Abstract:
A fishing lure including a head portion and a flow-through appendage cavity portion which are removably secured together, the cavity portion including an open front end, a closed tail end, and a substantially rigid sidewall between the front and tail ends, the sidewall having a plurality of sidewall openings disposed to permit flow-through of fluid while preventing pass-through of solids dimensioned greater than the widest sidewall opening.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to sport fishing, and, more specifically, to the field of fishing lures and baits for attaching fish. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The challenge of attracting fish with lure and bait goes back millennia and has spawned much invention among fishermen and makers of tackle. For fisherman not content to adorn the end of their line with simple sinker and hook, non-disposable artificial lures of immense variety are known in the art. Most have no provision at all for bait, such as organic or animal matter, and instead depend on visual attractiveness. However, some non-disposable artificial lures have been developed with means for temporary attachment or enclosure of bait, such as animal or other organic matter, which provides non-visual sensory attractiveness to fish. It is improvement in this sort of fishing lure to which the present invention is directed. 
         [0003]    The variety of available fishing lures for use at the end of a fishing line has increased with the availability and affordability of modern methods for fabricating and shaping materials—for example, metal and plastic—used in lures. Despite notable creativity in this area in recent decades, room for invention is far from exhausted. 
         [0004]    Particular need exists for an attractive non-disposable lure that is capable of securely enclosing bait, large or small, while permitting natural flow of water through the bait-enclosing part of the lure, and wherein the bait-enclosing means provides for quick, simple and clean insertion, enclosure, removal and replacement of bait, facilitating clean and efficient switching of bait by the fisherman without switching lures, and which also serves effectively as a fish-attracting lure even in the absence of any enclosed or attached bait. It is to these several advantages which are the objects of the present invention. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The fishing lure of this invention includes (1) a head portion and (2) at least one flow-through appendage cavity portion secured to the head portion. More specifically, the head portion has a first securement surface and the cavity portion has a second securement surface, such securement surfaces being configured and dimensioned so that they are engageable with one another to secure the cavity portion to the head portion. If there are more than one cavity portions, each cavity portion has a second securement surface to engage a corresponding first securement surface of the head portion. The fishing lure also has a hook or other fish-catching member; the hook or other fish-catching member is preferably attached to the head portion of the fishing lure, typically in some dangling fashion. 
         [0006]    The flow-through appendage cavity portion, or more accurately each flow-through appendage cavity portion, includes: an open front end and at such location its corresponding second securement surface; a closed tail end; and a substantially rigid sidewall between the front end and the tail end, the sidewall including a plurality of sidewall openings disposed to permit flow-through of fluid (water) while preventing pass-through of solids dimensioned greater than the widest sidewall opening. The cavity of the flow-through cavity portion is configured to hold bait inserted therein by the user, such that when the fishing lure is in the water, either still or moving through the water, the fish-attracting constituents of such bait emanate from the fishing lure, by virtue of its flow-though characteristic, and increase the attractiveness of the fishing lure to fish in the area. 
         [0007]    In certain preferred embodiments of this invention, the sidewall of the flow-through appendage cavity is of wire mesh and the sidewall openings are apertures defined by intersecting wires of the mesh. Preferably, such sidewall includes many hundreds of sidewall openings, and the sidewall openings are sized to prevent flow-through of animal matter usable as fishing bait. Most preferably, the widest sidewall opening is less than about 2 mm in width. 
         [0008]    It is highly preferred that the sidewall of the cavity portion of the inventive fishing lure be hollow and tubular, providing good capacity for bait material. Such sidewall may be of cylindrical, near-cylindrical or truncated conical shape. The cross-sectional shape of the sidewall can be in a smooth circular or other smooth shape. 
         [0009]    In certain preferred embodiments, the sidewall of the flow-through cavity portion includes at least one longitudinal crease. Such crease may be formed by the folding of wire mesh material or may be formed by the joining together of free edges of a piece of wire mesh material, for example, such that there are two “creases”—one resulting from folding of wire mesh material and a generally parallel one from the joining of edges. In certain embodiments having at least one sidewall crease, the sidewall includes two opposing interior surfaces that meet at such at least one longitudinal crease and define an angle of 90° or less. 
         [0010]    In certain preferred embodiments of the fishing lure of this invention, the head portion includes a marking, coloring or shape feature simulating an eye or other animal head part. This is believed to create visual interest for fish to go along with the non-visual sensory attractiveness provided by the bait or other material contained within the flow-through cavity portion. 
         [0011]    In some preferred embodiments, the tail end of the of the cavity portion of the fishing lure also includes a capping element. The capping element is preferably manually removable by the user to open the closed tail end. 
         [0012]    In some of such embodiments, at least one of the sidewall and the capping element includes a marking, an applied coloring, an infused coloring or a shape feature simulating an animal body part. This marking, coloring and/or shaping is/are believed, as with respect to markings and features added to the head portion, to create visual interest for fish to go along with the non-visual sensory attractiveness provided by the bait or other material contained within the flow-through cavity portion. 
         [0013]    Attachment and detachment of the flow-through cavity portion of the fishing lure from the head portion or, more accurately, opening and closing the cavity of the cavity portion, are preferably facilitated by the nature of the structure. There are various preferred structures for these purposes. 
         [0014]    In certain highly preferred embodiments, the flow-through cavity portion is screwably attachable/detachable with respect to the head portion. In such cases, the first and second securement surfaces included corresponding threads. 
         [0015]    In another preferred embodiment, the head portion and the cavity portion are attached to each other by a hinge, with one of the first and second securement surfaces of such portions including a latch and the other of the first and second securement surfaces including a latch-catch. The latch and the latch-catch define a point of securement after the cavity portion has bait or other material inserted in it. 
         [0016]    In still other preferred embodiments, the first and second securement surfaces of the head portion and cavity portion, respectively, are frictionally engageable. In one highly preferred embodiment, the first and second securement surfaces configured and arranged to be snap-engageable. 
         [0017]    As already stated or implied above, some fishing lures in accordance with this invention included a plurality of flow-through appendage cavity portions. In such cases, the head portion includes a plurality of securement surfaces for simultaneous securing a corresponding plurality of cavity portions to the head portion. 
         [0018]    Another aspect of this invention is a flow-through appendage cavity member for a fishing lure, the cavity member including: an open end having a securement surface for securement to another portion of the fishing lure; a closed end; and a substantially rigid sidewall between the two ends which has a plurality of sidewall openings disposed to permit flow-through of fluid while preventing pass-through of solids dimensioned greater than the widest sidewall opening. 
         [0019]    Another aspect of this invention is fishing lure including: a first body portion that has a first securement surface; and at least one flow-through cavity portion appended to the first body portion, the cavity portion including (a) an opening and a second securement surface engageable with the first securement surface, (b) a substantially rigid sidewall, the sidewall including a plurality of sidewall openings disposed to permit flow-through of fluid while preventing pass-through of solids dimensioned greater than the widest sidewall opening. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0020]      FIG. 1  is a side elevation of a fishing lure in accordance with this invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  is a rear elevation of the fishing lure of  FIG. 1  or, stated differently, a left side view of the device of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  is a front elevation of the fishing lure of  FIG. 1  or, stated differently, a right side view of the device of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the fishing lure of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment. 
           [0025]      FIGS. 6-8  are perspective views of fishing lures generally like that of  FIG. 1 , but illustrating different forms to achieve removable engagement of the cavity portion with the head portion, allowing complete disengagement of the cavity portion from the head portion. 
           [0026]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment in which the cavity portion is hinged to the head portion, the fishing lure being shown in the full open position. 
           [0027]      FIG. 10  is a partially exploded perspective view of variation of the fishing lure of this invention which includes a capping element at the rear of the cavity portion of the lure. 
           [0028]      FIG. 10A  is a perspective view of another rear capping element. 
           [0029]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention. 
           [0030]      FIG. 12  is a top plan view of still another fishing lure in accordance with this invention. 
           [0031]      FIG. 13  is a front elevation of the fishing lure of  FIG. 12 . 
           [0032]      FIG. 14  is a rear elevation of the fishing lure of  FIG. 12  or, stated differently, a left side view of the device of  FIG. 13 . 
           [0033]      FIG. 15  is a front elevation of the fishing lure of  FIG. 12  or, stated differently, a right side view of the device of  FIG. 13 . 
           [0034]      FIG. 16  is a perspective view of yet another fishing lure in accordance with this invention, namely, a fishing lure having two flow-through appendage cavity portions attached to a head portion adapted for such attachment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0035]    The figures illustrate a number of embodiments of the present fishing lure invention. Like numbers are used for parts and portions of the embodiments shown if the parts and portions are substantially similar. 
         [0036]      FIGS. 1-4  and  6  illustrate a fishing lure  10 . Fishing lure  10  includes a head portion  12  and a flow-through appendage cavity portion  14  secured to the head portion. Head portion  12  has a line-connector eyelet  16  at its front end and a dangling three-prong hook element  18  secured to its side near the rear thereof, so that hook element  18  dangles alongside cavity portion  14  when fishing lure  10  is pulled through the water. 
         [0037]    Head portion  12 , sometimes referred to herein as first body portion, is not given the name head portion because it may replicate the head of a fanciful creature, although it may be made to appear like a creature&#39;s head or to include a creature&#39;s head or to include features such as eyes which would be representative of a fanciful creature. In the embodiment illustrated, head portion  12  is the front or lead portion of fishing lure  10  as it is pulled through the water on a line. But other arrangements are also contemplated. 
         [0038]    As shown best in  FIG. 6 , head portion  12  has a first securement surface  20  at its rear end and cavity portion  14  has a second securement surface  22  at its forward end. Second securement surface  22  extends around filling opening  23  of cavity portion  14 . First and second securement surfaces  20  and  22  are configured to be tightly frictionally engageable. When disengaged, the cavity formed by cavity portion  14  can be loaded with bait material, whether animal material, other organic material, or any material that would provide non-visual sensory attractiveness by emissions while fishing lure  10  is pulled through the water. When engaged, the loaded material is not only retained, but head portion  12  and cavity portion  14  together from a completed fishing lure body. The frictional engagement of first and second securement surfaces  20  and  22  can be aided in any way desired, including any mechanical means. 
         [0039]      FIGS. 7-9  illustrate alternative first and second engagement surfaces for releaseable engagement of cavity portion  14  to head portion  12 .  FIG. 7  shows snap-engagement surfaces  20 A and  22 A, while  FIG. 8  shows screw engagement surfaces  20 B and  22 B.  FIG. 9  illustrates an embodiment in which the head and the cavity portions are attached to one another by a hinge  24 , with the head portion having a latch  26 A and the cavity portion having a latch-catch  26 B. Latch  26 A and latch-catch  26 B provide secure closure of cavity portion after bait or other material is inserted into the cavity formed by the cavity portion. Using a hinging device keeps the head and cavity portions together even when the device is opened for loading or unloading purposes. 
         [0040]    Flow-through appendage cavity portion  14  also has a closed tail (or rear) end  28 . Between tail end  28  and the front end of cavity portion  14  where opening  23  is located, cavity portion  14  has a substantially rigid sidewall  30  extending along the length of cavity portion  14 . Sidewall  30 , and also rear end  28 , are a substantially rigid wire-mesh structure. The term “substantially rigid” as used herein means that the structure has fixed form and shape, rather than being collapsible, such as a bag or the like. Thus, cavity portion  14  together with head portion  12  makes fishing lure  10  to have a defined essentially fixed shape. The wire mesh sidewalls of cavity portion  14  are permanently attached to a rigid band  32  which forms the forwardmost portion of cavity portion  14  and forms second securement surface  22 . 
         [0041]    The wire mesh structure of fishing lure  10  is perhaps best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , but  FIGS. 4 and 6  represent the same wire mesh, as do  FIGS. 7-10  and  16  of other embodiments. The embodiment shown in  FIGS. 12-15  also utilizes wire mesh for its cavity portion. The wire mesh illustrated for all such embodiments provides a great number of sidewall openings between the intersecting wires of the mesh; these openings, which are less than about 2 mm in width, serve to contain the bait or other inserted material while allowing flow-through of water and outflow of the non-visual attractant emitted from the contained material. 
         [0042]      FIG. 5  illustrates a fishing lure  40  which is an alternate embodiment having a cavity portion  42  of rigid plastic, formed by molding or otherwise, metal or other material. Cavity portion  42  has a sidewall with a pattern of elongate flow-through openings  44  formed therein. These are sized to prevent unintentional outflow of bait or other materials inserted into the cavity within cavity portion  42 . 
         [0043]      FIG. 11  illustrates a fishing lure  50  which is another alternate embodiment of the invention. Fishing lure  50  has a cavity portion  52  of plastic or other material, and has a series of longer sidewall openings  54 . Cavity portion  52  of fishing lure  50  also has some frog-feet animal-like features  56  on it to add visual attractiveness. Features  56  may be of the same material as cavity portion  52 , and may even be integrally formed with the remainder of cavity portion  52 . Alternatively, they can be rubber-like and flexible, which may allow them to wiggle or oscillate in the water while fishing lure  50  is pulled through the water. 
         [0044]      FIG. 10  illustrates a fishing lure  60  which is yet another embodiment of the invention. Fishing lure  60  has a cavity portion  62  which in all respects is like that of fishing lure  10 , except that instead of having wire mesh at its tail end it has a rigid flat cylindrical end member  64  to which a capping member in the form of a conical pointed tailpiece  66  is attached. End member  64  can provide a rear opening or can simply provide a means for attachment of tailpiece  66 .  FIG. 10A  illustrates another capping member, a tailpiece  66 A which can be used in place of tailpiece  66 . Tailpiece  66 A includes flaring wing-like structures which can provide additional visual attractiveness and/or impart a propellor-like spinning motion to fishing lure  60  as it is pulled through the water. These capping members are manually removable and, if end member  64  has an opening therethrough, are additional means to open and close cavity portion  62 . 
         [0045]      FIGS. 12-15  illustrate still another embodiment of the invention, a fishing lure  70  which has a flatter configuration. More specifically, fishing lure  70  has a head portion  72  and a flow-through appendage cavity member  74  each of which is somewhat flat, such that cross-sections across either portion and at the juncture of such portions are high and narrow. 
         [0046]    Cavity member  74  has a sidewall of substantially rigid wire mesh material, as with other embodiments illustrated herein. However, rather than having essentially round cross-sections along the length of the cavity member, the sidewall of cavity member  74  includes opposing sidewall portions  75 A and  75 B which come together at two longitudinal creases  76  and  77  which are spaced from one another. One of the creases may be created by the folding of the wire mesh material, and the other by the joining together of edges of the wire mesh material. Or, if the wire mesh material is provided in tube form, both creases may be the result of folding. The term “creases” as used herein does not require formation by folding. Sidewall portions  75 A and  75 B come together at each crease at an angle well under 90°, and sidewall portions  75 A and  75 B are outwardly bowed when viewed in cross-section, as can be seen best in  FIG. 14 . The “flatness” of cavity member  74 , of course, determines the capacity of the cavity within cavity member  74 . The angles between the sidewall portions and the nature of their outward bowing all have an effect on the movement of fishing lure  70  as it moves through the water. 
         [0047]      FIG. 16  illustrates a fishing lure  80  in accordance with this invention. Fishing lure  80  differs from the other embodiments shown in that it includes a head portion  82  and two flow-through appendage cavity portions  84 . Head portion  82  is designed to have two first securement surfaces each of which accommodates one of cavity portions  84 . Cavity portions  84  each have a second securement surface configured for attachment to head portion  82  at one of the first securement surfaces. 
         [0048]    All portions of the fishing lures of this invention may have shape features simulating animal body parts, applied coloring, markings, or graphic decorations of various kind, as is frequently done with fishing lures. Such features are added to create visual interest for fish to go along with the non-visual sensory attractiveness provided by the bait or other material contained within the flow-through cavity portions. 
         [0049]    The fishing lures of this invention may be made with available materials and using known methods. 
         [0050]    While the principles of this invention have been described in connection with specific embodiments, it should be understood clearly that these descriptions are made only by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.