard onto the graduated guide and the fishing hook guard can be made of a durable plastic material and of a fluorescent material. 
   It is therefore one of the main objects of the present invention to provide a fish hook protector that protects a user from being hooked, stabbed, or otherwise injured by a fishing hook while secured to a fishing line on a fishing pole. 
   It is yet another object of this invention to provide such a device that is inexpensive to manufacture and maintain while retaining its effectiveness. 
   Further objects of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing limitations thereon. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     With the above and other related objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  represents a perspective view of the instant invention. 
       FIG. 2  shows a side view of the instant invention. 
       FIG. 3  shows a top view of the instant invention. 
       FIG. 4  shows a bottom view of the instant invention. 
       FIG. 5  shows a front view of the instant invention. 
       FIG. 6  shows a rear view of the instant invention. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a cut view taken along the line  7 — 7  as seen in FIG.  6 . 
       FIG. 8  is a representation of a fishing hook being introduced within the instant invention. 
       FIG. 9  is a representation of a fishing hook safely secured within the instant invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring now to the drawings, where the present invention is generally referred to with numeral  10 , it can be observed that it basically includes protuberances  14 , aperture  22 , tail  18 , and tip  20 . Instant invention  10  is used to guard a fishing hook as described below. 
   As seen in  FIGS. 1 through 7 , instant invention  10  comprises head  12  at a top end and tail  18  at a bottom end that hooks and terminates at tip  20 . At a predetermined distance below head  12  are masses of matter of irregular shape defining protuberances  14 . Generally extending from protuberances  14  is shank  16  that extends to define tail  18 . Tail  18  at the bottom end of instant invention  10  hooks and terminates at tip  20 . Centrally disposed and above shank  16  is aperture  22 . 
   As better seen in  FIG. 2 , protuberances  14  bulge to define generally horizontal ridge  32 . 
   As best seen in  FIG. 7 , aperture  22  extends to wall  28  to define cavity  24 . The inside depth of cavity  24  from aperture  22  to wall  28 , is sufficient to accommodate the intrusive end of the fishing hook  110 , seen in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , so that bend  114  rests upon edge  26  when fishing line  104  has tension. It is contemplated that cavity  24  can be constructed with a relatively large effective inside depth and diameter to accommodate a broad range of hook sizes. Cavity  24  can accommodate hooks that are commonly used in freshwater and salt water fishing. 
   Now referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , fishing rod assembly  100  comprises elongated fishing rod  102 . Fishing rod  102  has fishing line  104  originating from a reel, not seen, and extends through a plurality of graduated guides  108 , of which only one is seen. Fishing line  104  typically terminates as knot  106  tying fishing hook  110 . 
   Fishing hook  110  comprises shank  112  having bend  114  that terminates at point  116 . Typically extended in an angular direction opposite point  116  is barb  118 . 
   In the preferred method of installation wherein fishing line  104  has tension, instant invention  10  first hooks upon one of graduated guides  108 , as seen in  FIG. 8 , wherein tail  18  hooks graduated guide  108 . To install the intrusive end, specifically point  116  and barb  118  of the fishing hook  110  into instant invention  10 , point  116  of fishing hook  110  is aligned with aperture  22 . It is observed that fishing line  104  has tension originating from the reel. Next, while securely holding fishing hook preferably along shank  112 , point  116  and barb  118  are inserted into aperture  22  until bend  114  rests upon edge  26  while the user grasps head  12 , as seen in FIG.  8 . 
   In a first alternate method of installation wherein fishing line  104  has tension, point  116  of fishing hook  110  is first aligned with and inserted into aperture  22  until bend  114  rests upon edge  26 . With tension from the reel upon fishing line  104 , the user grasps head  12 , or for greater leverage and aiding the user in gripping instant invention  10 , biases his/her fingers against ridge  32 , and hooks instant invention  10  upon one of graduated guides  108 , wherein tail  18  hooks graduated guide  108 . 
   In a second alternate method of installation wherein fishing line  104  does not initially have tension, tip  20 , with fishing hook  110  therein, is positioned below a graduated guide  108 . Then the tip  20  is inserted upwardly through a graduated guide  108  on the fishing rod  102 , until the graduated guide  108  inhibits any further upward movement. Next, the fishing line  104  attached to fishing hook  110  is tightened or reeled in until taut and locked against further extension, thus securing instant invention  10 , fishing hook  110 , and fishing line  104  to the graduated guide  108 . When fishing line  104  becomes taut, a generally upward and outward force is applied to the fishing hook  110 . This force tends to help keep tail  18  engaged with the graduated guide  108 . 
   It is noted that tail  18  of instant invention  10  is sufficiently hooked so that tip  20  contacts or nearly contacts the surface of shank  16  opposite the side of where aperture  22  is defined. The near proximity or contact of tip  20  against the surface of shank  16  opposite the side of where aperture  22  is defined, causes instant invention  10  to remain hooked upon the graduated guide  108  until removed by a downwardly force that overcomes that of tip  20  against the surface of shank  16  opposite the side of where aperture  22  is defined. 
   Once assembled, the intrusive end or barbed portion of fishing hook  110  is essentially encapsulated as shown in FIG.  9 . Therefore, the intrusive end of the fishing hook  110  is less likely to hook, stab, or otherwise cause injury by the fishing hook  110  when covered by instant invention  10 , and while secured to the fishing line  104  on fishing rod assembly  100  and once the slack is removed from the fishing line  104 . Ridge  32  also provides limited protection for the user&#39;s thumb and/or fingers should the user miss aperture  22  when attempting to insert the intrusive end of the hook fishing hook  110  into instant invention  10 . Because the diameter of aperture  22  is larger than point  116  and barb  118  of fishing hook  110 , it may accommodate a variety of fishing hooks. 
   One skilled in the art will recognize that instant invention  10  covers very little of the fishing hook  110  other than the point  116  and the barb  118 . Therefore, it is easily adaptable to various sizes and styles of hooks. One size of instant invention  10  will fit many different sizes of hooks and a variety of different sizes of instant invention  10  can be provided to cover a wide range of hook sizes. Preferably, instant invention  10  is constructed of a lightweight and durable material, such as plastic, wood, and the like. The material should be rigid, yet resilient. Plastic is preferred for its ability to be molded at low cost in a variety of colors. 
   The instant invention  10  is installed on the fishing hook  110  as previously described. Once installed, the instant invention  10  can be used in a dual capacity to both cover the fishing hook  110  and secure it to the graduated guide  108  of a fishing rod  102 . For use of the instant invention  10  in areas with little or no light, it is noted that it can be made of a fluorescent material for safety and facility to use. 
   The foregoing description conveys the best understanding of the objectives and advantages of the present invention. Different embodiments may be made of the inventive concept of this invention. It is to be understood that all matter disclosed herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.