Abstract:
A fishing rod assembly is provided that includes a rod blank and a handle affixed to a proximal end of the rod blank. The handle has a base part and a reel seat part adjacent and distal to the base part for accommodating a reel. The rod blank is supported only at its rearmost end by the base part of the handle so that the rod blank is free to move in response to even small forces applied to a tip of the rod. In addition, the rod blank is exposed up to a forward face of the handle base part, enabling the fisherperson to hold the handle while easily maintaining direct tactile contact with the rod for better detection of rod blank movement and improved fishing rod sensitivity.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of Invention 
         [0002]    This invention relates generally to fishing apparatus and, more particularly, to a fishing rod which provides improved sensitivity to the person fishing when experiencing the pull on a fishing line. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    It is well known that success at catching fish often hinges on the ability to react quickly when a fish strikes. One&#39;s reaction time is determined, in part, on the ability to sense, through the handle of a rod, the forces exerted on the tip of the rod by a fish&#39;s strike. A rod&#39;s ability to communicate these forces to the hands of a fisherperson is generally referred to as the rod&#39;s sensitivity. Typically, the more sensitive the rod, the faster one may react to a strike. 
         [0005]    The sensitivity of a rod is diminished, however, when forces other than those caused by the strike of a fish are communicated by the rod. Such forces include, for example, those caused by the weight of the rod as well as the weight of the reel. In the case of rods, light-weight material, such as graphite, is often used to increase their sensitivity by decreasing their weight. However, the weight of the reel may yet adversely affect the rod when the rod and the reel are both supported on the reel mount and handle of the rod assembly. 
         [0006]    Additionally, traditional construction of a rod includes a separate rod blank inserted into a rod handle that is coupled to a reel mount. The purpose of the rod blank is to transmit the activity of the fish to the fisherperson. The purpose of the rod handle and reel mount is to give the fisherperson a secure way to grasp onto the rod and to securely attach the reel. Because the reel mount and handle are constructed of much sturdier material than the rod, direct contact between the rod and the reel mount/handle assembly inhibits movement of the rod blank and hinders the ability of the rod blank to transmit small movements of the rod tip, indicative of fish activity, to the hand of the fisherperson. 
         [0007]    Therefore, it would be desirable to secure the reel to the reel mount and the handle while keeping the rod blank unencumbered by the weight of the reel to allow the rod blank to move more freely in response to forces exerted on the tip of the rod. Even greater benefit from the increased freedom in rod blank movement could be obtained if the fisherperson were provided with a better ability to feel rod blank movement. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    In view of the foregoing, the present invention is directed to a fishing rod assembly including an elongated rod blank and a handle. The handle includes a base part and a reel seat part adjacent and distal to the base part for mounting a reel. The reel seat part is supported by the base part of the handle but is not in direct contact with the rod blank. The rod blank is supported only at its proximal or rearmost end by the base part of the handle so that the remainder of the rod blank is free-floating and can move in response to even small forces applied to the tip thereof by a fish through the fishing line. In addition, the rod blank is exposed from the tip to a forward face of the base part of the handle to enable the fisherperson&#39;s hand to both hold the rod handle and be in direct tactile contact with the rod blank while fishing. 
         [0009]    Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a rod design which enhances the effectiveness of a fisherperson. 
         [0010]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a rod having improved sensitivity to line action, enabling the fisherperson to better detect fish nibbles or strikes. 
         [0011]    A further object of the present invention is to provide a rod construction including a rod blank and a handle in which the rod blank is supported by a base part of the handle and at no other point along the rod blank&#39;s length, a remainder of the rod blank being free-floating to allow the rod blank to move in response to even small forces applied to the tip thereof. 
         [0012]    Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a rod construction in accordance with the preceding object in which the rod blank is exposed all the way from the tip to the forward face of the handle base part, enabling the fisherperson&#39;s hand, while on the handle where the rod is typically held, to also be in direct contact with the free-floating rod blank to detect actual movement thereof and not just vibrations which might otherwise go completely undetected. 
         [0013]    A further object of the present invention is to provide a rod construction in accordance with the preceding objects in which the proximal end of the rod blank is secured within an insert and in which the base part has a central bore that receives the insert with the rod blank secured therein, an outer surface of the base part being threaded for removable attachment of a handle grip. 
         [0014]    A still further object of the present invention is to provide a rod construction in accordance with the preceding objects in which the handle includes a reel seat part integral with and extending distally from the base part, the reel seat part having a concave upper surface that is generally parallel with and spaced from the rod blank so as not to be in contact with the rod blank, the bottom side of the reel seat part having a flat reel seat surface and a fixed hood with a recess for receiving the distal leg of a reel. 
         [0015]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a reel seat part in accordance with the preceding object in which the weight of a mounted reel is supported by the reel seat part of the handle while the rod blank is supported by the base part of the handle so that the rod blank remains unencumbered by the weight of the reel. 
         [0016]    These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]      FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of a handle supporting a rod blank in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 1B  is a cross sectional view taken along line A-A of  FIG. 1A . 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the handle and rod blank shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  is a side view of a fishing rod assembly including the handle and rod blank shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 4A  is a cross sectional view taken along line A-A of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 4B  is a cross sectional view taken along line B-B of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 5  is a top view of the handle and rod blank shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 6  is a bottom view of the handle and rod blank shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0025]    Although only one preferred embodiment of the invention is explained in detail, it is to be understood that the embodiment is given by way of illustration only. It is not intended that the invention be limited in its scope to the details of construction and arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. Also, in describing the preferred embodiments, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. It is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. 
         [0026]    As shown in  FIGS. 1A ,  18  and  2 , the present invention is directed to a handle, generally designated by reference numeral  10 , for a fishing rod assembly generally designated by reference numeral  12 , as representatively shown in  FIG. 3 . The fishing rod assembly  12  generally includes the handle  10  with a grip  24 , a reel  14 , and an elongated rod blank  16  with a tip  18  and a plurality of line guides  20 . The rod blank may be made of a lightweight material such as graphite or plexiglass, and either be unitary, as shown, or include two or more rod blank sections that may be arranged to form a single shaft, as is common in the art. 
         [0027]    As used herein, “proximal” and “rear” refers to that end of the structure nearest the fisherperson, while “distal” and “forward” refers to the opposite end, i.e., that end of the structure that is nearest to the tip of the rod. The terms “lower” and “bottom” refer to the rod assembly side against which the reel is mounted, while the terms “upper” and “top” refer to that side of the rod assembly opposite the reel. 
         [0028]    Also as used herein, “rod” and “rod blank” are used interchangeably to refer to the pole portion of a fishing rod assembly. 
         [0029]    The handle includes a base part  30  and a reel seat part  42  distal to the base part. The base part has an arched distal end  32  having an inset forward face  34  (see  FIGS. 4A and 4B ) and a generally cylindrical base body  36  proximal to the distal end  32 . The base body  36  preferably has a threaded outer surface  40  for insertion in and attachment to the internally threaded rod grip  24  at the proximal end of the fishing rod assembly  12 , as shown by dashed lines in  FIG. 3 . A central bore  38  extends proximally from the forward face  34  into the body  36 . The proximal end of the rod blank  22  is received and secured within the bore  38  so that the rod blank  22  is mounted concentrically to the base part  30  of the handle with no other support along its length. Limiting rod blank support to only that provided by the base part  30  allows the rod blank to be free-floating and to move without restriction until the blank bends so much that it comes into contact with the reel seat assembly below it as will be discussed further hereinafter. 
         [0030]    According to the illustrated embodiment, the proximal end of the rod blank is received within a generally cylindrical insert  35  that is bored out to the diameter of the rod blank proximal end. The rod blank proximal end is preferably permanently adhered to the inside diameter of the insert using an adhesive such as glue. The outer diameter of the insert is substantially the same as the inside diameter of the central bore  38 , allowing the insert to be tightly secured within the central bore. The insert is also preferably permanently adhered to the inside diameter of the base part bore using an adhesive such as glue. Use of the insert facilitates manufacture, particularly with small diameter rod blanks, by ensuring a close fit and axial alignment of the blank with the base part. The insert also provides a simplified means of accommodating different blank diameters without the need to change the central bore diameter in the handle base. Rather, the same size central bore may be used for a range of rod blank diameters by drilling out a smaller or a larger bore through the insert while the outer diameter of the insert and the inner diameter of the central bore can remain constant. 
         [0031]    The reel seat part  42  is integral with and extends distally from the arched distal end  32  of the base body  36 . The distal end of the reel seat part  42  is flared with a sloping forward face  48  (see  FIGS. 1 ,  4 A and  5 ). The bottom side  50  of the reel seat part includes a flat reel seat surface  52  (see  FIGS. 4B and 6 ) and a fixed hood  54  located distal to the reel seat surface  52 . The fixed hood  54  has a rearwardly facing recess  56  for receiving the distal leg  58  of the reel  14  (see  FIG. 3 ) in a manner known to those skilled in the art. 
         [0032]    As shown in  FIG. 4B , the top side  44  of the reel seat part  42  is concave, preferably semi-cylindrical, and has upwardly curved sides  45  that create a trough generally designated by reference numeral  46  through which the rod blank extends. The rod blank  22  is spaced from the upper surface  44  and from the sides  45  of the trough  46  so that the rod blank is not in direct contact with the reel seat part. The distance between the lower surface of the rod blank and the upper surface  44  of the trough  46 , as well as the distance between the upper edges  43  of the sides  45  and the respectively adjacent sides of the rod blank, may vary provided the spacing ensures that the outer surface of the rod blank is not in contact with the reel seat part of the handle and allows sufficient movement of the rod blank to indicate a fish strike or nibble to the fisherperson. In general, in the case of a semi-cylindrical upper surface  44 , the radius of said upper surface  44  should be at least about 1.5 times the radius of the rod blank, and preferably 2-5 times the radius of the rod blank. 
         [0033]    According to the illustrated embodiment, the upwardly directed sides  45  provide strength to the reel seat part while leaving a gap between their upper edges that is sufficiently wide to enable the fisherperson to maintain tactile contact with the rod blank in the area bounded by the sides and adjacent the handle base part. Therefore, when fishing, the front portion of the hand, the thumb and/or the forefingers may be in contact with the blank, allowing the fisherperson to feel the movement of the blank directly and obtain better control over the fishing experience. And because the rod blank is free-floating, having only its proximal end supported by the base part of the handle and being nowhere else supported along its length, the rod blank is not impeded from moving in response to even very small forces applied to the tip of the rod blank which are indicative of a fish bite or nibble. As additional forces are applied, the rod blank is able to move freely until it bends so much that it comes into contact with the reel seat part of the handle. 
         [0034]    The rod according to the present invention may also be used in a bait casting configuration in which the rod is held 180 degrees out, with the reel seat surface facing upward so that the reel is effectively mounted above the rod blank when the rod is in use. In this configuration, the trough, now upside-down, may touch the adjacent upper side of the rod blank without hindering rod sensitivity since, when bait casting, the force applied to the rod tip by a fish is downward in direction, pulling the blank away from the trough of the reel seat part. In use of the rod in both orientations, however, the rod blank is only supported at its rearmost end by the handle base part and the reel seat assembly and handle do not restrict or burden rod blank movement when fishing. 
         [0035]    The foregoing descriptions and drawings should be considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. The invention may be configured in a variety of shapes and sizes and is not limited by the dimensions of the preferred embodiment. Numerous applications of the present invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is not desired to limit the invention to the specific examples disclosed or the exact construction and operation shown and described. Rather, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.