Abstract:
A container for storing and preserving fishing bait. The container is specially designed for live bait, especially water-based bait. The container and certain embodiments can be worn along the waist of a fisherman. In the number of embodiments the container stores an aerator to supply oxygen to the water and preserve the water-based bait contained within. The container frequently includes a cover unit allowing a fisherman to insert his or her hand into the container to withdraw a bait while keeping the remaining bait inside of the container.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not applicable. 
       FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not applicable. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0004]    The present invention relates generally to fishing bait containers, and in particular, fishing bait containers that are wearable and comprise an aerator. 
         [0005]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0006]    Fishing is a popular hobby. Like most hobbies, enthusiasts of fishing look for ways to make the experience more enjoyable while participating. Enthusiasts have found ways to track and lure fish better, pass time while fishing, and improve existing hardware. One area for improvement most fundamental to catching fish is properly storing live bait prior to deployment. A wide variety of live bait are available including worms, crickets, frogs, shrimp, other fish, and many more. Given the wide variety of types of bait, the techniques for properly preserving and keeping such bait are nearly if not more broad. One issue common amongst nearly all types of bait is ensuring that the container allow the fisherman to freely insert his or her hand to grab a bait, and prevent other bait from escaping. 
         [0007]    Issues surrounding the storage and preservation of live bait often involve minimizing stress to the live bait and keeping the storage media as close to the bait&#39;s native conditions is possible. Consequently, the conditions necessary to store and preserve water-based live bait, such as fish and shrimp, are necessarily different than those of dirt based bait, such as crickets and worms. For the water-based variety of live bait, storage containers typically contain water. As a result, the container is often awkward and heavy, presenting more issues for the enthusiasts. Whether on a boat, the shore, or in the water, fishing enthusiasts often prefer to remain stationary so as to not startle the fish. Given the awkwardness and heaviness of current containers, enthusiasts frequently move back and forth between their fishing spot in the position where they have placed the bait container. Another issue arises when dealing with water-based bait: insufficient supply of oxygen to the water increases the likelihood of fatality amongst water-based bait. 
         [0008]    Enthusiasts have previously attempted to address some of these issues, but have fallen short. For instance, Ward (U.S. Pat. No. 7,017,297) teaches a container for live fish having a handle and a point of entry for the fishermen to insert his or her hand into the container. To some extent, Ward still requires the fishermen to move in order to retrieve live bait. And although 
         [0009]    Ward provides for air holes near the upper portion of the container, oxygen diffusion across the water surface of the vertical container is minimal. 
         [0010]    The present invention eliminates these problems. The present invention—their various embodiments—is intended to be worn by the fisherman. Elements making embodiments of the invention wearable include: curvature along one side for placement along fisherman&#39;s waste; belt loops and/or strap(s) with a hook and loop material for attachment; and lightweight materials. In most embodiments, the container includes a rubber or similar material based diaphragm connected to the water-based portion of the container. As a result of these components, or combinations, modifications and variations thereof, the present invention is an effective wearable and portable fishing bait container. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    In the embodiment discussed herein, the present invention contains a fishing bait container consisting of a container, a lid, a compartment for holding an aerator, an aerator, a hose, an airstone, a cover unit, and a belt and/or belt loop(s). The container can hold water and/or live bait and the compartment for holding the aerator. Along the outside of the container may be a belt loop(s) for securing a belt. Alternatively, the container may be secured to the user&#39;s body with hook and loop material secured to the container and a belt. The aerator connects to the hose, and delivers oxygen to an airstone, which is secured inside of the container. The container is closed using a cover unit comprising a diaphragm. The container may be used for storing live bait for fishing and other applications. These elements, along with other elements, may be included in various embodiments of the invention. 
         [0012]    In view of the foregoing, the principal object of the present invention is to provide a fishing bait container that extends the life of live bait. 
         [0013]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a fishing bait container that is comfortable and easy to wear. 
         [0014]    It is another object of the present invention to prevent fishing bait from escaping from the fishing bait container. 
         [0015]    It is another object of the present invention to make it easy for the fisherman to access fishing bait from the fishing bait container. 
         [0016]    These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art from the detailed description of the invention and the claims, with it understood that other configurations or substitutions of material may be used and are included within the scope of the claims of this invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a top side frontal perspective view of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is a top side rear perspective view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional plan view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  shows the embodiment from line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  is a plan partial view of an alternative embodiment. 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  shows the embodiment from line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 7  shows a sectional left view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 8  is an environmental view of the present invention coupled to a user&#39;s waist. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0025]      FIGS. 1 and 2  depict the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The invention is characterized as a container  20  having a bean-shaped cross section with a concave front surface  24  and convex rear surface  26 . In certain embodiments, the rear surface  26  is intended to generally comport with the curvature of a fisherman&#39;s waist. The container has an upper, open end which can be covered with a cover member or lid  34 , having a rubber diaphragm  32  for easy access to the interior of the container  20 . 
         [0026]    In one embodiment of the invention, the container  20  is attached to the fisherman by a belt  29  which fits through loop(s)  28  positioned on the rear surface  26  of container  20  for placement of the container  20  along a fisherman&#39;s waist. The ends of the belt  29  may be secured with a clasp or with hook and loop material as shown in  FIG. 2 . In another embodiment, the belt  29  may have hook and loop material which connects to patches of hook and loop material (not shown) attached to the rear surface  26  of the container  20 . 
         [0027]    The container  20  material could be made malleable or rigid. Malleability of the container  20  may provide advantages in added comfort and reducing the container&#39;s footprint for storage purposes—especially if it is compressible in one or more axis. 
         [0028]    Regardless of shape, the container  20  in some embodiments could hold dirt for storing worms and crickets, etc. or water for water-based bait. Neither of these options should be construed as limiting. Additionally, certain embodiments will include access for the fisherman to insert his or her hand into the container  20  and grab bait. In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the access is the rubber diaphragm  32  attached to and covering a first opening  37  in the removable cover member  34 . In addition to allowing the fisherman access, the rubber diaphragm  32  prevents bait from escaping the container  20 . The cover member  34  may be made of plastic or rubber but other materials may also be used. Alternatively, the cover member  34  may be removable, fixed or partially connected to the container  20 .  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  also illustrate a small second opening  36  positioned through the cover member  34 , which is discussed in greater detail below. Alternative embodiments might not include the second opening  36 . The cover member  34  might also include a tab  38  useful for prying the cover member  34  from the top of the container  20 . 
         [0029]    Referring to  FIGS. 3, 4 and 7 , the container  20  includes a first compartment  40  used for holding an aerator  42  having a switch  54 . The types of aerators that might be used might dictate the shape and position of the compartment, and vice versa. In particular, the type of aerator will likely dictate to what extent the first compartment  40  might be sealed from the remainder of the container  20 . Additionally, the means by which an aerator operates or supplies oxygen to the container  20  should not be construed as limiting. In this embodiment, the aerator  42  includes a pump (not shown), a switch  54  and connects to a hose  44 . The hose  44  exits the first compartment  40  into the interior of the container  20  and supplies oxygen to an airstone  46  inside the container  20 . As oxygen is released from the airstone  46  into the water of the container  20 , the fisherman extends the longevity of the live bait contained therein. In certain embodiments the hose  44  may be secured by a clamp  48  attached to a bottom internal surface  52  of the container  20 . Although  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4  depict a clamp  48  centrally located on the bottom internal surface  52  of the container  20 , a clamp  48  may be positioned closer to the interior walls of the bait container  20 . Additionally, positioning the clamp  48  and the airstone  46  along the bottom internal surface  52  may optimize the release of oxygen from the airstone  46 . In particular, the path of oxygen flow is increased as the oxygen flows from the airstone  46  positioned at the bottom internal surface  52  to the surface of the water contained (not shown) in the container  20 . 
         [0030]    The hose  44  may exit the first compartment  40  by a number of paths. In the preferred embodiment, the hose  44  passes through an opening  45  in the first vertical portion. In this embodiment, a seal  47  may be positioned around the edge of the opening which creates an interference fit with the hose  44  and a sealed barrier at the opening. Alternatively, the hose  44  may exit through the top of the first compartment  40  and reenter the container  20 , either through the rubber diaphragm  32 , or a hose reentry point (not shown) in the cover member  34 . 
         [0031]    In the preferred embodiment disclosed in  FIG. 4 , the first compartment  40  comprises a first vertical partition  50 , a second vertical partition  51 , and a lower horizontal partition  52  to separate the first compartment  40  from the interior of the container  20 . Alternatively, the compartment may have fewer or additional vertical partitions if it is desired for the partitions of the compartment to conform to the shape of the aerator. The top edge of the first vertical partition  50  and the second vertical partition  51  are co-planer with the top edge of the lip  43  of the container  20 . 
         [0032]    In the preferred embodiment, a seal or gasket  58  is positioned against the underside surface  39  of the cover member  34  so that it compresses between the cover member  34  and the top edges of the lip  43  and the first and second vertical partitions  50 ,  51  when the cover member  34  is in place. In this manner, a sealed barrier is created around the lip  43  and between the compartment  40  and the interior of the container  20 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  illustrate the cover member  34  in more detail. The cover member  34  has a flat planar upper surface  35 , and a flat planar underside surface  39 . A first opening  37  extends through the cover member  34 , and is sized to allow a user&#39;s hand to fit therethrough. The first opening  37 , is covered with a diaphragm  32  which has slits  31  therethrough. In the preferred embodiment, there are two perpendicular slits  31  which cut the diaphragm into four separate diaphragm members  33   a,    33   b,    33   c  and  33   d.  Each of the diaphragm members,  33   a,    33   b,    33   c  and  33   d,  are attached to the cover member  34  adjacent their outer edges but are separated from each of the other diaphragm members at their interior edges. In this manner, the interior edges of the flexible diaphragm members  33   a,    33   b,    33   c  and  33   d  will further separate as user&#39;s hand is pushed through the diaphragm. 
         [0034]    A second opening  36  may also extend through the cover member  34 . This second opening  36  is positioned to correspond with a switch  54  on the aerator  42  when placed in the compartment  40  and positioned below the cover member  34 . In this manner, a user may activate the aerator switch  54  while the cover member  34  is in place. Preferably the gasket  58  does not cover the second opening  36 . However, in some embodiments, the second opening  36  may be covered by the gasket  58 . In these embodiments, the gasket  58  may be thin or flexible enough such that the switch  54  may be toggled through the gasket  58 . 
         [0035]    The cover member  34  has a continuous rim  43  with a lip  41  at its distal end. The lip  41  is positioned to interlock with a lip  47  extending outwardly from the top edge of the container  20  (See  FIG. 4 ). 
         [0036]      FIG. 7  illustrates an aerator  42  held in a first compartment  40 . The aerator  42  is activated by a switch  54 . 
         [0037]    While the embodiments depicted in the illustrations suggest that the aerator  42  is placed near the upper portions of the invention, it may be placed in different portions of the invention. Alternatively, certain embodiments might not include a compartment for an aerator. Similarly, an aerator per se may not be used, but other devices or means for supplying oxygen to the invention may be employed—or none at all. 
         [0038]    This container  20  can be made from a variety of materials, which may include metal, rubber, and/or plastic. The particular thickness and other dimensions of the materials are not particularly important, so long as the pieces are necessarily durable for storing and preserving live bait. 
         [0039]    The shape of the invention is generally not critical. In the preferred embodiment, however, the shape of the invention will fit comfortably along the waist of the fisherman as shown in  FIG. 8 . To that end, the materials used to construct the container  20  when combined with the weight of its contents, should be of a weight that is comfortable for a fishermen to keep at his or her waistline with a belt containing hook and loop material (or other material). 
         [0040]    When in use with water-based bait, the fisherman should add water to the invention through the diaphragm  32  or through the top opening of the container  20  when the cover member  34  is not in place or a separate port (as may be included in other embodiments). Once water is added to the container, the fisherman can add water-based bait. If the cover member  34  has been removed, the fisherman should return  15  its position so that the live bait does not escape. If the fisherman intends to use an aerator  42  in a particular embodiment of the invention, the fisherman should turn on the aerator  42  before the live bait is introduced to the water or not long thereafter. At this point, the fisherman is ready to position the invention in front of his or her waist and secure the belt around his or her body. When the fisherman is ready to retrieve live bait, he/she may do so by passing his or her hand through the diaphragm  32  of the cover member  34  and pulling the live bait out. 
         [0041]    The present invention is described above in terms of a preferred illustrative embodiment of a specifically described fishing bait container that is wearable and comprises an aerator, as well as alternative embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that alternative constructions and implementations of such bait container including different sizes and/or arrangement of components can be used in carrying out the present invention. Other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention may be obtained from a study of this disclosure and the drawings, along with the appended claims.