Abstract:
An electronic marker device affixes a fishing rod to a fishing reel. The device includes a marker housing having a base and a cover to wrap around an arm of a fishing reel and enclose a foot of the reel and a rod of a fishing rod thereby preventing removal of the fishing reel from the fishing rod. The marker housing also supports an electronic marker so as to deter unauthorized removal of the rod and reel combination. The marker may be preferably an electronic article surveillance (EAS) marker.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/236,417, filed on Sep. 26, 2005, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates generally to a securement device for securing a fishing rod to a fishing reel for combined sale in a retail environment. More particularly, the present invention relates to a securement device for securing a rod to a reel and for supporting an electronic tag such as an article surveillance marker.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     It is commonplace for fishing equipment, such as rods and reels, to be sold as a combined product, i.e., a particular fishing rod will be associated with a particular fishing reel and sold as a mated pair of components. The components of each pair are usually selected by the manufacturer so as to be compatible from a standpoint of quality and price. In this manner, a consumer will purchase a combined rod and reel having similar quality and use characteristics.  
         [0004]     The manufacturer of the components would typically assemble the rod to the reel using simple securement techniques, such as plastic clips, cable ties, shrink wrap and the like. Once the combined product reaches the retail shelves, a consumer may seek to “swap out” one component of one pair with a component of a different pair. Such “swapping out” of components would allow a consumer to obtain a new combination at a price of the original combination. This results in the loss of revenue to the retailer.  
         [0005]     One technique to assure that the combination supplied by the manufacturer remains intact until after purchase by the consumer is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,151,826. This patent provides a lockable reel seat system which secures the reel to the rod. However, this patent requires that the rod be specifically manufactured to accommodate the reel seat lock. Thus, the technique shown in this patent cannot be universally used with existing rod and reel combinations.  
         [0006]     In addition, theft deterrence with regard to the individual components or the mated combination is also a significant consideration. While conventional theft deterrent markers may be used on one or more of the components of the combination, it requires separate application in addition to the application of securement structures to secure the rod to the reel.  
         [0007]     It is desirable to provide a securement device which can attach to a conventional rod and reel combination to secure the rod to the reel and which would include an electronic tag such as an article surveillance marker so that an indication is provided that the components have been swapped out and which also provide theft deterrence.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     The present invention provides an electronic tag or marker device for affixing to a rod and reel assembly. The assembly includes a fishing rod having an elongate mounting foot for attachment between a fixed and movable socket on a fishing rod. The device includes a marker housing having a base and a cover attachable to the base so as to overlie and enclose the foot and a part of the fishing rod attached thereto. The marker housing prevents access to the movable socket without destructively detaching the cover from the base. An electronic tag is supported within the housing.  
         [0009]     A further embodiment of the present invention includes an electronic marker device for affixing to a fishing rod and reel assembly. The assembly includes a fishing reel having an elongate mounting foot attached to the foot of the fishing rod and arm of the reel. The device includes a marker housing having a base and a cover attachable to the base. The marker housing includes a passageway for a rod to extend therethrough and the cover includes a rib which reduces the passageway and restricts movement of the housing about the rod. The marker housing prevents access to the movable socket without destructively detaching the cover from the base. An electronic marker supported within said housing. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  shows a portion of a rod and reel combination which may be employed in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  shows the electronic marker device affixed to the combination rod and reel which is shown in phantom.  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  shows an exploded perspective view of the marker device housing of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a perspective showing of the base of the marker housing of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is a perspective showing of the cover of the marker housing of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  is a perspective showing of the marker housing in the assembled condition.  
         [0016]      FIG. 7  shows the electronic marker device affixed to the combination rod and reel which is shown in phantom.  
         [0017]      FIG. 8  shows an exploded perspective view of the marker device housing of  FIG. 7 .  
         [0018]      FIG. 9  is an exploded perspective view of the marker device housing of  FIG. 7 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 10  is a perspective showing of the cover of the marker housing of  FIG. 7 .  
         [0020]      FIG. 11  is a perspective showing of the marker housing in the assembled condition.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0021]     The present invention provides a combination securement device for securing a fishing rod to a fishing reel and a device for supporting an electronic tag such as an article surveillance marker.  
         [0022]     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a fishing reel  10  is shown attached to a fishing rod  20  in position for sale as a combined unit. The fishing reel  10  and rod  20  are of conventional construction.  
         [0023]     Specifically, the reel  10  includes a reel body  12  which supports fishing line  13 . A depending arm  14  extends from the reel body  12  and an elongate transverse foot  16  extends perpendicular to the arm  14 . As will be described in further detail hereinbelow, the foot  16  is used to mount the fishing reel  10  to the fishing rod  20 .  
         [0024]     The rod  20  is also of conventional construction and is an elongate member having enlarged rear handle  22 , a flexible central shaft  24  and an enlarged forward handle  26 . The shaft  24  supports a pair of mounting sockets  33  and  31  thereon. Mounting socket  33  is a stationary socket supported adjacent the forward handle  26  while socket  31  is a moveable socket movably supported on a threaded portion  25  of shaft  24  for longitudinal movement therealong. In conventional fashion the moveable socket  31  may be moved rearwardly towards the rear handle  22  so as to allow placement of the mounting foot  16  of reel  10  onto the central portion of shaft  24 . The forward tip  16   a  of mounting foot  16  may be place within stationary socket  33 ; and the moveable socket  31  may be moved along shaft  24  so that it covers the rear tip  16   b  of mounting foot  16 . In this position, the reel is securely attached to the rod. However, as may be appreciated, by movement of the moveable socket  31  toward the rear handle  22 , the reel can be easily removed from the rod. In retail situations where the rod and reel are sold as a combined product, such removal of the reel from the rod may allow consumers to swap out the components of one combination with the components of another thus allowing the consumer to obtain a new combination at the price of the original combination. Locking devices such as cable ties  25  have been used to secure the reel  10  to the rod  20 , but such devices can be easily removed.  
         [0025]     The present invention provides a device which may be secured to the rod and reel combination to prevent the undetected swapping out of components.  
         [0026]     Referring more specifically to  FIG. 2 , the reel  10  and rod  20  assembled as described above is shown. A securement device  30  of the present invention is shown. Securement device  30 , which is more fully shown in  FIGS. 3-6 , is a two-part molded plastic housing having a base  32  and cover  34 . Base  32  is generally planar having a central curved location  34  which may be accommodated around the cylindrical shaft  24  of rod  20 . The cover  34  is generally U-shaped and is designed for interlocking engagement with base  32 . The assembled housing which is shown in  FIG. 6  provides a generally cylindrical passage  37  therethrough which, as shown in  FIG. 2 , accommodates the shaft  24  of rod  20 .  
         [0027]     Referring again to  FIG. 2 , when placed about the assembled rod and reel combination, the device housing encloses the moveable socket  31  ( FIG. 1 ) preventing access thereto. Without access to the moveable socket  31 , the reel  10  cannot be removed from the rod  20 .  
         [0028]     The base  32  is secured to the cover  34  in such a manner that it cannot be non-destructibly disassembled. In that regard, referring again to  FIGS. 3-6 , the base  32  includes a plurality of apertures  36  which are aligned for receiving fingers  38  which extend from cover  34 . The fingers  38  have an elongate shaft portion  38   a  and a transverse lip  38   b  extending outwardly therefrom. The lip  38   b  includes an upper ramped surface  38   c  which allows the fingers  38  to be inserted into the apertures  36  in an insertion direction. However, the configuration of the fingers  38  is such that the fingers cannot be withdrawn from the apertures so as to easily remove the base from the cover.  
         [0029]     A further feature of the present invention is more fully shown in  FIG. 4 . In addition to securely retaining the reel  10  to the rod  20 , the securement device  30  housing also supports an electronic tag or marker. The marker  50  may be any type of electronic marker such as a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or an electronic article surveillance (EAS) marker. In the preferred embodiment, shown herein in  FIG. 4 , marker  50  is a conventional electronic article surveillance marker which may be used to electronically detect removal of the particular item to which it is applied from a retail outlet. Such an electronic article surveillance maker may be applied to the securement device housing so as to provide non-detectable article surveillance to the combined rod and reel. In the present illustrative embodiment, the marker  50  may be applied to the base  32  as shown in  FIG. 4  by adhesively securing the marker within the arcuate portion  35  of the base.  
         [0030]     Having described the structural elements of the present invention, its use in securing a reel to a rod may now be described. Referring again to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the real  10  is secured to rod  20  as above described using the stationary and moveable sockets  33  and  31  to secure the foot  16  to the shaft  24 . Thereafter, the marker device housing  30  is attached to the shaft  24  about the moveable socket  31  Additionally,  FIG. 3  shows cover  34  including rib  35 . Rib  35  reduces the inner diameter of the cover  34  and at least a portion of the passageway  37  is reduced. The rib  35  provides a smaller passageway then the diameter of the handle portion of the rod  20  to prevent the device from being slipped over the handle and removed. The rib  35  may extend a portion of the cover  34  or the entire length of the cover  34  reducing the passageway  37  accordingly between the cover  34  and base  32 . Further, the rib  35  may protrude from the cover  34  inner diameter surface only at the end closest to the handle of the rod  20 . The electronic article surveillance marker  50  is resident within the base  32  of device  30 . The base  32  is snap fitted onto the cover  34  with the fingers being insertably positioned within the apertures so as to non-removably attach the cover  34  to the base  32  about the shaft  24 . Moreover, access to the moveable socket is prevented as the device  30  cannot be slid off of socket  31 . The arm  14  of reel  10  prevents forward movement while the rear handle  22  prevents rearward movement. With the reel  10  secured to the rod  20  in such a manner, the present invention provides both a device which prevents nondetectable swapping out of components of the rod and reel assembly, and also provides electronic article surveillance for the combination.  
         [0031]     A further embodiment of the present invention is securement device  130  shown in  FIGS. 7-12 . The securement device  130  is similar to the securement device  30  of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0032]     Securement device  130 , which is more fully shown in  FIGS. 7-11 , is a two-part molded plastic housing having a base  132  and cover  134 . Base  132  is generally planar having a central curved or outwardly extending location  133  which may be accommodated around the cylindrical shaft  24  of rod  20 . The cover  134  is generally U-shaped and is designed for interlocking engagement with base  132 . The base includes an arm slot  140 . The assembled housing which is shown in  FIG. 11  provides a generally cylindrical passage  137  therethrough which, as shown in  FIG. 2 , accommodates the shaft  24  of rod  20 .  
         [0033]      FIG. 7  shows the device housing  130  extends on either side of the arm  14  preventing access thereto, when placed about the assembled rod and reel combination. The device  130  includes an arm slot  140  which allows the arm  14  of the reel to extend therethrough while the cover  134  enclosed the foot  16  and a part of the rod to prevent the reel  10  from being removed from the rod  20 . Further, as shown in  FIG. 8 , the device  130  includes a rib  135  which is similar in function and design as rib  35  of device  30 . Rib  135  reduced the inner diameter of the cover  134  and reduces at least a portion of the passageway  137  to provide a tighter fit between the rod  20  and the device  130  attached thereabout.  
         [0034]     The base  132  is secured to the cover  134  in such a manner that it cannot be non-destructibly disassembled. In that regard, referring again to  FIGS. 8-11 , the base  132  includes a plurality of apertures  136  which are aligned for receiving fingers  138  which extend from cover  134 . The fingers  138  have an elongate shaft portion  138   a  and a transverse lip  138   b  extending outwardly therefrom. The lip  138   b  includes an upper ramped surface  138   c  which allows the fingers  138  to be inserted into the apertures  136  in an insertion direction. However, the configuration of the fingers  138  is such that the fingers  138  cannot be withdrawn from the apertures  136  so as to easily remove the base  132  from the cover  134 .  
         [0035]     A further feature of the present invention is more fully shown in  FIG. 9 . In addition to securely retaining the reel  10  to the rod  20 , the securement device  130  housing also supports an electronic tag or marker. The marker  50  may be any type of electronic marker such as a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or an electronic article surveillance (EAS) marker. In the preferred embodiment, shown herein in  FIG. 9 , marker  50  is a conventional electronic article surveillance marker which may be used to electronically detect removal of the particular item to which it is applied from a retail outlet. Such an electronic article surveillance maker may be applied to the securement device housing so as to provide non-detectable article surveillance to the combined rod and reel. In the present illustrative embodiment, the marker  50  may be applied to the base  132  as shown in  FIG. 9  by various means including snapping fitted or adhesively securing the marker within the arcuate portion  133  of the base  132 .  
         [0036]     Having described the structural elements of the present invention, its use in securing a reel to a rod may now be described. Referring again to  FIG. 8 , the reel  10  is secured about the arm  14  of the rod  20  as above described using the stationary and moveable sockets  30  and  31  to secure the foot  16  to the shaft  24 . Thereafter, the marker device housing  130  is attached to the shaft  24  about the arm  14  and foot  16 . The electronic article surveillance marker  50  is resident within the base  132  of device  130 . The base  132  is snap fitted onto the cover  134  with the fingers being insertably positioned within the apertures so as to non-removably attach the cover  134  to the base  132  about the shaft  24 . Moreover, access to the moveable socket is prevented as the device  130  cannot be slid off of socket  31 . The arm  14  of reel  10  prevents forward and rearward movement. With the reel  10  secured to the rod  20  in such a manner, the present invention provides both a device which prevents nondetectable swapping out of components of the rod and reel assembly, and also provides electronic article surveillance for the combination.  
         [0037]     Various changes to the foregoing described and shown structures will now be evident to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the particularly disclosed scope of the invention is set forth in the following claims.