Abstract:
A fishing float with an improved line arrestor to releasably clamp the fishing float to the fishing line. The line arrestor includes a lock clamp and a slip clamp so that the line may be secured to the fishing line at a desired position, or alternatively may be secured to the fishing line yet allow the fishing float to slip along the line. The fishing float may include a light to allow for night fishing and to attract fish.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of co-pending provisional application Ser. No. 61/920,236, filed on Dec. 23, 2013, entitled LIGHTED FISHING FLOAT WITH IMPROVED LINE CLAMP. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention generally relates to a fishing float and, more particularly, to a fishing float with a light source for locating the float at night and attracting fish, and an improved line clamp for releasably securing a fishing line thereto. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    A fishing float normally consists of a buoyant body member attachable to a fishing line at any desired distance from the hook and lure attached to the end of the line, and operable as it floats at the water surface to support the hook and lure at any distance below the surface at which it may be desired to fish. The float may be attached to any point of the line for this purpose, by means of a clamp device incorporated in the float body itself. Typically the fishing float is configured to be used during the day. 
         [0004]    The line clamps in the most common use at the present time usually incorporate a wire projecting from the lure body and having its outer end bent to form a re-entrant hook, and a plunger encircling the wire and spring biased outwardly to enclose both reaches of the wire hook. When the plunger is refracted inwardly by manual force, the end of the shorter reach of the hook is exposed so that a fishing line may be introduced laterally into the hook, so that when the plunger is released, the line is clamped between the plunger and the closed end of the hook. Certain shortcomings and disadvantages have become apparent in clamps of this type. Most importantly, they have a pronounced tendency to slide or slip along the fishing line, so that their pre-arranged spacing from the hook and lure at the end of the line does not remain constant. This tendency arises from the facts that such “wire-hook” clamps engage the line at only one point, and that the monofilament nylon strands commonly used for fishing lines are very hard and smooth, so that it is difficult to clamp them with enough force and tightness to preclude slipping. The difficulty is further aggravated by the fact that nylon has a “self-lubricating” characteristic, which further increases the tendency to slip. The “wire-hook” clamps also are often relatively expensive to manufacture, and require a not insignificant degree of manual dexterity to operate. 
         [0005]    Other line clamps securely clamp the line to the fishing float so that the line cannot slip even if desired. 
         [0006]    Further, the typical fishing floats do not include a light for fishing at night and to attract fish. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    The present invention provides a fishing float with an improved line arrestor to releasably clamp the fishing float to the line. The line arrestor includes a lock clamp and a slip clamp so that the line may be secured to the fishing line at a desired position, or alternatively may be secured to the fishing line yet allow the fishing float to slip along the line. Additionally, the fishing float may include a light source to allow for night fishing and to attract fish. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of a lighted fishing float of the present invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the lighted fishing float of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the lighted fishing float of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the lighted fishing float of  FIG. 2  along section line  4 - 4 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the lighted fishing float of  FIG. 2  along section line  5 - 5 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the top of the lighted fishing float of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the printed circuit board of the lighted fishing float of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the base of the lighted fishing float of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is a plan view of the outside of the cap of the lighted fishing float of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 10  is a plan view of the inside of the cap of the lighted fishing float of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 11  is a side view of the cap of  FIG. 9 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 12  is a side view of the cap of  FIG. 9 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the cap of  FIG. 9 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 14  is an enlarged, partial sectional view of the cap of  FIG. 12  shown with the cap in a loosened position. 
           [0022]      FIG. 15  is an enlarged, partial sectional view of the cap of  FIG. 12  shown with the cap in a tightened position. 
           [0023]      FIG. 16  is a perspective view of the line arrestor of the lighted fishing float of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 17  is a cross-sectional view of the line arrestor of  FIG. 16 . 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0025]    As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof. 
         [0026]    Referring initially to  FIGS. 1-8 , the lighted fishing float of the present invention is generally indicated by reference numeral  20 . The lighted fishing float  20  includes a top  22 , base  24  and cap  26 . The top  22  is sealed to the base  24  presenting a housing  28 . The housing  28  may be shaped as a truncated sphere with a flat bottom  30  opposite the top  22  with a cylindrical tube  32  extending from the bottom  30 . The cylindrical tube  32  includes a threaded portion  34  at the end opposite the flat bottom  30 . The cap  26  includes an internal thread  27  matching the threaded portion  34  of the cylindrical tube  32  of the base  24 . 
         [0027]    Mounted within the housing  28  is a printed circuit board  36  with downwardly projecting LEDs  38  mounted thereto. The positive leads of one or more of the LEDs  38  may be connected together in parallel or in series and are connected to a positive contact  40 . The negative leads of one or more of the LEDs may also be connected together in parallel or series, and are connected to a negative lead  42  extending downwardly from the printed circuit board  36  along the inside surface of the cylindrical tube  32  toward the threaded portion  34 . The negative lead  42  makes contact with a negative contact  44 , which is in electrical contact with a negative terminal  46  of a battery  48 . A spring  50  or other contact provides a biased connection between the negative contact  44  and the negative terminal  46  of the battery  48 . When the lighted fishing float  20  is assembled, the positive terminal  52  of battery  48  makes contact with the positive contact  40  to complete the circuit and illuminate the LEDs  38 . A line arrestor  54  fits within the cap  26  and an O-ring  56 , which is seated in a groove  58  in the arrestor  54 , provides a water tight seal to keep water out of the lighted fishing float  20 . 
         [0028]    The housing  28  is made of a durable, injection-molded plastic. The top  22  is fastened and sealed to the base  24  along rim surfaces  60  and  62 . The top  22  may include structural ribs  64  for added strength around the periphery. The base  24  may also include structural ribs  66  for added strength around the periphery and may be aligned with the ribs  64  of the top  22  for added strength. The flat bottom  30  of the housing  28  may be transparent to permit the light from the LEDs  38  to be transmitted from the housing  28 . The LEDs  38  may emit a green light to attract fish. The flat bottom  30  may be a colored transparent plastic, such as green, for use with white LEDs, or other combinations to emit a green or other color light from the fishing float  20 . 
         [0029]    Referring to  FIGS. 3-5  and  9 - 17 , when the cap  26  is threaded onto the threaded portion  34  of the base  24 , the spring contact  50  is compressed against the negative terminal  46  of the battery  48  forcing the positive terminal  52  into contact with the positive contact  40  of the circuit board  36 . When the circuit is thus completed, the LEDs  38  are illuminated. The battery  48  may be a three-volt battery, such as a type  123 A lithium battery for powering the LEDs  38 . 
         [0030]    The line arrestor  54  and the cap  26  work in combination to secure the lighted fishing float  20  to a fishing line  68  or  69 . The cap  26  includes a channel  70 , a threaded periphery  72 , a J-shaped lock tab  74  extending from one side  76  of the periphery  72  with a free end  78  extending into the channel  70 , and a J-shaped slip tab  80  extending from the opposite side  82  of the periphery  72  with a free end  84  extending into the channel  70 . 
         [0031]    The line arrestor  54  includes left  86  and right  88  wings that are designed to snap into the channel  70  of the cap  26 . Between the wings  86  and  88  is a rectangular cavity  90  configured to receive the free end  78  of the J-shaped lock tab  74  and the free end  84  of J-shaped slip tab  80 . A body portion of the J-shaped lock tab  74  is slightly thicker than a body portion of the J-shaped slip tab  80 . Alternatively, the body portions of the J-shaped lock tab  74  and J-shaped slip tab  80  may have the same thickness, and the height of left wing  86  may be greater than the height of right wing  88 . 
         [0032]    As the cap  26  is tightened on the base  24 , the cap  24  slips over the line arrestor  54  forcing the J-shaped lock tab  74  and the J-shaped slip tab  80  into the rectangular cavity  90 . Before the cap  26  is tightened, the fishing line  68  may be slipped into the channel  70 , between the J-shaped lock tab  74  and the line arrestor  54 , or the fishing line  69  may be slipped into the channel  70 , between the J-shaped slip tab  80  and the line arrestor  54 . As the cap  26  is tightened, the line  68  is compressed between the lower portion of the J-shaped lock tab  74  and the left wing  86  of the line arrestor  54 . 
         [0033]    If the line  69  is between the J-shaped slip tab  80  and the line arrestor  54 , the free end  84  of the J-shaped slip tab  80  contacts the bottom surface of the rectangular cavity  90  before the line  69  is compressed. The line  69  is captured by the J-shaped slip tab  80  and the right wing  88  of the line arrestor  54 , permitting the lighted fishing float  20  to slip on the fishing line  69  but preventing the lighted fishing float  20  from coming free from the fishing line  69 . It is noted that although two fishing lines  68  and  69  have been described above and illustrated in  FIGS. 14 and 15 , this is to explain the two placements of a single fishing line in a locked position where the lighted fishing float  20  is secured to the fishing line at a fixed position on the line, and a variable position where the lighted fishing float  20  is secured to the fishing lines but can slide along the line. 
         [0034]    Further referring to  FIG. 18 , as the cap  26  is tightened on the base  26 , the line arrestor  54  is forced against the negative contact  44  and compresses the spring  50  against the negative terminal  46  of the battery  48 . The negative contact  44  slides within the cylindrical tube  32  of the base  24  until it contacts the negative lead  42 . At the same time, the battery  48  slides within the cylindrical tube  32  until the positive terminal  52  is in contact with the positive contact  40 , completing the circuit and illuminating the LEDs  38 . When the cap  26  is tightened on the base  26 , the fishing line  68  is locked in position and the O-ring  56  presents a water-tight seal to keep water from entering the housing  28 . Air trapped within the housing  28  keeps the lighted fishing float afloat. Further, the weight of the battery  48  keeps the lighted fishing float  20  upright in the water  100 . The light  102  from the LEDs  38  allows a person to fish at night from a shore, dock or boat  104 , for example, with a rod  106  and see when a fish  108  strikes the fishing lure or bait  110 . The light  102  from the LEDs  38  also attract fish to enhance the opportunity to catch a fish and enjoyment of the fishing experience. 
         [0035]    It is to be understood that while certain now preferred forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims.