Abstract:
A tool for saving the lives of captured fish that are swollen by expanded gases when brought to the surface includes an elongate hollow tube of rigid construction having a sharp cutting edge formed in a distal free end of the tube. A user grasps a proximal end of the tube and punctures a fish at a predetermined location in its body with the sharp cutting edge to allow gases to flow out of the body of the fish until the body returns to a substantially unswollen condition. The fish is conventionally resuscitated prior to release after the gases have been vented. The tube folds into a handle for storage when not in use.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates, generally, to the fishing industry. More particularly, it relates to a method and apparatus that enables survival of fish that are caught and released. 
   DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
   Many fish that are caught and found to be protected by law are released as required by law. A fish may be protected because its length is below a legal limit, because it belongs to a protected species, or for other reasons. 
   Even if a fish is not protected by law, the fisherman or fisherwoman may desire to return the fish to its environment for environmental reasons. However, if a fish is released without treatment of any kind, its survival chances are low. Many fishermen have learned to hold onto a fish as they return it to the water, and to move the fish forwardly and rearwardly to cause water to flow over its gills until the fish revives from the shock of being caught and swims away under its own propulsion. 
   This technique works for fish that are otherwise healthy. However, when a deep-dwelling fish is brought to the surface, it will be bloated, i.e., swollen because external pressure on the fish at its normal living depth is much less than the pressure on the fish when it is brought to the surface and into the atmosphere. Accordingly, the gases within the fish expand. The eyes of the fish will bulge out and in some cases the stomach of the fish will extend from its mouth. 
   Moving such a fish back and forth near the water surface in an effort to revive it is fruitless. 
   There is a need, then, for a treatment method that can enable such fish to survive. 
   However, in view of the prior art taken as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill how the identified needs could be fulfilled. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The long-standing but heretofore unfulfilled need for a device that saves the lives of deep-dwelling fish that have been brought to the surface is now met by a new, useful, and non-obvious invention. 
   The inventive structure is a novel tool for saving the lives of captured fish that are swollen by expanded gases when brought to the surface. It includes an elongate hollow tube of rigid construction having a proximal and a distal end and a sharp cutting edge formed in the distal end. 
   A user grasps the proximal end of the tube and punctures a fish at a predetermined location in its body with the sharp cutting edge until said body returns to a substantially unswollen condition. The fish is resuscitated by a conventional method after the gases have been vented and before being released. 
   The sharp cutting edge is formed by a bevel formed in the distal end of said tube. 
   The proximal end of the tube is secured to a handle to facilitate handling of the tube. The handle includes a first part and a second part that confront and abut one another, defining a hollow space between them for receiving the tube when the tube is in its stored configuration. 
   A pivot pin extends between the first and second parts of the handle at the leading end of the handle and said tube having a bore formed in its proximal end to receive said pivot pin. The tube has a fully deployed position when fully pivoted in a first direction about the pivot pin and a stored position when fully pivoted about the pivot pin in a second direction opposite to the first direction. 
   The proximal end of the tube is enlarged with respect to a balance of the tube to structurally reinforce the proximal end. The pivot pin extends through the enlarged, structurally reinforced proximal end of the tube. 
   The second part of the handle has a dished area formed therein to expose a medial extent of the tube when the tube is in the folded, stored configuration so that it can be grasped by a finger or thumb of a user. 
   A first detent is formed in a trailing end of the handle; it extends into the hollow space between the first and second parts of the handle. The first detent overlies the tube when the tube is in its folded, stored configuration. The first detent is formed of a flexible and resilient material so that the tube transiently displaces the detent when the tube is displaced from its deployed configuration to its stored configuration and from its stored configuration to its deployed configuration. A second detent is formed in a leading end of the handle but in trailing relation to the pivot pin and supplements the function of the first detent. A third detent is formed in a leading end of the handle in leading relation to the pivot pin and also extends into the hollow space between the first and second parts of the handle. The third detent overlies the proximal end of the tube when the tube is in its deployed configuration. The third detent is also formed of a flexible and resilient material so that the tube transiently displaces the first and second detents when the tube is displaced from its deployed configuration to its stored configuration and from its stored configuration to its deployed configuration. 
   A carrying case holds the tool when the tube is in its folded, stored configuration. The carrying case includes a clip so that the carrying case can be attached to a belt or other item of clothing. 
   The primary object of this invention is to save the lives of fish that are swollen due to expanded gases in their body when brought to the surface of a body of water. 
   A closely related object is to accomplish the primary object with a simple tool that is easy to use. 
   These and other important objects, advantages, and features of the invention will become clear as this description proceeds. 
   The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified in the description set forth hereinafter and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of the novel structure; 
       FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the novel structure when the vent tube is in its stored configuration; 
       FIG. 3A  is a top plan view when the vent tube is deployed; 
       FIG. 3B  is a top plan view of an embodiment having a shorter vent tube, for use with small fish; 
       FIG. 4  is a bottom plan view when the vent tube is in its stored configuration; 
       FIG. 5  is a first side elevational view when the vent tube is in its stored configuration; 
       FIG. 6  is a second side view when the vent tube is in its stored configuration; 
       FIG. 7  is a front elevational view of a first embodiment of the holding case; 
       FIG. 8  is a rear elevational view of said first embodiment of said holding case; 
       FIG. 9  is a front elevational view of a second embodiment of the holding case, depicting a closed flap; and 
       FIG. 10  is a front elevational view of the second embodiment of the holding case, depicting the flap in its open configuration. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring now to  FIG. 1 , it will there be seen that an illustrative embodiment of the invention is denoted as a whole by the reference numeral  10 . 
   Tool  10  includes a rigid, preferably metallic tube  12  having an external diameter of about an eighth of an inch (0.125□) and an internal diameter a little more than half that, depending upon the thickness of the metal, hard plastic, or other material of which said tube is made. 
   Tube  12  is beveled at its distal free end as indicated by the reference numeral  14 . The preferred angle of bevel is about thirty five degrees (35°) but such angle is not critical. 
   No further apparatus is required to perform the step of the novel method, although additional apparatus is disclosed hereinafter to facilitate handling of tube  10 . 
   When a protected fish suffering from pressure-drop-induced swelling is found in a net, the fisherman grasps the non-beveled proximal end of the tube and punctures the fish at a location forwardly of the fish&#39;s stomach and rearwardly of its head with the sharp distal free end of the tube. It is important not to puncture the stomach. Air under pressure will flow through the tube and escape from the fish, thereby ending the swelling. The fish&#39;s eyes and stomach will quickly return to their respective normal positions when the venting process is complete. When the air has stopped flowing, as indicated by the fish&#39;s body returning to an unbloated condition and as indicated by the absence of noise caused by air flowing through the tube, then the tube is withdrawn. The small puncture will close because the leading edge of the bevel is sharp and makes a small cut. The elasticity of the fish&#39;s body will cause the opening created by the tube to collapse and the small slit will heal quickly after the fish is released. The well-known practice of reviving the fish by manually propelling it through the water is still practiced after the tube is withdrawn from the body of the fish. 
   The proximal end of tube  12  is structurally enhanced by ensleeving said proximal end within a longitudinally disposed lumen of base  16 , said base being enlarged with respect to tube  12  to reinforce its proximal end. Bore  18  that perpendicularly intersects said lumen is formed in tube  12  and base  16 . 
   Handle  20  is provided in two (2) parts, denoted  22  and  24 . Enlarged base  16  facilitates the pivotal attachment of tube  12  to handle  20 . However, it is within the scope of this invention to pivotally mount tube  12  to handle  20  in the absence of base  16 . In that embodiment, bore  18  is still formed in tube  12  but without the reinforcement provided by base  16 . 
   Handle  20  is preferably made of two molded (2) parts  22  and  24  that are secured to one another by any suitable means. In the preferred embodiment, screws or rivets  26  and  28  are used to fasten together the trailing and leading (proximal and distal) ends, respectively, of handle parts  22 ,  24 . Base  18  is dimensioned so that it can fit between said parts  22 ,  24 . 
   In this particular embodiment, an unthreaded boss  30  is formed integrally with handle part  22  and an internally threaded boss  32  is formed integrally with handle part  24  so that the two (2) bosses confront and abut one another when the handle parts are connected to one another. An externally threaded screw  34  extends through boss  30  and screwthreadedly engages the internal threads of boss  32  to secure the respective trailing ends of said handle parts together. 
   Bore  18  is formed in the proximal end of tube  12  and in structure-enhancing base  16  about mid-length of base  16 . Externally threaded screw  28  extends through bore  18  in normal relation to a longitudinal axis of tube  12 . It engages nut  29  which is received in a countersunk recess  29   a  formed in a bottom wall of handle part  24 . A rivet may replace screw  28  and nut  29 . A rivet may also supplant screw  26  and it related parts. 
   Parts  22  and  24  may be generally rectangular or oval; in the depicted embodiment, part  22  is generally oval and a dished area  25  is formed in part  24  to expose the medial part of tube  10  so that it can be grasped by a finger or thumb of a user as best understood in connection with  FIG. 2 . 
   Directional arrow  13  in  FIGS. 3A and 3B  indicates how tube  12  is swung about pivot pin  28  from its stored configuration of  FIGS. 1 and 2  to its deployed configuration. The shorter vent tube of the  FIG. 3B  embodiment is used with relatively small fish. 
   Advertising material may be provided on the exterior side of handle part  24  is indicated in  FIG. 4 . 
   As best understood in connection with  FIG. 5 , first detents  36   a ,  36   b , second detents  38   a ,  38   b  and third detents  40   a ,  40   b  are formed integrally with parts  22 ,  24 . Detents  36   a ,  36   b  and  38   a ,  38   b  are positioned so that they capture tube  12  when said tube is in its stored configuration as depicted in  FIG. 5 . Opposed detents  40   a ,  40   b  holds tube  10  in its deployed position as depicted in  FIG. 3 . Where parts  22  and  24  are formed of a hard plastic, said detents are flexible and resilient enough to enable a user to force tube  12  past them when positioning said tube in its deployed or stored configuration. The user can hear a clicking sound as tube  12  passes by the detents into said deployed or stored configuration. 
   The bottom side of tool  10  is closed as depicted in  FIG. 6 . 
     FIGS. 7 and 8  depict the front and back, respectively, of a carrying case  50  having a pocket  52  formed on a front side thereof. Pocket  52  has an open top end and is sized to hold tool  10  so that part of said tool is exposed so that it can be grasped and removed from said pocket. Alternatively, tool  10  is easily removed by pressing on the bottom of pocket  52  so that tool  10  slides upwardly and out of said pocket. Swivel clip  54  which may be clipped to a belt or any other convenient item of clothing or other mounting place is connected to holder  50  by a suitable strip of material  56 . 
     FIGS. 9 and 10  depict a second embodiment of carrying case  50 . It includes flap  60  which is closed in  FIG. 9  and open in  FIG. 10 . A first hook and loop fastener  62  secured to an underside of flap  60  releasably engages a second, complementary hook and loop fastener  64  secured to an exterior surface of pocket  52  when the flap is closed. 
   It only takes a few moments to vent a fish using this novel tool. Its use will greatly increase populations of protected fish. 
   It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, and those made apparent from the foregoing description, are efficiently attained and since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matters contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 
   It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention that, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.