Abstract:
A fishing rod holder with a strike sensor that alerts the operator that a fish has been caught. The fishing rod holder allows for horizontal striking of fish either while trolling or still-fishing. The fishing rod holder consists of a rod holder support arm assembly, a rotating unit, a base unit and an optional mounting adapter. The rod holder may be mounted for horizontal striking on the top surface of a gunnel wall on a boat or other substantially flat horizontal surface. Alternatively, the mounting adapter may be used to mount the rod holder to a boat handle rail. The rod holder support arms are slidably engaged in the support arm assembly and allow for customized vertical orientation of the rod&#39;s tip with respect to the reel. In addition, the horizontal orientation of the rod may be customized to accommodate fishing technique and fishing conditions. Finally, there is a strike sensor to alert the operator that a fish has been caught.

Description:
PROVISIONAL APPLICATION DATA  
       [0001]    The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/272,230, filed Feb. 28, 2001 entitled FISHING ROD HOLDER, naming Matthew J. Ernst as inventor and is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.  
       CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0002]    The present application is a continuation-in-part application of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/087,077, filed Feb. 28, 2002 entitled FISHING ROD HOLDER, naming Matthew J. Ernst as inventor and is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    This invention relates generally to fishing pole holders that may be used to strike a fish while trolling in a boat or while still-fishing.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION  
         [0004]    Fishing rod holders are historically used to aid anglers and facilitate their ability to fish while performing other tasks. Current fishing rod holders require the operator to either remove the rod to strike the fish or strike the fish in a vertical manner while the rod is in the holder. Because both of these methods are inefficient and ineffective, there is a need for a fishing rod holder that allows the operator to strike the fish using the more natural and more effective horizontal motion while the fishing rod is in the holder. In addition, current rod holders do not incorporate a sensor that alerts the operator when a fish is on the line.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    A fishing rod holder with an alarm sensor that notifies the operator when a fish is on the line and then allows the operator to horizontally strike the fish either while trolling or still-fishing. The fishing rod holder consists of a rod holder support arm assembly, a rotating unit, a base unit and an optional mounting adapter. The rod holder may be mounted for horizontal striking on the top surface of a gunnel wall on a boat or any other substantially flat horizontal surface. Alternatively, the mounting adapter may be used to mount the rod holder to a boat handle rail. The rod holder support arms are slidably engaged in the support arm assembly and allow for selectable vertical orientation of the rod&#39;s tip with respect to the reel. In addition, the horizontal orientation of the rod may be selectable to accommodate fishing technique and fishing conditions.  
           [0006]    A principal object and advantage of the present invention is to alert the operator when a fish is on the line.  
           [0007]    A principal object and advantage of the present invention is to allow horizontal striking of fish and ease of removal of the rod from the rod holder following a strike while either trolling or still-fishing.  
           [0008]    Another principal object and advantage of the present invention is to allow the rod to be selectably-oriented in the vertical plane as well as the horizontal plane, depending on the fishing technique selected and the conditions.  
           [0009]    The foregoing objects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art when the following detailed description of the invention is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and claims. Throughout the drawings, like numerals refer to similar or identical parts. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a side view of the apparatus in operation while attached to a boat gunnel wall.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus attached to a horizontal surface such as a boat gunnel wall.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the apparatus.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the mounting adaptor.  
         [0015]    FIGS.  6 - 8  are perspective, top elevation, and side elevation views, respectively, of the quick-mount feature of the apparatus.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIGS. 9 and 10 are top views showing the apparatus installed on a boat gunnel wall while the boat is trolling.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 11 is an elevation view, corresponding with FIG. 9, showing the strike sensor alarm components.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of the strike sensor alarm.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 13 corresponds with FIGS. 9 and 11 and is a top plan view illustrating the strike sensor circuit in the open position.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 14 corresponds with FIG. 10 and is a top plan view illustrating a closed strike sensor circuit. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0021]    With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a fishing rod  2  is shown secured within the fishing rod holder  1 . The fishing rod holder  1  is shown attached to a boat  3 . The fishing rod holder  1  comprises a rod holder support arm assembly  8 , a rotating unit  50  and a base unit  76 .  
         [0022]    The rod holder support arm assembly  8  further comprises a sleeve holder  10  and support arms  20 , a rod cap holder  30  and a support arms base  40 . The sleeve holder  10  is fixedly attached to an adaptor  11 . The adaptor  11  is fixedly attached to the proximal end  22  of the support arms  20 . The method for attaching the sleeve holder  10  to the adaptor  11  and the adaptor  11  to the support arms  20  are well known in the art and include rivets, screws and other similar means. The support arms  20  are parallel to one another, are substantially smooth, and the central sections  26  thereof are bent upward resulting in a substantially curvelinear profile. The support arms  20  are fixedly attached to each other near the distal end  24  of the arms to prevent motion of the arms relative to one another, forming a joint  28 . The arms  20  may be joined by various means known in the art including, for example, welding or threaded screws. The distal end  24  of the arms  20  are shaped to ease the insertion of the fishing rod  2  into the support arms  20 . In addition, the distal ends  24  of the arms  20  are coated  25  to prevent corrosion and wear of the metal surface resulting from water and continuous contact with the fishing rod  2 .  
         [0023]    Referring now to FIGS.  2 - 4 , the support arms base  40  has a substantially cylindrical profile and a splined central bore  48 . It is understood that the cylindrical form is aesthetic and not functional. As a result, a wide variety of profiles may be selected. A transverse groove  46  is disposed across the top surface  42  of the support arms base  40 . The width of the transverse groove  46  is substantially equivalent to the diameter of the splined central bore  48 .  
         [0024]    The rod cap holder  30  comprises a a transverse lip  36  disposed along a bottom surface  34 . When the rod cap holder  30  engages the support arms base  40 , the transverse lip  36  engages the support arms base  40 , forming two transverse channels  47  that slidably capture the support arms  20  between the rod cap holder  30  and the support arms base  40 . The rod cap holder  30  has a substantially smooth central bore  38  through which a thumb screw  106  or other fastening device is disposed. When the mounting post  58  on the rotating unit  50  is engaged with the splined shaft  48  of the support arms base unit  40 , the arms support assembly  8  is secured to the rotating unit  50  by threadably engaging the thumb screw  106  that extends from the rod cap holder  30  to the threaded central bore  72  of the mounting post  58 . This screw  106  may be loosened to allow adjustment of the vertical orientation of the fishing rod  2  by sliding the support arms  20  forward or backward in the transverse channels  47  of the support arms assembly  8 . The thumb screw  106  is then tightened to retain the support arms  20  in the desired orientation.  
         [0025]    The rotating unit  50  has a substantially cylindrical profile and further comprises a mounting post  58  fixedly attached to substantially the center of the top surface  52  of the rotating unit  50 . The mounting post  58  has a threaded central bore  72  and a splined profile section. A rotational stop pin channel  60  is circumferentially disposed on the bottom surface  54  of the rotating unit  50  forming an outer lip  62  and an inner lip  64 . A rotational stop pin  66  is fixedly mounted in the rotational stop pin channel  60 . The lower portion of rotating unit  50  comprises a substantially smooth lower cylinder  68 . An anti-rotate pin  70  is fixedly attached to the bottom surface  69  of the lower cylinder  68 . The lower cylinder  68  has a threaded central bore  74 .  
         [0026]    The base unit  76  comprises a central bore  84  extending therethrough. The diameter of the central bore  84  widens approximately halfway though base unit  76 , forming a central bore lip  90  when viewed from the bottom. The central bore  84  is partially lined with a flange bearing  86  that extends, and includes a flange lip  88 , above the top surface  78  of the base unit  76 . The flange bearing  86  may be composed of Teflon or any similar material that allows for minimal rotational friction. When lined with the flange bearing  86 , the central bore  84  rotatably engages the lower cylinder  68  on the bottom surface  54  of the rotating unit  50 . The base unit  76  further comprises a rotational stop pin  92  extending from the top surface  78 . The stop pin  92  is circumferentially positioned to move within rotational stop pin channel  60 , allowing for rotational contact between stop pin  66  and rotational stop pin  92  during operation.  
         [0027]    A thrust bearing  94  is disposed on the central bore lip  90  and may be composed of Teflon or other friction-minimizing material. The thrust bearing  94  is held in place by a bearing retainer  96 . The bearing retainer  96  has a substantially smooth central bore  98  through which a retaining bolt  102  is disposed and an aperture  100  that receives the anti-rotate pin  70 , stopping the complete rotation of the rotating unit  50  and preventing the retaining bolt  102  from backing out during operation. The retaining bolt  102  threadably engages the threaded central bore  74  in the rotating unit&#39;s lower cylinder  68  thereby biasing the bearing retainer  96  against the thrust bearing  94  and connecting the base unit  76  to the rotating unit  50 . The horizontal rotational tension is adjusted by tightening or loosening the retaining bolt  102 . Compression washers  104  or other similar biasing means are used in conjunction with the retaining bolt  102  to provide the spring resistance necessary to offer minimal friction on the flange bearing  86  during rotation of the rotating unit  50 . The bottom surface  80  of the base unit  76  has a plurality of threaded holes  108  to be used for mounting to a flat surface, using mounting screws  109  or similar means, or for attaching the mounting adaptor  111 .  
         [0028]    Referring now to FIG. 5, the mounting adaptor  111  is comprised of a top member  110  and a bottom member  112 . The top and bottom members  110  and  112  together form a substantially cylindrical cavity  117  capable of securely fastening the fishing rod holder to boat handle rails or other similar structures. It is understood that in practice the cavity profile can take on virtually any shape as long as it is capable of fastening to boat handle rails or other similar structures. The top  110  and bottom  112  members are secured to the appropriate structure using mounting screws  109  or similar fastening means.  
         [0029]    An alternate embodiment of the apparatus allowing for quick mounting and directional biasing of the fishing rod holder is provided for in FIGS.  6 - 8 . This embodiment requires a mounting block  118  with a top section  120  having a polygonal profile  134  with a diameter greater than that of the bottom section  126 . The side surface  127  of the bottom section  126  of the mounting block  118  further has a plurality of apertures  140 .  
         [0030]    This embodiment includes a quick-mount adaptor  131  that is fixedly attached to the bottom surface  80  of the base unit  76 . The adaptor has a polygonal profile cavity  132  that matches the profile of the top section  120  of the mounting block  118  and which nonrotatably slidably engages the top section  120  of the mounting block  118 . When fully engaged, the top surface  122  of the mounting block  118  is substantially disposed against the bottom surface  80  of the base unit  76  and the sides  132  of the polygonal profile of the quick mount adaptor  131  are nonrotatably engaged with the side surfaces  121  of the top section  120  of the mounting unit  118 . A plurality of threaded holes  136  are disposed in the quick-mount adaptor  131  for fastening the adaptor  131  to the bottom of the base unit  76 . A mounting gasket  107  is further disposed between the adaptor  131  and the bottom of the base unit  76 . In addition, at least one aperture  128  is provided on the side surface  133  of the quick-mount adaptor  131 . This aperture  128  is used to secure the fishing rod holder when the apparatus is engaged with the mounting unit  118  by insertion of a fastening device such as a key or pin  130  as shown in FIGS.  7 - 8 . The pin  130  engages the aperture  128  on the quick-mount adaptor  131  and the aperture  140  disposed on the side surface  127  of the bottom section  126  of the mounting unit  118 .  
         [0031]    Turning now to FIGS.  11 - 14 , the strike sensor will be discussed. The configuration of elements in FIGS. 11 and 13 correspond directly to those illustrated in FIG. 9. In addition, the configuration of elements in FIG. 14 correspond directly to those illustrated in FIG. 10. The strike sensor allows the operator to detect when a fish is on the line from a location remote from the fishing rod  1 . The strike sensor comprises a sensor magnet  142  mounted in the rotating unit  50 , a reed switch  144  disposed in the base unit  76 , and an alarm  146  disposed in the base unit  76 . In the preferred embodiment, the alarm provides a sound to alert the operator. FIG. 12 illustrates the schematic circuit for the strike sensor wherein the sensor magnet  142  is located proximal to the reed switch  144  with the reed switch still in the open position.  
         [0032]    The strike sensor may be used when fishing using either a forward or backward trolling technique. FIG. 13 illustrates this configuration. When a fish strikes, the fishing rod holder is caused to rotate in the direction opposite the trolling boat until the rotating unit rotational stop pin  66  contacts the base unit rotational stop pin  92 . As seen in FIG. 14, this places the sensor magnet  142  in proximity to the reed switch  144 , preferably directly over the top of the switch, which is normally in the open position, thus closing the circuit  150  and causing the battery-driven alarm  146  to sound.  
       OPERATION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION  
       [0033]    With the foregoing description of the present invention, its operation can now be fully explained.  
         [0034]    With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the butt end  4  of the fishing rod  2  is received by the sleeve holder  10  and the rod  2  is allowed to rest against the conjunction  28  of the support arms  20 . The vertical orientation of the tip  5  of the rod  2  with respect to the butt end  4  can be adjusted by loosening the thumb screw  106  and sliding the support arms  20  forwardly within the transverse channels  47  of the support arms assembly  8  or rearwardly to decrease the height of the rod tip  5 . The fishing rod  2  can be oriented in a substantially vertical position by sliding the support arms  20  completely forward, bringing the adaptor  11  into contact with the support arms assembly  8 . Conversely, the rod tip  5  may be oriented below the butt end  4  of the rod  2  in a less than horizontal position by sliding the support arms  20  back until the conjunction  28  between the support arms  20  is contacted by the support arms assembly  8 . Thus, the rod tip  5  may be oriented vertically in any position between these two extremes relative to the butt end  4  of the rod  2 . Once the desired rod orientation has been established, the thumb screw  106  is then retightened, fixedly retaining the support arms  20  in the support arms assembly  8 . In this manner, the support arms  20  are captured in the transverse channels  47  created by the rod cap holder  30  and the support arms base  40 . The thumb screw  106  is threadably engaged with the threaded central bore  72  of the rotating unit&#39;s splined mounting post  58 .  
         [0035]    With the vertical orientation of the fishing rod holder established, the fishing rod holder&#39;s horizontal orientation may now be described. There are three elements that provide customization of horizontal orientation. First, as indicated by FIGS.  6 - 8 , the mounting block  118  and the interior side surfaces  132  of the quick-mount adaptor  131  have slidably engageable and complementary profiles. This allows quick-mount adaptor  131  to be disengaged by removing the pin  130 , rotating the adaptor  131  such that the rod  2  is directed over the fishing area and the adaptor  131  reengaged with the mounting block  118  and resecured with the pin  130 . Second, the engagement of the splined profile located in the central bore  48  of the support arms base  40  with the mounting post  58  of the rotating unit  50  allows the operator to orient the fishing rod holder using a full 360 degrees of horizontal motion. The transverse channels  47  created by the rod cap holder  30  and the support arms base  40  allows for two directional positions, 180 degrees from each other, for the fishing rod  2  at any given splined engagement. The third component available to establish proper horizontal orientation of the fishing rod  2  involves the rotational stop pin  92  on the base unit  76 . The rod holder apparatus may be rotated approximately 355 degrees in either direction from the rotational stop pin  92  on the base unit  76 . This pin  92  determines where the fishing rod holder&#39;s rotation will be stopped as it contacts the rotational stop pin  66  on the rotating unit  50 .  
         [0036]    If trolling, the apparatus is preferably mounted with the base unit&#39;s rotational stop pin  92  oriented substantially as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The arrow in FIG. 9 indicates the direction of travel of the boat  3 . The transverse channel  47  in the support arms assembly  8  is oriented to allow the rod  2  to be held out over the water. The rod  2  is free to rotate in the direction opposite that of the moving boat  3  until the rotating unit&#39;s rotational stop pin  66  and the base unit&#39;s rotational stop pin  92  come into contact, preventing further horizontal rotation. However, if the strike sensor is used, it is preferable to troll with the rod holder configured such that the rotating unit&#39;s rotational stop pin  66  and the base unit&#39;s rotational stop pin  92  are not in contact as in FIG. 9. This horizontal position is attained by adjusting the horizontal rotational tension of the fishing rod holder by tightening or loosening the retaining bolt  102  as indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4  
         [0037]    FIGS.  11 - 14  illustrate the strike sensor which alerts the operator when a fish is on the line. Generally, as noted, the rod holder  1  is used while trolling in either a forward or backward trolling motion. Referring particularly to FIGS. 11 and 13, the orientation of the fishing rod holder as illustrated in both Figures corresponds to that of FIG. 9 to illustrate the sensor component positioning when in the trolling position. In this instance, the rotational unit&#39;s rotational stop pin  66  and the base unit&#39;s rotational stop pin  92  are not in contact and the strike sensor is not activated.  
         [0038]    Activation of the strike sensor by closing the circuit  150  is illustrated in FIG. 14. When a fish strikes, the fishing rod holder rotates horizontally until the rotational stop pin  66  of the rotating unit  50  contacts the rotational stop pin  92  of the base unit  76 . In this configuration, the magnet  142  is positioned proximally, preferably directly over, the reed switch  144 . The reed switch  144  is normally in the open position, as indicated in FIG. 12. When the magnet  142  is positioned over the reed switch  144 , the switch closes, creating a closed circuit  150  which causes the alarm to sound, notifying the operator that a fish has been hooked. The reed switch  144  then closes in response to the magnetic field, completing the circuit  150  and allows the current from the battery source  148  to flow to the alarm  146 . The use of a reed switch  144 , embedded within the assembled fishing rod holder, eliminates the need for any external switches. In addition, placing the sensor components within the fishing rod holder renders the strike sensor virtually waterproof and splash resistant.  
         [0039]    The horizontal rotational tension of the fishing rod holder is adjusted by tightening or loosening the retaining bolt  102  which is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. This feature is important for two reasons. First, since the drag of the fishing line and the bait attached thereto during trolling tends to cause the fishing rod holder to rotate horizontally, a certain horizontal rotational tension is necessary to counteract the force of the water during the trolling action in order to prevent the rod holder from simply rotating such that the rotating unit rotational stop pin  66  and the base unit rotational stop pin  92  come into contact. This enables the operator to take into account trolling speed, the type of fishing, e.g., fishing in contact with the bottom, and external weather and water conditions. This lessens the likelihood of obtaining a “false positive” strike alarm. Second, the horizontal rotational tension can used to fine tune the alarm sensitivity depending on the type of fishing lure that is being used. By way of example, a large bill bait may require a more resistance to horizontal rotation than would a small billed bait to account for the difference in drag between the two types of bait.  
         [0040]    Generally, when a fish is detected, the operator may strike the fish in a horizontal manner by rotating the apparatus as described herein. The fishing rod may then be quickly, easily and smoothly removed from the apparatus at any time to facilitate reeling the fish in.  
         [0041]    The above specification describes certain preferred embodiments of this invention. This specification is in no way intended to limit the scope of the claims. Other modifications, alterations, or substitutions may now suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, all of which are within the spirit and scope of the present invention. It is therefore intended that the present invention be limited only by the scope of the attached claims below: